Nicodemus

There is not a lot said about Nicodemus in the Bible, but there are many lessons and illustrations applicable from the little that is mentioned. In fact, there is a whole chapter devoted to Nicodemus in The Desire of Ages. Ellen White makes this statement: “In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation, and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven.” Ibid., 176. This is quite a statement, if you stop to think about it. “In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so fully ….” It seems to me that since inheriting the kingdom of heaven is our goal it would be important to study this interview carefully to see what is the necessary work. So, we will focus on one small portion of the interview as an illustration of what is necessary for the first step of salvation. It is a step often missing from the lives of professed Christians, yet it is the very first requirement for salvation. Without this step, there are no others.

Nicodemus was what, in our society today, would be called one of the “rich and famous.” He held a high position in the Jewish society. He was highly educated. He possessed unique talents “of no ordinary character.” (See Conflict and Courage, 291.) He was an honored member of the national council. He was a strict Pharisee filled with good works. He was widely esteemed for benevolence; in other words, he cared for the poor and destitute, and for his liberality in sustaining the temple service, he gave liberally to the Lord. What more could he do or be? It seems he had all the bases covered. Nicodemus himself was secure in his salvation. And if we are honest at looking at his life today, we would have to admit that from an outward point of view, he had it all together. Yet it is clear from the interview he had with Jesus that he was lacking something.

Do you want to be in the position where you feel secure of salvation but don’t have it? Jesus explained that situation in Matthew 7:21–23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” What a fatal, crushing realization, and when it is too late! How can we avoid being in that position?

Let’s continue on with our story of Nicodemus. Let’s join him as he seeks Jesus on that night; that night when a rich, satisfied, successful ruler of the Jews initiated an interview with the meek, humble, poor teacher from Nazareth; that night which was to be the turning point for Nicodemus’ entire life.

Jesus has retired to the Mount of Olives. It is late. The night is peaceful and quiet. Silently, clothed in the darkness so as to conceal his destination, Nicodemus makes his way to Jesus’ retreat. He does not want to be seen; he reasons that he would not want to set this example for the common people.

Under the light of the stars and the moon, speaking with the One who created these things, Nicodemus begins with an air of composure and dignity. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him.” John 3:2, AKJV.

Picture it. Nicodemus is in control; rather he perceives that he is in control. In fact, he probably has the whole conversation planned out in his head. You know what that is like. You have something to say; you know how you will say it, and you know exactly how someone will react to what you have to say. That is Nicodemus’ situation. Well, this is where the story gets interesting. Nicodemus has begun, but his well laid plans don’t work out. Jesus completely ignores Nicodemus’ statement. Immediately, Jesus takes control of the conversation, going directly to the heart of the issue of conversion. He says, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Verse 5.

Nicodemus is startled. Where did that come from? He had said nothing of conversion. He didn’t need conversion; he was already saved! This is not where his well planned conversation was to go. He loses all sense of his self-possession. He is no longer aware of his surroundings, or his own preconceived conversational ideas. Rather he is focused intently on One who reads his heart like an open book.

Nicodemus had, of course, heard the preaching of John the Baptist. He was aware of the message John had preached concerning repentance and baptism. But never had he related the need for repentance and baptism to himself. He was startled, surprised and self rose up in irritation. What? He, a strict Pharisee not good enough? He, benevolent and liberal yet not good enough? He, highly educated and intelligent but not good enough?

We need to stop right here and reflect a moment. What just happened? Truth was brought home to a heart. And what happened when truth hit home? What happened when Nicodemus was confronted with truth? Is it not the same with many as with Nicodemus? Nicodemus didn’t like the close application of truth to himself. “The pride of the Pharisee was struggling against the honest desire of the seeker after truth.” The Desire of Ages, 171. Let’s think about this for a moment. This is the crux of where so many people lose their way. There are many, many examples of this very thing. In fact, this same situation happened with Lucifer in heaven. Sadly, Lucifer chose to retain his pride, and consequently, he lost all heaven.

Here is where a basic requirement must take place in the heart to begin the process of regeneration and conversion. It is at this point that something must happen in order to gain salvation.

This first basic requirement is succinctly described at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3, 5, 6, where it says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit … Blessed are the meek … Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.”

These same basic attitudes and attributes are beautifully portrayed in David’s prayer in Psalm 51:10, 11. He says, “Create in me a pure heart, O, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

What common attributes do you see woven between these two texts, Matthew 5 and Psalm 51? It is humility of heart, an admission of need, a desire for righteousness. Without these, we cannot take the first step towards regeneration and redemption.

Were these attitudes valued and exhibited by the Pharisees? (Remember, Nicodemus was a leading Pharisee.) Not if I read my Bible correctly. In fact, a Pharisee’s thoughts went more like this: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” Luke 18:11. No wonder the statement Jesus made hit Nicodemus with such force.

Now let’s turn the conversation to our day, to the last church that will exist before Jesus’ coming. As you read the following text, see if there is any correlation or parallel with the statement regarding the Pharisee we just read in Luke 18.

Revelation 3:17, 18 says, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ ” Does that sound familiar? Doesn’t that sound something like what the Pharisee said? Next it says, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Do you think this is saying the same thing that Jesus said to Nicodemus on that night when He said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”? John 3:5.

This is a serious subject, a crucial subject for those interested in gaining eternal life. And it cuts right to the heart of our salvation. Even more, it is a requirement for anyone wanting a relationship with the meek, humble, lowly Jesus. Do you want an intimate relationship with Jesus? Do you want to be like Him?

“We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct, and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner: but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness.” Conflict and Courage, 292.

Do you and I today have the humility and meekness, the hunger and thirst for righteousness necessary for salvation, or are we like the Pharisee or the Laodicean? Let us pray earnestly for the Spirit of Christ, as it is the only way unto salvation.

(Bible texts quoted are New International Version unless otherwise noted.)

Brenda Douay is a staff member of Steps to Life. She can be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org or by phone at: 316-788-5559.

Miracle! The Conversion Testimony of John Lazor

I was born in Stockbridge, Michigan, United States of America, in 1953, and raised in Northville, near Detroit. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home; on the contrary, I grew up in a very dysfunctional family with an abusive, alcoholic father. Life for me was very difficult. I never felt loved by either of my parents in my growing-up years, and my four siblings and I fought almost constantly. Rarely did I ever see my father sober, and in his drunken stupors I was often beaten for no reason at all, causing me to grow up bitter and hateful. There was just one bright spot in my childhood years—my mother saw a need to have us obtain some religious training, so she sent us off to a nondenominational Sunday School and church on the church bus. Attending somewhat regularly, and accepting Jesus Christ as my Saviour resulted in my baptism at age 13. However, things changed drastically in my mid-teen years.

It is no wonder that in my mid-teen years I started hanging around with a bad crowd, quit attending church, and became heavily involved with alcohol, using and selling drugs, stealing, partying, attending rock music concerts, and all that goes with that wild lifestyle. Although having been arrested for a felony and spending some time in jail, I still believed in God—that He was up there somewhere, just looking down on me. But I wanted nothing to do with Him. I just wanted to live my own life the way I wanted to live.

But something within me began to change when I was 18 years old. I began to realize that the life I was living was empty and vain. This caused me to think for the first time about my future. I realized that I wanted something more in life; that the life of drugs and partying was not the way I wanted to live my whole life. I thought that now, as an adult, I needed to start thinking seriously about having a job, a family, etc. I knew that I needed to change my lifestyle, so I decided that I should quit the drugs and alcohol, and start going back to church. So, I returned to church, and tried to change my ways. But it was more difficult to change the drug and alcohol habits after several years than I had thought! I would stay away from the drugs and alcohol for a few weeks—or even a few months—then it was back with my old friends, and into the old situations again, and before I knew it, I was right back there in my old ways. This continued for about a year-and-a-half: the attempts to change my life, and then the fall back into my old lifestyle.

Then one night at the age of 20, there was a breakthrough. I had been clean and sober for about six months. Then for three weekends in a row I fell victim to the devil’s temptations, and found myself using the drugs again! I thought I’d had the victory after six months, but found how weak I was when hanging out with the wrong crowd. My willpower was not as strong as I had thought. On that last of the three weekends, Friday night, January 26, 1973, something happened that forever changed my life. After again falling into the trap of getting high with a girlfriend, I went home and felt guiltier than ever before. Unlike other times, I now realized that I had no strength in myself to overcome that terrible drug habit, and that the only way to overcome it would be by taking hold of the strength of God! For the first time in my life, I fell down on my knees and cried out to God for help to gain the victory that I was powerless in myself to achieve! And the Lord answered that prayer right then! Getting up off my knees, I felt a new power—God’s power—surging through me. I remember saying words to the effect, “Praise God; I’ll never get high again!” It was as though God showed me right then and there that the victory was won forever, for now it was God who was doing it, not me! And, praise the Lord, that victory was real, and is real, for it has now been more than 38 years since that life-changing night, and I have never once used drugs or alcohol since! But that was only the beginning.

I knew right away that if God has the power to change my life in such a dramatic way instantly, then that’s the kind of God I wanted to live for! I then recommitted my life to the Lord and I started to read the Bible more regularly and seriously, searching for a church that followed the Bible all the way. I realized that the church I had been attending had many man-made teachings instead of basing them all on the Bible, so I went to Catholic, Pentecostal, “The Jesus People,” and many other churches in search of a truly Bible-based church. Finding none, I was very disappointed and decided that I would quit attending formal church services, and just meet with a few friends to have our own “church” services under a tree. It was at this time that an old friend, who had also become a Christian about the same time I was reconverted, showed me a beautiful Bible he had received as a gift. I told him that the old Bible I had was falling apart—literally missing pages, and the cover falling off. I wanted a new Bible, but I couldn’t afford one. He told me that I could get a free Bible. I wanted to know how. He told me to just pray to God, and ask Him to send me a free Bible! I believed that God was interested in even small things, so I began to pray for a new free Bible.

Within a few weeks of beginning to pray for a new Bible, my mother received a brochure in the mail, with an invitation to attend a “Voice of Prophecy” Bible crusade. I had no idea what the Voice of Prophecy was, but several things in the brochure made it clear to me that this was of God, and that He wanted me to attend that crusade. The most prominent of them was that if I attended 19 of the 27 meetings, I would receive a free Bible! There was the answer to my prayer! I knew that the Lord wanted me to attend this crusade to get my free Bible! I had no idea what church or denomination was holding the crusade, for it was held in a community center. But I knew that I was supposed to be at those meetings.

The first thing I noticed when entering that community center in Plymouth, Michigan, in April of 1973 were the smiles on the faces of the young people who greeted me at the door. All of the people there seemed radiant with the love of Christ. I wasn’t used to seeing this at the other meetings I had attended, so this made a good impression right away. But the most important thing was the message. It was straight from the Bible! None of man’s added teachings! I was invited back night after night, and I gladly came. I wanted that free Bible—but after a few nights, I realized that there was another reason I was to be there—it was that Bible-based teaching I so hungered for, but found nowhere else! I knew now that I was attending not just for that free Bible, but also for the life-changing truth that I was hearing each night! Unlike all the other meetings I had attended, the pastor, Elder Robert Wiese, handed out a paper each night with every text that was used in the sermon, and encouraged us to go home and look up all the texts and study them for ourselves! That’s what I really wanted—sermons based completely on the Bible! And every night after the sermon, the pastor would encourage us to go “all the way with the Lord”; not just what was convenient, but to accept all His teachings, and go all the way with Him! And this was what I wanted!

After the 19 nights and my free Bible, of course, I knew that I was to attend the rest of the meetings, for by that time I knew that this was God’s true message, and that the real reason God had led me there was to bring me to His marvelous light of truth! After learning the truth about the true Sabbath, the state of man in death, the Three Angels’ Messages, Bible prophecy, and more, I knew that this was God’s true message, and that I wanted to be part of God’s true church! At the last meeting when the pastor made a call for all who wanted to follow the Lord all the way, and to be baptized, and be a part of His last day remnant church to come forward, all of my former shyness left me immediately, and I was on my feet and at the front, committing my life to God’s true message, and publicly showing my desire to serve Him and be part of His true church! I gave my life totally to Jesus—accepted Him as Saviour and Lord of my life, to live for Him!

Pastor Wiese came to my home and gave me follow-up Bible studies, which further solidified my understanding of God’s word and His present truth message for these last days. Then in July, I attended part of the Michigan Seventh-day Adventist Camp Meeting, which I felt was “a taste of heaven”! I learned much Bible truth at those wonderful meetings. I also became a vegetarian at that camp meeting, and have been so for nearly 38 years! Then on August 25, 1973, I was baptized in the Plymouth Seventh-day Adventist Church, and became a member that day. It was the most wonderful day of my life! There’s a song that tells how I felt in my newfound faith: “New Life in Christ,” by John W. Peterson. The lyrics are:

New life in Christ! Abundant and free!

What glories shine, What joys are mine,

What wondrous blessings I see!

My past with its sin, The searching and strife

Forever gone—There’s a bright new dawn!

For in Christ I have found New Life!

Two years later, I felt the call of God to the gospel ministry. I was led to Southern Missionary College (now Southern Adventist University) in Collegedale, Tennessee, United States of America, to study for the ministry. After four years, I received my Bachelor’s degree in theology, and began my ministry in the Florida Conference as a youth pastor. Since then, I have been involved in ministry as a pastor, academy Bible teacher, academy chaplain, and academy boys’ dean in several states, drug education counselor, and short-term foreign missions worker in Romania, Thailand, and the Philippines. I presently serve as director of Paradise Ministries International, a self-supporting ministry in Hawaii, operating a Bible Correspondence School and literature distribution program. My greatest desire is to see the Three Angels’ Messages spread throughout the entire world, so that Jesus may come again, and all of the faithful be gathered with Him in that glorious Kingdom He is preparing for us, to be with Him forever! Maranatha!

John Lazor is founder and director of Paradise Ministries International of Hawaii, and pastors the Paradise Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kalapana, Hawaii. Pastor Lazor may be contacted by phone at: 808-965-2666, or by e-mail at: paradisemin7@yahoo.com.

Would you like to share how the Lord has worked in your life? Because of space, not all submissions can be published, but we would love to hear from you. Please write or email us at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Hearers of the Gospel

The gospel message of Jesus Christ is so simple a child is able to understand it. Yet, at the same time it is deep enough to keep the most diligent student enthralled and challenged. In the Bible are written many things that can be missed by a mere superficial reading. Careful, prayerful study, having an open mind, meditating on each verse, comparing Scripture with Scripture, will reveal many gems and blessings that would be missed if the Holy Spirit has not given understanding.

The attitude in which the Bible is studied affects the character and behavior of the one who reads it and develops an ear for the gospel. In Mark 14:27, it says, “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”

Sheep need a shepherd, and when left alone without one to guide, protect and give assistance, they become afraid and run away. When Jesus said that the disciples would be offended and frightened that night, Peter replied, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” Verses 29–31.

Here Jesus was prophesying to Peter, telling him that he did not have a heart for the gospel but just an ear. He told him that his mind was not right for the gospel. Peter had not surrendered all to Jesus at that point in time. He was still full of himself. Jesus told him that before the cock would crow that very night—not the next day, or the next week, or the next month—but that very night Peter would deny his Lord.

To do what is necessary in the name of the Lord requires a humble heart. The Lord is not looking for proud people; the world is full of them. He is looking for people who are willing to get their hands and their shoes dirty for the Lord. Like Peter, many of us want to have a position with the Lord but still retain those character defects and habits that He rebukes. Many of us still want to have the elevated positions above our brothers and sisters. What if I have been in the church for 25 years; does that give me the right to say, “Who do you think you are?” “I am the pastor, you are the deacon; you should listen to me.” “Do you know who I am; do you know to whom you are talking?”

This terrible prideful behavior influences others to respond in the same way, just as it influenced the other disciples. Peter’s arrogance in claiming his allegiance to Jesus under all circumstances that night infected the other disciples. It is recorded, “Likewise also said they all.” Verse 31. Before we are able to influence others to become like Jesus we must first be like Him. Peter was unaware of the weakness of his own heart, and because of this, he was able to make the boastful claim that, if needed, he was ready to die for Jesus, but we know what really happened. Peter denied Jesus three times. How many Christians today make similar boasts? “If the Lord would come today, I am ready for Him.” But are we really ready for Him today? Many exhibit the same boastful spirit as did Peter, but when something happens that is painful or a little bit uncomfortable and their comfort zone has been invaded, they begin to complain. Because of selfishness and unkindness, many defend their territory just like the animals do, marking their territory and attacking whatever comes too close. This type of person is a hearer of the gospel and not a doer.

In love for mankind, Jesus left the comforts of the kingdom of heaven, where He was adored by the heavenly host, for us. He asked the Father to allow Him to die in our stead. Only somebody of high position, equal with God, could take the place of sinful man in order to pay the penalty for sin.

In Matthew 16:13–16 it says, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Did Peter really know that He was the Son of God? Though Peter confessed with his mouth that He was the Son of God, his whole heart had not yet connected with the gospel.

Matthew 17:24–27 says, “And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

Peter, instead of first enquiring of Jesus, spoke in His behalf, saying that Jesus would pay the tribute. Before presuming or engaging in any situation, we also should ask for wisdom. This lack of wisdom is often the reason for so many differences in today’s church. Decisions are often made without first consulting the Lord.

In the most critical moment of His life and in His weakened condition, Jesus determined to do only the will of His father. “And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Mark 14:33–36.

How many are truly prepared and willing to do this? The halfhearted ones will be as the disciples, with the mind willing, but the flesh weak. “And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping.” Verse 37. Some people literally sleep in church. They are so busy all week with the cares of this world that, while sitting quietly in church, they just fall asleep, missing the worship that brings the spiritual strength necessary to resist the attacks of the enemy.

The end of the world is coming, and every opportunity should be taken to expand the mind with Bible truths. Now is not the time to be sleeping; it is time to get ready. The prophecies warn that it is time to get ready!

Mark 14:37, 38 says, “And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”

It is important that the mind is kept clear by healthful practices and control of the body is kept so that the senses are in subjection to the will of the Holy Spirit.

“And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy), neither wist they what to answer him.” Verses 39, 40.

The Christian who is prepared to die to self will not remain in his comfort zone and simply listen to the gospel, but he will put into practice the valuable lessons learned and share them with others. It takes serious discipline to get up and work for Jesus.

“And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Verse 41.

It is easy to become complacent. While living in California (United States), we, like many others, developed immunity to the shaking caused by minor earthquakes. Several times my wife and I were awakened because of severe shaking. There was lots of noise and the dogs barked. When you are awakened like that, you are in shock and start running. Sometimes you don’t even know where you are going. That is the way it is with the crisis that is coming. There are many sleeping now who are not getting prepared, and they will not know how to respond.

In Mark 14:50 we read how the disciples responded in their crisis: “And they all forsook Him, and fled.” Just a short time before this they had all said they would be willing to die for Him and now they all fled. We can say that we love God today and thank Him for the sacrifice He made on the cross for us, but what about tomorrow? Those who only develop an ear for the Lord will respond in the same manner, as did the disciples—they will run. They will not be able to stand and take their position with God—they will compromise.

Life brings with it many challenges. Resisting that which is bad and making right choices builds the character and increases faith for meeting bigger temptations. It is during this probationary time that the character can be disciplined and made ready to meet the pending crisis before Jesus returns. Those who do not diligently resist the devil now will turn away in the last days and even become collaborators with the persecutors of God’s people.

Mark 14:54 says, “And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.” Peter did not want to be recognized as one of Jesus’ followers. He was scared and did not want anything to do with the Messiah, his Teacher, Master and Instructor, and he did not want to be identified with Him. The disciples had witnessed His miracles; they had seen the sick healed and even the dead resurrected. Peter had even admitted that Jesus was the Son of the living God, but it proved to be only giving lip service. If Peter really believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he would have stood right with Him. His expectations were not being met; he had not put his all on the altar, and he found that his lips were fooling him.

In Jesus’ sermon on the mount He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3. It is not about being arrogant and self-assured but being completely dependent on Jesus, not trusting self at all. This is the condition of all who will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

“And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.” Mark 14:55. Interestingly, there was none found who were willing to stand up, but there were many conflicting accusations.

“False witnesses had been bribed to accuse Jesus of inciting rebellion and seeking to establish a separate government. But their testimony proved to be vague and contradictory. Under examination they falsified their own statements.” The Desire of Ages, 705.

“And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.” Mark 14:66–70.

Peter was identified as a Galilaean by his speech. Christians also should be identified by their speech. The study of the word of God sanctifies the heart, and the speech becomes pure and honest. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45.

“But he [Peter] began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.” Mark 14:71. He responded by swearing and cursing, so he would not look like one of Jesus’ followers.

“Peter had not designed that his real character should be known. In assuming an air of indifference he had placed himself on the enemy’s ground, and he became an easy prey to temptation. If he had been called to fight for his Master, he would have been a courageous soldier; but when the finger of scorn was pointed at him, he proved himself a coward. Many who do not shrink from active warfare for their Lord are driven by ridicule to deny their faith.” The Desire of Ages, 712.

Be sure that under severe and stressful circumstances the feelings of the heart will manifest themselves in the words spoken. How true is the need for a new heart? We should pray, as did David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. Only with God’s Spirit is it possible to stand firm during trials.

Either the Spirit of God or the spirit of Satan controls the mind, which in turn controls the words and actions. Peter was offended when Jesus warned him about his denial, his heart being too full of pride. Humans have a tendency to be fooled and to think all is well. Without God we have the tendency to be rude and unkind, selfish. The Spirit of God subdues the selfish, prideful spirit that is within us, giving us a heart of compassion and love for others. Paul describes this: “That ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24.

“And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.” Mark 14:72. “While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there.

“The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused. Memory was active. Peter called to mind his promise of a few short hours before that he would go with his Lord to prison and death. …

“Once more he looked at his Master, and saw a sacrilegious hand raised to smite Him in the face. Unable longer to endure the scene, he rushed, heartbroken, from the hall.” The Desire of Ages, 712, 713.

When you fall in love with God, you will take your position with the Lord. Jesus said, “Father, Thy will be done and not mine” (Matthew 26:42). Jesus was there suffering because of His loyalty to His Father. At that point, there was no loyalty or obedience in Peter, because he was still able to swear and curse and to act cowardly. While self reigned there was no room for Divine power. But when Peter looked at Jesus and had eye-to-eye contact with Him, his heart was broken, and he was finally converted. The look on Jesus’ face said, “Peter, I love you.” Peter wept. Each of us needs to look into the face of our Saviour and truly surrender self and weep and be converted.

The gospel tells us to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19, 20.

Jesus is coming! Prophecies declare it, and the signs of His appearing are being fulfilled right before our eyes. Now is the time to get ready, not to sleep. Now is the time for discipline, willingly searching the Scriptures. The devil wants us to sleep; he doesn’t care if we are just a hearer of the Word as long as we are not a doer of the Word. Jesus is calling us to come out of the world and to be separate with Him. He has promised that He will be with us unto the end.

First, surrender to God—come to Him; it is too late in earth’s history to be lukewarm. The time is coming when persecution will begin and the decree will go forth to worship the beast and his image. Unless your heart has been renewed by God’s Spirit, you will respond just as Peter did and deny your Lord. You will say, “Leave me alone; I do not know what you are talking about.”

It is not enough to attend church and pay tithe. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Luke 18:11, 12. It is not enough to do all the right things and then compare yourself with others, point out all the things wrong in the church and criticize other brethren for what they eat, what they wear, or what they do. There is no time to hit people over the head with the gospel, but to lead them to Jesus who stands at the door patiently and knocks (Revelation 3:20), offering an invitation to those who overcome as He did to sit with Him on His throne with His Father.

It is time now to, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” II Corinthians 13:5. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see that we can relate with Peter before his true conversion, but we need not stay in that condition. Today, the Saviour is waiting to open the door. Why don’t you let Him come in?

Without Christ, we are nothing!

Pastor Domingo Nuñez is Director of Outreach Ministry for Steps to Life. He is involved in the coordination of world mission projects and he travels extensively, encouraging the many home churches supported by Steps to Life. He can be contacted at: 316-788-5559 or by email at: domingonunez@stepstolife.org.

Final Signposts

Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 24 but we are going to re-examine the chapter. To give some background to the events mentioned in Matthew 24 it is good to look at Matthew 23, where Jesus condemned the Jewish church—God’s church, that had been given the truth. They had been blessed with prophecies and prophets had been sent to instruct them. They had the word of God in their midst, yet they had backslidden so much that God could not recognize them or use them as His own church any longer.

They were in much darkness and were about to murder God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. In Matthew 23, we read that Jesus condemned their church, their ministry, and their educational work. He told them that they travel across the continent and the ocean to find a soul, bring him or her into their church but make them worse than they were before (verse 15). With tears in His eyes He said, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64.

As He left the church, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matthew 23:37. Jesus said, “You have stoned My prophets and you are about to kill Me. You have denied the voice of the Holy Spirit. What more could I have done?” The apostles had been listening to what Jesus had said, and it made them very nervous. If He had departed the synagogue and was never going to return, what was going to happen to them?

As Jesus rested at the mount of Olives, the last place where the whole scene of Jerusalem was visible, the disciples asked Him the meaning of what He had said: “You are acting as if you will never return to the church. What will be our future? What about Your becoming King for us?” Jesus looked at the church once more. It was very beautiful. No other nation had a temple that was as magnificent. Looking at His church, which God had appointed and raised up, He said, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. “The building, which you call the temple of God, will be desecrated, destroyed completely.” The disciples were shocked. Then they asked Jesus if it would be the end of the world if that happened. They just could not think of the destruction of God’s church, and they asked Jesus to tell them what would be the sign of the destruction of God’s temple; what would be the sign of His returning and the sign of the end of the world.

In Matthew 24, we see that the time in which we are living is right at the end of the signs that were given. The content of the words of Jesus in this prophecy has already been fulfilled before our eyes. If this is the truth, what will be the fate of God’s church? This is a very solemn theme on which we need to contemplate.

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?” Matthew 24:1, 2. One thing must be made clear—the church is not the denomination; it is not the brick and mortar. The church is not the building or organization. The church is the people of God who believe the word of God and keep His commandments. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all of these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This temple will be thrown down completely.

This was such a shock to the disciples that they could not understand. We must apply this to ourselves today. Certainly the temple was beautiful, one of the most beautiful buildings built by human hands, but it was destroyed by the invasion of the Roman armies exactly as Jesus Christ had described, and it became desolate.

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple and the disciples put that together with the end of the world. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Verses 3–6.

Up until the present time, all has been fulfilled through the Christian era. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, these signs were fulfilled. But look at Matthew 24:7 and 8. It says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Don’t you know that we right now are in the season of sorrows and the season of calamities? As we study and read Matthew 24, many times we miss the points. These are points to which we must pay attention.

Earthquakes and famines and pestilences have been in the world for a long time, so how can they be the sign of Jesus’ coming at the end of the world? Jesus gave a clue for only those Christians who are eagerly searching to find truth. He said, “in diverse places.”

There have been earthquakes all throughout human history. So why do they become a sign of Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world? Because He said that these earthquakes and famines and pestilences—these three things—are going to simultaneously happen in diverse places of the world. There have been pestilences, and illnesses that cannot be cured. There are many pestilences in the world right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia, United States), reports that at least 240 occur per year. There are famines, pestilences and earthquakes going on at the same time in different/diverse places. Our day is the time about which Jesus was talking, and He said that all of these things are the beginning of sorrows.

“These things [events] are the result of drops from the vials of God’s wrath being sprinkled on the earth, and are but faint representations of what will be in the near future.

“Earthquakes in various places have been felt, but these disturbances have been very limited. … Terrible shocks will come upon the earth, and the lordly palaces erected at great expense will certainly become heaps of ruins.

“The earth’s crust will be rent by the outbursts of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth. These elements, once broken loose, will sweep away the treasures of those who for years have been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions at starvation prices from those in their employ.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 391.

There is a vast gap between the rich and the poor, and it is getting bigger and wider. God is soon going to release the winds from the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1), and tremendous destruction is going to sweep over the land. “The elements of nature are to be placed in the power of angels of God. He holdeth the winds in His fists.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 220.

Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, United States) is sitting on a volcano. This park is very interesting to visit with its beautiful scenery, but under the surface is an active volcano with boiling magma causing it to shoot hot spring water high into the air. This is just part of the Lord’s arsenal that He will use in the last day of destruction, which will be devastating. The destruction on that day will be ten thousand times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima, Japan. Lands, houses, everything will be gone.

We are living in a time that is close to this destruction—it is very close! Our only protection on that day is to be connected with the God of heaven. How do we get that connection? The first thing is to make a total surrender to the Lord, giving Him all of our faults, confessing all of our sins and forsaking them while Jesus is still ministering in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. Life is a precious gift from God—do not waste this opportunity. Give your whole heart to Jesus. If you love the things of the world, forsake them. If there are any idols or unforsaken sins, give them to Jesus. Be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ; He is still holding back the close of probation for that last sinner to repent.

The signs pointing to the end are all around us. Look at all of the pestilences, the incurable diseases like the bird flu, the swine flu and mad cow disease. The 1918 flu epidemic went for two years and killed about 25 million people. Any of these kinds of things can happen. We are living in the beginning of sorrows.

During 2010 there were record-breaking snowstorms in the United States of America and also record-breaking rainfalls and tornadoes, many in the same regions. There have been recent earthquakes and tsunamis, and we are told that the earth’s axis was tilted eight inches during one big earthquake. The earthquake in Chili (February 27, 2010) caused the earth’s axis to tilt three inches. The earthquake in Haiti (January 12, 2010) caused floods that destroyed so much, and China also has been devastated with flooding that started during early May 2010. There was a major flood also in Fargo, North Dakota (United States), in March 2010. Poland also suffered flooding—dams were submerged and towns were destroyed (May 2010). A violent late winter storm with fierce rain and hurricane-strength winds devastated many cities in western Europe (February 2010). But Jesus said these are just the beginning of sorrows! These are very strange phenomena we are experiencing, with very different changes in weather patterns in many regions of the world.

Remember the recent volcano erruption in Iceland (April 2010), which resulted in so much volcanic ash in the sky that airline flights were cancelled for seven days? Many companies lost billions of dollars and some went bankrupt because of the problem. Right at that time, the European Parliament had invited Roman Catholic Bishops and other church leaders to start a movement called Work Free Sunday Law Legislation. God is warning the people with signs, and while the talks were being held, the ashes covered the whole sky. A coincidence? I do not think so!

There are many of God’s people still in Babylonian churches who are seeking for the truth and for the true church. There are people in our ranks who have the Spirit of Prophecy books but have not read them. Ellen White says, “There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 386, 387.

There are people in our churches who are just warming the pews. They do not read the Spirit of Prophecy books and apply the precious truths in them to their lives. But God has His hand on His remnant people, even in Roman Catholic churches and many other churches, waiting for the right time to bring them together.

Ellen White refers to the eleventh hour workers. The search for these workers is continuous. They are about to come out to join God’s people and receive the latter rain to enable us to go out and give the loud cry to the world. “For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives.” Ibid., 387.

We are in the midst of the season of calamity. Actually we are in the middle of a crisis. The mark of the beast is beginning in the European countries and other nations. The true crisis—the true Sunday law, the true mark of the beast persecution—will begin from the United States of America, according to prophecy of Revelation 13, and then will spread to different regions of the world. Then the eleventh hour workers, who are about to come out of both the Catholic and Protestant churches, will come to the front. They will come out girding themselves with the whole armor of God, exalting His law and adhering to the faith of Jesus. Here is the patience of the saints; they keep God’s commandments and have the faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:12). They will also maintain the cause of religious liberty that the reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives. This means they are going to fight the battle of religious freedom in the day of the crisis of the Sunday law. We are in a crisis—the season of calamities has begun.

Jesus Christ is coming soon, and the Sunday law will come so soon that it will be an overwhelming surprise. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9. We need to pray as we have never prayed before. These things are no longer far from us.

“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude.

“The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.

The things that are taking place right now are happening rapidly.

Has there been in the past any generation of true Christians, the true church, that has been hated and persecuted by all nations? No. They have been hated by some nations, but not by all nations. God’s true church will be hated by all nations for Jesus’ namesake at the time of the Sunday law. There will be only two groups of people remaining in the world—one who will receive the seal of the living God, and the other group, the vast majority who will receive the mark of the beast. At that time the true remnant church will be hated by all nations, by those who receive the mark of the beast fulfilling the words of Jesus in Matthew 24.

Jesus, talking about the generation living here, right now, says, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Verses 10, 11. Some of us will be like Judas Iscariot and sell their Lord and their brothers and their sisters for some worldly benefit. If we want to avoid that kind of treachery, let us keep our hearts in Jesus today. We must wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Righteousness is a powerful experience where Jesus sows the seed into our hearts, and we become like Him in our hearts and in our actions. Sanctification is the process of carrying out the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and souls; that is, living a holy life, true righteousness.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” He that will endure long-suffering in faithfulness and loyalty shall be saved. This is the patience of the saints. This is the time for us to prepare. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Verses 11–14.

Right now we are living in these things. All of the signs are being fulfilled around us; earthquakes, pestilences and famines are taking place in diverse places simultaneously in the world right now. Soon we will be hated by all nations, and then false prophets will arise and the evil angels will appear in the form of dead people such as John the Baptist, Elijah, Enoch or Daniel. Evil angels will thus appear and deceive the people.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.” Matthew 24:23–25.

After all of this phenomena, Satan will appear and counterfeit Christ, and he will deceive the whole world. This is coming in the very near future. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:9–14. Only by the power of the latter rain, the power from on high, will we be able to finish the work of the gospel of the kingdom, and then the end shall come.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Verses 33, 34. What things will be seen? Earthquakes, pestilences, famines taking place simultaneously in various places in the world. The generation who is watching these happen at the same time in diverse places will be hated of all nations and will be sold and betrayed by their former brothers and sisters. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” Verse 45. That meat is the present truth for this time—the Three Angels’ Messages—that need to be preached.

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verses 48–51.

To “eat and drink with the drunken” means to accept the wine of Babylon. People will be drunk with the error, the wine of Babylon, and smite their good fellows. The Bible says these are evil servants. I am so thankful for the wonderful mercy and grace of my Lord and for the opportunity we have to serve Him. Jesus is coming very soon. May the will of Jesus be done in my life and in your life.

Pastor David Kang is Director of Light for Life Ministry operating out of Georgia, U.S.A. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors. Pastor Kang may be contacted by telephone at: 706-377-1004.

The Widow and the Unjust Judge

In the last verse of the Gospel of John, it says that in addition to what is written, there are many other things that Jesus did. In fact, he said that if they were all written down, the world itself could not contain the books that could be written.

There were many incidents in the life of Jesus that are recorded, but of the stories that He told and the miracles that He worked, there are seventy-five recorded. In Matthew 9 you can read how He went through all the cities and villages healing people. Ellen White says in the book The Desire of Ages that there were whole villages where you could go without finding one sick person, because Jesus had passed through town and healed every sick person in that town. (See The Desire of Ages, 241.)

I doubt that there is a single village or town of any size in the United States today where there is not a single sick person. The few miracles that are recorded were the ones that the Holy Spirit inspired to write down because of special significance.

In Luke 17, starting at verse 21, Jesus related to His disciples not only the truth about His second coming, but also conditions in the world in the last day just before He would return.

Note that when the Bible was written, there were no chapter and verse divisions, so this account continues into the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus said that in the last days it would be like it was in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot and gives a number of counsels. Luke 17:33 says, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

Luke 18:2–5 tells the story about a lady whose husband had died, leaving her in debt. Her adversaries had come and taken everything she had, and she was in a position where she did not know how she was going to get it back. It says, “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while.” Verses 2–4. The judge persistently repulsed the woman. Again and again she was treated with contempt, and he continually said “No.”

Jesus described the judge as being unrighteous and unjust. The woman was in trouble and needed help, but he refused to help her. In this parable Jesus describes the situation that His children will go through in the last days. The woman did not give up; she persistently kept going back to the judge. Ellen White wrote, “It was Christ who gave the pleading widow courage and determination before the judge.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 175.

Many people at times have been short-circuited by the legal system. This was the widow’s experience. She kept going to the only place that she could go in this world to get help, and though she was continually refused and could not get the help she needed, she just kept asking. Finally, something happened. Luke 18:4 and 5 continue, “Afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” This judge was selfish, but to save his own reputation he gave in to her demand. He was afraid that if she came too many times, eventually there might be some publicity about this, and his partial one-sided judgment might become open to the public. To save his reputation, though he had no pity or compassion, he decided to avenge her to get rid of her.

This story is not only to demonstrate the kind of legal system that His children will have to deal with, especially in the last days, but also to draw a contrast between this earthly judge and the Judge that we have in heaven. Notice what Jesus said in verses 6–8:

“Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’ ”

This is one of the most striking stories in the Bible about the conditions in the world in the last days just before Jesus comes. Notice how it ends in the last part of verse 8: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” What is the implication of that statement? Jesus said in Luke 17 that it would be like the days of Noah, and it would be like the days of Lot, and now He says when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Does this text sound like all the world is going to be converted before the Lord comes? No, it sounds like just the opposite. It sounds just like in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot.

Jesus describes our heavenly Father in exactly the opposite way as the unjust judge. The unjust judge would not do anything to help, but verses 7 and 8 of Luke 18 say, “Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him … I tell you that He will avenge them.” How? “Speedily.”

The widow, having lost her husband, was alone in the world with no one to help her. In the same way, because of the sin of our first parents, all on this planet have lost their connection with God, and we have no means to save our self except through Jesus Christ. Because of the infinite price that has been paid on the cross of Calvary, the elect of God are dear to His heart, and when we are in trouble and make an appeal to God, that appeal will be heard. And it will be answered.

It may not be answered in just the way that we think or expect. There are some experiences where it seems as if our prayers are not being heard or are not being answered, but it is for us to believe by faith. David also went through some similar trying experiences in his life. While being chased and hunted like a wild beast, he came to a point that he was perplexed as to what to do. Whom could he trust? Would somebody else betray him? He had lost confidence in everybody.

“He saw in every man a spy and a betrayer. In a great emergency David had looked up to God with a steady eye of faith, and had vanquished the Philistine giant. He believed in God, he went in His name. But as he had been hunted and persecuted, perplexity and distress had nearly hidden his heavenly Father from his sight.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 657. In this condition, David made some very serious mistakes. But, “Oh, what a God is ours, who deals gently with the erring and manifests His patience and tenderness in adversity, and when we are overwhelmed with some great sorrow!

“Every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance, we must look up; there is light beyond the darkness.” Ibid.

“God works out His plans, though to human eyes they are veiled in mystery. Men cannot understand the ways of God; and, looking at appearances, they interpret the trials and tests and provings that God permits to come upon them as things that are against them, and that will only work their ruin.” Ibid., 672.

There are many people today who continually have this kind of perplexity. “David looked on appearances, and not at the promises of God. He doubted that he would ever come to the throne. Long trials had wearied his faith and exhausted his patience.” Ibid. David had suffered through long trials, being hunted like a wild beast by the king of Israel for approximately ten years. This, no doubt, felt as if it was going to last forever.

When I first started working at Steps to Life, my family was living in north Texas about 380 miles from the ministry. Because of the long commute, I went home one to three times a month. I remember, after I had done that for over three years, that in my mind I would ask, “Well, Lord, how long am I going to keep doing this?” Now it didn’t happen forever. No trial that you have in this world is going to be forever, though at times it seems that way while you are going through it and you don’t know how you are ever going to get out of the situation. That is also the way it seemed to David, and that is the way it looked to this poor widow. Concerning David, “Long trials had wearied his faith and exhausted his patience.” Ibid.

Remember, this is a story that applies to God’s people in the last days. The widow said to the unjust judge, “Avenge me of my adversary.” Who was her adversary? The word Satan comes from the Hebrew word, saw-tawn. It is an exact transliteration of the Hebrew word that is a name for the devil, which means, your adversary.

As the woman pleaded, God’s children plead and say, “Lord, avenge me of my adversary. I need help and I can’t help myself; I cannot get out of the situation that I am in, and I don’t know how long it is going to go on. Lord, please deliver me from this.”

The Bible says that God will avenge His own elect speedily.

In Zechariah 3, there is a story recorded where Satan stands up to oppose God’s children. He is their adversary and wants to destroy them. Satan does not simply work alone, but he has many agents. When God’s children pray, “Avenge me of my adversary,” their adversary is the devil and his agents. Those agents are the majority of human beings in this world, and they are working out some social conditions that will exist in the last days. James describes this, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded.” James 5:1–3. This could be translated rusted or cankered. In other words, it is not pure anymore; it has become destroyed.

It “will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” Verses 3, 4. Sabaoth is a Hebrew word that means hosts, the Lord of hosts, or the Lord of armies. “You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just [the righteous person]; he does not resist you.” Verses 5, 6.

The situation described here did not exist in the world in 1750. It started in the United States of America with the slave trade. Abraham Lincoln had some interesting things to say about it. He saw the inequity in the workplace and queried if it was right for one man to work for 70 cents a day and for another man in the same company to be making 70 dollars a day.

This is the kind of world that we live in today, full of oppression and extortion so there are some classes in the world that are starving. I have met people in Africa with children, men who have told me that they cannot afford to eat more than one meal a day. In Isaiah 59:14 it says, “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” What do you do when, because of the legal system and because of the social system, some become wealthy and others cannot survive? Maybe you are on the short end of the stick and you are in a situation where you do not know how you are going to survive. What will you do?

In Psalm 50:15 it says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble.” If you and I are going to survive until the end of the world, we are going to have to learn how to pray. When we get into difficulty and there is no way out, we are going to have to learn how to call upon the Lord and to depend upon Him to solve our problem, rather than depending on human beings. The temptation is always to depend on human beings to solve our problem. When we are in difficulty, we think that we need a physician. Physicians, lawyers, or even insurance agents certainly have their place, but the kinds of troubles that God’s people are going to have to deal with in the very last days are not going to be solved by physicians or lawyers or insurance agents.

Those who endure to the end will live by faith. In Hebrews 11:33, 34 it says, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Ellen White comments on this text in Christ’s Object Lessons, 172. She says,

“The children of God are not left alone and defenseless. Prayer moves the arm of Omnipotence. Prayer has ‘subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire’—we shall know what it means when we hear the reports of the martyrs who died for their faith—‘turneth to flight the armies of the aliens’ (Hebrews 11:33, 34).”

Remember, when you pray you have an audience in the chamber of the One who is the most high God, who has absolute authority and power over the whole universe. Ellen White said, “We shall know what it means.” In other words, we do not know now; we do not know what it means, but we will know what it means when we hear the reports of the martyrs who died for their faith. There are some texts in the Bible we do not now understand. “By faith they quenched the violence of fire”? We do not know what it means, but she says, we will know what it means when we hear the reports of the martyrs who died for their faith.

In Christ’s Object Lessons, 173, it says, “If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision.” Have you surrendered your life to the Lord?

I do not know what situation you are experiencing. I meet a lot of people who describe to me situations that I can scarcely comprehend even after they describe them to me. I do not know what kind of trouble you are facing, but it is impossible that you could be in a situation where God has not made provision to help you.

As long as we are in this world, we are going to have problems on the outside. Jesus wants to come back and take His children out of the world to where there will not be any more trouble. We want to be delivered from the devil’s power. The widow said, “Avenge me of my adversary.” We want to be delivered from the devil’s power that is all around us and is causing so much trouble. But here is the problem. In Christ’s Object Lessons, 174, 175, it says,

“Christ desires nothing so much as to redeem His heritage from the dominion of Satan. But before we are delivered from Satan’s power without, we must be delivered from his power within.”

That is the reason why we are still here. It is not that Jesus does not want to come back and get us out of this place, but before He can deliver us from the devil’s power on the outside, we must first be delivered from the power within. He said, “When you cleanse the cup, first cleanse the inside, then you can clean the outside.” Remember what He said in Matthew 23:28, “That’s the trouble with you Pharisees. You look good on the outside, but inside you are full of all kinds of corruption. You are full of hypocricy and lawlessness.” (Literal translation.) He said to clean up first what’s on the inside; then get the outside clean. Man’s way is always to try to make himself/herself look good on the outside. Keep up the appearance! Whole industries in the world are devoted to glossing over any imperfection in order to make us look good on the outside. But Jesus wants us to look good on the inside. Where is your heart? What is going on in your heart? Are you delivered from Satan’s power within?

Maybe you are troubled because of the power of temptations on the inside, and like David, it just seems as if your patience, your faith, has just been exhausted and there is just nothing left. Some may have prayed for so long for something that they say, “Lord, I cannot keep going.” Keep holding on; there are invisible armies of light and power who attend the meek and lowly ones who believe and claim the promises of God. These angel visitants keep a record of every detail of your life. They know every trial that you are going through.

They are also measuring your character development. Are you getting free from the power of the devil inside? A sure record is kept of any injustice or cruelty that is done whether mental, spiritual, or physical. Paul said, in his letter to the Hebrews, “A little time is going to pass for yet a very little time and then the One who shall come will come and He will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37, literal translation. But James says, “The husbandman who waits for the precious fruit of the earth has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. You be patient and establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is drawing near.” James 5:7, 8, literal translation.

God is doing a mighty work in the world. He is getting people ready in the midst of all of their troubles. The Bible says that we must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). God is working out a plan in your life to prepare you for heaven. Jesus said, “He will avenge them speedily, though He bear long with them.” Luke 18:7, literal translation.

Because of God’s long forbearance, men have become bold in trampling upon His authority. And they say what the Psalmist said, “Well, does God really know? Does He know what I am doing?” But there is a line beyond which they cannot pass. This also applies to nations. The United States as a nation has gone through a number of crises in the last few years. These crises are increasing both in number and also speed. Nations, families and individuals are in trouble more today than in any time that I can remember. God has often permitted matters to reach a crisis so that His interference might be more marked. We are fast coming to a time when the defiance of God’s law is almost universal. In talking to religious people, they talk as if we have the authority to adjust it. It would be a fearful thing in the Day of Judgment to be asked why liberty was taken to adjust something in His law. That is a question that I do not ever want to be asked.

The time is coming when man will change and adjust the law of God. Ironically, the only part they want to change and adjust is the very heart of the law and the longest commandment in the law. Jesus said it would be easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a part of a letter to fail (Matthew 5:18). Very soon God is going to say to His children, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:20, 21.

The Lord is coming, and when He comes the widow who could not get justice is going to be avenged of her adversary, the devil. The widow represents God’s people, His church, His flock, His fold, who in this world have been destitute, afflicted, and tormented. But the day is coming, the Bible says, when God will be Judge Himself, and when that happens, the decisions of all the unjust judges in the world, whether in the church or the state, will be reversed.

Whatever cross you have borne, whatever loss you have sustained, whatever persecution you have suffered, even if you have lost your life, Jesus is going to recompense you. In Hebrews 11, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, because he had respect unto the recompense of the reward (verse 25, 26). What is the recompense of the reward? Jesus said, in Matthew 19:29, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”

The story of the widow and the unjust judge is a story from which, when studied, we may find great comfort. Jesus said that God is going to avenge His own elect, speedily. He is going to deliver them and give them a reward for what they have suffered in this world.

Whatever trouble or trial you may be going through right now, I encourage you to cry out to the God of heaven. Remember, prayer moves the arm of omnipotence, and your prayer will not be lost. It may not be answered immediately the way you think, but your prayer will never be lost. It will always be answered.

Commit your life to the Lord, to His service. If you do, you can never be placed in a situation in this world for which God has not made provision. If you commit yourself to Him, He is going to save you. The question is not whether God will hear your prayers. The question is, “When you are in trouble, will you keep praying?”

[Bible texts quoted are NKJV translation, unless noted otherwise.]

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

Editorial – Remember the Sabbath Day…

There are three major positions that Christians take concerning the Sabbath of the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8–11). The majority position of Christians today is that the Sabbath does not need to be kept for a variety of reasons.

The most straightforward reason is the reason that has been given by Roman Catholic theologians, namely: “Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) [other sources say 364] transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” Peter Gehermann, The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Second Edition, 1910, p. 50.

Other reasons given are that Sunday is observed in honor of Christ’s resurrection and simply because it has become a custom to worship God on this day or to rest on this day. Scholars have attempted to prove that the apostles, especially the apostle Paul, actually instigated the change but there is no real proof of this, as we will later see.

There are two minority positions taken by Christians today concerning the Sabbath. The first one is that we need to keep the law of Moses, which, of course, includes the seventh day Sabbath, and all the other laws written by Moses. The second minority position is that there are actually two codes of law in the Old Testament—one which is eternal, moral and unchangeable and the other which was temporary for the dispensation of the Old Covenant and not in force anymore.

Interestingly, proponents of all three positions have gone to the early and later church fathers, ancient Christian sources, for support of their position. Before investigating further, we need to know what sources we are going to depend on for authority. The Roman Catholic position is that tradition has authority as well as the Bible and not only written tradition but oral tradition. The Protestant position is that only the Bible should have authority in matters of faith and doctrine.

“The grand principle maintained by these Reformers—the same that had been held by the Waldenses, by Wycliffe, by John Huss, by Luther, Zwingli, and those who united with them—was the infallible authority of the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice. They denied the right of popes, councils, Fathers, and kings, to control the conscience in matters of religion.” The Great Controversy, 249.