Lynette Golia

Recipe – Lentil and Kale Stew

by

Lentils

When combined with a whole grain, lentils provide the same quality protein as meat. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fueled up all day.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked green lentils packs in 32% of a day’s required amount of fiber. Lentils are an excellent source of fiber. In addition to gut mobility, a high intake of fiber is associated with lower blood cholesterol levels and protection against developing colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked lentils has 366 mg of potassium. Getting enough potassium is just as important as reducing salt. Potassium can counteract the damaging effect of sodium and has been shown to lower blood pressure.

Out of all plant-based foods, lentils contain the most folate. A type of B-vitamin, folate helps support red blood cell formation and proper nerve functions. It also plays an important role in lowering artery-damaging homocysteine. It may help prevent anemia and protect against developing heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Folate is particularly important for women of childbearing age, as it is needed to support increasing maternal blood volume.

Just 1/2 cup of cooked lentils provides 15% of your daily iron needs. Iron plays an integral role in the formation of hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in the muscles, both of which carry oxygen to the cells. Regularly including lentils in the diet can help boost your iron intake.

Source: lentils.org/health-nutrition/nutritional-information

Recipe – Lentil and Kale Stew

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 ¼ cups brown or green lentils, rinsed

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, cubed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, or home canned

1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. ground rosemary

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 cups kale, chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

salt, to taste

Process

To a large pot, add olive oil, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaf, lentils, carrot, sweet potato, tomatoes, paprika, rosemary, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Add the kale, parsley, and salt. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

He Who Soweth Discord Among the Brethren

by

“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Proverbs 6:16–19

In previous articles, we examined six of the seven deadly sins found in Proverbs 6. Now we will examine the final one, “… he that soweth discord among brethren.” Verse 19

There seems to be something particularly serious about this seventh deadly sin simply because it is often seen in Scripture in negative ways, resulting in very serious consequences.

For instance, Korah and his two friends rebelled against Moses, causing discord within the camp of Israel. Their end was frightening! Judas continually caused discord among the disciples of Christ. He hanged himself! The interesting thing about those who stir up strife is that they may tell no lies, yet they produce as much commotion and disharmony as does a liar.

The word discord, used by King Solomon, appears only twice in the Bible, and it means “strife.” Webster’s Dictionary defines discord as “a lack of agreement or harmony, dissension, conflict.” Webster’s Dictionary also defines the word strife as “conflict, fight, struggle.” Synonyms are discord, contention, and dissension.

According to Biblical Leadership, “The 14,000-congregation Faith Communities Today (FACT) study in 2015 found that 75 percent of congregations have experienced conflict in the past, 20 percent at any one time. Sixty percent of congregations had some kind of conflict during the past five years. A 2001 Hartford Institute study discovered that 79 percent had had a conflict in the past five years.”

Church Conflict Forum, January 2, 2008, “Staggering Statistics” reported that, “More than 19,000 congregations experience major conflict every year. Twenty-five percent of the churches in one survey reported conflict in the previous five years that was serious enough to have a lasting impact on congregational life. Only 2% of church conflict involves doctrinal issues. Ninety-eight percent of church conflict involves interpersonal issues. Control issues ranked as the most common cause of conflict (85%). About 40% of church members who leave their churches do so because of conflict. Very small numbers (16%) of churches report positive outcomes from conflict.”

Sources: churchconflictforum.blogspot.com/200801/staggering-statistics; faithcommunitiestoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/American-Congregations-2015

What is the Toll that Church Conflicts have on the Pastor?

“The average pastoral career lasts only 14 years” due to conflict. “1,500 pastors leave their assignments every month in the United States because of conflict, burnout, or moral failure. Thirty-four percent of all pastors presently serve congregations that forced their previous pastor to resign.” Ibid.

So, we are beginning to understand the awful effects that the work of the person or persons who sow strife or discord have on the life of the church. This is the reason why God hates this type of conduct. The contemplated motive of such individuals is to destroy the harmony and unity of those who are striving to live together in love and unity in the church. Their actions are not limited to the church; they extend to the family circle, the community, the workplace, and even the world at large.

However, the emphasis of this seventh deadly sin pertains to God’s church, and that the evil-doer is used by Satan to deliberately destroy the love and unity that exist among the followers of Jesus. Those who carry out such work are doing Satan’s bidding because he hates to see God’s people united and living in love and peace.

“Satan works to make the prayer of Christ of none effect. He makes continual efforts to create bitterness and discord; for where there is unity there is strength, a oneness which all the powers of hell cannot break. All who shall aid the enemies of God by bringing weakness and sorrow and discouragement upon any of God’s people, through their own perverse ways and tempers, are working directly against the prayer of Christ.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, 152

“Discord and strife are the work of Satan and the fruit of sin.” Ibid., Vol. 5, 169

The Holy Scriptures inform us that the spirit of discord and self-exaltation are the evil traits that caused the problem in heaven. Lucifer came to cherish this selfish desire to be above his Maker, and consequently, discord erupted in the residence of God.

“All heaven had rejoiced to reflect the Creator’s glory and to show forth His praise. And while God was thus honored, all had been peace and gladness. But a note of discord now marred the celestial harmonies. The service and exaltation of self, contrary to the Creator’s plan, awakened forebodings of evil in minds to whom God’s glory was supreme.” The Great Controversy, 494

While in heaven, Lucifer went from angel to angel, sowing seeds of strife to create division among the heavenly host and thereby redirect the angels’ loyalty from God to himself. Because of who he was, the angels did not suspect his evil purpose; they trusted him as their commander. This diabolical scheme sowed seeds of doubt that germinated in the minds of many of the angels, leading them to question the character of their Maker. Sadly, because of the bewitching power of this operation, one-third of heaven’s angels will be eternally lost, and heaven was changed forever! Angels who once lived in love and unity will be forever separated because of the evil spirit of discord.

This is the very work that is being carried out in God’s church today by those who have sold themselves to the devil. Paul dealt with this problem during his ministry. The church in Corinth was especially plagued with this divisive element. In his first letter to them, he stated:

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

“Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10–13

The True Reason for Discord.

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

“For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:1–11

This discord motif was uppermost in Paul’s discourse to the Corinthians to the extent that he highlighted their attitude even when they were gathered together for church services. He said:

“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.” 1 Corinthians 11:17, 18

We need to understand what motivates a church member to cause strife within the church. Let’s look at a few texts of Scripture to find the answer to this important question.

“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife … .” Proverbs 28:25

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” Romans 13:13

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 1 Corinthians. 3:3

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife … .” Philippians 1:15

“He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings.” 1 Timothy 6:4

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. … For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:14, 16

Notice that two words appear to go together and are repeated in these verses—envy and strife. Solomon used the word pride, which stems from envy. Mrs. White tells us, “Envy is the offspring of pride.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 651

It is not by chance that these Bible writers put these two words together in these passages because envy is the root cause of discord or strife.

“Envy is one of the most satanic traits that can exist in the human heart, and it is one of the most baleful in its effects. Says the wise man, ‘Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?’ Proverbs 27:4. It was envy that first caused discord in heaven, and its indulgence has wrought untold evil among men. ‘Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.’ James 3:16.” Ibid., 385

So, we see the reason—the root cause—behind church members going about the church and sowing seeds of discord and strife is envy. Wherever there is discord and strife, we can be sure that it is the devil working through human instrumentalities to accomplish his destructive purposes.

“In the rebellion of Korah is seen the working out, upon a narrower stage, of the same spirit that led to the rebellion of Satan in heaven. It was pride and ambition that prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God, and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven. Since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent, the same ambition for position and honor, into the minds of men.” Ibid., 403

What is envy? According to Wikipedia, “Envy is an emotion which occurs when a person lacks another’s quality, skill, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it.”

“Envy is not merely a perverseness of temper, but a distemper, which disorders all the faculties. It began with Satan. He desired to be first in heaven, and because he could not have all the power and glory he sought, he rebelled against the government of God. He envied our first parents and tempted them to sin and thus ruined them and all the human race.

“The envious man shuts his eyes to the good qualities and noble deeds of others. He is always ready to disparage and misrepresent that which is excellent. Men often confess and forsake other faults, but there is little to be hoped for from the envious man. Since to envy a person is to admit that he is a superior, pride will not permit any concession. If an attempt be made to convince the envious person of his sin, he becomes even more bitter against the object of his passion, and too often he remains incurable.

“The envious man diffuses poison wherever he goes, alienating friends and stirring up hatred and rebellion against God and man. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 56

What are the Seeds of Discord?

“There are men who are ever talking and gossiping and bearing false witness, who sow the seeds of discord and engender strife. Heaven looks upon this class as Satan’s most efficient servants.” Ibid., 607

“A person who will allow any degree of suspicion or censure to rest upon his fellow workers, while he neither rebukes the complainers nor faithfully presents the matter before the one condemned, is doing the work of the enemy. He is watering the seeds of discord and of strife, the fruit of which he will have to meet in the day of God … .” Counsels on Health, 297

What Should be Our Attitude?

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions (disunion, dissension) and offences (skandalon [“scandal”] or stumbling block; occasion to fall; things that offend) contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid (shun, go out of the way) them.” Romans 16:17

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3

[All scripture is from the King James Version]

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at 718-882-3900.

What’s in a Sneeze?

by

Reasons for Sneezing

  • Allergies
  • Viral infections
  • Breathing in certain medications like nasal sprays
  • Eating spicy foods
  • Stress and strong emotions
  • Temperature change
  • Bright lights

Sneeze Droplets Can Carry

  • Common cold
  • Flu
  • Strep throat
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  • Pneumonia
  • Meningococcal disease

“Sneezing … is a sudden and forceful expulsion of air through the nose and mouth. It is the body’s natural reflex to clear the nasal passages of irritants and harmful particles.” (medicoverhospitals.in/symptoms/sneezing)

A sneeze sends 40,000 droplets of moisture into the air and on nearby surfaces. These droplets carry viruses and bacteria that can be inhaled by others.

What happens to these droplets once they are sneezed out depends on their size. The bigger they are, the quicker they fall and end up on the floor or some other surface—although movement in the room can cause them to become airborne again. For instance, opening a door can change the airflow and pull viruses up from the floor. Smaller and lighter droplets can stay airborne almost indefinitely.

Sneezing is a symptom of many different conditions, so to treat sneezing, healthcare providers treat the underlying issue. For instance, if the underlying condition is a bacterial infection, a doctor might prescribe antibiotics.

If sneezing is the only symptom you are experiencing, you likely won’t need to contact your doctor. However, if the sneezing is combined with a fever, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, hives, diarrhea, and itchy, watery eyes, then you probably have severe allergies or an infection.

While sneezing is most often spontaneous, it is possible to make yourself sneeze.

  • Wiggle tissue or a Q-tip around in your nose
  • Sniff pepper
  • Rub the roof of your mouth with your tongue
  • Massage the bridge of your nose
  • Pluck your eyebrow or nose hair

Interestingly, one in three people can make themselves sneeze by looking at a bright light. This ability is hereditary and called photic sneezing. We don’t really know how bright light causes the sneeze, but maybe the light stimulates a branch of our parasympathetic nervous system, which is part of the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for the body’s rest-and-digest activities such as digestion, salivation, and urination when the body is at rest. Or the light source may stimulate the optic nerve, which stimulates the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions like biting and chewing) and that makes you sneeze.

Trying to hold back a sneeze can be bad for your health. It can damage blood vessels, cause vertigo, rupture ear drums, and even cause hearing loss.

The nasal cavity—our nose—is part of the upper respiratory tract because we breath in and out through it (inspiration and exhalation). Noses are big, small, and all sizes in between. But when you consider how much is contained in the nasal cavity, it will shock you. In it we find bones, cartilage, tissues, blood vessels, and nerves all of which extend to the back of the upper part of the throat (the nasopharynx).

The anterior or front of the nose, known as the vestibule, is lined with tissue and short, coarse hair. This nose hair is a natural air filter.

Nose hair …

  • Protects your respiratory system by trapping airborne particles like dust, pollen, and other particles and pathogens, like viruses and bacteria from reaching your respiratory tract.
  • Retains water which keeps your mucus membranes moist. They don’t function well when dry.
  • Is coated with a thin layer of mucus that traps smaller particles that may try to sneak past the coarse hairs in front.
  • Cilia (tiny, hair-like structures) work with the mucus to move the trapped particles into the throat where they can be swallowed or expelled.

And here is a plus: Studies have shown that the denser the nose hair, there is a reduced risk of developing asthma, especially if you have allergies. Of course, some people prefer to trim or even remove these hairs for cosmetic reasons, but removing too many can lead to a greater risk of respiratory illnesses. Nose hairs won’t make you sneeze, but stimulation of the nerves inside the nose and the gathering of debris, particles, and unfamiliar materials in the nose hairs can cause you to sneeze.

Since sneezing clears the nose and throat of irritants and things that make us sick, and can also spread viruses and bacteria to those around us, here are some common-sense ways to protect not only ourselves, but others as well, from the bad stuff contained in the 40,000 moisture droplets in each sneeze.

  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue
  • Sneeze in your upper sleeve, not your hands
  • Wash your hands after sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
  • Avoid contact with sick people

Strange Cases

In 2023, Katelyn, a young 12-year-old girl began to sneeze for reasons unknown. She would sneeze 12,000 times per day, 20 sneezes per minute for up to 15 minutes at a time, affecting every aspect of her life. Her father told of one instance when she sneezed for 45 minutes straight. Doctors said it was a tic. She would experience a funny feeling in her nose and then the sneezing would begin. They say that this funny feeling is very common for tics. She would find some relief in listening to The Beatles, which stopped the sneezing temporarily, but no one could say why.

Another young girl, Lauren, also sneezed constantly over a four-month period. She was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition known as PANDAS—a pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder believed to be the result of cross-reactive antibodies that cause an inflammatory response in the basal ganglia (a topic for another issue). This condition is linked to streptococcal infections when the body has a hyper-reaction to a bacterial infection like strep, tics, even OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

Sneezing is even mentioned in a strange case in the Bible. After Elisha “stretched himself out” on the Shunammite woman’s dead son, the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. (See 2 Kings 4:18-37.)

Sources: my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/sneezing; my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23266-parasympathetic-nervous-system-psns; tyla.com/health/girl-sneezes-12000-times-day-775774-20230118; urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/What the Inside of Your Nose Reveals; nosetrimmer.club/nose-hair-cause-sneezing; healthfully.com/The Function of Nose Hairs; aspire.care/families-caregivers-pandas-is-autoimmune-encephalitis; livescience.com/3686-gross-science-cough-sneeze

Did You Know?

During a sneeze, some of those moisture droplets are propelled out of the nose at ≥200 miles per hour.

You cannot sneeze once you are in deep REM sleep because the associated muscles are inactive.

It’s not true that your heart stops when you sneeze. It can slow it down for a short period of time, but it doesn’t stop it.

Can Animals Predict the Weather?

by

Some animals may have the ability to predict changes in the weather. However, in reality, it is more likely that weather affects animal behavior rather than animals predicting the weather.

To understand how weather affects animals, we have to understand that the effects depend on local conditions and environment. For instance, you would see a different reaction by an animal to rain in the desert than you would if the same animal was in a rainforest—dry climate vs. wet climate.

Heavy rain can affect an animal’s ability to see and hear clearly, smell, and even regulate their body temperature. This could interfere with an animal’s ability to survive.

Insects cannot fly during a rainstorm. You might observe increased activity in the bug communities as they prepare to hunker down until the storm passes. This results in an increased subordinate response from the birds who take advantage of this more abundant bug smorgasbord. This also results in greater activity among prey birds such as hawks and eagles, and mammals whose diets include the smaller birds.

Birds fly low to the ground when there is an increase in air pressure, a predicator of stormy weather on its way. But recent research has found that it might just be that birds hear infrasound (a low-frequency noise) coming from a nearing storm, even days in advance, causing them to high-tail it out of the area until the storms have passed.

According to Ernest Seton, professor of animal science at State University, cows become agitated and nervous, bawling, and crowding together or seeking shelter when they sense a coming storm. They will suddenly switch direction while grazing, facing into a coming storm. They possess a remarkable ability to accurately “predict” the timing and direction from which a storm will come by detecting subtle shifts in barometric pressure or electromagnetic forces.

Dogs can hear thunder long before the human ear can, and with a nose—possessing as many as 300 million olfactory receptors compared to the human nose which only possesses 5 million—they can smell the moisture of coming rain, and can quite possibly sense static electricity and changes in barometric pressure.

Oceanographers are probably the only folks who would know this, but research shows that sharks dive deeper into the ocean when a hurricane is on the way. Researchers believe, though not conclusively proven, this is because of ear sensitivity which enables them to detect changes in the water and air pressure that accompany hurricanes and tropical storms.

There are documented instances of land animals heading for high ground in anticipation of a tsunami, flood, or earthquake. This is likely because they sense atmospheric and barometric changes, auditory signals, and heightened sensory perception—they can feel minute, low-frequency vibrations in the earth that humans do not notice until it is too late.

The Bible gives us an example of how the weather affected animal behavior.

“The beasts, exposed to the tempest [the Flood], rushed toward man, as though expecting help from him. Some of the people bound their children and themselves upon powerful animals, knowing that these were tenacious of life, and would climb to the highest points to escape the rising waters. … As the waters rose higher and higher, the people fled for refuge to the loftiest mountains. Often man and beast would struggle together for a foothold, until both were swept away.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 100

Sources: nature-mentor.com/weather-animal-behavior; science.howstuffworks.com/nature/slimate-weather/storms/10-ways-animals-supposedly-predict-the-weather.htm; berrypatchfarms.net/what-do-cows-do-when-a-storm-is-coming; scientificorigin.com/how-animals-sense/disasters-before-they-happen

Is Anything Impossible for God?

by

With God all things are possible.
(Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Luke 1:37)

But is that true?

The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 32:17, “There is nothing too hard for You [God].”

Inspiration tells us God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

“God always has been. He is the great I AM. … He is infinite and omnipresent.” The Upward Look, 326

“Nothing can happen in any part of the universe without the knowledge of Him who is omnipresent. Not a single event of human life is unknown to our Maker.” The Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881

“He [Jesus] was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent.” The Faith I Live By, 46

“The Lord God omnipotent, who reigneth in the heavens, declares, ‘I am with you.’ ” Ibid., 62

“Satan will move mightily from beneath, and will delude the world, while the Lord God Omnipotent will move from above and prepare a people to stand in the great day of His wrath.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 16, 177, 178

“God is omnipotent, omniscient, immutable.” Christ Triumphant, 291

“God is omniscient. No sin escapes His notice.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 21, 271

“The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1075

“The first and great commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.’ To love Him, the infinite, the omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being—the body, the mind, as well as the soul—the image of God is to be restored.” The Signs of the Times, April 21, 1909

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Genesis 18:14

Clearly, we can see from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy that God has all the qualifications to say what He means, and mean what He says, to create and maintain universes, to know every thought, to hear every cry, and to see every act, both good and bad.

God is all-powerful, present everywhere, and all-knowing, and yet, there is one thing that is impossible for Him.

“The gift to our world in sending Jesus is an exhibition of His grace which God Himself cannot surpass. … But one thing is impossible with God—the power of eclipsing the greatness of His gift in showing His love for fallen man.” That I May Know Him, 338

“[God] sent to our world the only Messenger that He could trust with His great treasure of pardon and grace. Christ. … And in this gift the Father gave all heaven to the world.” Lift Him Up, 208

“The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love.” Sons and Daughters of God, 11

Friends, God, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, freely gave everything, the Best that heaven had so that you and I could be restored to His image. Are we willing to surrender everything to Him?

“Let us come to God in faith, fully assured that as we surrender all to Him, He will make us Christlike in character. Then, one with Christ, we can reveal Him to the world.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 5, 342

“From the cross of Calvary, Christ calls for an unconditional surrender … . All we have should be consecrated to God.” The Faith I Live By, 244

Story – The Brown Towel

by

“One who has nothing can give nothing,” said Mrs. Sayers, the sexton’s wife, as the ladies of the sewing society were busily engaged in packing the contents of a large box, destined for a Western missionary.

“A person who has nothing to give must be poor, indeed,” said Mrs. Bell, as she deposited a pair of warm blankets in the already well-filled box.

Mrs. Sayers looked at the last-named speaker with a glance which seemed to say, “You who have never known self-denial cannot feel for me,” and remarked, “You surely think one can be too poor to give?”

“I once thought so, but have learned from experience that no better investment can be made, even from the depths of poverty, than lending to the Lord.”

Seeing the ladies listening attentively to the conversation, Mrs. Bell continued: “Perhaps, as our work is finished, I can do no better than to give you my experience on the subject. It may be the means of showing you that God will reward the cheerful giver.

“During the first twenty-eight years of my life, I was surrounded with wealth; and not until I had been married nine years did I know a want which money could satisfy, or feel the necessity of exertion. Reverses came with fearful suddenness, and before I had recovered from the blow, I found myself the wife of a poor man, with five little children dependent upon our exertions.

“From that hour I lost all thought of anything but the care of my family. Late hours and hard work were my portion, and to my unskilled hands it seemed at first a bitter lot. My husband strove anxiously to gain a subsistence, and barely succeeded. We changed our place of residence several times, hoping to do better, but without improvement.

“Everything seemed against us. Our well-stocked wardrobe had become so exhausted that I felt justified in absenting myself from the house of God, with my children, for want of suitable apparel. While in this low condition, I went to church one evening, when my poverty-stricken appearance would escape notice, and took my seat near the door. An agent from the West preached, and begged contributions to the home missionary cause. His appeal brought tears to my eyes, and painfully reminded me of my past days of prosperity, when I could give of my abundance to all who called upon me. It never entered my mind that the appeal for assistance in any way concerned me, with my poor children banished from the house of God by poverty, while I could only venture out under the friendly protection of darkness.

“I left the church more submissive to my lot, with a prayer in my heart that those whose consciences had been addressed might respond. I tried in vain to sleep that night. The words of the text, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom,’ seemed continually sounding in my ears. The eloquent entreaty of the speaker to all, however poor, to give a mite to the Lord, and receive the promised blessing, seemed addressed to me. I rose early the next morning, and looked over all my worldly goods in search of something worth bestowing, but in vain; the promised blessing seemed beyond my reach.

“Hearing that the ladies of the church had filled a box for the missionary’s family, I made one more effort to spare something. All was poor and threadbare. What should I do? At last I thought of my towels. I had six, of coarse brown linen, but little worn. They seemed a scanty supply for a family of seven; and yet I took one from the number, and, putting it into my pocket, hastened to the house where the box was kept, and quietly slipped it in. I returned home with a light heart, feeling that my Saviour’s eye had seen my sacrifice, and would bless my effort.

“From that day success attended all my husband’s efforts in business. In a few months our means increased so that we were able to attend church and send our children to Sabbath school, and before ten years had passed, our former prosperity had returned fourfold. ‘Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,’ had been given us.

“It may seem superstitious to you, my dear friends, but we date all our success in life to God’s blessing, following that humble gift out of deep poverty. He may not always think best to reward so signally those who give to Him, but He is never unmindful of the humblest gift or giver. Wonder not that from that day I deem few too poor to give, and that I am a firm believer in God’s promise that He will repay with interest, even in this life, all we lend to Him.”

Glances of deep interest, unmixed with envy, were cast from the windows at Mrs. Bell, as, after bidding the ladies adieu, she stepped into her carriage. Her consistent benevolence had proved to all that in her prosperity she retained the same Christian spirit which, in her days of poverty, had led to the bestowal of the brown towel.

“Well,” exclaimed Mrs. Sayers, “if we all had such a self-denying spirit, we might fill another box at once. I will never again think that I am too poor to give.”

Stories Worth Re-reading, Our Young Folks, ©1913, 175–177

Words of Comfort

by

In the last scenes of this earth’s history, war will rage. There will be pestilence, plague, and famine. The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries. Property and life will be destroyed by fire and flood. This should show us that the souls for whom Christ has died should be fitting up for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for them. There is a rest from earth’s conflict. Where is it?—“That where I am, there ye may be also.” Heaven is where Christ is. Heaven would not be heaven to those who love Christ if He were not there. Are we individually fitting up characters which will be meet for the society of Christ and the heavenly angels?

Philip said to Christ, “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.”

Philip’s doubt was answered by words of reproof. He wished Christ to reveal the Father in bodily form; but in Christ, God had already revealed Himself. Is it possible, Christ said, that after walking with Me, hearing My words, seeing My miracles of feeding the five thousand, of healing the sick of the dread disease leprosy, of bringing the dead to life, of raising Lazarus, who was a prey to death, whose body had indeed seen corruption, you do not know Me? Is it possible that you do not discern the Father in the works that He does by Me? Do you not believe that I came to testify of the Father? “How sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” I am “the brightness of His glory,” “the express image of His person.” “How sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake.”

Christ emphatically impressed upon them the fact that they could see the Father by faith alone. God cannot be seen in external form by any human being. Christ alone can represent the Father to humanity. This representation the disciples had been privileged to behold for over three years.

As Christ was speaking these words, the glory of God was shining from His countenance, and all present felt a sacred awe as they listened with wrapt attention to His words. They felt their hearts more decidedly drawn to Him, and as they were drawn to Christ in greater love, they were drawn to one another. They felt that heaven was very near them, that the words to which they listened were a message to them from their Heavenly Father.

The wonderful works which Christ had done, which were so full of convincing power, ought to have removed prejudice, unbelief, and malice from the hearts of the Jews. Christ had given a convincing proof of His divinity in raising Lazarus from the dead. Through Christ the Father had been revealed to believers and unbelievers. If the disciples believed this vital connection between the Father and the Son, their faith would not forsake them when they beheld Christ’s suffering and death to save a perishing world. He desired them to see that their faith must lead up to God, and be anchored there.

… Their faith might safely rest upon the evidence given by Christ’s works—works that no man had ever done or ever could do. They could reason that humanity alone could not do these wondrous works. Christ was seeking to lead them up from their low state of faith to the experience they might have received by seeing what He had done in giving a higher education, and in imparting a knowledge of what He was—God in human flesh. …

Before He left them, Christ gave His followers a positive promise that after His ascension He would send them the Holy Spirit. “Go ye therefore,” He said, “and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father [a personal God], and of the Son [a personal Prince and Saviour], and of the Holy Ghost [sent from heaven to represent Christ]: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” …

The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not now see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as another. It works in and through everyone who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit—“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” “Ye have an unction from the Holy One,” writes John, “and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. … Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”

“At that day,” said Christ, “ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” Christ sought to impress the minds of the disciples with the distinction between those who are of the world, and those who are of Christ. He was about to die, but He would imprint on their minds the fact that He would live again. And although after His ascension He would be absent from them, yet by faith they might know and see Him. And He would have the same loving interest in them that He had.

Christ assured His disciples that after His resurrection, He would show Himself alive to them. Then every mist of doubt, every cloud of darkness, would be rolled away. They would then understand that which they had not understood—that there is a complete union between Christ and His Father, a union which will always exist.

“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” Again Christ repeated the condition of union with Him. This promise is made to every sincere Christian. Our Saviour speaks so plainly that no one need fail to understand that true love will always produce obedience. The religion of Jesus Christ is love. Obedience is the sign of true love. Christ and the Father are One, and those who in truth receive Christ, will love God, as the great center of their adoration, and will also love one another. The Home Missionary, July 1, 1897

Prophecy Fulfilling

by

We are living in an age of the world when there is a great lack of real devotion to God and His truth. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the earth, and another spirit is fast gaining control of the hearts and minds of men. Yet there is no lack of form in religious work. Large and costly churches are still being erected; bells are pealing, morning, noon, and evening, summoning the worshipers to the temple of prayer. Neither are large congregations infrequent. But to the observant, there is a decided lack of the fruits of the Spirit of God, which gives little encouragement to those who expect to see their pre-millennium hopes realized in the near future.

With this condition of things confronting the religious world, and the fact that prophecy applies where the conditions prevail, would it not encourage the hearts of the faithful to examine anew the prophetic utterances of the past?

To the writer, a prophecy in the book of Ezekiel seems to find a fitting application to the present conditions: “And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And, they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but do them not: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass (behold it cometh), then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.” Ezekiel 33:30–33, R. V.

Perhaps many of our workers could at this time, like our Saviour in His days while in the flesh, say to the people: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:21

While this may be true, it should be most encouraging to every worker; for it is but the logical outcome of another prophecy found in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1–5, R. V.

Where and when this condition prevails, Ezekiel 30:31–33 will surely find a fulfillment.

But he whose heart is filled with longing desire to meet his Lord in peace, will find in this condition of things encouragement to labor for souls; for amid all this Babylon, there are precious souls who sigh and cry for the abominations of Israel. “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty One, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall gather the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that give suck.” Isaiah 40:9–12, R. V.

Without doubt the prophet Isaiah is here looking down through the ages, to the coming of the Lord to reward His faithful flock. But the feeding of that flock is intrusted to His under-shepherds. The apostle Paul in his instruction to the elders of the church at Ephesus realized this important trust, which he sets forth in the following words: “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28, R. V.

The apostle Peter also sensed the solemn work: to which God called him. The elders of the church in general, he exhorts to “tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the over sight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2, 3, R. V.

In that noted prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the restoration of the scattered remnant, it is recorded: “And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:3, 4, R. V.

Brethren and sisters, the remnant work is intrusted to our hands. Are we feeding the flock? Are we bringing them to the fold? Are we fruitful? Do we fear? The love of God casteth out all fear. Are we dismayed? “Fear thou not; … for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10. Are we lacking? “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

While true devotion to God and the principles, of righteousness are fast departing, the gathering call is being sounded through the earth: “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isaiah 58:1. A little longer, and the message will have done its sealing work, and the faithful will have been gathered into the fold.

Let us praise God for a place and part among His workers.

Published in the The Review and Herald, September 10, 1901

Stubborn Belief

by

I was recently thinking about how we hold on so tightly to things we’ve always said or done, things we’ve strongly believed in, even in the face of evidence that proves we are wrong.

As an adult child of an alcoholic, in my mid-20s, I participated for a time in group therapy sessions with others who had grown up with alcohol- and/or drug-addicted parents or caregivers.

I remember well the first session. I sat and listened to each person in the group tell their personal story, amazed to discover that every single one of these young people, all younger than I, had grown up having endured terrible experiences in their homes as a result of addiction. Yet, I was the only one in the group who was not a next-generation alcoholic or drug addict.

These young people grew up under some of the most debilitating conditions that logic suggests should have compelled them to live a different life. Yet, instead of determinedly grabbing for that better life, they repeated in their adult lives what they had endured during their childhood. You might say, “Well, they were in therapy. They wanted to get better.” Yes, I think they did, but most of them didn’t. They relapsed repeatedly, and few jumped off that manic addiction merry-go-round.

The same can be applied to spiritual matters. Many Seventh-day Adventists believe that as long as their names are on the church rolls, that they attend church every Sabbath, faithfully pay tithe, and do many other things that tend to be found on the good side of the checklist, they are ensured of being model Christians, and their reservation on the express train to heaven is secure. Don’t get me wrong, these are all things that as God’s people we are required to do, but without a personal relationship with Jesus, they mean nothing. Making checkmarks on a list does not reserve a spot in heaven. If you want to be with Jesus for eternity, then you must develop a personal relationship with Him here and now.

A few years ago, I became involved in a conversation regarding the nature of Christ. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I believed the opposite of many Adventists. I was stubbornly committed to what I believed, so I gathered material that supported my belief about Christ’s nature. It took me three months of in-depth study to “confirm” what I believed was right and what they said was wrong. I presented my defense and provided copies of all the materials I had used. In the end, however, I didn’t change their belief, and they didn’t change mine.

More recently, I was confronted again with a different perspective on the nature of Christ. Listening to Pastor Grosboll present the evidence during his The Mystery of Godliness sermon series (see the 2023 and 2024 LandMarks sermon series), I couldn’t imagine it was true. I had a settled belief, didn’t I? But rather than rejecting it out of hand, I asked the Lord to keep my mind open so that I could see the truth He wanted to show me, whatever it might be, and then help me to accept it, even if it wasn’t what I had always thought was the truth. I continued to take in the evidence. I studied for myself. I asked questions. God answered my prayer. And now I have a peace in my mind and heart that believing as I did before had never provided.

By the time I was born, all of my grandparents had passed away except my maternal grandfather and my paternal great-grandmother. I was very young when my dad’s mother died, so I remember nothing about her, but my mother told me that she was a very stubborn German woman. She would say something was so, and no one could change her mind. During a discussion about the name of a particular street, she was adamant that the street name was Maple (I have changed the street name because I don’t remember what she thought it was, nor what the actual name was). My parents assured her it had a different name, but she would not believe it. So, they took a little drive and went to Maple Street, and there it was, plain to see, the street name wasn’t Maple. My grandmother never admitted she was wrong. She adopted the new belief that someone must have changed it.

Psychology has asked, “How can someone cling to a belief even after objective facts show it to be inaccurate?”

Adventists can ask that question about the Sabbath. I would suggest that it is possible to say that a good bit of the Sunday-keeping world knows that the seventh day is the Sabbath, blessed and made holy by God at Creation. They could tell you that they know, but they keep Sunday because of the resurrection, because their parents did, all their friends go to church on Sunday, Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath, or for any number of other reasons. They know the truth but choose to live contrary to it.

We see the same in politics. Too often, politicians promise and don’t deliver. They lie, sometimes so plainly that you know it’s a lie the moment it leaves their mouth. And yet, people continue to believe that these individuals have the best interests of the citizenry at heart.

Psychologists call this process cognitive immunization. We make our beliefs impervious to facts, and those beliefs become stronger when challenged, even in the face of the most overwhelming contradictory evidence. These “immune” beliefs are almost impossible to challenge with reasoning and structured arguments.

The Guarded Flower

There are at least two versions of this story, with minor differences. However, the version I am sharing here involves Otto von Bismarck, a German statesman and diplomat, so this might be the most accurate account. History describes Bismarck as not the most popular fellow, but he was an “excellent witness,” as one source described him.

In the early 1860s, Bismarck was the Prussian ambassador to the Court of Alexander II, Czar of Russia. One morning, while visiting the Czar, he looked out a window of the Peterhof Palace and saw a sentry on duty in the middle of the lawn. He asked the Czar why the man was there. The Czar did not know and asked his aide-de-camp, who also did not know. So, the sentry’s commanding general was summoned.

“General,” asked the Czar, “why is that soldier stationed in that isolated place?”

“I beg leave to inform your Majesty that it is by ancient custom,” was the reply.

“What is the origin of this custom?” asked Bismarck.

“I do not recollect at present,” answered the general.

“Investigate and report the result,” ordered Alexander.

Three days later, the general reported that the sentry was posted there because of an 80-year-old Imperial order. Records showed that one morning in the spring of 1780, Catherine the Great, Russia’s ruler at that time, looked out on the lawn and saw the first spring flower thrusting above the frozen soil. She ordered that a sentry be posted to prevent anyone from picking the flower. And every day in 1860, there was still a sentry on the lawn because no one had ever rescinded the order—a memorial to habit, custom, or just “because we’ve always done it that way.”

Sources: alexanderpalace.org/palace/blog.php/a Romanov passion for flowers; inspiring-facts.com/daily inspiration/world of wonders/guarding a dead rosebush

Ready!!

This story has not been independently verified, but the originator has stated that it did happen as related.

In the late 1970s, the NATO army in Germany conducted numerous competitions to keep its troops constantly ready and prepared for a potential Soviet assault over the border from East Germany into West Germany. One such competition was to determine who was the best artillery crew. Monitored by the US Army’s 5th Corps training desk, each NATO country nominated its best artillery section, which underwent a series of exercises. Everything was rated by accuracy and time. Surprisingly, the British army, one of the great innovators of armaments with a long tradition of excellence in their artillery, regularly came in last.

The evaluators took video of the entire competition to better understand why some teams were more proficient than others. As usual, the British came in last, even behind the Belgians and Dutch, who fielded only part-time soldiers. On checking the film, they noticed a quirk in the British drill. After the gun was loaded and aimed, one of the loaders suddenly ran twenty yards back, about-faced, came to attention, and yelled, “Ready.” After firing, he would run back to the crew and assist in loading before repeating the maneuver when the gun was once again loaded and ready to fire. No one could figure out what this fellow was doing.

A quick check of the British drill manual revealed that this was a requirement, but it did not explain why. The British readily accepted that this part of the official drill held them back but couldn’t change the rules. It might have lingered there, but the staff did have the objective of better preparing to meet the feared Soviet assault. If this maneuver was affecting the efficiency of the British team, then it needed to be changed. After many letters and calls, the staff finally spoke with an aged sergeant major in the British Defense Ministry. Explaining their findings, they asked why the loader would run to the rear and wait from that position for the weapon to be fired. His response? “Aow, ‘e’s ‘oldin’ the ’orses!” The following year, the British won the competition.

Another version states that a US general observed the artillery drills during World War II. The gun was unhitched from the Jeep that had pulled it onto the field, then pulled by hand to the firing range and loaded. Once the gun was ready to fire, two soldiers took ten steps back and stood at attention for the entire live-fire exercise. There was no explanation for this action until an old soldier said, “They are there to hold the horses so they don’t get spooked and run off.”

Source: strangehistory.net/2013/08/17/the-longest-sentry-duty

Traditions of faith can be valuable. They may help preserve special experiences or ideals handed down by family or culture. However, we should be careful what we guard. Many religions zealously defend doctrines that have lost their original meaning or have become mere rituals. Sadly, people may faithfully adhere to traditions, all the while remaining unaware of their origins, unwilling to seek the truth and follow it.

Jesus has warned us of a more serious concern regarding traditions. If a custom or traditions conflicts with the law of God, it should be thrown out. Christ has told us that holding onto such traditions makes “the word of God of no effect” (Mark 7:13). It’s a good idea to reflect on the traditions we keep. Do they conflict with God’s law? If so, we are straying from the Bible. It’s like standing guard over a long-dead-and-gone flower.

Other sources: psychologytoday.com/us/blog/true-believers/201603/5-reasons-why-people-stick-to-their-beliefs-no-matter-what

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

Does the Universe Have Meaning?

by

The existence of the world—the reality that surrounds us—may seem completely pointless and self-evident to some. For others, it remains a deep and unsettling mystery. While the existence of the universe may provoke a cascade of profound questions in some, others deem such questions meaningless and try to ignore them. Yet to ignore the question of the origin of existence may reveal intellectual apathy—or, in the case of radical atheists, a fear of facing the most obvious explanation: God.

Suppose that the search for the cause of the world could lead to God, and but one categorically rejects the very possibility of God’s existence. In this case, the simplest and most comfortable solution is to assume that the universe exists—because it always has—and thus requires no explanation. Or one might concede that the universe had a beginning, arising at some point from absolute nothingness.

However, materialists and atheists have no satisfying explanation for the origin of the cosmos. Such an intellectual stance amounts to a deliberate evasion of accepting God as the transcendent cause of the universe.

In truth, this approach to the enigma of existence represents a kind of intellectual surrender. From this perspective, the situation of atheists is indeed tragic: they live in a world that, according to their worldview, has no ultimate purpose, no inherent meaning, and no explanation.1  For those who categorically reject the existence of God, there are only two alternatives:

  1. The assumption is that the universe has always existed, thereby eliminating the need for any transcendent cause.
  2. The assumption is that the universe emerged from absolute nothingness.

However, the gap between absolute nothingness and something is insurmountable for science. By denying God, atheists are left with two options:

  1. Making the universe eternal, elevates it to a divine status (like God). In doing so, they essentially embrace pantheism—the belief that nature or the cosmos is divine. What an irony—they reject the existence of God yet deify His creation!
  2. The universe is not eternal and had its beginning somewhere, and at some point, it emerged from nothing. The universe emerged from absolute nothingness—from zero. Something from nothing is pure magic. What an irony—they reject the existence of God yet believe in magic!

If the existence of the world fills us with awe, it is only natural that we begin to ask the most profound and fundamental questions about the mystery of the world and our existence. And for believers—especially those who base their views on a biblical worldview—these questions point to God.

Intellectual shortcut?

Some critics might argue that believers are no better off than atheists by appealing to the existence of God as an easy answer. If some atheists claim that the universe is eternal and self-sufficient, Christians claim the same about God. Isn’t that a similar intellectual shortcut? Someone might say that such an intellectual stance is, of course, an avoidance of accepting reality as the cause of itself (the world as the cause of itself).

The universe had a beginning

The key distinction lies in the evidence. Science has shown that the universe had a beginning. “Albert Einstein was convinced not only that the universe was eternal but also that it was—as a whole—static. So, when in 1917 he applied the general theory of relativity to the entire spacetime, he was astonished to find that the equation he discovered suggested something quite the opposite: the universe must be either expanding or contracting. This seemed absurd to him, so he introduced what is known as the cosmological constant into his theory, which allowed him to explain the universe as eternal and unchanging.”2

However, the scientific theory that the universe is expanding was confirmed in the late 1920s by the renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble, who studied galaxies using the new 100-inch telescope on Mount Wilson in California. He observed that the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away from us. This principle became known as Hubble’s Law. This discovery led Einstein to admit that the universe is indeed expanding and that his cosmological constant was his greatest scientific blunder.

The scientifically-confirmed evidence that all the galaxies around us are moving away from each other—and thus that the universe is expanding and doing so rapidly—had profound implications. If the universe is expanding, it means it was once smaller and, before that, even smaller until we reach the point where we begin to consider the universe’s origin. This means the universe is not eternal.3

The beginning of the universe is known as the Big Bang. “In 1965, two scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey accidentally discovered a microwave background noise filling the entire universe, which turned out to be the echo of the Big Bang. (…) When you turn on your television and start flipping through channels, about ten percent of the black-and-white static you see on the screen is caused by photons left over from the birth of the universe. That may be the best evidence for the truth of the Big Bang theory—you can see it on your television screen.”4 These scientific discoveries opened the door to investigations into how the universe began and whether a masterful mind like God could have given rise to its existence. And if not, then how did it all begin?5

The Ultimate Justification of the Universe

We, people who believe in God, do not shy away from this question; we embrace it with open arms. We do not run from the truth about the world, nor the truth about God as the explanation for the existence of the universe. On the contrary, with faith, we run toward the existence of God and are not ashamed to proclaim our belief. We are not afraid to seek—and to find—the answer to the cause of the world in God.

The existence of God explains the existence of the universe. While God Himself does not require any explanation, for He is the ultimate explanation and cause of the universe, the universe did not happen by accident. It required a Creator. Thus, the existence of everything points to a cause (the Creator) that itself has no cause: God.

The question of who created God is fundamentally flawed, for it misunderstands the nature of God. If God needed a creator, He would not be God. That would lead to an infinite regress of creator-designers. Instead, God is the ultimate, necessary being—the source of all things, life, and love.6

God is the One Who Is

Therefore, we do not need to seek an answer to the question of how God exists if we understand the nature of God. And the nature of God is His existence. In other words, His existence requires no explanation. God is existence itself.7

Still, the fact that our world does exist necessarily requires the existence of someone who is not subject to chance but must exist (cannot not exist) for our world to exist. That someone is a personal God. As a personal, almighty, and loving Creator, God Himself makes the existence of the universe understandable.

A Matter of Faith

Does the search for the cause and meaning of the world’s existence lead us to God? And if so, should we, as people who believe in God, attempt to rationally justify our faith? Should we concern ourselves with reasoned or argumentative defenses of belief in God? First and foremost, if our faith in God were based solely on rational and philosophical premises—or even scientific evidence—it would not be genuine faith in God. Our faith in God goes far beyond rational, scientific, or philosophical arguments.

However, this does not mean that true faith in God must be entirely independent of any rational or scientific support. Our faith in God is rooted in Jesus Christ—God who, in His love for fallen humanity, became a man and revealed, both in human history and on the pages of the Bible, the true character of God. And this eternal God, who is absolute love, is—through the person of Jesus Christ—the God with whom we have a living relationship. We experience the love of Jesus, His power, and His presence in our daily lives. At the same time, reason and sensory perception can support and strengthen our faith.

The Glory of God Revealed in the Cosmos

“Could God have used a process similar to the Big Bang when creating the universe? We don’t know. Our faith in God does not depend on the Big Bang.”8 However, the biblical account is quite close to what the scientific view describes—that the universe came into existence suddenly at a particular moment and has been expanding ever since.

“He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number.” Job 9:8–10

“Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” Psalm 104:2

These poetic comparisons reflect both God’s majesty and the dynamic nature of the created universe.

Two Paradigms of Thought

In the context of the discussion on the cause of the universe and the existence of God, it is worth noting and recognizing that we are navigating the boundary between the world of biblical revelation and the world of rational and scientific argumentation—one whose roots trace back to Greek philosophy. Western philosophy and science, deeply rooted in Greek thought, place a strong emphasis on causality and explanation.9

However, the world of the Bible—Hebrew thought—starts from different assumptions. I am convinced that these two modes of thinking are not, from our Adventist perspective, inherently hostile or mutually exclusive. There are indeed aspects of Greek thought that conflict with biblical thinking. One example is the Greek (Platonic) dualism of a good and immortal soul versus an evil and mortal body. This idea contradicts the biblical understanding of the human being as a holistic unity of body, mind, and spirit.

Similarly, the Greek view of the material world as a form of degradation or something inferior to the spiritual realm also stands in contrast to the biblical worldview, which presents the creation of diverse beings as an overwhelmingly positive event: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Nonetheless, the Greek approach to seeking rational causes and explanations is not in conflict with biblical thinking—and certainly not mutually exclusive. As Abraham Heschel insightfully observed: “Hebrew thought operates with categories different from those of Plato or Aristotle. The distinctiveness of its teaching lies not merely in a different way of expressing ideas, but in a fundamentally different way of thinking.”10

Let us consider how the fundamental difference between Greek—scientific—thinking and the biblical account of creation reveals itself: “The Book of Genesis does not attempt to explain anything; the mystery of the world being called into existence is in no way made more understandable by the statement: ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The Bible and science are not addressing the same question. A scientific theory asks: What is the cause of the universe? It thus operates within the framework of causality, which assumes a relationship between cause and effect as part of a continuous process … .

“The Bible, on the other hand, introduces a relationship between the Creator and the universe as one between two essentially different and incomparable beings. It treats the act of creation more as an event than a process. Creation, therefore, is a concept that transcends causality … . The Bible does not so much explain the world in categories derived from nature as it points to that which made nature possible in the first place—namely, the act of God’s free will.”11

Biblical Cosmogony

So yes, it is true that the biblical authors do not engage in rational justifications of faith in God—at least not in the way rationality is commonly understood today. The Bible shows no interest in the question of whether God exists or why; if He does exist, we should believe in Him. Nowhere in the entire Bible is there formal proof of God’s existence, although it does contain arguments against pagan gods, such as those found in the Psalms: “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” Psalm 96:5

For the biblical authors, God’s existence is simply self-evident. This stems from a different way of thinking—one distinct from the scientific mode of thought that seeks causes and explanations for reality. However, this should not mean that we dismiss any efforts to ground faith in God through reasoning or argumentation. After all, the Bible does not condemn attempts to formulate arguments or proofs for God’s existence.12

The Apostle Paul himself appealed to human rational thinking and observation of the created world through the senses, stating: “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:19–21. Paul thus asserts that people have no excuse for not knowing God because everyone, through the senses (“are clearly seen”) and reason (“being understood”)—what today we might call through science and philosophical reflection—can perceive that God exists. This knowledge comes from the very reality that surrounds us.

Conclusions and Connections

God exists. He revealed Himself to humanity in the most perfect way by becoming a human—coming into this world and entering human history to show mankind and the entire inhabited universe who God truly is, to reveal the true character of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Through His substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary, Christ reopened for us the possibility of coming to God, of encounter, dialogue, relationship, and eternal life filled with happiness and love—a life that has meaning, purpose, and explanation. At the same time, God reveals Himself through the created reality around us, which, through reason and the senses, guides humanity toward Him. As Abraham Heschel observed: “We think with reason because we aspire to spirit. We think through reason because we are certain that there is some meaning. Reason withers when deprived of spirit and the truth about the wholeness of life.”13

We can be certain that, ultimately, both reason and revelation come from the same source. At the same time, it is essential to remember that our trust cannot be placed solely in reason itself—after all, our intelligence has its limitations and is not infallible. However, our faith goes far beyond rational reflection. It seems that without reason, faith becomes blind. The worship of reason is arrogance, but the rejection of reason is cowardice and reveals a lack of faith.14

How does all this connect with our Adventist biblical worldview? The key linking element is the Sabbath. How should this be understood? On the Sabbath, our biblical protological (the study of origins, as in the origins of our world) and eschatological (relating to the end of the world) perspectives come together. According to the message of the first angel in Revelation 14, the Sabbath is the seal of God and a remembrance of Creation. Thus, the eschatological role of the Sabbath is directly connected to its protological significance as a commemoration of the biblical truth that God “made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7) and that the world and everything in it was created “in six days” (Exodus 20:11). Moreover, the Sabbath is a sign of the rest given by faith in Christ and the anticipation of rest during the millennium of peace in God’s kingdom after Christ’s second coming and the defeat of evil.

Therefore, in the prophetic context of the end times, the Sabbath emerges as a unifying element of a belief system and worldview that stands in opposition to the currently prevailing scientific worldview—namely, the theory of evolution and the worldview that rejects the existence of God.15

It is, therefore, critical that our faith be grounded not only in the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and not only in a relationship with the living God whose presence and love we experience in our lives but also that our faith rests on rational and scientific foundations. Both reason and scientific evidence lead us to God and confirm our faith. I plan to explore these topics in more detail in a future issue of the magazine.

Marcin Watras lives with his wife and two children in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society.

Endnotes:

  1. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 14
  2. Ibiden, pp. 36, 37
  3. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, pp. 55, 56
  4. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 38
  5. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, p. 56
  6. Ibiden, p. 233
  7. Jim Holt, Krótka historia niczego, publishing house PWN 2014, p. 11
  8. Ariel A. Roth, Nauka odkrywa Boga, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2020, p. 58
  9. Abraham J. Heschel, Bóg szukający człowieka, publishing house Esprit 2015, p. 22
  10. Ibiden, p. 23
  11. Ibiden, pp. 23, 24
  12. Brian Davies, Wprowadzenie do filozofii religii, publishing house Prószyński i S-ka 1993, p. 27
  13. Abraham J. Heschel, Bóg szukający człowieka, publishing house Esprit 2015, p. 27
  14. Ibiden, pp. 28, 29
  15. Vanderlei Dorneles, Ostatnie imperium, publishing house Znaki Czasu 2018, p. 147