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Bible Study Guides – The Foundation of our Faith

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May 30, 2010 – June 5, 2010

Key Text

“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21.

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 66–69.

Introduction

“The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which, on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study Him, talk of Him, become more and more able to behold Him—as we avail ourselves of His grace and receive the blessings He proffers us, we have something with which to help others. Filled with gratitude, we communicate to others the blessings that have been freely given us. Thus receiving and imparting, we grow in grace; and a rich current of praise and gratitude constantly flows from our lips; the sweet spirit of Jesus kindles thanksgiving in our hearts, and our souls are uplifted with a sense of security. The unfailing, inexhaustible righteousness of Christ becomes our righteousness by faith.” My Life Today, 171.

1 Who has righteousness? II Peter 1:1; Matthew 19:17.

Note: “The Lord desires us to appreciate the great plan of redemption, to realize our high privilege as the children of God, and to walk before Him in obedience, with grateful thanksgiving. He desires us to serve Him in newness of life, with gladness every day. He longs to see gratitude welling up in our hearts because our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, because we may cast all our care upon Him who cares for us. He bids us rejoice because we are the heritage of the Lord, because the righteousness of Christ is the white robe of His saints, because we have the blessed hope of the soon coming of our Saviour.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 299.

2 How enduring is righteousness? Psalm 119:142; Isaiah 40:8; I Peter 4:11; 5:4, 10, 11.

Note: “Truths, precious, vital truths, are bound up with man’s eternal well-being both in this life and in the eternity which is opening before us. ‘Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth’ [John 17:17]. The word of God is to be practiced. The word of God liveth and endureth forever. While worldly ambition and worldly projects and the greatest plans and purposes of men shall fade like the grass, ‘they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever’ [Daniel 12:3].” Special Testimonies for Ministers and Workers, No. 9 (1897), 66.

3 What is the difference between righteousness and sin? I John 3:4, 7; Ezekiel 3:18, 21; Proverbs 12:3, 5; 11:8.

Note: “Having brought conviction of sin, and presented before the mind the standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit withdraws the affections from the things of this earth and fills the soul with a desire for holiness. ‘He will guide you into all truth’ (John 16:13), the Saviour declared. If men are willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the whole being. The Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the soul. By His power the way of life will be made so plain that none need err therein.” The Acts of the Apostles, 52, 53.

4 Do any of us have righteousness? Isaiah 64:6.

Note: “This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. ‘All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.’ Isaiah 64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God ‘was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.’ Sin is defined to be ‘the transgression of the law.’ I John 3:5, 4. But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Psalm 40:8. When on earth, He said to His disciples, ‘I have kept My Father’s commandments.’ John 15:10. By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311, 312.

5 If all our righteousness is as filthy rags, how are we going to meet Jesus without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? Ephesians 5:25; Psalms 24:5, 6; 71:2, 3; Isaiah 61:10, 11; Philippians 2:12, 13.

Note: “We cannot provide a robe of righteousness for ourselves, for the prophet says, ‘All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6). There is nothing in us from which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are to receive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness.” God’s Amazing Grace, 24.

“The Lord Jesus Christ has infinite tenderness for those whom he has purchased at the cost of his own sufferings in the flesh, that they should not perish with the devil and his angels, but that he may claim them as his chosen ones. They are the claim of his love, of his own property; and he looks upon them with unutterable affection, and the fragrance of his own righteousness he gives to his loved ones who believe in him. It requires tact and wisdom and human love, and sanctified affection for the precious lambs of the flock, to lead them to see and appreciate their privilege in yielding themselves up to the tender guidance of the faithful shepherds. The children of God will exercise the gentleness of Jesus Christ.” Christian Education, 146.

6 What do we have to do to obtain righteousness? Philippians 3:13–16; Luke 13:24.

Note: “We are to strive to enter in at the strait gate. But this gate does not swing loosely on its hinges. It will not admit doubtful characters. We must now strive for eternal life with an intensity that is proportionate to the value of the prize before us. It is not money or lands or position, but the possession of a Christlike character, that will open to us the gates of Paradise. It is not dignity, it is not intellectual attainments, that will win for us the crown of immortality. Only the meek and lowly ones, who have made God their efficiency, will receive this gift.” Christian Service, 247.

“We can never be saved in indolence and inactivity. There is no such thing as a truly converted person living a helpless, useless life. It is not possible for us to drift into heaven. No sluggard can enter there. If we do not strive to gain an entrance into the kingdom, if we do not seek earnestly to learn what constitutes its laws, we are not fitted for a part in it. Those who refuse to co-operate with God on earth would not co-operate with Him in heaven. It would not be safe to take them to heaven.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 280.

7 On what is the throne of God established? Psalms 97:1, 2; Hebrews 1:8.

Note: “In the name of Christ I would address his professed followers: Abide in the faith which you have received from the beginning. ‘Shun profane and vain babblings’ [II Timothy 2:16]. Instead of putting your trust in witchcraft, have faith in the living God. Cursed is the path that leads to Endor or to Ekron. The feet will stumble and fall that venture upon this forbidden ground. There is a God in Israel, with whom is deliverance for all who are oppressed. Righteousness is the foundation of his throne.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 115.

8 What will the people be wearing when they stand before the throne of God? Revelation 7:9, 10.

Note: “By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ’s true followers will possess. To the church it is given ‘that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,’ ‘not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’ Revelation 19:8; Ephesians 5:27. The fine linen, says the Scripture, ‘is the righteousness of saints.’ Revelation 19:8. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour. … This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 310, 311.

9 Where did these white robed people come from? Revelation 7:14.

Note: “A precious, affectionate John was an exile on the lonely Isle of Patmos, but here Jesus met with him and revealed to him events … stretching over the ages to the coming of Christ, and making known the counsel of the Lord for future ages. … He was permitted to look upon the throne of God and to behold the white-robed redeemed ones who had come out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet.” In Heavenly Places, 271.

Additional Reading

“All who are partakers of the wedding feast, the gospel feast, by this act say that they have accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. They wear His distinguishing dress. They have accepted the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Only those do honor to Christ who accept the invitation, ‘Come, for all things are now ready; come to the marriage supper of the Lamb’ [Luke 14:17]. These put on the white linen, the clean, pure character, showing that they no longer live their old citizen life that they lived in their ignorance. Their speech is changed. Their conversation is in altogether another line.” Upward Look, 304.

This quarter’s lessons were prepared by Ruth Grosboll prior to her passing in January, 2010.

 

Recipe – John’s Cabbage Salad

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12 cups shredded Cabbage

4 cups diced tomatoes (I like Roma)

1 cup diced purple onion

1 cup diced cilantro

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic or granulated garlic

1 ½ tsp. salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients well, adding the lemon juice last. This marinates well overnight. Adjust or omit any of the ingredients to suit your taste. Add other fresh vegetables, i.e. carrots, celery, etc. add a mashed avocado to the lemon juice for the sauce for extra flavor.

Food – Temperance

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Temperance is a big word. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint; habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions; or as moderation in or abstinence from the use of intoxicating drinks. There is a marked difference between moderation and abstinence. So is there a single definition that incorporates the essence of both of them?

I believe so, and it is found in the Bible and is called the honey principle. “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste.” Proverbs 24:13. We are to eat, drink and do only those things which are good and abstain from that which is harmful. The second definition is found in Proverbs 25:16, 27: “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it” and “it is not good to eat much honey.” Therefore, even though honey is good it is to be taken in quantities that are sufficient so that it does not become bad for us and cause us to be sick. Ellen G. White made a similar, very succinct statement when she said, “True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 562.

If we believe that we need to abstain from everything hurtful, and use/do in moderation that which is good, then we must apply this principle to all areas of our life—our physical, social, intellectual and spiritual being. We need to reach a moderate balance of those things that are good and avoid like the plague those things that are hurtful in any way.

Where did we get the idea that it was okay to partake of that which was hurtful, or not in our best interest? It began, as did all other lies, with Satan: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Genesis 3:1–4. We have to decide if we are going to believe the devil—that we can eat and do what we want—be temperate in all things (Philippians 4:5; I Corinthians 10:31).

During our December 2009 stay in Kenya, John Mwangi, our chauffeur, made a fresh cabbage salad almost daily for Sandra and me. We loved it and wanted to share with you a list of ingredients from which this recipe was created. Enjoy!

Nature – The Giant Algae

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Growing in cold, clear, nutrient-rich marine environments are underwater forests of giant plants known as kelp. Kelp are large seaweeds (algae) belonging to a class known as the brown algae. There are about 300 different genera of kelp with the most widely recognized species being the giant kelps. The giant kelps are known for their fast growth rates, some species growing up to half a meter a day under ideal conditions and ultimately reaching heights of 30 to 80 meters. Like all algae, the physical structure or body of kelp is known as a thallus rather than a plant. The thallus consists of three basic structures: the holdfast, the stipe, and the fronds. The holdfast is a root-like mass that anchors the thallus to the sea floor. Unlike true roots, the holdfast does not absorb nutrients for the thallus. The main framework of the thallus is the stipe, which is analogous to a plant stalk. Growing out of the stipe, often along most of its length, are the fronds which are leaf-like structures where nutrient uptake and photosynthesis occur. Many kelp species have pneumatocysts, or gas filled bladders, that provide the necessary buoyancy for kelp to maintain an upright position in the water column.

Kelp forests occur worldwide throughout temperate and polar coastal oceans and even occasionally in tropical waters. A dependence upon light for photosynthesis restricts them to clear, shallow water, where they rarely grow any deeper than 15 to 40 meters. The larger forests are restricted to temperatures less than 68 degrees F. Kelp forests are among the most beautiful and biologically productive ecosystems on earth. These forests provide a unique three-dimensional habitat for marine organisms which in many ways resemble microenvironments associated with terrestrial forests. These microenvironments consist of a sunny canopy region, a partially shaded mid-story, and a darkened seafloor. Each of these microenvironments has its own unique associated organisms consisting of fishes, crustaceans, bivalves, gastropods, echinoderms, etc. The kelp is grazed by herbivores such as sea urchins and various fish which in turn provide food for carnivores such as starfish and larger predatory fishes. In some kelp forest, sea urchins will destroy the whole kelp forest ecosystem in a short period if numbers are not kept in balance by predators such as sea otters. Kelp forests even sometimes provide cover for Gray Whales when they are being pursued by Killer Whale packs.

Just as the kelp’s fast growth and great height are attained from rich nutrients and ideal environment, so similarly the Christian’s spiritual growth and heights attained are related to their environment and what they feed on spiritually. “If the follower of Christ would grow up ‘unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:13), he must eat of the bread of life, and drink of the water of salvation.” The Review and Herald, August 31, 1911. “The soul needs food, and in order to get this food, the Word of God must be studied. …. The breathing of pure air is essential for the cure of disease. And it is no less essential that the atmosphere we breathe in the spiritual life shall be pure. This is essential for a healthy growth in grace. Breathe the pure atmosphere which produces pure thoughts and noble words. Choose Christian society. The Christian will not have spiritual health unless he is guarded in regard to his associations. … Every Christian who is indeed a Christian must grow. He must constantly increase in wisdom and knowledge. Day by day he must approach more nearly to the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus. In order to be a follower of the Master, he must grow.” Upward Look, 174.

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

Children’s Story – Little Lamb

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Many of you have had a pet dog or a pet cat, but what about a pet chicken, bird, rabbit, duck or fish? Well, I have had all those things and more, but I want to tell you a story about our pet lamb!

I had the wonderful experience of growing up on a large 1,200 acre farm with dogs, sheep and cows. My father grew wheat and had hundreds of sheep. We milked the cows and loved our two special dogs, Chum and Mitzie. They were sheep dogs that helped care for the sheep when my father directed them to do so. He did this by loud whistles or short commands which they had learned to understand. By this means, my father was able to round up the sheep and take them from one field to another, through gates, into small pens, up ramps or wherever he needed them to go. Our dogs were very obedient, like children ought to be to their moms and dads!

Every year the mother sheep, called ewes, would have new lambs. If the weather turned cold too soon and there were a lot of unexpected rains just after the baby lambs were born, many lambs would die. My mother would go out into the cold and collect some of the lambs, bringing them into the kitchen beside the wood stove in an attempt to keep them warm, dry and alive. She carefully cared for them, but most would die. This was very sad to us, but we knew that death came about because of sin and it would not always be this way.

We left the farm when I was almost six years of age. We never lived on a farm that size again, but when I was about ten, my father, now a minister of the Gospel, brought home Little Lamb for us children to raise. My two brothers, one sister and I fed our lamb until it was so fat and round that it could not get up or walk. Our mother told us it would probably die because lambs do not know when to stop eating and we overfed it. Happily, our pet lamb did not die. It had to learn some healthful eating habits that helped it live!

One day, when the lamb was not quite fully grown, our family of six prepared to head to church in our car. Dad started the car and slowly pulled away from the curb. Bump! Oh, what was that? Dad stopped the car and out we clambered one after another. Our pet lamb had unwittingly found a warm place to rest in front of the back wheel. He was injured badly. As you would have guessed, we were all very upset.

Our Little Lamb had damaged its hip and could not walk. My mother carefully took him inside the house to the living room where Dad made a frame with a sling where he could hang with his feet just touching the floor. Mother and we children cared for Little Lamb for weeks until he could walk once again. Little Lamb always had a lump and a limp, but he was very special because we had saved his life. He loved us and we loved him.

In the Bible, Jesus describes Himself as the True Shepherd. A shepherd is a person who looks after sheep. Do you know that we are referred to as sheep? Well, we are! In Isaiah 53:6 it says, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” But Jesus says of them who have gone astray, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” John 10:27. When we hear His voice we will follow Him. Do you know that He cares for us even more than my mother cared for our lambs? Though we often go astray as lambs do, sometimes by mistake and sometimes because we want to, when we see what Jesus has done for us on the cross we want Him in our heart and mind; we want to love Him too! Jesus will be so happy that we want Him for our Best Friend to make sure our life is filled with happiness, joy and peace—both here and forevermore. Pray and ask Jesus today, to be your Shepherd.

Health – Medicinal Oats

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Oats are a soothing, demulcent, nourishing food. They are taken as an important restorative in nervous disorders, as they seem to support the heart muscles and urinary organs. The gruel, sometimes with lemons, or raisins added as flavoring, is a mild nutritious food of easy digestion in inflammatory cases and fevers. An oat and slippery elm gruel is sometimes useful in cases of croup, where overeating or eating of the wrong kinds of foods sometimes brings on the spasms.

In homeopathy, the tincture is used in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, paralysis, liver infections, and skin diseases. Oats are well-known for their external uses. Most of us have heard of oatmeal soap, which is used to stimulate the skin and cleanse the pores. Many people moisten oats and rub the skin with them for the same purpose. Oatmeal is sometimes used as a poultice or as a base for other medicinal poultices. Oatmeal baths are often used for kidney infections.

In India, oats are described as a perfect food, and an unrivaled fodder for horses. The tincture of the green oats is recommended for nervous strain. It is also taken as an antidote for drug addiction, alcoholism, diphtheria, paralysis, and dysentery.

In China, oats are not domestically grown, although the wild oats are gathered and eaten during times of dearth.

Nutrients

Most of us are familiar with oatmeal for breakfast. They are high in protein, though they must be combined with beans, nuts, or other protein products to produce a complete balance of the amino acids. Some people have lived for extended periods on oats alone. They are an extremely rich and satisfying food. For centuries they have been the staple food of the Scots; coarse or whole oats were cooked in water and eaten with a sprinkle of salt. They also form the basis of cakes and biscuits peculiar to that country.

Dr. Max Bircher-Benner, an early pioneer of food science and a vegetarian, devised a perfect food which he called muesli, containing all the ingredients needed for health and growth. It was made by mixing raw oats, honey, hot water, nut milk, the juice of half a lemon, two medium- sized apples, grated, and one tablespoonful of grated hazel nuts. This was fed to patients twice a day and nothing else; convalescing patients improved dramatically from the first day. Commercial muesli can be purchased but sometimes it can be rancid. Since it is so easy to prepare fresh, and so much nicer, no one need spend the extravagant amount that Muesli costs.

Recipe

Overnight, soak the desired amount of oats in water to barely cover. In the morning add nut milk (or nut cream), honey, grated apple, ground nuts, and either lemon or orange juice. You can warm the cereal if desired. Most people enjoy Muesli and it is easily digested.

Many people eat preparations of granola which are largely based on oats, roasted in a honey-oil syrup with nuts, seeds, bran, etc. This preparation requires a lot of chewing, and most people don’t chew very well. Also, the cooked honey and oil can cause health problems, especially since the honey, when cooked, loses its enzymatic activity and the cooked oil has been proven to have carcinogenic properties. Better to roast the desired ingredients separately until lightly golden and, while still hot, mix in the honey and oil as well as the dried fruit desired. If the granola is soaked overnight before eating, it is more digestible.

When the oats are cut, they are then called groats. Some people think that groats are superior in nutrition to the rolled oats. Oatmeal is the ground grain, and oats flakes are the flaked grains, which are heated and pressed. Jethro Kloss assures us that there is not a hair’s breadth difference between the steel-cut or the finely-flaked oats. The finely-flaked product is preferred because it is prepared much more quickly and is more quickly digested. He asked the Quaker Oats Company to describe their method of preparing the oats, and they complied, as follows:

“We are very glad to enclose a description of the manufacturing process for … oats. The glumes of the oat grain are wrapped a bit more securely (than wheat) around the kernel, and remain on the oat until they are removed at the rolled oats mill. After removing the hull from the kernel from which rolled oats are made, the oats possess the entire bran, middlings, endosperm, and germ portion natural to the grain. Whole oat kernels (oat groats), steel cut oats, large or standard type rolled oats flakes, and small or ‘quick’ type rolled oat flakes are all whole grain products. In the sense that refined is sometimes used as an antonym for whole grain, there are no refined oat foods. The oats go through an extensive cleaning process in which corn, wheat, barley chaff, and weed seeds are removed. The oats are then carefully sized to uniform diameter by grading. Only the plump sound-oats of good size go into (our) products. The clean graded oats are roasted and partially dried, after which they are cooled and passed to a large burr stone where the hulls are torn from the groats. The oats mixture is next bolted to remove any flour, and the hulls are then removed in special air separators. Any unhulled oats are removed in cell machines and the cleaning process is continued until the groats are free from hulls and then steel-cut. The clean groats pass to the steaming chamber where they are partially cooked with live steam and from which they pass to the rolls where the groats are formed into flakes. The rolled oats flakes are cooled in a current of air to about 110 degrees F., following which the product is immediately weighed and packed by automatic mechanical equipment.” Back to Eden (Original book), 83–85.

Oat kernels look very much like wheat in structure. They have an outer covering of bran which protects the starchy endosperm and the germ that sits at the bottom of the grain. Because the oat kernel is soft, the nutritious bran is not removed. Whole grain oats contain seven B vitamins, vitamin E, and nine minerals, including iron and calcium. The quality and quantity of the protein in oats is far superior to that of wheat and most other grains. One ounce of oats has twice the protein of wheat or corn flakes. But the most important nutritional advantages are the soluble fiber and the GLA (gamma linoleic acid).

Oat Varieties and Suggestions

Oat Flour—This can be made yourself by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Oat flour adds lovely flavor to breads and because of certain natural preservatives in the oats themselves, it improves their shelf life. Oats contain no gluten, which is needed for bread to rise, so it must be mixed with a flour containing gluten, such as wheat. Substitute one of every five parts of wheat flour with oat flour. If your recipe is for a quick bread, no addition of other flours is necessary.

Oat Sprouts—Oat groats are very easy to sprout! Sprouting increases their nutritive values. Add them to sandwiches, salads, stir-fry and soups. Chop them and add them to your bread dough.

Steel Cut Oats or Scottish Oats or Irish Oats—These are groats which have been cut into two or three pieces. Cooking time is considerably longer than for rolled oats. Bring them to a boil for five minutes; then turn off the heat and cover them for an additional ten minutes. These also cook well in a crockpot on low, overnight. Add liquid three parts to one.

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats—Use two parts liquid to one part oats, and simmer for about five minutes.

Oat Groats—Use two cups liquid—water, nut milk, broth, stock—and bring to a boil. Add one cup of oat groats (the whole kernel) and lower heat; simmer for about 45 minutes. This may also be done quite successfully using a rice cooker. These cook well in a crockpot on low overnight, but you may want to increase the liquid three parts to one, liquid to oats.

Eat Raw Oats? They will not be as sweet as cooked oats, because heat breaks down the starch in oats into a sugar, but if you like them that way, they still have the same nutritional value. The fact is that you can add rolled oats into water that is no hotter than 110 degrees and they will still be considered “raw,” i.e. a live food with all its enzymes intact to aid in digestion and nutritional assimilation.

Are you feeling your oats today?

Q&A – Baptism in the Holy Spirit; what does that mean?

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To baptize is to initiate or to begin a process of transformation. This process is brought into existence through the Holy Spirit, but each of us must yield our hearts so that transformation can take place in our lives.

The act of baptism means to dedicate your life to the Lord. Baptism in the Holy Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has begun to purify your heart and your life. This process is also known as the new birth. “The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices, they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, a refiner. They have not been born again.” The Review and Herald, April 12, 1892. In reality, they have not allowed the Holy Spirit to transform their life.

It is our privilege to receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” daily, if we will pray for it. This is how the purification process continues in our lives. God promises to give us a new heart and a new spirit and He will cause us to walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 11:19, 20). When we dedicate our heart and life to Him, He gives us of His Holy Spirit to begin that process and to continue that process if we want it continued.

We are told that even Jesus received that baptism of the Holy Spirit daily so He could impart to others. “Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others. His words were given Him fresh from the heavenly courts, words that He might speak in season to the weary and oppressed. ‘The Lord God hath given Me,’ He said, ‘the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned.’ Isaiah. 50:4.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 139.

“O that the baptism of the Holy Spirit might come upon you, that you might be imbued with the Spirit of God! Then day by day you will become more and more conformed to the image of Christ, and in every action of your life, the question would be, ‘Will it glorify my Master?’ By patient continuance in well-doing you would seek for glory and honor, and would receive the gift of immortality.” The Review and Herald, May 10, 1892.

Remember that God wants each of us to be new creatures. He says, “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”
II Corinthians 5:17.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please write to Steps to Life or e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Pen of Inspiration – A Timely Message

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I am charged with a message to our churches … Without thorough purification of the life, without meekness and humbleness of mind, the professing followers of Christ can not honor Him before the world. If the graces of Christ are not revealed in their lives, they can never be admitted to the heavenly mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love Him and keep His commandments.

There are among our church members many who, while professing to walk in the ways of the Lord, are bringing into their profession the ways and habits of unconverted self, and these are spoiling their characters. So much that is frivolous is brought into the home and church life, that the Spirit of Christ is grieved. There are entire families among us who, unless they arouse from their sleepy indifference, will be lost, for they are not converted daily; they do not understand the divine science of true godliness, and therefore they are not vessels that the Master can use. They have allowed Satan to have the guidance and control of their words and actions, and they do not realize how much harm they have done to souls by their self-exaltation. They have hurt the heart of Christ by hurting those who are the purchase of His blood. I am bidden to say to those unconverted professors, Dig deep, and lay your foundation solidly upon the rock Christ Jesus. It is not enough for us to talk of the higher life. Our daily course of action is to be an interpretation to others of what the higher life means.

Unless painstaking efforts are made, every new revival will bring into the church, converts whose conversion is a spurious one, who have a form of godliness without the power. Earnest educational work needs to be done for these souls, that they may know what it means to be a Christian; for unless the foundation is laid in faith and practice of the truth, storm and tempest, beating upon the house, will cause it to fall. The character of such is like a bowing wall and a tottering fence.

I am impressed to urge upon our church members the need of building for Christ Jesus. The form of godliness without a true reformation is like a house built on a sandy foundation. Build upon Jesus Christ; He is the one sure foundation. “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” His strength of character is sufficient for you. In Christ, the Word of God gives you the right of way to spiritual blessing; but it is a way of self-denial and self-sacrifice; it is a way of self-control and self-discipline. The character of Christ may become your character; His spirit, your spirit.

Our ministering brethren need to arouse to their duty of impressing this truth on the minds of the people, and to urge them to make sure work for eternity. The future eternal life of each individual depends, not on words, not on profession, but on earnest works. We need to make decided efforts in order to keep the heart with all diligence, while looking to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith. We need to watch over an unruly tongue; we need to watch for opportunities to do good as Jesus did. Ministers of the gospel, preach Christ. Bring His heavenly grace into your lives and thoughts. Be truthful, and ever keep under the discipline of the Word of God. We must be saved in God’s appointed way. We must lean upon His counsel, and unite in His works. A penitent heart is always sensitive. Teach every individual who claims to be the child of God, that a well built character will always be after the divine pattern.

“I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy truth; for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name. In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of Thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord. Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hands against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands” [Psalm 138:2–8].

I am bidden to say that all who wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb, will have severe trials to meet. In trial we are to stand firm, seeking to honor the One who gave His precious life to redeem us. In our work we shall have to encounter a strong under-current of resistance. Genuine conversion, a renewed heart, will keep us sweet under trial, and will teach us to reveal divine grace in our lives. Those who in the day of final reckoning receive from the lips of Christ the words of welcome to the city of God, will be those who have stayed converted under trying circumstances. With prayer and watchfulness we are individually to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

I have been referred by the Spirit of God to the many encouragements given to us in the Psalms. If more of our ministers were filled with soul-longings for God, His people would take hold of these encouragements, and thanksgiving and praise would flow from human lips. Encouragement and hope would come to many souls who are now weary and discouraged. If our people would realize the possibilities that lie in increased faith and prayer, there would be a decided change in our churches. Those who are now downcast and worried, would be lifted up from their discouragements, and would rejoice in the Lord. Brethren and sisters let us show that we have a living hope, that our service is a living service.

Australasian Union Conference Record, April 29, 1907.

Keys to the Storehouse – Our Spiritual Nose

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We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Just to think that we have this little two-door structure in the middle of our faces which warms the air as it goes into our lungs, and also contains all these little nerves which send messages to the brain to tell us how things smell. Amazing!

When you have a virus in your nose and are breathing in the mucus and swallowing it, etc., it heads right to the lungs first, and then your lungs send oxygen and the germs to your blood which travels all over your body. Is it any wonder why germs and viruses spread so quickly to the lungs and elsewhere? These can cause congestion and make your whole body feel sick. We can keep our noses clean by putting a little salt into warm water and inhaling it into one door at a time and then blowing it out. In this way we can prevent a lot of the germs from spreading throughout our bodies.

This also applies to our spiritual nose. We do not want our spiritual nose to be the cause or source of developing dis-ease among the body by spreading germs. We need to have a Christlike spiritual nose. We want a nose that will seek those things above and not seek those things in somebody else’s life.

A Christlike nose is kept clean by looking up and not around. An unChristlike nose is nosy, looks to find faults in the lives of others and so germs, the source of the developing dis-ease and dis-unity, cause much hurt in the body. Our spiritual nose must be kept clean at all times to remain spiritual. We do not want a “slipshod” religion.

“Slipshod religion is a dangerous thing, in the home or in the church; and to educate the mind to look for defects in others unfits the soul for communion with God. This is the leaven of evil. The very act of looking for evil in others develops defects in those who look. These would be alarmed could they see the facts that are registered against them in the books of heaven.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 21, 1899. [Emphasis supplied.]

If all of our spiritual noses were lifted up and not around, there would be such a unity in purpose where now there is dis-ease and dis-unity.

Let us each pray for each other and ask that our influence will touch hearts around us in a heavenly manner that will not cause dis-ease or dis-unity. We want our lives to be Christlike, lives that will work for the salvation of souls and not for their destruction.

There is no joy in gathering darts from your neighbor’s closet which will cause dis-ease. The salt that we are using for our spiritual noses has lost its savor, which means there is no influence for good in the world because it has lost its savor. Let’s seek more earnestly for a deeper experience.

Father in heaven, I ask you to take my heart and fill it with saving salt—the righteousness of our Savior, so that my spiritual nose may be continually healed, that it may respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit and be a channel through which Your blessings may flow. Without your blessings and the saving salt, my spiritual nose will cause dis-ease and dis-unity. You have promised that if I delight myself in Thee that You will give me the desires of my heart. Psalm 37:4. I claim that promise right now so others may be blessed around me. Thank you.

Turn this key to the storehouse right now so you may inhale that spiritual salt and receive the righteousness of our Savior for continued healing.

Signs for Us

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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matthew 23:37–24:5

The whole focus of the disciples was on the organization of the time. Even though they had walked year after year with Christ, they really had become somewhat conditioned to the belief that the system could dictate to God, and not that God would direct the system. They were more concerned with the organization than with the mission. As a result, when Jesus spoke about the temple, they had more faith in the temple than in God, and attempted to correct Him. They said, What do you mean that your house is left unto you desolate? And Jesus said, Listen, not one stone is going to be left upon another. This really confused the disciples when Jesus prophesied that the very temple, the center of their worship, would be destroyed. They wanted to know when these things would happen and what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the world.

Jesus began by giving them a universal sign. He gave them the signs in things that existed in heaven and the signs that have existed all throughout creation ever since man was here. He first warned about deception. “Let no man deceive you.” What man can deceive us best? It is self-deception. Deception is what caused the angels to be thrown out of heaven.

In Revelation 12:4 it says, “And his [the devil’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” The devil drew with his tail one-third of the heavenly angels. I praise God that the appeals of Jesus caused some to turn, but still one-third is billions and billions of angels.

The Bible is explicit on what his tail represents: “The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” Isaiah 9:15. The tail would represent lies or deceit. Here the devil deceived all of these angels into believing him. The prophet of God tells us that at first they did not believe him but sympathized with him. They really got caught up in business that really wasn’t theirs. They felt sorry for him and started listening to him and before they knew it, they were cast out of heaven. Satan would love to go back to heaven.

It was amazing to me what I read in The Story of Redemption. When Satan saw an angel, he would tell him to come and when the angel came, he would ask that angel to go get Jesus for him and the angel went to get Christ. Satan then pleads with Christ to be able to come back to heaven offering to take any position, but Jesus wept at his woe—it broke His heart, because Satan could no longer be trusted. Heaven is based on trust. The Bible says that, “Iniquity will not raise its head again.” Sin is not coming back. In heaven we will not lose our ability to sin; we will just choose not to do it. Our love and appreciation for God will place us where we would never, ever consider doing anything contrary to His word. It will not be a forced thing.

Satan is the great deceiver; he even tried to deceive Jesus. Knowledge of the prophecies in the Word of God are landmarks to let us know where we are in time. At the end of Jesus’ life He knew that the only thing He could trust in was His Father and the Word. While nailed to the cross He knew that Judas would throw down the ransom money he received from the priests and rulers and that it would be used to purchase the potter’s field (Zechariah 11). He knew the prophecies!

We do not know who will stand when severely tested. Each of us needs to be sure that our faith is strong. All through the trial of Jesus, He continued loving his disciples while He watched them look from a distance. Then, while hanging there and in the final moments of His life He experienced what David had prophesied many years before. Psalm 22 says that dogs encompassed him and that He could feel pain all through His body. They took His clothes and cast lots for them. Everybody ran out on Him. Jesus looked and He heard the conversation of the soldiers planning to split up His garments. Jesus knew what the prophecy had said.

The devil tries to manipulate prophecy, but he cannot. If you will notice in Matthew 24:29–31 it says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” These events happen right before the coming of the Lord.

When all of the disciples comment on the same thing, it is something really worth paying attention to. Look at Mark 13:24–27. It says, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”

Again, Jesus said that certain things are going to transpire. These prophecies are landmarks. It first said there would be signs, an earthquake, then a sign in the sun, then a sign in the moon and signs in the stars.

Right now, we are living during the sixth seal, between the signs in the heavens and the coming of the Lord. Revelation 6:12–17 says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

We know that on November 1, 1755, there was the great Lisbon earthquake. I believe that this fulfilled prophecy. Remember this great earthquake came just before 1798. Something big was going to happen in 1798. God started revealing these prophecies so that His people would understand that He was soon coming. There were three earthquakes, one at 9:00 a.m., one at 10:00 a.m. and one at 12:00 noon. At 9:00 a.m. people became afraid and at 10:00 a.m. they were really scared and by 12:00 noon they ran to the church to pray and thousands died there in church. God is not the author of fear. When these things happen we ought to get excited and exclaim that our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). We need to be resting in Christ, understanding what it means to rest in Christ and believe that He will keep us from falling and that He can save us, and not have a deceptive belief, while living in a known sin. This is not resting in Christ.

In Christ there is no sin, because the mind of Christ literally dwells in you. It is to have the faith of Jesus. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is literally Christ’s faith activated in my life. I don’t have the faith to believe that God is going to open up a body of water for me to walk across which is contrary to everything my humanity knows. But He has the faith and He is willing to activate that faith in our lives. You will never get that experience unless you go to God and plead for it.

Preachers started preaching that the Lisbon earthquake was a sign of the coming of the Lord and people believed. In 1780 when all of a sudden at noon time the sun went black like a light bulb that went out and the cattle started heading back to the barn, people became afraid. That night the moon became as blood. Preachers were preaching, churches were full and the people believed that it was a sign of the coming of the Lord. The Lord has given us these signs specifically for a reason.

In 1833 when the stars fell there were preachers, including William Miller, preaching all over the world that the Lord was coming. When they saw the stars fall, they looked at Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 and Revelation 6 and they said Jesus has to come, because the prophecy said that after these stars would fall, He would come. What happened? 1844 came and Jesus did not come to this earth, but went into the Most Holy Place in heaven. Prophecy was fulfilled, but the people did not understand it until a little later when God revealed more light.

An important Scripture to understand is Ezekiel, chapter 8. Ezekiel was not preaching to the heathen but to God’s people. The church was in sin and God sent an angel who grabbed Ezekiel by the lock of his hair and suspended him between earth and heaven and showed him the people of God. Ezekiel was a true Christian and he did not want to see sin and he tried to turn. He saw all of these abominations and his heart was broken. The angel kept telling him to look further and finally, notice what he saw in verse 16: “And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”

Ezekiel saw that God’s people were involved with sun worship. That is when he said it was time for the destroying angel to do his work. If you don’t believe that our people have been deceived, and they have bought into this Ecumenical Movement, it is time to open your eyes. I don’t study what the churches are doing because I am too busy working myself. But, I do know that when we have a Catholic cardinal open our General Conference session with prayer, something is wrong. At the last General Conference session, why, at the parade of nations, does the Vatican have a flag? Italy was there. God is trying to show us something but some of us still will not agonize with God. We still refuse to get our lives in order so that the Holy Spirit can use us to be effective workers for God. When this message goes forth, it will go forth by Seventh-day Adventists, the faithful ones, who are really praying and studying and according to Ezekiel 9 are crying and sighing for the abominations being done in the land and are not involved in gossiping or tearing down.

One of the top selling songs is Man in the Mirror. I went on the internet to read the lyrics. It says something like, “Who are you fooling? If you want change, you need to look in the mirror at yourself and change yourself and stop dealing with other people.” I said, Lord, are the rocks crying out? We have to start examining ourselves to make sure that we are on the path that God has placed us. There is no time to get caught up in surface issues; we need to take time to study and know the message; then preach it.

Stop wasting time and start studying. If you do not have a schedule for your time every day, make one. Your time belongs to God. No other gift has He given of which we have to give a more strict account. Study now and you will be prepared and not overwhelmed when the winds of strife are no longer held back and all breaks loose upon the world. Don’t be found with a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (II Timothy 3:5) and be exposed as a fraud.

Now is the time to develop an ear to hear the Holy Spirit saying, this is the way, walk ye in it [Isaiah 30:21] and stop running to man. Every day start your day with worship.

Once, in India, we were riding in a car that stopped because of a cow in the middle of the road. The driver stopped for that cow and did not even try to move it because it was believed that cows were sacred and we were told that if we attempted to move the cow we would be killed because that cow was sacred. Some Christians do not have as much reverence for the true God as those people had for that cow. There is no excuse not to have a personal relationship with God and to be able to go to Him and know that He is answering your prayers. All have squandered time, but we can redeem the time by not wasting any more, by giving God as much time as you possibly can and He will prepare you for the crisis or He will trust you to die. You have to be trusted to die, because you have to die in Christ.

We are in a war. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will find yourself weeping because there are so many people trapped in sin. You will find yourself losing your comfort to cause others to feel comfortable so they can know your God. You will constantly pray and ask God how you can reach somebody. It is Christ allowing you to feel His burden through you. Have the patience of the saints who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12) and you will be sealed by settling into the truth, both spiritually and intellectually, because you have surrendered to God.

Pastor Stephen Lewis is an international speaker and director of The Present Truth Ministry. This article is from a sermon he preached at the Steps to Life Camp Meeting 2009. He can be contacted at: www.thepresenttruth.org.