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Food – Arugula

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Arugula is from the cruciferous family. Within the cruciferous family, in terms of conventional nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, and fats), there is not another vegetable group that is as high in vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber as the cruciferous vegetables. Arugula is also known as rocket or Italian cress.

“Arugula is rich in vitamin K: One cup contains almost half the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin K is essential for clotting and is a key player in developing strong bones. The Framingham Heart Study, for example, found that people who consumed approximately 250 mcg of vitamin K a day had a 35 percent lower risk of hip fractures compared to those who consumed just 50 mcg a day. True, you’d have to consume 10 cups of arugula to get that much, but still, a few cups in a salad is a good start (33 mg). And besides, that’s hopefully not your only source of vitamin K.

“The arugula plant, like many others in the cruciferous family, contains glucosinolates. When you chew the plant, the glucosinolates mix with an enzyme (myrosinase) that turns them into other compounds called isothiocyanates, which have documented anticancer properties. Isothiocyanates combat carcinogens by neutralizing them, reducing their poisonous effect, and stimulating the release of other substances that help combat them. Isothiocyanates also inhibit cell proliferation. Studies have shown that they help prevent lung and esophageal cancer and can lower the risk of other cancers, including gastrointestinal cancer.

“That’s an awful lot of good stuff to pack into a cup of food that contains only 5 calories.” The 150 Healthiest Foods on earth, Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., p. 20.

 

 

Recipe

Broccoli Arugula Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 1/2 cups water
1 clove garlic, chopped 3/4 cup arugula
1 small yellow onion, diced 1 tsp. salt, to your taste
1 head broccoli, cut in small florets
Sauté onions in oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or so. Add broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes. Add water and salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until broccoli is tender, around 5 minutes. Pour into blender and add arugula. Blend until smooth or to consistency you would like.

 

Recipe

Arugula/Romaine Salad
2 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried  1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce A little salt to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. oil
 

Place all ingredients except avocado into bowl. Cover, and shake or stir to mix. Serve with avocado slices.

 

Children’s Story – Finding My Cornet

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One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.”

“There’s one more piece, porter—a basket!”

“No, sir! Your ticket says eight pieces. That’s all you put in.”

“But the basket! It has my cornet in it, porter.”

“Well, I’m sorry for you, mister, but it isn’t usual to expect more out of a cloakroom than you put in. You’d better inform the police.”

“Then is it really truly lost?”

The awful truth that the porter’s statements were correct made me feel sick all over. No, stopping to think, I couldn’t remember seeing the basket when we got off the train in the morning. My cornet was lost!

Here we were on our way to the Burma meeting. The good pastor over there wanted some help with the music. But now it was gone. Gone! The cornet that had inspired the jungle band, and had played in a hundred villages—gone! I was surely disheartened.

I informed the police. I informed the station master. I searched the station and the lost luggage room. I asked every coolie within hearing distance if he had seen my basket. Not a soul had seen such a basket all day long. Neither had I. That was the whole trouble. The basket was lost, and my cornet was gone!

Lifelessly I put my eight pieces of luggage into the cart, and directed the driver to the mission house. I felt dejected. All at once the thought flashed into my mind, Why not pray? It was then just 3:30 in the afternoon. So right there, in that old cart rumbling off down the road, mingling with the thousand sounds and voices common to an Eastern street, I prayed.

I told the Lord that cornet was just as much His as it was mine. I told Him that it was just as good a preacher as I was. Then as we talked the situation over together, I dared to ask Him that if it could glorify His name, if it could benefit His cause, to please have it sent back that evening, as I wanted to take it to the meeting the next day.

Talking it all over with the Lord lifted my burden, and made me feel sure that God was now going to take matters into His hands. Maybe He would teach me a severe lesson. But I felt safe in the hands of the Lord, because He always works things out for our good. That’s what the Bible says (Romans 8:28). In this frame of mind, I completed the journey to the mission house, where my wife, sharing my disappointment and hope, helped me get things ready for the night.

While we were thus engaged, at five o’clock in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and a total stranger stood before me with my basket in his hand! A friend of his, traveling in the ladies’ compartment with my wife, had by mistake taken it with her luggage. She had remembered my wife’s name, and in conversation had learned that we were Seventh-day Adventists. The stranger had quite a time finding us. First, he went to the church, then to the pastor’s home, then to the office, and finally to the mission house where we were staying. He declared that his friend had given him no peace till, at 3:30, he had started off in a cart to hunt us up.

But why did our friend wait till 3:30 before starting out to hunt us? Just what was it that made him start that afternoon at exactly 3:30?

Eagles, True Education Series, Eric B. Hare, adapted, 40, 41.

Life Sketches – From Sinner to Saint

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Sometimes we can make decisions in a moment of time that will affect our lives either for the better, so that we have abundant and lifelong happiness, or for the worse, so that our happiness is destroyed and often irreparable. The Bible records experiences of people with both outcomes.

After Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day, the Bible records ten different incidences of personal interviews He had with people:

  • Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons (Mark 16:9).
  • A small group of women who had come to the tomb Sunday morning (Matthew 28:9, 10).
  • Peter (1 Corinthians 15:5).
  • Two men on a road to Emmaus, the Sunday afternoon of His resurrection (Luke 24:15).
  • His eleven disciples (John 20:19; 1 Corinthians 15:5).
  • A group of over 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). When the book of Corinthians was written, Paul said the majority of those people were still alive.
  • James, Jesus’ step brother (1 Corinthians 15:7).
  • Jesus appeared a second time to the eleven (John 20:26).
  • Some days later, He appeared to seven of the disciples (John 21:1).
  • Paul, on the road to Damascus (1 Corinthians 15:8, 9).

When the apostle Paul met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road, it was a momentary event that completely changed forever the course of his life. He was instantly transformed from persecutor into an apostle of the gospel after his personal interview with the Lord. This story of the conversion of the apostle Paul is still today one of the leading evidences of the Christian religion. While on a journey to Damascus to arrest Christians and bring them back, bound, to Jerusalem he was stopped in his tracks by a great light, brighter than the sun. He saw a glorious Personage in front of him that spoke to him, saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me” (Acts 22:7)?

Trembling, astonished, and inquiring what he was to do, Paul, being blinded by the light, was led into Damascus by the hand of those that were with him to wait on further instructions (see Acts 9:4–6). While in Damascus Paul was baptized.

Many years later telling his story to the Jews in Jerusalem, he said, “And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus” (Acts 22:11).

Later he related to King Agrippa some other things that the Lord told him on the Damascus road. The Lord said to him, “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” (Acts 26:15–19).

Paul was commissioned to preach, the result being that people were to have their eyes opened. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4).

Every person who works in evangelism has this experience. When you read the Bible and pray that the Lord will help you to understand it, the meaning becomes so plain that you wonder how others can’t see it. Paul explains that it is the god of this age that dulls our understanding. This was the same experience for the Jews when Jesus was here. It says in John 12:39–41, “Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory.”

However, Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (verse 46).

O, friend, do you have spiritual vision, or has your mind been blinded by the god of this world so that you cannot see? The Bible predicts that in the last days God’s professed followers will think that they can see, but they’re actually blind. Notice what it says in Revelation 3:17, 18: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

In Matthew the 15th chapter, speaking of the Jewish leaders, Jesus says, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (verse 14). Here is a description of a church member who doesn’t know the word of God for himself but hangs on every word of a clergyman or other supposed leader who is just as spiritually ignorant. They will both eventually fall in a ditch.

And the main reason for their blindness? Jesus says, “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’ ” (verses 7–9). The Jews thought they were keeping the commandments, but were actually breaking them with all their traditions (verse 6). The same happens today. Many Christians believe that they are keeping the commandments while in reality, they are just keeping them according to their own particular traditions.

Jesus said, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated to the temple,” is released from honoring his father and mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition” (verses 3–6, literal translation).

In 1 John 2:7–11, the apostle John identifies who is in the light and who is in the dark and can’t see where they are going. He said, “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

O friend, how is it with you? The first four commandments say that you are supposed to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The last six commandments say to treat your neighbor as yourself. If you hate your brother, you break the last six commandments of the law. If you don’t love God with all your heart, you break the first four commandments of the law. If you hate your brother, your eyes are blinded, you are in the dark, and you don’t understand where you are going or where you will end up.

Many people think they are on their way to heaven but will find out at the last that they have been travelling down the broad road that leads to destruction. They were deceived into thinking that through their traditions they were keeping the commandments of God when actually they were not. They claimed that they were keeping God’s commandments. They claimed that they loved God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and their neighbor as themselves, but not really.

The Lord commissioned the apostle Paul to open their eyes, so that they can see, and to turn them from darkness to light. A person is in darkness when he hates his fellow man because they also have been made in the image of God. Paul’s job was to turn them from the power of Satan to the light.

The Gentiles, those who were not Jewish, were not aware that by worshiping their idols and other gods they were giving homage to the evil one and were under the power of Satan. Paul told the Corinthians, “What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice [to their idols] they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:19, 20).

Demons are deceptive. They do not manifest themselves as the demons that they are. They claim to be angels of light. Notice what the apostle Paul says about this in 2 Corinthians 11:13–15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” All who do not worship the true God, the Creator God, are worshiping demons that claim to be ministers of righteousness.

The Bible predicts that in the last days, there will be many people who accept false doctrines from false teachers. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).

O, friend, if you have pleasure in unrighteousness you are going to be deceived in the last days. John explains in 1 John 5:17 that all unrighteousness is sin. Sin is transgressing God’s law (1 John 3:4 KJV). So, having pleasure in unrighteousness is having pleasure in sin, or having pleasure in breaking God’s law. If you have pleasure in unrighteousness because you do not love the truth, you will be deceived.

Paul cautions the Christians to come out from all those practices so that they can turn from the power of Satan to the power of God. He cautions, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty’ ” (2 Corinthians 6:14–18).

So, not only were their eyes to be opened, not only were they to be delivered from darkness to light, not only were they to be delivered from the power of Satan to the power of God, but also, when they turned to the Lord, they were to receive forgiveness of sins. Whom God forgives, He first makes penitent. He first gives repentance, so that they confess their sins. The Bible says there is one mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). There is only one Person in the universe that can forgive your sins. Peter said in Acts 4:12, literal translation, “Neither is there any other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” The Lord wants to save you, friend. He wants to deliver you from the power of Satan.

In 1 John 3:8–10 it says, “He who sins is of the devil (under the control or influence of the devil), for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

There is a goal to be reached at the end of the Christian journey. Your eyes will be opened and you will turn from the darkness of the power of Satan to live a new life in the light and power of God. You confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and invite Him to be Sovereign of your life so that you can receive the forgiveness of sins. Now you are ready to “receive an inheritance among those that are sanctified” (Acts 26:18, literal translation). To be sanctified means to be a holy person. The New Testament teaches that only holy people will be in heaven. It says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Peter wrote the necessity of holiness when he said, “Because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Peter 1:16, 17).

“Be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). God wants to make you a holy person. “It is God who works in you both to will and do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, literal translation). He wants to open your eyes, turn you from darkness to light, deliver you from the power of Satan to the power of God so that your sins can be forgiven and so that you can receive, someday, an inheritance among those that are sanctified. You will be holy, too.

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

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

Health – Pine Stimulates Healing

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I love the smell of pine as I am sure many of you do also. Did you know that pine and evergreen trees have many healing qualities? Let’s read about some of those healing qualities.

“… Pine and other evergreen trees, as it turns out, are loaded with compounds that have a variety of positive effects on the human body.

“An extract for what ails you
Native Canadians knew all about those benefits. According to a nearly 500-year-old legend, French explorer Jacques Cartier’s ship got stuck in the ice near Quebec. He and his crew faced certain death from scurvy (a vitamin C deficiency) until a tribal chieftain named Donacona brewed the sailors pine tea. It saved their lives and their explorations continued. Later, in the 1940s, a French researcher named Jacques Masquelier discovered that pine bark and needles contain vitamin C.

“That researcher went on to test French coastal pine trees (Pinus maritima) and learned that they’re loaded with beneficial antioxidant compounds called flavonols and bioflavonoids. He extracted the compounds with hot water and patented his discovery as Pycnogenol. Now marketed as a dietary supplement, Pycnogenol—which has been used as a jet lag remedy—has also been studied for its ability to ease circulatory problems, knee pain, and menstrual cramps; it may even improve memory in the elderly.

“A scent for stress relief
In Japan, going for a therapeutic walk in the woods is known as shinrin-yoku, which means ‘taking in the atmosphere of the forest.’ This practice has recently been studied for its ability to ease stress.

“In one study, researchers at Japan’s Kyoto University sent 498 healthy volunteers on two 15-minute forest strolls one day, compared to a control day when they didn’t walk. Volunteers rated their mood on a standard psychological scale. Their hostility and depression scores decreased significantly after walking. What’s more, the more stressed-out the volunteers were to begin with, the greater the relaxation they experienced.

“While most of us don’t have access to ancient Japanese pine forests, we can fake the same emotional effects by taking a stroll through a local Christmas tree farm—or by using essential oils such as balsam or silver fir, spruce, pine, or Scotch pine. Traditional aromatherapy recommends these foresty evergreen oils for soothing bumpy emotions and easing stress. Simply shake a few drops on your pillow or even onto a tissue. Breathe in deeply and slowly, relax … .

“Oils for bronchitis or chest coughs
Pine’s ability to heal isn’t confined to your emotions. It also provides gentle relief for colds and congested sinuses. Add three drops of pine essential oil to a bowl of hot tap water, cover your head with a towel, and inhale the steam through your nose and mouth.

“A massage for sore muscles
Add five drops of pine oil (P. pinaster) to two tablespoons of vegetable oil and use it to massage away muscle aches and pains. (Caution: Do not use Scotch pine oil—P. sylvestris—on the skin, as it may be irritating.) …” 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/04/healing-power-pine/

Live pine trees with their wonderful scents are very healthy to be around. Ellen White also talks about pine as being a health benefit:

“In a certain place, preparations were being made to clear the land for the erection of a sanitarium. Light was given that there is health in the fragrance of the pine, the cedar, and the fir. And there are several other kinds of trees that have medicinal properties that are health promoting. Let not such trees be ruthlessly cut down. … Let them live.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 301.  

“How grateful to the invalids weary of city life, the glare of many lights, and the noise of the streets, are the quiet and freedom of the country! How eagerly do they turn to the scenes of nature! How glad would they be to sit in the open air, rejoice in the sunshine, and breathe the fragrance of tree and flower! There are life-giving properties in the balsam of the pine, in the fragrance of the cedar and the fir, and other trees also have properties that are health restoring.” The Ministry of Healing, 264. 

It is time to get out and smell the pine! God’s creation is always comforting and healing.

Question and Answer – How did the Israelites sink so low as to sacrifice their own children?

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There is no limit to depravity when one denies worship of the true God.

“And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger” (2 Kings 17:16, 17).

“God was a wise and compassionate lawgiver, judging all cases righteously, and without partiality. While the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage, they were surrounded with idolatry. The Egyptians had received traditions in regard to sacrificing. They did not acknowledge the existence of the God of Heaven. They sacrificed to their idol gods. With great pomp and ceremony they performed their idol worship. They erected altars to the honor of their gods, and they required even their own children to pass through the fire. After they had erected their altars they required their children to leap over the altars through the fire. If they could do this without their being burned, the idol priests and people received it as an evidence that their god accepted their offerings, and favored especially the person who passed through the fiery ordeal. He was loaded with benefits, and was ever afterward greatly esteemed by all the people. He was never allowed to be punished, however aggravating might be his crimes. If another person who leaped through the fire was so unfortunate as to be burned, then his fate was fixed; for they thought that their gods were angry, and would be appeased with nothing short of the unhappy victim’s life, and he was offered up as a sacrifice upon their idol altars.

“Even some of the children of Israel had so far degraded themselves as to practice these abominations, and God caused the fire to kindle upon their children, whom they made to pass through the fire. They did not go to all the lengths of the heathen nations; but God deprived them of their children by causing the fire to consume them in the act of passing through it.

“Because the people of God had confused ideas of the ceremonial sacrificial offerings, and had heathen traditions confounded with their ceremonial worship, God condescended to give them definite directions, that they might understand the true import of those sacrifices which were to last only till the Lamb of God should be slain, who was the great antitype of all their sacrificial offerings.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 303, 304.

Pen of Inspiration – Life Through Death

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The lesson of seed sowing teaches liberality. “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

The Lord says, “Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32:20). To sow beside all waters means to give wherever our help is needed. This will not tend to poverty. “He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” By casting it away the sower multiplies his seed. So by imparting we increase our blessings. God’s promise assures a sufficiency, that we may continue to give.

More than this: as we impart the blessings of this life, gratitude in the recipient prepares the heart to receive spiritual truth, and a harvest is produced unto life everlasting.

By the casting of grain into the earth, the Saviour represents His sacrifice for us. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,” He says, “it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). Only through the sacrifice of Christ, the Seed, could fruit be brought forth for the kingdom of God. In accordance with the law of the vegetable kingdom, life is the result of His death.

So with all who bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ: self-love, self-interest, must perish; the life must be cast into the furrow of the world’s need. But the law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation. The husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So the life that will be preserved is the life that is freely given in service to God and man.

The seed dies, to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. Of the human body laid away to molder in the grave, God has said: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power” (1 Corinthians 15:42, 43).

As parents and teachers try to teach these lessons, the work should be made practical. Let the children themselves prepare the soil and sow the seed. As they work, the parent or teacher can explain the garden of the heart, with the good or bad seed sown there, and that as the garden must be prepared for the natural seed, so the heart must be prepared for the seed of truth. As the seed is cast into the ground, they can teach the lesson of Christ’s death; and as the blade springs up, the truth of the resurrection. As the plant grows, the correspondence between the natural and the spiritual sowing may be continued.

The youth should be instructed in a similar way. From the tilling of the soil, lessons may constantly be learned. No one settles upon a raw piece of land with the expectation that it will at once yield a harvest. Diligent, persevering labor must be put forth in the preparation of the soil, the sowing of the seed, and the culture of the crop. So it must be in the spiritual sowing. The garden of the heart must be cultivated. The soil must be broken up by repentance. The evil growths that choke the good grain must be uprooted. As soil once overgrown with thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor, so the evil tendencies of the heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Christ.

In the cultivation of the soil the thoughtful worker will find that treasures little dreamed of are opening up before him. No one can succeed in agriculture or gardening without attention to the laws involved. The special needs of every variety of plant must be studied. Different varieties require different soil and cultivation, and compliance with the laws governing each is the condition of success. The attention required in transplanting, that not even a root fiber shall be crowded or misplaced, the care of the young plants, the pruning and watering, the shielding from frost at night and sun by day, keeping out weeds, disease, and insect pests, the training and arranging, not only teach important lessons concerning the development of character, but the work itself is a means of development. In cultivating carefulness, patience, attention to detail, obedience to law, it imparts a most essential training. The constant contact with the mystery of life and the loveliness of nature, as well as the tenderness called forth in ministering to these beautiful objects of God’s creation, tends to quicken the mind and refine and elevate the character; and the lessons taught prepare the worker to deal more successfully with other minds.

Education, 109–111.

Keys to the Storehouse – Whom Do You Reflect?

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When I think about all of the time I have wasted in the past dwelling on the faults of my employers, my children, my spouse, which time could have been used in walking with the Lord and not with the devil and his accusers, what a waste! We do not have time “to live on the husks of others’ faults or failings.” The Ministry of Healing, 492.

Too much time has been wasted and will be wasted that could be used in walking in peace with the Lord Jesus and not riled up with the devil and his cohorts. Did you know that the “very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look”? Ibid.

Is that why I have a scowl on my face—which really is a reflection of the devil and which causes me to sit on my “pity pot”? Get out of the devil’s atmosphere! If you do not have peace in your heart, in your mind, then it is time to place your thoughts upon heavenly places! Why waste your time sitting with the devil and lose out on that peace which God has promised through Jesus Christ. Put a smile on your face, put a scripture song or verse in your heart. Remember what Philippians 4:8 says: “… whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Paul knew what things he needed to dwell upon—we must know those same things!

“Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say,

  • I must work out my own salvation.
  • If I co-operate with Him who desires to save my soul, I must watch myself diligently.
  • I must put away every evil from my life.
  • I must overcome every fault.
  • I must become a new creature in Christ.

Then, instead of weakening those who are striving against evil, I can strengthen them by encouraging words.” Ibid.

Heavenly Father: Thank you for Your word which sets us free from the devil’s distractions. You have shown us how to keep our minds in heavenly places and to walk in that atmosphere. “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Psalm 17:5). Do not allow me to live on the husks of others’ faults! I choose not to sit with the devil and his cohorts, for my joy is found in Your presence. Amen.

Current Events – Sunday’s Coming – Poland votes to make Sunday a Day of Rest

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“The bishops underscore the need to restore Sunday to society.”

Poland, once a communist-controlled nation, has very quickly exceeded Western Europe in morality. It has some of the most strict abortion laws on the continent, and has further solidified its Christian nation cred by voting to proclaim Sunday a day of rest and phase out shopping on Sunday by 2020.

The bill was proposed by trade unions that want shop workers to spend more time with their families with support from the ruling party that adheres to Catholic values. Critics say it would negatively affect Poland’s economy, eliminating tens of thousands of jobs as well as supermarket chains, which are mostly western.

Votes were dominated by the ruling party 254 for, with 156 against it with 23 abstentions to limit Sunday shopping to the first and last Sunday of the month from March 1 until the end of 2018; during 2019 only on the last Sunday each month; and a total ban starting in 2020. There will be exceptions that allow shopping before major holidays like Christmas and Easter. The Polish senate is expected to pass the bill which will be signed into law by President Duda.

Poland has continued to maintain a strong connection to its Catholic heritage in recent years, rejecting the progressive quest for abortion on demand and thwarting assaults on traditional marriage.

Poland›s Catholic bishops have praised the move as a bold step forward, though with reservations. Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, spokesman for the Polish Bishops Conference, said the bill is welcomed while still “unsatisfactory.”

“The bishops underscore the need to restore Sunday to society as a day of rest and time of building family ties as well as strengthening social relationships,” he said. “They point out also that Sunday rest cannot be a luxury for a chosen few but is an integral part of equal treatment for all employees. Therefore, there is an urgent need to make all Sundays free from work, just as is already the case in many European Union countries.”

Economists disagree and have denounced the bill as a “disgrace.”

“The government’s attempt to coerce part of the population not to sell or shop on Sundays is a disgrace and has nothing to do with Catholicism,” Wrocław-based economist and entrepreneur Piotr Zapałowicz told LifeSiteNews. “Some people will lose their jobs or part of their income, especially those employed on hourly wages.”

Michal Dybula, a Warsaw-based economic strategist at Bank BGZ BNP Paribas, said “any restriction of economic activity, such as retail trade, results in weaker economic growth.”

Extracts from www.dailywire.com/news/24046/christian-nation-poland-votes-make-sunday-day-rest-paul-bois?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro

No Good Reason for Being Discouraged

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There is no good reason for any one’s becoming discouraged. There is no sin, no matter how deeply seated in the physical man, or how long it has been indulged, but what if fully surrendered to Him who has all power in heaven and earth, it can be fully conquered.

By keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus by faith, we can resist every temptation. From all temptations that are too strong for us to bear, He has promised to make a way of escape. It is the mind of God that we live without sin; for if in His strength we can conquer every temptation that He allows to come upon us, and He makes a way of escape for temptations too strong to bear, there can be no reason why we should not become sinless, and live a pure life. It is sin that discourages us, and only sin.

That it is God’s mind that we live without sin, is evident from 1 John 2:1, first part: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” Why would God write to us, through His servant, “that ye sin not,” if there was no way to be kept from sinning? It would certainly be useless thus to admonish if there was no possible way for the admonition to take effect.

But strive as we may, and be as determined as we know how, we are told in Steps to Christ, 64, that “we shall often have to bow and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God.” No; for the Lord did not leave the text unfinished, but added, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous” (1 John 2:1, last part). Praise His name for this!

Many are perplexed over this text. They seem to think it impossible to live without sin, and positively declare that it cannot be done. They grasp the latter part of the text, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate,” etc., and then without any dependence of Christ, try in their own strength not to repeat the sin. The temptation can be met successfully only by keeping our eyes upon Jesus, and by exercising faith in His keeping power (1 Peter 1:5).

But our danger lies in losing sight of Christ, and our faith failing. If we do, we will certainly sin.

Let us illustrate: A man is thrown overboard at sea. A line is thrown within his reach, and he grasps it tightly. As long as he clings to it, he is drawn toward the ship. But as he nears the vessel, he begins to think himself quite secure, which causes him somewhat to loosen his grasp; and before he is aware of it, he has lost his hold entirely. He is again at the mercy of the wind and the waves. He awakens anew to his perilous condition, and again calls loudly for help. The deliverer again throws the life-line, which is grasped more tightly than ever. Had he been more careful not to lose his hold the first time, it would have been much better. A mountainous wave might have swept him away, just as he was reaching out to lay hold of the line.

It is just so with the sinner. He is shipwrecked on the sea of death; but God in His mercy has thrown the life-line of His promise (1 John 1:9), and many a shipwrecked mariner has grasped it, but again he has grown careless and lost his hold. Some have awakened again to grasp the life-line (1 John 2:1, last part), to lay hold of it more securely, pray more fervently, believe more fully, and watch more diligently; while others have been swept away by some great temptation, and have given up in despair.

By continually keeping our eyes fixed upon Christ, we can live without sin. By looking away from Him, we will sin. We can look to Him continually. We may become careless and lose sight of Him. But if we make calculations that we cannot live out the admonition, “that ye sin not,” we have already looked away from Christ, made provisions to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and will sink in despair.

May our faith take hold of His keeping power, and we be preserved from the terrible temptations that are awaiting us on every side.

Ellen G. White Present Truth and Review and Herald Articles, March 7, 1893.

The Beginning of the Sacrificial System

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“Heavenly angels more fully opened to our first parents the plan that had been devised for their salvation. Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through repentance and faith in Christ they might again become the children of God.

“The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the sacred character of the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen before, the guilt of sin and its dire results.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 66.

“To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty.” Ibid., 68.

In time, Eve gave birth to two sons. Adam and Eve named the first son Cain and the second son Abel. As these two sons grew up, Adam and Eve faithfully instructed them in the great plan of redemption. When matured in age, the time came for them to build their own altars and offer their own sacrifices for their sin. The Bible record says,

“Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought … fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master’ ” (Genesis 4:2–7, literal translation).

“These brothers were tested, as Adam had been tested before them, to prove whether they would believe and obey the word of God. They were acquainted with the provision made for the salvation of man, and understood the system of offerings which God had ordained. They knew that in these offerings they were to express faith in the Saviour whom the offerings typified, and at the same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon; and they knew that by thus conforming to the divine plan for their redemption, they were giving proof of their obedience to the will of God. Without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin; and they were to show their faith in the blood of Christ as the promised atonement by offering the firstlings of the flock in sacrifice.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 71.

“Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.” Ibid., 72.

“ ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’ (Hebrews 11:4). Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.” Ibid.

“Abel chose faith and obedience; Cain, unbelief and rebellion. Here the whole matter rested.

“Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time.” Ibid.

Altars were built, and sacrifices were offered by all the faithful patriarchal families to the time of the flood. Adam instructed Enoch in the purpose of these sacrifices. Enoch taught his son Methuselah, who lived 600 years with Noah, concerning the purpose of the sacrifices. But the majority of the people rebelled against God.

“The period of their probation was about to expire. Noah had faithfully followed the instructions which he had received from God. The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored with food for man and beast. …

“God commanded Noah, ‘Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation’ (Genesis 7:1). Noah’s warnings had been rejected by the world, but his influence and example resulted in blessings to his family. As a reward for his faithfulness and integrity, God saved all the members of his family with him.” Ibid., 98.

So God sent a flood upon the earth and destroyed mankind except for Noah and his family.

“Noah and his family anxiously waited for the decrease of the waters, for they longed to go forth again upon the earth. …

“At last an angel descended from heaven, opened the massive door, and bade the patriarch and his household go forth upon the earth and take with them every living thing. In the joy of their release Noah did not forget Him by whose gracious care they had been preserved. His first act after leaving the ark was to build an altar and offer from every kind of clean beast and fowl a sacrifice, thus manifesting his gratitude to God for deliverance and his faith in Christ, the great sacrifice.” Ibid., 105, 106.

In Genesis, we read that “Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.” “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth’ ” (Genesis 8:18, 20; 9:1).

Abraham, who was born only eight years after Noah died, learned of the meaning of the sacrifices from Noah’s son, Shem. Thus through the sacrificial system, the faith of the patriarchs in Jesus as the Lamb of God was preserved from generation to generation.

“It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man’s redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, ‘It is enough.’ To save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God? ‘He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things’ (Romans 8:32)?” Patriarchs and Prophets, 154.

“It had been difficult even for the angels to grasp the mystery of redemption—to comprehend that the Commander of heaven, the Son of God, must die for guilty man. When the command was given to Abraham to offer up his son, the interest of all heavenly beings was enlisted. With intense earnestness they watched each step in the fulfillment of this command. When to Isaac’s question, ‘Where is the lamb for a burnt offering’ (Genesis 22:7)? Abraham made answer, ‘God will provide Himself a lamb’ (verse 8); and when the father’s hand was stayed as he was about to slay his son, and the ram which God had provided was offered in the place of Isaac—then light was shed upon the mystery of redemption, and even the angels understood more clearly the wonderful provision that God had made for man’s salvation (1 Peter 1:12).” Ibid., 155.

Excerpts from High Priest & Coming King, by Maurice Hoppe, pages 21–25.