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Bible Study Guides – The True Vine

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September 7, 2008 – September 13, 2008

Key Text

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” John 15:5.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 674-678; Christ’s Object Lessons, 139-149.

Introduction

“Do not disappoint Him who so loved you that He gave His own life to cancel your sins. He says, ‘Without Me ye can do nothing.’ John 15:5. Remember this. If you have made mistakes, you certainly gain a victory if you see these mistakes and regard them as beacons of warning. Thus you turn defeat into victory, disappointing the enemy and honoring your Redeemer.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 332.

1 How can one profess to be “in Christ,” yet bear no fruit? John 15:1, 2, 6.

Note: “Since Christ has paid the price for all the service that we should give Him, we are His servants by purchase. Although we are in Christ Jesus by His covenant of promise, yet if we stand in a position of perfect indifference, without acknowledging Him as our Saviour, we bear no fruit. If by failing to be a partaker of His divine nature we bear no fruit, we are taken away. Worldly influences take us away from Christ, and our portion is the same as that of the unfruitful branch.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1143.

2 What is the work of Christ in behalf of those who bear fruit? John 15:2.

Note: “If we do not bear any fruit, the powers of darkness take possession of our minds, our affections, our service, and we are of the world, though we profess to be children of God. This is neither a safe nor a pleasant position, because we lose all the beauty and the glory and the satisfaction that it is our privilege to have. By abiding in Christ, we may have His sweetness, His fragrance, His light. Christ is the Light of the world. He shines in our hearts. His light in our hearts shines forth from our faces. By beholding the beauty and the glory of Christ, we become changed into the same image.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1143.

3 How can we have our character purified? John 15:3.

Note: “The truths of the word of God meet man’s great practical necessity—the conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and all the little things of life.

“Received into the heart, the leaven of truth will regulate the desires, purify the thoughts, and sweeten the disposition. It quickens the faculties of the mind and the energies of the soul. It enlarges the capacity for feeling, for loving.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 100, 101.

4 What changes will be revealed in the life of true believers? Isaiah 1:16, 17.

Note: “The selfish, money-loving man lives only to secure for himself the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world. He loses the eternal world from his reckoning. But with the follower of Christ these things will not be all-absorbing. For Christ’s sake he will labor and deny self, that he may aid in the great work of saving souls who are without Christ and without hope in the world. Such a man the world cannot understand; for he is keeping in view eternal realities. The love of Christ with its redeeming power has come into the heart. This love masters every other motive, and raises its possessor above the corrupting influence of the world.

“The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect on our association with every member of the human family. The leaven of truth will not produce the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first. True, heaven-born love is not selfish and changeable. It is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others because they love and please him, because they appreciate his merits, but because they are Christ’s purchased possession. If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 101, 102.

5 How can we live a fruitful spiritual life? John 15:4, 5.

Note: “A union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. Christ first chose us, paying an infinite price for our redemption; and the true believer chooses Christ as first and last and best in everything. But this union costs us something. It is a union of utter dependence, to be entered into by a proud being. All who form this union must feel their need of the atoning blood of Christ. They must have a change of heart. They must submit their own will to the will of God. There will be a struggle with outward and internal obstacles. 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 that they try to attach themselves to Christ without first detaching themselves from these cherished idols. Testimonies, vol. 5, 231.

6 How is it possible to preserve our union with Christ? Hebrews 12:1, 2.

Note: “After the union with Christ has been formed, it can be preserved only by earnest prayer and untiring effort. We must resist, we must deny, we must conquer self. Through the grace of Christ, by courage, by faith, by watchfulness, we may gain the victory.

“Believers become one in Christ, but one branch cannot be sustained by another. The nourishment must be obtained through the vital connection with the vine. We must feel our utter dependence on Christ. We must live by faith on the Son of God. That is the meaning of the injunction: ‘Abide in Me.’ The life we live in the flesh is not to the will of men, not to please our Lord’s enemies, but to serve and honor Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. A mere assent to this union, while the affections are not detached from the world, its pleasures and its dissipations, only emboldens the heart in disobedience.

“As a people we are sadly destitute of faith and love. Our efforts are altogether too feeble for the time of peril in which we live. The pride and self-indulgence, the impiety and iniquity, by which we are surrounded have an influence upon us. Few realize the importance of shunning, so far as possible, all associations unfriendly to religious life.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 231, 232.

7 What are the key conditions for obtaining answers to our prayers? John 15:7; I John 2:3–5.

Note: “Many are forfeiting the condition of acceptance with the Father. We need to examine closely the deed of trust wherewith we approach God. If we are disobedient, we bring to the Lord a note to be cashed when we have not fulfilled the conditions that would make it payable to us. We present to God His promises, and ask Him to fulfill them, when by so doing He would dishonor His own name. …

“One of Christ’s last commands to His disciples was ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ (John 13:34). Do we obey this command, or are we indulging sharp, unchristlike traits of character? If we have in any way grieved or wounded others, it is our duty to confess our fault and seek for reconciliation. This is an essential preparation that we may come before God in faith, to ask His blessing.

“There is another matter too often neglected by those who seek the Lord in prayer. Have you been honest with God? By the prophet Malachi the Lord declares, ‘Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.’ Malachi 3:7, 8.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 143, 144.

8 With what other conditions must we comply before God can answer our prayers? Psalm 66:18; Mark 11:24.

Note: “If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.” Steps to Christ, 95.

“The beloved John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks with great plainness and assurance: ‘If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.’ I John 5:14, 15. Then press your petition to the Father in the name of Jesus. God will honor that name.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 148.

9 On what condition can we abide in Christ’s love? John 15:9, 10.

Note: “Always kind, courteous, ever taking the part of the oppressed, whether Jew or Gentile, Christ was beloved by all. By His perfect life and character, He answered the question asked in the fifteenth Psalm: ‘Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.’ [Verses 1, 2.] In childhood and youth His course was such that when engaged in work as a teacher, He could say to His disciples, ‘If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love: even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.’ [John 15:10.]” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 402.

10 How did Christ summarize the law and reveal its essence? John 15:12, 13.

Note: “Christ has given us an example of pure, disinterested love. You have not as yet seen your deficiency in this respect, and your great need of this heavenly attainment, without which all your good purposes, and your zeal, even if it be of that nature that you could give your goods to feed the poor and your body to be burned, is nothing. You need that charity which suffereth long, is not easily provoked, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Without the spirit of love, no one can be like Christ. With this living principle in the soul, no one can be like the world.

“The conduct of Christians is like that of their Lord. He erected the standard, and it is left for us to say whether or not we will rally around it. Our Lord and Saviour laid aside His dominion, His riches and glory, and sought after us, that He might save us from misery and make us like Himself.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 169, 170.

Additional Reading

“Jesus and the disciples were on the way to Gethsemane, at the foot of Mount Olivet, a retired spot which He had often visited for meditation and prayer. The Saviour had been explaining to His disciples His mission to the world, and the spiritual relation to Him which they were to sustain. Now He illustrates the lesson. The moon is shining bright, and reveals to Him a flourishing grapevine. Drawing the attention of the disciples to it, He employs it as a symbol.

“ ‘I am the true Vine,’ [John 15:1] He says. Instead of choosing the graceful palm, the lofty cedar, or the strong oak, Jesus takes the vine with its clinging tendrils to represent Himself. The palm tree, the cedar, and the oak stand alone. They require no support. But the vine entwines about the trellis, and thus climbs heavenward. So Christ in His humanity was dependent upon divine power. ‘I can of Mine own self do nothing,’ He declared. John 5:30.

“ ‘I am the Vine, ye are the branches,’ [John 15:5] Christ said to His disciples. Though He was about to be removed from them, their spiritual union with Him was to be unchanged. The connection of the branch with the vine, He said, represents the relation you are to sustain to Me. The scion is engrafted into the living vine, and fiber by fiber, vein by vein, it grows into the vine stock. The life of the vine becomes the life of the branch. So the soul dead in trespasses and sins receives life through connection with Christ. By faith in Him as a personal Saviour the union is formed. The sinner unites his weakness to Christ’s strength, his emptiness to Christ’s fullness, his frailty to Christ’s enduring might. Then he has the mind of Christ. The humanity of Christ has touched our humanity, and our humanity has touched divinity. Thus through the agency of the Holy Spirit man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. He is accepted in the Beloved.

“This union with Christ, once formed, must be maintained. Christ said, ‘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] This is no casual touch, no off-and-on connection. The branch becomes a part of the living vine. The communication of life, strength, and fruitfulness from the root to the branches is unobstructed and constant. Separated from the vine, the branch cannot live. No more, said Jesus, can you live apart from Me. The life you have received from Me can be preserved only by continual communion. Without Me you cannot overcome one sin, or resist one temptation.” The Desire of Ages, 674, 675.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – A New Creation

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August 31, 2008 – September 6, 2008

Key Text

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” II Corinthians 5:17.

Study Help: John 3:1-21; I Peter 1:1-25; The Desire of Ages, 167-177.

Introduction

“Through the power of Christ, men and women have broken the chains of sinful habit. They have renounced selfishness. The profane have become reverent, the drunken sober, the profligate pure. Souls that have borne the likeness of Satan have become transformed into the image of God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 476.

1 What basic truth did Christ tell Nicodemus? John 3:3, 5.

Note: “Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change takes place, making all things new, it will result in no saving good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My mission.” The Desire of Ages, 171.

2 When does this new birth take place, and what should be our immediate response to it? John 1:12, 13.

Note: “Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son.” Steps to Christ, 52.

“Jesus leads the way. Do not wait and continue in disobedience, hoping circumstances may change, making it easier for you to obey. Go forward, for you know the will of God.” The Signs of the Times, April 10, 1893.

3 What happens when the repentant sinner is justified or forgiven? I John 1:9; Psalm 51:10.

Note: “God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 114.

4 How will forgiven sinners deal with others? Matthew 6:12, 14, 15.

Note: “He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which alone he can receive mercy from God. We should not think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. It is their part, no doubt, to humble their hearts by repentance and confession; but we are to have a spirit of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults. However sorely they may have wounded us, we are not to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our injuries; but as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 113, 114.

5 What is essential for us so that we may forgive others? I Corinthians 13:1–8; I John 4:16.

Note: “The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us. 1 John 4:16. Satan is working by every deception he can command, in order that we may not discern that love. He will lead us to think that our mistakes and transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will not have respect unto our prayers and will not bless and save us. In ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot remedy our defects of character. When we try to come to God, the enemy will whisper, It is of no use for you to pray; did not you do that evil thing? Have you not sinned against God and violated your own conscience? But we may tell the enemy that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ 1 John 1:7. When we feel that we have sinned and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we may be and deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 115.

6 Besides accepting Christ as our Saviour, what is essential for us to begin a new life? Colossians 2:6; I John 1:7.

Note: “Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, ‘I am Christ’s; I have given myself to Him;’ and ask Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says, ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.’ Colossians 2:6.” Steps to Christ, 52.

“As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.” Steps to Christ, 67, 68.

“You are just as dependent upon Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him you have no life. You have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in Him, you may flourish. Drawing your life from Him, you will not wither nor be fruitless. You will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. God’s Amazing Grace, 300.

“Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, ‘Without Me ye can do nothing.’ [John 15:5]. Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly—by abiding in Him—that we are to grow in grace.” God’s Amazing Grace, 293.

7 How did Enoch walk with God? Genesis 5:22–24; Hebrews 11:5.

Note: “Enoch’s walk with God was not in a trance or a vision, but in all the duties of his daily life. He did not become a hermit, shutting himself entirely from the world; for he had a work to do for God in the world. In the family and in his intercourse with men, as a husband and father, a friend, a citizen, he was the steadfast, unwavering servant of the Lord. …

“There are few Christians who would not be far more earnest and devoted if they knew that they had but a short time to live, or that the coming of Christ was about to take place. But Enoch’s faith waxed the stronger, his love became more ardent, with the lapse of centuries.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 85.

8 What message did God Himself convey to Abraham? Genesis 17:1–5; John 8:56.

Note: “There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, was the same gospel that is preached to us today, through which we have hope. Abraham looked unto Jesus, who is also the Author and the Finisher of our faith.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 22, 1892.

9 What are the various ways by which today’s true children of Abraham will reflect the character of that patriarch of old? Hebrews 11:8–10; Galatians 3:6–9.

Note: “The ten holy precepts had not been written upon the tables of stone by the finger of God in Abraham’s day. But Abraham was acquainted with them. They had been handed down from generation to generation; parents had taught their children the will of the Creator. Having educated himself to obey the law of God, the spirit of the commandments given in Eden was woven into the character of Abraham, fashioning his life after the divine pattern; and as a result his family was enlightened. He feared the Lord with all his house; for God’s standard of holiness was made known by Abraham to both masters and servants.

“He who combines faith and works will command his household after him, and like Abraham, will fear the Lord with all his house.” The Gospel Herald, August 1, 1906.

“The faith of Abraham should be our example, yet how few will patiently endure a simple test of reproof for the sins which imperil their eternal welfare. How few receive reproof with humility, and profit by it. God’s claim upon our faith, our services, our affections, should meet with a cheerful response. We are infinite debtors to the Lord and should unhesitatingly comply with the least of His requirements.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 253.

“We must dwell as pilgrims and strangers here if we would gain ‘a better country, that is, an heavenly.’ Hebrews 11:16. Those who are children of Abraham will be seeking the city which he looked for, ‘whose builder and maker is God.’ [Hebrews 11:10].” Patriarchs and Prophets, 170.

10 What will be realized by all who will inhabit the New Earth? Matthew 5:5; Revelation 21:1–7; 22:14.

Note: “ ‘I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.’ Revelation 21:6. This promise is only to those that thirst. None but those who feel their need of the water of life, and seek it at the loss of all things else, will be supplied. ‘He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.’ verse 7. Here, also, conditions are specified. In order to inherit all things, we must resist and overcome sin.” The Great Controversy, 540.

“An infinite price has been paid to bring us into connection with Christ. Self-indulgence must cease. We must come into right relations with God, and we must be cleansed from all iniquity, and walk worthy of the vocation whereunto we are called.” The Signs of the Times, July 29, 1889.

11 What will be the reward of the wicked, and how will God’s good name be vindicated? Revelation 21:8; 22:15; Psalm 37:9.

Note: “Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished ‘according to their deeds.’ [Jeremiah 25:14.] The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and Heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah.” The Great Controversy, 673.

Additional Reading

“The work of redemption involves consequences of which it is difficult for man to have any conception. ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.’ I Corinthians 2:9. As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. God Himself is ‘the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Romans 3:26. And ‘whom He justified, them He also glorified.’ Romans 8:30. Great as is the shame and degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven’s treasure, an excellency of power, that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen.” Christ Object Lessons, 162, 163.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Recipe – Sprouted Lentils

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2 cups lentils, sprouted

½ cup onion, chopped fine

1 tsp. salt

1 ¼ cups water

Sprout lentils for about five days until they are ½” long. Combine all ingredients in kettle and cook slowly over low heat for approximately 15-20 minutes. Add more water as needed to make a broth. Serve over rice or pasta. For variations you may consider adding some of your favorite vegetables or replacing salt with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Enjoy!

Food – Digestion

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The human body is an amazing miracle that only an omniscient being could create. We each are responsible for the maintenance of our bodies such that we may operate to our fullest potential. Diet is one of the most important ways we revitalize ourselves physically. In order to understand our nutritional needs it is important to understand the intricate workings of the digestive system.

God designed our bodies to partake of a vegetarian diet. The differences between ourselves and carnivores, such as, lions, are pertinent differences that uphold the idea that we are still intended for a diet of plant life. The way by which we obtain food in itself is evidence of this. Humans have hands and fingers, including an opposable thumb, which are excellent for picking foods and, if you have a green opposable thumb, planting! Lions, on the other hand, would find this difficult as they have paws with sharp, retractable claws which are designed to fell prey and tear flesh.

The difference in diet is supported by the digestive differences between the herbivore and carnivore. Most people know that digestion begins in the mouth with saliva. But another structural variation between humans and lions that differentiates how we digest our food is the teeth. Carnivores have sharp, pointed teeth necessary for tearing flesh, where humans have flat teeth for grinding fruits, vegetables, and grains. There is also a difference in the saliva produced. A human’s saliva contains salivary amylase which begins the break down of complex carbohydrates found in plants. So chew well! The lion has no salivary amylase in his saliva, but he certainly has the intestinal juices to make up for it!

Lions have a chemical substance in their stomachs called hydrochloric acid. Humans have this also, but our carnivore friends certainly have the lion’s share. They have ten times the amount of this acid in their stomachs! This is very necessary, however, as meat is more difficult to digest. Carbohydrates and plant proteins are much easier on our stomachs as they do not require such high levels of hydrochloric acid to digest.

Humans have intestines that extend 24 to 26 feet in length! Imagine the convolution that is required to make room just for our intestines! The length is pertinent though. It allows for the time needed to digest our food and allow our bodies to absorb the nutrients we require to function properly. A lion does not need such a long intestinal corridor. In fact it would be quite harmful since the flesh ingested would putrefy in the body’s warm environment. A lion’s intestines, in contrast, average around 8 feet in length to allow for quick removal of the food ingested.

As we consider these few differences between our bodies and the lion’s, it is easy to see that we were built for different diets. In studying Genesis 1:29 and Genesis 3:17 our Creator has spelled out for us the diet He recommends for His most beloved creation. How wonderful that our Heavenly Father is so concerned for our health!

Children’s Story – Angel of Mercy

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The night air was thick with the smell of gun powder, and the stars were drowned out by the smoke still polluting the air of Chantilly battlefield. A tiny figure in skirts and bows moved in and out among the wounded soldiers, wrapping wounds and bringing water to the battered men lying at her feet. The nurse was huddled over a young soldier giving him a glass of water when she felt a tug on her skirt.

“Ma’am,” said the feeble voice behind her.

Clara turned to see the war torn face of yet another young soldier injured in the battle.

“Yes?” she replied.

“Ma’am, do you not recognize me?” He asked in a shaky voice.

“I apologize, but I do not.” Clara searched the face for any feature she may recognize under the many bandages. “Praise be!” she exclaimed. “Why Markus, I did not recognize you. You have changed much over the years!”

“I am much comforted by seeing you, Miss Barton. I still remember the day you beat me in the school race. I was so arrogant! I never thought that such a small school teacher could outrun one of her students. You sure taught me a lesson!”

“And I remember the look on your face as you crossed the finish line after me. I had never seen any face so red except my own!” Clara responded as she adjusted a bandage on Markus’ arm. Just as she was doing so, the sleeve on Clara’s dress shivered and she looked down to find a bullet hole through the lace. Turning back to Markus, she found him still.

This was the reality facing the young Clara Barton. Growing up, she was a painfully shy girl. In fact, she was so shy that she would often be unable to eat at the dinner table when guests were visiting her family. She was very bright, learning to read by the age of four. Two of her older siblings were teachers and assisted in her education. And, growing up on a farm, she soon was a first rate horseback rider.

To cure her of her terrible shyness, her family sent Clara to a boarding school for girls, believing that she would be forced to overcome her bashfulness if she was on her own away from home. But she was so timid she could not interact with the other girls, unable even to eat at the table with them. Clara soon became very sickly and her father had to come for her.

Clara had a special talent for healing—a gift that was evident very early on. She tended to the injured animals on the farm with such skill that neighbors and friends would come to her with their sick animals. Her talents were needed at a very young age for her brother, David.

One day, her family was attending a barn-raising for another family nearby. Her older brother, David, was on the rafters working, when he lost his balance and plummeted to the ground.

“David!” Clara yelled and ran to her bother’s side. Everyone expected David to be dead after such a fall, but Clara found him still breathing. “Don’t touch him,” Clara told a man who was attempting to lift him to a cart, “if he has broken his back, you will injure him further.”

“Mama, go and get some water and bandages.” Clara yelled turning to her mother who was standing behind her. “Papa, make a brace with those boards over there.” Under the careful instruction of the little Clara Barton, David was taken back home without further injury. It was two full years of dedicated nursing by Clara, before David fully recovered.

During the civil war that tore our nation in the 1800s, Clara heard of the wounded soldiers who were dying simply from the lack of care. Indignant at the neglect of those giving their lives for the cause for their country, Clara did not rest until she obtained permission and supplies to attend the soldiers on the front lines of battle. Here she worked tirelessly to perfect a method by which to care for the wounded and save the lives of thousands.

Clara Barton seems a very unlikely candidate for the role of a nurse on the front lines of battle. But, through God’s power, those who seem most unfit can be used for the most awesome of tasks. And so it was, whenever someone was in need of help, the timid and shy Clara Barton would rise to the occasion and come to the aide of any who were ill or injured, no matter the circumstance. This quality was what later led her to the battlefields of America, and on to become a key founder of the American Red Cross.

Alicia Freedman is currently working on our LandMarks team and can be contacted at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Health – Genetic Engineering Pt.2

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In the 1930’s in Brush Mountain, Virginia, the county sheriff would raid the hill of families who had been separated from society and deemed “unfit.” The purpose for the raid was to sterilize these “unfit” individuals as was permitted under “The Racial Integrity Act of Virginia.” The law was repealed in 1963, but how did the United States government become involved in such atrocities in the first place?

In 1923, the American Eugenics Society was founded with support from many scientists and the social elite. One of their purposes was to influence legislation in favor of mandatory sterilizations, as they were fearful for the future of the human race. The paramount question is, of course, who gets to play god and decide who is required to undergo such an operation?

Physicians, lawyers, judges, the police, legislators, scientists, and the upper class were all involved. Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes upheld the constitutionality of the Virginia law on mandatory sterilization saying, “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.” Ironically, the weight of evidence is that none of the three generations of women in question were mentally retarded as the Supreme Court Justice thought. (See Oliver Wendell Holmes and Buck vs. Bell, 1927.)

Since mental deficiency was considered to be partially hereditary, it was decided that inmates at state institutions who were pronounced as hopeless cases by at least two physicians, were to be involuntarily sterilized. Of course, sterilizing the insane was simply a way by which to accustom society to the atrocious practice. Once the operations were seen as socially acceptable, what other individuals might be slated for involuntary sterilizations?

The theories of evolution and “survival of the fittest” were tools that influenced those involved in what became known as the U.S. Eugenics Movement. By their standards, the most superior of the human race were the Nordic, or Northern Europeans. Aside from the mentally defective, the physically deformed, the blacks, Jews, Indians, Hispanics, Eastern European Jews, and the poor were also subjected to involuntary sterilizations. In addition to sterilization, regulations were placed on marriages. Through these means, many believed the less desirable of the human race would disappear in one generation.

California became the epicenter of the United States Eugenics Movement. Nearly half of the more than 60,000 persons who were forcibly sterilized were in California. In Cold Springs, Long Island, millions of index cards on ordinary Americans were stockpiled for future use in removing whole bloodlines, or families.

Adolf Hitler made a careful study of the American Eugenics laws and their rationales, finding them to give him the scientific support he needed to develop his idea of a super race. The idea of a superman was already present in the philosophy of Nietzche. This advantage coupled with the theory of Eugenics supported Hitler in his design to improve the genetic stock of Germany. By establishing human breeding centers and eliminating those they deemed inferior, the Nazis sought to build this advanced race. Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest was to be carried out to a greater degree by Hitler’s social program. This was the scientific rationale which led to the murder of six million Jews during World War 11. The experiment to improve the health and well-being of the human race resulted in breaking the sixth and seventh commandments millions of times over.

Hitler followed the same initial steps as the Eugenics movement in the United States. In fact, his sterilization laws in 1933 were patterned after the proposed law by an American eugenicist. This was followed by a series of laws passed to ensure the preservation of the perfect race. In 1935, Nuremburg’s racial laws restricted marriages between Germans and non Aryans. In 1936 all medical students were required to take racial hygiene courses and to study euthanasia laws, and finally in 1942 an attempt was made to exterminate the Jews. Many Jewish scientists had originally supported the Eugenic movement’s ideas never dreaming, one day, that they themselves would be considered amongst the “unfit.” All these facts are documented in the book, The War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race, by Edwin Black.

In the same way many people are supporting movements that will subject them either to abject servitude or destruction.

After World War 11 eugenics became unpopular with the whole of the world having witnessed the results of such thinking in Germany. However, the philosophy of Eugenics did not die. It was simply disguised in other names such as “genetic research,” and later “genetic engineering.” In Hitler’s time all that the eugenics movement could do was to breed selectively. The increase of breeding among the desired genetic lines also increased fornication and adultery, and the decrease of breeding by the undesirable lines resulted in forced sterilization and genocide.

But in the post World War 11 world, research proceeded in earnest to find out how man could actually manipulate and control the heredity of plants and animals, thereby, to some degree, controlling the future and destiny of the human race. Such manipulation is expressly addressed in Leviticus 19:19. It has been proclaimed by some Christians that are involved in this work that sin has caused defective genes. They state that if the defective genes were replaced with genes that were not defective, a myriad of ailments might be cured. It is true that sin has created havoc on the human gene pool. Perhaps if all that was being done was to replace a defective gene with a non-defective gene, the world could rest in peace. But, as we will see, this is not all that is being developed. Genetic engineering is conducted according to worldview and philosophy, a view which finds its base in humanism and evolution; a philosophical backdrop which influences what types of genetic experiments are attempted.

In the year 1990, America became the first country to allow new genes to be introduced to human beings. As these techniques are refined, what can we expect to happen? It is believed that we will eventually have “designer babies.” The fact is we have already started. You may have read advertising in the New York Times asking if you want to choose the gender of your next baby. This is presently being done in clinical trials. If the procedure is scientific, many people do not consider the fact that scientific fornication is still fornication, using what is called scientifically based sperm-sorting procedures. Can we then consider ourselves to be self-made men and women? One question is: if this process persists, and such experiments become perfected and extensively practiced, what will these new beings be like? We already have some evidence that these experiments can produce not just “supermen,” but monsters as well and nobody can predict or imagine what the final outcome of such experiments could be.

Why is God going to destroy the earth when Jesus returns? Because it will have become the same as it was in the days of Noah: “If there was one sin above another which called for the destruction of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion everywhere. God purposed to destroy by a flood that powerful, long-lived race that had corrupted their ways before him. He would not suffer them to live out the days of their natural life, which would be hundreds of years.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 69.

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.

Nature – The Mountain Boomer

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The Collared Lizard is a North American lizard with a large head and powerful jaws that can reach a length of 14 inches. Black bands around the neck and shoulders give this lizard a collared look, hence its name. The mature males of this brightly colored species are green with the head often being yellow. They also have brightly colored throats of blue, green, or orange and may have blue patches on the belly. The females are generally duller with orange or salmon-colored bars or speckling on sides when gravid. Found from Missouri to Texas and west to the Pacific states and Mexico, Collared Lizards prefer hilly, rocky areas. They are diurnal, and are especially active during warm sunny weather. They bask on the warm rocks to regulate their body temperature. When the rocks get too hot they move into the shade to cool off.

Collared Lizards feed mainly on insects but will take small vertebrate prey, including mammals and other lizards, and occasionally some fruit and vegetable matter. When stalking their prey they often wave their tail like a cat. Males are very territorial toward other males and usually sit on a high rock to guard their territories and watch for danger. They go through a series of head-bobbing and push-up displays to intimidate other males that trespass and to impress passing females. Several females may live in and around a male’s territory. Females lay 4-8 eggs in loose sand or in tunnels under rocks or boulders.

The Collared Lizard is the state reptile of Oklahoma where it is fondly known as the “Mountain Boomer”. This name came from the early days when this lizard was mistakenly thought to emit a booming sound that was often heard echoing through the hills where these lizards were common. The real source of these booming sounds was probably the Barking Frog which often lives under the same rocks where the lizards bask. When fleeing predators, Collared Lizards have the ability to run bipedal on their hind legs, with their tails raised off the ground to reduce drag, making them look like tiny T-rex dinosaurs. They are relatively fast sprinters with recorded speeds of up to 16 miles per hour. When unable to outrun a predator, Collared Lizards will take shelter under large rocks and in rock crevices where they will inflate their body with air to wedge themselves tightly to prevent removal. If cornered they will threaten with open mouth revealing a black mouth lining. When captured they can bite hard and it is difficult to get them to let go. There is a regional saying that they won’t let go until it thunders.

Just as the Mountain Boomers depend on the rocks for shelter and protection, so should we Christians live in faith and depend on our rock, Christ. “He is the rock … Centuries before the advent of Christ, Moses pointed to Him as the rock of Israel’s salvation; the psalmist sung of Him as ‘my redeemer,’ ‘the rock of my strength,’ ‘the rock that is higher than I,’ ‘a rock of habitation,’ ‘rock of my heart,’ ‘rock of my refuge.’ … Isaiah describes Him as the ‘rock of ages,’ and ‘the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.’ That I May Know Him, 24. “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.” II Samuel 22:2, 3.

Question – What does the Bible mean when it talks about the seal of the living God?

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Question

What does the Bible mean when it talks about the seal of the living God?

Answer

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” Revelation 7:2, 3.

Let us stop and think about a seal, any seal. While canning fruit the jar is sealed and you expect the fruit to be preserved in the same condition as when you put it into the jar until you break the seal.

Another kind of seal is one that is used when you take a document to sign in the presence of a Notary Public and have them put an official seal on it. What is the purpose of this seal? It is to make the document permanently official. When a document is stamped and signed by the Notary Public it is sealed and cannot be changed.

In conclusion, anything that is sealed is permanent and in the condition that it was when sealed. It is agreed to, it is unchangeable, and it is final!

If we apply these definitions to the seal of God we come up with some very interesting facts. Whatever God’s seal says, the receiving party agrees to the conditions and acts accordingly.

A seal contains three elements—the name, the title, and the territory of the one issuing the seal. When we read the Ten Commandments we find that God put His seal right in the middle of the commandments. The fourth commandment says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: … For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. …” Here we find the three necessary elements for a seal—His name, the Lord; His title, the Creator; His territory, heaven and earth.

Exodus 31:13 says, “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the Lord that doth sanctify you.”

Ezekiel 20:20 says, “And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the Lord your God.”

From these texts we can conclude that the seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God. Those people who have decided to obey God and honor Him by resting on the Sabbath and refusing to do ordinary work on that day will be sealed with the seal of the living God and given a home in heaven with Him forever.

The text in Revelation 7 continues, “Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads.” Verse 3. The servants of God will keep the Sabbath because they are truly convinced beyond a doubt that the Sabbath is the seal of the living God. They are determined to keep the seventh-day Sabbath in honor of God forever. God protects the earth and the sea from destruction until His servants are sealed, or until His people decide to keep His holy day regardless of the consequences. Then they are sealed for eternity.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

Pen of Inspiration – The Victorious Life

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Dear Friend:

The Lord has given me a message for you, and not for you only, but also for other faithful souls who are troubled by doubts and fears regarding their acceptance by the Lord Jesus Christ. His word to you is, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” You desire to please the Lord, and you can do this by believing His promises. He is waiting to take you into a harbor of gracious experience, and He bids you, “Be still, and know that I am God.” You have had a time of unrest; but Jesus says to you, “Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest.” The joy of Christ in the soul is worth everything. “Then are they glad,” because they are privileged to rest in the arms of everlasting love.

Put away your distrust of our heavenly Father. Instead of talking of your doubts, break away from them in the strength of Jesus, and let light shine into your soul by letting your voice express confidence and trust in God. I know that the Lord is very nigh to give you victory, and I say to you, Be helped, be strengthened, be lifted out of and away from the dark dungeon of unbelief. Doubts will rush into your mind, because Satan is trying to hold you in captivity to his cruel power; but face him in the strength that Jesus is willing to give you, and conquer the inclination to express unbelief in your Saviour.

Do not talk of your inefficiency and your defects. When despair would seem to be sweeping over your soul, look to Jesus, saying, He lives to make intercession for me. Forget the things that are behind, and believe the promise, “I will come to you,” and “abide with you.”

God is waiting to bestow the blessing of forgiveness, of pardon for iniquity, of the gifts of righteousness, upon all who will believe in His love and accept the salvation He offers. Christ is ready to say to the repenting sinner, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” The blood of Jesus Christ is the eloquent plea that speaks in behalf of sinners. This blood “cleanseth us from all sin.”

It is your privilege to trust in the love of Jesus for salvation, in the fullest, surest, noblest manner; to say, He loves me, He receives me; I will trust Him, for He gave His life for me. Nothing so dispels doubt as coming in contact with the character of Christ. He declares, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out;” that is, there is no possibility of My casting him out, for I have pledged My word to receive him. Take Christ at His word, and let your lips declare that you have gained the victory.

Is Jesus true? Does He mean what He says? Answer decidedly, Yes, every word. Then if you have settled this, by faith claim every promise that He has made, and receive the blessing; for this acceptance by faith gives life to the soul. You may believe that Jesus is true to you, even though you feel yourself to be the weakest and most unworthy of His children. And as you believe, all your dark, brooding doubts are thrown back upon the archdeceiver who originated them. You can be a great blessing if you will take God at His word. By living faith you are to trust Him, even though the impulse is strong within you to speak words of distrust.

Peace comes with dependence on divine power. As fast as the soul resolves to act in accordance with the light given, the Holy Spirit gives more light and strength. The grace of the Spirit is supplied to cooperate with the soul’s resolve, but it is not a substitute for the individual exercise of faith. Success in the Christian life depends upon the appropriation of the light that God has given. It is not an abundance of light and evidence that makes the soul free in Christ; it is the rising of the powers and the will and the energies of the soul to cry out sincerely, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

I rejoice in the bright prospects of the future, and so may you. Be cheerful, and praise the Lord for His loving-kindness. That which you cannot understand, commit to Him. He loves you and pities your every weakness. He “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” It would not satisfy the heart of the Infinite One to give those who love His Son a lesser blessing than He gives His Son.

Satan seeks to draw our minds away from the mighty Helper, to lead us to ponder over our degeneration of soul. But though Jesus sees the guilt of the past, He speaks pardon; and we should not dishonor Him by doubting His love. The feeling of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of the cross, or it will poison the springs of life. When Satan thrusts his threatenings upon you, turn from them, and comfort your soul with the promises of God. The cloud may be dark in itself, but when filled with the light of heaven, it turns to the brightness of gold; for the glory of God rests upon it.

God’s children are not to be subject to feelings and emotions. When they fluctuate between hope and fear, the heart of Christ is hurt; for He has given them unmistakable evidence of His love. He wants them to be established, strengthened, and settled in the most holy faith. He wants them to do the work He has given them; then their hearts will become in His hands as sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to the One sent by God to take away the sins of the world.

Christ’s love for His children is as tender as it is strong. And it is stronger than death; for He died to purchase our salvation, and to make us one with Him, mystically and eternally one. So strong is His love that it controls all His powers, and employs the vast resources of heaven in doing His people good. It is without variableness or shadow of turning—the same yesterday, today, and forever. Although sin has existed for ages, trying to counteract this love and obstruct its flowing earthward, it still flows in rich currents to those for whom Christ died.

God loves the sinless angels, who do His service and are obedient to all His commands; but He does not give them grace; they have never needed it, for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it; it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow grace upon all who hunger and thirst for it, not because we are worthy, but because we are unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive the gift.

It should not be difficult to remember that the Lord desires you to lay your troubles and perplexities at His feet, and leave them there. Go to Him, saying: “Lord, my burdens are too heavy for me to carry. Wilt Thou bear them for me?” And He will answer: “I will take them. ‘With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.’ I will take your sins, and will give you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect; for I have bought you with the price of My own blood. You are Mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen. Your remorse for sin I will remove.”

“I, even I, am He,” the Lord declares, “that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put Me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Respond to the calls of God’s mercy, and say: “I will trust in the Lord and be comforted. I will praise the Lord; for His anger is turned away. I will rejoice in God, who gives the victory.”

The last writings of Ellen White, written in California, June 14, 1914. Taken from Testimonies to Ministers, 216–220.

The Crisis in Adventism

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The warfare against God’s law, which was begun in heaven, will be continued until the end of time. Every man will be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All will be called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion. Then the end will come.” The Desire of Ages, 763.

What is the last great crisis that is facing the world? Not the symptoms, but what is the fundamental issue? It is the Law of God. “That the law which was spoken by God’s own voice is faulty, that some specification has been set aside, is the claim which Satan now puts forward. It is the last great deception that he will bring upon the world. He needs not to assail the whole law; if he can lead men to disregard one precept, his purpose is gained. … By consenting to break one precept, men are brought under Satan’s power.” Ibid.

When Jesus was on earth, the disciples asked what was going to be the sign of the end of the age. “And Jesus answered, and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4. The first thing that Jesus said to His disciples was a warning about being deceived. This was so important that Jesus repeated the warning at least three times in Matthew 24.

Who was it that Jesus warned could be deceived? He said, “For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive, the very elect.” Matthew 24:24. Jesus warned the elect against being deceived. Who are the elect? They are the godly. They are the church. They are the Seventh-day Adventists.

The devil has a special plan for deceiving Seventh-day Adventists. He is causing a great crisis in Adventism, because he wants to deceive those who have been given the greatest light—the elect.

This clear warning has been given to Seventh-day Adventists. “In the last vision given me I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 608, 609.

That is not good news to me. I grew up in the Adventist Church. I went entirely through the Adventist educational system. All my friends, when I was growing up, were part of the Adventist Church. Those are my best friends today, scattered all over the world. It is startling to read that only a few of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved. The great majority of Seventh-day Adventists will be deceived by the devil’s sophistries. I repeat God’s warning because I do not want you to be one of the many people who are going to be lost.

What will be the test for those who will be among the faithful who stand strong despite the devil’s greatest deceptions? “To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 136.

What is the great crisis for Adventism?

“Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in the general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the coming of Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined and decisive in his efforts to overthrow them. Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 295.

This great crisis in Adventism is predicted in Matthew 24. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matthew 24:12. The antichrist power teaches people to break part of God’s law. Revelation and 11 Thessalonians 2 show clearly that almost the whole world is going to be deceived.

God’s people are going to be living in the midst of an ocean of lawlessness. In that environment, Jesus said that the love of many will grow cold. This does not take place suddenly. You do not go from a position of spiritual health and strength, filled with the Holy Spirit, then immediately turn and be ready for ruin and destruction. It happens over a period of time.

The message to the Laodiceans is that they need to repent, because they are lukewarm. They are no longer hot. Their love has grown cold. This is the great crisis in Adventism. Many are in the process of going from hot to cold, but sadly, they do not realize the change, because they do not feel any different today than they felt yesterday. How does the devil work it so that someone can go from hot to cold and not even know anything has happened? That is the insidiousness and the subtleness of the crisis in Adventism.

The story is told of a Seventh-day Adventist minister in California who lost his life in a tragic vehicle accident. When the autopsy was performed, the physicians found that he was full of cancer. He would have died in a short time anyway, but neither he nor his wife knew it.

Why did he not know about it? Because the cancer, itself, does not hurt. The results of cancer can hurt as a nerve is eaten up, or pressure from a tumor pushes on something and causes unbearable pain. The cancer itself does not hurt. You can be full of it and not know that you are sick.

Safeguard Against Deceptions

If you have the truth and the devil is trying to involve you in the ruin that is coming upon the world, how is he going to do it? “It is not alone those who openly reject the Testimonies, or who cherish doubt concerning them, that are on dangerous ground. To disregard light is to reject it …

Many are going directly contrary to the light which God has given to His people, because they do not read the books which contain the light and knowledge and cautions, reproofs, and warnings.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 680, 681.

Many people go directly contrary to God’s instructions because they do not read. Your pastor, Sabbath School teacher, and elder cannot teach you everything in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. God holds us responsible when we do not take advantage of the light available to us. God expects you to learn on your own.

As we approach the end, there will be people who will say, “I am a Seventh-day Adventist. I believe the Bible. I believe the Spirit of Prophecy.” But they will be involved in the ruin coming on the entire world because they are not following God’s instruction. They do not read. They choose not to understand.

We are living in the most deceptive time in this world’s history. How will you know if you are deceived? (Remember that no one who is realizes it.) If you do not want to be deceived you must study for yourself. No one can do it for you. If you are not studying, watching, and praying for yourself, the devil will bring a deception for you, and cause you to lose confidence in the truth.

We are living in a time of unbelief and doubt. All throughout Adventism, and especially on Seventh-day Adventist college campuses, skepticism is running rampant. The devil is using his cleverly developed methods to secure his end. He rarely makes a frontal attack, because he is a deceiver. To gain control of us, he starts to chip away at our belief, to undermine our confidence in the inspired writings.

We are no match for the devil. We are not as intelligent as he is, or as old. The devil knows that the only way we can escape is by reading the inspired writings, believing them, and acting upon them. (See James 2.)

The chapter called “Snares of Satan,” in the book The Great Controversy, shows how the devil tries to rob people of their faith. We have had one attack after another in Adventism on this point. For instance, in 1976 an Adventist scholar wrote a book called, Ellen G. White, Prophetess of Health. Many intellectual Adventists lost their confidence in Ellen White on the basis of this book. This book asks a lot of questions to bring in doubt.

We need to learn that if we involve ourselves in asking questions that no one can answer, we will eventually lose our faith, become skeptics, and lose our souls. This was the devil’s first tactic after he rebelled in heaven. He planted doubt in the minds of his fellow angels by asking questions.

Ellen White warned us that this is one of the principal deceptions of the devil.

“It is a masterpiece of Satan’s deceptions to keep the minds of men searching and conjecturing in regard to that which God has not made known and which He does not intend that we shall understand.” The Great Controversy, 523.

Mysteries in the Bible

Seven mysteries are mentioned in the New Testament. One of the seven mysteries is the incarnation—God manifested in flesh. That is spoken of as a great mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16. When an inspired writer says that something is a great mystery, it is something we are never going to be able to explain fully. Yet, I get letters from Seventh-day Adventists who want me to explain the Godhead, and every detail about the nature of Christ. They want the unexplainable explained for their finite minds.

The early church, between the second and sixth centuries, wanted the same thing. Large church councils were called over and over again, to try to settle the controversy. In the end, fighting broke out, and there was actually war over the issue. All this took place because people were trying to explain what God had not revealed.

The devil uses philosophical and scientific arguments that are pleasing to the mind to lead many astray. Friend, if the devil can rob you of your faith and confidence in inspired writings, he will prevail. You may not know that he has won, because you will be deceived, but you will still be lost. He leads many people to think that if they can ask a question that cannot be answered, they have gained some point. These people put their own finite mind above the infinite mind of God.

Many today are like the Greeks, who required a rational explanation for everything, or like the Jews, who wanted a sign before they would believe. But faith is not based on demonstration. It is based on evidence.

“The Word of God, like the character of its Author, presents mysteries that can never be fully comprehended by finite beings. But God has given in the Scriptures sufficient evidence of their divine authority. His own existence, His character, the truthfulness of His Word, are established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. True, He has not removed the possibility of doubt; faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration; those who wish to doubt have opportunity; but those who desire to know the truth find ample ground for faith.” Education, 169.

Evidence

The Word of God is the only thing in this world that you can really depend upon all the time. Are you asking, “What is the evidence?” If so, study carefully the following two evidences from the Bible.

The first is the evidence that God Himself is the One true God. He gives this as a challenge in Isaiah 44, 45, and 46. He supports His claim with the evidence that He can do something that no one else can ever do. He says, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9, 10. God says that not only has He created everything that exists, He also knows the end from the beginning, and can reveal the future.

Several months ago we held a Prophecy Seminar in Wichita and we went over these things the first night. A young woman came to this Prophecy Seminar. Her mother, who was a Christian, upon learning that her daughter was attending our meetings, became worried that she might be becoming involved with a cult. I am sure she had heard some of the things that Seventh-day Adventists are called today. The mother said, “I should go and be sure that my daughter is not becoming a cultist.”

The mother came about the sixth or seventh session. By that time we were studying the Sabbath and the Law of God and what prophecy said about it. The mother listened carefully the first night. She could not find anything cultic in the messages she heard from the Bible. She came every single night after that. After several nights, she realized that there was a message in Bible prophecy that she could see was being fulfilled all over the world. The prophecy was true, and the evidence was overwhelming. In many seminars I have conducted, I have heard people from many religions come to the same conclusion; the evidence is overwhelming that Bible prophecy is true.

There is a confirmation of the truthfulness of God’s Word that is far more profound than simply prophecy or the ability to foretell the future. This powerful evidence is found in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16. The evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the gospel is true, the Bible and Ellen White’s works are inspired comes as you study. The Holy Spirit comes into your life and changes your heart. Then the Lord can use you to win others who do not know Him, even if they do not know anything about prophecy. If you have been changed, and can share your testimony with others, you can be a mighty witness for the Lord.

The Holy Spirit’s Power

What changes does the Holy Spirit make when He comes into your heart? First, the Holy Spirit gives you power to witness. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

The Holy Spirit gives you power to overcome sin. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:4, 5. (See also Romans 8:1–14.)

Sometimes people say, “I have a besetting sin and I cannot overcome it.” Of course, you cannot overcome it. No one can overcome a besetting sin in their own power. When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, he gives you the power to overcome. Your thoughts will be pure, your language will be pure and your actions will be in harmony with God’s law. You will begin to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbors as yourself. You will be a different person. Then you become a powerful witness.

Are you having that experience? Is the Holy Spirit inside? Or is the Holy Spirit outside, pleading with you to give your heart in surrender to Jesus, not only as your Savior, but as the Lord of your life? The Holy Spirit is with all who have not committed the unpardonable sin.

Jesus told His disciples that up to that time the Holy Spirit had just been with them, but in the future it was going to be different. “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” John 14:17.

What is your condition today? Is the Holy Spirit just with you? Or is the Holy Spirit in you? If the Holy Spirit is in you, you will be living a sin-free life, bearing witness to the gospel. It will have a powerful effect on other people. That is the most powerful sign that God’s Word is true, that Ellen White is a prophet, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is coming soon to take the faithful home. [Emphasis supplied.]

[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.