Issue: 2003 December

Restoring the Temple – Winter Health and Safety

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“Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.” —Leviticus 25:18.

For most of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, wintertime means months of cold weather. Folks living in the Southeastern or Southern United States may not feel much of a chill, but this time of year can be particularly hazardous to the Northerners around the world. Unless carefully planned for, cold weather can expose us to injury and illness. Vehicle accidents account for 70 percent of the reported snow and ice injuries. Another 25 percent of cold-weather injuries occur when people are caught outside in a storm. Most snow/ice injuries happen to males over the age of 40. Injuries related to cold occur to people over the age of 60 in 50 percent of the cases. More than 75 percent of cold injuries occur to males, and about 20 percent happen in the home.

Exposure to cold can lead to hypothermia or frostbite. Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops to below 95° F (35° C). Hypothermia can be deadly, but for those who survive, the resulting kidney, liver, and pancreas problems can be lifelong. Some of the danger signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, disorientation, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness, dizziness, and exhaustion.

Frostbite is damage to the tissues of the body caused by cold. The cells of this damaged tissue are dead or dying, so it is important for a person experiencing frostbite to seek medical help immediately. Signs of frostbite include loss of feeling and a grey, white, or pale appearance to the extremities, especially the fingers, toes, ears, and nose. The skin must be rewarmed as soon as possible.

Frostbite and hypothermia can occur even when the temperatures are not extremely low. Wind chill is a phenomenon that can cause these injuries quickly. Wind chill is not the actual temperature but how the combination of wind and cold feel. A wind chill factor of -20° F (-28.8° C), for instance, will cause frostbite within only 30 minutes.

If medical help is not available, warm the person slowly, beginning first with the torso and head. Warming the extremities first can drive cold blood to the heart and cause it to fail. Help the person into dry clothing and wrap them with blankets, including the head and neck. You may have to use your own body heat to help warm them. The person may be given warm, but not hot, fluids. Do not give them food, alcohol, caffeine, or drugs.

Clearly, it is best to be prepared for the expected and, when possible, the unexpected. When going outside in cold weather, dress in layers. If you become warm, you can always take off layers, but have the extra clothing available if it is needed. Since half of our body heat is lost from the head, wear a hat. The hat should also cover the ears for added protection. Mittens will keep hands and fingers warmer than will gloves, but you may want to have gloves available, if you have to use your fingers. It is very important to keep your feet warm and dry, so wear waterproof, insulated boots with a good tread to keep you from slipping.

If you get wet, remove the wet clothing and warm the core body temperature as soon as possible. Avoid overexertion in the cold. Perspiration can lead to chilling and hypothermia. Also, the strain to the body from the cold and the hard work can cause a heart attack.

At home and at work, the major concerns during a storm are loss of electrical power, telephone service, and supply shortage. Be prepared by keeping the following items available for just such an occasion: flashlight and extra batteries, battery-powered radio, extra food and water, extra medicine, baby supplies, first-aid supplies, heating fuel, emergency heat source (ventilate rooms and use properly to prevent fires), fire extinguisher, and smoke alarm. In addition, you will want to have food, water, and shelter for any animals for which you are responsible.

Traveling by vehicle can be hazardous in cold weather, even if it is not icy outside. Plan your trip well, and avoid traveling during storms or when bad weather is predicted. Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition and winterized. To avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines, keep your gas tank full. The following is a list of what a Winter Storm Kit should contain, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Red Cross:

  • Mobile phone, charger, batteries
  • Blankets/sleeping bags
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • First-aid kit
  • Knife
  • High-calorie, non-perishable food
  • Extra clothing to keep dry and warm
  • Large, empty can to use as emergency toilet
  • Tissues and paper towels for sanitary purposes
  • Small can and waterproof matches to melt snow for drinking water
  • Sack of sand or cat litter for traction
  • Shovel
  • Windshield scraper and brush
  • Tool kit
  • Tow rope
  • Battery booster cables
  • Water container
  • Compass and road maps

It is important to plan ahead. It does not take a lot of effort to do the minimal for safety. Even the animals and insects plan ahead! “The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.” Proverbs 30:25. Take a little extra time to prepare yourself and your family or others to have a safe winter.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. She may be contacted by e-mail at: sbeaudryrn@hotmails.com. If there is a health-related question you would like answered in LandMarks, please e-mail your question to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.

Lessons from the Book of Amos, Part I

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For Three Times and Four

Amos was a very interesting prophet. He was simple. He was direct. He was willing to do God’s will when he was called to prophetic ministry. At the time Amos was called to ministry, the nation of Israel had been in existence for approximately 700 years. By this time in history, the nation had been up and down so many times on the scale of apostasy that it almost seemed second nature to them. Their spiritual ride had been like that of a roller coaster, which achieves great heights and then, all of a sudden, plunges down into its lowest depths.

The nation of Israel had split under the rulership of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. The ten Northern tribes had left, falling under the leadership of Jeroboam. Nearly 200 years had passed from this split to the time of Amos.

Apostasy had deepened once again; conditions in both the Northern and the Southern kingdoms were poor. Apostasy seemed to be in the very air the children of Israel were breathing, and as far as God was concerned, it was almost as though His people had become incorrigible.

In this study, we are going to learn some things about the care that God takes over the earth. There is no question that God loves His people, but God also loves the world. Both comprise His creation. He watches the birds. The Bible tells us that not even a sparrow falls without God’s notice. Each hair on our head has been numbered. (Matthew 10:29, 30.) God takes care of His creation. Whether we are classed in Israel or classed in the world, God knows everything about us.

God is willing to go a long way for His people. This is why we are told, in John 3:16, that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son . . . .” God is willing to go the second, the third, and the fourth mile many, many times—even when we are not worthy of His doing so. We find, as we read the history of the Old Testament and the writings of the New Testament, that God was willing to do more than His children could even imagine.

Introduction to Amos

Amos 1:1 says, “The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.” Here is the introduction to the Book of Amos.

Bible names had meanings, and often, when a prophet’s name was given to him or her, it described the work that God had called the prophet to do.

The name Amos means bearer, or burden, or heavy. His given name was prophetically significant to the work that he was called to do. He was to bring a heavy message. It was weighty, and the burden of the words was weightier still.

In looking at the life of Ellen White, at times the burden of delivering some messages given to her became so heavy that she expressed a desire to die rather than deliver them. (See Selected Messages, Book 3, 36, 37.) She, however, had committed herself to be faithful and obedient to God. This perhaps gives us a little insight as to where Amos found himself—a messenger with a weighty message.

Heavy Message

Of course, that is nothing new. God has always laid heavy messages upon His messengers. Jonah, you may remember, ran away from his burden because of the weight of the words that God had given him to deliver. He took a “submarine ride,” crash-landed on the shore, and still had to deliver the message! His attempt to avoid delivering this given message from God did not change the message. (See Jonah 1, 2.)

Amos had a heavy message. It was not an easy message, but Amos did not run away from delivering it. Dealing with apostasy is never an easy matter. There is probably nothing more difficult than dealing with issues where one is unsure what the reactions will be of the individuals receiving the message.

Amos, it tells us in verse one, was a sheepherder. He lived in a small town called Tekoa, which was about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was located in the Southern kingdom of Judah, but the message that Amos was given was directed, for the most part, to the Northern kingdom. Two possible reasons for this could have been that God could not have found a prophet in the Northern kingdom, or that the Bible principle that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country applied here. (See John 4:44.) God called Amos from the south and sent him to the north, hoping that somehow His children might listen to a stranger, a prophet of God who had a message for them.

At this time, Israel, that having been the ten Northern tribes where Amos had been called to minister the Word, was still intact. Israel was at its highest splendor; they had reached a peak of national prosperity. The reality of the matter was that they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing. (Revelation 3:17.) That is a very desperate position in which to be! The simplicity, which had characterized the national life, was completely gone. The problem is that prosperity so often brings a whole host of evil in its wake. Many have been the stories of people who have said, “You know, when I was poor and down and out, I was closer to the Lord than when I became prosperous.”

A class of nobles, in defiance of the Mosaic Law, had arisen in the nation of Israel. This class possessed large estates into which was swept the smaller holdings of the lower classes. To make matters worse, they began to oppress the masses that had sunken into a condition of poverty, and in some cases, they actually participated in slavery of their fellow brethren. They had adopted the social and political conditions of the world, and this they had incorporated into their way of life and into their thinking.

Show of Worship

While all of these terrible social conditions, oppressions, and cruelties were transpiring, there was still a show of worship taking place.

When considering the ten Northern tribes, we often perceive that, upon splitting from the other tribes, they apostatized and began to worship idols, but that was not really the case. They still kept up a position of worship in spite of their inclusion in all of the pressing things of the world. The Israelites would make their way to places of worship on Sabbath; they would bring their tithes and their offerings. The flow of social life, on the surface, was going on just as it had for centuries. The flow of their religious life was going on just as it had for centuries. It seemed that all was well on the outside, but man does not see as God sees. God sees into the heart. What God saw there was of such an alarm that it called for Him to get Amos to go north and deliver a message.

“And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” Amos 1:2. We need to realize that the place of residence for God was Jerusalem. It was not some city in the north such as Bethel or Dan. The house of worship was at Jerusalem. At Bethel and Dan, Jeroboam had built golden calves so that the people could worship there and not have to go to Jerusalem. (See 1 Kings 12:27–30.)

A Certain Theme

You may notice, as you read the first two chapters of Amos, that a theme is repeated over and over again. The end of this theme directs the attention toward the punishment that is to come. One of the things we need to understand is that God is very tolerant, to a point. When that point is reached, there is no more toleration.

The theme that is used in the first two chapters of Amos is not new to the writings of the Hebrews. One thing of interest, as you read through the scriptures, is that each author seemed to use a theme device to get his point across, and sometimes the theme was borrowed from another writer. Amos perhaps borrowed his theme from the Canaanites. The Canaanites used theme devices in their writings, as we may discover, going back into antiquity. The theme device that Amos used was a popular way of describing the level of tolerance that would be reached. The saying that the Canaanites used, and it seemed to be almost a universal saying, was “for two transgressions and for three.”

Amos takes this same theme and stretches it a little bit. He tries to describe that God has given them every chance, every opportunity He possibly can for them to repent and come back to Him. So the theme of Amos is showing the longsuffering nature of God. But even with God, the limit can be reached. The prophet wanted us to understand that we cannot go on sinning and sinning without expecting to have some measure of punishment meted out to us, so he said, “for three transgressions and four.” (Amos 1:3.) This is the way God is trying to say, “I want to save you for the kingdom.”

In Amos 1 and 2, six nations are mentioned, and God had tried to work with each of them at some point in time. He had tried to save them for His kingdom. One thing we can see in all of this is that God will only allow things to go so far, and then the line is drawn. God cannot be pushed and pushed and pushed to extend the time of probation. He draws a line and says, “If the line is crossed, it is all over.”

Damascus

What was it that filled up the cup of Damascus, the first nation that is listed? (See Revelation 18:5, 6.) They had been very cruel to God’s people. In one translation of Amos 1:3, it says that this judgment came upon Damascus because they sawed, with iron saws, women with child. You would think that this kind of crime would call for immediate retribution of some kind, but it took nearly 100 years for this crime to catch up with them. Here we are told that this is the reason their cup was full. God said, “Okay, it is all over.”

In 11 Kings 8:7–12, this event is also mentioned. If you read this passage, you will find that what they did to God’s people was the very punishment that would at some future time come back upon them. It became a fulfillment of the old adage—and we use that same adage today—that says, “What goes around comes around.” God had a way of using that same adage in Old Testament times. He warned that if this is what you have done to His people, mark it down, for it will come back around, and it will happen to you.

If you think there are times you are getting away with something and that God does not notice, you need to think twice. It may not come back upon you right away, but if you continue to persist in that sin, God will use that very sin to punish you, in an effort to encourage you to change your ways.

Psalm 19:9 says, “The judgments of the Lord [are] true [and] righteous altogether.”

Broken Bars

The prophecy in the first chapter of Amos predicted that the bar of Damascus would be broken. (Amos 1:5.) This means that the great bars placed across the city gates to protect the people from their enemies would be broken. The gates would be opened, exposing them to the ravaging nations around them, and the horrendous acts that were committed against God’s people would be repaid by removing all the defenses and allowing the cruelty of their heathen neighbors to seek them out.

It is interesting to consider the simple things God used for correction. All that was needed was for God to snap the bars of the gates, and their punishment could take place. An army did not need to be sent in; He needed only to open the gates and expose the city to the elements.

The foundation of morality is in knowing the true God of heaven. Remove that and the vacuum is filled with hatred. That is a principle of scripture. While the love of God is in place, God provides protection, but when hatred fills the vacuum where love has been, there is no good that can come. It only leaves the animal nature of man to run its course, and the animal nature is very selfish; it is very vicious. It does not regard any life other than its own.

Invariably, the evil things that we hear about daily in the news take place because there is a vacuum—the love of God has been expelled, and the vacuum has been filled with hate. For the least provocation, killing and other atrocities take place. The Lord says there will be a repaying that will come to pass, and it will be kind for kind.

Gaza and Tyre

Gaza was in Philistia, and the Philistines were a perpetual enemy of God’s people. Gaza is mentioned in Amos 1:6–8 as a representative of the nation of Philistia, but their chief cities are also mentioned. It could be that the sin for which Gaza was guilty became the sin of the other cities at a later date, which is why they were included here.

What was Gaza’s sin? The specific crime cited was the capture, enslavement, and sale of some of the people of Israel. Such action could have easily taken place along a border area. Raiders from Gaza could run over the border, capture some Israelites, and sell them—men, women, and children—as slaves. Sometimes they would take whole families.

The Law of Moses required the death penalty for this kind of crime. Kidnapping involving the selling into slavery was recognized as an international cruelty. No matter how often it was practiced in Bible times, it was still a very grievous wrong to steal families or members of families and sell them into a life of slavery. These slaves who were sold to foreigners were still human beings, created in God’s image.

It is unforgivable to use and abuse people for the profit of the mighty or the wealthy. This is why their crime loomed so great in the minds of Joseph’s brothers; it plagued them for many years. They knew their actions had been wrong. Even though the Law of Moses had not yet been given, those laws had been indelibly written in their minds as to how God required people to be treated. So when they took Joseph and sold him into slavery, they knew it was a grievous wrong, not only against their brother, but also against God, and their action haunted them. It would have been a lesser crime, in their minds, to have left him in the pit to die rather than to have sold him as a slave to be used and abused. (See Genesis 37:23–36; Patriarchs and Prophets, 212, 239.)

Amos 1:7 says, “I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof”—the places where luxury and sin abounded. This is where many times God strikes first in His judgment, because those who have reached these positions are usually the worst abusers.

The next nation was Tyre (verses 9, 10), which apparently was guilty of the same sin as Gaza and would suffer the same fate.

Edom

Here is a lesson that God would have us all learn, and learn well. We may not be related by blood the way Israel and Edom were, but nevertheless, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and the bond is, or should be, closer than blood relatives. Edom was involved in the slave-trading process along with all the other nations that were mentioned.

Edom received slaves and merchandised them as if they were animals, but they were blood rela-tives, and that is what made their actions even more grievous in God’s eyes. The relationship of a brother belongs in the realm of loving our neighbors as ourselves. (See Leviticus 19:18.) If this brotherhood is breached and if the great law of love is not protected, this then makes us accountable to God. It is bad enough to hate an enemy; it is worse to hate a friend, but it is worse still to hate a brother. It is a sin against nature.

The Bible says that no man hated his own flesh (Ephesians 5:29), yet because of the depth of sin into which Edom had fallen, the vacuum left from their lack of love was turned into hatred. This hatred caused them to receive as merchandise that human commodity that would be treated with the cruelty and abuse to which no human being should be subjected, especially a brother.

This is why, regardless of where we may find ourselves in our station of life, the brotherhood should be protected above all else. If we are protecting that level of brotherhood, we are fulfilling the second table of God’s Law, and He will honor us for that.

Amos said that Edom pursued with a sword. (Amos 1:11.) They were murderous in their pursuit and cast off all pity. This is what we are going to face in the last days. Think about this for a moment. But for the interposition of God on our part, during the time of trouble of the last days, there will be no one to have any pity of any kind on us. All natural feelings of humanity will go out the window.

This was apparently the condition in the days of Amos. This is why we can learn invaluable lessons as we study the scriptures and why I have always maintained, and will maintain until I am shown differently, that every book of the Bible is a book of last-day events. In every book we can find instruction concerning how we are to relate to issues in the last days. In Amos, we find some very clear instruction regarding these things and the events concerning our future involvement with people who are standing in the breach.

Ammon and Moab

The next ones to feel the thunderbolts hurled down in denunciation were Ammon and Moab. As we work our way through the nations, beholding woe after woe, it seems nothing can get any worse, and yet it does.

Ammon and Moab were children of unnatural and shameful sin. In Genesis 19:30–38, the story is told of how the mothers of these two children, wanting to be like the world and not wanting to stand out as being different, got their father, Lot, drunk, lay with him, and became pregnant. They gave birth to Ammon and to Moab. But as you look at this story, you will see that the main reason for this sin, which became a thorn in the flesh of Israel for centuries, was that they wanted to be like the world. They did not want the experience of being different. Their children, conceived in drunkenness and lewdness, set the stage for the rest of their lives, and we are able to trace the results of this sin down through the ages. We find also, as we begin to trace this family tree, that the sensuousness was passed on to the many generations that followed. It was strengthened, and it was confirmed. It was not faithfully dealt with, so it was perpetuated. According to the Bible, many of the Ammonite women became members of King Solomon’s harem. (See 1 Kings 11:1.) You see what God had to deal with!

There are two kinds of sin: inherited sin and cultivated sin. Our forefathers’ besetting sins are likely to be passed on to us. Now, I am not saying that sins are passed on from father to son. There are, however, inherited characteristics which, at times, seem overpowering to us and which we have great difficulty overcoming. These are most likely the sins that have been passed on to us from our forefathers. The scriptures we have been studying tell us that we need to struggle against such characteristics, with the help of the Holy Spirit, or they are likely to manifest themselves in our children who follow after us.

Ruth, the Moabitess, is a testimony that an inherited sin can be successfully dealt with. She responded to and was trained in a godly, Hebrew family. She allowed the Spirit of God to enter in and to work in her life. As a result, she became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Ruth 1:1–4:17.) This gives us a testimony of the power of overcoming sin.

Judah and Israel

As Amos finishes showering the nations around Israel with woes and judgments, he turns to God’s people, and using the pattern that he had already established, he starts in on them. He uses his theme device—“for three transgressions and for four”—this is the judgment that is going to come. When he finally comes to Judah and to Israel, it is almost as if he screams out, “Are you listening to me? Sit up and take notice, because for three transgressions and for four, you are going to feel the stroke of God.” He wanted to get their attention, because they were next on God’s list.

Here is the real reason for this testimony to the church. Because the Israelites had rejected far greater spiritual light than had the nations around them, they were under far greater condemnation. This is why Amos’ message became so hard, so heavy, and so weighty. It is much easier to condemn someone you do not know than to have to deal with an issue with someone that you do know.

But even though it came closer to home for Amos—to Judah and to Israel—the punishment was just as severe, because “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17. God was going to deal with those people in a different way.

Judah had come under this condemnation because they had violated the Law of God and had refused to keep His commandments. They had knowledge of God, and because of that, their condemnation would be greater. But through it all, God said, “I want you to change.” He wanted them to see Him for who He really was. If they had only been willing to see God for who He really was, a love relationship would have developed, and they would have changed. But they had violated the covenant to such an extent that punishment was inevitable.

Amos 2:9–11 says, “Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, and he [was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. [Is it] not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord.” God is asking, “Is not this the way that I treated you? Did not I treat you right? I want you to respond.” They were going to pay a price for their unfaithfulness. God was telling them that they would be sorry they had not remained faithful.

A Lesson for Us

This again is a lesson for those of us who are going to go through the last days. Only the faithful will make it through the last days, but God is not willing that any should perish. (11 Peter 3:9.) However, God cannot stand by and witness multiplied injustices taking place to the detriment of His work. He will not just stand by and watch that happen.

When people consider what is going on in the remnant church, there is a tendency to feel that God does not care or that He has abandoned His people. But all that is needed is to read the accounting process we see revealed in Amos 1 and 2, and we begin to see that God is still very much interested and still very active. Sometimes it takes a long time for the cup to become full. None of us know how fast our cup is filling, or when it is going to fill. It fills differently for different people. But when the cup is full, mark it down; the Lord is going to roar out of Jerusalem.

The lesson we find portrayed in the first two chapters of Amos is that in these last days, it is only going to be the faithful who are going to make it through. We can be among the faithful. We can allow our cups to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God cares, and He is working. His will is going to be done in all areas. He is preparing a people who are going to come through the trials of the last days without spot, without wrinkle, or without any such thing. (Ephesians 5:27.)

In all areas of scripture, the lesson is basically the same: turn from your sins and be saved all you people of the Lord. (See 11 Chronicles 7:14.) This is what He wants more than anything else, and that is how He wants us to be found—pure and clean and ready to meet Jesus when He comes.

To be continued . . .

Pastor Mike Baugher is Associate Speaker for Steps to Life Ministry. He may be contacted by e-mail at: mikebaugher@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Ellen G. White and Racism, Part II

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It is important that the counsel of Ellen White regarding segregation of the black and the white races be understood within the context of the time and the situation. Slavery had not too long been abolished when she wrote her counsel. See, we must go retrospectively to Mrs. White’s time, and consider the fact that this was a very unpleasant situation for both black people and white people. When she made certain statements under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they were for that time. They were not for all time. Slavery was still deeply rooted in the hearts of the greater number of white people, unrestrained by civil laws that are in effect today.

It was God’s intent that, with the passing of time, the misunderstandings and the negative attitudes and behaviors would be dissolved, and both blacks and whites would live, work, worship, and play together in love, unity, and peace. It was God’s intention that the church, and I am most specifically referring to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, would be the entity that would be the paradigm for such a revival and reformation. Dr. Ciro Sepulveda, in his book Ellen White on the Color Line: Race in a Christian Community (Biblos Press, Leominster, MA, November 1997), highlights that in the 1870s several Adventists were actively advocating putting an end to segregation by starting a model colony where black and white Adventists would live together.

No Visible Color Line

It was reported in the February 1877 issue of the Review and Herald that a white lady in Missouri had a school for Negro children. The students, most of whom were orphans, ranged from 6–24 years of age. Ten of her pupils could read and write. John Harvey Kellogg raised several orphans in his home—African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans, and others. A young Negro man accepted the Seventh-day Adventist message in Reno, Nevada, where Ellen White spoke. He went on to attend what is now known as Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and became the first black pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. All of this would seem to indicate that the color line was certainly not as visible in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1870s and the 1880s as it was in the larger society where white and black students were unable to mingle.

Segregation Came Into the SDA Church

With the passage of time, however, the color line, which Ellen White referred to in her sermon in 1891, had clearly entered the Seventh-day Adventist community. After the death of Mrs. White in 1915, the Seventh-day Adventist Church slowly put on the trappings of a segregated institution. As early as the 1920s, blacks were not permitted to intermingle with whites in many of the institutions run by the church. Black young people from New York City could not go to the Greater New York Conference campgrounds for recreation because of their skin color. At the Review and Herald cafeteria in the General Conference, the skin color of black ministers barred them from walking in the front door. In 1943, the Washington Sanitarium admitted a light-skinned African-American woman as a patient, but when they discovered her identity, she was wheeled out of the hospital—shortly afterward she died of pneumonia.

Not only had the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States become segregated, but also, Ellen White’s counsel was now being used to justify segregation. In his book, Dr. Sepulveda quoted a contemporary of Ellen White, Lewis H. Christian, author of The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, DC, 1947), as saying that Ellen White did not teach the ideas so common today in what is sometimes called “Race Equality.” He said she taught that there should be opportunity for all to advance, but she did not teach that there should be a mingling of the races. He said that she stated very clearly that the colored people should have their own church organization (that has not yet happened) and church buildings. (That also has not yet happened. The buildings in which the black people worship belong to the organization.) Mr. Lewis further stated that some, at first, were opposed to the idea, but experiments have proven that the Spirit of Prophecy was from the Lord. He added that she condemned the idea that there should be mixed marriages between the colored and the whites.

Did Ellen White Change?

Dr. Sepulveda asks the question, “How then do we understand the transformation of Ellen White? How did she go from ardent abolitionist, who opposed the values of the leadership of the country, to a defender of the culture?” He shows that the process that transformed Ellen White did not start with L. H. Christian. In fact, many years before her death, the leaders of the church were becoming more and more unhappy with her Testimonies. Many felt uncomfortable with the pressure that Ellen White was exerting on them. Although a few leaders were willing to challenge her on her position, many were clearly irritated with her. They did not want to hear it.

He goes further to show that it was not only the liberal branch of the church that developed distaste for Ellen White but also the conservative side. So on both sides she was not accepted. She had no friends on either side anymore, because she was dealing with a delicate issue, something that no one wanted to stir up.

Light From Heaven

As early as 1868, Ellen White had written, “From what has been shown me . . . .” No one can dispute that when she says, “I have been shown.” “From what has been shown me, Sabbathkeepers are growing more selfish as they increase in riches. Their love for Christ and His people is decreasing. They do not see the wants of the needy, nor feel their suffering and sorrow. They do not realize that in neglecting the poor and the suffering they neglect Christ, and that in relieving the wants and suffering of the poor as far as possible, they minister to Jesus.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 24.

So what we are dealing with here, my brothers and my sisters, is an attitude problem. People will accept Ellen White’s counsel when it suits them. But when it goes up against their preconceived opinions, they question her credibility and reject the counsel.

Personal Judgment vs. God’s Instruction

She recognized this would happen, and in 1888, she wrote: “You have talked over matters as you viewed them, that the communications from Sister White are not all from the Lord, but a portion is her own mind, her own judgment, which is no better than anybody else’s judgment and ideas. This is one of Satan’s hooks to hang your doubts upon to deceive your soul and the souls of others who will dare to draw the line in this matter and say, this portion which pleases me is from God, but that portion which points out and condemns my course of conduct is from Sister White alone, and bears not the holy signet. You have in this way virtually rejected the whole of the messages, which God in His tender, pitying love has sent to you to save you from moral ruin. . . .

“There is One back of me which is the Lord, who has prompted the message which you now reject and disregard and dishonor. By tempting God you have unnerved yourselves, and confusion and blindness of mind has been the result.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 68, 69.

Additional Counsel

I would like to share with you several Ellen White quotations on the brotherhood of mankind. She wrote: “Whoever of the human family give themselves to Christ, whoever hear the truth and obey it, become children of one family. The ignorant and the wise, the rich and the poor, the heathen and the slave, white or black,—Jesus paid the purchase money for their souls. If they believe on Him, His cleansing blood is applied to them. The black man’s name is written in the book of life beside the white man’s. All are one in Christ. Birth, station, nationality, or color cannot elevate or degrade man. The character makes the man. If a red man [American Indian], a Chinese, or an African gives his heart to God, in obedience and faith, Jesus loves him none the less for his color. He calls him His well-beloved brother.” Ibid., Book 2, 342.

“We are one brotherhood. No matter what the gain or the loss, we must act nobly and courageously in the sight of God and our Saviour. Let us as Christians who accept the principle that all men, white and black, are free and equal, adhere to this principle, and not be cowards in the face of the world, and in the face of the heavenly intelligences. We should treat the colored man just as respectfully as we would treat the white man. And we can now, by precept and example, win others to this course.” Ibid., 343.

All Men are Equal Before God

“Christ recognized no distinction of nationality or rank or creed. . . . Christ came to break down every wall of partition. He came to show that His gift of mercy and love is as unconfined as the air, the light, or the showers of rain that refresh the earth.

“The life of Christ established a religion in which there is no caste, a religion by which Jew and Gentile, free and bond, are linked in a common brotherhood, equal before God. No question of policy influenced His movements. He made no difference between neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies. That which appealed to His heart was a soul thirsting for the waters of life. . . .” Ibid., 485.

“When the Holy Spirit moves upon human minds, all petty complaints and accusations between man and his fellow man will be put away. The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness will shine into the chambers of the mind and heart. In our worship of God there will be no distinction between rich and poor, white and black. All prejudice will be melted away. When we approach God, it will be as one brotherhood. We are pilgrims and strangers, bound for a better country, even a heavenly. There all pride, all accusation, all self-deception, will forever have an end. Every mask will be laid aside, and we shall ‘see him as he is.’ [1 John 3:2.] There our songs will catch the inspiring theme, and praise and thanksgiving will go up to God.” Review and Herald, October 24, 1899.

Jesus says, “By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35.

The Larger Prayer

By Edna D. Cheney

At first I prayed for Light:
Could I but see the way,

How gladly, swiftly would I walk
To everlasting day!

And next I prayed for Strength:
That I might tread the road
With firm, unfaltering feet, and win
The Heaven’s serene abode.

And then I asked for Faith:
Could I but trust my God,
I’d live enfolded in His peace
Though foes were all abroad.

But now I pray for Love:
Deep love to God and man,
A living love that will not fail,
However dark His plan.

And Light and Strength and Faith
Are opening everywhere;
God only waited for me, till
I prayed the larger prayer.

http://www.angelfire.com, cited October 2, 2003.

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

Preparing for the Latter Rain, Part III

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In this article, the subject under consideration is the third parallel in the attitudes of the people between the first and second advent movements. As a brief review, when the Sanhedrin rejected Christ’s message and was bent upon His death, at the end of the second Passover in the ministry of Jesus, He departed from Jerusalem—from the priests, from the temple, from the religious leaders, and from the people who had been instructed in the law. (See The Desire of Ages, 232.)

The third parallel of the trials and attitudes of the children of Israel will focus on the independent movement that developed when Jesus left Jerusalem after the second Passover. The record is found in John 6 and in chapters 39, 40, and 41 of The Desire of Ages.

The Third Passover

“The Jewish Passover Feast was near.” “ . . . and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.” John 6:4, 2, NIV.

The setting is at the time of the third Passover. It is interesting to note that Jesus did not go to Jerusalem but stayed in Galilee with the independent movement. All day He ministered to the needs of the crowd. By evening they were hungry, so Jesus miraculously fed them. (Verses 5–13.)

“Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. The words they had heard that day had come to them as the voice of God. The works of healing they had witnessed were such as only divine power could perform. But the miracle of the loaves appealed to everyone in that vast multitude.” The Desire of Ages, 377.

Crown Him King

At this point, we notice a new development taking place in the minds of the disciples and the people.

“All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act is assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. . . . This is He who will make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy every desire.” Ibid.

“In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . . Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the king of Israel. The disciples unite with the multitude . . . . Let the arrogant priests and rulers be forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God.” Ibid., 378.

So we see that the people in this independent movement had the same goal of an earthly kingdom as the organization from which Jesus had separated a year earlier. They, too, had little or no understanding of the work of Jesus to remove sin from the heart. The only difference was that they saw themselves, instead of the priests and rulers, in charge of the church.

“Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. . . . Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss the people.” Ibid.

It is evident that even though these people had left the organization to follow Jesus, they had no better understanding of the nature of Christ’s kingdom than did the priests and rulers in Jerusalem. This startling statement is recorded: “When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached. Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses. Yet knowing this, He took no measures to avert the crisis.” Ibid., 383.

Christ’s Disciples

Let us consider for a moment who these people were. What was their connection to the organized church in Jerusalem? What was their relationship with Jesus? The disciple John refers to them as “His disciples” three times in the sixth chapter of his gospel. In The Desire of Ages chapter entitled “The Crisis in Galilee,” they are identified seven times as “His disciples.” To be a disciple of Jesus meant that you would be “put out of the synagogue,” according to John 9:22.

The relationship of “these disciples”—5,000 men plus women and children—to the church in Jerusalem is very parallel to that of the independent believers of the second advent movement to the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Now that we have a better understanding of the relationship of “these disciples” to Jesus, we will take a closer look at their spiritual condition.

“Of those now connected with Him there were many who had been attracted by the hope of a worldly kingdom. These must be undeceived.” Ibid.

Jesus must now go about the work of undeceiving these disciples. The next day we find Him in the synagogue at Capernaum instructing the people as to the true nature of His kingdom. He further explains that they must partake of His nature if they would become His true disciples.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” John 6:53–56.

“To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are complete in Him.” Ibid., 389.

Required Characteristics

“He knew the character of those who claimed to be His disciples, and His words tested their faith. He declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. They were called to become self-sacrificing, meek and lowly in heart. They must walk in the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary, if they would share in the gift of life and the glory of heaven.” Ibid., 391.

In summary, the character that Jesus requires of His disciples includes:

  1. Relinquishment of cherished ambitions,
  2. Complete surrender to Jesus,
  3. Self-sacrificing,
  4. Being meek and lowly in heart, and
  5. Walking in the narrow path of the Man of Calvary.

We can only wonder what might have been the result in the first advent if “His disciples” of the independent movement would have relinquished their cherished ambitions to walk the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary. But how much more significant and important is the question, What would happen in the second advent independent movement if all the ministries, churches, and professed believers would relinquish their cherished ambitions? What would happen if they all answered the call to become self-sacrificing, meek, and lowly in heart, to walk the narrow path traveled by Jesus? Would we not see all variances, differences, pride of opinion, envy, jealously, and separation disappear from among us? Would it not bring a spirit of unity and harmony that would prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to come in the latter rain? The Spirit of Prophecy has much to say in reference to this, which will be studied in a later parallel, but we must now return to the story of “His disciples.”

Alienation

How did this multitude that were so miraculously fed the night before react to the straight testimony of Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum? “The test was too great.” Ibid.

“By the public rebuke of their unbelief these disciples were still further alienated from Jesus. They were greatly displeased, and wishing to wound the Saviour and gratify the malice of the Pharisees, they turned their backs upon Him, and left Him with disdain. They had made their choice . . . . Their decision was never afterward reversed; for they walked no more with Jesus.” Ibid., 392.

Let us with great solemnity consider the result of their decision. It was never to be reversed. Their choice to turn their backs on Jesus was for eternity. None of these disciples would ever repent and return to Jesus. There was never any more light for them.

“And thus in Galilee the current of popular feeling was turned against Him, as, the year before, it had been in Judea. Alas for Israel! They rejected their Saviour, because they longed for a conqueror who would give them temporal power.” Ibid., 393.

The popularity of this independent movement that we observed the evening before during the feeding of the five thousand has now vanished; and it never returned. So we see that, in the first advent, both the organized church and the independent movement rejected Jesus. Then follows this alarming statement in The Desire of Ages: “This was one of the times of purging. By the words of truth, the chaff was being separated from the wheat. Because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive reproof, too world-loving to accept a life of humility, many turned away from Jesus. Many are still doing the same thing. Souls are tested today as were those disciples in the synagogue at Capernaum. When truth is brought home to the heart, they see that their lives are not in accordance with the will of God. They see the need of an entire change in themselves; but they are not willing to take up the self-denying work. Therefore they [souls today] are angry when their sins are discovered. They go away offended, even as the disciples left Jesus, murmuring, ‘This is an hard saying; who can hear it?’ [John 6:60.] . . .

“As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different spirit took control of them. . . . They sought out His enemies, for they were in harmony with their spirit and work. They misinterpreted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His motives.” Ibid., 392.

“Many are still doing the same thing. Souls are tested today . . . ,” and they will go away offended, even as the disciples left Jesus. These are solemn statements that warn us that the trials and attitudes we have been studying concerning the independent movement in the first advent are being repeated in the independent movement of the second advent.

“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not.” The Great Controversy, 605.

“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. . . . They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.” Ibid., 608.

This is a very serious prophecy concerning how God views the historic movement today. We need to pray earnestly that God will help us to understand our true condition before Him. We will dwell more upon the significance of this situation concerning the “Present Time” when we study the fifth parallel.

To Whom Shall We Go?

Let us now go back to the synagogue at Capernaum and continue to follow the events of the day after Jesus presented the straight testimony concerning the need for the people to become like Him in character.

“With a yearning heart, Jesus saw those who had been his disciples departing from Him, the Life and the Light of men. . . .

“Without attempting to hinder those who were leaving Him, Jesus turned to the twelve and said, ‘Will ye also go away?’ [John 6:67.]

“Peter replied by asking, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go?’ ‘Thou hast the words of eternal life,’ he added. ‘And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.’ [John 6:68, 69.]” The Desire of Ages, 393.

They would not go back to the teachers of Israel who were slaves to formalism. These teachers were in constant contention and were persecuting the disciples for becoming His followers. They would not leave the teachings of Christ, His lessons of love and mercy.

“Peter expressed the faith of the disciples, —‘Thou art that Christ.’ The very thought of losing this anchor of their souls filled them with fear and pain. To be destitute of a Saviour was to be adrift on a dark and stormy sea.” Ibid.

Peter expressed the faith of eleven of the disciples. While their faith faltered during the crowning trial and final test, they did not turn away from Jesus and leave Him in disdain, as did “His disciples” after the sermon in the synagogue at Capernaum. But this was not true of Judas. Judas had remained among them right up to their crowning trial and final test, but after the second cleansing of the temple and the night before the trial and death of Jesus, Judas finally revealed his true character and became the betrayer.

So, in the second advent movement, a Judas element will remain among the faithful believers up to the time just before probation closes. We need to study carefully the last few chapters of The Great Controversy, especially pages 608 to 627. In addition to these references, the Spirit of Prophecy has much more to say about the Judas characteristics existing among the people of God in the closing events of the controversy.

Purpose of Purging

But for the eleven disciples, Jesus had a purpose in the purging of the independent movement in Galilee.

“When Jesus presented the testing truth that caused so many of His disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His words; but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfill. He foresaw that in the hour of temptation every one of His beloved disciples would be severely tested. His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be to them a most trying ordeal. . . .”

“Compassionate Redeemer, who in the full knowledge of the doom that awaited Him, tenderly smoothed the way for the disciples, prepared them for their crowning trial, and strengthened them for the final test!” The Desire of Ages, 394.

“Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. . . .

“So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented.” The Great Controversy, 594.

“God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines, and the basis of all reforms.” Ibid., 595.

“When the testing time shall come, those who have made God’s word their rule of life will be revealed. . . . The falsehearted professor [the Judas element] may not now be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity.” Ibid., 602.

“The Lord whom we serve is able to deliver us. Christ has conquered the powers of earth; and shall we be afraid of a world already conquered?” Ibid., 610.

The three parallels that we have studied so far have reviewed the history of the two advent movements that bring us to the present time. Next month we will study the fourth parallel, which is still future.

To be continued . . .

Maurice Hoppe is Director of Revelation Ministry, which is dedicated to helping people prepare for the soon coming of Jesus. His special emphasis is the closing scenes of this earth’s history, the parallels between the first and second advents, and the need for unity among the people of God. He may be contacted by e-mail at: hoppe@revelationministry.com, or at: P. O. Box 184, Days Creek, Oregon 97429.

Lessons From Josiah’s Reign

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[Editor’s Note: In “Preparing for the Latter Rain, Part 11” by Maurice Hoppe (November 2003 LandMarks), some Ellen G. White statements were given pertaining to the rejection by the leaders and ministers of the counsel given in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. The message delivered by Mrs. White at the 1903 General Conference session contains counsel and warnings that are applicable to God’s people today. We trust that it will be a blessing to each reader.]

Night before last, the experiences and the work of Josiah, the king of Israel, as recorded in the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth chapters of 11 Chronicles, and the twenty-second and twenty-third chapters of 11 Kings, were presented to me as a lesson that I should bring to the attention of this Conference [1903 General Conference session].

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. . . . And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, . . . the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying. Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people; and let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house, unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.” [11 Kings 22:1–7.]

This record contains precious instruction for us. Born of a wicked father, surrounded with temptations to follow in his father’s steps, with few counselors to encourage him in the right way, Josiah was true to the God of Israel. He did not repeat his father’s sin in walking in the way of unrighteousness. Although he had not the advantages of the Christian parental influences that many of us have had, he determined to climb upward, instead of descending to the low level of sin and degradation to which his father and grandfather had descended. Warned by their errors, he chose to walk in the right way, and, though surrounded by wickedness, he pressed in the upward path. His course of obedience made it possible for God to graft him from a wild olive tree to a good olive tree, giving him grace to do that which was right in the Lord’s sight. Thus he became a chosen vessel.

Josiah “turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” [11 Kings 22:2.] As one who was to occupy a position of trust, he resolved ever to honor God, to obey the instruction that He had given. The only safety for every one in attendance at this Conference, is to determine that he will walk uprightly before God.

In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, God chose him to superintend the repairing of the temple. It was as this work was being done that the book of the law was found. Through some mismanagement it had been lost, and the people had been deprived of its instruction. Brethren, have any of you lost the book of the law? Have not many of us lost sight of the precepts that are in the holy Book?

Upon finding this book, “Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan, the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. . . . And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.” [11 Kings 22:8–11.]

The reading of the book of the law, so long forgotten, made a deep impression upon the king’s mind. He realized that something must be done to bring this law to the attention of the people, and to lead them to conform their lives to its teachings. By his own course of action, he designed to show his respect for the law. He humbled himself before God, rending his clothes.

In his position as king, it was the work of Josiah to carry out in the Jewish nation the principles taught in the book of the law. This he endeavored to do faithfully. In the book of the law itself he found a treasure of knowledge, a powerful ally in the work of reform. He did not lay this book aside as something too precious to be handled. Realizing that the highest honor that could be placed on God’s law was to become a student of its precepts, he diligently studied the ancient writing, and resolved to walk in the light it shed upon his pathway.

When the law was first read to him, Josiah had rent his clothes to signify to the people that he was much troubled because he had not known of this book before, and that he was ashamed and painfully distressed because of the works and ways of the people, who had transgressed God’s law. As he had in the past seen the idolatry and the impiety existing among them, he had been much troubled. Now as he read in the book of the law of the punishment that would surely follow such practises, great sorrow filled his heart. Never before had he so fully realized God’s abhorrence for sin.

Josiah’s sorrow did not end with the expression of words of repentance, or with outward demonstrations of grief. He bowed his heart in great humiliation before God, because he knew the anger of the Lord must be kindled against the people. He rent his heart, as well as his garments, for the dishonor shown to the Lord God of heaven and earth. He realized what the outcome must be; that God’s displeasure would come upon His people.

An Investigation Instituted

The king did not pass the matter by as of little consequence. To the priests and the other men in holy office he gave the command, “Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not harkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that is written concerning us.” [11 Kings 22:13.]

Josiah did not say, “I knew nothing about this book. These are ancient precepts, and times have changed.” He appointed men to investigate the matter, and these men went to Huldah, the prophetess. [11 Kings 22:15–20 quoted.]

In Josiah’s day the Word of the Lord was as binding, and should have been as strictly enforced, as at the time it was spoken. And today it is as binding as it was then. God is always true to His Word. What should we do, we who have had great light? The law has been kept constantly before us. Time and again we have heard it preached. The Lord’s anger is kindled against His people because of their disregard of His Word. Conviction of soul should send us in penitence to the foot of the cross, there to pray with the whole heart, saying, “What shall we do to be saved? Wherewithal shall we come before the Lord?” My brethren, inquire quickly, before it is too late.

Josiah sent as messengers to the prophetess, the highest and most honored of the people. He sent the first men of his kingdom,—men who occupied high positions of trust in the nation. Thus he conferred honor upon the oracles of God.

Apostasy must be Punished

God sent Josiah the word that Jerusalem’s ruin could not be averted. Even if the people should humble themselves before God, they could not escape their punishment. So long had their senses been deadened by sinning against God, that if the judgments had not come upon them, they would soon have swung back into the same sinful course. But because the king humbled his heart before God, he received from Huldah the prophetess the word that the Lord would acknowledge his quickness in seeking God for forgiveness and mercy. Still, the king must leave with God the events of the future; for he could not change them. The provocation had been too great for the punishment to be averted.

The king, on his part, left undone nothing that might bring about a reformation. With the hope that something might be done to turn aside the judgment that was to be sent because of the leaven of evil permeating the principles and morals of the whole nation, he summoned a general assembly of the elders of the people, the magistrates, the representatives of Judah and Jerusalem, to meet him in the house of the Lord, with the priests and the prophets, and others engaged in various parts of the Lord’s service. All joined in the deliberations of the assembly. In the place of making a speech to the people, Josiah ordered that the book of the law be read to them. So earnest did he feel that he himself read the law aloud. He was deeply affected, and he read with the pathos of a broken heart. His hearers were greatly affected by the intensity of feeling expressed in his countenance. They were impressed by the fact that the king, notwithstanding his high official position, cast himself wholly on the Lord, trusting in the strength and wisdom of the King of kings, rather than in his human wisdom.

If those occupying positions of responsibility were as fully resolved to obey God’s law as they are to make laws for governing those in their service, our institutions would be managed along right lines. Those who occupy positions of trust are to make it their highest aim to know God, as revealed in His Word; for to know Him aright is life eternal.

Josiah proposed that those highest in authority unite in solemnly covenanting before the Lord to cooperate with one another in bringing about a reformation. “The king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all their heart and all their soul, which affirmed the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the grove and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them without Jerusalem, in the fields of Kedron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.” [11 Kings 23:3, 4.]

Like unto Josiah “was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him withal.” [11 Kings 23:25, 26.] It was not long before Jerusalem was utterly destroyed.

Lessons for Us to Learn

Today God is watching His people. We should seek to find out what He means when He sweeps away our sanitarium and our publishing house. Let us not move along as if there were nothing wrong. King Josiah rent his robe and rent his heart. He wept and mourned because he had not had the book of the law, and knew not of the punishments that it threatened. God wants us to come to our senses. He wants us to seek for the meaning of the calamities that have overtaken us, that we may not tread in the footsteps of Israel, and say, “The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord are we,” when we are not this at all. [Jeremiah 7:4] When we reach the mark of our high calling in Christ, the protecting arm of God will be with us. We shall have a covert from the storm.

We have many lessons to learn. May God help us to learn them. Let us ask ourselves, Am I keeping the law of the Lord? Do I bring its principles into my home? Do I reverence God’s Word?

I felt so thankful when the college in Battle Creek was moved from there to Berrien Springs [Michigan]. This was a right move. If there had been a further carrying out of the principles that God has laid down,—the instruction that He has given to make centers in many places,—His salvation would have been revealed. A wrong policy has been followed in centering so much in Battle Creek [Michigan]. The Lord has told us that His work is to be established all over America. In every city a memorial for Him is to be established. Are we ready for this work? “Lo,” said Christ, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, speaking the things I have commanded you.” [Matthew 28:20, 19.] We are to proclaim to all the world the truths by which every one is to be judged. When this gospel of the kingdom shall have been preached to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, the Saviour will come.

A Reformation Needed

In every institution among us there needs to be a reformation. This is the message that at the last General Conference [1901] I bore as the word of the Lord. At that meeting I carried a very heavy burden, and I have carried it ever since. We did not gain the victory that we might have gained at that meeting. Why?—Because there were so few who followed the course of Josiah. There were those at that meeting who did not see the work that needed to be done. If they had confessed their sins, if they had made a break, if they had taken their stand on vantage ground, the power of God would have gone through the meeting, and we should have had a Pentecostal season.

The Lord has shown me what might have been had the work been done that ought to have been done. In the night season I was present in a meeting where brother was confessing to brother. Those present fell upon one another’s necks, and made heart-broken confessions. The Spirit and power of God were revealed. No one seemed too proud to bow before God in humility and contrition. Those who led in this work were the ones who had not before had the courage to confess their sins.

This might have been. All this the Lord was waiting to do for His people. All heaven was waiting to be gracious.

God is in earnest with us. If the heart is pure, there will be purity of action and nobility of purpose in all the work done. Every mind is to be cleansed, every heart purified. All are to understand that sin is not to be tolerated by the people who have received the most precious light ever given to mortals. Only a little while, and He who shall come will come, and will not tarry. Those who choose to cleave to their sins must perish. But God will have compassion on all who will make thorough work for eternity.

I wish to say that the work that is to be carried on by our people is becoming less and less appreciated by many—not by all. Many of us do not realize the covenant relation in which we stand before God as His people. We are under the most solemn obligations to represent God and Christ. We are to guard against dishonoring God by professing to be His people, and then going directly contrary to His will. We are getting ready to move. Then let us act as if we were. Let us prepare for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him. Let us stand where we can take hold of eternal realities, and bring them into the every-day life. We are to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him.

A Great Work to be Done

The Lord has a great work to be done. If this meeting is a success, the laborers will go from it to open up the work in new places. The salvation of God will be revealed. I am thankful that during the past year something has been done in Southern California. I praise God for what has been accomplished there. It is hard work to press the battle to the gates, but this must be done. God calls upon every one of us to take hold in earnest.

Here is the medical missionary work,—a wonderful work. God gave us this work thirty-five years ago, and it has been a great blessing. It is to be to the third angel’s message as the right hand is to the body. The gospel and the medical missionary work are one. They can not be divided. They are to be bound together. Medical missionary workers should be encouraged and sustained. And let them remember that they are working for the Master. Unless they do this, they can not exert a strong influence for good in the world. And they must ever keep clear and distinct the line of demarcation between worldlings and those who are carrying the gospel of the kingdom to the world.

In the place of erecting large sanitariums, we should establish smaller sanitariums in many places. A few patients in a small institution can be helped and educated to much greater advantage than a large number gathered together in a large institution. God help us to let the light shine forth. It must shine forth, and God will make us channels of light, if we will let Him.

The Southern field needs our help. I have carried this field on my heart for many years. I have tried to make known its needs, and yet it has scarcely been touched. God has given me encouragement for the workers there, and I have followed them step by step in their work. There are those who say that mistakes have been made by the workers in the Southern field. Do you ever make mistakes? My husband and I used to grieve when we made mistakes. But often we found that in His providence God had permitted us to do as we had done, that we might understand what He wanted us to understand.

God does not cast us off because we make mistakes. Of Ephraim He says: “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms. . . . I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.” [Hosea 11:3, 4.]

The Spirit of Criticism to be Banished

My brethren, if you stand before God as true Christians, you will do in the year before us a work different from that which has been done in years past. Your wicked criticism is a sin in the sight of God. By it you are weakening the hands of God’s servants. This criticism is as a root of bitterness, whereby many are defiled. Let us come to the Lord in penitence, and ask Him to forgive us for not keeping His law, for not obeying the command to love one another as Christ has loved us. He says to us, “You have left your first love, and, unless you repent, I will remove your candlestick out of his place.” “Be watchful,” He pleads, “and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” [Revelation 2:4, 5; 3:2.]

Speech is a precious talent. It is the means by which we communicate with one another. The man who, though professing to be a Christian, allows himself to speak angrily because his will is crossed, needs to go apart and rest awhile. Let him go to God, and tell Him that he is sorry for what he said, and that he is ashamed of himself. Let him not try to vindicate himself.

Those who criticize and condemn one another are breaking God’s commandments, and are an offense to Him. They neither love God nor their fellow-beings. Brethren and sisters, let us clear away the rubbish of criticism and suspicion and complaint, and do not wear your nerves on the outside. Some are so sensitive that they can not be reasoned with. Be very sensitive in regard to what it means to keep the law of God, and in regard to whether you are keeping or breaking the law. It is this that God wants us to be sensitive about.

If it were not for the burdens that rest so heavily on my soul, I could do tenfold more than I do. But night after night I am unable to sleep, because so many of the people of God act like quarrelsome children. My brother, my sister, when trouble arises between you and another member of God’s family, do you follow the Bible directions? Before presenting to God your offering of prayer, do you go to your brother, and in the spirit of Christ talk with him. Christ says, “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” [Matthew 5:23, 24.] Then you can offer it with a clear conscience; for you have cast out the root of bitterness.

There is much to be done at this meeting. But I do not feel depressed by the outlook. At times I do feel depressed, but I struggle against the feeling. I know that God wants His joy to be in us, that our joy may be full. He has a heaven full of blessings, and these blessings He will give to us, if we will take them. Our Father has an abundant treasure, but you do not want it. If you did, you would have it. You let so many things come between you and God! Your individuality is spotted and stained. It needs to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

The judgment is right upon us. We can not afford to spend our time quarreling over little things. There is a great work before us. My brethren, we must wake up to the issues which face us, and that before this meeting closes. Heart must be cemented to heart. Pray for this; labor for it. Do not, I beg of you, allow differences to come in. May God help you to gather up the divine rays of light, and flash them across the pathway of others. May He help you to love one another as Christ has loved you. “By this,” He says, “shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” [John 13:35.]

There is power with Christ to heal; there is power with Him to save to the uttermost all who come to Him. But we must be willing to be saved. We must put aside all self-sufficiency. We must be in spirit as little children, or we shall never see the kingdom of heaven. Our measurement of ourselves is too large. We are but little children. We have not attained to the full stature of men and women in Christ. There is much matured intelligence for us yet to gain.

We must overcome the pride that leads us to prefer to work by ourselves, rather than with a fellow-laborer, lest he rob us of glory. God wants us to press close together, that we may help one another. In Australia a minister was asked by a brother minister to leave the pulpit. “I want the people to see no one but me,” he said. And they did indeed see no one but him.

God calls for volunteers who will say, “I will do the very best I can.” God pities us as He sees the wickedness all around us. But He declares that we are not to be wicked. Though we are in the world, we are not to be of the world. The Lord desires His institutions to stand as educational powers in the world. Everything connected with them is to bear the seal of God. Every worker is to be sanctified, body, soul, and spirit. No coarse, rough words are to be spoken; no action that shows a grasping spirit is to be performed. In thought and word and act the workers are to represent Christ.

The Advent Message to be Given

Those who stand as teachers and leaders in our institutions are to be sound in the faith and in the principles of the third angel’s message. God wants His people to know that we have the message as He gave it to us in 1843 and 1844. We knew then what the message meant, and we call upon our people today to obey the word, “Bind up the law among My disciples.” [Isaiah 8:16.] In this world there are but two classes,—the obedient and the disobedient. To which class do we belong? God wants to make us a peculiar people, a holy nation. He has separated us from the world, and He calls upon us to stand on vantage ground, where He can bestow on us His Holy Spirit.

Soon will come the time of which John writes: “I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.” [Revelation 20:11, 12.]

How prone we are to look to human beings for help, to listen to their opinions, to rely upon them for sympathy, succor, and counsel! When in trouble, we should shut ourselves up with God. How many there are who realize no refreshing because they have forsaken the living waters, and have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water! When men do this, what can we expect but barrenness of soul?

“Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” [Jeremiah 17:5–8.] Let us rely on God. He never fails a trusting soul.

From the moment of our conversion till the close of our earthly history, our lives are to be characterized by a spirit of true, intelligent service. Only thus can we be true to our covenant with God. He who is daily converted has crossed the boundary line that separates the children of light from the children of darkness. But he who professes to believe the truth, and acts as a sinner, will be treated by God as a sinner, and, unless he repents, will be punished as a sinner, only with many stripes, because he was given great light.

The General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1903.

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books during her lifetime. Today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ’s second advent.

The Man Nobody Knew, Part II

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When we look at the trial of Jesus, we see that He was contending with supernatural forces, with demons. These demons were in control of the minds of the men that were all around Him. The demons had induced these men to do the most insulting things imaginable to Him. One of the things mentioned in the Bible is that they spit in His face. (Matthew 26:67.) “Jesus stood meek and humble before the infuriated multitude, while they offered Him the vilest abuse. They spit in His face—that face from which they will one day desire to hide.” Early Writings, 170.

They tempted Him to lose patience, to become irritated, but He was too big for that. I want to tell you, friend, if you and I get to know Him, we will be too big for that, too.

People become upset over such insignificant things. People get upset when they think they have not been treated with enough deference and respect. Have you ever seen that happen? Composers of country music often depict this theme in the music they write. You have perhaps heard one of these songs on the radio. It is what they call the “Somebody Done Somebody Wrong” song. But when you read the story of Jesus from beginning to end, you find that He was always calm and self-possessed. He was bigger than all of that. Are you bigger than that? You will be, if you get to know Him.

Personal Magnetism

Let us look at one other aspect of Jesus’ life and ask ourselves, “Do I know Him?” This is an exciting and fascinating subject to study. Jesus was a person who had personal magnetism. You know what I am talking about. People were powerfully attracted to Him, because He had a love in His heart for people. You see, Jesus loved every human being. He loved the worst sinners—the lepers, the people who were outcasts from society, the adulterers, and the tax collectors. There are numerous stories in the gospel in reference to these people, the scum of society. Jesus showed them love.

No matter what mistakes you have made, no matter how many sins you have committed, He still loves you. Because He loves human beings so much, He has a personal magnetism beyond compare. If you and I get to know Him, we will have a personal magnetism, too, and as a result, people with whom we associate will want the religion we have. If people do not want the religion we have, there is something the matter with our religion. Something is wrong with our religion, because we do not really know Him.

Let us look at an example, which illustrates the personal magnetism Jesus possessed that was a result of the love He had for every human being. He passed by no human being as worthless. Matthew knew about this magnetism, and he recorded his own personal experience with Jesus in the gospel he wrote. Matthew 9:9 says, “Then as Jesus passed on from there [Caper-naum], He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And he arose and followed Him.” The more you study this verse, the more you will understand from it. It does not say that Jesus stopped; He was passing by. He was walking by the tax booth, and as He walked by, He gave the invitation, “Follow Me,” and Matthew got up and followed Him.

We cannot study this text without the realization that Jesus had personal magnetism; He had drawing power. Matthew was a man who had a lucrative job, but as Jesus passed him, he felt drawn to Him and did not hesitate to follow Him. If you need a leader in your life who will give you personal magnetism and make you an attractive human being, Jesus is the One you need.

Man of Authority

A similar example to Matthew’s experience is given in Matthew 8. In verses 5 to 13, the story is told of a person who understood this principle of magnetism. A centurion came to Jesus because his servant was “paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” Jesus said that He would come and heal the servant, but the centurion replied, “No, Lord, you do not need to come.” The centurion recognized that Jesus had authority, and he said, “You do not need to come down to my house because I am a man under authority. And I say to this person, ‘Go here,’ and they do it, and to that person, ‘Go there,’ and they do it; and I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ ” This centurion realized that Jesus had much more authority than he had. He said, “You do not need to come down to my house. All you need to do is speak, and if you will speak the word, my servant will be healed.”

This man had never before met Jesus. If you read the story as recorded in Luke 7:1–17, you will see there that some of the Jews came to Jesus and pleaded, “Oh, Lord, please help us. Please help this man, be-cause he has been good to us. He has given us a lot of money for the church.” But when the man actually came into Jesus’ presence, he recognized immediately in Whose presence he was. The centurion told Jesus, “You do not need to come down to my house. Even though you volunteered to, you do not need to . . . . All you need to do is speak the word and it will happen.” This man understood that authority is dependent on faith. He also understood that faith is dependent on authority. Now you think that through. Authority is dependent on faith, and faith is dependent on authority. This man knew that he needed to express faith.

“When Jesus heard [it], He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, [so] let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” Matthew 8:10–13.

Authority Depends on Faith

Authority depends on faith, and faith depends on authority. The Greek word for authority is exousia. At times, the King James Bible translates it power, but the most literal translation is authority. How much authority does Jesus have? How much power does He have? Well, friend, that is a question that I cannot answer. The way He described it to His disciples was, “Everything in heaven and earth is mine. I have all authority. I have all power.” (Matthew 28:18.)

We do not know Him, and that is why, friend, we experience so little of the power of God in our lives. We do not have faith in His authority and power. If we knew Him, we would know He has the authority and power to do everything; when He speaks, it happens.

Jesus demonstrated this over and over again when He was here. All it took was a word, a look, a touch, because He had authority; He had power. He had magnetic power to draw people to Himself.

Just before He was crucified, He said to the people, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.” John 12:32. Do you know Him? If you know Him, you will have faith and confidence in Him, because you will know that He has all authority and all power.

Learn Dependence

There are people—friends in our own church family and in other places—who have been going through some terrible, terrible trials for which there is no human cure. Sometimes people wonder, “If you are serving an omnipotent God who has all power, why do you get into this kind of trouble?” This I cannot fully answer, but I will tell you one of the reasons. One of the reasons we find ourselves in such terrible troubles is so we will learn how incapable we are to know what is best for our lives, and we will realize that we need help from a higher power. God allows us to get into trouble where there is no human solution.

“The apostle Paul says, ‘When I am weak, then am I strong.’ 11 Corinthians 12:10. When we have a realization of our weakness, we learn to depend upon a power not inherent.” The Desire of Ages, 493. “Christ is our only hope. We may look to Him, for He is our Saviour. We may take Him at His word, and make Him our dependence. He knows just the help we need, and we can safely put our trust in Him. If we depend on merely human wisdom to guide us, we shall find ourselves on the losing side. But we may come direct to the Lord Jesus.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 486.

Pastors come into contact with such issues in the lives of those to whom they minister—there is no physician who can help a certain problem; there is no financial counselor who can help—then you need the Lord. Jesus has drawing power, and He has all authority to exercise it in your behalf. He has all authority. He has all power.

“The eternal Father is waiting for us to take our eyes off finite man, and place our dependence on him. Then look not to man for your light and strength. Put not your trust in the arm of flesh. All your love and praise and exaltation are to be given to him who loved you and gave himself for you. Strive to be one with Christ as he was one with the Father; but in no case exalt man, not even the ablest speaker that ever lived. Lift up Jesus. Talk of him, extol his name, and by so doing your own hearts will be warmed and encouraged and strengthened. As the believer studies the word and beholds Christ, he will become more and more like Christ. Searching the Scriptures, he will learn of Christ, whom to know aright is life eternal.” Review and Herald, October 16, 1900.

As You Have Believed

Maybe you are not receiving much of Jesus’ power and authority. Did you notice what Jesus said to the centurion? “According as you have believed . . . .” Matthew 8:13. You see, if we do not know Him, if we do not have confidence in Him, or if we do not have faith in Him, He cannot do much for us. That is something Jesus taught over and over again. When the blind people came to Him, Jesus would say, “Do you believe I can restore your sight?” They would respond, “Yes,” and He would say, “Well, according to your belief, let it be.” If they believed, what happened? They received sight. What if they did not believe?

An example of such unbelief is given in the Bible in Matthew 13:53–58. It is an experience that Jesus had in His hometown of Nazareth. “They were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country and in his own house.’ And he did not do many works there because of their unbelief.” Verses 57, 58. How terrible! There were sick people in that town and people who needed help of all kinds, which they could have had, had they only believed.

“Some doubted. So it will always be. There are those who find it hard to exercise faith, and they place themselves on the doubting side. These lose much because of their unbelief.” The Desire of Ages, 819.

Oh, friend, think it through in your own mind. Is that your situation? Do you realize there is Someone who is all-powerful that wants to help you? He is attractive; He has personal magnetism; He has drawing power; but He cannot do much for you if you will not believe. That is one of the things that Jesus taught over and over again—I cannot do very much for you unless you will put your faith and trust in Me.

“Have you an unwavering trust in God? Lacking self-confidence, do you put your faith in him, rejoicing that you are privileged to be his child, even to suffer for his dear sake? Rejoicing in Christ as your Saviour, pitiful, compassionate, and touched with the feeling of your infirmities, love and joy will be revealed in your daily life. If you love Him who died to redeem mankind, you will love those for whom he died. A restful peace and happiness will fill your heart to overflowing when you believe that Jesus carries you and all your burdens.” Review and Herald, November 16, 1886.

Master of all Situations

I want you to ask yourself again, “Do I know Him? Am I going to become better acquainted with Him?” Jesus was the Master of every situation. Did you know that if you choose to put your trust in Him, you will never become the victim of circumstances? This is because He is still the Master of every situation.

In Matthew 8, we read that Jesus had been preaching and teaching all day. In verses 23 to 27, we see that He was very tired, and when He got into a boat, He went to sleep. While He was asleep, the devil tried to drown everyone in the boat. Great tempests came up on the sea. (The Bible is very clear that the devil is the prince of the power of the air. [See Ephesians 2:2.] He can stir up tempests, tornadoes, and a multitude of other things. It would be good to remember this the next time a tornado is called an “act of God.” That is a lie.) At about one or two o’clock in the morning, the boat was about to sink, and Jesus was asleep. What were the disciples to do?

Maybe you have not had such an experience; my wife and I have had this experience a number of times. What do you do when the phone rings at two o’clock in the morning? Are you ready to solve any problem that comes along at that time of the night? Jesus was, even though He was exhausted. The disciples awakened Him, and they said, “We are about to perish!” Jesus asked them, “Why are you fearful? You do not have enough faith; that is your problem.” He was not fearful. He was the Master of the situation, not because He was the Master of earth and sea and sky. Oh no! He had laid that power down. He was the Master of the situation because He was trusting in the Father’s might. He did not need to worry.

My dear friend, when you have chosen to commit your life to Him and you realize that He is the Master of every situation, you will not have to worry either.

“Trust yourself in the hands of Jesus. Do not worry. Do not think God has forgotten to be gracious. Jesus lives and will not leave you. May the Lord be your staff, your support, your front guard, your rearward.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 248.

What Will I Do If . . .

Someone may say, “What am I going to do? I may lose my job, and then I will not be able to buy any food or clothing nor be able to pay my rent. What am I going to do? I might succumb to some serious disease like all these other people I see getting sick. Then I will not be able to earn a living; I will not be able to do anything. What will I do?” Some people pass their whole life worrying, “What will I do if this happens? What will I do if that happens?” Do you know what Jesus said concerning this? He told us not to be anxious about what might happen. You can read about that in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5).

Why? Why not be anxious? Because your heavenly Father knows what you need; He knows how to take care of you. This does not mean you will not have to work. The Bible says that in this world we all must earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. (Genesis 3:19.) If you are following the Lord, you need not worry concerning the food you eat or the clothes you wear; your necessities will be taken care of. Jesus said, “You do not need to worry about that. If you make God first in your life and seek His righteousness and the kingdom of heaven, He will add the things to you that you need.” (Matthew 6:33, 34.) He is still the Master of all situations.

“Christ is our example. . . . He turned to His Father in these hours of distress. He came to earth that He might provide a way whereby we could find grace and strength to help in every time of need, by following His example in frequent, earnest prayer.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 509.

“You are as a child who is not yet placed in control of his inheritance. God does not entrust to you your precious possession, lest Satan by his wily arts should beguile you, as he did the first pair in Eden. Christ holds it for you, safe beyond the spoiler’s reach. Like the child, you shall receive day by day what is required for the day’s need. Every day you are to pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ [Matthew 6:11.] Be not dismayed if you have not sufficient for tomorrow. You have the assurance of His promise, ‘So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.’ [Psalm 37:3.]” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 110, 111.

Confidence in our Redeemer

So many times when people came to Jesus, trying to trick Him, they thought they had Him in a jam out of which He could not get. They thought they would either be able to destroy His influence or bring about His arrest by the Romans. It is very interesting to read the stories written in Matthew 21 and 22, in John 8, and in so many other scriptures. Jesus showed with ease, every time, that He was the Master of the situation.

If you are in a terrible situation for which there is no possible human solution, do you realize that He could be the Master of the situation in your life, too? He will be, if you commit your life to Him.

Ellen White wrote: “Let us have more confidence in our Redeemer. Turn not from the waters of Lebanon to seek refreshment at broken cisterns, which can hold no water. Have faith in God. Trustful dependence on Jesus makes victory not only possible, but certain. Though multitudes are pressing on in the wrong way, though the outlook be ever so discouraging, yet we may have full assurance in our Leader; for ‘I am God,’ he declares, ‘and there is none else.’ [Isaiah 45:22.] He is infinite in power, and able to save all who come to him. There is no other in whom we can safely trust.” Review and Herald, June 9, 1910.

Oh, friend, whoever you are, you need to know Him. If you choose to come to Him, to commit your life to Him, no matter how terrible of a sinner you are, no matter how weak you are, no matter how troubled you are, no matter how complicated your situation, He will be Master of the situation, and He will save you. Do you know Him? If you know Him, He will grant you eternal life, because He has all power and grace. He loves you, friend. He wants to save you.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastor of the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – This Man Receives Sinners

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Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15. Jesus experienced great difficulty with the religious leaders in the world at that time, because He received sinners and ate with them. The Monsignors of that day expressed great displeasure and insinuated that Jesus liked to associate with the sinful and the vile and was not even distressed at their wickedness.

Jesus addressed the outcasts of society as the children of God, estranged for the moment from the Father’s house but not forgotten in His heart. He gave every sinner the distinct impression that He could and would deliver them from the pit of sin if they were willing.

If you have done wickedly, if you have wandered far from your Father’s house, take courage. Do not suppose that there is any if with God. His power and authority are absolute, and He has already given word that He is willing to save completely anybody who comes to Him through His Son. (John 6:37; Hebrews 7:25.) He is waiting to pardon your transgressions and bring you back into His personal presence where there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11.) If you are in a state of rebellion against Him, He is seeking you even now. All that He needs is for you to say “yes,” because He will never violate the power of choice that He himself has given you. He just needs you to acknowledge Him as the Saviour and Lord of your life. (Acts 2:36; 5:31.)

There is another side to this wonderful story of the Man who came into this world to save sinners. Maybe you have already surrendered your life to Him and consider yourself an experienced follower of Jesus Christ. If so, a heavy obligation is resting upon you. Every person whom Christ has rescued is called to work in His name for the saving of others who are lost. (John 17:18.) Are there souls going down to ruin around you? Are you reaching out to these with deep sympathy, realizing that the tempted and erring will be lost, unless some hand of sympathy and pity reaches out to them?

When our sympathies broaden and our love increases, we will realize that we have a work to do. God’s household embraces the world. Most of its inhabitants are at present under the control of an alien enemy prince who holds them in abject slavery with the power of his seductive and self-exalting but ruinous temptations. But this world is to be reclaimed! Not everyone will accept the offer of salvation, but there are many precious souls yet to win. We are to attract, not repulse, every sinner who will take a look at the gospel. We are to make a personal effort, showing them that we are interested in them personally and individually.

“All the resources of heaven are at the command of those who are seeking to save the lost. Angels will help you to reach the most careless and the most hardened.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 197.

“The Saviour longs to manifest His grace and stamp His character on the whole world. It is His purchased possession, and He desires to make men free, and pure, and holy. Though Satan works to hinder this purpose, yet through the blood shed for the world there are triumphs to be achieved that will bring glory to God and the Lamb. Christ will not be satisfied till the victory is complete . . . . All the nations of the earth shall hear the gospel of His grace. Not all will receive His grace; but ‘a seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.’ Psalm 22:30.” The Desire of Ages, 827, 828.