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Recipe – Pineapple Squares

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2 cups canned crushed pineapple

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup plain or vanilla soy milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. In a saucepan, combine the pineapple, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat stirring until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the soy milk and vanilla and mix until crumbly. Press about two-thirds of the dough mixture into the prepared baking pan. Mix the coconut into the remaining dough mixture and set aside. Spread the pineapple mixture evenly over the bottom crust in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture on top of the filling and press gently. Bake until the top is golden brown. About 30 minutes. Cool before cutting. Store in an airtight container.

Food – Vegan Recipe Substitutes

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Bring your fruit upon the table. As for preserves, they are not best for us. Some simple pies that are not injurious may be used.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 10. “It would be better not to tax the stomach with unhealthful desserts, and not to demand that the cook expend time and strength and ingenuity in preparing them. It would be much better to discard the sweet puddings, jams, and marmalade, which cause fermentation in the stomach. When these are banished from our tables, when we have sweeter stomachs, we shall have sweeter tempers, and be better enabled to live a Christian life.” The Signs of the Times, September 30, 1897.

Just as most people associate vegetarians with “no meat,” vegans extend the association to “and no eggs, dairy, or other animal products.” Everyone loves desserts, but having to ask or be asked the question, “Is it vegan?” can be a source of frustration. Learning to make your own baked goods is the best defense in the wide world of breads, cakes, and cookies, and other tasty treats where eggs and dairy have long held reign.

In traditional baking, most types of baked goods can easily be made vegan by replacing the dairy and eggs with plant-based ingredients. Some of the obvious substitutions are: soy milk or rice milk to replace dairy milk and non-hydrogenated vegan margarine or oil instead of butter.

There are also a number of ways to replace eggs in baking. Use any of these most common techniques to replace 1 egg in a baking recipe:

  • In a blender, grind 1 tablespoon flax seeds to a powder, add 2–1/2 tablespoons water, and blend until thick.
  • Combine 1–1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer with 2 tablespoons water.
  • Blend together 3 tablespoons applesauce, mashed banana, or soft tofu, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free).

A recipe is like a road map because it helps you find your way to a destination; in this case, great-tasting food. After you familiarize yourself with a recipe, you can truly make it your own by personalizing it. Whether you take the direct route (following the recipe exactly) or try some side roads (by substituting ingredients or changing the recipe in some way to suit your taste) matters little, as long as the results are pleasing to you and your family.

You’ll enjoy cooking more if you can learn to be flexible, creative, and relaxed. The exception to this, of course, is in baking, which requires precise measurements to succeed. However, even in baking, you can modify certain ingredients, such as swapping out walnuts for pecans in a brownie recipe, or leaving them out entirely.

Nature – The Hercules’ Club Tree

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The Hercules’ Club tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), also known as toothache tree, tickle-tongue, pepperwood, and Southern prickly ash, is a spiny tree or shrub in the citrus family, native to the southeastern United States. Rarely reaching over 30 feet in height, the tree gets its name from the odd spiny, warty projections on the bark of older trees, which is said to resemble the spiny club of Hercules. The leaves are pinnately compound with a citrus scent, and the spring blooming flowers are greenish yellow and produced in clusters located on the tips of the branches. The tree has a preference to grow on well-drained, light, sandy soil and is often found growing on river bluffs, woodland edges, and fencerows.

It is best known for the numbness it produces when the leaves or bark are chewed, similar to the effects of novocaine. Indians and early settlers both used it for toothaches, hence its other name, toothache tree, as well as for other medicinal uses such as sore throats, itches, ulcers, chest ailments, and venereal disease. More modern medicinal uses for the tree include poor circulation, varicose veins, chronic rheumatism, typhoid, blood impurities, skin diseases, and resistant staphylococcus. It also stimulates the lymphatic system and mucous membranes.

The tree is very valuable to wildlife. The blossoms are very attractive to bees and other pollinators, which in turn attract insect eating birds. The leaves are browsed by deer and used by a number of insect species including as a host for the larvae of the giant swallowtail butterfly. The fruits are eaten by a multitude of birds that help to disperse the seeds, which are also scarified by the birds as they pass through their digestive tract, which in turn helps them to germinate.

Just as the Hercules’ Club causes the mouth to go numb when partaken of, so our senses have been numbed by partaking of worldly amusements and sin: “A terrible picture of the condition of the world has been presented before me. Immorality abounds everywhere. Licentiousness is the special sin of this age. Never did vice lift its deformed head with such boldness as now. The people seem to be benumbed, and the lovers of virtue and true goodness are nearly discouraged by its boldness, strength, and prevalence. The iniquity which abounds is not merely confined to the unbeliever and the scoffer. Would that this were the case, but it is not. Many men and women who profess the religion of Christ are guilty. Even some who profess to be looking for His appearing are no more prepared for that event than Satan himself. They are not cleansing themselves from all pollution. They have so long served their lust that it is natural for their thoughts to be impure and their imaginations corrupt. It is as impossible to cause their minds to dwell upon pure and holy things as it would be to turn the course of Niagara and send its waters pouring up the falls. … Every Christian will have to learn to restrain his passions and be controlled by principle. Unless he does this, he is unworthy of the Christian name.” The Adventist Home, 328. “I tell you the truth. We are far behind our holy religion in our conception of duty. Oh, if those who have been blessed with such grand and solemn truth would arise and shake off the spell that has benumbed their senses and caused them to withhold from God their true service, what would not their well-organized efforts accomplish for the salvation of souls!” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 395.

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

Inspiration – Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor

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“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

We are in a world where hearts need human sympathy; and God has given us benevolence, that we may realize this need, and be kind and charitable to all with whom we come in contact. We often see a charitable disposition manifested by men and women who have never given their hearts to Christ, and it is a sad sight indeed when His professed followers lack this great essential of Christianity. They do not copy the Pattern; and it is impossible for them to reflect the image of Jesus in their lives and deportment.

Love is one of the fruits of true piety. Those who truly carry out the principles of the law of God in their daily lives will realize that suffering humanity has claims upon them. They will not only love God supremely, but their neighbor as themselves. Jesus illustrated this principle in the parable which He told to a certain lawyer who “stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him by asking another question: “What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live” [Luke 10:25–28].

“This do,” said Jesus, not merely believe, but do, “and thou shalt live.” It is carrying out the principles of God’s law and not merely a professed faith in its binding claims, that makes the Christian.

But the lawyer, “willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” [Verse 29.] Jesus illustrates the spirit of cheerful benevolence which should be exercised toward all—friends, neighbors, and strangers—in the story that follows: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead” [verse 30]. A priest and a Levite who came that way, and saw his need of help, passed by on the other side. Notwithstanding their exalted professions of piety, their hearts were not stirred with pitying tenderness for the sufferer. A Samaritan, who made no such lofty pretensions to righteousness, came to the place. He saw in the unfortunate stranger a human being in distress, and his compassion was excited. He immediately “went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” [verse 34]. And on the morrow he left the wounded man in the care of his host, with the assurance that on his return he would pay all charges.

Christ asks, “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise” [verses 36, 37]. Here is a lesson on the duties of man with reference to his fellow-man. Those who neglect to carry out the principles illustrated by this lesson, are not commandment-keepers, though they may pretend to revere the law of God.

Human sympathy, sanctified by the spirit of Jesus, is an element that can be productive of great good. Those who cultivate benevolence are not only doing good to others, but they are benefiting themselves by opening their hearts to the benign influences of sympathy and love. Every ray of light shed upon others will be reflected upon our own hearts. Every kind and sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to supply the necessities of the destitute, given or done with an eye single to God’s glory, will result in blessings to the giver. Those who are thus working are obeying a law of Heaven, and will receive the approval of God.

In the parable, Christ exalts the Samaritan above the priest and the Levite, who were great sticklers for the letter of the law in the ten commandments. The one obeyed the spirit of these commandments, while the other was content to express an exalted faith in them. But the apostle tells us that “faith without works is dead” [James 2:20].

When the advocates of the law of God plant their feet firmly on its principles, showing that they are loyal, not merely in name, but at heart also, carrying out in their lives the spirit of the law of God, and exercising true benevolence to man, then will they have moral power to move the world. But it is impossible for those who profess allegiance to God to correctly represent the principles of His law, while slighting the injunction to love our neighbor as ourselves.

We are under obligation, not only to secure heaven ourselves, but to show others the way, and, through our care and disinterested love, to lead toward Christ those who come within the sphere of our influence. We are accountable, to a great degree, for the souls of those around us. Our words and deeds are constantly telling for or against the truth of God; and we are under personal obligation to exert an influence in its favor. The most eloquent sermon that can be preached upon the law of ten commandments is to do them. Obedience should be made a personal duty. Negligence here is flagrant sin.

Let the world see that we are not selfishly narrowed up to our own exclusive interests and our religious joys, but that we desire them to share our blessings and privileges, through the sanctifying influence of the truth; let them see that the religion which we profess does not close up or freeze up the avenues to the soul, making us unsympathizing and exacting; let all who profess to have found Christ, minister, as He did, to the needs of man, cherishing a spirit of wise benevolence; and we shall then see many souls following the light that shines from our precept and example.

We should cultivate an amiable disposition, and subject ourselves to the control of conscience. The truth of God makes better men and women of those who receive it in the love of it. It works like leaven till the entire being is brought into conformity to its principles. It opens the heart that has been frozen by avarice; it opens the hand that has been closed to human suffering; and kindness and charity are seen as its fruits.

Let us not bring a reproach upon the Christian religion by manifesting jealousy and intolerance toward others. No one has ever been reclaimed from a wrong position by censure or reproach; but many have thus been driven away from God, with their hearts steeled against conviction. A tender spirit, a gentle, winning deportment, may save the erring, and hide a multitude of sins. We are required of God to exercise that charity that suffereth long and is kind.

The religion of Christ does not require us to lose our identity of character, but merely to adapt ourselves, in some measure, to the feelings and ways of others. Many people may be brought together in a unity of religious faith, whose opinions, habits, and tastes in temporal matters are not in harmony. But with the love of Christ glowing in their bosoms, looking forward to the same heaven as their eternal home, they may have the sweetest and most intelligent communion together, and a unity the most wonderful.

None should feel at liberty to preserve a cold and chilling reserve and iron dignity—a spirit that repels those who are brought within its influence. This spirit is contagious; it creates an atmosphere that withers good impulses and good resolves; under its influence persons become constrained, and the natural current of human sympathy, cordiality, and love is choked. The gloom and chill of this unsocial atmosphere is reflected in the countenance; and not only is the spiritual health affected by this unnatural depression, but the physical health is affected also.

There are scarcely two whose experiences are alike in every particular. The trials of one may not be the trials of another; and our hearts should ever be open to kindly sympathy, and aglow with the divine love that Jesus manifested for all his brethren.

The Bible Echo, December 1, 1886.

Q&A – Duties of Children

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Is it required of children to obey their parents when the duties required are not in harmony with the requirements of God?

The command of the Lord is, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” [Exodus 20:12]. Honor certainly means to obey. But the command assumes that the parent’s requirement will be in harmony with what is right. (See Deuteronomy 6:5–9; Proverbs 22:6.)

It is therefore the parent’s first duty to obey God and train the child aright; and it follows that it is the child’s duty to obey the parent. But if the parent commands the child to do what is contrary to God, and the child knows that it means eternal death to obey the parent, it is the duty of the child to obey God first; eternal life is worth more than this life. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” [Ephesians 6:1, emphasis added]. But let the child be careful that he faithfully obeys whatever is not against the word of God, however great the hardship involved.

“The obligation resting upon children to honor their parents is of lifelong duration. If the parents are feeble and old, the affection and attention of the children should be bestowed in proportion to the need of father and mother. Nobly, decidedly, the children should shape their course of action even if it requires self-denial, so that every thought of anxiety and perplexity may be removed from the minds of the parents. …

“Children should be educated to love and care tenderly for father and mother. Care for them, children, yourselves; for no other hand can do the little acts of kindness with the acceptance that you can do them. Improve your precious opportunity to scatter seeds of kindness.

“Our obligation to our parents never ceases. Our love for them, and theirs for us, is not measured by years or distance, and our responsibility can never be set aside.

“Let children carefully remember that at the best the aged parents have but little joy and comfort. What can bring greater sorrow to their hearts than manifest neglect on the part of their children? What sin can be worse in children than to bring grief to an aged, helpless father or mother?” The Adventist Home, 360.

Health – Hydrotherapy — The Contrast Bath

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“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:17.

“Through the agencies of nature, God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, to keep us alive, to build up and restore us. When any part of the body sustains injury, a healing process is at once begun; nature’s agencies are set at work to restore soundness. But the power working through these agencies is the power of God. … When one recovers from disease, it is God who restores him.” My Life Today, 135.

Here is a natural remedy that works wonders with the human body. This simple explanation of using the contrast bath is found in the book, God’s Healing Way, by Mary Ann McNeilus, M.D. (Tenth Printing, 2004), 37-38. I pray that you will be encouraged to try hydrotherapy, a natural remedy.

In the Preface of this book, Dr. McNeilus shares the following incident:

Night Call

“One cold January evening in Minnesota, my husband and I were settled in by our cozy wood stove when the phone rang. The call was from one of our Amish neighbors. Their six-year-old daughter had developed a skin infection, which had rapidly spread from the ankles up to the knees within the past twenty-four hours. The parents had tried a few home remedies, but as the short winter day turned into dusk, their hopes faded into despair. Would I please come to see what else could be done? Quickly, I packed my medical bag with poultice materials and herbal teas. Cautiously driving over the narrow snow-covered gravel road, I headed for their old weathered farmhouse.

I found the little girl sleeping on a small cot in the middle of the dimly lit room. A worn blanket covered her shoulders leaving both lower legs exposed, as even the weight of a thin sheet on the sore limbs would have been unbearable. The little legs were swollen to nearly twice their normal size. Clear fluid was seeping through the pores of the taut, reddened skin. I stood there for a moment, assessing the situation—the exhausted pain-weary child, the anxious faces of the parents, and the solemn siblings hovering around the small quiet form. I silently sent up an urgent request for heavenly wisdom to meet this challenging situation. Then we went to work!

The parents were instructed to fill two large buckets, one with hot water and the other with cold water. The infected legs and feet were to be immersed alternately in hot, then cold water for a total of seven changes. This contrast bath was to be given four times during the day. After each water treatment, a charcoal or herbal poultice was to be applied to the infected area. We prepared garlic and other infection-fighting herbal teas to drink throughout the day. I also prescribed plenty of pure water and a nutritious diet—free of sugar, grease, and lard.

When I left the home later that night, the house seemed warmer and brighter. The family was filled with new hope and courage. When I returned the next morning, the father and mother happily reported that the pain in their daughter’s infected legs had definitely diminished. The family members faithfully gave water treatments, applied poultices, prepared teas, and strictly adhered to the dietary plan. The pain, redness, and swelling gradually disappeared without a single visit to the doctor’s office. This household was truly grateful for God’s wonderfully simple healing ways!

The Bath

The contrast bath consists of immersing a body part alternately in hot and cold water. (The hot and cold water may be applied with wash cloths to body areas that cannot be easily immersed in water.) This treatment may be combined with the application of a poultice or a heating compress.

The blood vessels expand or dilate with heat and contract with cold—increasing the circulation or blood flow to the treated body part. The increased blood flow (1) enhances the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the body cells and (2) hastens removal of the cell’s waste products. The result is increased cell metabolism and more rapid healing of the treated body part.

Treatment Indications

  • Localized infections
  • Muscle or joint injuries
  • Arthritis
  • Headaches (contrast bath to the extremities)
  • Edema (swelling of a body part due to fluid retention)
  • Blood vessel disease of the veins or arteries to the legs and feet

Treatment Precautions

  • Do not use very hot or very cold water in cases of loss of feeling (numbness) or blood vessel disease of the legs and feet
  • Be careful not to spread infection; disinfect equipment after treating an open sore or wound
  • Avoid treating any area where there is a tendency to bleed or hemorrhage
  • If the treatment is to be followed by massage to the body part, end the treatment with the hot water bathEquipment Needed
  • Two large basins for the hot and cold water
  • Tea kettle or pitcher of hot water
  • Towel
  • Sheet or light blanket
  • Another basin of cold water and 2 washcloths for a cold compress to the head

Treatment Procedure

  1. Preparation for treatment

  • Have the room warm and all equipment assembled
  • Explain the procedure; assist the patient in preparation for treatment

  1. Treatment

  • Encourage confidence in the divine remedies by beginning each treatment with prayer
  • Begin with the hot water bath. Start with milder heat; increase the heat as tolerated. After 3 to 4 minutes—or the specified time—transfer to the cold water bath for 1/2 to 1 minute
  • During the treatment, keep the hot and cold baths at the desired temperature by adding hot or cold water as needed
  • Place a cold compress to the head if sweating occurs
  • Make 5 to 7 changes per treatment. Treat 1 to 4 times per day

  1. Completion of Treatment

  • After the last change, thoroughly dry the treated body part
  • If sweating occurs, dry the entire body; remove damp clothing, and dress in clean, dry garment
  • Rest for 30 to 60 minutes after each treatment

Specific Treatment Recommendations

Localized Infections, Muscle and Joint Injuries:

  • Treat acute muscle and joint injuries with ice or cold packs, rest, and elevation of the affected body part for the first 12 to 24 hours
  • Begin the contrast bath treatment with water as hot as can be tolerated
  • Alternate from hot to cold water 5 to 7 times. End with the cold water bath
  • Repeat the above treatment 2 to 4 times per day

Arthritis

  • Begin the treatment with warm water (3 to 5 minutes); then change to cool water for 1 minute. Gradually increase the hot water temperature and reduce the cold water temperature as tolerated
  • Alternate from hot to cold water 5 to 7 times ending with the hot water bath
  • Repeat the above treatment 1 to 2 times per day

Decreased Circulation (Blood Flow) to the Extremities

  • Treat with mild heat for 3 minutes and cool water (no ice) for one minute. Test the hot water with your elbow to be certain that it is not too hot
  • Alternate from hot to cold water 5 to 7 times. End with the hot water bath
  • Repeat the above treatment 1 to 2 times per day.”

I thank Dr. McNeilus for a thorough, but simple, explanation of this procedure. May God bless each one of us as we learn the simple remedies, which have been provided for us to reach out and minister to others.

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF HOT AND COLD WATER TREATMENTS  
HEAT COLD
Increases blood flow Decreases blood flow
Increases the inflammatory response Decreases the inflammatory response
Increases edema production Decreases edema production
Increases hemorrhage Decreases hemorrhage
Decreases muscle pain and spasm Decreases muscle pain and spasm
Decreases stiffness in arthritis Increases stiffness in arthritis

The Hydrotherapy Advantage

  • It is easily applied to the skin surface
  • It has virtually no adverse side effects
  • It can treat a specific body part. Drugs are not as selective
  • It produces no toxins or waste products. As a result, it does not tax or overwork the liver or kidneys
  • It helps to eliminate toxins by increasing the body’s metabolism
  • It is inexpensive and readily available
  • It can be done in the convenience of the home
  • It imparts a sense of well-being! Drugs lack this effect

Children’s Story – The Strange Mechanic

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Not long ago, Pastor Herbert and his wife made their fourth trip to Angola, Africa. This time Brother Marcial, who came from Angola, and his eight-year-old daughter, Pricilla, went with them. The people in Angola do not speak English. Instead they speak Portuguese, and so Brother Marcial had the important task of translating all of the sermons, leaders meetings, health presentations, counseling sessions, and discussions between the Herberts and the local people.

Angola is a very long way from where they all live in Georgia in the United States. It takes more than a whole day of flying on several different planes and waiting in between flights at different airports before reaching the final destination. Also, Angola is south of the equator, which means that for them it is winter in June and July. This story took place in August; so it was early spring in Angola.

For one of the weekends that they were in Angola, all four of them were scheduled to go to the south-central part of the country. This time they were to go by vehicle, which they were happy to do since they could see some of the countryside. They were to travel in two vehicles, each with a driver and an assistant. They were told that the drive would take between five and seven hours; well, it ended up taking twelve hours!

Right after a breakfast of warm soymilk, whole wheat bread, and bananas, they started out. It took a while to drive over the bumpy, dusty community roads to get to the main paved highway, and then it took a while longer to get out of the city. But finally they were driving through the countryside, looking at the scenery and the amazing fat baobab trees.

The part of the country they were going to is on a high plateau, and as the road ascended in elevation, they had to stop several times as one of the cars they were traveling in kept overheating. However, they did not mind too much because it gave them a chance to get out and stretch their legs and look around and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. One of the stops was at a busy market where oranges, date palm nuts, pineapples, fruit from the baobab, cassava, tomatoes, bananas, coconut, peanuts, and other produce were being sold. Late in the afternoon they stopped in a town for lunch, and then continued on.

About 15 minutes out of the town, one of the cars started to make noise. The driver stopped and soon discovered it was the CV (constant velocity) joint of the front wheel. Without this part working, that car could not make it to their destination. It was decided that the other car that was traveling with them should return to the town to see if they could find the needed part. It was already late in the afternoon and would be dark in a couple of hours and the vehicles travel very fast on this part of the road. But they were confident that the Lord would work something out.

Brother Marcial was in the car that returned to the town, and Pastor Herbert, his wife, and Pricilla, along with the driver and his assistant, waited with the broken down car. They waited perhaps half an hour along side the road, and Pricilla was enjoying herself gathering flowers and interesting looking seeds that were growing just off the road and showing them to the pastor and his wife. Then, after showing the fruits of her last venture, as they were standing behind the sick car, which was just barely pulled off to the side of the road, Pricilla just put out her hand to a passing car. The driver apparently thought that she was waving him down and he pulled over. The pastor’s wife asked Pricilla why she waved down the car, because the other car had already been sent back to the town for the part. She said she did not know why she did it.

The driver went to the car that pulled over, and he discovered that the driver was a mechanic! The mechanic got out of his car and looked at the problem, and he said that he had the needed part. He also said that the other car would not be successful in finding the part, and even if they did it would have to be “unlocked.” But he had the needed part in his car, already unlocked, and it was for the type of vehicle that was disabled. Can you believe it? Not only was this individual someone who knows how to fix cars, but also he had the exact part needed to fix the problem! When the pastor looked in the back of the mechanic’s car, there was almost nothing in his car: he just had a spare tire, two plastic bags of parts and pieces, and another bag of something that did not look like it had anything to do with fixing cars! He apparently did not have any other spare parts for cars, except the part they needed. The mechanic proceeded to work on the problem and after a couple of tries the replacement part was installed and the wheel put back on. Afterwards the mechanic said that this part of the road is very dangerous at night because a thick fog comes in and it is very hard for other drivers to see stopped cars. Also, he was not even really from Angola, but from the Congo.

By that time the sun had just set, and it was starting to get dark. Everyone got back into the cars to continue toward their destination. The mechanic followed them for about half an hour until he was convinced that the car would make it the remaining four hours to the town to which they were going. The next day the driver took the car into a repair shop, and the whole axle had to be replaced.

We certainly are thankful to the Lord for His care and providence. He worked through a little girl who did not know why she put out her hand, but it was not just to any car, but a car with a mechanic; and the only part the mechanic appeared to have with him was the exact part needed, and he wasn’t even from the country where this story happened. The pastor, his wife, Brother Marcial, and Pricilla did not know what a dangerous situation they were in, but the Lord had already provided the help. The Bible tells us, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24.

Lifestyle – Trust in God — Our Greatest Need

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The mental health of Americans could well be at an all time low with a large number of people complaining of stress, depression, suicide and other health problems directly related to stress.

It has been said that 75 to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are due to stress related problems. Job stress, or lack of a job, is taking its toll on many Americans today. Our contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive, persistent, and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological rather than physical threats. It has been said that one-fourth of Americans report major stress in their lives. One-third of Americans report that they are mentally healthy, and the rest fall between major stress and mental health. These statistics could well be higher with the changing economic conditions of the last two years.

Stress is actually necessary for human growth and development and is therefore an essential element of life. It becomes destructive when the intensity or duration under stressful conditions exceeds the ability to react constructively. So, the effects of stress on mental and physical health can be modified by the way we perceive and respond to it.

The foundation on which all of the laws of health rest is trusting in God. Each of the other seven laws—exercise, nutrition, temperance, pure air, sunshine, water, rest—when obeyed, will function in the way that physical and scientific laws react with our body. However, when trust is coupled with the blessing of God in the other seven laws of health, it has a synergistic effect on both health and wellbeing.

God has promised that we can trust Him in all circumstances and at all times. The Bible describes those without this hope: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:26.

When trusting our eternal security with the Lord, regardless of how bad these circumstances, our hearts need never fail us for fear.

“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:10–12.

When things look bleak, be comforted by the promise given in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

When life seems hopeless and issues arise with those with whom we interact daily, either at work, in the community, and even in our churches and homes, pray as did David: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:3, 4.

“Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165.

The One Who created us and loves us with a never-ending love gives us opportunity to view every situation with a different attitude. Trusting in the promises of God gives us the ability to respond affirmatively to life’s stresses, resulting in improved mental and physical health.

A Call to Prayer – India

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India is the world’s second most populous country, with 1.2 billion people. It prides itself to be one of the oldest civilizations with the world’s oldest religion – Hinduism. Ever since Great Britain colonized that part of the world in the nineteenth century, the Christian world has been sending missionaries to India. After two hundred years of mission efforts, only two percent of India is Christian – really Catholic. Protestantism is nearly nonexistent. We have to admit that the efforts to evangelize India have been unsuccessful.

What is the cause? What do we know about the Indian culture and religion? After all, other Asian countries have been successfully made Christian. Hinduism, deeply intertwined with the Indian culture and traditions, is a way of life that believes in nonviolence and sanctity of life. This reaches to the extent of not killing animals. Therefore, the majority of the Indian population is vegetarian. This has been the Indian way of life for centuries.

How do we appear to them? As blood thirsty and cruel Westerners. We don’t even have to mention the violent history of Christianity. Our meat-eating culture is outright disgusting to any Hindu. For centuries, there has been nothing that our Western culture could offer to Hindu India, nothing that would be appealing to the Indian eyes.

Globalization

Today, we live in a global world and India can’t escape it. Under the weight of globalization, Hinduism suffers serious wounds, and there is nothing to replace it. Retail outlets such as McDonald’s and KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) are mushrooming in large Indian cities. These establishments serve mostly a vegetarian cuisine, but chicken products are also offered. Only very few Western fast food chains, at selected locations frequented by tourists, dare to sell beef burgers. This is still a taboo in the Indian society that believes in the sanctity of the cow. Children from well-to-do families are discovering these Western fast food outlets and beg their parents to buy them a treat. By the time they are in high school, they go there alone and taste chicken for the first time in their lives. When mom asks at home, “What did you have for lunch today?” teenagers reply, “Oh, I ate at the school cafeteria” (always vegetarian). The reality is that the student stopped by McDonald’s for chicken nuggets. This is such a taboo in the Indian society that young people would not dare to tell the truth at home. They could be literally disowned by their families.

There has been a significant Indian immigration to the United States in the past 20 years. These new immigrants are young, educated, and successful. Mingling with them, you find out that some of them eat meat. When questioned about it, they answer: “Yes, I started eating meat when I came to the United States because the vegetarian options were so limited. I could never tell my parents; they would be devastated and could disown me.” Meat eating, even in today’s Indian society, is a taboo that a Westerner cannot imagine.

India’s young people are discovering other lures of the Western world as well, and are starting to question their Hindu traditions. What missionaries could not achieve in centuries, globalization has achieved in one single generation. As a result, India’s young and educated population in large metro areas is no longer traditionally Hindu, at least not to the same extent as their parents. Young people hold so many secrets from their parents that Western teenagers pale in comparison. Indian young people do have deep, culturally ingrained respect for their parents, which causes their parents to be even more in the dark, simply because their children would not tell them about any of their new Western vices. The worst and most offensive vice of all? Meat consumption.

All this has been happening because young people in India want to be like Westerners. They admire fast food outlets on television, and now in their own backyards. They want to watch the same movies, live the Western way of life. Once they are college age, they question everything else, including their Indian values and religion. When I talk to India’s young and educated, they want to know why America has been such a successful country, especially when America is such a young country. I explain to them that America has been founded on the principles of Christian Protestantism. They are curious and want to know more. Many of their parents have never even spoken to a Westerner. Yet, these Indian young people in the United States are the brains of today’s American software companies. These young people are open minded and hungry to learn. Most of them don’t know much about Christianity, but they want to learn, they want to know. This is in sharp contrast to their parents who shun everything Western. Because we live in a global world, the young people in India are not any different from their Indian peers in the United States. They also travel, are globally minded and want to know who Christians are. Moreover, they want to be like them.

What do we do about it? It is now or never that we have the chance to explain the gospel to them. Such opportunities happen only once in centuries, and the Christian world has the chance of a lifetime. As other Asian countries became Christian, such as South Korea, for example, the result was a sharp increase in development, because people adopted Protestant work ethics. As Christian values will be adopted by the Indian young generation, India will flourish as well. But someone has to tell them about the gospel, about Protestantism, about Adventism. The vineyard is ripe, but the workers so few. Make it a matter of your prayer; the time to reach India is now.

Extra bonus

As Adventist Christians, we have an extra bonus up our sleeve—the health message. Imagine, for someone from the vegetarian society of India, what version of Christianity can possibly be more appealing than Adventism with its health message? This health message can bring down walls even with the older conservative generation, as the worst thing about Christians is that they eat meat. Becoming a Christian equals becoming a carnivore in the Indian eyes. And that puts up a big wall. The Seventh-day Adventists have more respect for the Indian diet than any other Christian religion. Every Hindu will shake our hand with no fear. The time to bring our message, including the health message, to India is now. Are we up to the task?

We all have special burdens on our hearts, most of which are common to many people. Let us share one another’s burdens and pray together for those things that are applicable to a whole group of people.

Please contact us with your requests by writing or emailing to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, so we can pray together to hasten the coming of Jesus and help others to be ready for that day.

Keys to the Storehouse – Jesus Longed to See!

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“Jesus longed to see.” That is quite a statement to think upon. It makes you want to know what He longed to see!

A rich young man came to Jesus inquiring what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which he replied, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (See Matthew 19:20.) In those words, there was seen no need. “He [Jesus] longed to see in him a humble and contrite heart, conscious of the supreme love to be given to God, and hiding its lack in the perfection of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 519.

Jesus longs to see in each one of us

A humble heart:

  • A heart expressing dependence
  • A heart expressing unworthiness
  • A heart willing to submit, willing to yield and to be obedient

Did He see this in the young ruler? No. Does He see this humble heart in you? Jesus longs to see

A contrite heart:

  • A heart that is broken in spirit because of a sense of sin
  • A sincere sorrow for sin
  • A deep repentance

Did He see this in the young ruler? No. Does He see a contrite heart in you? To receive the love of God, your supreme love of self must be surrendered and its deficiency hid in the perfection of Jesus.

“Christ read the ruler’s heart. Only one thing he lacked, but that was a vital principle.” Ibid.

Imagine, thinking to keep the commandments for his whole lifetime and yet still lacking the vital principle necessary for his spiritual life and future. Jesus saw in this young man the potential to represent Him and become a divine force among men. “He longed to make him like Himself, a mirror in which the likeness of God would be reflected. …

“He needed the love of God in the soul. This lack, unless supplied, would prove fatal to him; his whole nature would become corrupted.” Ibid.

We too could ask this same question of Jesus. If we give ourselves to Christ, we can grow in the atmosphere of His presence. However, if we choose to remain lacking, refusing the love of God, our whole nature will become corrupt. This means:

  • It will decay
  • It will be polluted
  • It will be perverted
  • It will be rotten

Jesus longed to see a willingness to be a coworker—but, sadly, the young man turned away.

  • He chose not to receive a humble and contrite heart.
  • He chose not to recognize the supreme love to be given to God.
  • He chose not to hide his lack in Jesus.

“With what earnest, anxious longing, what soul hunger, did the Saviour look at the young man, hoping that he would yield to the invitation of the Spirit of God!” Ibid., 520.

The young man “wanted eternal life, but would not receive into the soul that unselfish love which alone is life, and with a sorrowful heart he turned away from Christ.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 393.

That same invitation is offered today: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15.

“The Redeemer longed to create in him that discernment which would enable him to see the necessity of heart devotion and Christian goodness.” The Desire of Ages, 519.

But he refused and turned away! What will you do?

Father: I want Jesus to see in me a humble and contrite heart, conscious of the supreme love to be given to Thee. I choose to open my heart fully to receive Christ so I may be transformed into Your likeness, which is my only hope of salvation. Please help me to hide all that I lack in the perfection of Jesus so that I will not become corrupt and lose life eternal as did that young man long ago. Amen.