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The Pool of Bethesda, Part I

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In this article, I would like to study about the pool of Bethesda with you. Let us refresh our memories of this story recorded in John 5: “After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep [market] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” Verses 1–4.

A Myth

Do you believe that the troubling of the water at this pool of Bethesda, about which the people gathered for healing, was of God? No! It was not God’s ordained method of healing. Something is so essential in one of these verses that lets us know this. A myth had been built around this situation. Notice, in verse 4, that the Bible says, “For an angel.” It does not say, an angel of God.

Let us look a bit closer at verse 4. “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” It says that whosoever was first in entering the troubled water was healed. What do you think about that? Is that God’s method of dealing with His precious souls? No, God is no respecter of persons. God is not about the business of the survival of the fittest.

If a pool such as the one at Bethesda was located near you and everyone in the area knew that at a certain time an angel moved the water, and whatsoever disease an individual had, if he or she just got into the pool first, they could be healed of that infirmity, do you believe the grounds around that pool would be overflowing with people? Oh, yes, most definitely!

Quick Fix

You might not think this is so, but there are hundreds of people who gather at large auditoriums where ministers simply wave their hands over the individual or blow their breath upon the individual and a supposed healing takes place. You have perhaps seen such a service on the television. Many people seek out a quick solution that requires no sacrifice on their part. That is what they want. They want the benefits without the effort.

What do you think would be the response if I could take the eight principles of health—godly trust, open air, daily exercise, sunshine, proper rest, lots of water, always temperate, and nutrition—and capsulate them, put them in a bottle with a brand name on it, and tell people, “Take three godly trust capsules a day, and it will bring you close to Jesus”? This might seem to be humorous to you, but it is not an over-simplification of the truth, because people love quick fixes; they love pills. They are looking for methods that require no sacrifice.

In the Book of Jeremiah 30:12, 13, we read: “For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise [is] incurable, [and] thy wound [is] grievous. [There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.”

Testimony

The apostle Paul always gave his testimony every place he went. He would tell of how, while walking on the road to Damascus, there was a light. (See Acts 9:3.) God has given us each a testimony. It does not have to be a dramatic testimony. It does not have to be, “I almost fell over the cliff, but the angel pulled me back, and I gave my heart to the Lord.” It does not have to be that at all. Many of us, in the quietness of our hearts, have been touched by God. Some of our experiences are dramatic, but whether dramatic or not, we each have a testimony.

Forty-one years ago, when I was clinically dying with arthritis, which lasted for ten years, my career as a professional basketball player was ended. As I look back in retrospect, I thank God for arthritis. Not that I glory in the pain, but I would not be where I am today if it was not for arthritis. That is the only way God got my attention to slow me down, so He could put me in the position where He could fill me with His Spirit. He had to take a basketball out of my hands and put a Bible there. He had to keep me from going up and down a hardwood court. He had to say, “Jackson, I have a job for you going up and down on the court of earth.” I did not premeditate these things. It was the farthest thing in my mind to be doing what I am doing today, but God put a call in to me, as He puts a call in to you.

I remember my junior year in school when one professional basketball team was putting out its feelers. During that time, very few college players were going from college to the pros. It was virtually unheard of for a high school student to go into professional ranks, such as LeBron James, who was the first round draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland, Ohio, in 2003. He instantly became a very wealthy 19-year-old, signing several endorsement deals totaling nearly 100 million dollars. When I was coming up, the highest paid player was Wilt Chamberlain; he made $100,000, which was like a million dollars during that time.

Search for Relief

As I searched for relief from the arthritis, I remember my doctor looking me in the eye and telling me, “Young man, yes, you play pretty good basketball, but unfortunately there is no known cause or cure for your arthritis.”

I stayed on anti-inflammatory drugs for almost ten years, when those drugs lost their effect. This created a condition that led me to take other kinds of drugs that the doctors did not have to prescribe. It was only by God’s grace that I am here today.

“Thou hast no healing medicines.” I am not saying that there is not a place and time for medicine, but I do know that in my situation, medicine was not improving my condition. It was not until God put me flat on my back that I looked up and cried out to the most powerful Person in the universe. I did not cry out to be healed physically; I cried out to be healed spiritually, because I did not know that there was healing physically in His Word. But God is the Chief Physician. He knows how to heal, but if He chooses to not heal, as He chose not to heal Paul, He promises that, “My grace is sufficient.” 11 Corinthians 12:9.

You see, in Jeremiah 46:11, it says, “Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.”

That is what I did for ten years. I tried many medicines, but I was not cured. I was in the pool of human philosophy, seeking man’s method for human dilemma. There is only one solution to the human dilemma—the gospel of Jesus Christ.

House of Mercy

The word Bethesda means, “house of mercy.” Look at the last three letters of that word. God’s people, His true people, should be the balm in Gilead. Is there a balm in your area?

People should be coming to us for the healing of their souls and for the healing of their bodies. We should be the head and not the tail. (Deuteronomy 28:13.) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.” Jeremiah 8:20, 21. Am I black? When God says that He is black, He is not talking about being black in color. It denotes that He feels the pain, the sorrow. The Bible says that He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. (See Hebrews 4:15.) When nobody else understands our pain, there is One who enters into our suffering, and that is God.

Jeremiah 8:22 continues, “[Is there] no balm in Gilead . . .?” A balm is an herb; it is medicinal. God is saying, “My people should be medicinal.” We should have healing in our attitudes, in our dispositions; our very lives should testify of the mercies of God. His mercies should be seen in the way we treat one another and in the way we speak. Even when we are under provocation, we should not retaliate. “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” Proverbs 15:1.

Jeremiah 8:22 goes on to say, “. . . [is there] no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Why is there suffering among God’s people?

People Types

I want to share with you that at the pool of Bethesda there were four types of people. We read in John 5 that there was a multitude of impotent, blind, halt, and withered at the pool. As we have already declared, the troubled water of that pool was not God’s method of healing. It was a myth built up by the leaders of that time. No angel of God stirred up the water, but it was impressed upon the minds of the people that there was something supernatural about that water, and all one had to do was get in to be healed of his or her condition. Such is the propaganda that we find in society today, which is not based on biblical and true scientific facts. We allow our emotions, our destinies, and our circumstances to move us. We grab hold of anything that sounds good, but we do not inquire, “Is this the way of the Lord?”

We may find our marriages are on the rocks, and we go to people who do not know the Word of God to give us counsel as to how to establish our marriages. That is the pool of Bethesda. When we find ourselves in financial crisis, we listen to those who encourage us to take out another loan, and we find ourselves deeper in debt, because we are still at the pool of Bethesda. We find ourselves losing our children, and in churches today we are told that the only way we can hold onto our children is to entertain them, to change the style of worship, to have music that has the beat. We are at the pool of Bethesda. We need to train our children to be servants and to minister, not to be entertained.

There is no healing in that pool, so let us investigate the people by the pool, and let us see where our hope lies. First, consider the following one word definitions: the word impotent means, “powerless”; the word blind means, “sightless”; the word halt means, “motionless”; and the word withered means, “useless.”

Four types of people were found around the pool and are found in God’s church, but do not drop your head in despair. The story has a good end, because there is hope. We need to know, however, where we are. Are we powerless? Are we sightless? Are we motionless? Are we useless? Let us investigate.

Powerless

Read 11 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Recently, several of us were sitting in the cafeteria at M.E.E.T. Ministry, and we were discussing a particular issue. Someone stated that the way to tell whether or not a man is living up to the truth or has the truth is to observe his life and visit in his home. Now, I know the fact is that a life should be in harmony with the truth, but I cannot determine the truth based on a person’s life. A person may be preaching truth but not living the truth. That does not negate the truth.

It is very important to understand this, because many of us judge the truth based on the life of a person, when it is unfortunate that the person is not living up to the truth. Nevertheless, that is truth, if it agrees with the Word of God.

Inspiration warns of many preachers who look to the souls they have baptized, but they were not living according to the truth. In spite of these unconverted ministers, God is moving upon the honest hearts. (See Early Writings, 98–102.)

What is the lesson from this? I can have truth in the intellect, and I can be theologically correct, but if this knowledge does not impact and change my life, I live a lie to that truth. When Jesus spoke the truth, His life testified of the power of the truth. As a body of people, God does not want form; He wants substance.

Impotent

From a medical viewpoint, the word impotent means, for a man, that he does not have the ability to produce. There is no power.

In Genesis 17, we read about Abraham. God came to Abraham, after the birth of Ishmael, and declared that he would give to him a son. “And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall] her name [be]. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.” Verses 15, 16.

What was Abraham’s response? “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!” Verses 17, 18.

But God responded: “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.” Verse 19.

Continuing in Geneses 18:11–14, we read: “Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Abraham was past the time of producing.

Notice Romans 4:17: “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Do you understand this principle? That which we do not see, God sees as it is.

Verses 19, 21 say: “And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb . . . And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

God of the Living

Let us continue to see the mighty goodness and wonderful works of God. In Hebrews 11:11, we read: “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” God can take a dead womb and bring life out if it. God can take a spiritually dead person and bring forth power, if we believe.

I am so glad that God is not God of the dead. He is God of the living. If we have not the power to overcome our inherited or cultivated habits, then we need to realize that God has power to give us victory. The only reason that we are not enjoying the victory is because we do not believe.

Abraham asked, “Lord, how can I produce a child? I am past age. My sperm count is gone.” But God reminded him that He made the womb. God is not bound by biology; He created it.

We do not know the God we serve. There is nothing too hard for Him. From where do the banks get their money? It comes from the resources that God made. The water we drink comes from the very fountains of God. This is why we, as Christians, though we find ourselves challenged and faced with discouragement, must never, never doubt that God is able to keep us. Everything and everyone belongs to God, and He needs people into whom He can put His power.

Castration

You, I am sure, are familiar with the background of Daniel. As teenagers, he and his companions were taken hostage. Daniel, whose name means, “God is my judge,” was from the tribe of Judah. He was in the line to be progenitor of Christ Himself—the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob, and right on down the line.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, “Spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring [certain] of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom [was] no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as [had] ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” Daniel 1:3, 4.

Something very important is stated in verse 3. What is a eunuch? It is a castrated male. God has said that there will be some made eunuchs for the kingdom, born eunuchs. (Matthew 19:12.) That means that such a man does not have the ability to reproduce or procreate.

Read 11 Kings 20:17, 18. This is speaking of the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah showed all of his goodness to the heathen kings, and God was going to deal with that, but in verse 17, the Bible says, “Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.” This is the prophecy of the captivity of Babylon. Verse 18 continues: “And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

So, is Daniel 1:3 telling us that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were made eunuchs? Yes, they were. What a terrible ordeal to experience, especially a male Hebrew! That eliminated all probability of them being the progenitors of the seed of Jesus Christ. The devil was trying to stop God’s plan.

Intimate Relationship

These young men were castrated, but not cast away. The devil is seeking to castrate you and me. He is trying to immobilize us; he is trying to make us impotent. But God is looking for a people that will conceive His character. The Bible says, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3. That word know indicates an intimate relationship.

The Bible says that when Adam knew his wife, they brought forth a child. (See Genesis 4:1, 25.) When we have an intimate relationship with God, we are going to produce character, because God is going to impregnate us with His seed. He is going to put His seed in us through His word. But the devil is seeking to make the Word of non-effect in our lives. He is seeking to castrate us.

Power

Daniel purposed in his heart. The devil thought that impotency would stop God’s plan, but God is not bound by biology. God is not bound by circumstances. God said to Abraham, “You shall have a child.” God said to Peter, “When you are converted,”—not if but when! Luke 22:32. Jesus will put a positive emphasis on our lives. God will give us power.

At the pool of Bethesda, there were impotent, powerless people. They were people controlled by such things as appetite, sensual desire, pornography, and lying. Does that sound similar to today?

There is not one habit, inherited or cultivated, that God’s power cannot break. Whatever our past may be, if we cry to Him and say, “Lord, I want to be freed,” He will free us quicker than He will heal our physical infirmities.

God does not delay when it comes to delivering us from sin. However, if we pray, “Lord, take this tumor out of my body,” He might say, “I give you grace and power to endure it.”

To be continued . . .

Thomas Jackson is a health evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: gods-plan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

Learning to Walk With God, Part III

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The Word of God tells us what kind of mental outlook the saints must have. God wants us to be happy, and it is important for us to recognize that such a state really begins in our minds. If our thoughts are uplifting and encouraging (instead of sad and discouraging), then our feelings and attitudes will take on the same pattern. Therefore, the Word of God gives us the following advice to help us experience happiness and fearlessness in the midst of bad and unfavorable circumstances: “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” John 15:4. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.

Many who encounter such quotations as these find it difficult to see how it is possible to fulfill the instructions given in them. For example, some inquire concerning the practicality of a person praying “without ceasing.”

Such statements do not mean that God’s people have to be thinking only about Him every second of every minute of every day. In all of these quotations, God is showing us the need of always keeping our minds and hearts in a heavenly state, a state of purity, holiness, and righteousness—a prayerful state. In the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy we read, “. . . the life of Jesus was a life of constant trust, sustained by continual communion; and [as a result] His service for heaven and earth was without failure or faltering.” Education, 80. Christ was indeed a true champion—even the Champion of all champions. Like Enoch and the others we have considered in this series, Christ too prayed often and maintained a fervent faith in God. Hence the Scriptures encourage us: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5.

Like Christ, therefore, we should endeavor to keep ourselves unspotted from the world by striving to always be in a prayerful, heavenly, and righteous frame of mind. This we can do by constantly seeking God and trusting in His grace to enable us to do all things. We must always be thinking and working in harmony with the principles of God’s kingdom, and we must often be found communing with our Maker. Only in this way can we have the same experience that Enoch had anciently.

To truly be prepared for Christ’s second advent, His faithful followers today must learn by daily experience how to walk with God: “He who is a citizen of the heavenly kingdom will be constantly looking at things not seen. The power of earth over the mind and character is broken. He has the abiding presence of the heavenly Guest, in accordance with the promise, ‘I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.’ He walks with God as did Enoch, in constant communion.” Review and Herald, November 10, 1910.

“The doctrine of Christ’s coming was made known at this early date to the man [Enoch] who walked with God in continual communion. The godly character of this prophet is to represent the state of holiness to which the people of God must attain who expect to be translated to heaven.” That I May Know Him, 348.

Whatever may be our duty, responsibility, interest, or activity, God desires us to always keep our hearts in tune with Him. Therefore, we need to focus on heavenly things much more than we presently do. As Christians, we need to often talk with God (pray unceasingly) during the day. Also, we need to monitor all our thoughts, words, and deeds at all times in order to ensure they are in harmony with our Master’s holy will. As we do this, like Enoch, we will begin to walk with God.

“If we would but think of God as often as we have evidence of His care for us we should keep Him ever in our thoughts and should delight to talk of Him and to praise Him. We talk of temporal things because we have an interest in them. We talk of our friends because we love them; our joys and our sorrows are bound up with them. Yet we have infinitely greater reason to love God than to love our earthly friends; it should be the most natural thing in the world to make Him first in all our thoughts, to talk of His goodness and tell of His power.” Steps to Christ, 102.

Outposts

On some occasions God’s people had to even physically move to better locations in order to keep themselves unspotted from the world. Abraham had to leave his father’s home in order to do his Master’s will. Also, Lot and his two daughters had to leave Sodom in order to escape the environment of sin and God’s judgments. Enoch, too, saw the necessity of relocating to more suitable surroundings to truly walk with God. Therefore, for God’s people to truly serve Him faithfully today, amidst the evils of our age, this too is fast becoming a necessity.

“Enoch walked with God, and yet he did not live in the midst of any city, polluted with every kind of violence and wickedness, as did Lot in Sodom.” Evangelism, 78.

“More and more, as wickedness increases in the great cities, we shall have to work them from outpost centers. This is the way Enoch labored in the days before the flood, when wickedness was rife in every populous community, and when violence was in the land.” Review and Herald, September 27, 1906.

Secular Matters

We will always have need of attending to secular matters and, thus, our minds will need to be channeled in such areas at times, if we are to be successful in all our various pursuits. However, this does not mean that we cannot maintain a sense of God’s presence with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. It does not mean that we cannot often make time to commune with God in prayer, for this is the means whereby we come into contact with God Himself. He alone is capable of granting us success in all our pursuits and enabling us to keep our minds and hearts uplifted to heavenly things.

“Although there may be a tainted, corrupted atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure air of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God will walk in a holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with heaven.” Steps to Christ, 99.

Stay Focused

Furthermore, to truly “abide” in Christ, we must regularly focus our minds on the truths of God’s Word. This we must do whenever the opportunity or need arises during the day. Experience shows that too often we, as Christians, may take the time to study God’s truths, but fail to utilize them (focus on them) in times of need. We fail to “hide” (secure) them carefully in our “hearts” (minds) in such a manner that we can quickly use them as a shield against temptation and sin. (John 15:4.) “Thy word,” said the psalmist David, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.

David, like other men of God, knew the value of putting his mind on truth in the hour of temptation and test. But we who fail to use the strength of truth in times of need often end up falling into temptation and yielding to sin. Like any other instrument, truth is beneficial to us only when we use it. Therefore, while we are away from temptation we should fortify our minds with the truth so that when we are buffeted by such things as sickness, sorrow, addiction, fears, lust, guilt, and anger, we can repulse or replace the enemy’s darts, which are his evil thoughts, with God’s thoughts, His truths. For example, even when Satan seeks to tempt us by putting a guilt trip on us by telling us that God will not accept us or our prayers because of our sins, we should quickly refocus our minds on God’s views (truths) versus Satan’s views (lies). This is the science of overcoming with the truth that has been practiced by God’s true servants over the years. Such are the thoughts that are found in the minds of true champions.

Hence, “When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. That which will help you is to look to His light. Acknowledge your sin, but tell the enemy that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ and that you may be saved by His matchless love.” Ibid., 36.

New Outlook

Believers today need a new outlook on how to successfully live the Christian life, and more and more I am becoming convicted that Enoch’s experience must be ours. Also, it seems as though the Lord has been doing His best to convince me that this is the answer. Interestingly enough, about the time I was writing this, I came across a message board outside of a church on which was posted the following words: “Exercise Every Day, Walk With God.”

Obviously these words caught my attention. Not only was the message in direct harmony with the truth being advocated in this series, but also the advice actually makes a lot of sense. Anyone interested in health will agree that exercise is extremely important to good health, and walking is one of the best forms of exercise. Therefore, the application of this truth in the spiritual realm surely must also hold true. If we want to gain the benefits of true spiritual rejuvenation and growth, we must engage in the act of exercising spiritually or “walking with God.” Hence, like Enoch, we, too, must learn to walk with God on a daily basis in order to be spiritually healthy.

A Shield

In growing up, many people have experiences that cause certain character and personality defects to develop. Inherited and cultivated traits of character often linger. Some of these traits are difficult to deal with in adulthood, and sometimes even hinder our service to God. One of these traits is a fearful spirit. As we grow into adulthood, we often find that little things which caused us to fear and tremble as children may still affect us as adults. Yes, we may have outgrown some of them, but others hang on like pieces of iron filings attracted to a magnet.

If, as children, we were taught to pray and think of God often, and always believe that we were not alone, many of the wrong things we did and many of the temptations we yielded to would not have conquered us. Also, many of the things we feared, such as being alone in a dark room, or hearing strange sounds, may not have affected us. If we were taught and encouraged as children to believe that we are not alone, that God is with us, we may have overcome many fears early in life. Unfortunately, however, this has not been the experience in most cases. Many still need this outlook in their adulthood, when it should have been developed already.

Challenges of Life

All of us are confronted with problems, difficulties, trials, and tests. Some of these various challenges may be in the form of the demands of life that the world places upon us. For example, some people are afraid of losing their jobs. They are scared that if they lose their jobs now, in a time when they are in debt, they will lose everything. They see no hope for themselves and are usually overcome by discouragement and stress. Such fearful and negative thinking was developed early in life. Many adults simply bring it over from their childhood.

However, if we can learn to pray more often and to believe that we are not alone—that God is with us, that angels are with us—many things we fear, as well as many things we do that are wrong, we would not yield to, because we believe that there is an all-seeing eye beholding our every move, ready to supply grace. But for convenience sake we often let go of this thought. We act as though to keep a sense of God’s presence puts us in a straight jacket. Hence, this is a major reason why Enoch’s experience is not as common as it ought to be. But, say the Scriptures, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24.

Independent Spirit

Most of us want to do our own thing. We want to be too independent. We want to rule and run our own lives in a manner that pleases us, even if it is contrary to the will of our all-knowing Creator. But we are warned: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” Isaiah 45:9.

Too often many fool themselves into believing that they are wise enough to solve all their problems and to provide for their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Yet, such pride and stubbornness has brought them trouble and disappointment time and time again.

In the hearts of such persons, “self” or “mammon” still reigns. Christ is not yet permitted to take full control of their lives. He is left out of major decisions. He is still kept at the door of their hearts. However, most of these individuals are fully aware that all wisdom and power is found in Christ, and in man is found weakness and failure. Thus we are wisely admonished: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6.

Evidence of Love

Over the years, the devil has created such a bad concept of God in the minds of some that they believe God is a hard, harsh judge. They believe that God is watching down from heaven ready to “zap” anyone who makes a wrong move. But we know better. We know that the opposite is true; God is love. 1 John 4:8. We know this, not only because the holy Bible tells us so, but also because the evidences of the Creator’s great and overwhelming love can be clearly seen all around us if we look for them. Yes, we can believe that God is love, and benefit from the thought that He is indeed watching over us to help us.

This belief will help us to walk right with God at all times. It will also help us to represent the truth under all circumstances fearlessly and boldly. It will even help us to face the difficulties of life, whether bills, people, loneliness, sorrows, unfavorable circumstances, persecution, or even a consciousness of our sinful traits of character. We will face every challenge and difficulty of life with boldness and fearlessness. We will also be prepared to stand up, like Luther, against the enemies of truth. This we will gladly do because we know that we are not standing by ourselves: Somebody bigger than you or me is at our sides. Someone who is more powerful than anyone else is present to help us along the way. If we can believe this, we too will be champions of truth.

Teach the Children

We need to teach our children these things because what we ourselves may not have gained during childhood, hopefully we can impart to them and to others right now, before it is too late: “Only the sense of God’s presence can banish the fear that, for the timid child, would make life a burden. Let him fix in his memory [memorize] the promise, ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.’ Psalm 34:7. Let him read that wonderful story of Elisha in the mountain city, and, between him and the hosts of armed foemen, a mighty encircling band of heavenly angels. Let him read how to Peter, in prison and condemned to death, God’s angel appeared; how, past the armed guards, the massive doors and great iron gateway with their bolts and bars, the angel led God’s servant forth in safety. Let him read of that scene on the sea, when to the tempest-tossed soldiers and seamen, worn with labor and watching and long fasting, Paul the prisoner, on his way to trial and execution, spoke those grand words of courage and hope: ‘Be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you. . . . For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.’ In the faith of this promise Paul assured his companions, ‘There shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.’ So it came to pass. Because there was in that ship one man through whom God could work, the whole shipload of heathen soldiers and sailors was preserved. ‘They escaped all safe to land.’ Acts 27:22–24, 34, 44.

Given for a Purpose

“These things were not written merely that we might read and wonder, but that the same faith which wrought in God’s servants of old might work in us. In no less marked a manner than He wrought then will He work now wherever there are hearts of faith to be channels of His power.

“Let the self-distrustful, whose lack of self-reliance leads them to shrink from care and responsibility, be taught reliance upon God. Thus many a one who other¬wise would be but a cipher in the world, perhaps only a helpless burden, will be able to say with the apostle Paul, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ Philippians 4:13.” Education, 255, 256.

Promise of Angels

Many people are scared or afraid of everything. Afraid to speak, afraid to get involved in any activity, afraid to do something by themselves that they may be sent to do, afraid to venture out and take chances, afraid to do a particular chore because they do not believe they could ever do it right. Not only afraid to do anything, but also afraid of anything that could possibly happen. There is only one remedy for such victims of fear, be they children, youth, or adults. Remember the inspired promise uttered by the psalmist David: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7.

Yes, we are promised that the angel of the Lord encampeth around those who fear Him. Therefore, let us believe it and “see” in our mind’s eye that we are not alone. It will make a difference in our lives. If we believe this, we will fear no evil. We can then say like David, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” Psalm 23:4.

The Spirit of Prophecy says: “As a shield from temptation and an inspiration to purity and truth, no other influence can equal the sense of God’s presence. ‘All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.’ He is ‘of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.’ Hebrews 4:13; Habakkuk 1:13. This thought was Joseph’s shield amidst the corruptions of Egypt.” Education, 255.

This was the mind of Joseph, another hero for God. God has given us glimpses into the thoughts of some of His heroes, and in every case when they did great things, they believed that they were not alone. In these victorious experiences, they believed that they had a Companion with them, protecting and helping them. Even when Joseph refused to fall into sin, it was not because he was just seeing Potiphar’s wife; he saw God. Therefore, “To the allurements of temptation his [Joseph’s] answer was steadfast: ‘How . . . can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ Genesis 39:9. Such a shield, faith, if cherished, will bring to every soul.” Ibid.

[All emphasis added.]

To be continued . . .

Pastor Patrick Herbert is the senior pastor of the Tucker-Norcross Adventist Church and Director of the Gilead Institute of America, a medical missionary evangelistic training institution located in Norcross, Georgia. He holds a Doctorate in religion and speaks and writes on a wide range of religious and health topics. He may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

What Everybody Needs and Nobody Has, Part I

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You must have righteousness in order to have eternal life! There are many texts in the Bible that would prove this quite conclusively, two of which are Isaiah 33:14, 15 and Psalm 15:1, 2: “Who among us is going to dwell with this everlasting fire, an everlasting burning, a devouring fire, with everlasting burnings? It is the one who walks righteously.” “Who is going to dwell with You, Lord, in Your holy hill? It is the one who walks righteously.”

The first fact about righteousness is that you have to have righteousness or you are not going to heaven. It is that simple. But the next fact about righteousness is the one that is startling, when you realize that you have to have it to go to heaven, to have eternal life. The second fact about righteousness is that you and I do not have any!

“All our righteousness is like a defiled garment.” Isaiah 64:5. Like a leaf that fades away, we are carried away as on a wind with our iniquities. Or, as Paul quoting from the Old Testament says, “There is not anybody that is righteous. Not even one. Not one.” Romans 3:10.

So, the first fact is, you have to have righteousness or you are not going to have eternal life. But the second fact about righteousness is that we do not have any righteousness. There is not one person who has it, the Bible says.

Righteousness Defined

The third fact about righteousness is actually two definitions. What is righteousness? Romans 7:12 says, “So, then, the law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

God’s Law is righteous. The first definition of righteousness is this: righteousness is that which is in harmony with the Ten Commandments. It is that simple! Righteousness is what is in harmony with the Ten Commandments because the law is righteous.

What if you break the law? The answer is given in 1 John 5:17: “All unrighteousness is sin.” What is sin? Sin is breaking God’s Law. (1 John 3:4.) All unrighteousness is sin, so unrighteousness is when the law has been broken. Righteousness is when the law is being kept, because the law is righteous.

Read 1 John 2:1 for a second definition of righteousness. “My children, these things I write to you, in order that you might not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous One.”

We are not righteous, but He is righteous; therefore a second definition of righteousness is that Jesus Christ is righteous, so righteousness is that which is like Him. This, of course, does not conflict with the first definition, because Jesus said, in John 15:10, “I have kept my Father’s commandments.”

Since Jesus kept His Father’s commandments, the definitions do not contradict; they just complement each other. Righteousness, first of all, is that which is in harmony with the Ten Commandments or, second definition, righteousness is that which is in harmony with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Study It Out

A fourth fact about righteousness I will leave for you to study out, and then you can tell me whether or not you believe it. I believe this is the case. When you are perfectly righteous, then you are holy.

With the Heart

A fifth fact regarding righteousness is that righteousness has to do with the heart; that is, with the motives, the thoughts, and the feelings. Jesus brought this out very clearly in the Sermon on the Mount. “For I say to you, that except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will in no case enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” Matthew 5:20. The people were in a state of shock when Jesus said this because they thought that the scribes and the Pharisees were the most righteous people on the face of the earth.

The people wondered how this could be, but Jesus went on to explain that righteousness has to do more with what is on the inside than what is on the outside. For example, continue reading in Matthew 5: “You have heard that it was said by them anciently, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever shall murder shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother is liable to condemnation, and whoever will say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be guilty before the council. But whoever will say, ‘You fool!’ will be answerable unto hell fire.” Verses 21, 22.

What is it that Jesus is talking about here? He is not talking about the person that actually did what Cain did and took a club or a spear or a sword and killed somebody, but He said, “If you are angry with your brother.” In fact, the apostle John, reporting on this very same idea later, in 1 John 3, strongly declares, “The person that hates his brother is a murderer.” In other words, if I do not physically kill you, but I hate you, I have broken the law.

You see, it appeared as though the Pharisees were keeping the law on the outside, but Jesus said, “That is not good enough. Your law keeping has to come from the heart.” Because we are human beings, we tend to look at what is on the outside.

Jesus did the very same thing with the seventh commandment, which He talks about in Matthew 5:27, 28: “You have heard it was said to them in old time, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that if a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

The Lord says that you did not commit adultery with your body, but you did it in your heart. See, the commandment, as Paul says, goes right to the heart, to the spirit; it even divides asunder between the soul and the spirit. It goes to the thoughts and the intent of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12.)

So, a fifth fact about righteousness is that it has to do not only with what you say or do, but with the heart, motives, and feelings.

Decision to Do Good

In Philippians 3:4, 5, Paul said, “If anybody could be confident in the flesh, I could be even more. I was circumcised the eighth day.” This was done in accordance with the ceremonial law given to Abraham in Genesis 17.

The Gentiles who had come into the Jewish religion could not say that. They may have been circumcised when they were 20 or 30 years of age, but they could not say what Paul could say. Paul could say, “Listen, I am blameless according to the law. My parents were in the faith, and I was circumcised the eighth day, according to the law. Not only that, but, I was of the stock of Israel; I was born of the tribe of Benjamin. I was born into the covenant people. Not only that, I have practiced carefully, perfectly, my religion.” Paul declared, “I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Concerning the law, I was a Pharisee.” In fact, he was so zealous in his religious experience that he says, “According to the righteousness which is of the law, I was blameless.” (See Philippians 3:5, 6.)

Paul was someone who decided that he was going to do right, and he was being very successful, but the sixth fact in regard to righteousness is that you cannot become righteous by deciding to do what is good. Paul had already done that.

Paul decided to do what was good, and he had a good start. He was born to the right race, into the right family. His parents saw that he was circumcised on the eighth day, and he kept the law.

Notice what he says next: “But what things were gain to me, I reckoned to be loss for Christ. Indeed I consider all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them refuse, that I might gain Christ, and might be found in him. And that I might be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law.” Philippians 3:7–9.

Paul had the righteousness of the law; he said that he had it blameless, but, he said, “I want, when the Lord comes, to be found by Him not having my own righteousness, which is of the law.” Why? Because, the righteousness that he had, as a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as a strict Pharisee, was not good enough! Jesus said, “If your righteousness is not better than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no case enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The apostle Paul found out that his righteousness was worthless to gain eternal life. He found out that he could go through all the forms, rituals, and ceremonies and he could keep the ceremonial law perfectly, but not go to heaven.

It is actually still the same in the Christian church today. I believe in the ceremonies of the new covenant. I have baptized many people—that is one of the ceremonies of the new covenant. The communion service is a ceremony of the new covenant. I keep those ceremonies, but all the things that you and I can do that are right will not earn for us eternal life.

Paul thought that he was doing it all perfectly, but he realized that what he was doing was not worth anything. “Be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God which is by faith; that I might know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable to His death, if, by any means, I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though as I had already acquired, but I pursue after, and I follow after, if I might attain that which has been attained for me by Christ Jesus. My brethren, I do not consider myself to have attained, but I follow after, and, forgetting those things that are behind and stretching forth to those things that are before, I pursue after the mark of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Verses 9–13.

So, we cannot become righteous by deciding to do good or be good. And that brings us to the seventh fact about righteousness, which is also covered in Philippians 3:8–14.

Receive Righteousness

If we are going to be righteous, we must receive righteousness from Jesus Christ. We have to receive it from Him because we cannot generate it; we cannot make it. Not only have we all sinned, as it says in Romans 3:23, but we cannot generate righteousness. Remember, righteousness has to do with the heart, and we do not have righteous hearts that can generate righteousness.

In what condition are our hearts? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things and incurably wicked.” This is the kind of heart that each of us has, or, as Paul stated in Romans 7:18, “I know that in me there dwells nothing good.” This emphasizes the fact that we cannot be righteous by deciding to do good. If we are going to be righteous, we must receive righteousness from Jesus Christ. How can we receive righteousness? There are several texts in the Scriptures that will help us to understand.

Can or Cannot

We are living in a very passive age. The nineteenth century was an optimistic age. People believed that they could do almost anything. They got that idea, of course, from the teaching of evolution, which became prominent during the last half of that century. They thought that humans were getting better and better. All of the inventions that were being developed reinforced this idea in their thinking. They were very optimistic and declared, “We can do it!”

It is a very interesting thing to see, when you study history, that theology very often follows in the path of what people are already thinking. In the nineteenth century, a perfectionistic theology developed. Ellen White had quite a bit to say about this. At one time she wrote: “I have met many who claimed to live without sin. But when tested by God’s word, these persons were found to be open transgressors of his holy law.” Review and Herald, February 22, 1881. This was a big problem at that time.

The twentieth century became the most pessimistic century of all time. People said, “We cannot do it,” and theologians developed a theology to go along with that. If the people did not think they could do anything, then how would they be saved? Oh, they thought, the Lord will do everything. In Adventism, we call that the New Theology—the Lord is going to do it all. We are going to be saved by professing faith in Christ, and we will be justified; the Lord will do everything. We may be living like the devil, but the Lord is going to save us because we profess faith in Him.

We are living in this pessimistic age when people say, “We cannot; the Lord is going to do everything.” Actually, the Lord is going to do everything, but He is not going to do it without our help! He is not going to do it without our cooperation.

With Fear and Trembling

Philippians 2:12 says, “So then, my beloved, just as always you were obedient, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling work out your own salvation.” This is not the language of a person saying, “No, I cannot do anything.” Paul says, “With fear and trembling work out your salvation.”

Someone may question whether or not this verse is teaching salvation by works. Well, in a way it is. Read the next verse: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work out his good pleasure.”

God wants to work out a work of salvation, a work of righteousness in our lives. We do not have any righteousness of our own. The only way we can get any is if He gives it to us, but we have to cooperate. In fact, Paul says, “You need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

What does it mean to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”? The Bible teaches that all of us have what is called “the sin which so easily besets” or “easily besetting sins” or “easily entangling sins.” It talks about that in Hebrews 12.

Now, if you are working out your salvation with fear and trembling, you are looking at yourself and saying, “Lord, this, this, and this I can see are besetting sins to me, and from reading the Book of Revelation, I know that it is only the overcomers that are going to go to the kingdom of heaven. These are besetting sins to me, and I need Your divine help to come into my life to change things.”

It is unfortunate that some people are spending all of their time just bemoaning their condition and saying, “I cannot do it,” instead of looking in faith to the Lord, and saying, “Lord, help me to have a change in my thinking, a change in my heart, a change in my motives, a change in my feelings, and a change in my thoughts, which will produce a change in my words and my actions.”

Commenting about this, Ellen White wrote: “The secret of Satan’s power over God’s professed people lies in the deceitfulness of the human heart. Their constant stumbling and falling reveal that they have not maintained a stern conflict with their besetting sins.” The Signs of the Times, December 13, 1899.

Did Paul maintain a stern con-flict with his besetting sins? In Philippians 3, we read that he said, I forget what is behind, I cannot change that, but I am stretching, pressing, pursuing, struggling toward the mark. He was cooperating with the Holy Spirit.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

Editorial – Left Outside

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Very many people who consider themselves to be Seventh-day Adventist Christians will be surprised to find that they have never been Christians at all and that they are excluded from the marriage supper of the Lamb and from the heaven of bliss. In the judgment, they will be accused of being the children of the devil instead of the children of God as they claim. This sounds like a terrible indictment, but this is not a human indictment; it is the sure word of prophecy. We must all remember that, in the judgment, the way that we have treated our fellowmen will be accounted as the way we have treated Christ.

The persistent use of civil power to enforce the will of the church is how the papacy has been formed. It is how the image to the beast is formed, and now those who profess to be God’s remnant people are engaging in this practice and have been doing so for about 20 years.

“The minds of many are clouded with unbelief because those who unite with the church as the chosen of God do not reveal the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit. Joining the church is not a sure evidence that a man has joined himself to Christ. The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.

“Thousands who claim to be religious are not Christians. Paul was very strict in carrying out his religion, but he was not a Christian until Christ revealed Himself to him and talked with him, showing him that he was persecuting his Master in the person of His saints. Then Paul was converted. He became one of the sect he had despised and hated; and for his love of Christ he received the same cruel treatment that he had once cooperated with others in giving.

“The churches have an abundance of the religion and zeal that Paul had. Many persecute those who differ from them in religious matters. But no true Christian will persecute one who conscientiously differs from him in faith. Those who try to force the consciences of their fellowmen do it because Christ is not abiding in their hearts. They do not realize that they have the attributes of Satan, but he delights to make them his instruments to bear witness against God’s chosen ones. They strive to make them observe rites that have no foundation in the Word of God. When these persecutors have the Spirit of Christ, they will hear and receive the words of Christ ‘Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm’ (1 Chronicles 16:22). Christ and Him crucified will absorb the whole soul.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 51, 52.

“It is possible for men to offer the Saviour outward homage, to be Christians in profession, to have a form of godliness, while the heart, whose loyalty He prizes above all else, is estranged from Him. . .

“Today Christ is looking with sadness upon those whose characters He must at last refuse to acknowledge. Inflated with self-sufficiency, they hope that it will be well with their souls. But at the last great day, the mirror of detection reveals to them the evil that their hearts have practiced, and shows them at the same time the impossibility of reform. Every effort was made to bring them to repentance. But they refused to humble their hearts.” The Upward Look, 301.

Bible Study Guide – Prayer – The Silent Prayer

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October 20, 2019 –  October 26, 2019

Key Text

“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 628–634.

Introduction

“There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. … In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may … plead for divine guidance.” Steps to Christ, 99.

Sunday

PRAYING AT WORK

  • What news concerned Nehemiah, and how did his employer discover this concern? Nehemiah 1:2–4; 2:1, 2.
  • What did the king ask, and how did Nehemiah respond? Nehemiah 2:4. How was Nehemiah’s silent prayer heard? Verse 6.

Note: “The man of God did not venture to reply till he had sought direction from One higher than Artaxerxes. … In that brief prayer Nehemiah pressed into the presence of the King of kings and won to his side a power that can turn hearts as the rivers of waters are turned.

“To pray as Nehemiah prayed in his hour of need is a resource at the command of the Christian under circumstances when other forms of prayer may be impossible. Toilers in the busy walks of life, crowded and almost overwhelmed with perplexity, can send up a petition to God for divine guidance. Travelers by sea and land, when threatened with some great danger, can thus commit themselves to Heaven’s protection. In times of sudden difficulty or peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself to come to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him.” Prophets and Kings, 631, 632.

Monday

SEEKING TO PRAY BY OUR ACTIONS

  • When the demoniac dwelling among the tombs by the countryside of Gadarenes saw Jesus for the first time, what did he try to do? Mark 5:5, 6.
  • As Satan did not allow this man to pray, what came out of his mouth instead? Mark 5:7. What did Jesus do for this coarse and abandoned man and his companion (Matthew 8:28)? Mark 5:8.

Note: “His words penetrated the darkened minds of the unfortunate men. They realized dimly that One was near who could save them from the tormenting demons. They fell at the Saviour’s feet to worship Him; but when their lips were opened to entreat His mercy, the demons spoke through them.” The Desire of Ages, 337, 338.

  • What was the result of the first, silent prayer of the two men? Luke 8:35. What can we learn from the demoniacs’ unuttered prayer?

Note: “None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, ‘Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? … Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children’ (Isaiah 49:24, 25).” The Desire of Ages, 258, 259.

Tuesday

THE UNSPOKEN DESIRE FOR FORGIVENESS

  • How does God relate to righteousness and wickedness? Psalm 45:7; Hebrews 1:8, 9.

Note: “While He [Jesus] does not palliate 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. …

“Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the 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.

  • What was the attitude of those who brought forth the woman taken in adultery? John 8:3–5.
  • How did Jesus respond to this woman’s unspoken request for forgiveness? John 8:10, 11.

Note: “The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone’ (John 8:7), 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’ (verse 11). 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.” The Desire of Ages, 462.

Wednesday

SPEAKING THROUGH ACTIONS OF DESPERATION

  • How interested was a poor paralytic in seeing Jesus? Luke 5:18, 19.

Note: “I will refer to the paralytic who had not used his limbs for many years. There he was. The priests, the rulers, and scribes examined his case and pronounced it hopeless. They told him that by his own sin he had brought himself into this condition, and there was no hope for him. But the word was brought to him that there was a man called Jesus who was doing mighty works. He was healing the sick, and He had even raised the dead. ‘But how can I go to Him?’ he said.

“ ‘We will carry you to Jesus,’ his friends replied, ‘right into His presence; we have heard He has come to such a place.’

“And so they took the hopeless man and bore him to where they knew Jesus was. But the multitude surrounded the building so closely where Jesus was that there was no chance for them, not so much as to come at the door. What were they going to do? The paralytic suggested that they open the roof and take off the tiling and let him down through the roof.” Faith and Works, 67.

  • What unspoken desire of the paralytic did Jesus meet? Luke 5:20. How did Jesus reveal that He could read everyone’s thoughts, not just those of this man? Verses 21–23.

Note: “Jesus knew just what that sin-sick soul needed. He knew that he had been tortured on account of his own conscience, so He said, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee’ (Luke 5:20). What a relief came to his mind! What hope filled his heart!” Faith and Works, 67.

  • What did the actual healing of the man show about the power Jesus had? Luke 5:24–26.

Note: “He who at the creation ‘spake, and it was,’ who ‘commanded, and it stood fast’ (Psalm 33:9), had spoken life to the soul dead in trespasses and sins. The healing of the body was an evidence of the power that had renewed the heart. Christ bade the paralytic arise and walk, ‘that ye may know,’ He said, ‘that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins’ (Matthew 9:6).” The Desire of Ages, 270.

Thursday

PRAYING THROUGH TOUCHING

  • How did a woman, after suffering with a serious disease for 12 years, choose to express to Jesus her timid request for healing? Mark 5:25–29.

Note: “The golden opportunity had come, she was in the presence of the great Physician! But amid the confusion, she could not be heard by Him nor catch more than a passing glimpse of His figure. Fearful of losing the one chance of relief from her illness, she pressed forward, saying to herself, If I but touch His garment I shall be cured. She seized the opportunity as He was passing and reached forward, barely touching the hem of His garment. But in that moment she felt herself healed of her disease. Instantly health and strength took the place of feebleness and pain. She had concentrated all the faith of her life in that one touch that made her whole.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 320.

  • How did Jesus then publicly acknowledge her unspoken prayer of faith? Mark 5:30–34. What does this teach us about faith?

Note: “Jesus does not fail to answer the silent prayer of faith. He who simply takes God at His word, and reaches out to connect himself with the Saviour, will receive His blessing in return.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 322.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What privilege do we have when we are in need, even though we may not be able to kneel before God? How can we do this?

2    Does Jesus hear the secret, silent prayers coming from an honest heart?

3    Can our actions serve as a prayer? How?

4    What type of healing do we all need, and how willing is Jesus to help us?

5    Does Jesus act upon the words that come out of our mouths only or the silent thoughts of the heart as well?

 

© 2018, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guide – Prayer – Prayer in the Psalms

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October 13, 2019 – October 19, 2019

Key Text

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 8, 270–278.

Introduction

“I have been referred by the Spirit of God to the many encouragements given to us in the Psalms. … If our people would realize the possibilities that lie in increased faith and prayer, there would be a decided change in our churches. Those who are now downcast and worried, would be lifted up from their discouragements, and would rejoice in the Lord.” Australasian Union Conference Record, April 29, 1907.

Sunday

ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GRACE

  • What are some of the themes expressed by David in the Psalms regarding the Christian’s experience? Psalm 25:16–18; 28:2, 7, 8.
  • What may a repentant sinner confidently expect when he sincerely asks for God’s forgiveness? Psalm 51:1–6.

Note: “A repentance such as this [David’s], is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men.

“Just here is a point on which many may err, and hence they fail of receiving the help that Christ desires to give them. They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent, and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come to Jesus? Is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour?” Steps to Christ, 25, 26.

Monday

WHEN GOD FORGIVES

  • Under what conditions can a sinner obtain God’s mercy? Psalm 32:5.

Note: “The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.” Steps to Christ, 37.

“When He permits trials and afflictions, it is ‘for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness’ (Hebrews 12:10). If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him! …

“The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized. …

“Christ lifts up the contrite heart, and refines the mourning soul, until it becomes His abode.” Sons and Daughters of God, 302.

  • What did David do as He approached God, and what was God’s response? Psalm 66:17–20.

Note: “Our Saviour is always ready to hear and answer the prayer of the contrite heart, and grace and peace are multiplied to His faithful ones. Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them.” The Acts of the Apostles, 532.

  • To what degree does God forgive our sins? Psalm 103:3, 12–14.

Note: “Let Christ, the divine Life, dwell in you and through you reveal the heaven-born love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and bring heaven’s peace to the sin-stricken heart.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 114, 115.

Tuesday

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

  • With what spirit did David seek the Lord in prayer? How did his practical life reflect his heart condition? Psalm 26:2–5, 8; 119:58.
  • What actions reveal an inward change of heart? Isaiah 1:16, 17; Ezekiel 33:15.

Note: “Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin.” Steps to Christ, 39.

“A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. … But this union costs us something. … There must be a painful work of detachment, as well as a work of attachment. Pride, selfishness, vanity, worldliness—sin in all its forms—must be overcome, if we would enter into a union with Christ. The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is, they try to attach themselves to Christ without detaching themselves from these cherished idols.” The Faith I Live By, 221.

  • What attitude does God desire us to have as we come before Him? Psalm 95:2; 100:4.

Note: “God desires His obedient children to claim His blessing and to come before Him with praise and thanksgiving. God is the Fountain of life and power. He can make the wilderness a fruitful field for the people that keep His commandments, for this is for the glory of His name. He has done for His chosen people that which should inspire every heart with thanksgiving, and it grieves Him that so little praise is offered. He desires to have a stronger expression from His people, showing that they know they have reason for joy and gladness.

“The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequently were the waymarks set up by the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! … We need often to recount God’s goodness and to praise Him for His wonderful works.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 364, 365.

Wednesday

FAITH AND CONFIDENCE

  • With what words did David express his faith in the Lord? Psalm 27:1–5.

Note: “Our God has heaven and earth at His command, and He knows just what we need. We can see only a little way before us; ‘but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4:13). Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best.

“Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. Satan’s hatred against God leads him to delight in destroying even the dumb creatures. It is only through God’s protecting care that the birds are preserved to gladden us with their songs of joy. But He does not forget even the sparrows. ‘Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows’ (Matthew 10:31).” Testimonies, vol. 8, 272, 273.

  • How did David express his confidence in God when outnumbered by earthly foes? Psalm 56:2, 9, 11.

Note: “Why do we not show that we have a living Saviour, one who can walk with us in the darkness as well as in the light, and that we can trust in Him? …

“We have seen clouds interpose between us and the sun, but we did not mourn and clothe ourselves in sackcloth for fear that we should never see the sun again. We manifested no anxiety about it, but waited as cheerfully as possible until the cloud passed away and revealed the sun. Just so in our trials and temptations. Clouds may seem to shut from us the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness; but we know that the face of our Redeemer is not forever hidden. He is looking upon us with love and tender compassion. Let us not cast away our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, but when clouds hang over the soul, let us keep our eyes fixed where we can see the Sun of Righteousness, and rejoice that we have a living Saviour. Think how beautiful was the light which we enjoyed, keep the mind stayed on Jesus, and the light will again shine upon us, and dismal thoughts will flee. We shall have joy in Christ, and shall go singing on our way to Mount Zion.” Our High Calling, 65.

Thursday

GOD SATISFIES THE THIRSTING SOUL

  • Describe the fervor that should accompany our prayers. Psalm 42:1–4.

Note: “Let us put away the listless, sluggish habit into which we have fallen, and pray as though we meant it. ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much’ (James 5:16). Faith takes a firm hold of the promises of God, and urges her petitions with fervor; but when the life of the soul stagnates, the outward devotions become formal and powerless.” Gospel Workers (1892), 426.

  • As we approach God in the midst of our trials and struggles, what assurance do we have? Psalm 77:1, 14, 15.

Note: “To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest. They will look back with thankfulness upon the darkest part of their way. … From every temptation and every trial He will bring them forth with firmer faith and a richer experience.” The Desire of Ages, 528.

“In every trial, if we seek Him, Christ will give us help. Our eyes will be opened to discern the healing promises recorded in His word. The Holy Spirit will teach us how to appropriate every blessing that will be an antidote to grief. For every bitter draft that is placed to our lips, we shall find a branch of healing.” The Ministry of Healing, 248.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     On what point do many err and fail to receive the promised blessing?

2    Instead of performing great acts of self-sacrifice in order to obtain forgiveness and mercy, what steps do we need to take?

3    What attitude will lead us to make a genuine confession?

4    What should we do when trials seem to hide the face of the Sun of Righteousness from our vision?

5    With what type of spirit should we approach God? What is the promise that we have when we do this?

Bible Study Guide – Prayer – David’s Prayer Life

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October 6, 2019 – October 12, 2019

Key Text

“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 717–726.

Introduction

“David’s prayer was continually directed to God. His trust was in God, and he walked before Him in a perfect way.” The Signs of the Times, August 17, 1888.

Sunday

PRAYING WHEN PERSECUTED

  • How was David treated by Saul? 1Samuel 19:9, 10; 23:7, 8.

 Note: “After the death of Samuel, David was left in peace for a few months. Again he repaired to the solitude of the Ziphites; but these enemies, hoping to secure the favor of the king, informed him of David’s hiding place. This intelligence aroused the demon of passion that had been slumbering in Saul’s breast. Once more he summoned his men of arms and led them out in pursuit of David. But friendly spies brought tidings to the son of Jesse that Saul was again pursuing him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 668.

  • What did David pray when he was chased by Saul? How did David submit himself to God? Psalm 7:1–5, 17.

Note: “It is only through Christ that Satan’s power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts. Then take ‘the shield of faith,’ brethren, ‘wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked’ (Ephesians 6:16).” Testimonies, vol. 5, 294.

Monday

THE FALL OF DAVID

  • What does the Bible mention regarding the character of David? 1Samuel 13:13, 14; 1 Kings 11:38.

 Note: “It was when he [David] was walking in the counsel of God that he was called a man after God’s own heart. When he sinned, this ceased to be true of him until by repentance he had returned to the Lord.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 723.

“David was beloved of God, not because he was a perfect man, but because he did not cherish stubborn resistance to God’s expressed will. His spirit did not rise up in rebellion against reproof. … David erred greatly, but he was just as greatly humbled and his contrition was as profound as his guilt. There was never a man more humble than David under a sense of his sin. He showed himself a strong man, not in always resisting temptation, but in the contrition of soul and sincere penitence manifested. He never lost his confidence in God, who put the stern rebuke in the mouth of His prophet. He had no hatred for the prophet of God. He was beloved, also, because he relied upon the mercy of a God whom he had loved and served and honored.” Pamphlet 28, 1890, 16.

  • Which sins in David’s life did he attempt to hide? 2Samuel 12:9.
  • What was David’s reaction when his sin was known? How did he acknowledge his guilt? 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51:3, 4.

 Note: “This passage in David’s history is full of significance to the repenting sinner. It is one of the most forcible illustrations given us of the struggles and temptations of humanity, and of genuine repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through all the ages it has proved a source of encouragement to souls that, having fallen into sin, were struggling under the burden of their guilt. Thousands of the children of God, who have been betrayed into sin, when ready to give up to despair have remembered how David’s sincere repentance and confession were accepted by God, notwithstanding he suffered for his transgression; and they also have taken courage to repent and try again to walk in the way of God’s commandments.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 726.

Tuesday

PLEADING FOR FORGIVENESS

  • What two things was David pleading for after confessing his sin? Psalm 51:1, 2; 1John 1:9.

 Note: “All wrong done to others reaches back from the injured one to God. Therefore David seeks for pardon, not from a priest, but from the Creator of man. He prays: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions’ (Psalm 51:1).” Testimonies, vol. 5, 639.

  • Where is the seat of impurity? Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21–23.

Note: “Many of you may retain a notion of religion in the head, an outside religion, when the heart is not cleansed. God looks at the heart; ‘all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4:13). Will He be satisfied with anything but truth in the inward parts? Every truly converted soul will carry the unmistakable marks that the carnal mind is subdued.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 163.

  • What prayer of David’s should we repeat on a daily basis? Psalm 51:10–12.

Note: “Many are leaning upon a supposed hope without a true foundation. The fountain is not cleansed, therefore the streams proceeding from that fountain are not pure. Cleanse the fountain, and the streams will be pure. If the heart is right, your words, your dress, your acts, will all be right. True godliness is lacking. …

“I saw how this grace could be obtained. Go to your closet, and there alone plead with God: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10). Be in earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much. Jacoblike, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. Jesus, in the garden, sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can and will appear in you.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 158.

Wednesday

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TOWARD GOD

  • What did David acknowledge regarding God’s blessings? 1 Chronicles 29:11–14.

 Note: “God scatters blessings all along our path. … We may weep and groan and mourn and stumble at every step if we choose, or we may gather up the precious, fragrant flowers and rejoice in the Lord for His goodness in making our path to heaven so pleasant.” Our High Calling, 245.

“It is as we give ourselves to God for the service of humanity that He gives Himself to us.

“No one can give place in his own heart and life for the stream of God’s blessing to flow to others, without receiving in himself a rich reward.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 81.

  • How did David express some of his feelings about God? Psalm 31:19–23; 57:10.

Note: “The song of gratitude and praise is to be heard by those in darkness. For the good tidings of the gospel, for its promises and assurances, we are to express our gratitude by seeking to do others good. The doing of this work will bring rays of heavenly righteousness to wearied, perplexed, suffering souls. It is as a fountain opened for the wayworn, thirsty traveler. At every work of mercy, every work of love, angels of God are present.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 31.

  • What else can we be thankful for today? Psalm 103:10–14; Jeremiah 31:34, last part.

 Note: “We should be self-forgetful, ever looking out for opportunities, even in little things, to show gratitude for the favors we have received of others, and watching for opportunities to cheer others and lighten and relieve their sorrows and burdens by acts of tender kindness and little deeds of love. These thoughtful courtesies that, commencing in our families, extend outside the family circle help make up the sum of life’s happiness; and the neglect of these little things makes up the sum of life’s bitterness and sorrow.” The Adventist Home, 428.

Thursday

PRAYING FOR DELIVERANCE

  • With what words does David praise God for deliverance from his enemies? 2Samuel 22:1–7, 18–20.
  • How can we, like David, pray for deliverance from sin today? Psalm 6:4; 25:20; Matthew 6:13.

 Note: “Many receive the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a deliverance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion will free them from difficulty and trial. While life moves smoothly with them, they may appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for Christ’s sake. When the word of God points out some cherished sin, or requires self-denial or sacrifice, they are offended. It would cost them too much effort to make a radical change in their life. They look at the present inconvenience and trial, and forget the eternal realities.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 47, 48.

“When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life.” The Desire of Ages, 266.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What limits Satan’s power? When can Christ help us the most?

2    Why was David beloved of God?

3    How must we pray if we desire to have a clean, pure heart?

4    How can we show gratitude to God in a practical way, and what will be the result?

5    What should we be seeking beyond mere deliverance from difficulties?

Bible Study Guide – Prayer – What is Prayer?

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September 29, 2019 – October 5, 2019

Key Text

“Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto Thee will I pray” (Psalm 5:1, 2).

Study Help: Steps to Christ, 93–104.

Introduction

“Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.” Steps to Christ, 93.

Sunday

TALKING TO GOD

  • How did our first parents talk with God, and how did sin interrupt this communication? Genesis 1:27–30; 3:8–10; 1Timothy 2:5.

 Note: “After the transgression of Adam, the Lord spoke no longer directly with man; the human race was given into the hands of Christ, and all communication came through Him to the world.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 237.

  •  What privilege has God provided so that we who are sinners can still individually communicate freely with Him? John 16:23, last part, 24; Matthew 6:5–8; Matthew 7:7, 8.

 Note: “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor. …

“It is only as we behold Jesus that we desire to be like Him, only as we view His righteousness that we hunger and thirst to possess it; and it is only as we ask in earnest prayer, that God will grant us our heart’s desire.

“God’s messengers must tarry long with Him, if they would have success in their work.” Gospel Workers, 254, 255.

Monday

COMMUNICATION ESSENTIAL TO FRIENDSHIP

  • God wants you to be His friend. How is this friendship demonstrated? John 15:13–17.

Note: “Every association we form, however limited, exerts some influence upon us. The extent to which we yield to that influence will be determined by the degree of intimacy, the constancy of the intercourse, and our love and veneration for the one with whom we associate. Thus by acquaintance and association with Christ we may become like Him, the one faultless Example.

“Communion with Christ—how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 222, 223.

  • To how many people does God offer this relationship? John 3:16. Name someone who took up God’s offer of friendship. James 2:23.
  • How do friendships usually begin? Proverbs 18:24. While obeying God will be the evidence of our friendship with Him (John 15:14), what action is essential in order to build our friendship with Him? Philippians 4:6.

Note: “Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.” Steps to Christ, 94.

Tuesday

SUBMITTING OURSELVES ENTIRELY

  • How many times did Jesus pray in Gethsemane for the same difficulty? Did the words of His prayer change? Matthew 26:39, 42, 44.

Note: “Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: ‘If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done’ (Matthew 26:42).” The Desire of Ages, 690, 693.

  • How did Jesus submit Himself to the Father? Matthew 26:39, last part. Did the Father answer the prayer of Jesus to save Him from the cross? Verses 45, 46; Romans 8:32, first part.
  •  What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer of submission? James 4:6–8.

 Note: “It is hard for us to submit to the crucifixion of self; but when the work is all submitted to God, to Him who knows our weaknesses and our sinfulness, He takes the very best way to bring about the desired results. It was through constant conflict and simple faith that Enoch walked with God. We may all do the same.” The Review and Herald, June 22, 1886.

“The Lord will do His part if the human agent will submit to the control of the Holy Spirit. If we consecrate to God body, soul, and spirit, He will do just as He said—He will be found of all those who seek Him diligently.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 96, 97.

Wednesday

PERSISTENT PLEADING WHEN IN DIFFICULTY

  • What did Jacob pray for when he heard that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men as he was returning to his father’s house in Palestine? Genesis 32:9–11.
  • After sending a present to Esau to appease him, how did Jacob again lay his fears and cares before God? Hosea 12:4. What persistence and determination did Jacob demonstrate? Genesis 32:24–31.

Note: “Jacob sent his family across the ford of the river, while he alone remained behind. He had decided to spend the night in prayer, and he desired to be alone with God. God could soften the heart of Esau. In Him was the patriarch’s only hope.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 196.

  • How did God, in answering Jacob’s prayer, change both Jacob and Esau? Genesis 32:31; 33:4.

Note: “The error that had led to Jacob’s sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud was now clearly set before him. He had not trusted God’s promises, but had sought by his own efforts to bring about that which God would have accomplished in His own time and way. As an evidence that he had been forgiven, his name was changed from one that was a reminder of his sin, to one that commemorated his victory. ‘Thy name,’ said the Angel, ‘shall be called no more Jacob [the supplanter], but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed’ (Genesis 32:28).

“Jacob had received the blessing for which his soul had longed.

“While Jacob was wrestling with the Angel, another heavenly messenger was sent to Esau. In a dream, Esau beheld his brother for twenty years an exile from his father’s house; he witnessed his grief at finding his mother dead; he saw him encompassed by the hosts of God. This dream was related by Esau to his soldiers, with the charge not to harm Jacob, for the God of his father was with him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 197, 198.

Thursday

TRUE COMMUNION CHANGES LIVES

  • What does God know about us? Matthew 6:8, last part. What is our greatest need? Ezekiel 36:26, 27.

 Note: “The change we need is a change of heart, and can only be obtained by seeking God individually for His blessing, by pleading with Him for His power, by fervently praying that His grace may come upon us, and that our characters may be transformed. This is the change we need today, and for the attainment of this experience we should exercise persevering energy and manifest heartfelt earnestness.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 187.

  • What assurance do we have that God has an answer prepared before we pray? Isaiah 65:24; Matthew 6:8. What is the purpose of God in prayer? John 14:13, 14.

Note: “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” Steps to Christ, 93.

“Prayer is not intended to work any change in God; it brings us into harmony with God. It does not take the place of duty.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 18, 1898.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     When we fail to maintain regular communion with God through prayer, what happens to us?

2    Why is prayer essential to developing a friendship with God?

3    Describe the experience of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He submitted to His Father’s will.

4    For whom was Jacob praying as he wrestled with the Angel?

5    Why do we so much need to pray when God knows everything about us already?

Recipe – Pea Salad

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Ingredients

2 cups peas

¼ cup celery, diced

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

½ tsp. salt (optional)

Mayo (Vegenaise/plant-based Mayo)

Process: Mix all vegetables together. Add your mayo, mix again. Enjoy!

Food – Green Peas

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In our garden this year we planted green peas. I was amazed how well they did along with the green beans. I just love to pop them out of their shells and eat them fresh. The following gives you a little health information about how good they are for your body.

“Peas are actually legumes that originated in western Asia. In Switzerland, traces of peas have been found near homesites, where they were probably being eaten during the Bronze Age, more than 5,000 years ago. Traveling from Greece to India, the pea arrived in China during the seventh century, where it was named bo tou, or ‘foreign legume.’ Peas were popular during the Middle Ages in Europe, being easy to grow, inexpensive, hearty, and a source of protein. …

“There are probably more than 1,000 varieties of garden peas, the most common of which are the smooth peas you usually find frozen in the supermarket. Some varieties, like the snow pea have edible pods. Peas are available fresh in the pod, dried (either whole or split), and frozen. …” The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, p. 86, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

 

Pea Salad

Ingredients

2 cups peas

¼ cup celery, diced

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

½ tsp. salt (optional)

Mayo (Vegenaise/plant-based Mayo)

 

Process: Mix all vegetables together. Add your mayo, mix again. Enjoy!