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Bible Study Guides – The Government of Heaven

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December 31, 2006 – January 6, 2007

Key Text

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 33–43.

Introduction

“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.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

1 What characteristic is unique to the Godhead? Psalm 33:6, 9. How—and by Whom—were all things in the universe created? John 1:1–3.

note: “The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate—a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. . . .

“The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. ‘By Him were all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.’ Colossians 1:16. Angels are God’s ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. But the Son, the anointed of God, the ‘express image of His person,’ ‘the brightness of His glory,’ ‘upholding all things by the word of His power,’ holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

2 What does Inspiration reveal about the throne of God? Jeremiah 17:12. How does this relate to the Son of God? Hebrews 1:8.

note: “The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. . . . 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.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

3 What are some of the fundamental characteristics of the government of Heaven? Psalm 89:14; 1 John 4:16.

note: “The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

4 What characterized the relationship between the entire host of heavenly creatures and their beneficent Creator? Psalm 103:20, 21.

note: “It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

5 What ambition was nourished by Lucifer, the highest created being? Ezekiel 28:12–15.

note: “There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. . . .

“Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. . . . Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

6 What was the real cause of Lucifer’s dissatisfaction? Proverbs 13:10; Psalm 10:4.

note: “Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And coveting the glory with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 35.

7 How did Heaven’s reasoning with Lucifer exemplify God’s tender appeals to His erring creatures throughout all ages? Isaiah 1:18–20. What was Lucifer’s attitude?

note: “In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

8 In sharp contrast to God’s methods, what techniques did Lucifer use to subtly dissuade many angels from their trustful allegiance to God? Psalm 55:21.

note: “Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 37.

“While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace.” Ibid., 38.

9 Trace the final stages of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) rebellion in heaven. Revelation 12:7–9.

note: “He [Satan] nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him. It was too great a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to confess that he had been in error.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 39.

“Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, and exclaimed, ‘These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?’ He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength.” The Story of Redemption, 18.

“Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven.” Ibid., 19.

10 How is Satan’s fall summarized? Isaiah 14:12–15. Why did the Lord not immediately destroy Satan? Ezekiel 28:17, 19.

note: “Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 42.

The Fall of Lucifer

“Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God’s dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God’s dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone.

“The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him.

“Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, he bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to His plans, while Lucifer was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of heaven, His power and authority to be the same as that of God Himself. Lucifer thought that he was himself a favorite in heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted, but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God Himself. He gloried in his loftiness. He knew that he was honored by the angels. He had a special mission to execute. He had been near the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glorious light enshrouding the eternal God had shone especially upon him. He thought how angels had obeyed his command with pleasurable alacrity. Were not his garments light and beautiful? Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?

“He left the immediate presence of the Father, dissatisfied and filled with envy against Jesus Christ. Concealing his real purposes, he assembled the angelic host. He introduced his subject, which was himself. As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself. He told them that henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end. For had not a ruler been appointed over them, to whom they from henceforth must yield servile honor? He stated to them that he had called them together to assure them that he no longer would submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs; that never would he again bow down to Christ; that he would take the honor upon himself which should have been conferred upon him, and would be the commander of all who would submit to follow him and obey his voice.

“There was contention among the angels. Lucifer and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God. They were discontented and unhappy because they could not look into His unsearchable wisdom and ascertain His purposes in exalting His Son, and endowing Him with such unlimited power and command. They rebelled against the authority of the Son.

“Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned; and that He had given no commands but what it was joy for the heavenly host to execute. They urged that Christ’s receiving special honor from the Father, in the presence of the angels, did not detract from the honor that Lucifer had heretofore received. The angels wept. They anxiously sought to move him to renounce his wicked design and yield submission to their Creator; for all had heretofore been peace and harmony, and what could occasion this dissenting, rebellious voice?

“Lucifer refused to listen. And then he turned from the loyal and true angels, denouncing them as slaves. These angels, true to God, stood in amazement as they saw that Lucifer was successful in his effort to incite rebellion. He promised them a new and better government than they then had, in which all would be freedom. Great numbers signified their purpose to accept him as their leader and chief commander. As he saw his advances were met with success, he flattered himself that he should yet have all the angels on his side, and that he would be equal with God Himself, and his voice of authority would be heard in commanding the entire host of heaven. Again the loyal angels warned him, and assured him what must be the consequences if he persisted; that He who could create the angels could by His power overturn all their authority and in some signal manner punish their audacity and terrible rebellion. To think that an angel should resist the law of God which was as sacred as Himself! They warned the rebellious to close their ears to Lucifer’s deceptive reasonings, and advised him and all who had been affected by him to go to God and confess their wrong for even admitting a thought of questioning His authority.

“Many of Lucifer’s sympathizers were inclined to heed the counsel of the loyal angels and repent of their dissatisfaction and be again received to the confidence of the Father and His dear Son. The mighty revolter then declared that he was acquainted with God’s law, and if he should submit to servile obedience, his honor would be taken from him. No more would he be intrusted [sic] with his exalted mission. He told them that himself and they also had now gone too far to go back, and he would brave the consequences, for to bow in servile worship to the Son of God he never would; that God would not forgive, and now they must assert their liberty and gain by force the position and authority which was not willingly accorded to them. [“Thus it was that Lucifer, ‘the light-bearer,’ the sharer of God’s glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, ‘the adversary.’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 40.]

“The loyal angels hastened speedily to the Son of God and acquainted Him with what was taking place among the angels. They found the Father in conference with His beloved Son, to determine the means by which, for the best good of the loyal angels, the assumed authority of Satan could be forever put down. The great God could at once have hurled this archdeceiver from heaven; but this was not His purpose. He would give the rebellious an equal chance to measure strength and might with His own Son and His loyal angels. In this battle every angel would choose his own side and be manifested to all. It would not have been safe to suffer any who united with Satan in his rebellion to continue to occupy heaven. They had learned the lesson of genuine rebellion against the unchangeable law of God, and this is incurable. If God had exercised His power to punish this chief rebel, disaffected angels would not have been manifested; hence, God took another course, for He would manifest distinctly to all the heavenly host His justice and His judgment.

War in Heaven

“It was the highest crime to rebel against the government of God. All heaven seemed in commotion. The angels were marshaled in companies, each division with a higher commanding angel at its head. Satan was warring against the law of God, because ambitious to exalt himself and unwilling to submit to the authority of God’s Son, heaven’s great commander.

“All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father, to have each case determined. Satan unblushingly made known his dissatisfaction that Christ should be preferred before Him. He stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes. God informed Satan, that to His Son alone He would reveal His secret purposes, and He required all the family in heaven, even Satan, to yield Him implicit, unquestioned obedience; but that he (Satan) had proved himself unworthy of a place in heaven. Then Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one half of all the angels, and exclaimed, ‘These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?’ He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength.

“Good angels wept to hear the words of Satan and his exulting boasts. God declared that the rebellious should remain in heaven no longer. Their high and happy state had been held upon condition of obedience to the law which God had given to govern the high order of intelligences. But no provision had been made to save those who should venture to transgress His law. Satan grew bold in his rebellion, and expressed his contempt of the Creator’s law. This Satan could not bear. He claimed that angels needed no law but should be left free to follow their own will, which would ever guide them right; that law was a restriction of their liberty; and that to abolish law was one great object of his standing as he did. The condition of the angels, he thought, needed improvement. Not so the mind of God, who had made laws and exalted them equal to Himself. The happiness of the angelic host consisted in their perfect obedience to law. Each had his special work assigned him, and until Satan rebelled, there had been perfect order and harmonious action in heaven.

“Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven. All the heavenly host acknowledged and adored the God of justice. Not a taint of rebellion was left in heaven. All was again peaceful and harmonious as before. Angels in heaven mourned the fate of those who had been their companions in happiness and bliss. Their loss was felt in heaven.

“The Father consulted His Son in regard to at once carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth. He would place man upon probation to test his loyalty before he could be rendered eternally secure. If he endured the test wherewith God saw fit to prove him, he should eventually be equal with the angels. He was to have the favor of God, and he was to converse with angels, and they with him. He did not see fit to place them beyond the power of disobedience.” The Story of Redemption, 13–19.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke Virginia, 2003.

Recipe – Millet Casserole, Lentil Loaf, and Fruit Soup

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Camp Meeting Recipes

Millet Casserole

3 minced garlic cloves

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1-1/4 cups uncooked millet

1-1/2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onions

2 quarts canned tomatoes

1-1/2 teaspoons basil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup cashew pieces

1/2 cup chopped black olives

1 cup tomato juice

Sauté garlic in olive oil. Lightly blend the tomatoes and add all of the remaining ingredients except the olives and tomato juice. Cook over medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Add olives and tomato juice and place in an oiled casserole pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until millet is soft and liquid absorbed.

Lentil Loaf

2 cups cooked lentils

1-1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup minced celery

1/2 teaspoon sage

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup tomato puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

2–3 Tablespoons fructose or sweetener of choice

Mix together lentils, bread crumbs (gluten free crumbs if gluten intolerance), nuts, onion, celery, sage, and soy sauce. Pat into a well oiled loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix tomato puree, lemon juice, salt, and fructose. Spread over loaf and return to oven for 20–25 minutes. The entire ingredient list can be mixed together and just baked without the topping. Note: Leftovers make great sandwiches. (Cookbook by Mindy Breckenridge, Cooking Vegetarian for Normal People.)

Fruit Soup

2 32-oz. cans of pineapple juice

1/4 cup small tapioca pearls

Combine and bring to a boil, cooking until the tapioca is clear. Set aside to cool. Combine any fruit of your choice, other than melons. Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit may be used. If you add bananas, treat them with lemon juice or orange juice so they do not discolor, and add them just before serving. Other than the bananas, the fruit may be added to the cooled soup mixture and stored overnight or served immediately.

Food for Life – Celiac disease

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Of all the living organisms that God has created, none rank in the scale of value with him anywhere near to man. And if human beings would become intelligent in regard to their own bodies, and understand their relation to life and health, and regulate their habits of eating, of dressing, of working and resting, their lives would be prolonged in health and happiness.” The Health Reformer, June 1, 1873.

This is especially true of people who have a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. “Better awareness of ‘non-classical’ disease and improved screening tests suggest that the prevalence of celiac disease is underestimated in most populations. It is surprisingly common (1 of 250 people in the United States are positive for celiac disease antibody), where overt disease in the United States is uncommon.” C. Robert Dahl, M.D., “Celiac Disease: The Great Mimic,” Presentation at the 23rd Annual CSA Conference, September 2000, Lifeline, Spring 2001.

Celiac disease may present in many varied ways and relate to the damage done to the lining of the intestine. Symptoms can include: recurring abdominal pain and bloating, chronic diarrhea, excessive rectal gas, weight loss, mouth sores, fatigue, iron deficiency anemia, swelling, fluid in the abdomen, behavior changes, mood disorders, growth retardation, or with few or no apparent symptoms at all. It has been noted that the longer the person is exposed to gluten, the greater the risk of other autoimmunity developing in other organ systems.

The treatment is related to diet, and involves a diet as close to an absolute gluten-free diet that can be achieved for life. Another important treatment is initial avoidance of dairy products and replacement of nutritional deficiencies that may result from a diseased intestine. Most people will see improvement within two weeks after removal of gluten from the diet. Others may take longer. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and, to a lesser extent, oats.

If you suffer from any of the symptoms mentioned and have just endured them, you might try putting yourself on a gluten free diet, and definitely consult your health care professional for diagnosis of your symptoms. This year at camp meeting a gluten free alternative was available at each meal. Following are some of the gluten free options that were provided. Please note that these recipes may be enjoyed by the entire family.

Question – Is health reform really a part of the Gospel?

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Question

Is health reform really a part of the Gospel?

Answer

The principles of how to live healthfully are given to us to be a blessing. Is there anyone who really enjoys being sick or not feeling well or being in real pain and misery, which many times ends in premature death? “Only one lease of life is granted us; and the inquiry with every one should be, ‘How can I invest my powers so that they may yield the greatest profit? How can I do most for the glory of God and the benefit of my fellow men?’ For life is valuable only as it is used for the attainment of these ends.” Counsels on Health, 107.

The object of health reform is not just to give us better health, but to promote happiness, to give us clearer minds with which to think, and to prepare us for the heavenly kingdom. It is given in love for the human race that we might develop a character like that of Jesus.

From the very beginning of time here on this earth, Satan has been an enemy of God. The best way that he can fight against Him is to gain control of the human race. In the book Temperance, written by Ellen White, she states: “Satan is constantly on the alert to bring the race fully under his control. His strongest hold on man is through the appetite, and this he seeks to stimulate in every possible way.” Ibid., 13.

On the contrary, Christ is seeking the human race to become the subjects of heaven to be under the kingdom of God. He is seeking to help them to learn to be like Himself, which is the only way to true life and happiness. To do this we must learn to obey His rules and live like Him. One of the first things that Jesus did when He came to save us was to fast 40 days in the wilderness to gain strength to give us the power to overcome the temptation of appetite.

“We have been redeemed by a costly ransom. Only by the greatness of this ransom can we conceive of its results. On this earth, the earth whose soil has been moistened by the tears and the blood of the Son of God, are to be brought forth the precious fruits of Paradise. In the lives of God’s people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. Through His people Christ is to manifest His character and the principles of His kingdom.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 296.

So, now, since we have the power of choice, we may choose to have Satan’s diet or the diet that has been chosen for us by our Heavenly Father. The results of our choice we must accept.

The Gospel includes the good news that Jesus is coming again to take us home to heaven. It is the instruction as to how to prepare for our heavenly home, so that we will be ready to fit into the society of heaven and be prepared to live throughout eternity with Jesus and the angels. Surely the health reform message is part of the good news.

“Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Ibid. 69. The message of health reform is just part of the message that helps us to develop a character like Christ.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Nature Nugget – Thermoregulating Plants

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A number of species of plants have been discovered that produce heat when they flower, much like warm-blooded animals. Three of these species not only produce heat, but they also thermoregulate like birds and mammals. This means they are able to maintain a fairly constant temperature despite fluctuating air temperatures. Scientists are not completely sure why they produce heat and regulate their temperature, but since it is mainly the flowering parts of these plants that produce the heat, they believe it has to do with creating a warm, stable environment for pollinators, which facilitates reproduction. Another possibility is that the constant warmth may be required for proper development of its reproductive structures. Two of these plants, Skunk Cabbage and Selloum Philodendron, are in the Arum family and the other, Sacred Lotus, is a type of water lily.

The Sacred Lotus maintains its temperature near 90 degrees Fahrenheit for two to four days during its flowering period, even when air temperatures drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Its receptacle, the spongy, cone-shaped center of the flower, produces most of the heat. In the Arums, the flowering part is called a spadix and is not a true flower, but is an inflorescence or clustering of small flowers called florets. The spadix, consisting of hundreds of florets on a common stalk, is partly surrounded by a large bract, or specialized leaf, called a spathe. The Skunk Cabbage’s spadix holds its temperature between 59 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two weeks during late winter when air temperatures are below freezing, and it even reportedly melts the snow around it.

The Selloum Philodendron, a common house plant, is able to maintain a high constant temperature in the 100 to 115 degree Fahrenheit range for 18 to 24 hours during its flowering period. The flowers are actually hot to the touch. Its foot-long inflorescences contain about 3,000 florets on a stalk. The uppermost florets are fertile males while the lowermost florets are fertile females. The middle florets in between are sterile males which provide food for the pollinators and are where the main heat is produced. During cold spells down to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, they were discovered to be able to maintain their temperature as much as 60 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the air around them. This is producing heat at a level for their weight comparable to birds and insects in flight, which are the greatest heat producers known. This energy intensive reaction is fueled by fat in a very similar way as to what occurs in the metabolism of animals. This is very unusual, as plants normally utilize carbohydrates (starches and sugars) for energy.

Worldly scientists are saying that these thermoregulating plants and their animal-like strategy of cellular mechanics is an excellent example of convergent evolution whereby two distinct organisms come to the same conclusion because of a similar need. We as Christians know better than this. “The most profound intellects of the world, when not enlightened by God’s Word, become bewildered and lost while trying to investigate the matters of science and revelation. . . . Those who view these from a merely human standpoint will most assuredly come to wrong conclusions. The thorns of error, skepticism, and infidelity are disguised by being covered with the garments of philosophy and science. Satan has devised this ingenious manner of winning souls away from the living God, away from the truth and religion. He exalts nature above nature’s Creator.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 906.

“There are wonderful truths in nature. . . . But fallen man will not understand. Sin has obscured his vision, and he cannot of himself interpret nature without placing it above God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 107. “Science is ever discovering new wonders; but she brings from her research nothing that, rightly understood, conflicts with divine revelation.” Education, 128.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

The Pen of Inspiration – The Plan of Salvation the Same in All Ages

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When the plan of salvation was revealed to the angels, joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and blessedness of a world redeemed, out-measured even the anguish of the Prince of life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strain of that song that angels sang above the hills of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” [Luke 2:14.] And the lost pair in the garden of Eden, standing as criminals before the righteous Judge, waiting the sentence their transgression merited, heard the first notes of the divine promise. Before the life of toil and sorrow which sin had brought upon them was depicted before them, before the decree that the wages of sin is death was pronounced, they heard the promise of redemption. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, still through the merits of Christ they could look forward to victory. The mystery of the gospel was spoken in Eden when God said to the serpent: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” [Genesis 3:15.] If Satan could have touched the Head with his specious temptations, the human family would be lost; but the Lord had made known the purpose and plan of the mystery of grace, declaring that Christ should bruise the serpent under his feet.

Usurped but Restored

Not only had man come under the power of the deceiver, but the earth itself, the dominion of man, was usurped by the enemy. Through the plan of salvation, through the sacrifice of Christ, not only man, but his dominion, was to be redeemed. Because of the merits of Christ, all that man lost through sin was to be restored. The time would come when there should be no more curse, but the throne of God should be in the earth renewed, and his servants should serve Him. The promise would be fulfilled, “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.” [Psalm 37:29.]

A Larger Purpose

Through the plan of salvation, a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government will be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan against God refuted, the nature and result of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully demonstrated. Satan had declared that the law of God was faulty, and that the good of the universe demanded a change in its requirements. In attacking the law, he thought to overthrow the authority of its Author, and gain for himself the supreme allegiance. But through the plan of salvation, the precepts of the law were to be proved perfect and immutable, that at last one tide of glory and love might go up throughout the universe, ascribing glory and honour and praise to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever.

The inhabitants of all worlds will be convinced of the justice of the law in the overthrow of rebellion and the eradication of sin. When man, beguiled by Satan’s power, disobeyed the divine law, God could not, even to save the lost race, change that law. God is love, and to change the law would be to deny Himself, to overthrow those principles with which are bound up the good of the universe. The working out of the plan of salvation reveals not only to men, but to angels, the character of God, and through the ages of eternity the malignant character of sin will be understood by the cost to the Father and the Son of the redemption of a rebel race. In Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, all worlds will behold the marks of the curse, and angels as well as men will ascribe honour and glory to the Redeemer, through whom they are all made secure from apostasy. The efficiency of the cross guards the redeemed race from the danger of a second fall. The life and death of Christ effectually unveils the deceptions of Satan, and refutes his claims. The sacrifice of Christ for a fallen world draws not only men, but angels, unto Him in bonds of indissoluble union.

Through the plan of salvation the justice and mercy of God are fully vindicated, and to all eternity rebellion will never again arise, affliction never again touch the universe of God.

The Son’s Death

To fallen man was revealed the plan of infinite sacrifice through which salvation was to be provided. Nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate man’s sin, and Adam marvelled at the goodness of God in providing such a ransom for the sinner. Through the love of God, a star of hope illumined the terrible future that spreads before the transgressor. Through the institution of the typical system of sacrifice, the death of Christ was ever to be kept before guilty man, that he might better comprehend the nature of sin, the results of transgression, and the merit of the divine offering. Had there been no sin, man would never have known death. But in the innocent victim slain by his own hand, he beheld the fruits of sin,—the death of the Son of God in his behalf. He sees the immutable character of the law he has transgressed, and confessing his sin, relies upon the merits of the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:19.]

The plan of saving sinners through Christ alone was the same in the days of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and in every successive generation living before the advent of Christ, as it is in our day. Patriarchs, prophets, and martyrs from righteous Abel, looked forward to a coming Saviour, and they showed their faith in Him by sacrifices and offerings. The sacrifice of beasts shadowed forth the sinless offering of God’s dear Son, and pointed forward to his death upon the cross. But at the crucifixion type met antitype, and the typical system ceased.

The Center

The Son of God is the centre [sic] of the great plan of redemption, which covers all dispensations. He is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” [Revelation 13:8.] He is the Redeemer of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam in all ages of human probation. “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12.] Christ is the substance, or body, which casts its shadow back into former dispensations. When Christ died, the shadow ceased. At the death of Christ, the typical system was done away; but the law of God, whose violation had made the plan of salvation necessary, was magnified and made honourable. The gospel was good tidings of great joy to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses; for it presented to them a coming Saviour. A more clear and glorious light now shines upon the Christian. We look forward to an entrance into Eden, which Adam lost. Those who lived before the coming of Christ, looked forward by faith to his coming; but what had to be grasped by faith by them, is assurance to us; for we know that Christ has come, as foretold by the prophets. It is just as essential for us to have faith in our Redeemer who came to earth and died our sacrifice, as it was for the ancients to believe in a Redeemer to come, represented by their offerings and sacrifices.

The Man Christ

In becoming man’s substitute, in bearing the curse which should fall upon man, Christ has pledged Himself in behalf of the race to maintain the sacred and exalted honour of his Father’s law. He came to convince men of sin, which is the transgression of the law, and through divine mediation, bring them back to obedience to God’s commandments. God has given the world into the hands of Christ, that He may completely vindicate the binding claims of the law, and make manifest the holiness of every principle. Christ was the Father’s “appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” He was the “brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” And He upheld “all things by the word of his power.” [Hebrews 1:2, 3.] He possessed divine excellence and greatness; and it pleased the Father that in Him all fulness should dwell. Christ exchanged the throne of light and glory which He had with the Father, counting it not a thing to be desired to be equal with God while man was lost in sin and misery. He came from heaven to earth, clothed his divinity with humanity, and bore the curse as surety for the fallen race. He was not compelled to do this; but He chose to bear the results of man’s transgression, that man might escape eternal death. The Bible Echo, July 15, 1893.

Restoring the Temple – Indulgence of Appetite

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Christ paid a dear price for man’s redemption. In the wilderness of temptation He suffered the keenest pangs of hunger; and while He was emaciated with fasting, Satan was at hand with his manifold temptations to assail the Son of God, to take advantage of His weakness and overcome Him, and thus thwart the plan of salvation. But Christ was steadfast. He overcame in behalf of the race, that He might rescue them from the degradation of the Fall. Christ’s experience is for our benefit. His example in overcoming appetite points out the way for those who would be His followers and finally sit with Him on His throne.

Christ suffered hunger in the fullest sense. Mankind generally have all that is needful to sustain life. And yet, like our first parents, they desire that which God would withhold because it is not best for them. Christ suffered hunger for necessary food and resisted the temptation of Satan upon the point of appetite. Indulgence of intemperate appetite creates in fallen man unnatural desires for the things which will eventually prove his ruin.

Degradation

Man came from the hand of God perfect in every faculty of mind and body; in perfect soundness, therefore in perfect health. It took more than two thousand years of indulgence of appetite and lustful passions to create such a state of things in the human organism as would lessen vital force. Through successive generations the tendency was more swiftly downward. Indulgence of appetite and passion combined led to excess and violence; debauchery and abominations of every kind weakened the energies and brought upon the race diseases of every type, until the vigor and glory of the first generations passed away, and, in the third generation from Adam, man began to show signs of decay. Successive generations after the Flood degenerated more rapidly.

Appetite and Passion

All this weight of woe and accumulated suffering can be traced to the indulgence of appetite and passion. Luxurious living and the use of wine corrupt the blood, inflame the passions, and produce diseases of every kind. But the evil does not end here. Parents leave maladies as a legacy to their children. As a rule, every intemperate man who rears children transmits his inclinations and evil tendencies to his offspring; he gives them disease from his own inflamed and corrupted blood. Licentiousness, disease, and imbecility are transmitted as an inheritance of woe from father to son and from generation to generation, and this brings anguish and suffering into the world, and is no less than a repetition of the fall of man.

Transgression of Rules

A continual transgression of nature’s laws is a continual transgression of the law of God. The present weight of suffering and anguish which we see everywhere, the present deformity, decrepitude, disease, and imbecility now flooding the world, make it, in comparison to what it might be and what God designed it should be, a lazar house; and the present generation are feeble in mental, moral, and physical power. All this misery has accumulated from generation to generation because fallen man will break the law of God. Sins of the greatest magnitude are committed through the indulgence of perverted appetite.

Stimulants

The taste created for the disgusting, filthy poison, tobacco, leads to the desire for stronger stimulants; as liquor, which is taken on one plea or another for some imaginary infirmity or to prevent some possible disease. Thus an unnatural appetite is created for these hurtful and exciting stimulants; and this appetite has strengthened until the increase of intemperance in this generation is alarming. Beverage-loving, liquor-drinking men may be seen everywhere. Their intellect is enfeebled, their moral powers are weakened, their sensibilities are benumbed, and the claims of God and heaven are not realized, eternal things are not appreciated. The Bible declares that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Tobacco and liquor stupefy and defile the user. But the evil does not stop here. He transmits irritable tempers, polluted blood, enfeebled intellects, and weak morals to his children, and renders himself accountable for all the evil results that his wrong and dissipated course of life brings upon his family and the community. The race is groaning under a weight of accumulated woe, because of the sins of former generations. And yet with scarcely a thought or care, men and women of the present generation indulge intemperance by surfeiting and drunkenness, and thereby leave, as a legacy for the next generation, disease, enfeebled intellects, and polluted morals.

Selfishness

Intemperance of any kind is the worst sort of selfishness. Those who truly fear God and keep His commandments look upon these things in the light of reason and religion. How can any man or woman keep the law of God, which requires man to love his neighbor as himself, and indulge intemperate appetite, which benumbs the brain, weakens the intellect, and fills the body with disease? Intemperance inflames the passions and gives loose rein to lust. And reason and conscience are blinded by the lower passions. Testimonies, vol. 4, 29–31.

Children’s Story – Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows

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Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic Ocean. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn; the chickens were in the coops; and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you are prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We may not always understand everything, but we need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms. I hope you can sleep well!

How Does Christmas Change Your World?

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How does Christmas change your world? Think about that for just a moment. How will your world be different on December 26, January 18, February 12, or March 23 because of Christmas? Will you be happier? Will you have more peace in your life? Will you be a better person? Or will you simply have more things and owe more money and have to work more hours to help eliminate the additional strain that debt puts on your budget? If we are completely honest, this holiday does not really change our world all that much. Even for Christians who believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and the Saviour of the world, Christmas does not change our lives that much.

There are those who ignore any commemoration of December 25, citing its origin as a pagan holiday and reminding everyone that we really do not know when Christ was born. Then there are, in this day and age, the politically correct who pass this time of the year off as a winter holiday season, refusing to acknowledge any religious significance of it, as they fight to have manger scenes removed from public property.

But Ellen White wrote: “Christmas is coming. May you all have wisdom to make it a precious season.” Review and Herald, December 9, 1884.

What We Do

Largely, we celebrate this day as a great American holiday—snow, holly and mistletoe, family and friends gathered around the fireplace remembering what this special day was like when we were kids. The shopping, the parties, and all of the busy activities that we cram into the season are a part of how it goes. But when everything is said and done, the only real change Christmas brings to our world is that it makes us a little bit poorer and a lot more tired; and all of this for an event that God never called us to commemorate.

We are never once asked to remember the birth of Christ. Our celebration of His birth is a purely human endeavor. He commanded us to remember His death, which we do through the act of communion. (See 1 Corinthians 11:25, 26; John 13:4–16.) But He never asked us to celebrate His birth. It is not necessarily a bad thing to remember Christ’s birth, but does it change our lives?

The purpose of the birth of Christ was to bring a change to our world. I do not mean just “the world” in general, but I mean He came to bring a change to each and every one of our personal worlds. Where we carry out life on a day to day basis—our job, our relationships, our families, our spirituality—should all be radically transformed by the remembrance of Christ’s birth; not transformed by our celebration of Christmas, but transformed by the event itself.

Christmas Should Be

When the angel announced the birth of Christ, it said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:10–14.

The angels tell us that the arrival of Christ in our world, Christmas as we now know it, is to be joyful. It should be something that helps quell our fears, and it should be something that brings us peace. Yet most of us today would not say that this day quells our fears, brings us true joy, or that it truly brings us peace. No, I would guess that most of us would be hard pressed to see just how Christmas changes our world, but it should and it can. Let us explore how Christmas, not just the celebration of a holiday, but the contemplation of Christ’s birth itself will change our world if we will allow it to happen.

Show the Way

At Christmas we celebrate God becoming flesh, becoming a man so that He could free all men from the power and penalty of sin. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “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.” John 1:1, 14.

God became a man because He loves us. He became a man so that He could show us the way to salvation.

The story is told of a farmer who, one snowy, wintry evening, just before dark, heard something hit the window in his dining room. He went to investigate and saw a small bird repeatedly flying into the window glass. Farther out in the yard he saw a whole flock of little songbirds. He realized that these were birds migrating south, and they had been caught by the early snowfall. They were cold and scratching through the thin snow in search of food. The one bird had seen the light shining through the window and had tried to get into the house where it was warm.

The farmer had an idea. He had a large barn where the birds would be safe and warm, and there was plenty of hay on the floor so they could find seed. Without hesitating, he put on his coat to go out and open the barn doors. But when he had done so, the birds did not come in. He turned on a light, hoping that would attract them, but to no avail. He sprinkled seed on the ground to make a path for them to follow. They gratefully ate some of the seed, but they would not come close to the barn entrance.

Fearing for their safety, the farmer decided to take more drastic measures. He planned to circle around behind the flock and chase them into the barn. That certainly was unsuccessful! After running himself ragged, he dropped to his knees on the snow, and a thought came to him: “If only I were a bird! I could then tell them about the warm barn and the seed. I could save their lives!”

That is what Christmas is: Jesus becoming one of us so that we can understand God’s plan; Jesus becoming one of us so He can tell us how and where to find safety; Jesus becoming one of us so He can save us.

Genuine Love

Remembering Christ’s birth will change your world by allowing you to experience genuine love. “God is love.” 1 John 4:8, 16. We have all heard that said many, many times. The apostle John wrote those words in his first letter to the believers in the Mediterranean world: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Verses 7–9.

In Christmas, God becoming man, we get to experience genuine love.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17.

God loves us so much that He gave His Son, not to condemn us but to save us! What an amazing love! So how does knowing about the love that God has for you change your world? It does not! Knowing about God’s love is not enough to change your world. You have to experience that love, but you will never experience the love of God in Christmas unless you truly believe in that love.

Peace with God

The second way that your world may change is through providing you with lasting peace.

Peace is something that all of us need but most of us do not have. Most of us spend a great deal of time and energy pursuing peace, but very little time experiencing it.

Decisions we have made and the actions we have taken in the past often haunt us. Our desire to have better, more fulfilling lives keeps us awake at night. Questions about what could have been or what should have been often plague our minds. We want to be fulfilled and satisfied. We want to be complete, but we lack that completeness and, as a result, we lack peace. Rather than days filled with peace and confidence, we find our days filled with stress and worry. Often that sensation is heightened at Christmas, because we hear all about peace on earth, but we cannot find peace in our own lives.

One of the great things about Christmas is that if we truly accept in faith what God has given us, His Son, then we can experience peace—peace with God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

Jesus, that baby born in a barn and laid to rest in a manger, came to earth so that we could have peace with God. Sin separates us from God. Sin puts us at odds with God, but Jesus came to pay for our sins. He came to bring us forgiveness. His death upon the cross paid the penalty for our sins. Therefore, if we will accept His sacrifice and the forgiveness it provides, we are made right with God. When the relationship between man and God is fixed, we then experience peace with God.

Much of the lack of peace we experience is because we know that we have messed up. We know we have done things that are wrong, and we worry that God cannot love us and will not accept us because of our past.

Now, imagine the peace you can have in knowing that God has no record of your past. Imagine the peace of knowing that God has erased your past sins from His memory book. Imagine the peace of knowing that God is not looking to punish you, but that He is seeking to love you and embrace you.

When you believe the Christmas story—the whole story, not just the part about the baby in the manger, but also the part about that baby growing up and dying on a cross to pay for your sins, the part about that baby-turned-man rising from the grave and defeating sin and death—and accept God’s forgiveness, you will experience peace with God.

Peace with Others

Face it; we often do not live at peace with others. We find that other people have a way of disturbing our peace, and we never stop to consider that we tend to disturb the peace of others. Living at peace with others is hard work, but Christ calls us to do so nonetheless. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Romans 12:18; 14:19.

So how does Christmas help you to experience peace with others? When you understand what Christmas is all about—God providing a way for you to be at peace with Him—then you can choose to experience peace in your relationships.

If God can forgive you and restore you to a right relationship with Him, after all you have done to violate His trust and love, if you can choose to be at peace with God, then you can choose to be at peace with others. You can learn to forgive them. You can learn to tolerate what it is about them that disturbs you. And when you choose to live at peace with others, you will be less inclined to disturb their peace as well.

Peace with Yourself

One of the great aspects of peace that you get to experience because of Christmas is peace with yourself. In your more honest moments, you probably do not like yourself much. You are too aware of your failings and your sins. But, because of Christ’s birth, you can have peace with yourself. Not because what you have done does not matter, but because you are a new person in Christ. “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 11 Corinthians 5:17. The New Living Translation of this text is especially interesting: “Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”

You can be at peace with yourself, not because you are such a great guy or terrific gal, but because in Christ you are a new creation. You are not the same old mean, evil, hurtful, self-centered person you once were. In Christ, you are forgiven, and you are a new creation. That does not mean you do not have moments when you fail. But it does mean that, in Christ, those moments become the exception and not the rule. You are growing and becoming more than that which you are today. You can be at peace with yourself because Christ is now working in you and renewing you daily.

Purpose of Life

Christmas changes your world by allowing you to experience genuine love and by providing you with a lasting peace. It also changes your world by giving your life purpose.

Too many people are not living their lives; too many people are just existing. Too many people are moving day to day without any sense of purpose in their lives. This lack of purpose leads to depression and self-destructive behavior. This lack of purpose leads to a sense of hopelessness that is heightened during the holiday season for many people. However, Christmas is about hope and purpose, and rather than feeling defeated and lost during the holidays, you can have a sense of true hope, because Christ’s birth gives purpose to your life.

Christmas brings hope because it drives home the fact that you were made for a purpose. You were made to have fellowship with God. You were created to have a relationship with God, and that relationship is so important to God that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to repair that relationship when it was broken.

Your life has purpose, and your purpose is to love God and to serve your fellow man. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, put it like this: We are to serve with “A heart to God and a hand to man.”

Christmas, the coming of the Christ child, gives our lives purpose. Jesus came, becoming one of us, so that we could fulfill our purpose, that of having a love relationship with God. “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.” “He came unto His own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 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.” John 1:1, 2; 11–14.

Jesus, full of grace and truth, came from the Father; He became one of us so that He could pay for our sins and restore the relationship we were created to have with God. His birth, His death, and His resurrection give us purpose in our lives.

Imagine living life every day with a clear sense of purpose—that of knowing God and pleasing Him. Everything else fades away when you make this your focus. You have hope and purpose every day when you understand that in everything, big or small, you can grow to know God more, and you can live to please Him. “If you would secure the grand aim and purpose of life without mistake in your choice or fear of failure, you must make God first and last and best in every plan and work and thought.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 167.

Change Comes By . . .

All of these things—genuine love, peace with God, with others, with yourself, and purpose of life—come to us in the birth of Christ. Through Jesus we have the opportunity to know God; thus we are given hope and purpose.

How does Christmas change your world? It is not through the gifts or the memories made. It is not through the time spent with family. It is not through any of the trappings of the holiday. Christmas, as most people celebrate it, will not change your world. But Christmas, as the birth of Christ, the Son of God made flesh, the birth of Jesus—Immanuel—God with us, can change your world by allowing you to experience genuine love, by providing you with lasting peace, and by giving you a purpose in life. Those are major changes! Allow Christ to be the reason for and the center of your Christmas, and just see what transformation He will bring to your life.

A member of the LandMarks staff, Anna writes from her home which is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado. 

One Day at a Time, Part I

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God made man to be happy, did He not? He created because He loved mankind. He created everything to make mankind happy.

Sin has come into the world now, which has ruined relationships, health, longevity, peace, and the other things that make for happiness. But God sent His Son to redeem us, and if we are willing, He has promised to save us and to give us that joyous life that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden.

Desires Fulfilled

Even here, God’s desire is that we might have joy and happiness. I like this passage: “The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:14–16.

Have you ever fallen? The Bible says that the Lord upholds those who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down. Have you ever felt like you were burdened down with some weight? It may be a misunderstanding. It may be duties that overwhelm you. It may be the lack of friendship or poverty. God’s purpose is to satisfy everyone’s desires completely.

There are those who have developed desires that are not holy, and those desires need to be changed, refined, and purified. God’s purpose is to fulfill every pure and true desire. Often God wants to fulfill as many of those desires as He can right here on earth. However, He will not be able to fulfill some desires until eternity. For example, a person who is born blind may have a great desire to have sight—to see colors, to see people, to see things—something that we take for granted. We wake up each morning and open our eyes, and we go about our day’s activities. Most of us do not bother to thank the Lord for eyesight. It is just something that we have. But many of the individuals who are born blind have a great longing for something that they do not have.

Sometimes God has fulfilled such desires here on earth. Jesus healed the man who had been blind from birth (John 9), and other blind and suffering individuals also received healing (Matthew 15:31; Luke 7:22).

God is the same Healer today, and sometimes He heals people here too, but those longings cannot always be fulfilled here. Paul had an infirmity in the flesh, which seemed to involve his eyesight. He prayed three times for God to heal him, which He could have done, but God saw that it was best for His cause and for Paul’s character development to allow that infirmity to remain. He said instead, “My grace is sufficient for you. It will be fulfilled in its time, but not right now.” Paul had to endure the affliction of the flesh. (11 Corinthians 12:7–9.) But, nevertheless, God is going to answer that prayer. In fact, James 5 tells us that everyone who comes to the Lord for healing, confessing their sins, will be healed. Not all of them will be healed immediately; not all of them will even be healed in this life, but everyone will be healed.

Completely Satisfied

The Bible says that God satisfies the desires of every living thing. Whatever true and holy desires we have, God intends for the desires to be completely fulfilled far beyond anything we can imagine. Whatever we can ask or think, God desires to fulfill it. (See John 14:13, 14; 15:16.) “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children.” Education, 18.

A text that applies to heaven as well as to this life is 1 Corinthians 2:9: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ ” That is supposed to be realized right here on earth. More than we can think or imagine God desires to give to us, even here. This does not necessarily mean finances—that is the first thing a lot of people think of—but the real things of life, the things that make us happy, joyful, and peaceful; the things that make us truly successful.

God intends for us to be able to develop talents beyond what we can imagine. God intends for us to have success and joy in the real things of life beyond what we could ever hope. And then, in the life beyond, when He comes again, there are things prepared that will satisfy us throughout eternity, things into which we will be growing in more knowledge and joy throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. There will be friendships there that we cannot imagine. There will be activities there that go beyond anything we have ever imagined for enjoyment and pleasure. We will experience real friends, real joy, real activities.

Before we can enjoy the pleasures of God in heaven, we must first learn to enjoy the pleasures of God here. We must first develop a little heaven within our hearts for us to take to heaven and enjoy there. It is here that we must develop those characters and habits that prepare us to fit into the society in heaven.

Biddings are Enablings

Our characters are not changed when Jesus comes. They remain exactly the same. This is why God’s ideal for us here is higher than we can imagine, because what we are there, in heaven, is what we become here, and that is beyond what most of us can imagine.

Now, when we consider this, some of us may say, “Well, that is just far beyond anything that I could ever achieve. I mean, I have so many faults in my heart and in my life and character that I could never get to the place where I could really fit into the society of heaven. I could never accomplish it here. If every thought that I think and every sentence that I speak has to fit into the society of heaven, I just do not see how I could ever achieve such a thing. It is beyond the realm of possibility.”

Have you ever thought that? I have wondered how I could ever achieve such a thing, but God has promised it. Remember, all of God’s biddings are enablings. What God has asked us to do He is able to accomplish. “As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 333. If He is able to accomplish it tomorrow, He is able to accomplish it today; at least it begins today. In fact, today is the only day we have to accomplish it! This is the reason God has given us a life of existence here on this earth. Why, when we come to the Lord and confess Him, does He not just take us to heaven at that moment? Because we have to develop our characters.

Some people have the idea that God should just come down to earth and ask people where they want to go. If they choose heaven, He can take them to heaven. If they do not choose heaven, then they do not need to go to heaven. If God did that, everyone would choose to go to heaven, would they not? Of course, some people think that would be wonderful. Would it? The only trouble is they would not be prepared for heaven, because we do not change when we go to heaven. We change here. That is why, throughout the ages, God has always given people a space of time in which it seems as though nothing is happening; it seems like things are sort of in neutral, but that is where the things are really happening. That is when God is really developing the character.

Old Testament Examples

Think of Moses who was ready to lead the children of Israel out from Egypt. He went out and herded sheep, day after day after day, doing nothing. At least that is what he thought he was doing, but that is from where his real preparation was coming—from herding sheep, taking care of the sick sheep, taking care of the orphans who had no parents, the ones who were wayward and unruly and independent, searching after that lost sheep that had gone off by itself, and instead of letting it suffer the consequences, going out and searching and bringing it back. That was where his character was being developed.

Think back to Noah’s day. We are told that in Noah’s day, when he began to build the ark, there was a great number of people helping him. If the flood had come quickly, within just a matter of a few months or maybe even a few years, there would have been many who would have gone into the ark. They believed Noah. He was a prophet of God; he was a great-grandson of Enoch, who had been translated to heaven.

Noah was in the line of holy men, and people knew at the beginning that he was a prophet called of God. Perhaps God gave signs, as He usually does when there is a prophet, in order to show people. Maybe Noah had some open visions where people could test the gift of prophecy, and there may have been some other prophecies that he gave that people could test. God never leaves us without evidence upon which to base our faith. Whatever evidences God gave, the people could test them and know that Noah was true. So there was a great number who followed and helped to build the ark.

But no one ever figured it would take 120 years to finish the ark. That was a long delay, year after year after year, decade after decade, and still doing the same thing—sawing wood and pounding nails. That got old after awhile! The people surely began to wonder when the ark would be finished. They became weary.

People lived hundreds of years at that time. Most of the people who were there and helping with the ark when it was first begun were still living. They perhaps were still active in some religious activity, but where were they? There was no one left to help with the ark. Noah stood all alone as far as all those who had begun. He had only his own children who had been born 20 years after the project was started.

Egypt to Canaan

Think of the children of Israel who left Egypt. They all intended and hoped and thought and believed that within a short period of time—just a few months’ journey—they would be into the Promised Land. God led them out of Egypt and gave them the manna to sustain them in the wilderness. He gave them the water that flowed from the rock, and then they had the cloud to give them cooling shade by day and the fire to give them warmth and protection by night. They could march right across that desert and soon be in the Promised Land. Wonderful! They had all chosen to leave Egypt; they had all chosen to go to the Promised Land. There were approximately 600,000 men, plus women and children.

Of all those men who left Egypt, only 2 out of 600,000 entered into the Promised Land. We are told that this is an example for us today as God’s remnant people. “I [Ellen White] was pointed back to ancient Israel. But two of the adults of the vast army that left Egypt entered the land of Canaan. Their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness because of their transgressions. Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were His ancient people. Many idols are worshiped, even by professed Sabbathkeepers. God especially charged His ancient people to guard against idolatry, for if they should be led away from serving the living God, His curse would rest upon them, while if they would love Him with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might, He would abundantly bless them in basket and in store, and would remove sickness from the midst of them.

“A blessing or a curse is now before the people of God—a blessing if they come out from the world and are separate, and walk in the path of humble obedience; and a curse if they unite with the idolatrous, who trample upon the high claims of heaven. The sins and iniquities of rebellious Israel are recorded and the picture presented before us as a warning that if we imitate their example of transgression and depart from God we shall fall as surely as did they.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 609.

Only a few of those who leave Egypt—the sins of the world—actually end up entering Canaan. Do you know why? because God gives them time for their characters to be developed. While many responded to the altar call, while many answered the initial invitation to join the happy band going to heaven, only a few are willing to go through the character development it takes to enter in.

Many Are Called

What does the Bible say? There are many who are called and who respond to the call, but there are only a few who develop a character that allows them to be chosen to go in. “Many are called,” Jesus said, “but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14.

1 Corinthians 10:1–12 refers to this experience of the children of Israel. It says, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Verses 1–4.

God gave them all the same opportunities. They all had the same food; they all had the same drink; they all heard the same sermons from Moses; they were all delivered from Egypt; they had all seen the miracles, but what happened?

“But with most of them God was not well pleased, for [their bodies] were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ ” Verses 5–7.

What was happening back then? They were involved, as were the people before the flood, in eating and drinking and playing. I am afraid that is what is happening to most of our young people today. They are involved in sports and eating and drinking and these kinds of things. If somebody goes out on a date, they know nothing else to do but to go to some activity or to some restaurant. That is what most people do when they want to have a night out or to do something.

Eating and drinking and playing—that is what happened to the children of Israel. There is nothing wrong with eating and drinking the right things. There is nothing wrong with exercise and some recreation, but somehow these were the things that absorbed their attention right there below Mt. Sinai, when they should have been dedicating and purifying their hearts for the manifestation of God. It was the wrong time. They did not know when to play and when not to play. They did not know when to eat and when to fast. Their day of opportunity came and they let it pass by.

“Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted . . .” by murmuring and complaining and questioning Providence, wondering, “Lord, are You really leading us? I do not like this that You are doing.” They tempted the Lord, and they “were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Verses 10–12.

Failing Trials

As we look at the children of Israel, we shake our heads and wonder at their unbelievable shortcomings. I mean, they left Egypt and lived their whole lives in the wilderness. They never got to enjoy the final reward for all their work. But then we stop and consider their trials. They were specifically tried ten different times. The sad thing is that they failed every time they were tried. They did not pass a single trial. These trials began while they were still in Egypt. You see, God was—and is—a God of love, and when the children of Israel failed once, He was loving enough to give them another opportunity. Trials are the opportunities God gives us to develop our characters. Obstacles and trials and temptations are the opportunities God gives us to reveal what is inside and to develop that character which will fit us for heaven.

We are not developed except when the trials come. That is what we are told in Hebrews 5:8, 9 where it says that Jesus was perfected by sufferings: “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

To be continued . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.