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Everyone Is Accountable

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November 3 – 9, 2024

Key Text

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

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 483–485

Introduction

“Every man’s work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness.” Lift Him Up, 327

Sunday

1 ONLY TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE

1.a. In light of the plan of redemption, specify the two classes of people in the world. Romans 2:6–10; 1 Peter 4:18

Note: “Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. … There are those who are watching and waiting and working for our Lord’s appearing; while the other party are rapidly falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. …

“There are but two parties.” Testimonies for Ministers and Gospel Workers, 364, 365

1.b. Since God sees all (Hebrews 4:13), and each individual is accountable for his or her actions before the divine tribunal (Psalm 62:12; Romans 14:12), where does the Almighty keep exact records of every human being? Jeremiah 2:22; 17:1

Note: “Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered with terrible exactness every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel.

“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment.” The Great Controversy, 482

Monday

2 EXACT RECORDS

2.a. What is written about the book of life and the book of death? Psalm 90:8; Revelation 20:12

Note: “The books are opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and according to that men are judged.” Early Writings, 52

2.b. What does the book of remembrance contain, and why is it important to us? Malachi 3:16; Psalm 56:8

Note: “ ‘A book of remembrance’ is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of ‘them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.’ [Malachi 3:16]. Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven. Nehemiah refers to this when he says: ‘Remember me, O my God … and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God.’ [Nehemiah 13:14]. In the book of God’s remembrance, every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded.” The Great Controversy, 481

“A book of remembrance is written of those who do not forsake the assembling of themselves together, but speak often one to another. The remnant are to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Some expect to overcome alone by the blood of the Lamb, without making any special effort of their own. I saw that God has been merciful in giving us the power of speech. He has given us a tongue, and we are accountable to Him for its use. We should glorify God with our mouth, speaking in honor of the truth and of His unbounded mercy, and overcome by the word of our testimony through the blood of the Lamb.

“We should not come together to remain silent; those only are remembered of the Lord who assemble to speak of His honor and glory and tell of His power; upon such the blessing of God will rest, and they will be refreshed.” Early Writings, 114, 115

Tuesday

3 WARNING AGAINST A FALSE DOCTRINE

3.a. How can you prove that the doctrine “once saved, always saved” conflicts with the Bible? 2 Peter 1:10, 11; Matthew 24:13. After Christ has saved a person from the control of evil spirits, what may happen? Luke 11:24–26

Note: “Self-righteousness is a curse, a human embellishment, which Satan uses for his glory. Those who garnish the soul with self-praise and flattery prepare the way for the seven other spirits more wicked than the first. In their very reception of the truth, these souls deceive themselves. They are building upon a foundation of self-righteousness.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, 1093

3.b. After Paul had been saved from the control of Satan (2 Timothy 1:9), what danger did he keep in mind? 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27. How did he warn the Hebrew Christians against the “once saved always saved” doctrine? Hebrews 6:4–6

3.c. What hope, based on Christ’s promise, should be held by those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour? Romans 8:24, 25; Titus 3:7. What warning should we take from Peter’s fall?

Note: “Peter’s fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Everyone should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 155

“We are never to rest in a satisfied condition and cease to make advancement, saying, ‘I am saved.’ When this idea is entertained, the motives for watchfulness, for prayers, for earnest endeavor to press onward to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 314

Wednesday

4 THE DANGER OF A LAX, CASUAL SPIRIT

4.a. What warnings are given to the Christian about the danger of going back into the worldly lifestyle? 2 Peter 2:20–22; Hebrews 10:26–31

Note: “Man’s great danger is in being self-deceived, indulging self-sufficiency, and thus separating from God, the source of his strength. Our natural tendencies, unless corrected by the Holy Spirit of God, have in them the seeds of moral death. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we cannot resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. …

“Only as we see our utter helplessness and renounce all self-trust, shall we lay hold on divine power.” Testimonies, Vol. 8, 315, 316

4.b. What admonitions should we take into serious consideration every day? 1 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Corinthians 13:5, 6

Note: “As long as life shall last, there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. There is inward corruption, there are outward temptations, and wherever the work of God shall be advanced, Satan plans so to arrange circumstances that temptation shall come with overpowering force upon the soul. Not one moment can we be secure only as we are relying upon God, the life hid with Christ in God.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, 1032

4.c. How can we avoid a lax attitude in worship? 1 Corinthians 14:40. What worship style does Ellen White describe that will take place shortly before the close of probation?

Note: “There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. …

“The Lord desires to have in His service order and discipline, not excitement and confusion.” Maranatha, 234

Thursday

5 OUR MAIN CONCERN

5.a. Why will many names be removed from the book of life in the investigative judgment? Exodus 32:33; Ezekiel 18:20, 24

Note: “The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God. If any of these depart from Him, and by stubborn persistence in sin become finally hardened against the influences of His Holy Spirit, their names will in the judgment be blotted from the book of life, and they themselves will be devoted to destruction.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 326

5.b. As we wish to have a place in the kingdom of glory, what assurance should we have concerning our names? Revelation 3:5; 21:27

Note: “The names of all those who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life, and their characters are now passing in review before Him. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. They are watching the development of character in those now living, to see if their names can be retained in the book of life. A probation is granted us in which to wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Who is doing this work? Who is separating from himself sin and selfishness?” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 960

“If we find no pleasure now in the contemplation of heavenly things; if we have no interest in seeking the knowledge of God, no delight in beholding the character of Christ; if holiness has no attractions for us—then we may be sure that our hope of heaven is vain. Perfect conformity to the will of God is the high aim to be constantly before the Christian.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 45

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1          Define the two classes of people in light of the plan of redemption.

2          What do you know about the book of life and the book of death?

3          What scriptures disprove the “once-saved, always-saved” doctrine?

4          Explain Hebrews 10:26–31.

5          Explain Revelation 3:5.

 

Copyright 2011, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

The New Covenant Sanctuary and Its Court

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The Sanctuary In the Christian Dispensation

October 27 – November 2, 2024

Key Text

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” Psalm 11:4

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 414–416

Introduction

“The sanctuary in heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy.” The Story of Redemption, 377

Sunday

1 THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

1.a. The sanctuary in heaven—mentioned by Paul (Hebrews, chapters 8, 9, 10) and John (Revelation)—was spoken of by the prophets. By what names did they call it?

  • David in Psalm 11:4
  • Isaiah 6:1
  • Jeremiah 25:30
  • Habakkuk 2:20
  • Zechariah 2:13

1.b. When Aaron was anointed high priest, what did he have to do? Leviticus 8:12; 9:2, 7; Hebrews 5:1–3. What did Christ have to offer before starting to minister as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary? Hebrews 7:26–28; 8:3

Note: “As in the typical service the high priest laid aside his pontifical robes and officiated in the white linen dress of an ordinary priest; so Christ laid aside His royal robes and garbed Himself with humanity and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim.” The Acts of the Apostles, 33

Monday

2 THE COURT

2.a. What comparison does Paul make between the sacrifices under the old covenant and the Great Sacrifice under the new covenant? Hebrews 13:11, 12

Note: “Our great High Priest completed the sacrificial offering of Himself when He suffered without the gate. Then a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, 913

“Christ suffered without the gates of Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city walls. This was to show that He died, not for the Hebrews alone, but for all mankind.” Ibid., 934

2.b. Under the old covenant, where did the people stand at the hour of incense (Exodus 30:7, 8)? Luke 1:10. How important is the hour of incense for us today?

Note: “If ever there was a time when every house should be a house of prayer, it is now; and yet in this time of fearful peril, some who profess to be Christians have no family altar. I know of nothing that causes me so great sadness as a prayerless home. The children show the result of this neglect, for the fear of God is not before them. Parents should make a hedge about their children by prayer; they should pray with full faith that God will abide with them, and that holy angels will guard themselves and their children from Satan’s cruel power.

“There are homes where these principles are carried out—homes where God is worshiped and truest love reigns. From these homes, morning and evening, prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and His mercies and blessings descend upon the suppliants like the evening dew.

“God has promised to give wisdom to those who ask in faith, and He will do just as He said He would. … And if Christian parents seek Him earnestly, He will fill their mouths with arguments, and for His name’s sake, will work mightily in their behalf in the conversion of their children.” The Home Missionary, June 1, 1889

2.c. Under the new covenant, what is our work in the “outer court” while awaiting the blessed promise? Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:35–38; 21:36

Tuesday

3 THE ALTAR

3.a. While we are in “the outer court,” what “living sacrifices” are we required to offer on the “altar”? Hebrews 13:10, 15, 16; Romans 12:1, 2

Note: “In the time of ancient Israel, every offering brought as a sacrifice to God was carefully examined. If any defect was discovered in the animal presented, it was refused; for God had commanded that the offering be ‘without blemish.’ So Christians are bidden to present their bodies, ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.’ Romans 12:1. In order to do this, all their powers must be preserved in the best possible condition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental strength unfits man for the service of his Creator.” The Great Controversy, 473

3.b. What did Jesus say about the necessity of cross-bearing? Matthew 16:24–26; Luke 9:23

Note: “Christ has given us no assurance that to attain to perfection of character is an easy matter. It is a conflict, a battle and a march, day by day. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven. In order to share with Christ in His glory, we must share in His suffering. … He has overcome for us. Shall we, then, be timid and cowardly because of the trials that we meet as we advance?” Sons and Daughters of God, 198

3.c. What did our forefathers in the faith (millions of them) offer on the “altar” during the Inquisition? Revelation 6:9–11. In what sense is their blood crying for justice? Genesis 4:10; Habakkuk 2:11

Note: “In their secret councils, Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes. ‘Babylon the great’ was ‘drunken with the blood of the saints.’ The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.” The Great Controversy, 59, 60

Wednesday

4 THE BLESSING

4.a. What did Aaron as high priest do at the end of the ceremony of his inauguration? Leviticus 9:23, 24

4.b. What did Christ do when He sat on the throne? How did He bless His people? Acts 1:8, 9; 2:1–4, 16, 17

Note: “When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.” The Acts of the Apostles, 38, 39

4.c. What promise did Jesus fulfill by sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit? John 14:16–18; 16:7. Describe how this blessing comes to us. Acts 5:32

Note: “What is the Holy Spirit? It is the representative of Jesus Christ, it is our Advocate that stands by our side and places our petitions before the Father all fragrant with His merits. There He accepts the petition of the humblest saint. He doesn’t ask you how much money you have, or how heavy you are loaded with property, but the very humblest saint that brings his petition to God, and [his] thank offering is made fragrant with the riches of His grace, and the Father accepts it as your offering, and the blessing comes to you, grace for grace.” Reflecting Christ, 285

“This representative [the Comforter] is by our side wherever we may be—a watcher and a witness to all that is said and done—standing ready to protect us from the assaults of the enemy if we will but place ourselves under His protection. But we must act our part, and then God will act His part. When we are brought into trial and affliction for His sake, the Comforter will stand by our side, bringing to our remembrance the words and teachings of Christ.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 20, 1896

Thursday

5 THE NEEDED PREPARATION

5.a. What preparation was done by the disciples to receive the promised blessing? Acts 1:13, 14

Note: “The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God. …

“These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.” The Acts of the Apostles, 37

5.b. How will history be repeated concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit in fullness? Zechariah 10:1; Acts 3:19

Note: “Let Christians put away all dissension and give themselves to God for the saving of the lost. Let them ask in faith for the promised blessing, and it will come.” Testimonies, Vol. 8, 21

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1          By what names did the prophets call the heavenly sanctuary?

2          In ancient Israel, the people of Jerusalem were praying outside, in the outer court, at the time of offering incense. What should we be doing at this time?

3          What did Aaron do at the ceremony of his inauguration? What did Christ do when He ascended to heaven?

4          What did the disciples need to do before receiving the promised blessing?

5          When, and on what condition, will the promised blessing be poured out again?

Copyright 2011, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Recipe – Caesar Salad Dressing

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Salad Dressings

Adding more salads to your regular meal rotation is a great way to get more vegetables and healthy nutrients into your diet. But did you know that the salad dressing you put on your salad could turn a healthy meal into an unhealthy one? Most store-bought bottled dressings are brimming with harmful ingredients that are unsuitable for human consumption and can actually damage your health.

Often made with loads of sodium, saturated fats, artificial ingredients, preservatives, and added sugars, too much can harm your heart health, spike your blood sugar, contribute to weight gain, and much more.

Salad dressings might not seem like a product containing sugar, but they are a common source of high amounts of hidden sugars added to your diet on that healthy piece of lettuce. And don’t be fooled by low-fat or fat-free labels. When food manufacturers remove fat, they tend to make up for it by adding sugar to their products to make them taste better, but this comes at a cost to your health. Studies show that low-fat versions of food products like salad dressings contain higher amounts of added sugars than their regular counterparts.

Making simple dressing recipes at home can help you avoid unnecessary added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients. Knowing every ingredient that goes into your dressing allows you to choose carefully what you are putting into your body to nourish it.

Source: www.lark.com/resources/choosing-a-healthy-salad-dressing-beware-the-hidden-sugars

Recipe – Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients

 1/2-2/3 cup water

2 dates, or 1-2 tsp. sweetener of choice

1/4 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained

1/8 cup sesame seeds, or pine nuts, or 2 Tbs. tahini

1/8-1/4 cup sunflower seeds, depending on preferred thickness

3-4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1-2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

1½ tsp. Coconut Aminos

1/4 tsp. kelp or other seasoning, optional

1/2 tsp. dried dill

Process

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over your favorite green salad.

Covenant-Promised Power or The Value of Salvation

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In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost. In consequence of limited ideas of the sufferings of Christ, many place a low estimate upon the great work of the atonement. The glorious plan of man’s salvation was brought about through the infinite love of God the Father. In this divine plan is seen the most marvelous manifestation of the love of God to the fallen race. Such love as is manifested in the gift of God’s beloved Son amazed the holy angels. ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 200

The glory of God is His character, and His character can be summed up in one word—love. “Christ points us to the key of all His suffering and humiliation—the love of God.” The Review and Herald, July 17, 1900

God is love, and the fullness of His love was embodied and demonstrated in the human nature of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. “The obedience of Christ to His Father was the same obedience that is required of man. Man cannot overcome Satan’s temptations except as divine power works through humanity. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what God in His own divine person could do, but what He could do through humanity.” The Signs of the Times, April 10, 1893

When people say they cannot overcome sin, they speak the truth. Humanity cannot conquer temptation without divine assistance.

“To attribute to His nature a power that it is not possible for man to have in his conflicts with Satan, is to destroy the completeness of His humanity.” Ibid.

“God has called His people to glory and virtue, and these will be manifest in the lives of all who are truly connected with Him. Having become partakers of the heavenly gift, they are to go on unto perfection, being ‘kept by the power of God through faith.’ 1 Peter 1:5. It is the glory of God to give His virtue to His children. He desires to see men and women reaching the highest standard; and when by faith they lay hold of the power of Christ, when they plead His unfailing promises, and claim them as their own, when with an importunity that will not be denied they seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be made complete in Him.” The Acts of the Apostles, 530

The incorruptible, undefiled inheritance that Jesus has provided for us is the moral power of His pure divine love, imparted to us by the Holy Spirit through faith that works by love. “The faith that works by love is an active agent, and purifies the soul, separating from the character everything that is out of harmony with the standard of righteousness.” The Signs of the Times, April 2, 1896

“Today it is still His purpose to sanctify and cleanse His church ‘with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’ No greater gift than the character that He revealed, can Christ ask His Father to bestow upon those who believe on Him.” Ibid., September 3, 1902

Christ asked His Father to bestow on us the character that He Himself revealed when He was here—the greatest gift He could give to humanity. “What largeness there is in His request! What fullness of grace every follower of Christ has the privilege of receiving!” Ibid. “God is love, and love is life” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 258) but “genuine faith is life” (The Desire of Ages, 347). Genuine faith manifests the power of pure divine love.

To further understand how Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin, we must revisit the temptations He faced. As the Son of God, it was impossible to tempt Him, so He took on humanity so that He could be tempted. However, His temptations were far stronger than anything we will face, and were pressed upon Him when He was at His weakest. “It was in the time of greatest weakness that Christ was assailed by the fiercest temptations.” The Review and Herald, May 14, 1908

“The Son of God placed Himself in the sinner’s stead, and passed over the ground where Adam fell, and endured the temptation in the wilderness which was a hundred-fold stronger than was or ever will be brought to bear upon the human race.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, 334

Christ’s temptations were far stronger than anything we will ever experience, but could He be tempted with every species of crime, violence, and corruption that sinful man is tempted with?

In previous studies, we have shown that humanity’s weakness is inseparably united with its wants and desires, and that the power of the temptation is determined by the strength of the desire—the stronger the desire, the stronger the temptation. Therefore, to be tempted with every species of crime, violence, and corruption that is common to man, Jesus would have had to desire evil.

“Until the requirements of the holy law were applied as the rule of life, fallen man could not understand his own guilt, nor realize his condemned, lost condition. Jesus made application of the law directly to the soul, and laid under its jurisdiction the will and desires and works of man. Wrongdoing and all thoughts and feelings condemned by the law are to be overcome.” Ibid., Vol. 9, 235, 236

A desire for evil is a desire for sin, and an evil desire is not in harmony with the law of God. Jesus was full of God’s love and therefore, evil or sinful desire was not part of His character. “Full of goodness, compassion, and love, He hated only one thing—sin, ‘the transgression of the law.’ ” The Signs of the Times, April 14, 1898

God cannot be tempted with evil because He hates sin, and it was this hatred that made it absolutely impossible for Jesus—God manifest in the flesh—to be tempted with every species of crime, violence, and corruption, all the wickedness that grows out of the three great leading temptations—appetite, presumption, and pride.

“He [Jesus] is a brother in our infirmities, but not in possessing like passions. As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin.” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 202

To be tempted in all points like as we are does not mean that Jesus possessed the same evil passions that fallen humanity possesses, nor the selfishness that is the very foundation of our human nature. His human nature recoiled from evil. Even we do not desire something we hate, and as our Brother, neither did Jesus.

“Our Lord was tempted as man is tempted. He was capable of yielding to temptations, as are human beings. His finite nature was pure and spotless, but the divine nature that led Him to say to Philip, ‘He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father’ also, was not humanized; neither was humanity deified by the blending or union of the two natures; each retained its essential character and properties.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 16, 182

What was it that made Jesus capable of being tempted?

In Christ, the finite nature of man and the divine nature of God were united, blended in one Person. In this union, they both retained their essential character and properties. The finite nature of Christ, His human nature, was pure and spotless because it was united to His divine nature. It is essential that our character be pure and spotless if it is to be united with the divine nature; for it cannot unite with divine nature if it is defiled with sin.

“But here [the fact that Christ was capable of yielding to temptation] we must not become in our ideas common and earthly, and in our perverted ideas we must not think that the liability of Christ to yield to Satan’s temptations degraded His humanity and He possessed the same sinful, corrupt propensities as man.” Ibid.

Ellen White calls the idea that Christ’s human nature possessed our sinful, corrupt propensities to sin a perverted idea.

How was Satan able to tempt Christ?

“The divine nature, combined with the human, made Him capable of yielding to Satan’s temptations. Here the test to Christ was far greater than that of Adam and Eve, for Christ took our nature, fallen but not corrupted, and would not be corrupted unless He received the words of Satan in the place of the words of God. To suppose He was not capable of yielding to temptation places Him where He cannot be a perfect example for man, and the force and the power of this part of Christ’s humiliation, which is the most eventful, is no instruction or help to human beings.” Ibid., 182, 183

After 4,000 years of sin had devastated man, Jesus took our ruined physical nature, but He did not take our corrupted flesh—our carnal heart or nature. We learned in previous studies that heart, nature, and flesh are all used synonymously when speaking of man’s spiritual nature. Our sinful nature makes it impossible for us to obey the law of God and is contrary to, and out of harmony with, His character (Romans 8). However, the Bible tells us that Jesus’ character reflected the express image of God, that He was the physical embodiment of God’s law, and that He pleased God. It is this same miraculous union of divinity and humanity that God desires to accomplish in us.

To deny that Jesus could yield to temptation would rob Him of His greatest glory. Satan sought to strip Christ of His purity, holiness, and most importantly, His allegiance to God. Allegiance is a matter of the mind. We worship God in our heart and mind, or we worship Satan (See Fundamentals of Christian Education, 426). The battle, my friend, is for the mind.

“We are all under one or the other of two great captains. One, the Creator of man and of the world, is the greatest of all. All owe Him the allegiance of their whole being, the devotion of their entire affection. If the mind is given to His control, and if God has the molding and developing of the powers of the mind, new moral power will be received daily from the Source of all wisdom and all strength. Moral blessings and divine beauties will reward the efforts of everyone whose mind is heaven-bent.” Our High Calling, 80

Paul says that Jesus was tempted like we are. This doesn’t mean that Jesus possessed the same evil passions that fallen humanity possesses. So what did Paul mean?

Paromoios is the Greek word for “like,” which means “after the manner of, in the same manner as, in the same way.” So how did Satan tempt Christ? “The [same] way in which Satan tempted Christ, he is today tempting every soul.” The Review and Herald, May 3, 1906

Deception

To clearly see Satan’s purpose when he brought temptation to Christ and now brings it to us, we need to go back to the beginning. How did Satan tempt Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden? First, he tempted Eve
to distrust God’s love,

  • to doubt His wisdom, and
  • to transgress His law.

And then, through her, he was able to overthrow Adam (Patriarchs and Prophets, 57).

“When Satan and his rebel host were defeated and cast out of heaven, they did not give up the struggle against right. Satan’s work has been the same since the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with great success, tempting men to distrust God’s love and to doubt his wisdom. And in the great closing work of the rebellion the powers of evil will unite in a desperate struggle to work out their deceptive plans to lead souls to ruin.” The Review and Herald, September 30, 1909. “Satan must deceive in order to lead away.” Ibid., September 14, 1897

“I say to all: Be on your guard; for as an angel of light Satan is walking in every assembly of Christian workers, and in every church, trying to win the members to his side.” Testimonies, Vol. 8, 294

“Satan has ever been ambitious to counterfeit the work of Christ and establish his own power and claims. He does not generally do this openly and boldly. He is artful and knows that the most effectual way for him to accomplish his work is to come to poor, fallen man in the form of an angel of light.” Ibid., Vol. 1, 293

I do not believe that Satan is dressed all in red, with horns, cloven hooves, and a pointy beard carrying a pitchfork; a common depiction of him for millennia. But if he were to come to you as Mrs. White describes him (The Story of Redemption, 46), I don’t think he would fool anyone. Sinful as we may be, without deception Satan would not be able to entrap us if we were to see his true countenance and hear his vile lies against the love and wisdom of God. Sadly, however, Satan seeks to hold man under his deceptive reasoning (The Review and Herald, May 3, 1906), and the unwary soul is led to doubt and distrust God. The result then is that man can be—will be—led into sin. Yes, friends, distrust of God’s love and doubting His wisdom always precedes transgression of His law.

Satan used this same method when he tempted Christ in the wilderness after He had fasted for 40 days. “There came to the Saviour, as if in answer to His prayers, one [Satan] in the guise of an angel from heaven. He claimed to have a commission from God to declare that Christ’s fast was at an end. As God had sent an angel to stay the hand of Abraham from offering Isaac, so, satisfied with Christ’s willingness to enter the bloodstained path, the Father had sent an angel to deliver Him; this was the message brought to Jesus. … Would God treat His own Son thus? Would He leave Him in the desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions, without comfort? He insinuates that God never meant His Son to be in such a state as this.” The Desire of Ages, 118

Satan was trying to tempt Jesus to doubt God’s leading. Forty days of fasting had left Jesus weak, exhausted, and hungry on the verge of death. Jesus had a natural appetite for food that was begging to be gratified. He had been praying for help from heaven, and this angel of light, this supposed messenger from heaven, points to nearby stones and says to Jesus, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Ibid., 118

This angel’s first words betray his character, “If Thou be the Son of God.” No heavenly being would insinuate distrust in God’s wisdom. Had Jesus done as Satan suggested, it would have been an expression of doubt. The tempter planned to overthrow Christ using the same means that he had been using so successfully with the human race from the beginning. While Satan tempted in the same manner that he used on Adam and Eve, the circumstances surrounding Christ were far less favorable. Adam didn’t eat the forbidden fruit of the tree because he was hungry.

“How artfully had Satan approached Eve in Eden! ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ Genesis 3:1. Thus far the tempter’s words were truth; but in his manner of speaking them there was a disguised contempt for the word of God. There was a covert negative, a doubt of the divine truthfulness. Satan sought to instill into the mind of Eve the thought that God would not do as He had said; that the withholding of such beautiful fruit was a contradiction of His love and compassion for man.” Ibid. This deceptive reasoning may include words of truth, but the manner in which the truth is spoken reveals a disguised contempt for God’s word.

“In an insulting, taunting manner, Satan referred to the present weakness and the unfavorable appearance of Christ in contrast with his own strength and glory. He taunted Christ that He was a poor representative of the angels, much more of their exalted Commander, the acknowledged King in the royal courts. His present appearance indicated that He was forsaken of God and man. He said if Christ was indeed the Son of God, the monarch of heaven, He had power equal with God, and He could give him evidence by working a miracle, and changing the stone just at His feet into bread, and relieve His hunger. Satan promised that, if Christ would do this, he would at once yield his claims of superiority, and that the contest between himself and Christ should there be forever ended.” The Review and Herald, August 18, 1874

Jesus could have exercised His divine power and made the stones into bread as Satan suggested. That wouldn’t be a temptation for us because we do not possess the power to command a stone to become a loaf of bread. However, Jesus had the power. But had He used His divinity to in any way help Himself, the plan of salvation would have been broken. That was Jesus’ temptation. For each temptation Satan brought to Him, Jesus had to resist divinely helping Himself in any way that would not be available to man. Imagine the power of a temptation to prove that you were the Son of God!

Imagine being so hungry and the devil coming to you and telling you to simply turn this stone into bread and relieve your hunger. We would probably respond with a guffaw. Why? Because we have no power to change anything into anything. It would be no temptation for us at all. Yes, the power of the temptations that we face are beyond imagination sometimes, but God has promised us everything we need to resist the temptations of Satan and to turn away from him. The point is, when we are tempted, we need help from above to overcome. Jesus, as the Son of God, didn’t need help. But as the Son of Man, our Example, He could do nothing to resist temptation and live a pure and holy life here that would not be available to us.

This is My Son

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ” Matthew 3:16, 17

What was Christ’s assurance that He was indeed the beloved Son of God? God’s word was Christ’s assurance of His divine mission. “He had come to live as a man among men, and it was the word that declared His connection with heaven. It was Satan’s purpose to cause Him to doubt that word. If Christ’s confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that the victory in the whole controversy would be his. He could overcome Jesus.” The Desire of Ages, 119

The devil was determined to make Christ disbelieve the words from heaven. If he could shake Christ’s confidence in His Father, he could win. “He hoped that under the force of despondency [hopelessness] and extreme hunger, Christ would lose faith in His Father, and work a miracle in His own behalf. Had He done this, the plan of salvation would have been broken.” Ibid.

Satan’s hope was that while Jesus was suffering extreme hunger in His body and bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world, he could cause Him to lose courage and faith in His Father and work a miracle for Himself. Jesus could have performed this miracle, but instead, He relied upon the power given to Him by the Father to resist the devil’s suggestion. Inspiration says that this same moral power to resist the devil is available to you and me, just as it was to Him. We must study it, believe it, pray for it, and receive it.

“The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.” Ibid., 116, 117

“As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. ‘In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren.’ Hebrews 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was ‘in all points tempted like as we are.’ Hebrews 4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him from God.” Ibid., 24

What was this strength that the Father gave Him? “He says, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Psalm 40:8.” Ibid. The law, written in the heart, is the power of God in the human life. “The law of God is an expression of His very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life? When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new-covenant promise is fulfilled, ‘I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.’ Hebrews 10:16. And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience—the service and allegiance of love—is the true sign of discipleship.” Steps to Christ, 60

Christ’s spiritual brothers and sisters are those whom He makes holy. He sanctifies them through His love and the word, and the kingdom of righteousness is established in the heart.

“Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good, and to do nothing else than good.” Gospel Workers (1892), 311, 112

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9

The strength given to Jesus from His Father was the covenant promise made in Eden that God would put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman. That enmity is found in the law of righteousness, which is the expression of His very nature. God put enmity between Christ and Satan, but He will put that same enmity between His people and Satan. All who will take up their cross [the cross is all our natural propensities] and allow the law of self-sacrifice in love to be written in their hearts as it was in the heart of Jesus, will receive the promised power to resist the temptations of Satan. As Jesus was and is connected with and beloved by God, so may we be through the covenant-promised power.

In purity and holiness, connected with God and beloved by God, Jesus came to this world as a man to begin where the first Adam began, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. Satan was not able to accomplish his diabolical scheme of instilling in the mind of Christ his own sentiments, thoughts, passions, and feelings.

“By nature man has no love for God. It is not natural for him to think of heavenly things. Satan has worked against God and His government, leading men to attribute to God the traits which belong to the power of evil.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901

Satan leads men to attribute to God the traits which belong to the power of evil. This temptation, prepared for the very elect, has deceived many in the Adventist church today. Those who teach that Christ possessed the same tendencies to sin that we inherit from Adam, and that He was tempted with every species of crime, violence, and corruption that sinful flesh is tempted with, are unwittingly denying His divinity by attributing to God in the humanity of His Son, the sentiments and character traits of Satan.

We need to pray that the Father will reveal to us the truth as it in Jesus which is the robe of Christ’s righteousness. God embodied His own attributes in His Son, His power, His wisdom, His goodness, His purity, His truthfulness, His spirituality, His benevolence, and He wants to embody in our minds the same attributes that He embodied in His Son.

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

The Boomslang

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The boomslang is a swift and agile snake indigenous to much of the Sahara in Africa. In Afrikaan, its name “boom” and “slang” translates to tree snake. It is a member of the Colubridae (or Dispholidus typus) snake family and is often referred to as the rear-fanged snake.

An adult boomslang is three to five feet long, but some have reached six feet. It is a green, slender-bodied snake weighing just over a pound. Males are light green, with blue and black edging its scales. Females are more often brown or reddish. The juvenile boomslang is camouflaged, appearing as a twig, with a white throat and bright emerald eyes. It takes a number of its eight-year lifespan for a young snake to change to its adult color.

Given its size, its eyes are strikingly large in an egg-shaped head. It has excellent eyesight and often moves its head from side to side to better see objects directly in front of it. It has anteriorly seven or eight maxillary teeth with three big fangs at the back of the mouth. The size and location of these enlarged teeth, along with its ability to open its mouth at almost a 170-180° angle, help it to inject its venom deep into the flesh of its prey. The boomslang’s venom is more deadly than the venom of the black mamba and cobra.

It dwells primarily in savannas, lowland forests, karoo shrubs, and grasslands. It is a climber but does not live in trees, preferring to live on the land where it finds its food and seeks shelter. When the weather is cold, it goes into brumation (dormancy) and takes shelter underground.

Its hunting technique is to simply lie in wait in a bush or tree until an unsuspecting frog, chameleon, or small mammal passes the boomslang’s way. It will also eat other snakes, including its mates, birds, and eggs. But as poisonous as it is, it is a delectable meal for falcons, ospreys, kestrels, and mongoose.

It is oviparous (egg-hatchers). Females lay around 30 eggs at a time in rotting logs and hollow tree trunks. Having laid her eggs, the female considers her job complete and moves on. The eggs then incubate on their own for about three months. The hatchling is grey with emerald eyes and is not harmful until it has grown to be more than eight inches long, but I would make it a rule not to bother it, no matter how small.

Once it reaches 18 inches long, it becomes highly venomous. Despite its venomous nature, the boomslang is a timid, non-aggressive snake that would like to be left alone. However, this is one snake you want to avoid. If confronted, chased, or mishandled, it will inflate its neck and assume an S-shaped striking pose typical of any snake species feeling threatened.

Boomslang venom is hemotoxic. It destroys red blood cells, prevents clotting, and causes tissue and organ degeneration. Massive internal hemorrhaging causes the victim to bleed externally from several orifices of the body—gums, nose, eyes. This massive hemorrhaging is a prolonged process that can take hours, even days, over which a victim bleeds to death.

Its venom is slow-acting, taking 24-48 hours for symptoms to appear, giving a victim a false assurance regarding how serious the bite is. If bitten, the victim should seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms to watch for include sleepiness, nausea, mental disorders, and headaches, as well as external and internal bleeding. An anti-venom for the boomslang has been available since the 1940s, originally only in Africa, but now available worldwide.

Just as Satan used the serpent in Eden to cause the fall of man and lead to his eventual death, a bite from this serpent will also lead to death. Only by the blood of Christ can we overcome this fate and obtain eternal life.

Source: thesnakeguide.com/boomslang; africansnakebiteinstitute.com/snake/boomslang; wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomslang; discovermagazine.com/the sciences/what-it-feels-like-to-die-of-a-boomslang-bite; iflscience.bom/deadly-boomslang-snake-venom-makes-you-bleed-all-your-orifices-until-you-die

Follow Your Nose

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The nose is an incredible member of the body. It helps create symmetry in the face and keeps glasses where they belong. It is truly one of the most important parts of the body. It consists of bone and cartilage, including the nasal septum, which divides the nose into two separate cavities. It is part of the respiratory system, which is divided into two parts—the upper and lower. It is part of and the point of entry into the upper part of the respiratory system. In conjunction with the diaphragm and lungs, we inhale and exhale through our nose or mouth. The diaphragm contracts, moving downward, creating a vacuum, and oxygen is drawn into the lungs. As the diaphragm relaxes, oxygen is then expelled from the lungs. This process is essential as it provides oxygen to the brain which keeps it in peak condition as the body’s foreman, keeping the body and all its moving parts functioning properly.

All the cells of the body require oxygen. As oxygen enters the body, the cells release carbon dioxide (known as waste gas). This gas exchange—bringing in clean oxygen and expelling the waste gas—is automatic.

In addition to the process of bringing oxygen into the lungs, the nose has other important functions. Air filtered through the nasal hairs removes debris, allergens, and other large foreign particles. The nasal mucosa lining in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, using shell-shaped structures called turbinates, is responsible for conditioning the inhaled air by warming and moistening it with each breath. The hollow cavities of the paranasal sinuses, which act as sound chambers, modify and amplify our speech and other vocal sounds, and assist our speech. The nose is also in charge of olfaction, the ability to smell.

Did You Know? With up to 300 million olfactory receptors, a dog’s nose smells up to 100,000 times better than the human nose, which houses only six million receptors. Dogs can also breathe in and out at the same time.

Sneezing is a reflex that expels unwanted particles that irritate the mucosal lining. A sneeze can transmit and spread infections by expelling aerosols that harbor pathogens. Allergens and infections can cause swollen turbinates, and nasal polyps (bumps in the nose) can block airflow and affect normal breathing.

A nosebleed occurs due to an underlying condition, but also when a blood vessel in the nose breaks or it becomes too dry inside the nostrils, trauma, blowing your nose too hard, or picking your nose. They are usually not serious, but if you have a nosebleed lasting more than 20 minutes, you should seek professional help.

To keep your nose in its best possible health:

  • Leave those nose hairs where they are. Don’t cut or shave them off.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Keep the house clean, limiting the dust and other allergens you breathe in.
  • Use saline nose spray to keep the nose clean and moist.
  • Use a humidifier at home.

Recently, I was thinking of this scripture:

“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” John 12:3

Wouldn’t you have loved to be a nose in that room?

Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-nose; my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21778-nose; petmd.com/dog/behavior/5-dog-nose-facts-you-probably-didnt-know; msn.com/en-us/health/in-Nosebleed/in-nosebleed; webmd.com/lung/how-we-breathe

You, Mother, Surpass Them All

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Nothing I could write would better express how important the mother’s position is in the family than the Spirit of Prophecy quotations below. I should have included this in the May issue since Mother’s Day is in May, but May had passed before I read this in my morning devotions. While this described my own mother to me, I know that it likely describes your mother, too, or someone to whom you looked for love and guidance.

If there are times when you feel unappreciated or discouraged, remember that God gave mothers the most important work of all, and you can, coupled with His power, raise children who will love God and be happy to work in His service. This can include anyone—grandmother, aunt, sister, teacher, friend, even a single father—who assumes the responsibility for raising or assisting in raising a child.

“There is a God above, and the light and glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother as she tries to educate her children to resist the influence of evil. No other work can equal hers in importance. She has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas, nor, like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble. She has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power, nor, like the musician, to express a beautiful sentiment in melody. It is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human soul the likeness of the divine.” The Ministry of Healing, 377, 378

Is it any wonder that the devil works so hard to destroy families?

“The mother who appreciates this will regard her opportunities as priceless. Earnestly will she seek, in her own character and by her methods of training, to present before her children the highest ideal. Earnestly, patiently, courageously, she will endeavor to improve her own abilities, that she may use aright the highest powers of the mind in the training of her children. Earnestly will she inquire at every step, ‘What hath God spoken?’ Diligently, she will study His word. She will keep her eyes fixed upon Christ, that her own daily experience, in the lowly round of care and duty, may be a true reflection of the one true Life.” Ibid., 378

Do not be discouraged, mothers.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed.” Proverbs 31:28, first part

Dear Lord, please send strength, comfort, satisfaction, and joy to all, especially our mothers, who have the privilege of raising children for You. May they, and their children, reflect You in every circumstance and in every place.

Help in Every Trial

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Trials and obstacles are the Lord’s chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified.

The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts the iron and steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are. The Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of affliction to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be fashioned for His work.

The potter takes the clay and molds it according to his will. He kneads it and works it. He tears it apart and presses it together. He wets it and then dries it. He lets it lie for a while without touching it. When it is perfectly pliable, he continues the work of making of it a vessel. He forms it into shape and on the wheel trims and polishes it. He dries it in the sun and bakes it in the oven. Thus it becomes a vessel fit for use. So the great Master Worker desires to mold and fashion us. And as the clay is in the hands of the potter, so are we to be in His hands. We are not to try to do the work of the potter. Our part is to yield ourselves to be molded by the Master Worker.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13

In the full light of day, and in hearing of the music of other voices, the caged bird will not sing the song that his master seeks to teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of that, but never a separate and entire melody. But the master covers the cage, and places it where the bird will listen to the one song he is to sing. In the dark, he tries and tries again to sing that song until it is learned, and he breaks forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the light. Thus God deals with His children. He has a song to teach us, and when we have learned it amid the shadows of affliction we can sing it ever afterward. The Ministry of Healing, 471, 472

We are not to let the future, with its hard problems, its unsatisfying prospects, make our hearts faint, our knees tremble, our hands hang down. “Let him take hold of My strength,” says the Mighty One, “that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” Isaiah 27:5. Those who surrender their lives to His guidance and to His service will never be placed in a position for which He has not made provision. Whatever our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.

If in our ignorance we make missteps, the Saviour does not forsake us. We need never feel that we are alone. Angels are our companions. The Comforter that Christ promised to send in His name abides with us. In the way that leads to the City of God there are no difficulties which those who trust in Him may not overcome. There are no dangers which they may not escape. There is not a sorrow, not a grievance, not a human weakness, for which He has not provided a remedy.

None need abandon themselves to discouragement and despair. Satan may come to you with the cruel suggestion, “Yours is a hopeless case. You are irredeemable.” But there is hope for you in Christ. God does not bid us overcome in our own strength. He asks us to come close to His side. Whatever difficulties we labor under, which weigh down soul and body, He waits to make us free. Ibid., 249

Story – A 1940 Miracle

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Mrs. Fuller was standing by the telephone in her sunny kitchen, listening intently to the news that was being conveyed over the wire. Her kind, weather-beaten face registered deep concern.

“I’m glad you told me about that poor family, Mrs. Higgins,” she commented after her friend had paused for breath. “I’ll run right over to Aunt Liza’s, and she’ll help me get some clothes and food together for them. You know, every year she cans hundreds of quarts of fruit and vegetables, just so she can have plenty to give away whenever she hears of someone in need. Tell them not to worry; we’ll bring food and clothing.”

Hastily she removed an old sweater from a hook on the wall, slipped it on, tied a scarf over her head, and walked quickly in the direction of her nearest neighbor, Aunt Liza, who lived alone on a five-acre farm. As she neared the modest white cottage, surrounded by colorful flowers, she quickened her steps. She knocked vigorously on the back door, for Aunt Liza was very deaf. After repeated knockings, the door was opened, and there was Aunt Liza’s cheerful face wreathed in smiles, her brown eyes snapping and twinkling.

“Why, Mary Fuller, I’m glad to see you,” she shouted with enthusiasm. “How could you leave your chores so early in the morning?”

By this time, Mrs. Fuller was able to catch her breath.

“I felt I just must run over and tell you about the poor family around the next bend—you know, the ones who live in the auto camp. The father is out of work, and the mother is sick, and they need food and clothing. I knew you would want to know about it.”

Aunt Liza started for the cellar, where she kept her canned food. “Come down and help me put up a box for them right now. I can everything that I don’t sell from this place, and then my son-in-law, who is a manager of a market in the city, brings me all the leftover fruits and vegetables that aren’t sold, and I put them up too, so I can give them to those who need food. I always say it is a sin to let anything go to waste.”

“I don’t see how you do so much, Aunt Liza, when you attend to practically all your farm work.”

“I always say the Lord fits the back to the burden, my dear,” replied Aunt Liza, “and I praise Him daily for giving me strength. I’ll go over to the camp with you and see if I can give the poor woman some treatment. You know, I often get people interested in the Lord.”

This instance is typical of Aunt Liza—always energetic, cheerful, praising God, and thinking of others more than of herself. The fact that she shouts because of her deafness only serves to give her a hearty, enthusiastic manner. She is truly one of God’s saints, a real missionary in her community. She regards God as a friend and takes all her troubles to Him. He rewards her trusting faith and hears her prayers.

One morning Aunt Liza rose early to irrigate her berries, which were soon to be ready for market and which would account for a large part of her income for the year. The water was supplied for her farm by a very fine artesian well. Each farm in this community had its own well, and the farmers were justly proud of the water.

This morning Aunt Liza was happily humming a hymn as she turned the switch of the pump and then went to put on her heavy boots before going into the berry patch. Imagine her surprise and dismay when she returned and found that although the pump was working, no water was coming out of the well. She hastened over to the Fullers’ farm to see if Mr. Fuller could help her, for Aunt Liza had no money to pay a repairman. When she arrived at her neighbor’s farm, she found great excitement there.

“Aunt Liza, do you have water?” inquired Mr. Fuller. “Our well seems to have gone dry.”

“That’s just exactly why I came over to see you,” exclaimed Aunt Liza. “Something has gone wrong with my well, too.”

Inquiry around the neighborhood revealed the fact that all the wells had gone dry, so an expert was called in to investigate the cause. They anxiously awaited his report.

When he inspected Aunt Liza’s well, he said, “Yes, yours is just like the others. The water level in this neighborhood has dropped down much lower than it was formerly, and the only way to get water is to dig your well deeper. Do you wish me to have someone come out to dig yours?”

Aunt Liza’s heart sank. There was no money for this emergency, and her berries needed irrigating immediately. A few days’ delay might seriously injure the crop.

“No,” she replied, “I have no money for that.”

“But what are you going to do for water?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” replied Aunt Liza, “except to do what I always do in cases of emergency. I shall pray to my God about it. I know that He can help me out of this trouble, even as He has helped me in times of trouble in the past.”

The engineer laughed. “I’m afraid you’ll need to do more than pray in this case,” he said skeptically, “for the water just isn’t there anymore. I’m afraid that you don’t understand the gravity of the situation.” He then disconnected the pump at the well, and as he turned to leave, he said, “Well, call me up when you decide what you’re going to do.”

Aunt Liza took her trouble to her Friend, who had never failed her in any crisis. She talked to Him as she would to an earthly friend, whom she could see face to face, and laid the whole burden on Him. That night in a dream she saw an angel standing by her bed. The angel said, “There is water in your well now.”

She awakened immediately after this dream and began to praise and thank God, for Aunt Liza’s faith knew no doubt, and she was confident that the water was now in her well.

The next morning, she called the engineer out to see her. He came, thinking that she was at last ready to make arrangements to have her well dug deeper. However, her first words disillusioned him. She said, “Mr. Nelson, I want you to start my pump.”

Mr. Nelson was alarmed, as he feared that too much worry might have affected his elderly client’s reason. Gently he began to explain the situation again. He said, “There is no use in turning the pump on, madam, as there is no water in the well.”

However, no words of his could change Aunt Liza’s mind, and when she persisted in her request, he decided to turn on the pump to prove that she was wrong. He went out to the well, connected the pump again, and turned it on. Out gushed an abundant stream of water, clear and sparkling.

Thanking the Lord, she exclaimed, “I knew He had answered my prayer!”

The well expert could not speak. Never had he witnessed such a phenomenon. After Aunt Liza had told him of her dream, he replied, “God must have answered your prayer, for this is a miracle. No other well in the neighborhood has water.”

Aunt Liza’s gratitude to her heavenly Father knew no bounds, and she told the story of God’s kindness to all the community. The engineer carried the news to the city hall, and some of the officials came out to investigate. Aunt Liza told each one about her God and how He hears and answers prayer.

Many times, when we read of answered prayer, we think that such experiences came to people long ago or in a mission field far away, but this modern miracle happened in the year 1940, in the western part of the United States.

My Favorite Prayer Stories, Joe L. Wheeler, ©2015, by Phyllis Prout, 77–79

The Gathering

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God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4. However, salvation has always been conditional upon man’s willing obedience to God. In speaking to the Israelites through Isaiah the prophet, God said, “ ‘If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword’; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:19, 20

Throughout biblical history, God has always done all in His power to bring man into a saving relationship with Himself. His plea has been, “What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?” Isaiah 5:4

“The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.” The Desire of Ages, 311

120 years

As the antediluvians drifted further and further away from God’s plan for their lives, God sought through Noah to awaken them to the direction in which they were heading. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

“God bestowed upon these antediluvians many and rich gifts, but they used His bounties to glorify themselves, and turned them into a curse by fixing their affections upon the gifts instead of the Giver. They employed the gold and silver, the precious stones and the choice wood, in the construction of habitations for themselves, and endeavored to excel one another in beautifying their dwellings with the most skillful workmanship. They sought only to gratify the desires of their own proud hearts and reveled in the scenes of pleasure and wickedness. Not desiring to retain God in their knowledge, they soon came to deny His existence. They adored nature in place of the God of nature. They glorified human genius, worshiped the works of their own hands, and taught their children to bow down to graven images.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 90, 91

“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9. Therefore, God chose Noah to carry a message to the wicked world of that day. He was to build an ark, and at the same time, he was to proclaim the destruction of the world by a flood for “one hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3).

“Amid the prevailing corruption, Methuselah, Noah, and many others labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God and to stay the tide of moral evil. One hundred and twenty years before the Flood, the Lord, by a holy angel, declared to Noah His purpose and directed him to build an ark. While building the ark, he was to preach that God would bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy the wicked. Those who would believe the message, and would prepare for that event by repentance and reformation, should find pardon and be saved.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 92

Noah was not only to proclaim God’s message of destruction, but at the same time, he was to seek to gather aboard the ark all who would turn to God for salvation. Thus, God established a principle very early in the world’s history: whenever there is a prophetic time period dealing directly with His people, He sends a prophet to proclaim the beginning of that prophetic period, and at the end of the period, God has a prophet who gathers His people for His purpose.

Noah was both the proclaiming and gathering prophet in this first, comparatively short, prophetic period. He warned the people regarding the Flood, but he also sought to gather them aboard the ark to save them from the destruction that was to come. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” Genesis 6:22

400 years

We find a second prophetic time period dealing with God’s people in Genesis 15. The Lord “came to Abram in a vision” (verse 1), showing him that he would have offspring more numerous than he could count. God then informs Abram (the proclaiming prophet) that His people would be in a strange land for a period of four hundred years (verse 13), but afterward, they would “come out with great substance” (verse 14). And Abram, whose name God changed to Abraham, “believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (verse 6).

As this remarkable time period draws to its climax, God prepared His gathering prophet. “You remember Moses went into the wilderness and stayed forty years, during which time he put away self, and that made room so that he could have the presence of God with him.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 83

“Shut in by the bulwarks of the mountains, Moses was alone with God. The magnificent temples of Egypt no longer impressed his mind with their superstition and falsehood. In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High, and in contrast realized how powerless and insignificant were the gods of Egypt. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here, his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away. In the stern simplicity of his wilderness life, the results of the ease and luxury of Egypt disappeared. Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, ‘very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth’ (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 248–251

As Moses tended the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a fiery bush. The Angel said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey. … Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people … out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7, 8, 10

Again, we see the biblical principle: Abraham, the proclaiming prophet, is seen at the beginning of the prophetic period, and Moses, the gathering prophet, is seen at the end. Moses was asked to gather “the children of Israel out of Egypt” (verse 10). “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:41

From the beginning of Israel’s existence as a nation, the people scattered as a consequence of their disobedience to God. Notice the very powerful statement given to the Israelites after they departed from Egypt: “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you … . Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from the one end of the earth to the other.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 64. But when the Israelites would repent with all their heart and return to the Lord in obedience to all He commanded, He would again gather them together as His people. (See Deuteronomy 30:1–3.)

70 years

In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet proclaims that the Israelites would spend 70 years in captivity in Babylon. (See Jeremiah 29:10.) This is the third time period affecting God’s people. “When men’s hearts are softened and subdued by the constraining influence of the Holy Spirit, they will give heed to counsel; but when they turn from admonition until their hearts become hardened, the Lord permits them to be led by other influences. Refusing the truth, they accept falsehood, which becomes a snare to their own destruction.

“God had pleaded with Judah not to provoke Him to anger, but they had hearkened not. Finally sentence was pronounced against them. They were to be led away captive to Babylon.” Prophets and Kings, 425

But there were also promises of deliverance. “Prophecies of oncoming judgment were mingled with promises of final and glorious deliverance. …

“Like sweetest music, these promises of deliverance fell upon the ears of those who were steadfast in their worship of Jehovah.” Ibid., 427

Daniel, apparently an ardent Bible student, refers to this period in Daniel 9 as he seeks, through prayer and supplication, to have his people brought out of captivity per the prophecy of this prophetic period. “The deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions had been used of God to create a favorable impression upon the mind of Cyrus the Great. The sterling qualities of the man of God as a statesman of farseeing ability led the Persian ruler to show him marked respect and to honor his judgment. And now, just at the time God had said He would cause His temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt, He moved upon Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning himself, with which Daniel was so familiar, and to grant the Jewish people their liberty.” Ibid., 557

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we see the beginning of the regathering of God’s people: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, … ‘Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem … .’ ” Ezra 1:1, 3

Nehemiah 1 references the scattering and gathering promises found in Deuteronomy 28. “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ ” Verses 8, 9

So we see that for this 70-year prophecy, Jeremiah was the proclaiming prophet, while Daniel was the initial gathering prophet.

490 years

Daniel also serves as a proclaiming prophet in Daniel 9:24–27, where the prophecy of the Messiah, as well as the prophecy of the Jews’ probation as God’s people, is set forth. God gives His people 490 years “to make an end of sins, … and to anoint the most Holy” (verse 24). During that time, the Messiah would come and “bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (verse 27) through His death on the cross.

Right on time, Jesus came to begin His ministry of gathering the people to Himself. John the Baptist initiates this gathering process through his message of repentance and the announcement that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” (See Matthew 3:1–3.)

But notice the Lord’s statement in Matthew 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” And in John 12:32, Jesus says, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw [gather] all peoples to Myself.” So we see that Daniel is the proclaiming prophet, and Jesus is the gathering prophet.

2,300 years

In 1844, another time period came to its fulfillment. Daniel had prophesied this great time period of 2300 days. “And he said unto me, ‘For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.’ ” Daniel 8:14. It had as its object the beginning of a new ministry for Jesus in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary—the judgment of God’s people, a significant and solemn event. (See Daniel 7:13.) At that time, the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 were to be proclaimed, bringing a revival of interest in the gospel and the second coming of Jesus worldwide.

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

“When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing.” The Great Controversy, 425

In accordance with His principle of always following a proclaiming prophet at the beginning of a time period with a gathering prophet at the end, God called upon Ellen G. White to gather His people for this last great declaration of truth before the coming of Jesus, so that as many as will might be saved. “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. And Satan seeks to prevent this gathering by doing away with the gathering prophet, for he knows that “where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18, first part, KJV

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. … Satan will work ingeniously … to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony. … The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 48

“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 in cautions, reproofs, and warnings.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 391. Without the prophet to give direction that is so badly needed in these last days, God’s people will flounder and drift in one direction and then another with all the winds of doctrine that blow around us. We must recognize God’s prophet and be diligent in heeding her counsel to us.

A Time is Coming

The time is near when the “sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30, 31

May God help us now to gather up and live by every word of instruction, reproof, and encouragement which He has spoken to us, that when the angels of heaven shall appear, we may be among the multitude of the redeemed gathered up by them to live forever with Jesus.

Source: Clark Floyd, Our Firm Foundation, Vol. 19, No. 4, April 2004, 4–7