| Chop 2 cups broccoli florets and put into bowl.
Blend and pour over broccoli and stir: ½ to ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ cup olive oil 1 tsp salt 1 tsp. cumin ¼ tsp cayenne 2 cloves garlic, minced |
Chop remaining ingredients:
5-6 green onions, sliced ½ cup fresh cilantro, minced fine 1-2 cucumbers, chopped fine 2 stalks celery, chopped fine ½ cup fresh parsley, minced 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped |
| Combine all and enjoy! |
Judy Hallingstad
Food – The Broccoli Benefit
Broccoli, meaning “cabbage sprout” in Italian, has been growing wild in the Mediterranean regions for hundreds of years. It was first commercially grown in the United States in the 1920s and has been gaining respect ever since as one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Do you know why broccoli is so good for you? The answer lies in its vibrant green color.
That color comes from potentially cancer-fighting phytochemicals called glucosinolates, sulphorophane, tannins, terpenes, and folic acid. Although many factors affect the development of cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure, eating a diet low in fat and sodium and rich in fruits and vegetables, including broccoli, may reduce the risk of these diseases. Plus, it tastes good! Fresh, crisp broccoli adds a dash of flavor to many dishes and salads—and is even great eaten on its own as a snack.
Health Benefits
Broccoli is low in calories, high in vitamin C, and a good source of both folate and vitamin A. Broccoli also contains phytochemicals that may help protect eyesight and prevent cancer.
Fun Facts
- The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means branch, or arm.
- Broccoli was first grown in the Italian province of Calabria and was given the name Calabrese.
- Broccoli consumption has increased over 940 percent over the last 25 years!
Selection Tips
Good-quality broccoli should have fresh-looking, light-green stalks of consistent thickness. The bud clusters should be compact and dark green, and may have some purple tinge.
Storage
Store your broccoli in a plastic bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Children’s Story – Pennies from Heaven
In the early 1990s, soon after I came into the truth about God’s law, the Sabbath, and the eight laws of health, my wife and I were visiting our daughter in a small town in South Carolina. I had already decided to become a vegan vegetarian, and I was going to fix some Mexican food for lunch that day.
The town where my daughter lived didn’t have a grocery store with a lot of selections; so I drove over to another town seven miles east of there. Being so new in the faith, I was still a little unsure that I could trust God completely. While I was shopping for the meal I was going to fix, I thought as I looked in my shopping cart, “Everything that is in there is good for me.”
As I was checking out, the clerk observed what I was getting and asked me, “Having Mexican today?” Then as she commented about all the things I could put on the food that were contrary to my recent decision to “go vegan,” I thought to myself, “I’m not putting those things on there.”
She was cheerful and friendly, and as I looked at the digital readout of my purchase, I noticed that my change should be $10.22. Then she handed me $10.20. I remember thinking, “I wonder why she didn’t give me the other two cents?” Then I erroneously thought that maybe they don’t mess with such a small amount in South Carolina.
As I was leaving the store I was musing in my mind, “I wonder why she didn’t give me all my change?”
Just as I got out of the store, I looked down and saw a penny on the ground. I picked it up, and then noticed another penny nearby. As I picked it up, this thought came into my mind, “Jim, you can trust Me, even in the little things. Here’s your change.”
At the time this experience gave me courage, and over the years, just when I need it, I will sometimes find another two cents.
Shortly after this experience, I was walking around town to give the book, The Great Controversy, to the couples that my wife and I had played cards with in a local card club which I had decided to stop attending. As I walked about town distributing books, I ran out and returned home to get one more book, as I only had one more couple to visit.
After I picked up the book I walked out of my driveway, and there lying in the gravel at the edge of the road lay two cents.
Another time some friends were coming to town for a visit, on either Friday or Sabbath evening. I remember asking myself, “How am I going to keep the Sabbath while they are here?” I decided to go for a walk before they arrived.
As I walked past the junior high school, it was already dark, but as I went toward a street light on the other side of the parking lot, I saw two shiny objects there on the ground. I was too far away to tell what they were, but I didn’t need to, because I knew it was two cents—confirmation to me that God would guide me through my friends’ visit.
Once a brother in Christ and I had traveled to another town in northeastern Kansas to visit a family on the Sabbath to give them some encouragement. After the other brother had led out with the Sabbath message and we had eaten lunch, we all went for a walk. As we were walking I told my two cents story. Shortly after I finished the story, the man in the family found some money on the street. It wasn’t two cents, but it seemed an appropriate postscript to the story I had just told.
There have been other times when I have found just a penny. I’ll always look around for the other one. Sometimes I find it; sometimes I don’t.
Once another brother and I went out after fellowship dinner at the church to pass out some literature. I told him my two cents story. I finished just as we arrived at the parking lot across from where we intended to pass out the material. We got out of the car and went to the trunk. Just behind the car directly beneath the center of the trunk lay two cents. I get encouraged every time this happens.
Once I was back in South Carolina on the Sabbath. As I have done in the past, I find other Adventist believers in that area and arrange to meet them for fellowship. On one such occasion a brother and sister met me at a park somewhere north of the Citadel in Charleston. We had arranged to meet, have worship, then share a picnic lunch in the afternoon. I gave a short message about the truth, and as part of my presentation, I told them my two cents story. We had sat on a park bench together, and after we finished worship and had prayer we got up to walk back to where our cars were. There on the ground just by the park bench lay two cents that we had not noticed before.
There are some Bible and Spirit of Prophecy quotes that I claim quite often. “Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24. “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.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 159.
My hope is that as we go on to perfection, we can help each other along the way. Please, Lord, don’t let us die in our sins. May your page and my page in heaven be clean. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer Series – His Will on Earth
Christians believe that someday God is going to set up a kingdom, an everlasting kingdom of righteousness in this world and that war and violence and evil of all kinds will be abolished forever. But the question is, “What would be the requirement for a person to become a citizen of such a kingdom?”
The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This is the climax of the first division of the Lord’s Prayer, that part which looks toward God and heaven and has to do with things divine. Each petition follows in its proper order. First we recognize the God of heaven as our Father. We ask then that His name, that is, His character, might be hallowed in us, which is accomplished when His kingdom is established in our hearts. That is why the next petition is, “Your kingdom come.” When His kingdom is established in our hearts and He reigns as King in our lives, then we will be doing His will. The evidence of God’s rulership over the dominion of our souls is our complete submission to His will. This petition is inseparably connected with the one that immediately precedes it. Praying for the coming of the kingdom of heaven implies a willingness to submit to the will of the King. Before we can enter the kingdom of heaven in its final and glorious phase, the principles of the kingdom must enter our hearts and have dominion over our souls.
When this desire is our experience, every provision is made for the fulfillment of the divine will. Our obedience to the will of the King, to the laws that govern His kingdom, is the evidence that you and I are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. The coming of the kingdom of grace into our hearts transfers our citizenship to the kingdom of heaven. But right now, we are still living in a revolted world where God’s will is almost universally disregarded. Earnest prayer is needed to be able to completely submit to the sovereignty of the King of heaven. Perhaps there is no petition that we need to make more often than this because we find this petition difficult to be fulfilled in our lives.
In this world we have a hard time learning the lesson of complete surrender to the will of God—a very severe discipline for many people. The purpose of the gospel is to give us victory over the spirit of rebellion that reigns in this world and governs the human race. Rebels cannot enter the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God cannot enter them. The kingdom and dominion were lost by Adam and Eve by disobedience, and only the obedient will be allowed to enter paradise restored.
When people presume upon God’s mercy while knowingly transgressing His law, they are actually trifling with their eternal destiny. It doesn’t matter what my profession of good works might be; if I am not doing the will of my Father in heaven, if I am not obedient to Him, I will have no right to be a citizen of His kingdom. Jesus made this exceedingly plain in the very same Sermon on the Mount where the Lord’s Prayer is recorded in Matthew 5. At the end of the sermon, Jesus made the following, astounding statement that many people still today have not paid attention to.
He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me at that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21–23.
In the Day of Judgment these people have an argument with the Lord. It is recorded in both the Old and New Testaments how dangerous it is to have an argument with the Lord. How can we think that we know more about anything than the Lord knows? How can we think that we know what is right and that He is wrong? How can we think that He is deceived and we know better? And yet, so often, that is the way human beings act now and will act on Judgment Day. Those referred to here are not atheists or infidels. They are not agnostics or people who do not claim to be Christians. Rather they are people who do claim to be Christians because they call Jesus Lord.
They believe they should be saved. They have prophesied in His name. They had the Holy Spirit and even cast out demons in His name. They knew they had the Holy Spirit because of the miracles and wonders they had performed. What could possibly have gone wrong?
But Jesus says, “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” They are not loyal subjects of His kingdom because they do not keep the laws of His kingdom. They break the commandments; they are lawless and are practicing lawlessness. The Bible says that in the last days the idea that you can break God’s law and practice lawlessness and still be saved is going to be the great deception that will take the whole world captive. You can read that prophecy in II Thessalonians 2:1–12.
In the very heart of the prayer is the petition or request, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There is no such thing as really being a true Christian without seeking with all your heart to do the will of God. After Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 7:21–23, He followed with a story about the two builders, one who built his house upon the sand while the other built his house upon the rock (verses 24–27). He said that if a person hears these sayings of Mine and doesn’t do them, he will be like the man who built his house on the sand, and when the storm and the flood came, it was all swept away. But the one who hears these sayings of Mine and does them, he’ll be like a man who built his house on the rock and when the flood came, the wind came, and the rain came, the house did not fall because it was established on a rock.
We must consider how the house of our character is being built day by day. Is it being built in harmony with the instruction that Jesus has given in the gospels or are we building on sand? Jesus said if you hear truth and do nothing about it, your character is being built on sand and it will not stand the storm that is coming that will examine and test every man’s work to see what it is like.
What Jesus was in this rebellious world, His disciples are also to be. Jesus lived in this world for more than thirty years in human flesh, and the Bible says in Hebrews 4 that He was tempted in all points just like we are and yet was without sin. His submission to the will of His heavenly Father was so complete that His heavenly citizenship was never cancelled or even questioned or interfered with in the slightest degree. He fulfilled the divine will while He was on earth just as He had when He was in heaven before He came to earth.
The change in environment did not alter His relation to the law or the government of God. The character and the conduct of Christ while He was on earth remained unchanged during His entire earthly pilgrimage. In John 6:38 Jesus gives the reason for His coming to this earth. He said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Jesus said in John 5:30: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” In other words, the purpose of His life and what governed His every action was not to please Himself but to do the will of the Father.
He had no other reason for being in this world, and in fulfilling this purpose Jesus was preeminently successful. Notice what He says to His Father just before He was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” John 17:4.
All the efforts of Satan to turn Him from His purpose had been thwarted. He finally said just before He died upon the cross, “It is finished.” He had perfectly performed the will of the Father. Every day of His life He fulfilled the will of His Father. Every day of His life and in His prayers at night, He sought and received directions for the following day.
Jesus is our example. He came to this world from heaven to show us the way from death to life, to show us the way out of darkness into light, to deliver us from the dominion of evil to the sovereignty of righteousness. And because of the completeness of the provision that He made for us, no earthly circumstance can excuse you or me from the same kind of submission to the will of our heavenly Father. For such obedience Jesus asks us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus never asks us to do something that is impossible. It might be impossible on our own, but it is never impossible with His help. All of His commands, all of His promises will be fulfilled in us if we accept them by faith and cooperate with the heavenly agencies. Complete provision has been made so that God’s will can be done on earth just as it is in heaven. In fact, the time is coming when the Lord’s Prayer is going to be answered. God’s will is to be perfectly done here on this earth.
The time is coming when there will be no more war, or violence, or evil of any kind in this world.
How can the kingdom of God be established in this world so that war could be a thing of the past? The petition is, “Your will … as it is in heaven.” How is God’s will performed in heaven? Notice what the Bible says in Psalm 103:19: “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.”
Notice that the angels, the beings in heaven, perform God’s word. They execute His will perfectly. The sovereignty of God is the sovereignty of law and order. His will is defined by His law. Actually when you think about it, the will of any king or government is made known to the citizens of that nation by the laws that have been enacted. There can be no kingdom without law.
The kingdom of grace, therefore, spoken of in the Bible, must also be ruled by His law. Some people are confused upon this point. They think that somehow grace abolishes the law or does away with the law. But the gospel does not abolish or alter any principle of the law. In fact, not in the least particular is the authority of the law broken down by the gospel. Jesus was very emphatic about this. He says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.” Matthew 5:17. Jesus knew that people would get confused by the devil’s lies that grace abolishes law. Jesus said, “Don’t even think that.” Jesus came to establish the kingdom of grace by His death on the cross of Calvary to pay the price of our sins. But He says, “I didn’t come to destroy the law or the prophets.” Notice how He talks about it in Luke 16:17: “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” A tittle is not a whole letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is just a part of a letter.
Remember Who is saying this. It is Jesus, the One Who not only created all things, as you can read in Colossians 1 verse 16, but He upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). The sun, the moon, our world, our solar system, the innumerable heavenly bodies that spin in countless cycles and circles through space are all held in place by the word of His power. This person, the One Who does that, says that it would be easier for the heaven and earth to pass away than for part of a letter of the law to fail.
The more you think about it, the more intense that statement appears to be. He says that He would destroy the universe before He would allow even a part of a letter of His law to be done away (Luke 16:17). Read it a number of times and you will begin to be awestruck by what Jesus is saying and the extreme value that He places on His law. The modern teaching that grace supplants the law and that faith is a substitute for practice is a fallacy.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31. Notice, faith does not do away with the law; grace does not do away with the law; it establishes the law. This is a most emphatic denial of the idea that the exercise of faith would make void the demands and authority of God’s law. Not only that, but the apostle Paul says that through faith the law is established. In other words, it is through faith that the binding claims of the law are made certain or established. It is the purpose of the gospel to set up the kingdom of heaven in us and with it, the law of the kingdom expressing the will of the King.
The Bible defines sin as the transgression or violation of God’s law, or lawlessness (I John 3:4). The mission of the gospel is to take away sin so that we may come under grace, the unmerited favor of God. Paul drives home this question in Romans 6:1 with a very strong statement. He says, “Shall we continue in sin (continue transgressing the law) that grace might abound?”
Then he answers the question, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” In the light of such a clear statement in Romans 6:1, 2, how can anyone say that the gift of grace takes away the necessity of the law? The very work of the kingdom of grace is to establish the law of the kingdom of heaven in our heart. In II Corinthians 3:3, the apostle Paul explains how that under the old covenant, the law was written in tables of stone, but under the new covenant, “It is written not with ink in tables of stone; it is written by the Holy Spirit in the fleshly tables of the heart.” Literal translation.
In Hebrews 8:10, quoting from the prophet Jeremiah, Paul says that “under the new covenant the law is written in our heart by the Holy Spirit.” Literal translation. Let it never be forgotten, that we cannot be saved by law without grace any more than we can be saved by grace without law.
In this petition we are asking that our obedience shall measure up to the obedience of the unfallen beings in the heavenly universe. Your will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”
This prayer is not just a prayer for the future; it is a prayer to be fulfilled in your life, now, right here in this evil, sinful world that is in rebellion against the God of heaven. It is in this world, in this environment of sin and evil that we ask for God’s name to be hallowed. It is here that we ask for His kingdom to be established. And it is right here in this world that we petition in the Lord’s Prayer and ask for His will to be done.
This prayer is going to be answered. The question is, “Is it going to be answered in your life?” Will His will be done in your life, “on earth as it is in heaven”?
Bible texts are from NKJV unless otherwise noted.
Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.
Health – Water
A continuous supply of water is needed for all living things. Our bodies require water, not just for washing but for breathing, digestion, elimination, lubrication of muscles, bones and tendons, and most other body functions. We could go on and on. We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made.
“In health and in sickness, pure water is one of heaven’s choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system and assists nature to resist disease.” The Ministry of Healing, 237.
Mark Stengler, N.D., in his book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies, 2001, by Prentice Hall, pp 479–483, shares the following:
“I remember a span of about three weeks during medical school when I experienced dull headaches, dizziness, and lethargy. … While I couldn’t explain all these symptoms, I assumed that mounting stress of my classes, plus all the hours I’d been working in the clinic, were beginning to take their toll.
“Then, one day, when I decided I was tired of feeling this way, I sat down and analyzed everything I had been doing. I was eating pretty well, and exercising a reasonable amount. It seemed very unlikely that I was suffering any kind of nutritional deficiency.
“But even while I contemplated possible explanations, I happened to notice someone getting a glass of water at a nearby water cooler. Then it occurred to me. Many of my symptoms suggested dehydration. It was just possible that I was experiencing these symptoms because I wasn’t consuming enough water.
“As I reviewed my actions of the last few days, I realized I’d really had very little water—possibly two tall glasses a day, total. That wasn’t nearly enough; considering that I was exercising regularly, under stress, and mentally active, I decided that was a good time to start doing exactly what I was recommending to many patients—drink more water.
“With the phrase ‘physician heal thyself’ dancing in my head, I immediately resolved to triple the amount of water I was consuming. … My symptoms disappeared over the next three days. … Few of us are regularly in danger of dying of thirst—but I suspect that many of us are seriously slowed down by unrecognized thirstiness. …
“About two-thirds of the water in our systems comes from those glasses of fluids that we drink. The rest comes from food and from the leftover ‘disposables’ of cellular metabolism.
“Our bodies are really the middle of a streambed. While the water is coming in through various pathways, it’s exiting in the urine, evaporating from skin, hissing out through the respiratory tract and departing in stool. …
“Humans have a thirst mechanism that is activated when our body is becoming low in reserves of water. Researchers have noted that there is often a long delay between the time when your body actually becomes dehydrated and the moment when you experience the sensation of thirst. In other words, by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already somewhat dehydrated. … Low-grade dehydration can sap vitality and contribute to many of the symptoms I’ve noted.
“Cloudy Thinking. I call this symptom ‘brain fog,’ and most people know instantly what I mean. The mind is not clear, and you find it hard to concentrate. I have seen these symptoms improved with increased water consumption
“Dizziness. Unexplained dizziness may be related to dehydration. Water is required for normal blood pressure. When you’re dehydrated, your circulation may be poor, which deprives cells of needed nutrients. Dizziness is one outcome.
“Fatigue. Unexplained fatigue can be a result of dehydration. Many people notice increased energy when they drink more water.
“Headaches. Patients with chronic, low-grade headaches are often dehydrated. It is often described as a fuzzy sensation in the head.
“Heart Palpitations. Occasionally a patient reports a history of heart palpitations. These episodes may improve or cease completely when water intake increases.
“High Blood Pressure. You’d think that anyone consuming lots of water would be raising their own blood pressure, but the opposite is true. When you’re dehydrated, your body tries to compensate by increasing blood pressure. So for anyone with high blood pressure (hypertension), it’s important to increase water intake.
“Weight Gain and Edema. Your body will retain water if you are chronically dehydrated. This condition, called edema, contributes to weight gain as well. Thus, increased water consumption is an important therapy for helping these conditions.”
Dr. Stengler has presented good ideas for you to think about and to possibly incorporate into your daily regime. Just recently the following excerpt appeared:
Rescue hydration helped American healthcare workers survive Ebola
Water was the key to saving two American healthcare workers who were treated for Ebola at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, this past summer. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) explains how intravenous rehydration corrected their electrolyte deficiencies and intramuscular water losses, allowing for more rapid and efficient healing.
“We undertook aggressive supportive measures of hydration (typically, 3 to 5 liters of intravenous fluids per day early in the course of care) and electrolyte correction,” explains the study. “As the patients’ condition improved clinically, there was a concomitant decline in the amount of virus detected in plasma.” www.naturalnews.com/047714_Ebola_cure_water_hydration.html
“Pure water to drink and fresh air to breathe invigorate the vital organs, purify the blood, and help nature in her task of overcoming the bad conditions of the system.
“Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues.
“If those who are afflicted would assist nature in her efforts by the use of pure, soft water, much suffering would be prevented.” My Life Today, 139.
Question & Answer – Who is Represented by the Goodly Pearl?
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Matthew 13:45, 46.
Answer:
The goodly pearl represents both Jesus and the Christian.
“The parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls has a double significance: it applies not only to men as seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ as seeking His lost inheritance. Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe, and laid them down in order to buy the pearl. And Jesus, having found it, resets it in His own diadem. ‘For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land’ (Zechariah 9:16). ‘They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels’ (Malachi 3:17).
“But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 118.
“Christ Himself is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead. …
“The merchantman in the parable represents a class who were sincerely desiring truth. …
“The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had. Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to those who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him without reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord’s, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.” Ibid., 115, 116.
Inspiration – Our Present Position
If we hope to wear the crown, we must expect to bear the cross. Our greatest trials will come from those who profess godliness. It was so with the world’s Redeemer; it will be so with His followers. I should doubt whether I were a child of God, if the world, or even all professed Christians, spoke well of me. Those who are in earnest to win the crown of eternal life need not be surprised or disheartened because at every step toward the heavenly Canaan they meet with obstacles and encounter trials. The opposition which Christ received came from His own nation, who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted Him. In like manner the remnant church receives opposition from those who profess to be their brethren.
But “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (Romans 8:28; II Timothy 3:12). It is good for me to tread a hard and humble path, to encounter difficulties, to experience disappointments, to suffer afflictions and bereavements. The Saviour knows what is best. Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial. Virtue gathers strength by resistance to temptation. The life of the faithful soldier is a battle and a march. No rest, fellow-pilgrim, this side the heavenly Canaan.
When our enemies try to place upon us the black robes of unrighteousness, let us not become exasperated at their injustice. When your efforts are falsified, when your motives and your works are painted in colors black as ink, remember those who were treated the same before you. How have the saints of God in ages past been maligned, traduced, and persecuted! For centuries their names were covered with infamy. All that the hosts of hell could do was done to heap reproach upon them as the vilest of men. But John in holy vision beholds the faithful souls that come up out of great tribulation, surrounding the throne of God, clad in white robes, and crowned with immortal glory (Revelation 7:14, 9). What though they have been counted the offscouring of the earth? In the investigative Judgment their lives and characters are brought in review before God, and that solemn tribunal reverses the decision of their enemies. Their faithfulness to God and to His word stands revealed, and Heaven’s high honors are awarded them as conquerors in the strife with sin and Satan.
Brethren, we can afford to wait. Let our enemies exult because they have represented us in a character to suit their malicious fancy. But Christ will judge righteously, and will reward every man according to his deeds. To the faithful, who have been clothed by their enemies in the black robes of falsehood, He will give the spotless garments of truth and purity.
It will do our proud hearts good to suffer reproach for Christ’s sake. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you” (Matthew 5:10–12). …
Cultivate fortitude, firmness, patience, humility, and self-control. The God whom we serve will arm us with courage in every emergency; but we must abase self, and let God be all in all. It was true faith that gave Caleb courage to bear his decided testimony for God, even when fellow-workers stood ready to take his life. God wants brave men in His cause today—men who in His strength are not afraid to do and dare.
The time is short. How will our cases appear in the Judgment? What is now our standing before God? Are we closely examining our own hearts? Are we by repentance and confession sending our sins beforehand to Judgment, that they may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come? This is an individual work—a work which we cannot safely delay. We should take hold of it earnestly; our salvation depends upon our sincerity and zeal. Let the cry be awakened in every heart, “What must I do to be saved?”
The adversary of souls is constantly seeking to divert our minds by bringing in side-issues. Let us not be deceived. Let enemies handle your name and mine as they please. Let them distort, misrepresent our words and deeds. Let them fabricate falsehoods as best pleases them. We cannot afford to allow our minds to be diverted from Jesus and the preparation of soul which we must have in order to meet Him in peace.
… In Christ’s stead, I beseech you to pray as you never prayed before, to seek earnestly for faith and love, that seem to be almost banished from the earth. Live each day as in the sight of God. …
… We must now make Christ our refuge, or in the days before us our souls will be overwhelmed with darkness and despair. There is a point beyond which human help cannot avail. Every one must live by faith as he is forced into close and apparently deadly conflict with the powers of darkness. Each must stand or fall for himself. The arrows of the destroyer are about to be hurled against the faithful ones, and no earthly power can turn aside the shaft. But could our eyes be opened we could see angels of God encircling the righteous, that no harm may come upon them. We have only to trust in God, and go forward in the way of obedience, and we shall be victorious.
Excerpts from The Review and Herald, August 28, 1883.
Keys to the Storehouse – A Second Trial
Our first parents sinned and Jesus “proposed the only means that could be acceptable with God, that would give them another trial, and place them again on probation.” Confrontation, 17.
Did you know that angels also experienced a period of probation? “Angels on probation had been deceived by Satan, and had been led on by him in the great rebellion in heaven against Christ. They failed to endure the test brought to bear upon them, and they fell.” Ibid., 18.
There was no second trial for the angels! Why? “He left the fallen angels to perish in their rebellion, but stretched forth His hand to rescue perishing man. The angels who were rebellious were dealt with according to the light and experience they had abundantly enjoyed in heaven. Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, once had an exalted position in heaven. He was next in honor to Christ. The knowledge which he, as well as the angels who fell with him, had of the character of God, of His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, and excellent glory, made their guilt unpardonable.” [Emphasis supplied.] Ibid., 21.
They had it all—their sin was unpardonable!
“There was no possible hope for the redemption of those who had witnessed and enjoyed the inexpressible glory of heaven, and had seen the terrible majesty of God, and, in presence of all this glory, had rebelled against Him. … If they could rebel in the very presence of glory inexpressible, they could not be placed in a more favorable condition to be proved. There was no reserve force of power, nor were there any greater heights and depths of infinite glory to overpower their jealous doubts and rebellious murmuring. Their guilt and their punishment must be in proportion to their exalted privileges in the heavenly courts.” Ibid.
We have the privilege to be on probation. Are we “walking” with God each moment? Adam and Eve were separated from God by transgression of His expressed command. They knew the consequences of such transgression. We also know the consequences of our transgressions, our sins. Many are in a deplorable state, blinded by Satan to think all is well because sin really isn’t sin anymore—it is just a little departure from God’s word. Do not be tricked into believing a lie and losing the last opportunity to join the faithful angels in heaven.
You and I might redeem Adam’s disgraceful failure, and by humble obedience regain lost Eden. Ask Jesus for His Holy Spirit to transform your heart, to guide you and to teach you. Do not believe the devil’s lie that your “little” sins do not matter. This is the last trial you will have to prove your faithfulness to the God of heaven—to prove your love to Him. You do not need to fail in these last moments of probation.
Father in heaven: I am saddened that the angels failed their probation when they had it all. I do not want to fail. Help me to relinquish self and the sin which doth so easily beset me. Save me from my rebellious self, and let me run with patience the race that is set before me. Do not let me be ruined by Satan’s lying deceptions. Help Lord! Amen.
Current Events – Pope might visit Congress
“The [United States] Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism [No King] and Protestantism [No Pope] became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. …
“But the beast with lamblike horns ‘spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed; … saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live’ (Revelation 13:11–14).” The Great Controversy, 441
The Pope might visit Congress
WASHINGTON — Expectations are growing that Pope Francis will be ascending the House rostrum this fall, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit the Capitol and the most important voice of worldwide moral authority to address lawmakers in person since Nelson Mandela two decades ago.
Most politicians are unambiguously eager to bask in the reflective glow of an international celebrity, and the opportunity to be seen listening to the first Latin-American pope would prove irresistible to lawmakers wanting to solidify their appeal to the burgeoning Hispanic population. Beyond that, the Holy Father would be a big draw because he is the spiritual leader for more members of Congress than anyone else.
Catholicism has been the plurality religion in both the House and Senate for more than half a century. And the number of Catholics in Congress has been on the increase: They accounted for about 20 percent of all lawmakers in the 1960s and early 1970s, but their ranks have grown steadily to just above 30 percent now that includes four of the nine top leaders.
http://m.heralddemocrat.com/news/national/real-big-speech-pope-might-visit-congress
Pope Francis to address U.S. congress in 2015
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who is Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and is organizing Pope Francis’ trip to the United States, said that the Catholic leader is planning to address a joint session of Congress and a visit to the White House during a trip to the country’s capital in September.
Auza said Francis will visit the White House and celebrate Mass at Washington’s Basilica on the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
“Pope Francis has inspired millions of Americans with his pastoral manner and servant leadership, challenging all people to lead lives of mercy, forgiveness, solidarity, and humble service,” Boehner said in a statement at the time. “His tireless call for the protection of the most vulnerable among us – the ailing, the disadvantaged, the unemployed, the impoverished, the unborn – has awakened hearts on every continent.”
In addition to his planned visit to the United States, Francis said Monday that he hopes to visit Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay this year, as well as the Central African Republic and Uganda.
“… and all the world wondered …” Revelation 13.3.
True Education Series – The Lesson Books
“And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” I Samuel 17:40
We are in the middle of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. At a critical time in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist church, we find this important statement from the pen of inspiration:
“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.
What is involved in the true science of education?
“In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one, for in education, as in redemption, ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ ‘It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fullness dwell’ (I Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:19, R.V.)” Education, 30.
My parents and grandparents were all well educated people. They emphasized the importance of education in our lives. After I was converted to Christianity at 24 years of age, I became interested in the science of all sciences.
“The science of redemption is the science of all sciences—the science that is the study of the angels and of all the intelligences of the unfallen worlds; the science that engages the attention of our Lord and Saviour; the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite—‘kept in silence through times eternal’ (Romans 16:25, R.V.); the science that will be the study of God’s redeemed throughout endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it will quicken the mind and uplift the soul.” Ibid., 126.
The Lord has been leading me in the study of this science now for over forty years. I am totally convinced of the truthfulness of this statement. “Five Smooth Stones” represents some of the significant findings in this science of all sciences. This article is an overview of the basic lesson books of this science.
Webster’s definition of science is “from scientia, from scio, to know. In a general sense, knowledge, or certain knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth or facts by the mind.”
“ ‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent’ (John 17:3). If this is the price of heaven, shall not our education be conducted on these lines? Christ must be everything to us. ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6).” Christian Educator, August 1, 1897.
In John 15:1 we find one of the most beautiful illustrations of the Christian life. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” In verse 5, we are brought into the picture. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” In other words, we can say that Jesus is the main stem.
“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pronounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, ‘They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads’ (Revelation 22:4), the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme—man’s uplifting—the power of God, ‘which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (I Corinthians 15:57).” Education, 125.
This truth is at the center of the great controversy. It is found in the meaning of the name “Jesus”. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:3. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2. “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” Psalms 89:26.
“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption, the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.” Gospel Workers, 315.
I have worked for many years in various aspects of the construction industry. The blueprint, or plan, is the center of attention. As builders, our part is to study the plan and, to the best of our ability, fulfill the requirements. If we succeed, we are rewarded. If we fail, we are punished in one way or another. The plan is simply the means by which the workers can know what is expected of them. The basic plan, or will of God, His thought expressed, is the plan of redemption. The sanctuary was one of the tools that God used to communicate this plan.
“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:” Psalms 77:13.
In the camp of Israel, there was an exact order to follow. There were three tribes on each of the four sides, and one in the middle. One tribe on each side was chosen to bear an insignia, or banner, on which a creature was displayed. (See the illustration to right.) These same creatures were shown to Ezekiel in vision. “I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel 1:1.
“As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.” Ezekiel 1:10.
Since Jesus moved into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844, we have been given even greater insight into the visions of God. One of the most significant is found in the book, Education.
“Christ came to demonstrate the value of the divine principles by revealing their power for the regeneration of humanity. He came to teach how these principles are to be developed and applied.
“With the people of that age the value of all things was determined by outward show. As religion had declined in power, it had increased in pomp. The educators of the time sought to command respect by display and ostentation. To all this the life of Jesus presented a marked contrast. His life demonstrated the worthlessness of those things that men regarded as life’s great essentials. Born amidst surroundings the rudest, sharing a peasant’s home, a peasant’s fare, a craftsman’s occupation, living a life of obscurity, identifying Himself with the world’s unknown toilers—amidst these conditions and surroundings—Jesus followed the divine plan of education. The schools of His time, with their magnifying of things small and their belittling of things great, He did not seek. His education was gained directly from the Heaven-appointed sources; from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures and of nature, and from the experiences of life—God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand [physical], the seeing eye [mental], and the understanding heart [spiritual].” [Emphasis added.] Education, 77.
“It [true education] is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” Ibid., 13.
These lesson books are illustrated by the four creatures on the banners of the tribes and the creatures in Ezekiel 1.
In the New Testament, these books also relate to the four gospels.
Each of these lesson books is full of instruction for every one of God’s children. There are five main lessons that we need to learn from these four books. That is what I refer to as the “Five Smooth Stones.”
In a following article will be an overview of these five lessons. I would like to encourage all to study the book, Education, carefully and prayerfully. It is a rich resource on this important topic.
May the Lord bless each of us as we seek to know the One who is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).
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: optimalife@gmail.com.