Archives: Articles

IssueM Articles

Testimony – Only Weak People Need God

by

“Only weak people need God.” That’s what I used to tell my Christian friends when I was a young man. I perceived Christians as too weak to stand on their own two feet, needing the “crutch” of religion to sustain them in life. I mocked my Christian friends and ridiculed those who tried to witness to me of God’s love. You see, I grew up an atheist, having no belief in God. Both of my parents were from large families, so I had many aunts and uncles and cousins, all professing to be Christians. But it didn’t take long to realize that what they professed on Sunday morning was far from how they lived the rest of the week.

And so I concluded that Christianity was just a charade. And if the Christian life was not real, then how could God be real? I married my wife in 1969, and we moved to San Diego to begin our lives together.

We lived an indulgent, rebellious life there until 1986, when we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I became dissatisfied with my lifestyle and felt inclined for the first time in my life to search for something beyond myself. I decided to read the Bible, and then attended a Revelation seminar held in the town where I lived. I soon responded to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and after almost 20 years of selfish indulgence, I laid my sins of drugs and alcohol upon the altar of Christ.

Miraculously, my victory was immediate and complete, never having the desire nor inclination to take them up again. In 1988, I was baptized and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I was ordained as a deacon in 1989. I was asked to serve as an elder in 1990. And in 1992, I was asked to serve as the head elder, which I faithfully did for the next 21 years. In 2012, several members of our church became uncomfortable with some of the doctrines that were being taught by a young pastor that was now leading our church. I soon found myself at odds with this pastor with regard to the humanity of Christ, victorious living, and the character of the 144,000.

We found neither support nor cooperation from our local conference leaders.

Their support for their pastor was firm and we were told to cease our resistance and to move in harmony with the church. Finding ourselves unable to do so with a clear conscience before God, and no longer feeling welcome in our own church, we decided to separate from the church we loved and to start a home church. Having been in church leadership for so many years, it was natural that I should lead out in worship.

As our numbers grew, it became evident that we needed some structure in our church, and so we decided to rent a local Grange Hall every Sabbath. For legal reasons, we called ourselves the Little Flock Advent Church, and for the past 6 years it has been my privilege to serve as the shepherd of our little flock. In 2015, we contacted Steps to Life to inquire about becoming a part of the Free Seventh-day Adventist Church.

We soon realized that we were historic Adventists and that the doctrines and principles which we embraced were in common with the teachings of the Free Seventh-day Adventists. We were overjoyed to find that there were still many who had not bowed the knee to Baal! Today, we proudly bear the name Little Flock Free Seventh Day Adventist Church. I immediately enrolled in the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders offered by Steps to Life, to prepare me to serve as a pastor.

What a wonderful program this is. I highly recommend it, not only for church leaders, but for all who desire to better understand God’s purpose for His church and to experience His guidance that will lead us into His kingdom. The church has been warned that the last great deception of Satan would be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God (Selected Messages, Book 1, 48). We are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy today.

This training program brings to light the counsel that God has given to guide His church through the time of trouble. It is Satan’s desire that the Spirit of Prophecy should go unheeded and that the church lose confidence in its counsel. Brothers and sisters, we cannot allow this to happen! Those who refuse to be guided by the testimony of Jesus will not fit the description that God has given of His remnant people in Revelation 12:17. Therefore they will not be among those who make up that happy throng.

I met Pastor Grosboll and Pastor Nunez last year when they were conducting a crusade south of Seattle. I have spoken with many over the phone at Steps to Life, and we now feel that we are a part of a much larger family.

Today, our average Sabbath attendance is about 25 souls. We are thankful to have a comfortable place to worship where we are surrounded by the beauty of the Olympic Mountains and plenty of trees and wildlife.

In late March of this year, Pastor Nunez traveled from Wichita, Kansas, to the Olympic Peninsula to meet with our church. On Sabbath, March 24, one day after my 69th birthday, it was a privilege to be ordained as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. It is the desire, as well as the delight of my heart, to serve the Lord and His church until the day He comes to take us home.

By the signs of the times, that day is not too far off. It is my purpose to be a good and faithful shepherd, so that you will meet me, as well as every other member of the Little Flock Free Seventh-day Adventist Church without the loss of one, on the day we stand together around the sea of glass. May the Lord find us faithful until that day. Amen.

Present Position and Work

by

Seventh-day Adventists are charged with making the Sabbath a test. And some will have it that we denounce and reject all who do not believe as we do. It is true that we teach that God is testing the people by His law. But we deny the charge that we denounce and reject those who differ from us. Our course toward all men whom we can reach with our publications, our sermons and our entreaties, proves the charge false. We beseech all men, without respect to profession of religion, color, or rank in society, to turn from their sins, keep God’s commandments and live. And we manifest a zeal and earnestness in this matter somewhat in proportion to the importance of the testing message we bear. And because our testimony is pointed and earnest, condemning those who choose to pass along with the popular current and violate the law of God, some are disturbed, and with feelings of retaliation, falsely charge us. It is not our work to test, condemn, and denounce, the people. It is not in our hearts to unnecessarily injure the feelings of any. But with our present convictions of truth and duty, we should do great violence to our own consciences, and sin against God, should we cease to declare to the people the purpose of God in testing the world by His law, just before the day of wrath. …

But if the Sabbath is not a test, it is not worth our while to go to the trouble of teaching and observing it in the face of decided opposition. If we can be as good Christians while breaking the fourth commandment, as while keeping it, should we not at once seek to be in harmony with the rest of the Christian world? Why be so odd as to obey the commandment of God, if one can be as good a Christian while living in violation of it? And there are frequent inconveniences, and pecuniary sacrifices, to be suffered by those who are so particular concerning the observance of the fourth commandment. If the Sabbath is of so little importance as not to be a test of Christian fellowship and eternal salvation; if men who break the Sabbath should be embraced in our fellowship the same as if they observed it; and if they can reach Heaven as surely in violating the fourth commandment as in keeping it; why not abandon it at once, and cease to agitate the public mind with a question of no real importance which is so unpleasant and annoying.

Seventh-day Adventists believe that in the restoration of the Bible Sabbath, under the last message of mercy, God designs to make it a test to the people. Hence many of them labor with earnestness to teach it, and are ready to make any sacrifices in order to observe it, and do their duty in teaching it to others. Convince them that it is not a test, and they will not trouble the people nor themselves longer with it. But should they give the people to understand that they regard the Sabbath of so little importance as not to be a test, “the sword of the Spirit,” on that subject at least, would become in their hands as powerless as a straw. They could not then convict the people upon this subject. Indeed their position before the people, in earnestly calling their attention to a subject that is of so little importance as not to constitute a test of Christian character, and which would subject them to a heavy cross, much inconvenience, sacrifice, and reproach, would be but little less than solemn mockery. With our present view of the importance of the subject, we have a sufficient reason for earnestly urging the claims of the fourth commandment upon our fellow-men.

The remarks of Elder J. N. Andrews in reference to the Sabbatarians of England in the seventeenth century, have so direct a bearing upon this subject that I give the following from his History of the Sabbath, pp. 335, 336:

“The laws of England during that century were very oppressive to all dissenters from the established church, and bore exceedingly hard upon the Sabbath-keepers. Yet fine, imprisonment, and even capital punishment, would not have proved sufficient to suppress the Sabbath. It was in the house of its own friends that the Sabbath was wounded. In the seventeenth century eleven churches of Sabbatarians flourished in England, while many scattered Sabbath-keepers were to be found in various parts of that kingdom. Now but three of those churches are in existence. It was not the lack of able men among the Sabbath-keepers to defend the truth, not the fierce assaults of their persecutors, that has thus reduced them to a handful. The fault is their own, not indeed for any disgraceful conduct on their part, but simply because they made the Sabbath of no practical importance, and lowered the standard of divine truth on this thing to the dust. The Sabbath-keeping ministers assumed the pastoral care of first-day churches, in some cases as their sole charge, in others they did this in connection with the oversight of Sabbatarian churches. The result need surprise no one; as both ministers and people said to all men, in thus acting, that the fourth commandment might be broken with impunity, the people took them at their word.”

Seventh-day Adventists have nothing to boast of. God has often reproved and chastised us for unfaithfulness. And when we have returned to Him, and humbly and faithfully battled for the truth, amid reproaches and persecutions, He has greatly blessed us. Nothing is so much to be dreaded as that calm which is the result of tempering unpopular, testing truth to the ears of the people so as not to offend. Rather let the reproach come, and the storm rage, if it be the result of speaking the truth of God in love.

As a people we have had our difficulties to surmount, our trials to bear, and our victories to gain. We are gathered from Methodists, Regular Baptists, Freewill Baptists, Seventh-day Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Dutch Reform, Disciples, Christians, Lutherans, United Brethren, Catholics, Universalists, Worldlings, and Infidels. We are composed of native Americans, English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish, French, Germans, Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Poles, and others. To bring together a body composed of such material, affected more or less by the religious sentiments, and forms of the several denominations, with all their national peculiarities, has called for much patient, and persevering toil. And it is by the grace of God that we are what we are. And let His name be praised that in our darkest hours, when we have humbled ourselves, He has ever come to our aid.

From their past brief history Seventh-day Adventists may learn much as to their present work and future prospects. When in humility they have borne a decided testimony in the fear of God, their labors have been signally blessed. When they have been willing to bear the cross of present truth, and sacrifice time, convenience and means to advance the work, they have shared the approving smiles of Heaven. They have seen that nothing can keep the body in a healthy condition but the plain and pointed testimony. This will do the work of purification, either by purging their sins, or separating from them the unconsecrated and rebellious. Let the result be what it may, such testimony must be borne, or this people will fall as others have fallen. And terrible would be their fall, after having so clear light, and having had committed to them so sacred a trust as the last message of mercy to sinners.

From the past we may also learn what to expect in the future, in the line of persecution. Satan has been angry because this people have been seeking for the “old paths,” that they might walk therein. He has been especially disturbed as they have plead for the restoration of the Sabbath, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If the people be taught that God is testing them upon the Sabbath, and that they should listen to the testimony of Jesus, in the spirit of prophecy, which reproves their sins, and calls on them to consecrate themselves and what they possess to the Lord, we may depend upon it, the ire of the dragon will be stirred. This we have witnessed and suffered in proportion to our faithfulness in the work. When we have borne a pointed testimony, we have been the especial objects of the wrath of the dragon; but with it have also shared largely the blessing of God. When we have been unfaithful, the dragon has been comparatively quiet, but we have suffered leanness of soul. And thus we may expect it will be for time to come.

The position of suspense is not the most happy one. Those who wait for the return of the Lord in uncertainty as to the definite period of His second advent, are in danger of becoming restless. Hence the application of certain texts to this time, and to the people who are waiting for their Lord. “Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36). “Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

In such a position, how natural the often-repeated inquiry, “How long before the Lord will come?” But no definite answer can be given to this inquiry. And it is best that this question cannot be definitely answered. Definite time has answered the purpose of God. It brought the Advent people to the waiting time, requiring great patience. Throughout this entire period of the patience of the saints, the only safe position is to keep the coming of Christ ever before us, and to regulate all our acts in full view of the terrible realities of the Judgment. To put off the coming of the Lord, and view that event in the distance, and enter into the spirit of the world, would be dangerous in the extreme. It is true that there are prophecies to be fulfilled, just prior to the coming of the Lord; but their fulfillment is of such a nature that it can be realized in a short time. Unbelief may suggest that as the time has continued longer than the waiting ones expected, it may still continue many years. But saving faith takes the safe position, and views the event at the door. This fact should ever be borne in mind, that while we have no means of showing that the Lord will come at an immediate definite point, no one can prove that He may not very soon come. And while it cannot be proved that the Lord will not very soon come, I will call attention to the following facts which show that the second advent cannot be a distant event.

  1. The three messages constitute a solemn warning to the world to prepare for the coming of Christ. The closing division of this great warning is a test to the world and ripens the harvest of the earth. Those who receive the warning and prepare for the coming of the Lord, are ripened by it for immortality. Those who reject it, are ripened for the day of slaughter.
  2. The warning given by Noah, the manner his message was treated, and the wrath of God in a flood of water, illustrate the closing events of the present state of things (Matthew 24:37). God did not call this preacher of righteousness to warn the next to the last generation before the flood, but the very last. The very generation which drank the waters of the flood, saw Noah build the ark, and heard his warning voice. How absurd the supposition that Noah built the ark, and gave his warning message in the time of next to the last generation, so that those who heard his message and saw his work, passed into the grave, and the ark went to decay, and their children came upon the stage of action to witness unwarned terrors of the flood.
  3. The last great warning was to be given to the last generation of men. The very ones who hear it, receive it, obey it, and are waiting for the Lord, will exclaim, as the Son of man shall return with His angels down the blazing vault of heaven, “Lo! this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us” (Isaiah 25:9). And the very men who reject the warning, and justly merit the wrath of God, will also witness the second advent in flaming fire with terror and anguish. This warning is not given to next to the last generation, but to the very last. Then, as certain as the great warning, illustrated by the three messages of Revelation 14 has been, and is being given in our day, just so certain the generation that has heard the warning will witness the day of wrath, and the revelation of the Son of God from Heaven. One of two things is certain; either Seventh-day Adventists are wrong in the application of the messages, or Christ is very soon coming. If they are correct in their application of the great warning, then the very men who hear it will witness its terrible realities.

 

“Verily I say unto you,” says Christ, “this generation shall not pass away, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:34, 35). We do not believe that the word generation marks any definite number of years. The Lord designed to teach that the people who should live at the time of the fulfillment of the last sign mentioned (falling stars of 1833), and should hear the proclamation of the coming of Christ, based partly upon the fulfilled signs, should witness the scenes connected with His coming. God has raised up men to give the solemn warning to the world at the right time. The signs were fulfilled at the right time to give force to the warning. And the very generation of men that live after the three great signs are fulfilled, and who hear and reject the warning message, will drink the unmingled cup of the wrath of God. And those of this very generation who receive the message, suffer disappointment and endure the trails of the waiting position, will witness the coming of Christ, and exclaim, “Lo! this is our God, we have waited for Him.”

Dear reader, if watchful and faithful to duty, we shall very soon enter the harbor of eternal rest. Keep a good look-out. Oh, be not deceived, and overcome by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. True faith forbids your looking into the future, and laying plans for the benefit of the next generation. It shuts you up to the present. But it is to be feared that those who are employing their physical and mental forces to accumulate wealth for their children, while they are neglecting their duty to the cause of present truth, and do not give themselves and families time to seek and serve God, are making a terrible mistake. They not only fail to help the cause, and fail to walk with God, and fail to exert the best influence in their own families, but their influence in professing so solemn and definite a position as that the present is the period for the third and last solemn warning, while in works they deny their faith, is decidedly against the cause.

The world exhibits madness in grasping for wealth. A spirit of insanity has taken hold of men upon the subject of worldly gain; and many who profess present truth are more or less imbued with it. With those who do not fear God and keep His commandments, and are not looking for the soon coming of His Son, this is what might be expected. But with Seventh-day Adventists there is no excuse. With them it is insanity and madness. Why should they accumulate wealth for their children? Should the Lord remain away a hundred years, wealth handed down to them would be their almost certain ruin. Look to the history of truly good and great men. Have they sprung up amid wealth? Or have they come from families trained in the school of poverty and want? Read the histories of the early lives of Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln. Both were poor boys. But they both became great men, by facing want, grappling with poverty, and overcoming those obstacles ever lying in the path of want. Such a struggle in early life gave them experience, and was the safeguard of their purity. While the names of these good men are embalmed in the memory and affection of the people, those of hundreds, who received riches from their parents, have rotted, because money was in the way of their doing what they should have done, and being what they might have been. Setting aside the coming of the Lord, there is no more certain ruin to the children than for them to look to, and lean upon, their parents’ wealth.

But what can be said of the influence of those brethren who profess to believe that the last great warning to the world is being given, yet devote their entire energies to accumulating wealth for their children? What can be the influence upon their children? Is it not to lead them to love this world? to put off the coming of the Lord? to neglect the necessary preparation? Are they not taking a course directly to shut them out of the kingdom of Heaven? And is there any hope of the salvation of either parents or children while pursuing such an inconsistent course? Without the faith of the soon coming of the Lord, they are pursuing a course to secure their ruin. With this faith, while pursuing a course to deny it in work, they are making that ruin certain.

The short period of probation remaining should be improved in laying up treasure in Heaven, and seeking that preparation necessary to its enjoyment in the next life. Parents, I entreat you, live out the precious Advent faith before your children. Lead them to Jesus, and teach them by your faith and works to secure a preparation for His coming. Let your influence in favor of truth and holiness extend to all around, that it may be said of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant; … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:23).

Life Incidents in Connection with the Great Advent Movement, 332–342.

Escaping the Corruption of the World – Claiming the Promises

by

Peter’s second epistle opens with an incredible statement that on the surface seems simple and straightforward, but upon careful examination reveals a depth of spiritual insight that we may not fully understand until we receive the light of eternity.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as 

  1. His divine power
  2. has given to us
  3. all things
  4. that pertain to life and godliness,
  5. through the knowledge of Him
  6. who called us by glory and virtue,
  7. by which have been given to us
  8. exceedingly great and precious promises,
  9. that through these
  10. you may be partakers of the divine nature,
  11. having escaped the corruption
  12. that is in the world through lust.”
    2 Peter 1:2–4 NKJV

Let’s look at these verses phrase by phrase and try to gain at least a cursory understanding of the love the Lord has for us and the provisions that God has made for our salvation that Peter clearly understood and is attempting to share with the recipients of his second letter.

This letter was written “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). Surely that includes today’s children of Israel—Modern Israel.

In commenting on Peter’s second epistle, Inspiration makes the following statement:

“The apostle presents before the believers the ladder of Christian progress, every step of which represents advancement in the knowledge of God, and in the climbing of which there is to be no standstill. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of the ladder. We are saved by climbing round after round, mounting step after step, to the height of Christ’s ideal for us. Thus He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” The Acts of the Apostles, 530.

Clearly the most notable aspect of Peter’s letter is Peter’s ladder, the ascension of which develops in us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. However, let’s examine closely what Peter wrote as an introduction to that wonderful key to salvation. In the opening lines of his letter, Peter actually states the result of our faithful climb before stating how to achieve those results.

In verse 3, Peter states that what we accomplish is done through “His divine power.” It isn’t perfectly clear if the antecedent of “His” is “God” or “Jesus our Lord,” as stated in verse 2, but it really doesn’t matter. Both entities are divine and both long for the salvation of mankind. As Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.”

Then Peter states that this power has given us some very precious gifts. We did nothing to deserve these gifts—else they would not be gifts. But what precious gifts they are: all things; but note that there is actually a qualifier for the “all things” that He has given us: it is indeed “all things” but only those things that pertain to life and godliness—not just some of the things that we need, but all things.

It is worthwhile to note, by the way, that twice in these verses, Peter notes the fact that the things we need for salvation are gifts. In verse 3 he tells us how we have been given these gifts: through divine power (which, you should remember, is infallible); and in verse 4 he confirms that it is through divine glory and virtue that we have been so lovingly gifted.

Then Peter explains how we obtain these things. Understand that a gift is not a gift until it is accepted by the receiver. Thus we obtain these gifts “through the knowledge of Him”—and note that it isn’t just anybody who has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, but it is “Him who has called us by glory and virtue.” And who is this “Him” who called us? Again, it doesn’t matter whether the antecedent is God or Christ.  Jesus made it clear in John 8:19 (“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also”) and 14:9 (“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”) that their characters are exactly identical, and to know one is to know the other. Obviously we acquire that knowledge through a continuing, consistent, and thorough study of His word—in all of its manifestations.

Then comes other gifts in verse 4: “exceedingly great and precious promises.” Surely our hearts thrill with gratitude when we recognize that the pathway to heaven is open to us through these promises. In case we have difficulty grasping the assurance of these promises, Paul confirmed their significance in Hebrews 6:17, 18 when he wrote, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

That hope exists because (1) God cannot lie; (2) He deems us as heirs of His promises; (3) those promises and His counsel are immutable and unchangeable; (4) and He confirmed those promises by an oath “in which it is impossible for God to lie.”

The harmony of the truths expressed by the different Bible writers can be overwhelming sometimes.

Then Peter gives us two incredible results of the working of those promises in our lives when we accept and act on them.

First we become partakers of the divine nature. Just as Christ combined His divinity with humanity through the mystery of the incarnation, we have the incredible privilege of combining our humanity with His divinity and thereby being partakers of the divine nature.

In explaining the assumption of humanity by divinity, Inspiration wrote: “The doctrine of the incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery, ‘even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations’ (Colossians 1:26). It is the great and profound mystery of godliness. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 246.

Then explaining the assumption of divinity by humanity, Inspiration wrote: “Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.” Faith and Works, 94.

Second and equally incredible, we are thus enabled—or given the power—to escape the corruption that is in the world through unsanctified desire, a longing for that which is forbidden, or lust.

Peter continues here a theme expressed in his first epistle in which he warned the sojourners and pilgrims on the narrow way to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

After explaining the almost unbelievable results of a successful climb—the reality of being partakers of the divine nature—Peter then provides the progression necessary to achieve those results in verses 5 through 7—a passage that we are all familiar with:

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5–7).

By claiming and acting on the promises given us through the Word, we have assurance confirmed by the oath of God Himself that salvation is within our reach. We can escape the corruption of the world and we can manifest the character of Christ perfectly.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Be Ready to Give an Answer

by

Before Jesus returns, those who are faithful to the ten commandments are going to meet with religious intolerance from the majority of Christian churches. At that time, faithful ministers and leaders will mostly be in jail or possibly hiding in a cave somewhere. The common people are going to be arraigned in front of courts and legislatures to give a reason for their faith.

I am disturbed as I visit with different brothers and sisters around the country that so many are unprepared for that time. I wonder how they will be able to tell a court what they believe. All should be able to give a simple Bible study about the cardinal features of their faith, and be able to do it succinctly in a few minutes.

Every Seventh-day Adventist should be able to give a Bible study on the seal of God and the mark of the beast. However, before these subjects can be understood there are a few other topics that need to be explained in preparation. First, it is helpful to know who the beast is in Revelation 13:1–10, and who the little horn is in Daniel 7. To understand the mark of the beast, it is first necessary to identify the beast.

In giving an interesting Bible study, often less is best. When Adventists first started giving Bible studies in the late 19th century they used a hundred to a hundred fifty texts to prove their point. Soon they found out that this was way too much material and caused overload. To keep a person’s interest, studies must be kept simple.

The Seal of God

1    The seal of God is found in His law. Isaiah 8:16 says, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” The law is the Ten Commandments, so the seal of God must have something to do with His law. It says, “seal the law.”

Some former Adventists believe that the seal of God is the Holy Spirit. However, the New Testament teaches that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the seal. The seal of God has to do with the law.

2    The words sign and seal are used interchangeably in the Bible. Romans 4:11 says, “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.”

3    The Sabbath has always been the sign of the true worshipers of the God of heaven.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” ’ And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:12–18).

4    The Sabbath is a perpetual covenant between God and His people. “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:16).

The Sabbath commandment has all the identifying characteristics of the seal of a covenant, which authenticates the following:

  • a) the name of the covenanter
  • b) the covenanter’s position
  • c) his jurisdiction: the area that person governs or has authority over

The fourth commandment identifies:

a    God—the covenanter

b   Creator of the heavens and the earth—His position

c    Heaven and earth—His jurisdiction

The Sabbath is a perpetual covenant between God and His people.

5    The Sabbath commandment has always distinguished God’s people from the rest of the world. “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (Ezekiel 20:12).

This sign is mentioned again in verse 20: “Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.”

6    Breaking the Sabbath commandment is likened in the Bible to spiritual adultery. “They have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths” (Ezekiel 23:37, 38).

7    God’s children in the last days are especially pointed out in prophecy as commandment keepers. “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).

This is an important point to remember, as most of our Protestant friends believe they are keeping the commandments while neglecting the fourth. But James makes it very clear when he says, “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:10).

This text points out that you cannot be called a commandment keeper while breaking even one. It is clear that James is referring to the ten commandment law, because he mentions both the sixth and seventh commandments. It points out that the ten commandment law is the standard for the judgment. To have a clear conscience, one must keep the seventh day Sabbath, regardless of what the state says, or the popular churches say. Nowhere in Scripture can we find that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week. Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).

In less than 15 minutes the seal of God can be explained. It is an important subject to know because it is only those who have received the seal who will be under divine protection from the time of trouble that lies ahead.

Seventh-day Adventists have been given the light of the three angels’ messages to share with the world. The third angel’s message is a warning against the worship of the beast, its image, and its mark.

The Beast and the Little Horn

Once the “beast” and the “little horn” are identified it will not take a long time to explain the mark of the beast.

1    Scripture indicates that the beast power and the little horn power represent the papacy by pointing out the special characteristic of this. “He shall speak great words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25, literal translation).

2    The papacy has deliberately attempted to change God’s law. J. F. Snyder of Bloomington, Illinois, once asked a Catholic clergyman this question: “Does the Catholic church claim to have changed the Sabbath?”

In response, C. F. Thomas said, “Of course the Catholic church claims that the change was her act, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.” Sentinel, May 21, 1995, Number 22.

The Bible says in Daniel 7:25 that changing “times and law” is a special characteristic of this power and the Catholic church openly claims to have done just exactly that. However, it is often a terrible shock for Roman Catholics to find out this truth, but it is better to be shocked now rather than be shocked when Jesus comes and find out they have been supporting the wrong side of the battle between Christ and Satan.

The Mark of the Beast

1    Those who receive the mark of the beast will also be the recipients of God’s wrath. “A third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation’ ” (Revelation 14:9, 10).

This has been described by Ellen White to be the most fearful threatening in the whole Bible. (See Early Writings, 254.) That being the case, shouldn’t we be interested in knowing how to avoid it and warning others as well?

2    Only those who refuse to obey the truth but obey unrighteousness receive God’s wrath. “But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath” (Romans 2:8).

There are many, including Christians, who are ignorant of present truth and have never heard the last warning message to the world found in Revelation 14.

3    “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17, first part).

4    “Sin is the transgression of God’s law” (1 John 3:4, literal translation).

5    The mark of the beast involves the transgression of one or more of the ten commandments. We know that because if you receive the mark of the beast, you are going to receive the wrath of God. Nobody receives the wrath of God except those who obey unrighteousness (break God’s law). We read that in Romans 2:8.

6    The mark of the beast is a special characteristic or feature or teaching of the beast power that leaves its mark, something that is seen.

The proclamation of this truth today is often criticized as being hateful toward the Catholics – an accusation that could not be further from the truth. It is because of God’s love for Catholics and other Protestants that have been deceived that this warning is given. He is not willing that any miss out on eternal life and has raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church to give this last message of mercy before He comes in the clouds of heaven.

Before He returns every person on earth will make a decision that will determine their eternal destiny. All will be marked with one or the other. Either they will receive the seal of God, or they will receive the mark of the beast.

This mark is not a literal mark, but is the manifestation of a decision that is made. The deciding factor will be when Sunday observance is enforced by pain of law in the United States. At that time, all people will have to decide whom they will follow—man or God, and this decision will determine their eternal destiny.

Ellen White describes God’s people in the end time as a little company. Those who followed Jesus when He walked out of Jerusalem after His resurrection are also described as a little company. On the day of Pentecost the followers of Christ are also described as a little company. Over and over, in the Spirit of Prophecy, God’s true followers are called a little company.

At Christ’s first coming, there was a multitude of people who believed in a coming Messiah, but out of those millions of people there was only a little company who truly believed in Him enough to follow Him. In Luke 12:32, KJV, Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock.” At that time there were only a handful of people left that were following Him. The 5,000 that had been fed on the mount had walked away. He said, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Isaiah said, “For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return” (Isaiah 10:22). A remnant will be saved.

Dear friend, you must not be discouraged if it seems you are all alone in your belief, or the church you attend is small with only a handful of faithful believers. You must say, Lord, show us what to do to get this message out. It would be wonderful if all of God’s people could give a simple answer for what they believe on all of our beliefs.

Remember, it does not have to be complicated with numerous proof texts. The truth is straightforward and should be simply stated. God is going to have a little company and we want to be part of it.

We are told that for a little time it will appear as though the devil has won the great controversy. It looked that way at Jesus’ first coming so we must be ready for that and not be discouraged.

I have tried to analyze this over and over again. It is the most ironic, paradoxical thing that I have ever thought about in my life that when Jesus was crucified on the cross, He did not die from the wounds of crucifixion. We often say that it was our sins that killed Him and, in a sense, that is almost true. Jesus said, “No one takes it [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:18). Jesus willingly chose to lay down His life so you and I could live. This love is beyond our understanding.

Throughout eternity the redeemed will study about God’s gift to man, His only begotten Son, and what He did for us to be saved. We are told that angels also long to look into these things. This study will never be exhausted throughout eternity.

Before we can go to heaven, we have a work to do. Ellen White says this work is never going to be finished by ministers alone. The whole church must be involved in the outreach. All should have the experience and joy of being part of someone’s conversion story and witness them giving their lives to Jesus.

Ellen White wrote, “The plan of holding Bible readings was a heaven-born idea. There are many, both men and women, who can engage in this branch of missionary labor. … He will crown with success every humble effort made in His name.” Gospel Workers, 339.

Pray about getting involved. We all need to be involved in some kind of outreach. There are many resources that can be used for Bible studies but the best one is the one you understand yourself.

[All emphasis supplied.]

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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.

Editorial – The Abomination of Desolation

by

One of the major themes of the book of Daniel (chapters 8:10–13; 9:26, 27; 11:29–35; 12:8–13) is the abomination of desolation. Jesus told His disciples to understand what it meant when Daniel said it would stand where it should not (Mark 13) or in the Holy Place (Matthew 24).

Adventists have understood this abomination as referring to events in past history—the destruction of Jerusalem and His church being trampled for 42 months—but it also refers to events in the future. See the following quotes by Ellen White:

“As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 464, 465.

“Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. … He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty which have been accurately described in the vision of John. …

“There was one object before the praying ones—the final and eternal salvation of their souls. This object was before them constantly—that immortal life was promised to those who endure unto the end. Oh, how earnest and fervent had been their desires. The judgment and eternity were in view. Their eyes by faith were fixed on the blazing throne, before which the white-robed ones were to stand. This restrained them from the indulgence of sin.” Last Day Events, 164, 165.

“One effort more, and then Satan’s last device is employed. He hears the unceasing cry for Christ to come, for Christ to deliver them. This last strategy is to personate Christ, and make them think their prayers are answered.” Ibid., 165.

History to Be Repeated

by

If you have ever felt frustrated trying to help somebody who would not accept your help, or listen to your advice, you would have experienced the same problem as God. The Creator is the only One who is able to solve the problem of death; however, even He cannot solve this problem unless we are willing to listen and heed His advice.

Approximately 500 years before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, a prophecy was made concerning the events surrounding the birth and ministry of Christ. In Zechariah 9:9, it says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold your King is coming to you: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, and a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This was fulfilled as prophesied on what is today called Palm Sunday, the celebration of the day Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey.

Mark describes this event, saying, “They brought the colt to Jesus, laid their clothes on him and set him on him. And a very great multitude spread their garments on the road: others cut down branches from the trees, and spread [them] on the road.” Mark 11:7, 8. As they proceeded down the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, the multitudes began to rejoice. It says in Luke 19:37, “As he was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen.”

Triumphal entries were not new. Each time a Roman general returned from war or battle, there would be a triumphant entry into the city. Behind the victorious soldiers and the army followed the band of chained captives. These miserable creatures knew, of course, that some of them would be thrown to the lions or forced to fight as gladiators and others sold as slaves, thus it was a very mournful procession. Jesus’ happy procession, however, was unlike any procession that had been before, for the people following, were rejoicing and singing.

Many in the crowd were those who had been healed by Jesus. Some could have said, “I was blind until Jesus came, but now I can see.” Others could have said, “I was deaf until Jesus came, and now I can hear,” and still others might have said, “I had leprosy and I was ostracized and quarantined until Jesus came, and now I am whole.” Some of those who walked and rejoiced with the crowd might have been paralyzed before being healed by Jesus. There was even one in the crowd who could say, “I was dead and buried for four days in a cave, but Jesus came and now here I am alive and rejoicing.” There were also people in that crowd who were able to say, “I was under the control of demons; I had no control over my appetite or my passions, until Jesus came and set me free.” Remembrance of all of these wonderful things that had happened gave each and every one a reason to rejoice.

As the joyous procession approached the city, all eyes turned toward the beautiful temple with its walls of white marble, with its gold and precious stones blazing in the sunlight. The beauty of this scene was impressive; thus it was with great amazement that they turned to Jesus and saw that He was weeping.

This was a time of rejoicing, yet there was Jesus, the Majesty of Heaven, weeping at the sight of Jerusalem and the beautiful temple. In Luke 19:41–44, it says, “As he drew near, he saw the city, and wept over it, Saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! but now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, and close you in on every side, And level you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another: because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Everybody rejoiced, but Jesus, knowing both past and future, wept for the people who would be destroyed with Jerusalem 39 years later.

Jerusalem was the city that had been honored by God above every other place in the world. For ages, God’s prophets had uttered messages of warning to this city. It was in this city where priests had waved their censors and a cloud of incense had risen with the prayers of the worshippers and ascended before the God of heaven. It was in this city that the blood of thousands of slain lambs had been offered, pointing forward to the real sacrifice of the Lamb of God who would later come. It was in the temple in this city where Jehovah had revealed His presence in the Shekinah glory above the mercy seat. There in the heart of God’s chosen people, was represented the base of the mystic ladder dreamed of by Jacob and spoken of by Jesus, the ladder which connects the human race into the holiest of all.

Jeremiah had pleaded with the people to heed his warning, promising that if they changed their rebellious ways, Jerusalem could avoid destruction and stand forever. “Thus says the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they did not obey, nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. And it shall be, if you diligently heed me, says the Lord, to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work in it; Then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever. And they shall come from the cities of Jerusalem, and from the places around.” Jeremiah 17:21–26.

Jeremiah goes on to say, “But if you will not heed me to hallow the sabbath day, such as not carry any heavy burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” Verse 27.

The Old Testament records a history of backsliding and rebellion on the part of the Jewish nation. They continually resisted Heaven’s privileges and grace and slighted the opportunities repeatedly offered to them.

“They mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.” II Chronicles 36:16.

Finally, after sending many prophets and messengers, God sent the Majesty of heaven. All of heaven was poured out upon this world in the gift of His Son. For over three years Jesus pleaded with the impenitent city trying to save them from destruction, but they would not listen. Jesus went about doing good, healing the sick and all who were oppressed by the devil. He passed through villages healing the sick and giving hope to the hopeless. His mission was to “Bind up the brokenhearted, to set at liberty those that were bound, to restore the sight of those that were blind, to cause the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear, to cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead, and to preach the gospel to the poor.” See Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18; Matthew 15:31. His gracious invitation to all was the same, “Come unto me, all of you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

His love and good deeds were rewarded with evil and hatred, but He steadfastly pursued His mission of mercy, never rejecting any who sought His grace. Waves of mercy were beaten back by stubborn hearts, and Israel turned from her best Friend and only helper. He was the only One who could save her from destruction. But the pleadings of His love were despised. His counsels were spurned. His warnings were ridiculed. Today also, the hour of hope and pardon is temporary, and if we do not accept the invitation of mercy while it is still available, then, like Jerusalem, we can only receive the just consequences of our deeds.

God’s long deferred wrath against Jerusalem was about to be fulfilled. A cloud had been gathering over the city through ages of apostasy and rebellion and now it was about to burst upon a guilty people. The only one who could save them from the impending destruction was the one person to whom they would not listen. His warnings and invitations had been slighted and abused. He was rejected, and would soon be crucified. In less than a week, when Christ would hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God, would be over.

The loss of even one soul is priceless in the eyes of God, but here was the whole nation of Israel about to be destroyed. Prophets wept over this vision, “O that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” He continues, “But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for [your] pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.” Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17.

The Messiah Himself knew what the consequence of their rejection of mercy and truth would be, prophetically seeing the walls surrounded by an enemy army. He heard the tread of armies being marshaled to war and the voice of mothers and children crying for bread. He saw the temple and all the beautiful houses and structures around it destroyed, until not one stone was left upon another. He saw the holy city leveled in total destruction.

Looking through the ages, He also saw the covenant people scattered in every land like wrecks on a desert shore. In the temporal retribution about to fall on the children of Israel, He saw but the first draft from that cup of wrath which, at the final judgment, will be completely drained. Divine pity and yearning love found utterance in the mournful words, “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! See, your house is left to you desolate.” Luke 13:34, 35, first part.

There is no other God, no other person, no other intelligence or power that can give you eternal life except Jesus Christ. “The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” I John 5:12.

Jesus also saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the entire world at the end of time, hardened in unbelief and rebellion, rushing to meet the judgments of God. He also saw the record of sin, human misery, tears and blood, and in His infinite pity for an afflicted human race, He yearned to relieve them. But even He could not turn back the tide of human suffering because few would seek Him, the only Source of help.

He was willing to pour out His soul unto death to make salvation possible, but few would accept Him and His gift of eternal life, so the Majesty of heaven was in tears. The Son of the infinite God was troubled in spirit, and bowed down with anguish revealing to us the exceeding sinfulness of sin. This demonstrates how difficult a matter it is for even infinite power to save the guilty from the consequences of breaking the law of God.

Jesus saw the world in the last generation in a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ. The great sin of the Christian world in the last generation would be their rejection of the law of God, the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. In the last days, the precepts of God would be despised and set at nought, and millions of human beings in bondage to sin, doomed to suffer the second death as slaves of Satan, would refuse to listen to the words of truth.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus predicted what would happen to a large portion of the Christian world in the final day of judgment.

“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? cast out demons in your name? and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:21, 23.

Jesus predicted that the last days would be a time of great lawlessness, a time when people were breaking the law of God, even professed Christians. Revelation 12:17 says, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” John also says, “Blessed [are] those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14.

Speaking to Christians many decades after the crucifixion, the apostle James points out that it is not sufficient to respect only that part of the law of God which we find convenient. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is guilty of all. For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so do, as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:10–12. God’s law is the standard of the judgment revealing which spirit controls our lives, be it the Holy Spirit or some other spirit.

The Jews made a great mistake in rejecting Jesus Christ and have been suffering the consequences of their actions throughout the centuries. The great mistake of the Christian world in the last days will be the rejection of the law of God.

“If you keep the whole law, but you offend in one [point], you are guilty of all.” James 2:10.

Be ready, for you know not the day of your visitation.

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.

The Faith of Isaiah

by

It was “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isaiah 6:1) that Isaiah had his first vision. It was a time of great discouragement and dark forebodings and Isaiah shrank from the task before him, for it seemed so utterly hopeless. Judah was fast following in the footsteps of Israel, and who could stop them? If Hosea and Amos had not been able to hold Israel in check, how could anything be done to save Judah? What Judah needed was a prophet that would stir the conscience of the people and rouse them from their lethargy, preparing them for the crisis before them. And Isaiah was very doubtful that he was the man. In fact, he felt that he was not. He was “undone.” Isaiah 6:5.

He had evidently gone up to worship, when suddenly the vision rose before him. The Lord was seen sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. The seraphim, a high order of angels, cried, “Holy, holy, holy.” The foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of the angels, and the house filled with the smoke of incense. At the sight of it Isaiah cried out in anguish, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5.

This vision was the great decisive event in Isaiah’s history. It settled his career, his destiny. Henceforth men could not intimidate him. He had seen the Lord. His lips had been touched with coals from off the altar. From now on they were to be dedicated wholly to the Lord. “Holy, holy, holy,” would ever ring in the prophet’s ears. He had “seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

As the live coal was laid on Isaiah’s mouth, the wonderful words were spoken, “Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Verse 7. For the first time Isaiah heard the Lord’s voice and He asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” With exalted joy as well as deep humility Isaiah answers, “Here am I,” and then prays, “Send me.” The answer comes back immediately, “Go.” Verses 8, 9.

Before this vision, Isaiah had shrunk from the responsibility that would be his should he accept the call to be the Lord’s messenger. After he had seen the Lord, he willingly offered himself for service. The Lord now instructs him what to say to the people, plainly telling him that they will neither understand nor accept his message. As Isaiah doubtless is wondering as to the use of preaching to such a people and how long he should continue, the Lord tells him to persevere as long as there are any people left, until the land is “utterly desolate.” Verse 11. His work was not to be entirely fruitless. There shall be left “a tenth” (verse 13), which should be as the stump of a sturdy oak that still retains its life and will survive. Those that were thus left were to be called the “holy seed.”

It is interesting to note how Isaiah, all through his ministry, clings to the thought of the remnant who shall survive. His work was not to be a complete failure. God Himself had said there would be a remnant. This thought buoyed him up, and he reverts to it again and again all through his book.

Lessons for Today

The year that King Uzziah died was not an ordinary year to Isaiah. The experience which Isaiah had that day in the temple left such a deep impression upon him, that it was ever fresh in his mind. It is well for us to remember God’s mercy and recall His blessings. “Would it not be well for us to observe holidays unto God, when we could revive in our minds the memory of His dealing with us? Would it not be well to consider His past blessings, to remember the impressive warnings that have come home to our souls, so that we shall not forget God?” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 343.

“I saw also the Lord.” When Isaiah saw the Lord, it was more than His form or appearance. He saw His holiness, His character, and he received cleansing as well as forgiveness, a commission as well as a vision. We too should thus see the Lord.

It says of the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2, “He covered his face.” Reverence is fast disappearing from the hearts of men. Reverence for holy things, for the Sabbath, for the house of God, for those in authority in the church and in the state, for virtue, for the word of God, for the law—how little of it is found today! Yet, true religion must be founded on reverence, or it is not religion.

“Holy, holy, holy.” Isaiah 6:3. In its original derivation the Hebrew word “holy” means “separate, apart from, distinct.” Holiness is the central virtue in God’s character that includes all others. God is love, light, goodness, and all His other separate characteristics, but the one inclusive trait is “holiness.” Without holiness no man can see Him. Stainless holiness, perfect purity, utter and eternal hostility to every shade and taint of sin—that is God’s character.

“Woe is me.” Isaiah 6:5. The immediate effect upon Isaiah seeing God was a profound sense of his own unfitness. “Woe is me,” he cried. He that has seen God has also seen himself, and he that has not seen himself has not seen God. Whoever trusts his own righteousness thereby proclaims to the world that he has seen neither God nor himself—that he is blind.

“Unclean lips.” Isaiah 6:5. Unclean lips reveal an unclean heart. Cleanse the heart, and the lips will be clean. May God keep us from suggestive, slangy phrases, indelicate stories, ribald songs, unseemly jokes, undue familiarity! “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isaiah 52:11.

“Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Isaiah 6:7. Here fire is used as the cleansing agency. (Numbers 31:23.) It is possible, then, to come in contact with the fire of divine holiness, and live. (Isaiah 33:14.) But would Isaiah have lived had he not accepted the cleansing?

“Whom shall I send?” Isaiah 6:8. The Lord did not directly ask Isaiah to go. He asked a question that gave Isaiah a chance to volunteer. That is the way of the Lord. Had He said: “Isaiah, will you go?” the privilege of offering himself would not have been so complete and free. How considerate the Lord is!

“Who will go for us?” Not, “Who will go?” but, “Who will go for us” Some may offer to go for the adventure, or for the glory, or for the pay. “Who will go for us”—for the Lord?

“Ears heavy.” Isaiah 6:10. It is a sad fact that the rejection of truth renders the mental, moral, and spiritual conditions of those who reject it worse than before. Those who accept the truth rejoice in it. But the same truth will make harder the heart of those who reject it, and cause them to shut their eyes and close their ears.

“Lord, how long?” Isaiah 6:11. What is the use of preaching if men do not accept? May we not consider the work finished when we have gone over the ground once and men have “rejected” the truth? It is well to remember that sometimes when we think men have rejected the truth, they have not really rejected it, but only our presentation of it. Such may later accept it when presented with more spiritual power. “How long?” Never give up. As long as there is an inhabitant left, keep on working. It may seem that the results are meager, but God has a remnant.

“A tenth.” Isaiah 6:13. Even as the tithe belongs to the Lord, so the Lord has a “holy seed.” Do not conclude from this that just “a tenth” will be saved. Even if so, “a tenth” of what? The stress is rather on the fact that the Lord has a remnant, and that they are holy as the tithe is holy.

Taken from the book, Isaiah The Gospel Prophet by M.L. Andreasen (1928).

Urgency of the Times

by

Oh Lord, wake us up. I think of the verse, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. Where is our faith? Do you know what faith is? “Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing—the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means, not the end.” In Heavenly Places, 104.

I Peter 1:7 says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” The trial of my faith—the trial of my eyes seeing, my ears hearing, my feet running, my hand grasping, be found unto praise and honor and glory, that all I do be found to give glory to God.

Trial means the conflict between truth and error. This is the foundation of trials. That everything I do—everything I see, everything I hear, everything my hand grasps is on trial. It is choosing between truth and error, choosing between the God of heaven or the god of this earth. And the path that my feet run either gives glory to God or it gives glory to the devil. In other words, are the things you are doing reflecting Christ’s character or Satan’s character. There is always one statement that sticks in my mind every time I talk about character. Let’s read it:

“The greatest insult we can inflict upon Him, is to pretend to be His disciples while manifesting the spirit of Satan in our words, our dispositions and our actions.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, 1160.

I remember learning a few years ago that it is the thoughts and the feelings which make up the moral character. After learning that, I began to be very careful about what I was thinking and what feelings my thoughts were generating. I even scared myself sometimes when my thoughts and feelings were not Christlike. We all know that all of our actions begin with the thoughts first. So I started training myself to think on heavenly things. It is world amazing how many worldly thoughts and feelings we can bypass if we learn to redirect our thoughts in the right away. The devil just hates that too. I came to understand more and more Philippians 2:12 which tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. To me it meant to watch my every thought and action. If it did not reflect Christ, I would immediately redirect my thoughts heavenward. Philippians 4:8 is an excellent guideline on what things to think on.

We need to pray daily for God’s grace—the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life. God’s grace makes all things possible. God’s grace lifts our hearts heavenward.

“The greatest insult we can inflict upon Christ is to pretend to be His disciples while manifesting the spirit of Satan in our words, our dispositions, and our actions.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, 1160.

Faith is the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. What is your eye seeing? What is your ear listening to? What path are your feet running on? What is your hand doing? Are all of these senses reflecting your Lord or His enemy, Satan?

“Satan, who was once an honored angel in heaven, had been ambitious for the more exalted honors which God had bestowed upon His Son. He became envious of Christ, and represented to the angels, who honored him as covering cherub, that he had not the honor conferred upon him which his position demanded. He asserted that he should be exalted equal in honor with Christ. Satan obtained sympathizers. Angels in heaven joined him in his rebellion, and fell with their leader from their high and holy estate, and were therefore expelled from heaven with him.” Confrontation, 9.

This world is made up of competition. People are happy as long as things go their way, but get angry and resentful when things do not. This is not a desirable characteristic.

Our faith includes our character and whomever that character reflects. If we are representing the god of this world, Satan, then we will be smooth sailing for a little while right here because we will just blend in with everybody else and all will seem well.

Have you had any trials lately? Are you so like the world that there is no more peculiarity in you that shows that your citizenship is in heaven? Do we so blend in that nobody can tell the difference? Are we really Protestants (protestors)? Are you protesting in your own heart the devil’s way and his character? That is where everything begins. Jesus says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19. All these have to do with our characters. The greatest insult is to “pretend to be His disciples while manifesting the spirit of Satan in our words, our dispositions and our actions.” This is talking about character. He wants you and me to reflect His character in our life. That is, to reflect Him in everything our eyes see, our ears hear, where our feet run, and everything our hands grasp. That is living faith.

This is a wonderful thought! What a fellowship with our Lord and with each other when we all reflect that same wonderful heavenly character. But we must begin cultivating that character right here and right now. This is done by spending time in the school of Christ, by cultivating the soil that is in our hearts, one day at a time. We are told: “By taking one step after another, the highest ascent may be climbed and the summit of the mount may be reached at last. Do not become overwhelmed with the great amount of work you must do in your lifetime, for you are not required to do it all at once. Let every power of your being go to each day’s work, improve each precious opportunity, appreciate the helps that God gives you, and make advancement up the ladder of progress step by step. Remember that you are to live but one day at a time, that God has given you one day, and heavenly records will show how you have valued its privileges and opportunities. May you so improve every day given you of God that at last you may hear the Master say, ‘Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant.’ Matthew 25:21.” Mind, Character, and Personality, Book 2, 554.

If you try to walk on the middle of the fence, imitating the character of the god of this world and the character of Christ simultaneously, you will be most miserable. That is being double-minded. “While professing to be Christians, many have the mold of the world upon them and their affections are not set upon God.” The Youth’s Instructor, February 8, 1894. Either you are Christlike, or you are not.

Studying to prepare your character to reflect Christ’s character leads right into the Three Angels’ Messages. Revelation 14:7 says, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” We give glory to God by reflecting His character in all areas of our lives. It goes right back to faith, what our eyes see, what our ears hear, where our feet run, what our hand grasps. It is either for good or evil. It is our lives, our living from moment to moment, what we see, or choose to see, what we hear, or choose to hear, the feet that run, the hand that grasps, and to do all to the glory of God.

Have you taken the time to review and study Revelation 14 lately? How long has it been? Yes, we all think we know it all and have heard it all, but have we? Have you read or studied Matthew 22 or Matthew 25 lately? Did you know there is a relationship between Matthew 22:11 and Matthew 25:3? Have you read the chapter in Christ’s Object Lessons which will help you to understand Matthew 22:1–14? Identify the character traits in each of these studies and then you will understand why our character preparation is so important and what it has to do with our faith. Let the Holy Spirit guide you through these most wonderful studies and you will be led to the book of Revelation and to The Great Controversy. Our Lord is waiting to pour His Spirit upon you but you must come into His presence. Take time to receive the blessings. Take time to learn in the school of Christ and to cultivate Christlike characters.

The apostle says that “in the last days perilous times shall come.” II Timothy 3:1. Paul then gives a startling list of sins that will be found among those who have a form of godliness. There is need for self-examination as we may be startled at what is truly in our hearts. It is time to cultivate good habits now.

“As the time of their probation was closing, the antediluvians gave themselves up to exciting amusements and festivities.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 103. What are we doing with our time? Amusements, movies, and cares of this world are closing our eyes to what is coming upon this earth. We are getting drowsy.

“Christ specified the things that are dangerous to the soul. As recorded by Mark, He mentions the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. Luke specifies the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. These are what choke the word, the growing spiritual seed. The soul ceases to draw nourishment from Christ, and spirituality dies out of the heart.

“ ‘The cares of this world.’ No class is free from the temptation to worldly care.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 51.

It is the worldly cares that draw us away from the school of Christ where we find peace. It is only in His presence can we be saved from the whirlwind blowing around us.

Open your Bible right now and read about the sower and the seed. You will find the story in Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23; Mark 4:1–20, and Luke 8:4–15. Also read the chapter in Christ’s Object Lessons beginning at page 33. Did you know that the seed which fell on stony places was scorched when the sun came up and withered away because there was no deepness of earth and it had no root. This parable fits in with the foolish virgins in Matthew 25 and with the persons who built their house on the sand, as Jesus shared with us in Matthew 7:24–27. “Each Gospel is a supplement to the others, every prophecy an explanation of another, every truth a development of some other truth.” Education 123, 124.

There is so much that the Lord wants to show us if we will just take the time in His school. Move away from the television movies and all of the cares of this world, sit at the feet of Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. Let your heart burn within you and let new life flow into those dried bones as spoken about in Ezekiel 37. Let Christ’s character flow out and influence others around you. Don’t allow the devil, the god of this world, to drown you in the cares of this world or the sleep of amusements and television. Wake up! Everybody is invited to attend the school of Christ, but only a few attend.

“The power of godliness has almost ceased to be in our churches. And why is this? The Lord is still waiting to be gracious; He has not closed the windows of heaven. We have separated ourselves from Him.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 167.

Which school are you attending? Which character are you building? Send up the prayer in Psalm 139:23, 24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Judy Hallingstad is part of our LandMarks team. She can be contacted by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

The Power of Christ’s Healing Love

by

Have you ever been hurt to such a degree that you act and make decisions without considering the possible results or outcome? Many people, amazingly even Christians, have fallen into such predicaments. I recently met a young lady who found herself in such a situation. As I made my way down the hillside on the way home, I saw a young woman walking toward the main road and offered her a ride. We began chatting in the car and she told me she was on her way to the local Catholic Church. As it was the Sabbath day, I had expected her to say she was going to a Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we began to talk about the difference between the two religions. As the conversation progressed I learned that she had, at one time, been a Seventh-day Adventist but had renounced Adventism after a disappointment suffered at the hands of the church where she had been a member. Her grandmother had become sick and no one from the church where she was a member, and regular attendee, made the effort to go and visit her. As she related the story to me, I could see the hurt still reflected in her teary eyes and I could hear the pain and disappointment in her voice! This had been the turning point in her life, and as a result, she explained, her Sabbath was now Sunday, and she felt happy and accepted by her Catholic church family.

What Cecile experienced transcended pain, it was caused by a lack of Christ’s divine love on the part of her church, and as a consequence of their behavior she responded out of the depth of her hurt. She had chosen the path of alienation, separation and rejection in response to what she had received.

It is a human response to withhold our love and shut ourselves away from those who hurt us, when instead, we should base our behavior on that of our Lord Jesus. He, our example in all things, never withheld his affection and love even from those who offended or hurt him.

“To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in all places, by kind words and pleasant looks. These cost those who give them nothing, but they leave behind a fragrance that surrounds the soul. The effect can never be estimated. Not only are they a blessing to the receiver, but to the giver; for they react upon him. Genuine love is a precious attribute of heavenly origin, which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed to others.” Letters to Young Lovers, 16.

“Christ’s love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to all who will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. In this heaven-born love is an abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those we hold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to perform deeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us to sympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy.” Ibid., 17.

While we should not needlessly expose ourselves to danger, at the same time we should not withhold our love from our enemies or from those who hurt us. We must remember that it is divine to continue giving of ourselves and our love to those who have hurt us. To love as Christ loved, this is our challenge as Christians and as a church. In the words of William Penn, Founder of the State of Pennsylvania, we are reminded that, “Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it.” The New Dictionary of Thought, 375.

We may direct our minds to Him who has suffered more hurt than any mortal has or will ever suffer, for “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” Isaiah 53:5. The Bible shows that “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3. Incredibly, in spite of the hurt, wounds, pain, tears, rejection and lack of love that we as humans demonstrate to Jesus, our beloved Savior continues to remind us, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.

It is no wonder George Matheson, the hymn writer, exclaimed, “O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee.” It is no wonder Horatius Bonar penned these words, “O love of God, How strong and true! Eternal and yet ever new, uncomprehended and unbought, beyond all knowledge and all thought. O love of God, how deep and great, far deeper than man’s deepest hate; self-fed, self-kindled like the light, changeless, eternal, infinite. We read Thee best in Him who came to bear for us the cross of shame; sent by the Father from on high, our life to live, our death to die.”

Compared to the love God has shown us, our profession of Christianity and love for each other can only ever be a superficial and shallow representation. We must have Christ’s love reflected in us in order to share the hope of salvation with the world.

The Vulnerability of Love

True godly love is vulnerable and is always seeking for restoration and reconciliation. Yet, through the words of the English poet Martin Tupper, it can be seen that in spite of its vulnerability, “Love is the weapon which Omnipotence reserved to conquer rebel man when all the rest had failed. … There is not one human in a million, nor a thousand men in all earth’s huge quintillion whose clay heart is hardened against love.” Even while suffering on the cross Jesus demonstrated his Godly love and forgiveness in His prayer to His Father asking Him to forgive those who had bitterly hurt Him. He never stopped loving. He was able to continue loving in the face of hostility and antagonism because the love which he possessed, and which we as Christians should possess, is not earthly nor human, but God’s divine love shining through us. Human love is conditional, but the love of God survives in the face of rejection and allows us to continue loving even those who hurt us. “Love is of God. The unconverted heart cannot originate nor produce this plant of heavenly growth, which lives and flourishes only where Christ reigns.” Testimonies, vol 2, 135.

It is easy, as Christians, to use the excuse of having been hurt so badly and so often and draw into ourselves and forget about people as a way of dealing with challenges, instead of taking the example of Christ. Did Jesus stop loving those who had hurt him? The apostle Paul answers, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.” Romans 13:8. He further counsels, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21. The Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Antonius said, “It is the duty of men to love even those who injure them.” The New Dictionary of Thought, 375. Through the example Jesus gave us through His life on earth, we are shown that all men are entitled to our love, even those who are not our friends and those who hurt us.

Christ’s Principles of Love

We can examine two important aspects of Christlike love from the perspective of Jesus’ life. He suffered the most painful and humiliating treatment that could be inflicted on a human, and in spite of it all He was able to love His tormenters. In the first place His love builds a wall that surrounds the soul, and secondly His love has a healing power.

When we let the wall of Christ’s love surround our soul, it protects us from human pain and gives us the power to love and forgive those who hurt us. Speaking of this divine love, the wise man declares, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Song of Solomon 2:4. From the pen of inspiration we read that, “The souls of those who love Jesus will be surrounded with a pure, fragrant atmosphere.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 34.

Ellen White also tells us, “The activity of Satan’s army, the danger that surrounds the human soul, calls for the energies of every worker. But no compulsion shall be exercised. Man’s depravity is to be met by the love, the patience, the long-suffering of God.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 237. The love of God which surrounds the soul forms a bulwark, a defense which neutralizes Satan’s negative elements that bombard the soul, thus allowing us to find peace in Christ. “Everyone who truly loves God will have the spirit of Christ and a fervent love for his brethren. The more a person’s heart is in communion with God, and the more his affections are centered in Christ, the less will he be disturbed by the roughness and hardships he meets in this life.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 483, 484. This was the love that Christ lived and demonstrated in His time on earth. His divine love preserves the soul through the storms and crises that may arise on our spiritual journey, giving us the strength to face negative people and situations. It surrounds the soul as a wall of protection against human pain and damage allowing us to love the offender and pray as Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. When this divine principle is implemented in our lives, it is impossible to seek revenge because it is a love that neutralizes every ugly, evil, and satanic thing which threatens the soul. Ellen White tells us, “The heart in which love rules will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self-love would deem unbearable.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 168, 169. When we learn to love as Christ loved, we are strengthened through Him and able to respond with love to those whose hurtful deeds attack us in the Devil’s attempt at discouragement.

Love’s healing power kept Christ in health of body, mind and spirit even though, “There was never one who walked among men more cruelly slandered than the Son of man. He was derided and mocked because of His unswerving obedience to the principles of God’s holy law. They hated Him without a cause. Yet He stood calmly before His enemies, declaring that reproach is a part of the Christian’s legacy, counseling His followers how to meet the arrows of malice, bidding them not to faint under persecution.

While slander may blacken the reputation, it cannot stain the character. That is in God’s keeping. So long as we do not consent to sin, there is no power, whether human or satanic, that can bring a stain upon the soul. A man whose heart is stayed upon God is just the same in the hour of his most afflicting trials and most discouraging surroundings as when he was in prosperity, when the light and favor of God seemed to be upon him. His words, his motives, his actions, may be misrepresented and falsified, but he does not mind it, because he has greater interests at stake. Like Moses, he endures as ‘seeing him who is invisible.’ ” Reflecting Christ, 366.

Divine love has the power to preserve and heal the one who possesses it, and this is how Christ was preserved in spite of all the hurt and rejection he sustained while on earth. He was daily vitalized by this plant of heavenly origin by being in constant connection with His Father—the source of true love. Ellen White says, “Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only he in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul.

“Love’s agencies have wonderful power, for they are divine. The soft answer that ‘turneth away wrath,’ the love that ‘suffereth long, and is kind,’ the charity that ‘covereth a multitude of sins’ (Proverbs 15:1; I Corinthians 13:4, R.V.; I Peter 4:8, R.V.)—would we learn the lesson, with what power for healing would our lives be gifted! How life would be transformed, and the earth become a very likeness and foretaste of heaven!” Education, 114.

God shows us that as we connect ourselves to him through surrender to Jesus Christ, we are endowed with divine love—the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This divine principle preserves and heals us from the evils that encompass our soul, keeping us focused on His love, and in turn allowing us to love even our enemies. This love towards our enemies and those who have hurt us also provides healing for them in the way David says: “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3. “The law of the Lord [is] perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7. “The word employed, (converting) Meshibah, (Psalm 19:7) is used of restoring from disorder and decay, from sorrow and affliction, from death. The Law, by instructing men, restores them from moral blindness to the light which is theirs by nature, and, as a further consequence, in many cases, restores them from sin to righteousness.” Pulpit Commentary, vol. 8, 129.

When asked which of the commandments was the greatest, the Savior clearly showed us that the foundation of the law is love, saying, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40. Jesus also states in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” In the keeping of the commandments we connect to a continual supply of the medicine of God’s divine love.

In the words of Ellen White, “When the gospel is received in its purity and power, it is a cure for the maladies that originated in sin. The Sun of Righteousness arises, ‘with healing in His wings.’ Malachi 4:2. Not all this world bestows can heal a broken heart, or impart peace of mind, or remove care, or banish disease. Fame, genius, talent—all are powerless to gladden the sorrowful heart or to restore the wasted life. The life of God in the soul is man’s only hope.

“The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy,—joy in the Holy Spirit,—health-giving, life-giving joy.” Ministry of Healing, 115. Christ was constantly healed by the power of God’s love and when we surrender fully and completely to him, we too will receive the vitalizing energy that can heal us from the buffeting of man and demons.

Love’s Forgiveness

The principle of forgiveness is embedded in divine love and is fully exemplified by God the Father and Jesus Christ. God made a covenant with humanity in order to forgive us—the offenders. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. This covenant of forgiveness is possible only through divine love. No human being can ever, or will ever, forgive another human being without having first experienced the love of God. If we have not fully surrendered to Christ in acceptance of the love He offers, we are not able to follow His example and forgive those who have hurt or offended us. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34. Consequently, what we see displayed by the brethren in church, at home, and at work is love controlled by our human limits; a love that flourishes until one is hurt and then changes into resentment, anger and bitterness. Divine love is a wall that protects us from the toxic elements of sin so that they cannot harm the soul and makes forgiveness a joy and a delight. “Love is the fruit that is borne on the Christian tree, the fruit that is as the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 187.

This love protects the soul no matter how deep the wound, and prevents us from displaying unchristlike qualities. As human beings it is to be expected that we sometimes feel pain and sadness, yet by demonstrating the love of Christ through tribulation, we become divine agents for positive spiritual change in the lives of fellow human beings. The Holy Spirit supervises this process of transformation, thus establishing reconciliation between man and God, as well as between man and man.

A New Commandment

In His words to the disciples Jesus says to us, “A new commandment I give unto you.” John 13:34. “Why was this called ‘a new commandment’? The disciples had not loved one another as Christ had loved them. They had not yet seen the fullness of the love that He was to reveal in man’s behalf. They were yet to see Him dying on the cross for their sins. Through His life and death they were to receive a new conception of love. The command to ‘love one another’ was to gain a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. In the light shining from the cross of Calvary they were to read the meaning of the words, ‘As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ ” The Review and Herald, June 30, 1910.

In conclusion we read the words of the disciple, John,

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” I John 4:7–12.

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-822-3900.

Our Eternal Hope

by

Death is something that many people do not like to think about and often a subject of discomfort. However, as Christians, God gives us the hope of another life much better than what we can ever have in this world, and He wants us to recognize the misconceptions about death that are so prominently believed in the world. The Bible says that at the end of time almost the entire world will be deceived and will be led captive by the devil and end up worshipping evil spirits because of their lack of understanding about death. A true understanding of the issue will help us to reinforce our hope of eternal life and be ready when Jesus returns.

Working in a medical institution, one cannot help but be around death. One day a lady was brought into the emergency room shaking with fever and in terrible pain. They tried to monitor what was going on but she got worse. One of the things we were afraid of was what was happening with her heart and blood pressure. Her blood pressure was dropping and she began feeling very light-headed, and began wondering what was happening. She felt like she was slipping out of her body and in a few moments it seemed as if she was floating around near the ceiling looking down at her body. She later reported that while she was in this condition she saw a light, and it felt like she was in the presence of somebody. She said, “I began to feel the most incredibly warm and loving feeling. There was a light and I felt a presence in the light.”

There are many similar reports of near death experiences. Books sold about this subject reach best seller status. People are fascinated by the mystery and by personal accounts of the sensation of leaving one’s body.

But the reality is that people who have had these experiences never actually died. It is very important to remember that they were very near death, but they did not die. Many near death experiences resemble hallucinations. This type of sensation can be brought on, not only as a result of a person being near death and perhaps losing a realistic perspective, but also as an effect of certain drugs, chemicals, or substances.

In an article in the Saturday Evening Post, November 2, 1963, about drugs and out of the body experiences, Timothy Leary stated, “After eating certain Mexican mushrooms I realized that I had died, that I could look back and see my body in bed.” He had not really died, but when he came out of that experience, he reported that the out of body sensation had been very real and he had felt like he had died.

In his book, The Doors of Perception, Aldus Huxley states: “After taking Mescaline my body seemed to have disassociated itself almost completely from my mind. It was odd, of course, to feel that I was not the same as these arms and legs out there.” He felt disassociated from his body with his mind in a different place. Some people who have lived through similar experiences have suffered permanent brain damage or severe memory loss.

In an experiment conducted to investigate the hallucinative effects of external substances, Dr. Lodiscus Maduna gave his subject a dosage of 30% carbon dioxide and 70% oxygen. 100% carbon dioxide would be fatal, but after receiving the 30% dosage, the subject stated: “I felt as though I was looking down at myself, as though I was way out in space. I felt sort of separated.” As in the previously mentioned case, her blood pressure had dropped drastically and her brain was suffering from oxygen deprivation. She lived through a near death experience, but she did not die.

One can find many similar accounts which occurred as a result of eating a toxic substance or taking drugs, either for personal use or as part of a scientific experiment. This type of experiment is very dangerous, and may result in permanent damage to the person.

The most important aspect of these out of body or near death experiences is that they contradict what Scripture says about death. There are no scriptural accounts of people experiencing the presence of light in or close to death. The Bible says that when a man goes down to the grave, he does not return. (Job 7:9.) That does not mean he will never return to life again. Job 14:12 says, “They lay down and they will sleep and they will not stop their sleep, their sleeping will not stop until the heavens [be] no more.” Here Job refers to Jesus’ Second Coming at the end of the world. Job believed that he would be raised again at the Second Coming, but until that time should happen, he would not return, neither would he go back to his house. He also says, “When a few years are come, then I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.” Job 16:22.

When a person enters the coffin, they will not come out unless they are resurrected. One of the most wonderful things about the gospel is that the God of heaven loves you and me. He “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish.” John 3:16.

Those who do not believe in Jesus will perish. This world does not guarantee everlasting life or immortality. Our worldly destiny is death, but we have a Friend who loved us so much that He paid the price for our sins and offered the free gift of eternal life to all who accept it.

Many accounts of near death experiences are frightfully similar to what Spiritualism teaches. Spiritualism claims that the dead are not really dead. In his book, Spiritualism, History, Phenomenon and Doctrine, J. Arthur Hill discusses the fundamental principle of Spiritualism and the idea that human beings survive bodily death and that sometimes the living are able to communicate with those who have gone before. According to Hill, Spiritualism claims that the dead communicate with the living.

This is a frightful teaching, because when the living think they are communicating with the dead, they are, as the Bible teaches, not really communicating with those who have passed away, but with evil spirits. A Spiritualist once said that there is no death in the grave yard and that he had frequent talks with the dead and could not doubt that people live after death because he had frequently talked with them.

Adam and Eve were created to have eternal life and if they had not eaten the forbidden fruit, they would never have died. The devil’s first lie was, “You will not surely die.” Genesis 3:4. God said, “If you eat of the forbidden fruit you will die.” (Genesis 2:15–17.) The devil contradicted God when he told Eve she would not die.

Spiritualists today believe the devil’s lie. They say that the dead know more than the living. They believe that the devil told the truth and that the Lord was in error. Referring to the devil, Jesus says, “There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44.

The Bible predicts in Revelation, that evil spirits are going to deceive the whole world in the last days of earth’s history. How will this happen? The devil is now in the process of deceiving the entire world through the miracles of his evil spirits and people believe all kinds of reports. There are accounts of apparitions of the virgin Mary. Others claim to have spoken to famous men who are dead from past ages, and multitudes flock to the places where these signs or wonders have happened.

The Bible says that, “In the beginning the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7. It was not until God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils that man became a living soul. Only this combination of dust plus spirit makes man a living soul. When a person dies, the exact opposite occurs. Death is a reversal of creation. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was: and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” The Bible says, “All the while my breath [is] in me and the spirit of God [is] in my nostrils.” Job 27:3.

When a person dies, he/she stops breathing and goes into an unconscious state. The Bible says that when a person dies, his thoughts perish. “Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help. His breath goeth forth, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:3, 4. If somebody’s thoughts have perished and he/she is in an unconscious state, it is impossible to learn something from that person. You may think you are talking to that person, but you are actually communicating with an evil spirit capable of impersonating the dead perfectly in body form and tone of voice. In that way, people may be deceived into thinking that they are talking to the spirit of a dead person.

The element of earth minus breath equals a dead body. If you disconnect the electricity from a light bulb, the light will go off. The light bulb is still there but there is no spirit in it; there is no electricity in it. The breath of God also involves electricity. The electrical currents in the brain can be measured by taking an EEG. When somebody dies his/her brain wave registers flat because there is no current, and he/she is brain dead. Life support machines might be used to keep him/her breathing and maintain heartbeat, but if the EEG is flat, he/she is brain dead. The spirit is gone, so how much does he/she know? Nothing, for the Bible says, “The living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything.” Ecclesiastes 9:5. Neither do they praise the Lord. The Bible says, “The dead praise not the Lord.” Psalm 115:17. “For in death [there is] no remembrance of you: In the grave who will give you thanks?” Psalm 6:5.

I remember when I was a small child that I did not like going to bed and always wanted to stay up all the time. Once asleep, eight or ten hours can pass very quickly during which time it seems to the sleeper that only moments have passed. Time passes in the same way for a person who is sleeping in death and it will seem to them as if only moments had passed when they awake at the Second Coming. Even for someone like Abel, who has been dead for over 5,000 years, the resurrection will feel like waking from sleep.

This shows us how merciful God is. When a person dies, they no longer feel pain or experience disappointment. They do not look down from some other planet of heaven to watch their loved ones struggling and suffering. They do not have to go through any of those things again. They sleep peacefully, and in what seems like an instant, Jesus will come again and give them life.

The Bible teaches that human beings are mortal and the devil is mortal. The Bible says that “the soul that sins, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:20. The devil said, “You won’t die.” The Bible teaches that human beings are mortal. The word mortal means that you are “subject to death.” (See Job 4:17; Romans 6:12; Romans 8:11; II Corinthians 4:11.) Neither does the devil have eternal life. The Lord says He is going to destroy him and bring him to ashes. God is the only One who has immortality. The word immortality means “not subject to death.” If you follow Jesus and give your life to Him you will receive the gift of immortality when Jesus comes and you will still be alive a million years from now. You will never die and you will have a life that goes on equal with the life of God.

This is the most stupendous, marvellous gift that the Lord can give to us—the gift of eternal life when Jesus comes. Romans 2:7, and I Corinthians 15:51–55 describe how it will be when we will receive immortality.

Many churches believe that man has an immortal soul. The 19th Century English parliamentary reformer and former Prime Minister of Great Britain, William Gladstone says, “The pagan doctrine of the immortality of the soul crept in through the back door of the church.” Ancestor worship is based on the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul.

In the Garden of Eden the devil told Eve that if she ate the forbidden fruit, she would not die. She ate the forbidden fruit and died, and both Adam and Eve have been dead for about 5,000 years. The devil tried to win the argument by telling another lie and invented the pagan doctrine of immortality of the soul. The ancient Egyptian religion subscribed to the idea of immortality of the soul and the Cairo museum contains many interesting artifacts which testify to this belief. They worshiped the serpent which according to the Bible represents Satan. The symbol of the serpent was used extensively in religious ceremonies. The snake’s head decorated the front of the crowns of the pharaohs. Ancient Egyptians believed in the pagan doctrine of immortality of the soul. When their rulers died they were buried with food, boats, clothes and jewels and everything thought necessary for the afterlife.

The Babylonians continued with the belief of immortality of the soul. This pagan idea of the ancient civilizations is the same doctrine that has been carried through the ages and is still taught today by Spiritualists and Satanists who believe in immortality of the soul. This was never a belief of the Hebrew people, and a thorough search of the Scriptures shows overwhelming evidence against the idea of immortality of the soul. Old Testament Bible writers used the phrase slept, or rested with their fathers, as an expression for death. Jesus, the One who created the world and everything in it (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2) said when Lazarus died, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is asleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of taking a rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” Jesus went to Bethany to raise Lazarus and He was met by Martha who said, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Jesus answered her, “Your brother will rise again.” (John 11:11–14, 21, 23.) Neither Martha nor Jesus had the idea that Lazarus was in heaven, or hell, or anywhere else. They just knew that he was asleep—he was dead. Martha said, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Verse 24. Martha understood the state of the dead. But Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” “Take me to where he is buried. Take me to Lazarus’ tomb.” Verses 25, 34. So they went out to a cave which had a stone covering the entrance, and Jesus said to them, “Roll away the stone.” Martha said, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Verse 39.

When Jesus returns, it will not matter whether a person has been dead four minutes, four days, four years, or four thousand years, because when He speaks, they will be given life. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

One may ask about the thief on the cross. “He said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, today you shall be with me in paradise.” Luke 23: 42, 43. The problem in this verse is the punctuation, which was added hundreds of years after the Bible was written. It should read: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you today, you shall be with me in paradise.” Jesus was saying, “I am telling you today—today as we hang on these crosses—that you will be with Me in paradise.”

Even Jesus Himself did not enter paradise the Friday of his crucifixion. Jesus was resurrected three days later on Sunday morning, the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene, so distraught from grief that she did not recognize with whom she was talking, met Him the morning of His resurrection and He said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?” The Bible says she thought He was the gardener, and she said to Him, “If you have taken Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary,” and she recognized His voice and wished to embrace Him, but Jesus said to her, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” John 20:15–17.

Jesus did not go to paradise on the day of the crucifixion. Three days later when he saw Mary, He still had not ascended to His Father. He told her, “Go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.” Verse 17.

The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that everyone who believes in Christ will also be resurrected and taken to heaven at His coming. Jesus said, “I [am] he that lives and was dead: and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18.

For a non-believer, pagan, an atheist or an infidel, death is goodbye for all eternity, goodbye forever. If you are a Christian, then death is simply goodbye until we meet again. Goodbye until the resurrection morning. Paul tells us that when Jesus comes, all the dead in Christ will rise first. It is one of the most exciting things to think about.

Some years ago when my brother was alive, he was preaching about the resurrection. In the congregation was a woman who was suffering from the recent death of her baby. Even with the help of psychiatrists and counselors she had not been able to escape depression and come to terms with her loss. Life for her was unbearable, but that day she learned of the hope of being reunited with her baby, and God’s love inspired her to keep going. Jesus is coming, and for Christians, His return will be the most exciting event we have ever seen. Those who have died in Christ, will be reunited with their loved ones for all eternity.

The Bible says, “The person who has the Son has life, and the person that does not have the Son of God will not see life.” (1 John5:12.) It is that simple. There is nobody else in the whole universe who can give eternal life—only Jesus Christ. He desires to give the gift of eternal life to all those who choose to follow Him and not rebel against His government. The exciting part of this news is that we are now living in the last days and this event will soon come to pass. It is now that you and I need to be ready to meet Him.

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.