Recipe – Chik-Style Salad

1 pkg. Soy Curls (8-oz., or approx. 4 ½ cups). Cover with warm water and soak for 10 minutes.

5 Tbsp. McKay’s Chicken Style Seasoning or 4 Tbsp Butler Chik-Style Seasoning

1 cup Vegenaise, Soyannaise, or Mayonnaise (8 oz.)

½ cup Sweet Relish (4 oz.)

1 cup diced celery (4.5 oz.)

1 cup diced onion (4 oz.)

½ tsp. garlic powder

Drain Soy Curls and dice. Add Chicken Style Seasoning and stir. Add remainder of ingredients and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate. Serve with a garnish of parsley, radish, pepper, etc. Makes a great sandwich, or topping for crackers! Serves 10.

For more information, recipes and pictures, please visit: www.butlerfoods.com

Food – A New Twist on Soy

Soybeans have long been a traditional part of the diet in Asia. Whole beans are sometimes used, but the most popular products, like tofu and soymilk, are usually only a part of the bean. Various products differ widely in nutrient value. I prefer the whole sum of foods when possible, as that is usually the most wholesome.

Soybeans contain the highest amount of protein of any grain or legume, and substantial amounts of fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and a variety of the phytochemicals useful for the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.

The protein in the soybean is very digestible and contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for humans, and can sustain health at all stages of human development.

Approximately 50 percent of the fat in soybeans is linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat and an essential nutrient. In addition, soybean oil can contain as much as 8 percent alpha-linolenic acid, which is an Omega-3 fatty acid, the type of fat found in fish which is believed to be beneficial in lowering the risk of heart disease.

Soluble and insoluble carbohydrates, including dietary fiber, make up about 30 percent of the soybean. The oligosaccharides raffinose and stachyose are significant because they are not digested or used as nutrients directly by the human body, but instead are used as nutrients by the bifido bacteria in the lower intestine to sustain and promote their growth. These types of intestinal flora are considered important for human health, as it is believed that their presence can reduce the incidence of many diseases of the lower tract, including colon cancer.

The major mineral components of soybeans are potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and phosphorus.

The water-soluble vitamins in soybeans are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, inositol and choline. Fat-soluble vitamins present in the soybean are vitamins A and E.

“Soy Curls” are one of the newer whole-soy foods. Like tofu, they are a convenience food and a nutritious addition to many dishes. But because they are the whole bean, they have plenty of fiber and all the other nutrients found in soybeans. No seasoning or other ingredients have been added, which makes them very versatile. Alone, or with other foods, they can be seasoned according to your preference.

Lord’s Prayer Series – Whose Way, Yours or Mine?

Whether a person is two or seventy-two, it is not uncommon to hear him or her say, when talking about receiving instructions, “I want to do it my way.” But there is a time when that is dangerous. In fact, it could be fatal.

The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer, as recorded in Matthew 6:10 KJV is, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” This petition is the climax of the first division of the Lord’s Prayer, the part that looks away from the earth, toward God and heaven, and has to do with things divine.

Each petition follows in a proper order. First of all there is a salutation. The God of heaven is recognized as “our Father” and then we ask that His name be hallowed in our lives. His name represents His character. When we ask that His character be hallowed in our own lives, it can only be accomplished when He is made the king of our lives.

The next petition is “Your kingdom come.” The evidence of God’s rulership over the dominion of our souls is complete submission to His will. The third petition is “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This petition is not separable from the one that immediately precedes it. To pray for the coming of the kingdom of God 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 of heaven must have dominion over our souls.

The Gospel’s Provision

By the gospel every provision has been made available to fulfill the divine will. The evidence of citizenship in any kingdom is obedience to the will of the king and the laws that govern that kingdom. The coming of the kingdom of grace into our hearts transfers our citizenship to heaven. Since we are still living in a world that is in rebellion against the government of heaven, we are living in a world where God’s will is almost universally disregarded. Therefore, it is necessary to pray most earnestly for a complete submission to the sovereignty of the King of heaven as the evidence of our heavenly citizenship. Perhaps there is no petition that needs to be repeated more often than, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In heaven, the will of God is absolutely supreme and is never violated. Those desiring citizenship of that kingdom must first learn the lesson of complete surrender to that will. This is severe discipline for human beings who live in a rebellious world. Therefore, this is one of the hardest lessons to learn.

The purpose of the gospel is to give victory over the spirit of rebellion that rules the human race today. Rebels cannot enter the kingdom of heaven nor can the kingdom of God enter them. The kingdom and the dominion of Paradise were lost through disobedience (see Genesis 3). It is only the obedient that will be permitted to enter Paradise restored. The person who insists that they will make their own decisions and live the way they choose will never enter the kingdom of heaven where the will of God is supreme.

Several thousand years ago Lucifer, the leading angel of heaven, violated God’s will. He chose to rebel against God’s government. He wanted to become like God and believed he would be a superior ruler. The record of his rebellion and how it started is recorded in Isaiah chapter 14, in Ezekiel 28, and in Revelation 12. “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7–9.

The person who presumes on God’s mercy while knowingly transgressing His law is trifling with his or her eternal destiny. It matters not what profession he may have or how many good works he might do. He will never have a passport to heaven while living in disobedience to God’s will.

Jesus made this very plain when 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 in 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. His statement was then driven home in verses 24–27 by a parable of the two builders. He said that the one who heard His words and did not do them would be like a person who built his house on the sand. When the storm came with the flood, his house was demolished.

Many times Jesus emphasized that those who are not obedient to the will of His Father cannot be His disciples. What Jesus was in this rebellious world is what His disciples are to be. Jesus spent over 30 years in this world as a man. “[He] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 KJV. He fulfilled the divine will on earth, just as He had in heaven before He came to earth. The change He experienced in environment did not alter His relationship at all to the law or to the government of God.

The character and conduct of Christ remained unchanged during His earthly pilgrimage. Speaking once about the purpose of His advent, Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.” John 6:38.

His chief ambition, the first object He sought to accomplish, was to do His Father’s will. Again, He said, “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.” John 5:30.

To do His Father’s will was Jesus’ reason for living, the reason He was born. This was His life. Coming to the end of His mission, just a few minutes before He entered the Garden of Gethsemane and went to His final trial and crucifixion, He prayed to His Father, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” John 17:4.

The Father gave His Son a mission to perform in this world and Jesus declared that He had performed that mission. In fact, His very last words before He died on the cross were, “It is finished” (John 9:30). My mission is finished; I have fulfilled Your will in the earth.

Jesus Our Example

Jesus came to this world to show us the way from death to life, from darkness to light and to show us the way out of the dominion of evil into the sovereignty of righteousness. Because of the completeness of the provision that Jesus Christ has made for every one, there is no earthly circumstance that can excuse us from the same kind of submission to the will of the heavenly Father as Jesus Himself performed. For such obedience Jesus taught us to pray.

Remember, Jesus never asks us to do that which is impossible. All of His commands we will find to be promises and enablings. He has made full provision and will enable us to do what we are commanded if we accept the command with faith and choose to follow.

The sovereignty of God, as does any earthly sovereignty, involves law and order. Today, many people cringe from that idea and it seems that they would rather have anarchy or some kind of disorder, failing to realize that there could never be happiness, joy, or peace in this world without it. Heaven is a place to be desired because it is a place of peace.

God’s Will Defined

The will of any king or government is established by law and is made known to the citizens of that country by the laws that have been enacted to govern the kingdom. Since there can be no kingdom without law, the kingdom of grace must also have a rule of law. God’s will is defined by His law—the Decalogue. The gospel does not in any way alter or abolish the Decalogue or lessen its authority.

Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle [the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, or even a part of a letter of the alphabet] will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17–19.

Jesus made a more emphatic statement about the law in the gospel of Luke. He said, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. Considering Who said this, the Creator Who made all things in heaven and earth and upholds all things by the word of His power (see John 1:1–4; Hebrews 1:1–3; Colossians 1:16), it would be difficult to use stronger language than He used.

Consider the starry heavens at night with the millions of heavenly bodies traveling through space at such tremendous speed and what keeps them on their course. Jesus Christ is the One that holds all things together by the word of His power. It was He, Who upholds all things Who made the statement that He would destroy the whole of creation and start again before He would change even part of a letter of His law. (See Luke 16:17.)

The modern teaching is that grace in some way supplants the law and we have no more need to be concerned about it. The idea that faith is a substitute for practice is a fallacy. Notice what the apostle Paul said about it: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31.

This is a most emphatic denial of the idea that the exercise of faith makes void the demands and authority of the law of God. Furthermore, Paul affirms that it is through faith that the binding claims of the law are established. It is the purpose of the gospel to set up the kingdom of heaven in our hearts and with it the law of the kingdom expressing the will of the king.

Sin, according to the Bible, is the transgression or breaking of God’s law (1 John 3:4). The mission of the gospel is to take away sin so that we might be under His grace, the unmerited favor of God. But Paul again drives this question home with another question: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1, 2.

Notice what Paul is saying here. He says, Shall we continue breaking God’s law so that grace may abound and we can just keep asking for forgiveness—sin more and more and get more and more forgiveness? Certainly not! He goes on to explain in the rest of Romans 6 how we should live. He concludes, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body.” Verse 12. In light of such clear Bible statements as these, how can anyone say that the gift of grace takes away the necessity of God’s law? Actually, the very work of grace in the heart is to establish therein the law of the kingdom of heaven and to reflect obedience to that law in the life so that God’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

When we are born again, we are brought into a new covenant relationship with the heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit writes the precepts of the law, not on stone, as in the old covenant, but on the fleshly tables of the heart (see II Corinthians 3).

When the law is written in the heart we will do by nature the things in the law. One man once wrote, “The moral law, written on perishable tables of stone and confirmed by the thunders of Sinai is now written on the imperishable tables of the heart and confirmed by the thunders of Calvary. … Therefore, no subject of the government of Christ dare continue in sin that grace may abound. Grace thunders against sin as loudly, or even more loudly, than does law. … Let it never be forgotten that, while we can not be saved by law without grace, no more can we be saved by grace without law. While we cannot be saved by morality without Christianity, no more can we be saved by Christianity without morality.”

How is it then that grace thunders against sin even more loudly than it thunders from Sinai? This is because Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). The reason that Jesus had to go to Calvary was because neither the law nor the penalty for breaking the law could be changed. Because of sin, the penalty had to be paid. You and I could pay it, but the penalty, if we pay it, is death (Romans 6:23). If we pay our own penalty we will die and never wake up.

But Jesus went to Calvary to pay the penalty for sin so that all who believe on Him could be forgiven of their sins and live, so that the sinner could receive grace and be forgiven. Even though we have sinned, Jesus died so that our hearts could be changed and be brought into harmony with God’s will again. The people that go to the kingdom of heaven will be people who keep God’s law, who do His will, just as it is done in heaven. They will have learned that to “do it my way” leads to death. They accept the gift of salvation paid for them on Calvary’s cross and willingly submit to the will of the Father, praying that His will be done on this earth as it is in heaven.

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

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

Children’s Story – The Plant in the Prison

“One time a Frenchman named Charney was put into prison because he was supposed to be an enemy of the emperor Napoleon,” began mother, as the children gathered for a story. “Charney was a wise man about many things, but he did not know God, and he had never read the Bible. In fact, he did not believe there was a God. On the wall of his prison cell he had scribbled these words, ‘All things come by chance.’

“Charney was lonely, since no one ever visited him. He had nothing interesting to do. All his books and papers had been taken away from him, so he could neither read nor write. He had nothing interesting to look at, for he could not see beyond the high prison walls.

“One day as Charney was walking in the yard adjoining his cell he saw a small green plant pushing up between the stones. Every day he watched this tiny living thing. One morning he saw some buds. They grew larger and larger, and, to his delight, opened into flowers. Charney thought that he had never before seen such beautifully colored blossoms. They were white, purple, and rose-colored, with a delicate silver fringe around the edge. And how sweet they smelled!—sweeter, he thought, than any other flowers he had ever known.

“Charney guarded his plant with great care. He made a framework around it from some bits of material he begged from the prison guards. One day there was a hailstorm. As long as the storm lasted, Charney bent over his plant to protect it from the pelting hailstones. At one time the plant began to wither and look as if it were going to die. Charney sought permission to take up the stones around it to give it more room to grow.

“In the same prison was an Italian whose daughter came to visit. She watched Charney carefully tending his plant. She went to Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, and asked permission for Charney to take up the stones as he wished to do. Josephine loved flowers. She often said that she admired the purple of her cacti more than the purple of her robes, and that the fragrance of her magnolias was sweeter than the flattery of her attendants. She thought that a man who would take such care of a plant could not be a very bad man. She inquired about him, and learned that he did not mean any harm to the emperor or to the government. At last she persuaded Napoleon to set him free.

“When Charney came out of prison, he was a different man. The little plant had taught him that there is a God. He knew that if he should try all his lifetime he could never make one thing grow. Only God could give life. Only God can put something into a seed that will cause it to send out roots and leaves and fragrant blossoms.

“The man did not know how the tiny seed that grew into his plant had fallen between the rocks of the prison yard. Perhaps a bird had dropped it there. Perhaps the wind had blown it over the wall. But he knew God had sent it to say to him, ‘Charney, I love you, even though you are only a lonely prisoner, with no thoughts for Me. I love you, and I want you to love Me.’ When he left the prison he took the plant with him—the plant that had taught him the power and love of the Creator.”

Happy Home Stories, Ella M. Robinson, TEACH Services, Inc., pages 77–80.

Health – Animal Sense

Among one of the marvels of God’s creation that science has recently discovered is the ability of different animals to sense illness in humans. I have heard or read about dogs detecting undiagnosed illnesses such as cancer or warning their owners of an impending high blood pressure or epileptic attack. Some dogs are even able to detect the presence of human remains when they are buried, are able to trace their owners and make long journeys to be re-united with them. Other animals are able to sense impending storms and even earthquakes.

Even though animals were not given the intelligence that human beings were given to reason right from wrong, they were given remarkable instincts to know what their body needs when it becomes sick. The following article provides some interesting insights.

“Animals wounded in the wild or stricken by disease possess a remarkable ability to treat their ailments, according to new research that has important implications for humans.

“Examples of this new work include observations of capuchin monkeys that rub their fur with millipedes containing insect-killing chemicals called benzoquinones; chimpanzees who eat the pith of the plant Vernonia amygdalina to kill off intestinal worms; and domestic cats which eat houseplants or chew woolly jumpers to make themselves sick and so rid their bodies of poisons.

“Even more surprisingly, scientists have found that some creatures are adept at helping people to overcome diseases. ‘Dogs are particularly good at this,’ said Professor Keith Kendrick, of the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. ‘They have a stunning sense of smell and can detect when chemical changes occur in their owners. Dogs can tell long before the event when a person is going to have an epileptic fit. Obviously that is a talent with very important implications.’

“Another favourite animal cure that has recently been uncovered by scientists is eating clay to absorb toxins and pathogens – one favoured by mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. ‘The stuff is excellent if you have had a stomach bug or something similar,’ said Dr. Cindy Engel, whose book, Wild Health, is published by Phoenix.

“The effectiveness of animal self-medication is also revealed in studies by William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. He and his colleagues have studied a range of wild animals and found that most were in remarkably good condition. Blood tests carried out by Karesh revealed that extremely unpleasant viruses and bacteria, infections that usually kill domestic animals but which had been dealt with by their wild counterparts, had infected most of these creatures.

“This discovery may explain why many wild animals become sick and die in captivity – because insufficient attention is paid to their living conditions.

“Another example of animal’s self-medicating prowess is provided by elephants which make pilgrimages to a cave complex at Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano in western Kenya. They dig out the soft rock in the cave walls, grind and then swallow it. And the reason? Sodium is a vital ingredient in stimulating bodily defenses against toxins that major herbivores will encounter in many of the plants they eat.” www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/jan/26/health.science

Here are a few more interesting insights from an article called The Wild Side of Animal Senses:

“Radar, compasses, and infrared detectors are all man-made contraptions that enable humans to stretch beyond our natural senses. They allow us to detect things in our environment that we otherwise could not sense. But these gadgets are far from original. An examination of the sensory world of animals reveals that nature invented them long before we did.

“About Animal Senses – Our senses tell us what we need to know about our environment. They help to keep us out of danger and enable us to find food and shelter. As humans, our senses include sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. But other animals need different information about the world to survive than we do. As a result, they can have senses that are very different from our own: ecolocation, infrared vision, electric sense, and magnetic sense.

“Ecolocation – Toothed whales (a group that includes dolphins), bats, and some shrews use ecolocation to navigate their surroundings. Each of these animals emits high-frequency sound pulses and, in turn, detects the echoes produced by those sounds. Special ear and brain adaptations enable them to build a three-dimensional picture of their surroundings, much like radar. Bats, for example, have enlarged ear flaps that gather and direct sound towards thin, supersensitive eardrums.

“Infrared Vision – Rattlesnakes and other pit vipers use their eyes to see during the day. But at night they use infrared sensory organs to detect and hunt warm-blooded prey. These infrared ‘eyes’ are cuplike structures that form crude images as infrared radiation hits a heat sensitive retina.

“Electric Sense – Electric fields are used in numerous ways by animals. Electric eels and some rays have modified muscle cells that produce an electric charge strong enough to shock and sometimes kill their prey. Other fish use weaker electric fields to navigate murky waters or to monitor their surroundings. For instance, bony fish and some frogs have a lateral line, a row of sensory pores in the skin that enables them to detect electrical current in water.

“Magnetic Sense – Together, the flow of molten material in the earth’s core and the flow of ions in the atmosphere generate a magnetic field that surrounds the earth. Amazingly, a number of animals are able to sense this magnetic field. Just as a compass helps us navigate by detecting magnetic north, animals who possess magnetic sense are able to identify direction and navigate long distances. Behavioral studies have revealed that many animals including honeybees, sharks, sea turtles, rays, homing pigeons, migratory birds, tuna, and salmon all have magnetic sense.

“The details of how these animals actually feel the earth’s magnetic field are not yet known. Researchers have found, though, that each of these animals has deposits of magnetite in their nervous systems. Magnetites, small magnet-like crystals, align themselves with magnetic fields and might act like microscopic compass needles. These crystals may be the key to revealing how animals sense magnetic fields.” http://animals.about.com/cs/zoology/a/aa061801a.htm

It is a blessing to be part of God’s most wonderful creation and to continue to learn awesome insights of life on this earth.

Question & Answer – Was the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness just about food?

“The first great temptation was the indulgence of appetite; the second, presumption; the third, love of the world.” The Review and Herald, November 28, 1882.

Besides food, the indulgence of appetite may also include a desire to satisfy a need or a craving for the things of this world. We are told: “Satan has better success in approaching man. He whispers, ‘All this money, all this gain, this land, this power, honor and riches will I give thee.’ For what? His conditions generally are, that integrity shall be yielded, conscientiousness blunted, and selfishness indulged. Through devotion to worldly interests, Satan receives the homage which he asks. The door is left open for him to enter as he pleases, with his evil train of impatience, love of self, pride, avarice, over-reaching, and the whole catalogue of sinful traits. Man is charmed, and treacherously lured on to ruin. If we yield ourselves to worldliness of heart and life, Satan is satisfied.” Ibid.

“Satan flattered himself that he could take advantage of the humanity of Christ to urge Him over the line of trust to presumption. Upon this point many souls are wrecked. Satan tried to deceive Christ through flattery. He admitted that Christ was right in the wilderness in His faith and confidence that God was His Father, under the most trying circumstances. He then urged Christ to give him one more proof of His entire dependence upon God, one more evidence of His faith that He was the Son of God, by casting Himself from the Temple. He told Christ that if He was indeed the Son of God He had nothing to fear; for angels were at hand to uphold Him. Satan gave evidence that he understood the Scriptures by the use he made of them.

“The Redeemer of the world wavered not from His integrity and showed that He had perfect faith in His Father’s promised care. He would not put the faithfulness and love of His Father to a needless trial, although He was in the hands of the enemy, and placed in a position of extreme difficulty and peril. He would not, at Satan’s suggestion, tempt God by presumptuously experimenting on His providence. Satan had brought in scripture which seemed appropriate for the occasion, hoping to accomplish his designs by making the application to our Saviour at this special time.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 282.

The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was not just about food but included the indulgence of appetite, presumption and the love of the world and it is these three things that we can and must overcome through Jesus.

Inspiration – Silent working of the Holy Spirit

The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus was still perplexed, and Jesus used the wind to illustrate His meaning: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves and flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows whence it comes or whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. These may be received through meditating upon Him, through reading the Scriptures, or through hearing the word from the living preacher. Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God—a patient, protracted process.

While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when, by faith, the soul surrenders itself to God. …

It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages.

Evidence of Divine Aid

If you have a sense of need in your soul, if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you to do for yourself.

Messages to Young People, 157-158.

Current Events – Mother Church Woos Back Its Daughters

On October 31, 1517, the priest and scholar Martin Luther approached the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and nailed a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation.

In his theses, Luther condemned the excesses and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the papal practice of asking payment—called “indulgences”—for the forgiveness of sins. At the time, a Dominican priest named Johann Tetzel, commissioned by the Archbishop of Mainz and Pope Leo X, was in the midst of a major fundraising campaign in Germany to finance the renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The term “Protestant” first appeared in 1529, when Charles V revoked a provision that allowed the ruler of each German state to choose whether they would enforce the Edict of Worms. A number of princes and other supporters of Luther issued a protest, declaring that their allegiance to God trumped their allegiance to the emperor. They became known to their opponents as Protestants; gradually this name came to apply to all who believed the Church should be reformed, even those outside Germany.

On the 500th anniversary of Luther’s protest, Catholics and Lutherans plan to celebrate together. Both sides have agreed to set aside centuries of hostility and prejudice. This will be the first centenary celebration in the age of ecumenism, globalization and the secularization of Western societies.

In Geneva, 2013, the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation released a joint document, “From Conflict to Communion,” that said there is little purpose in dredging up centuries-old conflicts. In the document, the two churches recognize that the celebration requires a new approach, focusing on a reciprocal admission of guilt and on highlighting the progress made by Lutheran-Catholic dialogue over the past fifty years. The report said, “The awareness is dawning on Lutherans and Catholics that the struggle of the 16th century is over. The reasons for mutually condemning each other’s faith have fallen by the wayside.”

Re-examining the history of the Reformation and the split it created, the document states that Luther “had no intention of establishing a new church, but was a part of a broad and many-faceted desire for reform. The fact that the struggle for this truth in the 16th century led to the loss of unity in Western Christendom belongs to the dark pages of church history. In 2017, we must confess openly that we have been guilty before Christ of damaging the unity of the church.”

During the decades since the Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Lutherans and Catholics have sought theological common ground and after much ecumenical dialogue have “come to acknowledge that more unites than divides them,” says the document.

The rise of Pentecostal and charismatic movements over the past century “have put forward new emphases that have made many of the old confessional controversies seem obsolete,” it added.

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/martin-luther-posts-95-theses

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/500th-reformation-anniversary-catholics-lutherans-to-mark-split-together_n_3454146.html

“In the book of Revelation the prophet describes the scenes of the Gospel age, and he sees in heaven the ark of the testimony. There the holy law of God shines in holy dignity, just as when God wrote it with His own finger on tables of stone. John describes the work that will be done in the last days, when the Protestant churches form a confederacy with the Catholic power, and work against the law of God and against those who keep His commandments.” The Signs of the Times, March 12, 1896.

“With rapid steps we are approaching this period [when the whole Protestant world will be brought under the banner of Rome].” Ibid., March 22, 1910.

Keys to the Storehouse – Broken Peace

Broken peace is non-existent in heaven and heavenly peace is available to all and can begin right now. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” [Emphasis added.] Romans 14:17. It is sin that destroys peace. God desires all to be happy, peaceful and obedient. The Bible tells of a woman who had heavenly peace that changed the intent of a heart bent on retaliation.

“The piety of Abigail, like the fragrance of a flower, breathed out all unconsciously in face and word and action. The Spirit of the Son of God was abiding in her soul. Her speech, seasoned with grace, and full of kindness and peace, shed a heavenly influence. Better impulses came to David, and he trembled as he thought what might have been the consequences of his rash purpose. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9).

“Would that there were many more like this woman of Israel, who would

  • soothe the irritated feelings,
  • prevent rash impulses, and
  • quell great evils by words of calm and well-directed wisdom.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 667.

Does the peace that will soothe the irritated feelings and prevent rash impulses, or quell great evils by calm words flow from your mouth? Have you consecrated your heart and your life to the Lord or is your peace broken?

“A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness. It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence. It is full of Christ, and leaves a track of light wherever its possessor may go. Abigail was a wise reprover and counselor. David’s passion died away under the power of her influence and reasoning. He was convinced that he had taken an unwise course and had lost control of his own spirit.” See I Samuel 25:32–35.] Ibid.

“Christ is ‘the Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6), and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. … Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.

“There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable. … The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around. The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife.

“Christ’s followers are sent to the world with the message of peace. Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker. …

“The spirit of peace is evidence of their connection with heaven. The sweet savor of Christ surrounds them. The fragrance of the life, the loveliness of the character, reveal to the world the fact that they are children of God. Men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 27, 28.

Father: I do renounce sin, which breaks peace. I choose to partake of Your heavenly peace which will subdue enmity and strife. Fill me with Your peace and let it be diffused to all around so their hearts may also walk in heavenly places. Give me this peace so others around me will not be made miserable. Amen.

True Education Series – False, Then True Education

“And he [David] 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

“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. ‘This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent’ (John 17:3).” Christian Educator, August 1, 1897.

True Education is a series of articles on the true science of education. In March, 2015, we shared about God’s lesson books—nature, Scriptures, experiences of life, and useful work. In April, we covered the five main doctrines, lessons that we need to learn from the lesson books—the sanctuary, the Spirit of Prophecy, the seventh-day Sabbath, the state of the dead, and the second coming of Christ. These are the five smooth stones that we need in the conflict with the enemy.

In this article, I will share some of my personal experiences in education along with some related thoughts from Inspiration, with the hope and prayer that it may be helpful in your life.

My parents were practical, talented, hard working, and committed to each other and their family. We attended the Methodist church, but my dad made it plain that worldly success was his priority for us. He was not as spiritual as my mother. I was the second of five boys. We stayed very busy with all the different sports, working, attending public school, television, music, movies, and similar activities.

My dad believed that a high quality education in the public school system was the key to success. He had been raised on a farm, obtained a college education in engineering, married a beautiful lady from his class, obtained a stable, well-paying job, and was busy raising his five sons.

Until the age of five I was a happy healthy boy, greatly loved by my beautiful, stay-at-home mother. At that time I was put in school. Here are some of the reasons why this should not be done and why I had some of the problems that developed.

“Many children have been ruined for life by urging the intellect and neglecting to strengthen the physical powers. Many have died in childhood because of the course pursued by injudicious parents and schoolteachers in forcing their young intellects, by flattery or fear, when they were too young to see the inside of a schoolroom. Their minds have been taxed with lessons when they should not have been called out, but kept back until the physical constitution was strong enough to endure mental effort. Small children should be left as free as lambs to run out of doors, to be free and happy, and should be allowed the most favorable opportunities to lay the foundation for sound constitutions.

“Parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of age. As fast as their minds can comprehend it, the parents should open before them God’s great book of nature. The mother should have less love for the artificial in her house and in the preparation of her dress for display, and should find time to cultivate, in herself and in her children, a love for the beautiful buds and opening flowers. By calling the attention of her children to their different colors and variety of forms, she can make them acquainted with God, Who made all the beautiful things which attract and delight them. She can lead their minds up to their Creator and awaken in their young hearts a love for their heavenly Father, Who has manifested so great love for them. Parents can associate God with all His created works. The only schoolroom for children from eight to ten years of age should be in the open air amid the opening flowers and nature’s beautiful scenery. And their only textbook should be the treasures of nature. These lessons, imprinted upon the minds of young children amid the pleasant, attractive scenes of nature, will not be soon forgotten.

“In order for children and youth to have health, cheerfulness, vivacity, and well-developed muscles and brains, they should be much in the open air and have well-regulated employment and amusement. Children and youth who are kept at school and confined to books, cannot have sound physical constitutions. The exercise of the brain in study, without corresponding physical exercise, has a tendency to attract the blood to the brain, and the circulation of the blood through the system becomes unbalanced. The brain has too much blood and the extremities too little. There should be rules regulating their studies to certain hours, and then a portion of their time should be spent in physical labor. And if their habits of eating, dressing, and sleeping are in accordance with physical law, they can obtain an education without sacrificing physical and mental health.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 137. [Emphasis added.]

Because of the lack of understanding and practice in these vital principles, my physical, mental, and moral health began to decline after age five. Along with the stress of school, my diet consisted of all kinds of flesh meats, too many sweets, caffeinated soft drinks, and many other unhealthful things. At about the age eight, I had two major head injuries that resulted in terrible migraine headaches, up to once or twice a week. Then, while working with my older brother delivering newspapers early in the morning, we began to smoke cigarettes when I was about age nine.

This was just the beginning of my woes. Once again, following in the footsteps of my older brother and friends, I began drinking alcohol at age 15.

Alonzo T. Jones wrote a book published in 1903 entitled The Place of the Bible in Education. This book is available on the Ellen White CD–ROM under “Words of the Adventist Pioneers.” In the first chapter he wrote about the three great educational centers in Christ’s time. The mother of them all was at Athens. He shares in this book about the origin and basics of the Greek style of education. Following is a summary:

“It is proper to inquire, What did Greek education accomplish for the Greeks, both directly and ultimately?

“It can never be denied that mentally Greek education carried the Greeks to the highest point that has ever been attained in this world in education that was only human. The Greek language was developed by the Greek mind to the point wherein it excelled all other human language in its capacity and facility of expressing nice distinctions of thought. Of this it has been well said that ‘It traces with ease distinctions so subtle as to be lost in every other language. It draws lines where all other instruments of the reason only make blots.

“In art, whether in sculpture or in architecture, the Greek education developed a standard that has never in the world been equaled. In physical culture, the development of the human form, also, Greek education attained the highest point that has ever been reached by any nation.

“All this, Greek education undeniably did for the Greeks. But what did it do for them morally? Mental attainments that developed the fullest of all human languages, the most consummate skill in art, and the completest symmetry of the human form—what did these attainments develop as to character? Everybody knows that the results in this respect could not be truly set down in this book, without endangering its seizure by the police; and making the author liable to prosecution for circulating obscene literature.” The Place of the Bible in Education, 49. [Emphasis added.]

If this is the reality of a Greek style of education, does it change the results just to add the words “Christian” or “Seventh-day Adventist” to the school name, or to include a Bible class in the curriculum?

The following statement will shed light on this vital question:

“None are further from the kingdom of heaven than self-righteous formalists, filled with pride at their own attainments, while they are wholly destitute of the spirit of Christ; while envy, jealousy, or love of praise and popularity controls them. They belong to the same class that John addressed as a generation of vipers, children of the wicked one. Such persons are among us, unseen, unsuspected. They serve the cause of Satan more effectively than the vilest profligate; for the latter does not disguise his true character; he appears what he is.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 226.

I attended college at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where I had a front-row seat in a school described by Brother Jones. There, I made progress in the so-called “higher education,” where we got “higher” on drugs and the corresponding lifestyle than anything else. It was widespread on campus.

During my junior year I met the young lady of my dreams and we married the next summer. We were very immature and it was the last thing in the world that we needed at that time. This added to my long list of challenges.

We graduated the next year with majors in fine arts. She was an art teacher and I was a free-lance photographer. We lived in a log cabin on the coast of Lake Huron. Outwardly, we were a picture of success, but inwardly, in reality, we were both a real mess and many things were getting worse.

After all I had been through, my health was rapidly declining. My lungs hurt constantly from smoking different things that I could not give up; my lymph nodes were swollen; I had many headaches and other physical problems as well. My mental and moral condition were no better. I was greatly confused because of the bad habits and false education, along with the guilt from all my bad choices. The only solution that I knew was to try to numb the pain with all the tools that I could find, which only made it worse.

Then, one day while standing in front of our garage, a profound thought came into my mind—“There must be something better in life than all this.” I determined to shake off the fetters that bound me and find the answer. I am not recommending what I did next, but these are the facts.

I told my wife that I was leaving to find the “something better in life” that had come into my mind. I set a date, put my affairs in order and took off. I didn’t divorce my wife; I just separated for the time being.

That was in Alpena, Michigan. A few months later I ended up in North Miami Beach, Florida. While there, my car broke down, I ran out of money, and my so-called friends would have nothing to do with me. The only thing I had left was a phone number, given to me by my mother for a minister from a church that they attended before I was born.

I called him, and he came, picked me up and took me to his home. He gave me a good example of ministry. He didn’t preach to me, but rather asked questions, let me share my thoughts, became my friend, and helped me with my needs. I stayed there until I had found a job at a professional photography studio and a place to live. But my addictions were still there, along with my sick body.

This was a time when darkrooms, enlargers, and different techniques for making high quality professional photographs were used. I worked in a darkroom by myself. It was a fitting scene for that time in my life, as a close friend who was about twenty-two years old had just been diagnosed with cancer. She took the standard chemo and radiation treatments, lost her hair, and shortly thereafter was buried. Her lifestyle, for many years, was similar to mine, and I feared the same consequences.

The Lord knew that I needed to be totally separated from the influence of all my family and friends so that He could get my attention.

Then one day, as usual, I was thinking that I had cancer and would soon be dead like my friend. Until then, whenever anyone tried to share Jesus with me, I refused to listen. When God’s spirit was reproving me of sin I would always make excuses and try to justify myself. But that day was different. When God’s still small voice spoke to my mind, I simply agreed with Him that I was wrong and that He was right. There were no more excuses, no more attempts at justifying myself. I admitted that I really deserved to die. As soon as I agreed with that conviction, I realized that I deserved to be hung up on a cross. But in my mind’s eye, I saw Jesus there, dying in my place. I knew that I was forgiven through His great sacrifice, and experienced a tremendous relief from the burden of guilt and pain that I had carried for so many years. I was so thankful that I told the Lord that I was finished serving Satan and wanted to live for Him. I freely confessed my bad choices and the pain that I had caused Him and other people. New thoughts began coming into my mind. Before this, there was darkness, condemnation, guilt and confusion. Now I had hope, forgiveness, light, truth, and answers to many questions. I was beginning to see in the light of the cross.

Then I understood what the “something better” was that the Lord had put in my mind about six months before, and it was time to return to Michigan and share the good news with my wife—the solution for a better life. So I put things in order in Florida and headed north.

When I neared home, I called and invited her to take a walk on the beach. After visiting for a time, I shared my experience with the Lord and apologized for the grief and pain that I had caused in her life. I told her of my commitment to live a better life and asked her to join me. She said that she would think about it, and let me know the next morning.

When I returned, she told me the sad news—she wanted a divorce.

Some aspects of “something better” are not what we would naturally choose, but we can trust the Lord with the results as we follow Him. It was time to pick up the pieces and move on.

I decided to go to Raleigh, North Carolina, where my parents lived at that time. Since they attended the Methodist Church, I joined them there. I also worked in commercial photography for a time, but had too many conflicts with my conscience in that field. Since I always enjoyed building things, and I loved Jesus so much, I decided to go to work as a carpenter’s helper as a new start in life.

Eventually, I became dissatisfied with the level of commitment to Bible principles in the Methodist church. I enjoyed the fellowship, teaching a Sunday school class and participating in the youth group, but two topics—baptism and the law of God—especially troubled my mind. I was also convicted that I needed to work with Christians in my occupation.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14.

So I began praying earnestly about those things. One evening, there was an ad in the newspaper for a “conscientious carpenter.” I called the number, and to my knowledge, it was the first Seventh-day Adventist that I had ever spoken to. I was hired and began working with these young Adventists at age twenty-six.

Because we were behind schedule, the foreman asked if I could work on Sunday. I replied that I didn’t work on Sunday because it was the Lord’s Day. After a time, I asked him about working on Saturday. He said that he couldn’t do that. I asked, “Why not?” He replied, “It’s the Lord’s Day.” That gave me some homework to do.

For the next five months I went back and forth between the two groups, searching for answers from the Bible. That fall, after attending part of an evangelistic campaign, I decided to be baptized and join the Seventh-day Adventist church. That was over thirty-eight years ago.

One of my greatest challenges has been how to understand and relate to the Seventh-day Adventist leadership who have had such great light and privileges, and yet believe and live as they do. Studying the history of the church from 1844 onward has helped tremendously and the Lord continues to provide the answers. Following are a few of them.

“Satan is … constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 48.

One of Satan’s most effective ways of unsettling God’s remnant people in the true testimony is to divorce mercy from truth and justice.

“God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love. It had been Satan’s purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He sought to prove that the righteousness of God’s law is an enemy to peace. But Christ shows that in God’s plan they are indissolubly joined together; the one cannot exist without the other. ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other’ (Psalm 85:10).

“By His life and His death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy, but that sin could be forgiven, and that the law is righteous, and can be perfectly obeyed. Satan’s charges were refuted. God had given man unmistakable evidence of His love.” The Desire of Ages, 762.

“Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God’s love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them; he represents that while the threatenings of God’s word are to serve a certain purpose in His moral government, they are never to be literally fulfilled. But in all His dealings with his creatures God has maintained the principles of righteousness by revealing sin in its true character—by demonstrating that its sure result is misery and death. The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of the government of God. It would fill the unfallen universe with consternation. God has faithfully pointed out the results of sin, and if these warnings were not true, how could we be sure that His promises would be fulfilled? That so-called benevolence which would set aside justice is not benevolence but weakness.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 522.

For an excellent coverage of this vital topic, I recommend the book, What Wondrous Love, by David H. Thiele, TEACH Services, Inc. (April 2, 2014).

One of the best descriptions of the church today is found in The Great Controversy.

“When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9-11), should lead all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to avoid receiving it. But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: ‘The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine’ (11 Timothy 4:3). That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.

“But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.

“Satan is constantly endeavoring to attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the people to look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides, instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves. Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the multitudes according to his will.” The Great Controversy, 594, 595. [Emphasis added.]

May the Lord help each one of us to be found on His side of the controversy.

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6, 7.

Lynn Alan Humes became a Christian in 1974 at 24 years 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.