Reformation Herald Publishing

Bible Study Guides – May I Have Your Attention?

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June 26, 2016 – July 2, 2016

Key Text

“What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it” (Isaiah 5:4)?

Study Help: The Signs of the Times, April 15, 1889.

Introduction

“The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour’s life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings—all are enlisted in behalf of man’s redemption.” Steps to Christ, 21.

1 CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD

  • Does God want to communicate with humans? Acts 17:27; Isaiah 65:1.

Note: “What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.” Steps to Christ, 94.

  • With how many of us does God want to communicate personally? Hebrews 8:11; Psalm 4:3, last part.

Note: “The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls whom He has purchased with His own blood. They are the claim of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing.” The Desire of Ages, 517.

2 GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO CONSECRATED PEOPLE

  • How did God talk with Moses? Exodus 33:11, first part. What kind of person was Moses when God talked face-to-face with him? Numbers 12:3; Hebrews 3:1, 2.

Note: “ ‘Come up to Me into the mount’ (Exodus 24:12), God bids us. To Moses, before he could be God’s instrument in delivering Israel, was appointed the forty years of communion with Him in the mountain solitudes. Before bearing God’s message to Pharaoh, he spoke with the angel in the burning bush. …

“We, too, must have times set apart for meditation and prayer and for receiving spiritual refreshing. We do not value the power and efficacy of prayer as we should. Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish.” The Ministry of Healing, 508, 509.

  • What kind of person was Samuel when God first talked with him? I Samuel 3:1, first part. Why didn’t Samuel recognize God when He first called him? Verses 4, 5, 7.

Note: “He [Samuel] was kind, generous, obedient, and respectful. … [He] was helpful and affectionate.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 573.

  • What kind of person was Cornelius when God spoke to him in vision? Was he a church member at that time? Acts 10:1, 2. How did Cornelius respond to God’s message? Verses 7, 8.

Note: “Cornelius was a Roman centurion. He was a man of wealth and noble birth, and his position was one of trust and honor. A heathen by birth, training, and education, through contact with the Jews he had gained a knowledge of God, and he worshiped Him with a true heart, showing the sincerity of his faith by compassion to the poor. He was known far and near for his beneficence, and his righteous life made him of good repute among both Jews and Gentiles. His influence was a blessing to all with whom he came in contact.” The Acts of the Apostles, 132, 133.

3 GOD SPEAKS TO UNCONSECRATED PEOPLE

  • What kind of person was Cain when God talked with him? Genesis 4:3–5, 8.

Note: “Notwithstanding Cain’s disregard of the divine command, God did not leave him to himself; but He condescended to reason with the man who had shown himself so unreasonable. And the Lord said unto Cain, ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?’ Through an angel messenger the divine warning was conveyed: ‘If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door’ (Genesis 4:6, 7). The choice lay with Cain himself. If he would trust to the merits of the promised Saviour, and would obey God’s requirements, he would enjoy His favor. But should he persist in unbelief and transgression, he would have no ground for complaint because he was rejected by the Lord.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 74.

  • What kind of woman was Hagar at the time that God talked to her? Genesis 16:1–9.
  • What kind of person was the unnamed woman whom the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Christ? John 8:3, 4. What was she like after her conversation with Him? Verses 10, 11.

Note: The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone’ (John 8:7), had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more’ (verse 11). Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.

“This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. … This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.” The Desire of Ages, 462.

4 WHEN GOD REFUSES TO SPEAK

  • Why wouldn’t Jesus talk to Caiaphas during part of His trial? Matthew 26:62, 63; Isaiah 53:7.

Note: “Caiaphas was a proud and cruel man, overbearing and intolerant.” The Desire of Ages, 539.

“Caiaphas had regarded Jesus as his rival. The eagerness of the people to hear the Saviour, and their apparent readiness to accept His teachings, had aroused the bitter jealousy of the high priest. But as Caiaphas now looked upon the prisoner, he was struck with admiration for His noble and dignified bearing. A conviction came over him that this Man was akin to God. The next instant he scornfully banished the thought. Immediately his voice was heard in sneering, haughty tones demanding that Jesus work one of His mighty miracles before them. But his words fell upon the Saviour’s ears as though He heard them not.” Ibid., 704, 705.

“The Lord reads the hearts of all and understands their motives and purposes.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 534.

  • Would God talk to King Saul near the end of his life? I Samuel 28:5, 6. Why did God treat him this way? I Samuel 15:22, 23.

Note: “The Lord never turned away a soul that came to Him in sincerity and humility. Why did He turn Saul away unanswered? The king had by his own act forfeited the benefits of all the methods of inquiring of God. He had rejected the counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the chosen of God; he had slain the priests of the Lord. Could he expect to be answered by God when he had cut off the channels of communication that Heaven had ordained? He had sinned away the Spirit of grace, and could he be answered by dreams and revelations from the Lord? Saul did not turn to God with humility and repentance. It was not pardon for sin and reconciliation with God, that he sought, but deliverance from his foes. By his own stubbornness and rebellion he had cut himself off from God. There could be no return but by the way of penitence and contrition; but the proud monarch, in his anguish and despair, determined to seek help from another source.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 676.

5 GOD WANTS OUR ATTENTION

  • How has God tried to get the attention of various people in the past?

Moses: Exodus 3:2, 3

Elijah: I Kings 19:9–13

Balaam: Numbers 22:27, 28

  • Under what conditions will God speak to us today? Psalm 46:10.

Note: “All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10). This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts.” The Ministry of Healing, 58.

“He who is made complete in Christ must first be emptied of pride, of self-sufficiency. Then there is silence in the soul, and God’s voice can be heard.” The Signs of the Times, April 9, 1902.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How do we know that God wants to talk with each of us personally?

2 How do we know that God talks to people who are devoted to Him?

3 How do we know if God talks to those who are not walking with Him?

4 To whom does God refuse to speak, and why?

5 How is God trying to get our attention today?

Copyright © 2015 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Recipe – Eggplant and Broccoli Stir Fry

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Recipe – Eggplant and Broccoli Stir Fry
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1 eggplant, diced 1/4 tsp. paprika
2 cups broccoli, chopped 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
1 small red bell pepper, diced, optional 3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauté the eggplant, broccoli, red pepper and garlic in the olive oil over high heat for 3–5 minutes, until eggplant is lightly browned. Add salt, cayenne and paprika and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low. Add water and cover. Allow to cook another 5–7 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Eat as is or serve over rice.

 

Food – The Purple Eggplant

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Many of the foods in which nature has put beautiful colors protect us against things in the environment, such as free-radicals generated from the rays of the sun, and which also protect our cells from damage when we eat them. An interesting fact about eggplant is that it is considered a fruit even though botanically it is actually a berry and as a member of the nightshade family is related to the potato and tomato.

“The Nutritional Power of Purple: A substance called nasunin has been isolated from that deep purple pigment. Nasunin, a member of the anthocyanin category, is a powerful antioxidant. Studies show that it literally eats up free radicals, rogue molecules in your body that can cause serious damage to your cells and your DNA and are partly responsible for aging. In addition, nasunin protects against what’s called lipid peroxidation—that means it helps keep fats from turning rancid, including the fats in your body (like LDL cholesterol). The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, and studies have shown that anthocyanins in general are highly protective of animal brain tissue. Other studies show that nasunin binds to iron, which is a very good thing, as too much iron in the system can cause all kinds of problems.

“Eggplant isn’t a nutritional superstar, but it’s a really nice vegetable with 2.5 g of fiber in a cup that only costs you 34 calories. Plus it’s filling. …” 150 healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. 2007, page 38.

Eggplant is also a good source of fiber, and is rich in vitamins B1, B3 and B6. B vitamins play an essential role in the proper function of the central nervous system, energy production, hormone balance and healthy liver function. Eggplant is also rich with nutrients while offering only 19 calories per cup.

Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and free of discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed. To test for the ripeness of an eggplant, gently press the skin with the pad of your thumb. If it springs back, the eggplant is ripe, while if an indentation remains, it is not. Do not cut eggplant before you store it as it degrades quickly once its skin has been punctured or its inner flesh exposed.

Place uncut and unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, do not try to force it in; this will damage the skin and cause the eggplant to spoil and decay. Instead, place it on a shelf within the refrigerator.

Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the eggplant several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes, depending upon size. You can test for its readiness by gently inserting a knife or fork to see if it passes through easily.

 

Recipe
Eggplant and Broccoli Stir Fry
1 eggplant, diced 1/4 tsp. paprika
2 cups broccoli, chopped 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
1 small red bell pepper, diced, optional 3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauté the eggplant, broccoli, red pepper and garlic in the olive oil over high heat for 3–5 minutes, until eggplant is lightly browned. Add salt, cayenne and paprika and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low. Add water and cover. Allow to cook another 5–7 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Eat as is or serve over rice.

 

Sermon on the Mount Series – Mercy Triumphs

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The Bible makes it abundantly clear that a time is coming when the world will be judged and the mercy that has been offered for many centuries will no longer be available.

In Matthew 5 is described a ladder of spiritual progression that will lead a person to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said in verse 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Another translation puts it like this: “Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion.” Of all the beatitudes, this one on the fifth wrung of the ladder, is the one that causes us to search our hearts and examine ourselves. How many times have I said too much and made cutting criticisms of someone? How many times have I passed prejudiced judgments before having all the facts? Have my impetuous words resulted in wounding somebody else? When we really think about how we may have affected others, the prayer of the publican in the synagogue seems very appropriate. He said in Luke 18:13, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

It is impossible for us to be merciful unless we have first experienced the other steps in our spiritual growth. It is impossible to be compassionate in our dealings with others until we have a recognition of our own spiritual destitution, mourned over our past sins and become meek and humble in heart, hungering and thirsting for a righteousness outside of self which we cannot generate. When we have had that experience, then we will be compassionate and merciful to others who may be stumbling and making similar mistakes.

Those who are spiritually blind have no understanding of their own condition and as a result tend to become more unforgiving and more unmerciful to those they are dealing with day-to-day. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time were a prime example. They were destitute of mercy and sympathy because of their proud spirit. Remember, Jesus began His sermon with the declaration, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

Having never been humbled in themselves by a recognition of their own spiritual poverty, the Pharisees looked with contempt and disdain upon the weaknesses of others. They believed that they were perfect, as you can read in the Pharisee’s prayer in Luke 18, and were harsh and even cruel in dealing with the imperfections of others. This harsh, cruel spirit is sure evidence of and an absolute guarantee that that person has a carnal and fleshly mind, an unregenerate heart, and has never been converted.

This spirit is characteristic of people who have not been born again, for the spirit of Phariseeism is not something foreign to us; it is the natural spirit of human nature. In fact, this same spirit controls everyone who has not been made a new creature and been made a partaker of the divine nature. In 2 Peter 1:3, 4, we are reminded that we have been given promises, “… exceedingly great and precious promises …” so that we might be partakers of the divine nature.

If we are unconverted, if we have the spirit that the Pharisees had in the days of Christ, then we will tend to erect human standards based on our own ideas and attainments. We will become the standard of morality and subsequently judge all who fail to come up to the standard that we have made. This spirit creates an atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies.

If we are unmerciful, then we cannot obtain mercy ourselves. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” In this beatitude, there is restated by Jesus, not something new, but an old truth, an eternal and unchanging law that is everywhere and always operative in nature and in human society. It has been called the self-acting law of retribution, or putting it into simple language, “We get what we give.” What we give to others eventually comes back in full measure to us. Jesus stated this truth to Peter on the night of His betrayal. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish with the sword’ ” (Matthew 26:52, literal translation).

If you deal the sword to others, you are going to receive the sword from others. How accurately this has been fulfilled in history. The great kingdoms of the past have perished by the very weapons they used against others. Those who showed no mercy, received no mercy. The Bible talks about this principle in the book of Proverbs: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly. But there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

If I am friendly to others, I will have friends in return. But if I give out enmity to others, I will receive enmity in return. Friendship bestowed upon others brings a reward in friendship. But if I deal out captivity, the sword, death to others, the same will return to myself. It’s restated again in Revelation 13:10: “He who leads into captivity; shall go into captivity, he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

Concerning the liberal person, the person who has a giving spirit, Proverbs 11:25 KJV tells us: “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” As Jesus said, even if you only give a cup of cold water to someone, you are not going to lose a reward. What you give to somebody else will eventually come back to you.

The penurious, the stingy person, is going to eventually receive in the same measure that they give. Jesus stated this principle even further: “Give, and it will be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38, literal translation).

A natural, self-operating law is that the same measure that you give out will be measured back to you, even in this life; it the law by which God will measure the reward that He will give to His servants. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

When Jesus was here on earth, He stated in Matthew 16:27 that you are going to be rewarded according to whatever you do in this life, whether good or bad. The apostle Paul also stated the same thing in 2 Corinthians 5:10. What we give out, will be received by us again.

Jesus further developed the principles of this 5th beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,” in Matthew 7. This verse of Scripture has been called the golden rule and it is the greatest of all codes of ethics and the basic principle of all true courtesy and genuine culture. Matthew 7:12 states, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is another way of saying that what we give to others will be given back to us. If we are merciful to others, we will receive mercy. If we retaliate, we will receive retaliation. If we are unjust with others, we will receive injustice ourselves. If we impart evil to others, that evil will return to us again.

Jesus said in Luke 6:38, last part, “For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” The same measure that you give out will be given back to you again. In Matthew 7:1, 2, this golden rule was also stated in the negative: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

To be merciful is to show a person compassion, forgiveness, and forbearance. The merciful person does not nurse grudges. He does not brood over wrongs or show a revengeful spirit. He does not go about with a microscope hunting to find the mistake or the flaw in somebody else’s character when he knows he has flaws in his own character. If we render judgment before evidence, then we can be sure that we will receive the same kind of judgment in return. In fact, prejudice is simply an abbreviated form for pre-judgment. Pre-judgment is the result of prejudice. That this instruction regarding judgment might be further unfolded, in the principles of this beatitude, is evident when we read from Luke 6:36, 37: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Mercy includes having a spirit of forgiveness. In fact, this is so important that Jesus said if we do not forgive others who have trespassed against us, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us. Matthew 6:14, 15 says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

If I want to receive the mercy and forgiveness of God, then whether I will receive it or not is determined by whether I have the same spirit toward those who have injured me or done something against me. This law of reciprocity is stated in different ways in several places in the Bible. Romans 2:1–3 says, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

Paul says that if you’re passing judgment on others, do you think that you will escape being judged yourself? Will you escape the judgment of God yourself? So, what we give to others is what we will receive. Jesus illustrated this in a very striking parable that is hard for many people to read and accept.

Jesus instructed His disciples how to deal with a sinning brother. In Matthew 18:15–20, He said, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Here He gave them explicit instructions about how they were to deal with someone who was sinning against them. They were not to go and talk to the neighbors or any third party about it but go directly to the person who had sinned against them. If after following the prescribed method the person still refused to be corrected, he or she was to be left alone outside to live as they pleased. As Peter listening to this instruction, he thought, how often should I do this? If my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive him?

The Jewish leaders in those days had some rules about how many times you needed to forgive somebody. Some thought that three times was plenty. Peter thought that he would be very liberal and very forgiving in spirit and he said this to the Lord: “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times’ ” (Matthew 18:21)? Surely, if my brother hasn’t reformed and quit His sinning against me by the time he’s done it seven times, that should be enough. I shouldn’t forgive him anymore, should I?

In response to Peter’s request, should I forgive my brother seven times before I decide he’s gone too far and reached the limit, Jesus said in Matthew 18:22–24: “… I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.” Jesus doesn’t say whether it was talents of silver or talents of gold. Either way, even if it was just 10,000 talents of silver, it would be worth many millions of dollars, today.

This person did not have enough to pay. It says in verses 25, 26, “But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold,” that is, sold into slavery “with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ” The master knew that there was no possible way he was ever going to be able to pay that big a debt, even though he promised that he would if only his master would have patience with him.

It says, in verses 27–30: “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (equivalent to just a few dollars); and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison.”

This man was thrown into debtor’s prison because he couldn’t pay the debt. “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (verses 31–35).

Those who do not forgive others cannot be forgiven by God. A good question to ask yourself is, How much have I been forgiven? The Bible is very clear. As a result of my sins, Jesus Christ went to the cross of Calvary. That was the price to pay, to cancel, my debt and your debt of sin.

That was the price that we cannot pay. The only way that you could pay it since the wages of sin is death, is if you were to die eternally and never wake up. But to make it possible for you to enter the gates of paradise, Jesus Christ went to the cross of Calvary to forgive you the debt, to pay the price in your behalf.

After He has done that, if I will not forgive, if I will not exercise mercy upon my fellow servant, then Jesus said, your heavenly Father will not have mercy upon you, either. The Bible’s very clear that the Lord is very merciful, even to His enemies. You can read in Micah 7:18 that He delights in mercy. In James 5:11 it says that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.

O friend, if you and I want to be forgiven, we must become merciful people ourselves, because the Bible says in James 2:13, that “… judgment will be without mercy upon him who has shown no mercy.”

(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.

Health – Save that Garlic Sprout

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What do you do with that garlic bulb that has begun to sprout and looks like it has passed its prime? You may be surprised to find out that that little sprout has more nutritional value than the original bulb, even though it was loaded with nutrition and healing powers.

“ ‘Sprouted’ garlic – old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves – is considered to be past its prime and usually ends up in the garbage can. But scientists are reporting in ACS’s (American Chemical Society) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of garlic has even more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than its fresher counterparts.

“Jong-Sang Kim and colleagues note that people have used garlic for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Today, people still celebrate its healthful benefits. Eating garlic or taking garlic supplements is touted as a natural way to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and heart disease risk. It even may boost the immune system and help fight cancer. But those benefits are for fresh, raw garlic. Sprouted garlic has received much less attention. When seedlings grow into green plants, they make many new compounds, including those that protect the young plant against pathogens. Kim’s group reasoned that the same thing might be happening when green shoots grow from old heads of garlic. Other studies have shown that sprouted beans and grains have increased antioxidant activity, so the team set out to see if the same is true for garlic.

“They found that garlic sprouted for five days had higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs, and it had different metabolites, suggesting that it also makes different substances. Extracts from this garlic even protected cells in a laboratory dish from certain types of damage. ‘Therefore, sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic,’ they conclude.” www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/273314.php

The study’s author Jong-Sang Kim PhD, says, “Plants are very susceptible to attack from bacteria, viruses, and insects during sprouting. This causes them to produce a variety of chemicals called phytoalexins to defend themselves. Most of these are toxic to microorganisms and insects, but beneficial to human health.” www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/why-old-sprouted-garlic-actually-good-you

Here is another interesting tidbit on garlic sprouts.

“Although garlic (Allium sativum) has been extensively studied for its health benefits, sprouted garlic has received little attention. We hypothesized that sprouting garlic would stimulate the production of various phytochemicals that improve health. Ethanolic extracts from garlic sprouted for different periods had variable antioxidant activities when assessed with in vitro assays, including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity assay and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay. Extracts from garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity, whereas extracts from raw garlic had relatively low antioxidant activity. Furthermore, sprouting changed the metabolite profile of garlic: the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 5–6 days was distinct from the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 0–4 days, which is consistent with the finding that garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity. Therefore, sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic.” http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf500603v

We now understand that garlic sprouted for five days has been found to have higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs. Sprouting your garlic might be a useful way to improve its antioxidant potential. This really makes sense when you consider the nutritional changes that occur in plants when they sprout. Don’t throw out those sprouts—eat them!

Q & A – What does it mean to ” succor ” (Hebrews 2:18)?

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“ Succor ” means to relieve; it is help rendered in danger, difficulty, or distress.

“In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven; and a sufficient and constant supply was given. … The Saviour now practiced the lesson He had taught to Israel. By the word of God succour had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited God’s time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.” The Desire of Ages, 121.

“In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the succor and deliverance of His people. Celestial beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared clothed in garments that shone as the lightning; they have come as men in the garb of wayfarers. Angels have appeared in human form to men of God. They have rested, as if weary, under the oaks at noon. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes. They have acted as guides to benighted travelers. They have, with their own hands, kindled the fires at the altar. They have opened prison doors and set free the servants of the Lord. Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they came to roll away the stone from the Saviour’s tomb.” The Great Controversy, 631.

Here is an illustration of the effects of being succored by the Lord.

“Violent storms were encountered on the passage, and John Wesley, brought face to face with death, felt that he had not the assurance of peace with God. The Germans, on the contrary, manifested a calmness and trust to which he was a stranger.

“ ‘I had long before,’ he says, ‘observed the great seriousness of their behavior. Of their humility they had given a continual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other passengers which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired and would receive no pay, saying it was good for their proud hearts, and their loving Saviour had done more for them. And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown about, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sang on. I asked one of them afterwards, “Were you not afraid?” He answered, “I thank God, no.” I asked, “But were not your women and children afraid?” He replied mildly, “No; our women and children are not afraid to die.” ’ ” Ibid., 255.

These dedicated Christians had peace in calm as well as in trials having no fear, content in their lot knowing they were succored by the Lord Who is in charge of every situation.

Inspiration – Some Who Will Not Be There

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CAIN—Notwithstanding that Cain had by his crimes merited the sentence of death, a merciful Creator still spared his life, and granted him opportunity for repentance. But Cain lived only to harden his heart, to encourage rebellion against the divine authority, and to become the head of a line of bold, abandoned sinners. This one apostate, led on by Satan, became a tempter to others; and his example and influence exerted their demoralizing power, until the earth became so corrupt and filled with violence as to call for its destruction.

LOT’S WIFE—If Lot himself had manifested no hesitancy to obey the angels’ warning, but had earnestly fled toward the mountains, without one word of pleading or remonstrance, his wife also would have made her escape. The influence of his example would have saved her from the sin that sealed her doom. But his hesitancy and delay caused her to lightly regard the divine warning. While her body was upon the plain, her heart clung to Sodom, and she perished with it. She rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions and her children in the ruin. Although so greatly favored in being called out from the wicked city, she felt that she was severely dealt with, because the wealth that it had taken years to accumulate must be left to destruction. Instead of thankfully accepting deliverance, she presumptuously looked back to desire the life of those who had rejected the divine warning. Her sin showed her to be unworthy of life, for the preservation of which she felt so little gratitude.

KING SAUL—Saul knew that in this last act, of consulting the witch of Endor, he cut the last shred which held him to God. He knew that if he had not before willfully separated himself from God, this act sealed that separation, and made it final. He had made an agreement with death, and a covenant with hell. The cup of his iniquity was full.

JUDAS—God has appointed means, if we will use them diligently and prayerfully, that no vessel shall be shipwrecked, but outride the tempest and storm, and anchor in the haven of bliss at last. But if we despise and neglect these appointments and privileges, God will not work a miracle to save any of us, and we will be lost as were Judas and Satan.

HEROD, HERODIAS, PILATE, AND INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION—And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the final scenes—the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary; the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when the world’s Redeemer yielded up His life.

The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work. Each actor recalls the part which he performed. Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem that he might destroy the King of Israel; the base Herodias, upon whose guilty soul rests the blood of John the Baptist; the weak, timeserving Pilate; the mocking soldiers; the priests and rulers and the maddened throng who cried, “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25)! all behold the enormity of their guilt. They vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance, outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming: “He died for me!”

Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse.

With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember how, wagging their heads in satanic exultation, they exclaimed: “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him.” Matthew 27:42, 43.

Vividly they recall the Saviour’s parable of the husbandmen who refused to render to their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who abused his servants and slew his son. They remember, too, the sentence which they themselves pronounced: The lord of the vineyard “will miserably destroy those wicked men” (Matthew 21:41). In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and elders see their own course and their own just doom. And now there rises a cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, “Crucify Him, crucify Him” (John 19:15), which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful, despairing wail, “He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!” They seek to flee from the presence of the King of kings. In the deep caverns of the earth, rent asunder by the warring of the elements, they vainly attempt to hide.

NERO AND HIS MOTHER; PAPAL PRIESTS AND PONTIFFS—Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned, and slain. There is Nero, that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how the evil stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions encouraged and developed by her influence and example, have borne fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder.

There are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be Christ’s ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and the stake to control the consciences of His people. There are the proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed to change the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of the church have an account to render to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late they are made to see that the Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise clear the guilty. They learn now that Christ identifies His interest with that of His suffering people; and they feel the force of His own words: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).

Heaven, 106–110.

Keys to the Storehouse – Step Fast, But Not Back

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Now is not the time to be going backward. There is no time to reverse our direction or step back from that narrow path leading to the heavenly country. Don’t look back as Lot’s wife did. We are strangers in this country and there is no reason for us to step back and look.

Many of our brethren took that step backward. “But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” Manuscript Releases, Book 1, 107. The Lord said, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isaiah 1:4). Terrible thought.

Do not be tempted to join the crowd that is stepping back.

“The people of God in these last days must expect to enter into the thick of the conflict; for the prophetic Word says, ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’ (Revelation 12:17).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1153.

You need to be aware that, “those who have decided to obey the commandments of God will understand by experience that they have adversaries who are controlled by a power from beneath. Such adversaries beset Christ at every step, how constantly and determinedly no human being can ever know. Christ’s disciples, like their Master, are followed by continual temptation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 170.

Who is pursuing? “Satan hopes to lead them to sin, and cast dishonor upon God.” Ibid., 171. Don’t step back, but step fast.

“In the professedly Christian world, even in the professed churches of Christ, how few are governed by Christian principles. In business, social, domestic, even religious circles, how few make the teachings of Christ the rule of daily living. …

“Every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy the body?” The Ministry of Healing, 142, 143. They have stepped back.

We must step fast. “Said the angel, Deny self; ‘ye must step fast.’ Some of us have had time to get the truth and to advance step by step, and every step we have taken has given us strength to take the next. But now time is almost finished, and what we have been years learning, they will have to learn in a few months. They will also have much to unlearn and much to learn again. …” Early Writings, 67.

Heavenly Father: There is no time to step back. No time to turn away from heavenly principles. There is an urgency to step fast. “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Psalm 17:5). As I step fast, guide my every thought and action so that I will follow Your leading wherever You send me and not step back—even for one moment. Amen.

Current Events – Pope insists conscience, not rules, must lead faithful

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NICOLE WINFIELD and RACHEL ZOLL, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis insisted that individual conscience be the guiding principle for Catholics negotiating the complexities of sex, marriage and family life in a major document released Friday [April 8, 2016] that rejects the emphasis on black and white rules for the faithful.

In the 256-page document “The Joy of Love,” Francis makes no change in church doctrine and strongly upholds that marriage is a lifelong commitment.

But in selectively citing his predecessors and emphasizing his own teachings, Francis makes clear that he wants nothing short of a revolution in the way priests accompany Catholics, saying the church must no longer sit in judgment and “throw stones” against those who fail to live up to the Gospel’s ideals of marriage and family life.

“I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room for confusion,” he wrote. “But I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in the midst of human weakness.” …

He insisted the church’s aim is to reintegrate and welcome all its members. …

“It can no longer simply be said that all those in any irregular situations are living in a state of mortal sin and are deprived of sanctifying grace,” he wrote. Even those in an “objective situation of sin” can be in a state of grace, and can even be more pleasing to God by trying to improve, he said.

The document’s release marks the culmination of a divisive two-year consultation of ordinary Catholics and the church hierarchy that Francis initiated in hopes of understanding the problems facing Catholic families today and providing them with better pastoral care.

The most divisive issue that arose during two meetings of bishops, or synods, was whether Francis would loosen the Vatican’s strict position on whether Catholics who divorce and remarry can receive Communion. Church teaching holds that unless these Catholics receive an annulment, or a church decree that their first marriage was invalid, they are committing adultery and cannot receive Communion.

Conservatives had insisted that the rules were fixed and that there was no way around Christ’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Progressives had sought wiggle room to balance doctrine with mercy and look at each couple on a case-by-case basis, accompanying them on a path of reconciliation that could lead to them eventually receiving the sacraments.

Francis took a unilateral step last year in changing church law to make it easier to get an annulment. On Friday, he said the rigorous response proposed by the conservatives was inconsistent with Jesus’ message of mercy.

“By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and of growth and discourage paths of sanctification which give glory to God,” he said. “Let us remember that a small step in the midst of great human limitations can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties.” www.yahoo.com/news/pope-insists-conscience-not-rules-must-guide-faithful-100149710.html

“No one can be condemned forever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel! Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves,” the pope said. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-marriage-idUSKCN0X42TB

“ ‘Christ … has purchased for us a never-ending redemption. … His passion is … an eternal sacrifice, and everlastingly effectual to heal; it satisfies the divine justice forever in behalf of all those who rely upon it with firm and unshaken faith.’ Yet He clearly taught that men are not, because of the grace of Christ, free to continue in sin. ‘Wherever there is faith in God, there God is; and wherever God abideth, there a zeal exists urging and impelling men to good works.’ ”—D’Aubigne, b. 8, ch. 9. The Great Controversy, 180.

Children’s Story – Child at Prayer

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A few weeks since, in coming down the North River, I was seated in the cabin of the magnificent steamer Isaac Newton, in conversation with some friends. It was becoming late in the evening, and one after another, seeking repose, made preparations to retire to their berths; some, pulling off their boots and coats, and lying down to rest, while others, in the attempt to make it seem as much like home as possible, threw off more of their clothing—each one as his comfort or apprehension of danger dictated.

I had noticed on deck a fine looking boy, of about six years of age, following round a man evidently his father, whose appearance indicated him to be a foreigner, probably a German—a man of medium height and respectable dress. The child was unusually fair and fine looking, with handsome features and an intelligent and affectionate expression of countenance, and from under his German cap fell chestnut hair, and thick, clustering curls.

After walking about the cabin for a time the father and son stopped within a few feet of where we were seated, and commenced to prepare for going to bed. I watched them. While the little fellow was undressing himself, the father adjusted and arranged the bed the child was to occupy, which was an upper berth. Having finished this, his father tied a handkerchief around the boy’s head to protect his curls. This done I looked for him to seek his resting-place; but instead of this he quietly kneeled down upon the floor, put his little hands together in a beautifully child-like and simple manner, and resting his arms upon the lower berth, against which he knelt, began his vesper prayer.

I listened and I could hear the murmuring of his sweet voice, but could not distinguish the words he spoke. There were men around him—Christian men—retiring to rest without prayer; or, if praying at all, a kind of mental desire for protection, without sufficient courage or piety to kneel down in the steamboat’s cabin, and before strangers acknowledge the goodness of God, and ask His protection and love.

This was the result of some pious mother’s training. Where was she now? How many times had her kind hands been laid on the sunny locks as she taught him to lisp his prayer.

A beautiful sight it was, that child at prayer, in the midst of the busy, thoughtless throng. He alone, of this worldly multitude, drew nigh to heaven. I thanked the parental love that had taught him to lisp his evening prayer, and could scarcely refrain from weeping then, nor can I now, as I see again that sweet child, in the crowded tumult of the steamboat’s cabin, bending in devotion before his Maker.

When the little boy had finished his evening prayer, he arose and kissed his father most affectionately, who then put him in his berth for the night. I felt a strong desire to speak to them, but deferred it till morning. When morning came the confusion of landing prevented me from seeing them again. But if ever I meet that boy in his happy youth, in his anxious manhood, in his declining years, I will thank him for the influence and example of that night’s devotion, and bless the name of the mother who taught him.

Sabbath Readings for the Home Circle, vol. 2, 158–160.