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Food – The Scrumptious Radish

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I remember when I was little, I would pull up a radish right out of the garden, and without even washing it, I would devour it! YUM! I didn’t know anything about the health benefits then. I just knew that they tasted good. Since then I have discovered some health benefits you may be interested in:

Due to their ability to absorb vitamins and minerals from the ground, root vegetables grown in rich soil are full of nutrients and are an excellent source of fiber. Many are high in vitamin C, B vitamins, and vitamin A. Many are antioxidants. Several have remarkable healing properties. Unfortunately, root vegetables also absorb toxins from the ground, making organic the best choice.

The health benefits of radishes are truly impressive. They are said to be good for the liver and stomach, the kidneys and bladder, the lungs, the cardiovascular system and the immune system. They purify the blood and eliminate waste, detoxify and are anti-congestive. They are beneficial in the treatment of cancer, jaundice, constipation, urinary tract and kidney infections, skin ailments, and more.

Radishes come in varying shapes and sizes from large to small, from long to round, and in colors that include white, black, yellow, green, pink, red, or purple. All are a great source of vitamin C.

Daikon radishes come in all shapes and sizes, although the ones sold in the U.S. market generally look like oversized white carrots. The tops—the part that grows above ground—are edible and have a peppery taste; they are often added to salads.

Smaller radishes are more nutritious because nutrition is pulled from the root to the tops as the vegetable matures.

Daikons are an excellent source of vitamin C. They also contain vitamin B6, magnesium, and calcium.

To store, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate.

www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

Health – Pomegranate – Superfood

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The pomegranate has been called a superfood mainly because of its antioxidant properties. Much research has been done to reveal that this old-fashioned fruit has some of the most amazing health benefits. Even the seeds have health-giving properties.

As a child growing up on a farm in the country, I can remember heading off with my brother on our quest to look for pomegranates. We knew where the tree was located; so we took off on our bicycles, loaded down with bags and baskets to bring some fruit home. We were told not to get the juice on our clothes as it would stain, but we loved the thrill of collecting these fruits. Little did we know that they are loaded with so many health benefits.

Each pomegranate is composed of hundreds of small seeds, each surrounded by a sac of sweet-tart reddish colored juice contained by a thin skin. The seeds are compacted around the core in a layer resembling honeycomb. The layers of seeds are separated by paper-thin white membranes which are bitter to the tongue. The inner membranes and rind are not generally eaten due to high tannic acid content.

Many people eat the fresh fruit by chewing on the seeds to release the juice from the sacs and then swallow seeds and all. The seeds are considered good roughage to help cleanse the body. In India, the seeds are dried and ground into a powder and used to flavor meat dishes. Others will get the juice from the seeds and then spit out the seeds. Eat or discard the seeds according to your personal preference.

Pomegranate juice, with its high levels of anti-oxidants, protects healthy cells from damage by destructive groups of atoms called free radicals. It also contains polyphenols and isoflavones, which are believed to play a role in cancer cell death. It is rich in vitamin C, fiber and potassium and is also effective as an anti-inflammatory.

Cancer

Pomegranates rank high in the list of foods believed helpful in the prevention of cancer. The antioxidants and other compounds in pomegranates help to inhibit the initial formation of cancer cells, activate the enzymes that identify and fix damaged DNA, help eliminate damaged cells, and impair multiplication of cancerous cells.

Consuming pomegranate juice and eating the fresh fruit have been known to have positive effects on numerous types of cancers, especially prostate, breast, lung, skin, and colon cancers. Studies in Israel have shown that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone and may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming. Other studies show that it inhibits the development of lung cancer. It has been shown to slow down the growth of prostate cancer in mice. In a study with 50 men who have had treatment for prostate cancer, one glass of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.

For 10 years Allan Pantuck, M.D., director of cancer research at UCLA has specialized in the treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Pantuck was honored by the U.S. Army for his investigations into slowing prostate cancer progression by blocking estrogen. He has received awards several times from the National Institute of Health for his research and written more than 150 peer-reviewed journals on the subject. Now he is sharing his findings from a major study that uses simple, totally safe ingredients to inhibit estrogen production and slow prostate cancer.

Dr. Pantuck studied 50 men over five years. Before enrolling in the study, every man had been treated for prostate cancer. Treatments included surgery or radiation. In all cases, the treatment had failed. Each man’s PSA levels were rising quickly. Their cancer had returned and it was growing fast.

For men with no history of prostate cancer, PSA levels may not always be an accurate indicator of cancer. But when a patient has been diagnosed and treated for cancer, PSA levels are an accurate way to see if the cancer is in remission. When those levels rise quickly, it is a sure indication that the cancer has returned and is progressing quickly. This was the case for every man in the study.

Dr. Pantuck gave each man 250 ml of pomegranate juice each day – and no other treatment. Within weeks the juice was stabilizing their PSA levels and slowing their PSA doubling times. Doubling time is critical in prostate cancer. Patients with short doubling times are much more likely to die from prostate cancer, says Dr. Pantuck. In the case of the test group, the average doubling time was about 15 months.

Adding this simple fruit juice made a big difference. The researchers recorded a four-fold increase in doubling times. Instead of taking 15 months to double, the time increased to 54 months for 82 percent of the men on the study.

“That’s a big increase,” says Dr. Pantuck. “In older men we can give them pomegranate juice and they may outlive their risk of dying from cancer. We’re hoping we may be able to prevent the need for other therapies which bring with them harmful side effects.”

There were further big improvements. The researchers’ results also showed a 12 percent decrease in cancer cell growth and a 17 percent increase in cancer cell death. “There are many substances in the juice that may be prompting this response,” says Dr. Pantuck. “We don’t know if it’s one magic bullet or the combination of everything else we know is in this juice.”

Cardiovascular Health

Pomegranates improve cardiovascular health by reducing serum LDL levels, or bad cholesterol, in healthy and in diabetic patients. A study published in 2008 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry confirmed the findings of previous studies that whole pomegranate fruit and pomegranate juice demonstrate the ability to prevent and reverse atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque on artery walls. This means a decrease in blood pressure and increased blood flow to the heart and therefore reducing the chance of having a heart attack.

Inflammation

Long-term inflammation can cause multiple chronic diseases like rheumatic arthritis, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Pomegranates possess chemicals that reduce inflammation, helping to prevent and relieve symptoms of some of these diseases.

Other Health Benefits

  • Pomegranates possess antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-diarrheal properties. People drinking the juice have seen considerable improvement in their skin and oral health.
  • Because of less amyloid plaque build up in the brain, pomegranate consumption may prevent and slow Alzheimer’s disease. Mental tasks become easier.
  • It may help to slow down the aging process and is beneficial in maintaining the elasticity and health of skin.
  • It may help to prevent tooth decay by suppressing the detrimental bacteria that cause plaque and tooth decay.
  • It may inhibit the replication of Influenza viruses.
  • It may inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and may inhibit the production of endotoxins by Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Pomegranates fight diarrhea, bronchitis, sore throat, and nausea.

Pomegranates can be purchased in season and eaten, but a very easy addition to the diet is the juice. Be aware that most pomegranate juice is flash pasteurized and is usually found in a clear container. Both of these factors result in the loss of some of the nutrients. Thus you cannot be sure of receiving all of the juice’s health benefits, but the benefits you do get will definitely outweigh the drawbacks. Therefore, try adding pomegranate juice to your diet.

Pomegranate juice is available in many supermarkets. Be sure to read the label to make sure you are getting a quality product that is 100% pure juice, or 100% pure juice from concentrate, at the very least. Also make sure that no sugars are added.

It has been stated that one glass of pomegranate juice a day can help your health in many different ways. The fruit has long been used in folk medicine in the Middle East and India. Healers have used the bark, leaves, skin and rind as well as the edible fruit to cure a multitude of ills. A boiled infusion of the rinds is said to soothe a sore throat and a scalp massage paste made from the leaves is thought to reverse baldness.

www.naturalhealthdossier.com

www.amazing-pomegranate-health-benefits.com

Kaye Sehm, Back to Eden Newsletter. Winter 2011, No. 47, P.O. Box 850, Lavington NSW 2641 Australia Telephone +61-2-6025-5018

Children’s Story – Seeds and Johnny Appleseed

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Betty Lou had her own garden patch, in which she could plant anything she liked.

“Look!” she exclaimed one morning, “The bean seeds are crawling out of the ground!” The beans had made cracks in the earth and were popping through. On top of every stem was one of the beans that had been planted. Betty Lou pushed her trowel into the soft earth and brought up a tiny plant. “See, mother, see! This bean is growing a tail.”

There was a little stem with a bean on top and a tiny white root below. “The stem will keep on growing higher and higher, gathering light and air,” mother explained, “while the root will go farther and farther down into the earth searching for something to eat. The bean on top of the stem supplies the growing plant with food until the roots are strong enough to gather nourishment from the earth.

“Soon this plant will grow into a strong vine, twining around a pole, with pods growing on it. In the pods beans like the ones we planted will grow. The roots will become larger and stronger, each one having tiny mouths through which it will suck up food and water for the fast-growing plant.”

“What makes the seed grow?” asked Linda.

“It’s the life in the seed,” Harold answered.

“What is life?” mother asked.

“It’s what makes things grow,” said Linda, looking very wise.

“You have told me what life does, but you haven’t told me what life is. Only God, Who puts the life into the seeds and Who makes every living thing grow, knows what life really is.

“Here in this saucer are some beet seeds which I am going to soak in water overnight to soften their tight coverings so they will come up quickly. In this other saucer is some Grape-Nuts cereal. Betty Lou, how would you like to plant this cereal in your garden, so you could have all you want to eat?”

There was a question in Betty Lou’s eyes, but only for an instant, and then she said, “Grape-Nuts cereal won’t grow.”

“Because it is not seed.”

“That’s right. We’ll plant the seeds that are alive. Isn’t it wonderful that God has shut up a bit of life in each tiny seed—life which will spring up and grow into a plant, and bear many other seeds exactly like itself?

“Would you like to hear a story about a man who was named after a certain kind of seed?” The children looked puzzled, and mother added, “His first name was Johnny.”

“Is it Johnny Appleseed?”

“A good guess, Harold. So you’ve heard the story.”

“Yes, but I would like to hear it again,” said Harold.

Mother began: “His real name was John Chapman. When he was young he built himself a house out of stone and logs on the banks of the Ohio River, near the place where the city of Pittsburgh stands today.

“There were many apple orchards on the farms around his home, and the farmers used to send their apples to the cider mills. The apple skins and seeds were thrown away after the juice had been squeezed out. Johnny went around gathering up the seeds. He took them home and washed them. He planted some of them, and what he could not plant he laid away. It wasn’t many years until he had the best apple orchard in the country. He also had a fine nursery of young trees to supply other orchards.

“At that time thousands of people were moving west to start new homes. The journey was tiresome for there were no railroads or automobiles in those days. The trip was usually made in covered wagons pulled by oxen or horses.

“Some of the settlers were glad to stop for a day or two at Johnny’s house. He encouraged them on their way, often reading God’s promises from the Bible. When the pioneers continued their journey, he gave them provisions and apples. He gave to each guest a small bag of apple seeds, asking him to plant the seeds when he reached his home. Johnny knew that the shady apple trees would make the children happy and help their mothers forget their homesickness.

“Returning travelers who stopped at John Chapman’s home told him of the troubles the settlers were meeting. They were having a hard time to keep from starving while clearing new land and making farms. There was much sickness, and sometimes there were Indian raids. Even the apple trees that grew from the seeds he had given them were not doing well. Many of the people were homesick and discouraged. Johnny decided that he would have to go and show these pioneers how to plant the seeds and how to care for the trees.

“He left his comfortable home, giving his orchard and farm to a widow who had three children. He sewed his apple seeds into watertight bags, loaded them into two Indian canoes, and started down the river.

“For nearly forty years Johnny Appleseed traveled through the wilderness and over the plains, sometimes with his bags of apple seeds loaded on the back of a horse, but more often by foot. He carried his blanket roll, a sack of seeds and his food pouch over his shoulders. He also carried his Bible and some leaflets to give away.

“Day after day he tramped through the forest, hunting for settlers’ homes, bringing them the two kinds of seeds that he carried. Often in summer he had to wade through mud, and in winter through snows that hid the trail. The settlers’ cabins were far apart, and sometimes he would lose the trail and wander for days. He slept in hollow logs or under the open sky, with his Bible under his head.

“He learned the language of the Indians, and they welcomed him to their wigwams and gave him food and shelter. He nursed their sick children and talked to them about God, whom they called the Great Spirit.

“At every home Johnny left some of his apple seeds. He often helped the men prepare the soil and plant the seeds. He told them how to care for the trees when they came up, and how to transplant them.

“At mealtime they would draw up their rough stools to the pine-board table, and Johnny would ask God’s blessing on the food. Then, as they ate, he would give them the news and talk about the people they knew back home.

“After supper the children and older folk would listen to his stories. He would tell them about the heavenly Father Who loved them and Who was preparing a home for all who love Him.

“Then the family would make a bed for him on the floor. When the time came to leave, Johnny would hand them one of the leaflets in exchange for a few handfuls of corn meal or other food.

“Johnny had to be nurse as well as orchardist. Sometimes he would find entire families sick with chills and fever, or perhaps with the dreaded cholera. He cared for them, nursed them back to health, and cheered them with promises from the Bible. He did so many kind deeds and helped so many people that he was known and loved throughout the country. He spent his time and money trying to make other people happy.”

At the story’s end mother paused, and Linda looked up as if waiting for mother to say something. “What was the other kind of seed that John Chapman carried with him?” asked Linda.

Mother picked up her Bible. “The parable of the sower found in Matthew 13 tells us about the other seed,” she said. Before they had finished the chapter, Linda had guessed the answer. I wonder how many of you have done the same.

Excerpts from Happy Home Stories, by Ella M. Robinson, pp. 35–45.

Lord’s Prayer Series – Surrender Your Will

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Inside the heart or mind of man there occurs tremendous conflicts. The greatest of these is over the issue of control. The eternal destiny of each one of us will be determined by the outcome of this battle.

The majority of Christians do not realize what, in fact, they ask for when they pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, God’s will is supreme. There was only one time that His will was challenged and subsequently violated. For the sake of peace and harmony, Lucifer, who became Satan, was cast out. An account of this war in heaven is recorded in Revelation 12:7–9, which tells us that the devil and his angels fought against Christ and his angels. The controversy that began when our first parents sinned in the Garden of Eden is still raging today between Satan and his followers and Christ and His followers. When we pray that God’s will be done on earth, we are asking that our obedience to the divine will should measure up to the obedience of heavenly beings and those who live in the unfallen universe.

At times we are inclined to excuse ourselves from perfect obedience because we live in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15). Heaven recognizes the challenges we face, but our extremities are God’s opportunities, and He never asks of us to do anything according to His will without providing the power needed to accomplish it. The beings in heaven perform God’s will cheerfully, with constancy and perfection.

This world would be a different place if His will were done here. When the gospel has completed its mission and God’s eternal purpose has been fully carried out, the entire world will be in complete submission to His will. Then the earth will again be a part of heaven and God’s moral law will be perfectly obeyed in this world as it is in the heavenly universe.

Some astronomers have said that the earth, in making its yearly journey around the sun, takes a little over 365 days. In each revolution, one ten thousandths of a second of time is lost. The heavenly bodies fulfill the will of God with precision. The strictness of their obedience, however, is no greater than that of the celestial beings.

The Bible describes the measure of obedience by the unfallen beings in heaven:

“The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.”

(Psalm 103:19, 20).

To do God’s will is the greatest pleasure of the angelic host, as well as the highest service that can engage their powers. They do not render this service with a spirit of legality but because of the loving relationship they have with their Creator. Their allegiance to Him is a joy and this is the relationship for which Jesus told His disciples to pray.

Indeed, when you study obedience in the Bible, you will find that the only obedience that God accepts or even recognizes is that which is impelled or prompted by the motive of love. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus affirmed that when He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

It is the love of Christ that constrains us to obey Him, to follow Him and to do His will. Love keeps us from doing evil. Obedience, therefore, is not just a test of discipleship or citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. It is also the evidence of whether we really love God. Jesus said, “ ‘He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and Manifest Myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s Who sent Me.’ ” John 14:21–24.

It is not the greatness of the work that you do for God that counts but the motive behind the act that determines its value. It is the service of love that God highly esteems. When love is lacking, all you have is a form of godliness. All of the rites and ceremonies of religion may be performed, but it is an offense to Him when performed without the service of love.

The disciple spoken of in the gospels as the disciple that Jesus loved defines our love to God and man like this: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I John 5:2, 3.

When motivated by love, the service is never drudgery, something that you have to do, or a list of do’s and don’ts. When you are in love with the Lord, His will is your delight. This is why Paul wrote at one time, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:10.

To love God with all my heart, soul, and mind is to refrain from following any other god. This is the first commandment. In respect for Him, no one will bow before or worship an image or an idol. That behavior is forbidden in the second commandment. I will not dream to take His name in vain. That is covered by the third commandment. And I will not work when he says to rest, which is the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:3–11).

When asked which of the commandments was the greatest, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second commandment is, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30, 31 literal translation). If I love my neighbor as myself, I will not dishonor my father and mother. I will not kill him or steal his wife. I will not steal his goods or possessions or lie to him. I will not covet what belongs to him. Instead, I will be glad for what he has that he can enjoy. God’s love abiding in the heart reflects in the way a man responds to his neighbors. It is called the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Love for God is the fulfilling of the law. The principles within the Decalogue become a man’s motivation. Jesus’ life demonstrated the law of love. Concerning the Messiah, Psalm 40:8 says, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”

With the law of God written in His heart, it was Jesus’ delight to do the will of His Father. That delightful obedience to the law, which is written in the heart, is the very essence of what is called righteousness by faith, or being born again. Isaiah 51:7 says, “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law.”

This is the new covenant experience of Hebrews 8:10, which actually quotes from Jeremiah 31:33: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

If you claim Him as your God, then His law must be written in your heart. Paul said the same thing in Hebrews 10:16–18: “ ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Is that your experience? Is the law of God being written in your heart and in your mind? The evidence that you have been born again is having received a new heart by the action of the Holy Spirit. He writes the law of God in your heart. As a result, you want to do what is right and pleasing to God.

Salvation by works is an attempt to meet the demands of the law written only on stone. But, in the new covenant, the law is written not on stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart (II Corinthians 3:3). The difference between the old and the new covenants is the difference between seeking justification by works of obedience to an external law written on tables of stone and seeking justification by faith when the law is kept due to a change in the heart.

It is never what you do that saves you; it is Whom you know (Jesus). Then, Whom you know changes what you do as Paul wrote in Romans 8:1–4: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

When we surrender our will to God, we commit our talents to Him to be used for His glory. Submission to His will includes willing obedience to the commission to do our part in spreading the final warning message to the world before Jesus returns. God has given to every man his work. The Bible does not teach that everyone will accept the truth and be saved, but it does say that the gospel is going to be preached to all nations as a witness so that they have an opportunity to make a decision.

The place of the greatest struggle in the Christian warfare is the surrender of the will. By nature, man is stubborn and self-willed. Man is described by the prophet Isaiah in the Bible as being obstinate, with a brow like brass and a neck like iron sinew (Isaiah 48:4). It seems almost impossible to change the mind of man or to turn him from his course, because he obstinately carries out his own will and does as he pleases, regardless of the consequences.

One person said, “The will of man is invariably opposed to his own salvation and to God.” But it is the human will that either shuts or opens the gate to the kingdom of God. The will might be called the hinge on which the gate of destiny swings.

Because we were created free moral agents with the power of choice, the Lord will never force our will. Jesus said, “If anyone wants [wills] to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” John 7:17.

Today, there are many professed Christians who hope that God will work things out without any cooperation or effort on their part. This is a futile hope. The doctrine of predestination, or foreordination, often becomes an excuse for human indifference and indolence. Our wills must be brought into harmony with God’s will and our lives must come into conformity with His character. In this work we have an important part to act.

Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

The benefits of the gospel and the issue of the conflict with sin depend completely upon the action of your will. God will not save you against your own will for that would be a violation of your choice. It was over the surrender of the will that Jesus had to fight that terrible battle in the Garden of Gethsemane. Would He yield Himself to be scourged, to be crucified, to die for the sins of the world, to go through that awful night and day of torture? Three times He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42.

Likewise, the greatest battle that is ever fought in our world, the greatest battle that can ever be fought by man, is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love.

It is therefore our greatest need to understand the true force of the will. There are many people who will lose eternal life while they are hoping and desiring to be saved because they do not now choose to be Christians.

The Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, “ ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ’ ” (Acts 16:30, 31). Believe means to make a commitment. Choose Jesus as the Lord of your life and Saviour from sin. He never loses a case that is fully committed to Him.

The power of decision is the power that governs your life and in the end, your eternal destiny. Joshua said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15 KJV.

Have you chosen to serve the Lord?

(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 of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Question & Answer – Explain Type and Anti-type of the Earthly Sanctuary

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There is a reason why God had the people build an earthly sanctuary. Here is a little background: “It was difficult for man, surrounded by the darkness of sin, to comprehend these wonderful heavenly truths. The rays of light which shone from the heavenly sanctuary upon the simple sacrifices were so obscured by doubt and sin that God, in His great love and mercy, had an earthly sanctuary built after the divine pattern, and priests were appointed, who ‘served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things’ (Hebrews 8:5). This was done that Man’s faith might lay hold of the fact that in heaven there is a sanctuary whose services are for the redemption of mankind.

“God Himself gave to Moses the plan of that structure, with particular directions as to its size and form, the materials to be employed, and every article of furniture which it was to contain. The holy places made with hands were to be ‘figures of the true,’ ‘patterns of things in the heavens’ (Hebrews 9:24, 23)—a miniature representation of the heavenly temple where Christ, our great High Priest, after offering His life as a sacrifice, was to minister in the sinner’s behalf. God presented before Moses in the mount a view of the heavenly sanctuary, and commanded him to make all things according to the pattern shown him. All these directions were carefully recorded by Moses, who communicated them to the leaders of the people.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 343.

To know that our brother John, the disciple of Jesus, saw Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and wrote of it in the book of Revelation is a real faith builder. God’s word brings us into heavenly places when studied deeply by comparing Scripture with Scripture. The “type” with the “anti-type” come alive through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.

TYPE (PATTERN) ANTI-TYPE (REALITY)
Hebrews 8:1–5. The earthly sanctuary was a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. Revelation 11:19. There is a temple in heaven.
Hebrews 9:1–3. The worldly sanctuary had two apartments. Hebrews 9:24. The heavenly sanctuary also has two apartments.
Exodus 40:24. Golden candlestick in the first apartment of earthly sanctuary. Revelation 1:12. John saw seven golden candlesticks in heaven.
Exodus 25:37; 40:25. There were seven lamps upon the candlestick. Revelation 4:2, 5. John saw seven lamps of fire before the throne of God in heaven.
Exodus 30:7, 8. The high priest trimmed and lighted the lamps in the earthly sanctuary. Revelation 1:12–18. John saw Christ, our High Priest, in the midst of the candlesticks in heaven.

The Cross and Its Shadow, Stephen N. Haskell, pages 21, 32, and 54.

Inspiration – Standards of Success

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). …

All heaven is cognizant of every thought and every action. Your actions may be unseen by your associates, but they are all open to the inspection of angels. The angels are commissioned to minister unto those who are striving to overcome every wrong habit, and stand clear from the devices of Satan.

Faithful Integrity

The power of little acts of evil, of small inconsistencies to mold character, are not estimated as they should be. The grandest and most elevated principles are revealed to us in the word of God. They are given to us to strengthen every effort for good, to control and balance the mind, to lead us to aspire to reach a high standard.

In the history of Joseph, Daniel, and his fellows, we see how the golden chain of truth may bind the youth to the throne of God. They could not be tempted to turn aside from their course of integrity. They valued the favor of God above the favor and praise of princes, and God loved them and spread His shield over them. Because of their faithful integrity, because of their determination to honor God above every human power, the Lord signally honored them before men. They were honored by the Lord God of hosts, whose power is over all the works of His hand in heaven above and the earth beneath. These youth were not ashamed to display their true colors. Even in the court of the king, in their words, their habits, their practices, they confessed their faith in the Lord God of heaven. They refused to bow to any earthly mandate that detracted from the honor of God. They had strength from heaven to confess their allegiance to God.

You should be prepared to follow the example of these noble youth. Never be ashamed of your colors; put them on, unfurl them to the gaze of men and angels. Do not be controlled by false modesty, by false prudence which suggests to you a course of action contrary to this advice. By your choice words and a consistent course of action, by your propriety, your earnest piety, make a telling confession of your faith, determined that Christ shall occupy the throne in the soul temple; and lay your talents without reserve at His feet to be employed in His service.

Complete Consecration

For your present and eternal good it is best to commit yourself wholly to the right, that the world may know where you are standing. Many are not wholly committed to the cause of God, and their position of wavering is a source of weakness in itself, and a stone of stumbling to others. With principles unsettled, unconsecrated as they are, the waves of temptation sweep them away from what they know to be right, and they do not make holy endeavor to overcome every wrong, and through the imputed righteousness of Christ, perfect a righteous character.

The world has a right to know just what may be expected from every intelligent human being. He who is a living embodiment of firm, decided, righteous principles, will be a living power upon his associates; and he will influence others by his Christianity. Many do not discern and appreciate how great is the influence of each one for good or evil. …

Assert Your Liberty

Make it the law of your life from which no temptation or side interest shall cause you to turn, to honor God, because He “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). As a redeemed, free moral agent, ransomed by an infinite price, God calls upon you to assert your liberty, and employ your God-given powers as a free subject of the kingdom of heaven. Be no longer under the thralldom of sin, but as a loyal subject to the King of kings, prove your loyalty to God.

Through Jesus Christ show that you are worthy of the sacred trust with which the Lord has honored you in bestowing upon you life and grace. You are to refuse to be in subjection to the power of evil. As soldiers of Christ we must deliberately and intelligently accept His terms of salvation under every circumstance, cherish right principles, and act upon them. Divine wisdom is to be a lamp to your feet. Be true to yourselves, be true to your God. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken; but rooted and grounded in the truth, you will abide with those things that cannot be shaken. The law of God is steadfast, unalterable; for it is the expression of the character of Jehovah. Make up your mind that you will not by word or influence cast the least dishonor upon its authority.

Complete Surrender

To have the religion of Christ means that you have absolutely surrendered your all to God, and consented to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit moral power will be given you, and not only will you have your former intrusted talents for the service of God, but their efficiency will be greatly multiplied. The surrender of all our powers to God greatly simplifies the problem of life. It weakens and cuts short a thousand struggles with the passions of the natural heart. Religion is as a golden cord that binds the souls of both youth and aged to Christ. Through it the willing and obedient are brought safely through dark and intricate paths to the city of God.

There are youth who have only common faculties, and yet by education and discipline under teachers who are actuated by high and pure principles, they may come forth from the training process qualified for some position of trust to which God has called them. But there are young men who will make a failure because they have not determined to overcome natural inclinations, and they will not listen to the voice of God in His word. They have not barricaded their souls against temptation, and determined to do their duty at all hazards. They are like one who in a perilous journey refuses any guide or instruction whereby he may escape accident and ruin, and goes on in a certain course of destruction.

Choosing Your Destiny

O that every one might realize that he is the arbiter of his own destiny! Your happiness for this life, and for the future, immortal life lies with yourself. If you choose, you may have associates who, by their influence, will cheapen your thoughts, your words, and your morals. You can give loose rein to appetite and passion, despise authority, use coarse language, and degrade yourself to the lowest level. Your influence may be such as to contaminate others, and you may be the cause of ruining those whom you might have brought to Christ. You may lead from Christ, from right, from holiness, and from heaven. In the judgment the lost may point to you and say, “If it had not been for his influence, I would not have stumbled and made a mock of religion. He had light, he knew the way to heaven. I was ignorant, and went blindfolded on my way to destruction.” O, what answer can we give to such a charge? How important it is that every one shall consider where he is leading souls. We are in view of the eternal world, and how diligently we should count the cost of our influence. We should not drop eternity out of our reckoning, but accustom ourselves to ask continually, Will this course be pleasing to God? What will be the influence of my action upon the minds of those who have had much less light and evidence as to what is right?

Messages to Young People, 27–32.

Keys to the Storehouse – The Tree in Your Life

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When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in a garden home where everything was provided for their happiness and well-being. It was for their protection that to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was prohibited.

“It was the will of God that Adam and Eve should not know evil. The knowledge of good had been freely given them; but the knowledge

  • of evil,
  • of sin and its results,
  • of wearing toil,
  • of anxious care,
  • of disappointment and grief,
  • of pain and death,

this was in love withheld.” Education, 23.

Today, the results of knowing good and evil are apparent all around us. God seeks our good and in His abounding love gives instruction designed to protect the human race from evil, but Satan is bent on seeking our ruin.

There are trees of good and evil in the world today. Satan is a master of mixing a lot of good with a little bad to lure the unsuspecting. He captures the attention by the senses. It may be a television program or a movie that has so much good in it and is so funny that we tolerate the cursing or the lewd plot. Guard the avenues to the soul, for by beholding we become changed. Little by little that which was once abhorred eventually becomes acceptable and ultimately desirable. Sin loses its heinousness and we find ourselves addicted to that which we know will not enhance our relationship with our Lord. Satan’s masterpiece is to mix good with evil—he loves the outcome.

In daily living there is enough evil to avoid without bringing it into our homes and setting it up as an idol in our living rooms.

As he did in Eden, Satan still desires to make it appear that the knowledge of good and evil would be a great blessing. Many people consider it silly and fanatical to make a stand on choosing to refrain from what is socially accepted as normal entertainment.

Each person has his or her own forbidden tree that Satan deceives them into believing is okay, convincing them that a little evil will not hurt them. Beware, Satan is a liar. Put your trust in God’s wisdom and not the lies of the enemy. A lie is a lie; evil is evil, and no matter how much good you put with it, it is still evil. Eve’s eyes were opened when she ate of the forbidden fruit, but did she like what she saw? The only thing to be gained by continuing to eat from that tree is more of the curse of sin.

Notice: “Man lost all because he chose to listen to the deceiver rather than to Him Who is Truth, Who alone has understanding. By the mingling of evil with good, his mind had become confused, his mental and spiritual powers benumbed. No longer could he appreciate the good that God had so freely bestowed.” Ibid., 25. [Emphasis added.] How different life would be on this planet had our first parents trusted the wisdom of God and been protected from the flood of evil that came once their “eyes were opened.”

Father: The horror of the mixtures in my life, the mingling of evil with good has brought confusion and spiritual numbness to my heart and mind. I want to experience all of the good that You desire for Your children. Give me strength to resist the temptation to be drawn onto that enchanted ground that draws the curious into a spiral fall that ends in the abyss of sin. I want to be ready for the soon appearing of Jesus. Amen.

Current Events – Global Sunday Push

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Prophecy is fast fulfilling before our eyes today and who is ready to meet this challenge?

There is a continual push from all quarters of the world to close down trading on Sunday. Under the guise of economic reasons or promoting better family relations, this global push is Satan’s attempt to have the whole world worship him on the spurious Sabbath that he originated, the first day of the week.

Sylvia Allen: Ariz. senator proposes mandatory church

According to Allen, the real problem behind the increase in our nation’s gun violence begins with something internal – the soul. And what better way to combat a corroded heart condition? Sunday morning worship.

“It is the soul that is corrupt and how we get back to a moral rebirth in this country, I don’t know,” Allen commented to the state’s appropriations committee. But Allen had a plan – and no matter how much her scheme tramples on the Constitution’s separation of church and state – Allen wants butts in the pews.

“We are slowly eroding religion at every opportunity that we have. We should probably be debating a bill requiring every American to attend a church of their choice on Sunday to see if we can get back to having a moral rebirth,” Allen said.

www.examiner.com/article/sylvia-allen-mandatory-church-ariz-senator-proposes-moral-mandatory-church

“In the fourth and fifth centuries, Sunday shows and Sunday theaters, it was complained, hindered the ‘devotion of the faithful,’ because many of the members attended them in preference to the church services. The church, therefore, demanded that the state interfere, and promote Sunday observance by law. ‘In this way,’ says Neander ‘the church received help from the state for the furtherence of her ends.’ This union of church and state served to establish the Papacy in power. A similar course pursued now will produce the same results.” (AUGUSTUS NEANDER, General History of the Christian Religion and the Church, Torey translation (3rd American ed.), vol. 2, pp. 300,301.) www.markofbeast.net/page3.htm

Protest march Organized by Business and Trade Unions on the Streets of Athens, against Sunday trade (April 2015)

“Protesters gathered at Ermou Street and marched through the streets of Athens passing in front of open shops to condemn Sunday trade … [TRANSLATED] – With concentration and massive March through the streets of Athens Sunday afternoon completed the demonstration organized by sectoral and business clubs in trade and services, associations of Self-employed and Grassroots Committees of the municipality of Athens, in the framework of the nationwide strike in the Trade, with the demand for enshrining the holiday on Sunday.”

www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?to=&from=&a=http://www.rizospastis.gr/story.do?id=8387871

Declaration Signed in Poland by Catholics, Orthodox and Evangelicals to Protect Sunday (January 2015)

“This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was a joint appeal for respect for Sunday. Signed (by) all traditions: Orthodox, Evangelical and Catholic. forcing believers to work on Sunday violates the right to freedom of religion.”

“Church leaders remind workers and employers that free Sunday is essential to deepen their faith, family life and human health. The authorities representing the right to call so its protection, noting that forcing believers to work on Sundays violates the right to religious freedom. It is worth recalling that in our civilization circle of Christianity that the right to rest on Sunday became one of the universal human rights. Thus, the possibility of using a free Sunday should extend to all whose work on that day is not absolutely necessary. This right is respected in most European countries with an established democracy.” Marcin Przeciszewski / br, Warsaw, 2015-01-26 http://ekai.pl/dziennikarze_kai/x86011/swieta-niedziela/

True Education Series – Wrestling with a Lion

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“He went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.” I Chronicles 11:22

“They [the children] should be taught that this world is not a parade ground, but a battlefield.” Education, 295.

“We do not understand as we should the great conflict going on between invisible agencies, the controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Over every man, good and evil angels strive. This is no make-believe conflict. It is no mimic battle in which we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which shall win. We are to find our strength where the early disciples found theirs.” Evangelism, 704.

After I was baptized and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the fall of 1976, the Lord opened the way for me to move into a small cabin in the country near two Adventist families. It was extremely primitive, but I enjoyed the adventure. I attended a small church in Pittsboro, North Carolina, helping teach Sabbath School and singing in the choir. Building houses was also a big part of life.

The next summer I attended my first camp meeting at Mount Pisgah Academy. After attending some meetings on colporteur work, I decided to give it a try. This was a major challenge, as I had been unnerved at school when asked to talk in class. But because I loved the Lord, and the special books that He had given, I moved forward in faith.

After wandering in darkness for 24 years, then trying to understand the Bible alone for two years, the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy through Ellen G. White has become invaluable to me.

“So those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good we shall have something to tell. Like Philip when he found the Saviour, we shall invite others into His presence. We shall seek to present to them the attractions of Christ and the unseen realities of the world to come. There will be an intensity of desire to follow in the path that Jesus trod. There will be an earnest longing that those around us may ‘behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

“And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption. He has granted men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature and, in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellow men. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, that it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Creator.” Steps to Christ, 78, 79.

As I shared God’s blessings, these rich promises were being fulfilled in my life. I felt called, and others encouraged me to go into full-time pastoral ministry. I was accepted at Andrews’ seminary on condition of one quarter’s probation.

In my favorite class, Faith and Prayer, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy were our only textbooks while the small group setting provided good interaction. One day, a special guest, a seminary graduate working with the team at Weimar Institute, in California, described its hopes and plans. I was drawn toward that type of education.

Another memorable event took place at a meeting one Sabbath afternoon. A young lady described her experience at Wildwood Institute, in Georgia. Once again, I was encouraged by what I heard.

After counseling with some of the leaders and pleading with the Lord for wisdom and guidance, I believed that I should move in a different direction than Andrews. So I informed the school, and moved to Weimar.

There, I worked on the farm, took classes in the basics of medical missionary work, enjoyed fellowship with like-minded people, and helped with evangelism. I also found Ira Gish to be a most interesting man. He was one of the co-authors of the book Madison: God’s Beautiful Farm, and one of the few still alive from the early days of Madison. I asked him why the Madison school had changed from their original plan. He said that there were two main reasons. In order to understand his answers, we need to consider one important part of God’s counsel on education.

“In attending our colleges many of the youth are separated from the softening, subduing influences of the home circle. At the very time of life when they need vigilant supervision they are withdrawn from the restraints of parental influence and authority, and are thrown into the society of a large number of their own age, of varied characters and habits of life. Some of these have in childhood received too little discipline and are superficial and frivolous; others have been governed too much and have felt, when away from the hands that held the reins of control perhaps too tightly, that they were free to do as they pleased. They despise the very thought of restraint. By these associations the dangers of the young are greatly increased.

“Our school homes have been established that our youth may not be left to drift hither and thither, and be exposed to the evil influences which everywhere abound; but that, as far as possible, a home atmosphere may be provided that they may be preserved from temptations to immorality and be led to Jesus. The family of heaven represents that which the family on earth should be; and our school homes, where are gathered youth who are seeking a preparation for the service of God, should approach as nearly as possible to the divine model.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 168.

In the beginning, Madison had school homes where the students and staff members lived together. Brother Gish shared that many of the staff members were unhappy with the personal challenges and self-denial required in having the youth in their homes. The second major problem was a desire for higher wages.

“Christ demands all. If he required less, the sacrifice made by him was too dear, and too great to bring us up to such a level. Our holy faith cries out separation. We should not be conformed to the world, or to dead, heartless professors, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. This is a self-denying way. But if we think it too straight; if we think that there is too much self-denial in this narrow path; or if we say, How hard to give up all, let us ask ourselves this question, What did Christ give up for me?

“The infinite sacrifice He made eclipses all we call self-denial. Behold Him in the garden sweating great drops of blood. Follow Him on His way to the judgment hall, while He is derided, mocked and insulted by that infuriated mob. Behold Him clothed in that old purple robe. Hear the coarse jest and cruel mocking, see His enemies place upon that noble head the crown of thorns, and then smite Him with a reed, causing the thorns to penetrate His temples, and the blood to flow from that holy brow; hear that murderous throng eagerly crying for the blood of the Son of God; see Him delivered into their hands, and led away, pale, weak, and fainting, to His crucifixion; see Him stretched upon the wooden cross, and the nails driven through His tender hands and feet; behold Him hanging upon the cross in agony, until the sun refuses to shine, and the angels veil their faces from the horrid scene—then ask yourself the question, Does He require too much in asking me to give up the world and deny self? No, no.” The Signs of the Times, February 19, 1880.

At Weimar, I attended an important meeting where the principles of true and false education were discussed. I believed that some decisions that were made regarding the direction of the program being planned were not in harmony with Inspiration.

So when a friend told me about the two New Earth vegetarian restaurants in Wheaton, and North Chicago, Illinois, I decided to go there. Working with the team and sharing with the people in those communities was a valuable experience. Another blessing was meeting an older couple from Broadview Academy who had previously been at Wildwood. The sister, recognizing my need for better training in a more stable environment, recommended that I consider going to Wildwood. Through a series of providences, I arrived there in May.

Jesus invites us to “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14.

“If you would climb the path of spiritual life, you must constantly ascend; for it is an upward way. You must go with the few; for the multitude will choose the downward path.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 138.

For three years, I received a basic training in many areas. The first year, I worked in the lifestyle center in the morning and attended classes in the afternoon on a variety of health and spiritual topics. Friday vespers was a highlight of the week, along with helping in some of the area churches on Sabbath.

My work during the last two years I was there was largely on the farm and caring for the grounds. These areas have interested me most of my life. Both of my granddads were farmers. My mother’s dad was one of my very favorite people.

“Working the soil is one of the best kinds of employment, calling the muscles into action and resting the mind. Study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools. This is the very first work that should be entered upon. Our schools should not depend upon imported produce, for grain and vegetables, and the fruits so essential to health. Our youth need an education in felling trees and tilling the soil as well as in literary lines. Different teachers should be appointed to oversee a number of students in their work and should work with them. Thus the teachers themselves will learn to carry responsibilities as burden bearers. Proper students also should in this way be educated to bear responsibilities and to be laborers together with the teachers. All should counsel together as to the very best methods of carrying on the work.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 179.

At that time, Wildwood still had student homes, which were one of the greatest blessings in my life. In that setting, with young and old together, we learned how to behave in a Christian home. I still believe that student homes are one of the greatest needs in our schools, as well as the greatest challenge to accomplish. There are so few who have the training and experience to be successful in their own home life, or who have the ability to teach others to be successful in theirs.

Elder Frazee, who was still active at Wildwood, greatly helped me with an understanding of the sanctuary, true education, and medical missionary work. I would highly recommend wdfsermons.org as a valuable resource on the history of Adventist education and other vital topics.

Two other excellent books on true education are Living Fountains or Broken Cisterns and Studies in Christian Education by E. A. Sutherland. The pdf’s of these books are offered free on the web.

The Lord next led me to work with the Country Life Restaurant team in New York City for my advanced training. God’s plan for His people was to work the cities from outpost centers.

“The cities must be worked. The millions living in these congested centers are to hear the third angel’s message. This work should have been developed rapidly during the past few years. A beginning has been made, for which we praise God. Outpost centers are being established, from whence, like Enoch of old, our workers can visit the cities and do faithful service.” The Review and Herald, July 5, 1906.

The work there began with a restaurant in Peekskill, New York, with the workers living in Putnam Valley, close to Living Springs Retreat. Before I arrived they had opened a restaurant in downtown Manhattan, one block from Wall Street. Then the Lord provided a 250-acre farm about an hour and a half outside the city, near Newton, New Jersey, and another restaurant was opened in mid-town Manhattan. I worked with the team for about three years in a variety of responsibilities. Eventually, through corruption in the leadership, everything was lost, except for the experiences and the people who were influenced for the Lord.

One of the main lessons from this experience was the danger of having too much power and authority in a single person. Before the end, the Lord will have a people working together as a family. Even if we are following God’s plan outwardly, there is the danger of pride and self-sufficiency in any of us.

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:2, 3.

There is one main principle, with two aspects, involved with these experiences of life that is a vital part of the science of redemption.

“ ‘Learn of Me,’ says Jesus; ‘for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest’ (Matthew 11:29). We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God.” The Desire of Ages, 330. [Emphasis added.]

This training should be the focal point of education, as it is essential in order to have happy homes that reflect God’s character.

“The greatest evidence of the power of Christianity that can be presented to the world is a well-ordered, well-disciplined family. This will recommend the truth as nothing else can, for it is a living witness of its practical power upon the heart.

“The best test of the Christianity of a home is the type of character begotten by its influence. Actions speak louder than the most positive profession of godliness.” The Adventist Home, 32.

“The system of education established in Eden centered in the family. Adam was ‘the son of God’ (Luke 3:38), and it was from their Father that the children of the Highest received instruction. Theirs, in the truest sense, was a family school.” Education, 33.

The topic of marriage, as explained in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, is a topic worthy of careful attention.

“To gain a proper understanding of the marriage relation is the work of a lifetime. Those who marry enter a school from which they are never in this life to be graduated.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 45. [Emphasis added.]

Fourteen years after my divorce, through prayer and counsel with Godly people, the Lord led me into a courtship with Lorraine Butler. Following is the key to success at each stage of our development:

“No outward observances can take the place of simple faith and entire renunciation of self. But no man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.

“It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Only by constant renunciation of self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely.” Christ’s Object Lessons. 159.

The relationship between men and women has always been the greatest challenge in life. Eve was the special gift to Adam from his Creator. Yet, she became part of the greatest test in his life. Why was this?

“He proves those who profess to love Him by placing means [or any gift] in their hands, and then tries them to see if they love the gift better than the Giver. God will reveal, in time, the true feelings of the heart.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 660.

“There is need for constant watching that the principles which lie at the foundation of family government are not disregarded. The Lord designs that the families on earth shall be symbols of the family in heaven.” The Adventist Home, 306.

“There is not one marriage in one hundred that results happily, that bears the sanction of God, and places the parties in a position better to glorify Him. The evil consequences of poor marriages are numberless. They are contracted from impulse. A candid review of the matter is scarcely thought of, and consultation with those of experience is considered old-fashioned.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 504.

Lorraine’s parents became involved with self-supporting work early in their marriage. Her dad, a medical doctor, and her mother, a registered nurse, were involved in health education as well as raising their four children. Lorraine was educated with practical work and home school in Mexico. In academy, and at Eden Valley Institute, this same plan continued after which she spent ten years helping to develop a training school in Zambia, Africa, after God’s plan.

These educational experiences have been very significant in revealing God’s purpose for our lives. It is written, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3. It is essential that we allow God to direct us in the choice of our life partner if we want true happiness.

Before the end, it will be clearly revealed that God’s grace is sufficient to restore His image in us, beginning with the fathers.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5, 6.

“What was it that made John the Baptist great? He closed his mind to the mass of tradition presented by the teachers of the Jewish nation, and opened it to the wisdom which comes from above. Before his birth the Holy Spirit testified of John: ‘He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. … And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’ (Luke 1:15–17).” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 445.

“Now, as never before, we need to understand the true science of education. If we fail to understand this, we shall never have a place in the kingdom of God.” Christian Educator, August 1, 1897.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.

Lynn Alan Humes became a Christian in 1974 at 24 yrs of age, and a Seventh-day Adventist two years later. Since then he has worked in many parts of the United States, doing canvassing, restaurant work, teaching, preaching, writing, building, agriculture, and whatever needs to be done. He and his wife, Lorraine (Butler) Humes, care for her father, Dr. Maurice Butler, and are involved with many aspects of Gospel Medical Missionary work, building and agriculture in rural Tennessee. He may be contacted by email at: thehappypilgrims@gmail.com.

The Privilege of Prayer

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“The idea that prayer is not essential is one of Satan’s most successful devices to ruin souls. Prayer is addressing the mind to God, the Fountain of wisdom, the Source of strength and peace and happiness. Prayer includes acknowledgment of the divine perfections, gratitude for mercies received, penitential confession of sins, and earnest entreaty for the blessing of God, both for ourselves and for others. Jesus prayed to the Father with strong crying and tears. Paul exhorts believers to ‘pray without ceasing’ (I Thessalonians 5:17). ‘In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God’ (Philippians 4:6). ‘Pray one for another,’ says James. ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much’ (James 5:16). God has a right to command our devotions; His authority is sacred and unquestionable. We are under obligation to pray because He requires it; and in obeying His requirements we shall receive a gracious and precious reward.” The Signs of the Times, August 7, 1884.

“Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!, That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne, Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempters snare, By thy return sweet hour of prayer.

“Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear,
To Him whose truth and faithfulness, Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His word, and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

“Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share,
Till from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight.
In my immortal flesh I’ll rise, To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout while passing through the air, ‘Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’ ”

William W. Walford, 1845

When we think of the meaning of the words to this beautiful hymn above, we may well say it is no wonder that the apostle Paul exhorted us to “Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17. “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” Steps to Christ, 93.

Prayer is a vital part of our religious privilege and duty. It is a privilege to be able to go into the presence of the Creator, the mighty Ruler of the universe. Though we are sinful and fallen, He reaches out His arms and invites us to talk with Him, to learn of Him, to listen to His instruction, to commune with Him. Yet, it is also a duty. Gospel Workers, 254, 255, states it like this: “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life.” Jesus said in John 4:14, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Prayer “strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor.” Ibid., 255.

When to Pray –

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17. “Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.” Steps to Christ, 95.

First thing in the morning, before you do anything else, pray. “When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside, and ask God to give you strength to fulfill the duties of the day, and to meet its temptations. Ask Him to help you to bring into your work Christ’s sweetness of character. Ask Him to help you to speak words that will inspire those around you with hope and courage, and draw you nearer to the Saviour.” Sons and Daughters of God, 199.

“If we would develop a character which God can accept, we must form correct habits in our religious life. Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace, and even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to lift the thoughts often to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which He Himself has laid down.” The Sanctified Life, 93.

“In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer, unwearied in petitioning the throne of grace for assistance. Those who take the name of Christian should come to God in earnestness and humility, pleading for help. The Saviour has told us to pray without ceasing. The Christian can not always be in the position of prayer, but his thoughts and desires can always be upward. Our self-confidence would vanish, did we talk less and pray more.” The Youth’s Instructor, March 5, 1903. As we attend to our daily activities we can be in an attitude of prayer.

How to Pray –

“Go to your closet, and there alone plead with God. … Be in earnest, be sincere. Fervent prayer availeth much. Jacoblike, wrestle in prayer. Agonize. Jesus, in the garden, sweat great drops of blood; you must make an effort. Do not leave your closet until you feel strong in God; then watch, and just as long as you watch and pray you can keep these evil besetments under, and the grace of God can and will appear in you.” God’s Amazing Grace, 318.

“God will be to us everything we will let Him be. Our languid, half-hearted prayers will not bring us returns from heaven. Oh, we need to press our petitions! Ask in faith, wait in faith, receive in faith, rejoice in hope, for everyone that seeketh findeth. Be in earnest in the matter. Seek God with all the heart. People put soul and earnestness into everything they undertake in temporal things, until their efforts are crowned with success. With intense earnestness learn the trade of seeking the rich blessings that God has promised, and with persevering, determined effort you shall have His light and His truth and His rich grace.” Our High Calling, 131. Make note of the words describing how we are to pray. We are to plead, to be earnest, be sincere, fervent. We are to wrestle in prayer, to agonize, and all this with patience. We are to ask in faith, to pray with all the heart, and with all the soul.

Where to Pray –

“We should pray in the family circle. …

“Pray in your closet.” Steps to Christ, 98. To pray with our families includes our church families, and we are to pray by ourselves. But the principle goes even further. Steps to Christ, 99, gives us this instruction: “There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God and plead for divine guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request before King Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever we are. We should have the door of the heart open continually and our invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in the soul.”

What to Pray –

Yes, we are even instructed what we are to pray for. As our Creator, and with His deep love for us, He has left out nothing from His words necessary to lead us to salvation. This includes our prayers. “The whole being must hunger and thirst after righteousness. The soul’s desire must be to be drawn to God, to be bent in perfect conformity to His will. Then the cold, hard heart will be melted by the grace and love of God, which will appear in power.” The Southern Review, December 5, 1899.

“If you feel in no danger, and if you offer no prayer for help and strength to resist temptations, you will be sure to go astray; your neglect of duty will be marked in the book of God in heaven, and you will be found wanting in the trying day.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 364. We must see our need, and then pray for assistance.

“When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. Christ ‘gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father’ (Galatians 1:4). And ‘this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him’ (I John 5:14, 15). ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (I John 1:9).

“No sooner does the child of God approach the mercy seat than he becomes the client of the great Advocate. At his first utterance of penitence and appeal for pardon Christ espouses his case and makes it His own, presenting the supplication before His Father as His own request.” Prayer, 238, 239. [Emphasis added.] Jesus is in the “true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:2) of heaven, pleading for you, and we must approach Him there.

“Tell Jesus your wants in the sincerity of your soul. You are not required to hold a long controversy with, or preach a sermon to, God, but with a heart of sorrow for your sins, say, ‘Save me, Lord, or I perish.’ There is hope for such souls. They will seek, they will ask, they will knock, and they will find. When Jesus has taken away the burden of sin that is crushing the soul, you will experience the blessedness of the peace of Christ.

“As, seeing the sinfulness of sin, we fall helpless before the cross, asking forgiveness and strength, our prayer is heard and answered. Those who present their petitions to God in Christ’s name will never be turned away. The Lord says, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in nowise cast out’ (John 6:37). ‘He will regard the prayer of the destitute’ (Psalm 102:17). Our help comes from Him who holds all things in His hands. The peace that He sends is the assurance of His love to us.” Ibid., 239.

“The Lord will recognize every effort you make to reach His ideal for you. When you make a failure, when you are betrayed into sin, do not feel that you cannot pray, that you are not worthy to come before the Lord. ‘My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (I John 2:1). With outstretched arms He waits to welcome the prodigal. Go to Him, and tell Him about your mistakes and failures. Ask Him to strengthen you for fresh endeavor. He will never disappoint you, never abuse your confidence.” Messages to Young People, 97. So even if we sin, Jesus wants us to come to Him. It is only through Him that we can gain the power to overcome.

We gain that strength through the power of prayer. “If you offer no prayer for help and strength to resist temptations, you will be sure to go astray.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 364.

Talk with God about daily needs. He cares for us. He loves us. He is concerned about everything in our daily lives. “Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. ‘The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy’ (James 5:11). His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3). The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.

“Jesus said, ‘Ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you.’ ‘I have chosen you: … that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you’ (John 16:26, 27; 15:16). But to pray in the name of Jesus is something more than a mere mention of that name at the beginning and the ending of a prayer. It is to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus, while we believe His promises, rely upon His grace, and work His works.” Steps to Christ, 100, 101.

To sum up this point, we are told to pray for help to resist temptation, for deliverance from sin, for pardon and forgiveness, and then we also have the privilege to pray about our daily, temporal lives. He invites us to tell Him our wants, joys, sorrows, cares, fears, our perplexities. And we have the promise, the divine, never-failing promise that He hears and will answer according to our best good. What a God of love.

Why Pray? –

There are too many reasons to cover them all, but first of all, we should give God thanks for all the things He has done for us, first and foremost of which is the great sacrifice made on our behalf. Is there anything that can compare with the plan of salvation? When we recognize where we would be without that, it should leave us in a position of heartfelt gratitude.

“If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. When this is in truth the experience of the Christian, there is seen in his life a simplicity, a humility, meekness, and lowliness of heart, that show to all with whom he associates that he has been with Jesus and learned of Him.” Conflict and Courage, 30.

“Shall not the people of God more frequently have holy convocations in which to thank God for His rich blessings? Shall we not find time in which to praise Christ for His rest, peace, and joy; and make manifest by daily thanksgiving that we appreciate the great sacrifice made in our behalf, that we may be partakers of the divine nature?” Australasian Union Conference Record, November 17, 1913.

Another important reason to pray is for protection from the great deceiver, Satan. Even Jesus in His model prayer taught His disciples to say, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). We are no match for the prince of darkness without Divine help.

“The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.” Steps to Christ, 94, 95.

“Daily beset by temptation, constantly opposed by the leaders of the people, Christ knew that He must strengthen His humanity by prayer. In order to be a blessing to men, He must commune with God, pleading for energy, perseverance, and steadfastness. Thus He showed His disciples where His strength lay.” Counsels To Parents, Teachers, and Students, 323.

And the last “why” that we have is the need to pray for divine enlightenment to understand God’s word. Remember, Jesus said that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. “If men would but study the Book of God with earnest prayer that they might understand it, they would not be left in darkness to receive false doctrines. But as they reject the truth they fall a prey to deception.” The Great Controversy, 524.

Conditions of Answered Prayer –

“We give evidence of the sincerity of our prayers by the earnestness of our endeavors to answer them, to overcome the sins which strive for a place in the life. Our prayers will be ineffectual unless we continually strive to correct that which is wrong and unlovely in our lives. If we ask God to work for us, and then make no effort to conquer self, our prayers will rise no higher than our heads. God helps those who co-operate with him. We can obtain forgiveness only through the blood of Christ. His atoning sacrifice is all-powerful. But in the struggle for immortality we have a part to act. Christ will help those who pray and then watch unto prayer. He calls upon us to use every power He has given us in the warfare against sin. We can never be saved in inactivity and idleness. We might as well look for a harvest from seed which we have not sown, and for knowledge where we have not studied, as to expect salvation without making an effort. It is our part to wrestle against the evil tendencies of the natural heart.” The Youth’s Instructor, March 5, 1903. [Emphasis added.]

Alone, we are no match against evil and Satan. Recognizing our need we must pray for Divine help.

“There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these is that we feel our need of help from Him. He has promised, ‘I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground’ (Isaiah 44:3). Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who long after God, may be sure that they will be filled. The heart must be open to the Spirit’s influence, or God’s blessing cannot be received.” Steps to Christ, 95.

“If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.” Steps to Christ, 95, 96. [Emphasis added.] If we want our prayers answered, we must be certain that we have no sin standing between us and God. Make sure your record is clean before Him.

Pray with Faith –

“ ‘He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus said to His disciples, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’ (Mark 11:24). Do we take Him at His word?” Steps to Christ, 96.

Perseverance in Prayer –

“We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be ‘instant in prayer,’ to ‘continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving’ (Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2). Peter exhorts believers to be ‘sober, and watch unto prayer’ (I Peter 4:7). Paul directs, ‘In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God’ (Philippians 4:6). ‘But ye, beloved,’ says Jude, ‘praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God’ (Jude 20, 21). Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God. …

Diligence in Prayer –

“Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is wont to be made. Those who are really seeking for communion with God will be seen in the prayer meeting, faithful to do their duty and earnest and anxious to reap all the benefits they can gain. They will improve every opportunity of placing themselves where they can receive the rays of light from heaven.” Steps to Christ, 97, 98.

Always remember, “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power.” Gospel Workers, 254.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.