Inspiration – Christmas as a Holiday

Christmas is coming,” is the note that is sounded throughout our world from east to west and from north to south. With youth, those of mature age, and even the aged, it is a period of general rejoicing, of great gladness. But what is Christmas, that it should demand so much attention? …

The twenty-fifth of December is supposed to be the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, and its observance has become customary and popular. But yet there is no certainty that we are keeping the veritable day of our Saviour’s birth. History gives us no certain assurance of this. The Bible does not give us the precise time. Had the Lord deemed this knowledge essential to our salvation, He would have spoken through His prophets and apostles, that we might know all about the matter. But the silence of the Scriptures upon this point evidences to us that it is hidden from us for the wisest purposes.

In His wisdom the Lord concealed the place where He buried Moses. God buried him, and God resurrected him and took him to heaven. This secrecy was to prevent idolatry. He against whom they rebelled while he was in active service, whom they provoked almost beyond human endurance, was almost worshiped as God after his separation from them by death. For the very same purpose He has concealed the precise day of Christ’s birth, that the day should not receive the honor that should be given to Christ as the Redeemer of the world—One to be received, to be trusted, to be relied on as He Who could save to the uttermost all who come unto Him. The soul’s adoration should be given to Jesus as the Son of the infinite God.

The Day Not to Be Ignored

As the twenty-fifth of December is observed to commemorate the birth of Christ, as the children have been instructed by precept and example that this was indeed a day of gladness and rejoicing, you will find it a difficult matter to pass over this period without giving it some attention. It can be made to serve a very good purpose.

The youth should be treated very carefully. They should not be left on Christmas to find their own amusement in vanity and pleasure seeking, in amusements which will be detrimental to their spirituality. Parents can control this matter by turning the minds and the offerings of their children to God and His cause and the salvation of souls.

The desire for amusement, instead of being quenched and arbitrarily ruled down, should be controlled and directed by painstaking effort upon the part of the parents. Their desire to make gifts may be turned into pure and holy channels and made to result in good to our fellow men by supplying the treasury in the great, grand work for which Christ came into our world. Self-denial and self-sacrifice marked His course of action. Let it mark ours who profess to love Jesus because in Him is centered our hope of eternal life.

The Interchange of Gifts as Tokens of Affection

The holiday season is fast approaching with its interchange of gifts, and old and young are intently studying what they can bestow upon their friends as a token of affectionate remembrance. It is pleasant to receive a gift, however small, from those we love. It is an assurance that we are not forgotten, and seems to bind us to them a little closer. …

It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in this forget God, our best Friend. We should make our gifts such as will prove a real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in understanding the word of God or that will increase our love for its precepts. Provide something to be read during these long winter evenings. …

Jesus Not to Be Forgotten

Brethren and sisters, while you are devising gifts for one another, I would remind you of our heavenly Friend, lest you should be unmindful of His claims. Will He not be pleased if we show that we have not forgotten Him? Jesus, the Prince of life, gave all to bring salvation within our reach. … He suffered even unto death, that He might give us eternal life.

It is through Christ that we receive every blessing. … Shall not our heavenly Benefactor share in the tokens of our gratitude and love? Come, brethren and sisters, come with your children, even the babes in your arms, and bring your offerings to God according to your ability. Make melody to Him in your hearts, and let His praise be upon your lips.

Christmas—a Time to Honor God

By the world the holidays are spent in frivolity and extravagance, gluttony and display. … Thousands of dollars will be worse than thrown away upon the coming Christmas and New Year’s in needless indulgences. But it is our privilege to depart from the customs and practices of this degenerate age; and instead of expending means merely for the gratification of the appetite or for needless ornaments or articles of clothing, we may make the coming holidays an occasion in which to honor and glorify God.

The Adventist Home, 477–480.

Keys to the Storehouse – The Prickly Chestnut Bur

Have you ever had somebody observe your attitude and say “ouch”? Why would they say such a thing? Could it be because you have “prickles”?

What a terrible thing to be prickled like a chestnut bur. Have you ever tried to touch a chestnut bur without being pricked? I am sure each of us would love to receive heavenly guests into our home but if our character is full of prickles, they will not abide with us.

“Unless we daily cultivate the precious plant of love we are in danger of becoming narrow, unsympathetic, bigoted, and critical, esteeming ourselves righteous when we are far from being approved of God. Some are uncourteous, abrupt, and harsh. They are like chestnut burs: they prick whenever touched. These do incalculable harm by misrepresenting our loving Saviour. …” Testimonies, vol. 5, 605.

“Never should we lose control over ourselves. Let us ever keep before us the perfect Pattern.

  • It is a sin to speak impatiently and fretfully
  • or to feel angry—even though we do not speak.
  • We are to walk worthy, giving a right representation of Christ.
  • The speaking of an angry word is like flint striking flint: it at once kindles wrathful feelings.
  • Never be like a chestnut bur. …

“When others are impatient, fretful, and complaining, because self is not subdued, begin to sing some of the songs of Zion. While Christ was working at the carpenter’s bench others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit, which was there.” In Heavenly Places, 246.

Their prickles were melted!

“The man or woman who preserves the balance of the mind when tempted to indulge passion stands higher in the sight of God and heavenly angels than the most renowned general that ever led an army to battle and to victory. Said a celebrated emperor when on his dying bed, ‘Among all my conquests there is but one which affords me any consolation now, and that is the conquest I have gained over my own turbulent temper.’ [His prickles melted!] Alexander and Caesar found it easier to subdue a world than to subdue themselves. After conquering nation after nation, they fell—one of them ‘the victim of intemperance, the other of mad ambition.’ ” Child Guidance, 95. They died in their prickles!

“But are there not many who are … like a chestnut bur, hurting those with whom they come in contact? … Those who represent Christ will not speak harshly. Their words will be pleasant and helpful.” In Heavenly Places, 321.

“By our joyfulness we reveal that our life is hid with Christ in God, that in Him we find the most blessed companionship, and that through His grace we have a living connection with heaven.” Ibid., 246.

“The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control.” Sons and Daughters of God, 84. No prickles!

Heavenly Father: I do not want to be as a chestnut bur, full of prickles. Please remove everything that causes harm from my heart so that others may not experience pain from my attitude, words or actions. I would love to have others, along with heavenly guests, find a peaceful atmosphere—no more prickles, in my home or in my presence. Thank you Father. Amen.

Current Events – Cancer and Meat Eating

World Health Organization

Press Release No. 240

Lyon, France, 26 October 2015 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has evaluated the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.

Red meat

After thoroughly reviewing the accumulated scientific literature, a Working Group of 22 experts from 10 countries convened by the lARC Monographs Programme classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.

Processed meat

Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.

Meat consumption and its effects

The consumption of meat varies greatly between countries, with from a few percent up to 100% of people eating red meat, depending on the country, and somewhat lower proportions eating processed meat.

The experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the lARC Monographs Programme. “In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

The lARC Working Group considered more than 800 studies that investigated associations of more than a dozen types of cancer with the consumption of red meat or processed meat in many countries and populations with diverse diets. The most influential evidence came from large prospective cohort studies conducted over the past 20 years.

Public health

“These findings further support current public health recommendations to limit intake of meat,” says Dr Christopher Wild, Director of lARC. “At the same time, red meat has nutritional value. Therefore, these results are important in enabling governments and international regulatory agencies to conduct risk assessments, in order to balance the risks and benefits of eating red meat and processed meat and to provide the best possible dietary recommendations.”

This should not come as a surprise to Seventh-day Adventists who for 150 years have been warned of the dangers of eating flesh meats.

“Flesh meats constitute the principle article of food upon the tables of some families, until their blood is filled with cancerous and scrofulous humors. Testimonies, vol. 3, 563 (1875).

“From the light God has given me, the prevalence of cancer and tumors is largely due to gross living on dead flesh.” Councils on Diet and Foods, 388 (1896).

“People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculosis and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated.” Ibid (1905).

“Cancers, tumors, and pulmonary diseases are largely caused by meat eating.” The Review and Herald, March 3, 1910.

Lord’s Prayer Series – No Pain, No Gain!

Winston Churchill once said, “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.” It would be beneficial to remember that saying when experiencing terrible loss and trouble. Though effectively disguised at the time, there may be a blessing to follow.

We can be assured that any temptation we may face, it is not God Who tempts us but the enemy of souls, Satan, who, disguised as an angel of light, even tried to tempt Jesus while He was in the wilderness after His baptism.

The devil lays snares for people to walk into. Most of the time they do not even realize that they are ensnared until it is too late. The apostle Paul mentions this in many different places in his writings. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [something involving trickery] of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10–13.

Then Paul goes on in verses 14–18 about the necessity of prayer and study and an understanding of the truths of the Bible so that the snares or temptations of the devil will not deceive you. Writing to the Corinthian church he said, “… such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” II Corinthians 11:13–15.

Notice that the devil comes as an angel from heaven and deceives people into thinking that they are having a wonderful experience and gaining knowledge, as he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. The devil told her that if she ate the fruit she had been commanded by God to leave alone, she would become like God and know good and evil. It was never God’s intention for the human family to know anything about evil. Unfortunately for the human race, our first parents did learn about evil through disobedience, and since then we have all seen the results of evil. It involves disappointment, pain, suffering, sickness, strife, war and eventually, death. The human race would never have known any of these things if we had always been obedient and never partaken of the forbidden fruit.

However, people criticize Adam and Eve and wonder why they disobeyed. Yet people today continue to do the same thing, to partake of the knowledge of good and evil, which is actually a mixture of good and evil. To partake of those things that God has forbidden can only get us in trouble. Jesus said that we should pray for protection that we would not be led and tempted to engage in any forbidden behavior. Too often in our prayer life we are tempted to pray in a selfish manner, just for our own needs or that of our own family, but the Lord’s Prayer is not a selfish prayer.

Jesus said, “… lead us not into temptation …” (Matthew 6:13). [Emphasis added.] This is a prayer from an unselfish heart that includes our fellow mortals who are also in need of divine assistance and guidance on their way to the heavenly kingdom. In the Bible we are told that we should do good to all men. Notice what it says in Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

In the letter written by the apostle James, he says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 literal translation. Our prayers are to include the needs of others.

Temptation affects the entire human family. None of us can escape it. Only those who seek help from God will escape the ruin of walking on dangerous ground, because there is no place where you can go in this world, no earthly shrine or fortress, where you will be free from temptation.

Satan regards not the sanctity of place. He enters the Garden of Eden and he stands on the pinnacle of the temple. He is not deterred by the influence of holy companionship. He tempts Achan in the camp of Israel, Judas among the disciples of Christ, Ananias and Sapphira among the first Christians in Jerusalem. He is not afraid to attack the most favored saints, David, the man after God’s own heart, Peter, the first of the apostles and the three disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. He tempted even Jesus, the Lord of glory. He is not moved to pity by the helplessness and innocence of childhood. He will not relinquish hope, even when the aged pilgrim is on his deathbed. Everywhere and always he tempts.

Temptation is all around us and we cannot avoid it, but while there is no place where we can go where we are exempt from it, there is a refuge where we are safe from its defeat. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10.

The “name” mentioned here is referring to God’s character. If Christ abides in us and we abide in Him, then we are safely enclosed by an impregnable fortress. We cannot be saved from being tempted, but we can be saved from yielding to its power. It is true that the devil is the conqueror of humanity, but it is also true that Jesus Christ, called in the Scriptures our elder brother, came to this world in human flesh and conquered the devil in His humanity.

The devil trembles and flees before the weakest saint who finds a refuge in the all-conquering name of Jesus, our strong tower that affords us safety when we run into it.

There is not a person alive who doesn’t want to be safe, and Christ is the fortress of His people. The person who has fully yielded himself to Jesus Christ is barricaded, protected, and surrounded with infinite power. Even in this world, the person who is thus possessed by the Captain of the Lord’s host is impregnable to the assaults of the evil one. In fact, the only way you can escape succumbing to temptation in this world is if you find the one safe and true Refuge.

Jesus is called a “Refuge from the storm” (Isaiah 25:4). The Bible records many instances of people who were terribly, terribly tried. One example is the patriarch Job, who is described as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1). Yet notice the terrible experience that Job went through: “Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; and a messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!’

“While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ‘The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ‘The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!’ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, ‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!’

“Then Job arose and tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Job 1:13–22.

Job was tempted to accuse God. He lost all of his property and then his ten children in what we would call today a hurricane or a tornado. His whole family was gone, yet he did not blame God for it or sin against Him because of his terrible losses. Losing his property and his children was just the first part of his trial.

We read that God allowed the devil to also touch his person but not take his life. “So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:4–10.

Job’s trial is recorded in the 42 chapters of the book of Job. These attacks of the enemy were designed to bring about his defeat and ruin, but what happened? Through his submission to God these attacks resulted in the devil being defeated to the glory of God.

Satan’s attempt to ruin Job resulted in revealing himself as the liar and evil intelligence that he is. The devil’s sole intent is to tempt the inhabitants of this world into sin, so that they will curse God, ignore Him, and blame Him for their troubles. The book of Job is an integral part of the Bible that enlightens the seeker after truth who it is, in fact, that is the source and manufacturer of all our trials and tribulations.

The very weapons that Satan designed to weaken Job and cause him to curse God were used by the Lord to reveal to Job his unknown weaknesses so that he could become strong where he had been weak. The apostle Paul had a very similar experience. Paul met the Lord on the Damascus road. The Bible says the light around the Lord shone brighter than the sun (Matthew 17:12). After that encounter, the apostle Paul had trouble with his eyesight, describing it this way: “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:7–10.

God has not promised that we will have freedom from trials and temptations in this world. But He has promised us something far better. He has promised that when in trouble we have a fortress (Psalm 91:2). His strength is made perfect in our weakness and His grace will be given and is sufficient for all of our needs (II Corinthians 12:9). In every age God’s people have met various trials, some even to be called to martyrdom; but as history has proven, God’s grace is always sufficient to meet any trial.

God uses the trials that come along to develop character in His people. God brings beauty out of ashes. Although God turns into blessings all of Satan’s attempt to destroy, we should do everything in our power not to walk rashly into temptation. We must be careful to keep off the enemy’s ground. One of the great temptations of youth is the temptation of sexual lust. In violation of the Ten Commandments, Satan tempts the youth to indulge in sexual activity before making a commitment in marriage. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gave the following advice to young people: “My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell [the grave]. Lest you ponder her path of life—her ways are unstable; you do not know them.

“Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.” Proverbs 5:1–8.

Then Solomon goes on to explain why you should not deliberately walk into temptation: “Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one.” Verse 9.

James also provides guidance on avoiding temptations. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

The thirteenth chapter of Genesis tells what Lot did after he separated from Abraham. It says that, “Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent towards Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.” Genesis 13:12, 13 literal translation. They were so wicked that eventually God sent fire from heaven and burned those wicked cities. Lot lost almost everybody in his family. In a sense, if you read the whole story, he did lose everybody for he beheld the wicked cities and his family got involved in sinful, sensual pleasure. It is dangerous to do what Lot did.

The Bible has a lot to say about avoiding even the appearance of evil. “Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 5:21–23.

We have an obligation as free moral agents to not walk into temptation. In fact, we should flee from those situations where we would be tempted and might be overcome. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about this very thing. He said, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” II Timothy 2:22.

To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18. And again, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry …” I Corinthians 10:14. And to Timothy, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” I Timothy 6:11, 12.

God has created us all as free moral agents. We are responsible for what we look at, listen to, what we practice, and what we engage in. No one else is responsible for our actions. This earth is part of a moral universe, and one day, on the Day of Judgment, all will give an account of the life that we have chosen to live. The prophets and the apostles in both the Old and New Testaments taught this. So, do not pray not to be led into temptation and then directly walk into temptation’s way contrary to what you have just prayed.

Like the Bible itself, the Lord’s Prayer ends where it began. It starts with God and His perfection and it brings us back again after our contact with sin and victory over evil. “Forever” is a proper ending for the Lord’s Prayer. This exultant ascription of praise and honor to the God of heaven is not found only at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, but this is something that is common in recorded prayers in both the Old and the New Testament.

Praise is part of effectual prayer. The Bible says that praise is comely or beautiful for the upright (Psalm 33:1.) God said, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me.” Psalm 50:23.

Many of the Psalms end in praise, even those that represent deep repentance and heart-rending anguish of sin-burdened souls crying out for pardon and cleansing. Humble and contrite souls praise God for His love, His grace, and His mercy. Fifteen of the Psalms end with the expression, “Praise ye the Lord.”

The ending in the Lord’s Prayer is a closing plea that the seven petitions of the prayer be granted. It all presents an argument as to the reasons why the prayer was offered because the person has expectation for an answer from One Who is able to answer every single one of these petitions. In fact, He is able to answer more than we can ask.

In Ephesians 3:20 literal translation, Paul says, “Now to Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”

So, we expect an answer when we pray, not based on something that we have or can do, not based on something that we can do to gain merit. We expect an answer because of God’s character and power, and that He is able to answer every single petition in this prayer. So as you pray the words, “Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory” (Matthew 6:13), ask the Lord to fulfill each one of the petitions of the prayer of Jesus in your life so that you, one day, can be part of the kingdom of glory when it is set up.

May the Lord’s Prayer become a daily feature in each one’s life. It is one of request that the Lord will help us to live the way our Lord and Master lived, giving us an example and offering the power of the Holy Spirit to help us in our journey. He alone is able to keep us from falling (Jude 1:24).

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

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

To Know God

Man’s salvation depends upon his understanding of God. The more we understand Jesus Christ, the deeper our spiritual experience will be and the better witnesses for Him we will become. Sometimes our body speaks one thing and yet our souls say something different because each person carries their own individual atmosphere around them. Our witness for Jesus Christ is not just the truth spoken by our own words for they are very limited. The way we look, the way we smile, the way we consider and treat others, speak volumes without a word spoken. The way we sit, the way we stand, the way we walk, the way we have conversations, the way we care and our whole being witnesses to others of our motivation. The knowledge we have of the character of God has everything to do with our salvation.

The more I work as a servant of the Lord I really begin to understand better what is Christian living and why I am a Christian. To know Jesus Christ is everything.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3. Knowing the true God, the Father, and Son, Jesus Christ, Whom He sent is our life eternal. Jesus Christ is our salvation and He gives us life every day, not only physical life, but spiritual life. We must partake of His righteousness daily. Righteousness is not only the written word of God, but it is also continually partaking of Jesus’ character and His Spirit into our lives.

There is a familiar quote found in The Desire of Ages, page 22, which says, “The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, ‘with healing in His wings’ (Malachi 4:2).”

Repentance is a gift from God. We think that we are the ones who repent, who feel remorse and regrets and are the ones who confess the sins and repent. So why is repentance the gift from God? We have a carnal heart that is at enmity against God, so before God gives us repentance His grace gives us the enmity against the wickedness and Satan and sin (Genesis 3:15). Without that gift of grace we cannot even begin the repentance experience.

At the same time God must, through His Holy Spirit, rule us and convict us, impress us and give us the feeling of being sorry for the sins which we have committed. Only then will we have a desire to repent. Faith is a gift from God but not all receive it. Why is it a gift? Consider this illustration: A little baby has been taken care of by his mother. His mother holds him in her bosom all day long cuddling him and kissing him. She washes him, changes his diapers and she feeds him. The baby does not immediately have knowledge of the mother’s love, yet slowly and surely he begins to understand the tender care of this person. He naturally begins to trust this person called mother. When he cries, she comes. When he is hungry, she jumps. Immediately, he begins to trust her. This is the only person he can trust in the world. He now has the gift of trust because of the love of the mother. He trusts her because she has demonstrated that she provides all of his needs. That is what we call faith—it is a gift. You see, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Our believing comes after the Father gave up His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to us. God’s love is first shown and then felt by us and our response is faith, then we believe. First we have to know God before we will receive the gift of faith and trust.

Some people say of themselves, “I’m so weak because of the hereditary habits that I’ve received from my ancestors, my father, my mother, my grandparents, and so forth. I stumble a lot, I make mistakes, I backslide.” People become so discouraged, but in that regard we all are equal. I have never met anyone who does not complain about his or her own weaknesses whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, who does not have his or her own cross to bear. Those who stand for Jesus Christ and the truth will not have to go out looking for a cross to bear; it will surely find them.]

Often times we have problems, suffer pain, or incur troubles or conflicts. But those things are not the actual problem. Our real problem is lack of the knowledge of God because we do not really understand Him or His character. We do not comprehend His work and how much He loves us. We may sing the song, “Jesus Loves Me” but do we really understand what that means?

Intercessory Prayer

Mediating means not only applying the blood of Jesus Christ to repenting sinners, but also a mediator has to give enough grace, power and strength for the person they are interceding for to overcome. That is the true meaning of intercessory work. That is what Jesus Christ does for us every day. It is not our own wickedness or our environment that results in our stumbling and falling, but the lack of a true understanding of God and His provision for us. To know God is to love Him and the more we understand Him the more we will love Him and be prepared to risk everything in our lives for His sake, even to the point of becoming a martyr if necessary.

There is nothing in the world more valuable than the love of Jesus Christ, because we know Him and love Him and we would like to do everything in the world for His honor and glory. I love my mother and my father. When I was little I thought my father didn’t like me. I am the only son in my family with four sisters. In Korean culture, if you are the only son you are treated like a king and you are supposed to lead like one. Because I am the successor of this family, food must first be presented before me. My grandfather, who raised my father, used to be a senator in the Korean government. He was a high official and at one time he became the secretary of commerce. He had a huge mansion and many politicians came to bow before him. In Korean tradition, on the first day of January every year we all go to our parents and grandparents and actually bow down on the floor to them. Whether you like it or not this is what you must do to show respect for your parents.

Visiting my grandfather’s house on the first of January, I saw many politicians and congressmen go to his house and bow down too. I liked to go to him because after I bowed down before him he would give me an envelope filled with brand new currency. As an only-begotten son in the family, my father wanted to train me correctly so that I would not become spoiled. He was, in a way, very strict with me. From time to time he spanked me and I thought my father didn’t like me and maybe he even hated me. I thought maybe he felt regret at having me in this world. One day, early in the morning, I felt chilly in my room and I knew that I needed to pull my comforter over my head, but I couldn’t for I was too sleepy. Then, all of a sudden, I felt warmth all over my body. What was taking place? Someone had come into my room and pulled the cover over me and was leaving my room. I could only see his back, but I knew that it was my Dad. He was looking out for my comfort. From that point on my understanding of him was revolutionized. I realized that my father loved me and from then on the relationship with my father grew. My father is now 91 years old and sometimes still says to me, “Be careful when you cross the street. Be careful when you drive.” I am old now, too, and have my own children, but I will always be his son and he will always look out for me.

When we understand God and what happened at the cross, and truly understand what Jesus Christ has been doing and is still doing for our salvation, then our loyalty and faithfulness will be changed. We continue to sin and repent because we do not understand the power that He is willing to give us to stop.

When you know God you can be thankful when all else seems to crash around you. I heard a woman give a testimony on the radio one Thanksgiving. Her husband was in jail on fraud charges. Her seventeen year old son had just committed suicide yet she praised God and gave Him thanks. Continuing in her testimony she said she was also dying with cancer. The doctors had given her only six more months to live and she said, “I am so thankful to God.” She continued by saying, “When I go to heaven I’ll be more thankful. Do you know why? Even though my seventeen year old boy just committed suicide, and my husband is in jail, and I’m dying with cancer, I am going to be so much more thankful to my God because I will find out how much work He has done for the salvation of my family. I believe and trust that God has done everything He could to save my family. So I will continually praise Him.” What faith! This lady trusted her Saviour to do all in His infinite power to save her family.

John Milton was a theologian and poet in England. His famous long poem is Paradise Lost. He wrote a book called All the Education and in his book he wrote this very interesting statement: “The end then of learning is to repair the ruins of our first parents by regaining a knowledge to know God aright and out of that knowledge to love Him.” That is interesting. Mrs. White said exactly the same thing. To know Him is to love Him. God holds all things together continually for us to stay alive. He holds atoms together, the orbit system, sun and planets and the earth. Marvelously and mysteriously He holds it all together by His power. Everything is upheld by His power. Our blood circulates, our pulse, our emotions, our personality, all cooperate for the success of this planet. He did not only create us but He continually maintains us by His word and His power. Why? Simply because He wanted to give us more time and more opportunity to know Him and to fall in love with Him so that we can become true Christians and devote our entire life to Him in vindication of His character and repudiate the claim of Satan that God is not love.

Sometimes we think we have to try very hard to be sanctified. Of course, the Spirit of Prophecy does say that without effort there is no result, but we cannot simply lie around in “faith” and say, “O please help me to accomplish things.” No, we cannot do that. We do not just open our mouth and stand under the tree until the fruit comes down and falls into our mouth. We have to actually go there and pluck it, peel and eat it.

God is the One Who sanctifies us through His providential workings. Sometimes He allows sufferings, afflictions, pains, heartaches and dilemmas so that we can be refined and chiseled into something useful. God is the One Who works daily, as much as we allow Him, to mold us and fashion us into His image to fulfill the plan He has for our life.

One day Michelangelo took a big chunk of stone and brought it into his workshop and began to work on that rock to make a statue. After about three months, servants came into his shop and saw the beautiful statue of Moses. They were amazed and said, “Wow, Master, this is beautiful. How did you do it?” Michelangelo said, “I didn’t do much. There was a Moses in that rock. I knew it and saw it, so I just chiseled out all the parts that did not belong to him. That is all I did.” O, what wise words as a sculptor. That is exactly what God is trying to do to us—bring out the image of God within us. He chips away at all the bad character traits and habits that don’t belong there so Jesus can be seen in us.

When I look back, I can see my life as one whole picture. In certain conjunctions of my life I couldn’t understand, but now I can see. Why did God allow me to go through those kinds of troubles and persecutions? When I stood up and began to preach the straight testimony about the true everlasting gospel, health messages, country living messages, and the straight everlasting gospel, the character perfection gospel, and purification of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and the soon coming of Jesus Christ, I went through some hell. The persecutions that came to me I never had imagined before. At one point of time I wanted to die and I said, “Lord, I just cannot go on like this. My reputation is shot. I have no more honor. I am on the top of the black list, the church hates me and they spread all kinds of rumors about me. I just cannot go on like this without honor and it is too difficult.” And He put me through various experiences that were deep valleys in my life. I did not know it was God’s mercy to train me, to purify me and to sanctify me, even through persecutions. Through those persecutions He put my pride down. It was impossible to be proud in these situations.

As an oriental, it is my culture that when greeting people, usually in different Asian countries, you show humility by bowing your body and head at the same time and say, “Hello brother. How are you? Nice to meet you.” If I say, like Americans, “Hello brother. Good to see you,” without bowing, I would be seen as a very proud person.

How does God humble us? Only God can humble us through His providential ways, allowing us to go through certain valleys and experiences. Then He is able to take away our pride and our idols. Sometimes it takes a long time. Satan and his evil angels accuse the brethren. They ridicule God’s servant saying, “Surely this person is not qualified to be a pastor or an elder.” “Is this a person who is called to be a witness for Thee?” But God says, “Wait a minute, Satan. I’m not done with him yet. I’m not finished.” When Jesus Christ leaves the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, He is going to say again, “It is finished.” But what is He referring to? His work of salvation is finished. And when sin is eradicated He will say once more, “Finished.” Until then nobody can pass judgment, for God’s work of restoration is not finished. Sure, they can criticize me now because God has not finished with me yet.

My parents were proud of me. My father’s expectation of me was to become a businessman or a physician, one that was well-known in the world. He wanted me to become a famous person and have good accomplishments. When I became a pastor, he said, “That’s all right, if that’s what you want to do; then become the best pastor in Asia and well-known that people can identify with you.” That was my father’s dream of his only son.

When I began to stand strong for the truth and began to be persecuted it was really difficult and it was not easy for my father. God took the human expectations and dreams for his son away and made him humble to simply depend upon God’s providence. God is a wonderful God and yet His working is mysterious. He is out to help us all to become truly humble. If we understand His providential workings in our past experiences, then we can truly say, “Yes, I love Him. I really love Him.” Now if my God is that kind of God, I can risk everything. I can sacrifice everything for His sake because I trust Him. Then you and I can even become martyrs for His sake.

II Peter 1:2, 3 says, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” When we understand Him more and more, then grace and peace will be multiplied unto us, but only when we understand God more.

“Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for He has torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:1–3.

Hosea has invited us to come, return unto the Lord and know Him. As we understand the knowledge of God and as we grow in Jesus Christ in the knowledge of Him, then we will receive the latter rain. Without the early rain, without the first growing experience in the understanding of His character and His providences and His workings with you, you cannot receive the latter rain.

I met a young lady who is Spanish, but speaks English enough that I can communicate with her. When I met her the first time she was very sad. She was unstable and dissatisfied and was always like an orphan. She was very uncomfortable and always asking something and unsettled. Recently I met her again and noticed a whole change of her atmosphere and countenance. I said to her, “You are changed. What happened?” She was very anxious to tell me her story. When she was 15 years old her mother forsook her and dumped her in the grandparent’s house and left without any explanation. She has never seen her own father. Her mother was living with a man without marriage when she abandoned her daughter. Her grandmother was not pleasant to her and her life was so horrible that she had begun cursing her own life. Why was I born? What is the purpose? Then, somehow, she had opportunity to go to a school connected to a small ministry and became a Christian where she grew into a relationship with Jesus Christ. One day she began to realize that there was a reason why she is in this world. She now understood that the Father in heaven gave her life and existence in this world to find Him and get to know Him and understand Him and to have opportunity to live forever. It is a simple doctrine of the Bible, but all of a sudden she began to realize the purpose of her life. She said, “Yes, there is a reason why I am living in this world.”

While she works in the garden she prays and sings hymns like “Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall” (Will L. Thompson 1904). This song gave real meaning to her life and as she sings this song in Spanish she really means it.

Jesus is the all the world to me, my strength, my love, my all and He will lead me and you through the time of trouble that is soon to come on this earth before Jesus returns if you accept Him and trust Him.

(All Bible verses are quoted in the King James Version.)

Pastor David Kang is the director of Light for Life U.S. Ministry operation out of Commerce, Georgia. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors who often work “underground.” 

The Persistent Message of Jesus

“The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. … The burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme—man’s uplifting—the power of God, ‘which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (I Corinthians 15:57).” Education, 125.

Another description of this plan is found in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfilment of the covenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the world was laid. With clasped hands they had entered into the solemn pledge that Christ would become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan’s sophistry.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 14, 1900.

In Patriarchs and Prophets, page 371, it says that this covenant “was simply an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will” where we can keep the commandments of God. The third angel’s message says, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 14:12 KJV. These people followed Jesus into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and have been given strength from God to be free from sin. They were placed where they could obey God’s law and have right to enter the kingdom of glory, no exception.

“The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused death [the second death]. To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 68.

The plan of redemption was given to separate us from sin. This message was given to Adam and he knew that the lamb he must slay represented Jesus Christ Who would come in the future. From the time Adam offered his first sacrifice until Jesus died on the cross approximately 2,000,920 lambs were sacrificed—one every morning and every evening to remind the people of the new covenant promise. The most important thing we can ever learn is to trust in the blood of Jesus to redeem us from sin.

God told Abraham to take his one and only son and offer him on Mount Moriah. Hence, Abraham was a representation of the Father and Isaac, the Son of God. Climbing Mount Moriah, Isaac said to his father, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Genesis 22:7 NKJV. And Abraham said, “God Himself will provide the lamb.” Verse 8. Isaac was strong enough that he could have resisted his elderly father when he found out what God had instructed Abraham, but he submitted to his father’s will.

Abraham was ready to bring that knife down when his hand was stayed. The plan of salvation was here illustrated to the universe through Abraham and Isaac. The lamb represented Jesus. God does everything He can to impress upon our minds the need of getting free from sin. For 4,000 years Abraham, Jacob and future generations continued these morning and evening sacrifices symbolizing Christ’s first coming.

At the Exodus God changed the patriarchal system to a sanctuary system to meet the needs of a larger group of people. The lamb was still to be sacrificed but the services were enlarged to give the people a clearer understanding of the new covenant and what Christ was going to do for them.

The sanctuary that Moses built was a copy of the sanctuary in heaven, which is the true tabernacle of God, the sanctuary of the new covenant. (See The Great Controversy, 413, 417.) Both sanctuaries were of the new covenant.

The seventy-week prophecy given to Daniel told the people exactly when they should expect the Lamb to come to ratify the covenant. They had the date for it. The shepherds and the wise men knew that the time was at hand, but the church did not. The prophecy stated that in the midst of the week the Lamb would be slain. At the beginning of the week, in A.D. 27, Jesus was anointed and they could have figured out exactly when the true Sacrifice would be made. But in the face of all this information, they were blinded with a misunderstanding of the Scriptures.

History shows that in 63 B.C., Pompey, the Roman general, took Jerusalem after a three-month siege of the temple area and massacred all the priests in the process of their service. This sacrilege incensed the Jews in such a way that they could neither forgive nor forget and a plan was devised by which they hoped to get free from the Romans. The prophecies of a coming king were taken and interpreted to say that Jesus was to come as a king to deliver them from the control of the Roman Empire. Over the next 50 to 75 years that interpretation became so ingrained in the Jews that they forgot the plan of God. They taught that the Messiah would come, not to deliver them from sin, but to deliver them from the control of the pagan Roman Empire. When Jesus came as a lowly peasant instead of a king, they found it necessary to destroy Him in order to uphold their false teaching. The Jews represented Jesus as an imposter and taught the people that His work and teachings would destroy their temple and its services. The temple and its services must be preserved at all cost, even if it was to deny Jesus and the messengers He sent. Such was the environment Jesus experienced at His first advent.

Jesus tried to correct this error and sent witnesses to the birth of John the Baptist. Zacharias had a vision while serving in the holy place of the temple. As a result of his unbelief he was struck dumb for nine months until the child was born. When he came out from that encounter with the angel everybody knew that something amazing had happened when he could not talk.

The angel proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and this was spread all over Judea. There was still no interest to research this matter. A year later the Magi came from the east asking, Where is the king of the Jews that was born? The Jewish leaders who had not followed the prophecies did not know because it did not fit their preconceived idea of being saved from the Romans.

When Jesus was dedicated in the temple, two prophets witnessed to His divine birth. The priest heard these things but refused to take notice. When John the Baptist came preaching in Jerusalem and all Judea to prepare the way for the Messiah to come in humility and to deliver them from sin, they still did not listen. The priesthood even sent a delegation to hear him, but John’s teaching was not in harmony with their expectation.

Jesus did not give up trying to get the attention of the people. At His baptism in A.D. 27, when He came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove. They recognized that dove as a representation of the Holy Spirit and heard the voice of God the Father declaring, “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. However, this was not the king that they wanted so they rejected Him.

From His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and fasted almost to the point of death. When He returned from the wilderness to the Jordan River where John the Baptist was teaching, John said, “Look, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. Five of John’s disciples joined Jesus at the opening of His ministry.

Inspiration tells us that Jesus did not begin His ministry until the first cleansing of the temple.

“In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the abode of the divine Presence, was designed to be an object lesson for Israel and for the world. … In the cleansing of the temple from the world’s buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin—from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits that corrupt the soul.” The Desire of Ages, 161. The Jewish church rejected that message again.

There was a bright spot in His ministry a few days later when Nicodemus came for an interview with Jesus. “In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation, and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven. At the very beginning of His ministry He opened the truth to a member of the Sanhedrin, to the mind that was most receptive, and to an appointed teacher of the people. But the leaders of Israel did not welcome the light. Nicodemus hid the truth in his heart, and for three years there was little apparent fruit.” Ibid., 176. Nicodemus passed the story on to the disciples after the crucifixion.

A year later at the next Passover, Jesus came back to the same subject again when He healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda. It is believed that the man was healed on the Sabbath because he was so sick but Jesus had a greater plan when He deliberately told him to pick up his bed and walk on the Sabbath day. That afternoon the Sanhedrin called a council meeting and Jesus was called in for breaking the law. (See John 5.) By additional rules, the ten commandments by which we are judged had been corrupted and Jesus challenged the leaders saying that the teachings of the Pharisees were leading the people astray and depriving them of salvation through the new covenant.

Jesus had come to magnify the law and make it honorable. He was not to lessen its dignity, but to exalt it. The Scripture says, “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth.” Isaiah 42:4 literal translation. He came to free the Sabbath from the burdensome requirements that had made it a curse instead of a blessing.

Inspiration tells us: “For this reason He had chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform the act of healing at Bethesda. He could have healed the sick man as well on any other day of the week; or He might simply have cured him, without bidding him bear away his bed. But this would not have given Him the opportunity He desired.” The Desire of Ages, 206.

“The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ’s message and was bent upon His death; therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priests, the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations.

“The burden of Christ’s preaching was, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel’ (Mark 1:14). Thus the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies. The ‘time’ which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. ‘Seventy weeks,’ said the angel, ‘are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy’ (Daniel 9:24).” Ibid., 232, 233.

In other words, seventy weeks were decreed to ratify the covenant and for Jesus to open the new covenant sanctuary in heaven. They should have known that Jesus was going to die and the third day go to open the sanctuary in heaven. But the whole plan of redemption was rejected, cutting off all the people from the hope of salvation.

“Calling the twelve [disciples] about Him, Jesus bade them go out two and two through the towns and villages.” Ibid., 350. The disciples’ message was the same as John the Baptist and of Christ Himself, the kingdom of God is at hand, the seventy-week prophecy is fulfilled. The Messiah had come to give His life to ratify the covenant. So they went through Galilee with this message. And what a harvest they gained through their ministry! By the end of that year there were thousands of people ready to accept Jesus and be called His disciples.

Just before His crucifixion Jesus again sent seventy of His disciples throughout the whole area of Galilee and Judea and any place where people would listen. They were to call attention to the sacrifice that He was going to make in a few weeks. (See The Desire of Ages, 488.) The Lamb of God was about to ratify the covenant so pay attention.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51. The Desire of Ages, 389, explains: “To eat the flesh and to drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins.” We are complete in Him. The new covenant is simply an arrangement to bring us back in harmony with God.

It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul. Food cannot benefit unless it is eaten and it becomes part of our being. Christ is of no value to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour. We must feed upon Him and receive Him into the heart so that His life becomes our life. His love, His grace must be assimilated.

“It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea, and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had spoken through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ, and the Saviour desired to fix the faith of His followers on the word. When His visible presence should be withdrawn, the word must be their source of power.” The Desire of Ages, 390. [Emphasis added.] Though His visible presence has been withdrawn from us it is His word that is to be the source of our power and our salvation.

Those who believe the Bible will also believe the Spirit of Prophecy. Revelation 12:17, says, “The dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. In Revelation 19:10, we read, “I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!” [Emphasis added.] Here it is evident that if a person accepts the whole Bible they will also accept the whole Spirit of Prophecy.

“By looking constantly to Jesus with the eye of faith, we shall be strengthened. God will make the most precious revelations to His hungering, thirsting people. They will find that Christ is a personal Saviour. As they feed upon His word, they find that it is spirit and life. The word destroys the natural, earthly nature, and imparts a new life in Christ Jesus.” The Desire of Ages 391. Jesus wants to free you from sin when you come to Him and give you the needed strength to keep from sinning. All who participate in the latter rain are going to be free from sin and sealed for eternity.

Jesus said, “You destroy this temple, and in three days I’ll raise it up.” John 2:19 literal translation. The Desire of Ages, page 164, explains: “In these words His meaning was twofold. He referred not only to the destruction of the Jewish temple and worship, but to His own death—the destruction of the temple of His body.” When the Jews crucified Jesus, they destroyed His body and destroyed the temple. “As referring to the temple at Jerusalem, the Saviour’s words, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,’ had a deeper meaning than the hearers perceived. Christ was the foundation and life of the temple. Its services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. … The entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing of the Saviour’s death to redeem the world.” Ibid., 165.

“In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple.” Ibid., 165. The very thing they wanted to prevent, they did. When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom signifying that the great final sacrifice had been made. The sacrificial lamb escaped and the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end along with the feast days.

“ ‘In three days I will raise it up.’ … From the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Jesus came forth a conqueror. … By virtue of His death and resurrection, He became the minister of the ‘true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man’ (Hebrews 8:2). …

“The sacrificial service that had pointed to Christ passed away; but the eyes of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. The earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to Jesus, the minister of the new covenant, and ‘to the blood of sprinkling.’ … ‘The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing … but Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands …by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us’ (Hebrews 12:24; 9:8–12).” Ibid., 165, 166.

Throughout the book of Hebrews it is seen that Paul was relentless in pointing the Jews to the sanctuary in heaven that they had rejected so that they could see Jesus and His ministration there. For the three years of His earthly ministry the prophecy the temple would be destroyed, that He would die and be raised on the third day, and the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven would be opened was before the people.

In the setting of the resurrection morning the disciples were all confused. Going to the tomb they found it empty and wondered what happened. Their hope and faith was gone. Then Jesus appeared to Mary, and “in His own familiar voice He said to her, ‘Mary’ Now she knew it was not a stranger who was addressing her, and turning she saw before her the living Christ. In her joy she forgot He had been crucified. Springing toward Him, as if to embrace His feet [in worship], she said, ‘Rabboni.’ But Christ raised His hand, saying, Detain me not ‘for I am not yet ascended to My Father’ (John 20:16, 17). …

“Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men.” Ibid., 790.

Christ immediately returned to earth, and that evening He walked to Emmaus and explained to two of His disciples how the Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to His sacrifice. They finally began to understand why Jesus had to die. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down and told the disciples that Jesus had been inaugurated as their High Priest, and that they were to take this message to the world. Christ was now ministering for them in the heavenly sanctuary. The Lamb of God had been slain. They could go directly to Christ in the heavenly sanctuary to confess their sins. He would hear and give them power to separate from sin.

The Desire of Ages, 834 says that when Jesus ascended to heaven, “They [the hosts of heaven] are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King.

“But He waves them back. Not yet; He cannot now receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe. He enters into the presence of His Father. He points to His wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet; He lifts His hands, bearing the print of nails. … Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled.”

Praise the Lord! The pledge has been fulfilled and Jesus is in heaven today ministering on behalf of His people. “From that scene of heavenly joy, there comes back to us on earth the echo of Christ’s own wonderful words, ‘I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.’ John 20:17.” Ibid., 835.

“The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.” The Acts of the Apostles, 39.

This was the message of Jesus’ disciples during the early rain. The message of God’s church during the latter rain will be that Christ has moved into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and is investigating the records of His people to see who has washed their sins in His blood and are fit to be clothed in the wedding garment and ready to go into the wedding banquet. What a tragedy it would be to be weighed in the balance of the sanctuary and be found wanting when such a sacrifice has been made for our salvation.

How important it is for us today to go to the world with this message of hope. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light. Seeking Him in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary is our only hope. He alone can give the power to set us free from the sins that separate us from the Father. This last message of mercy must go to the whole world and then Jesus will return for those who love Him and “keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12 literal translation.

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

Maurice Hoppe is Director of the Steps to Life training programs and a member of the Steps to Life Board. The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders is a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as pastors or Bible workers. Preparing for the Final Conflict is a correspondence course for the laity. Both of these courses teach present truth that will be an anchor for the soul during the storm of opposition and persecution just ahead. He and his wife also have a correspondence course offered through Revelation Ministry. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Hospitable and Helpful

The story of the Good Samaritan proves that the way we treat people who are in trouble has more to do with our eternal destiny than many people realize. The question to be answered is not how do you treat your friends, but how do you treat people of other races and nationalities who are completely different from you? There is a story of a woman whose life was saved and that of her son because she exercised hospitality.

The Bible reveals that after the ten tribes separated from the two Israelite tribes of Judah and Benjamin they went into an apostasy of idolatry such as had never been seen in the land of Israel. Following is the Bible description of what eventually developed:

“Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” I Kings 16:30–33.

The children of Israel had taken a solemn covenant that they would be the Lord’s people, that they would do His will, and that they would follow Him and keep His laws. And yet, in shameless violation of the solemn covenant they had made, they went into the grossest heathenism and idolatry. When God gave His law to the children of Israel on Mount Sinai and then wrote the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone, most of the commandments were very short. However, there were two that were much longer than the rest, giving more details about obeying them. It is interesting that when studying religious history it is seen that these are the two commandments that the devil has severely attacked over and over again throughout the centuries and millennia.

The second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:4–6.

But in shameless violation of this strict command in God’s law, the children of Israel went into idolatry, gross idolatry, involving the offering of human sacrifices.

There was a man who lived on the east of Jordan in the mountains of Gilead who saw this apostasy and was terribly grieved over it. He knew that not only was the nation violating their covenant with God, but if something was not done to arrest this apostasy, the people would eventually go so far that they would commit the unpardonable sin of grieving the Spirit of God, making it impossible for them to recover and return to the Lord. So he began to pray about it and to ask the Lord if He would arrest the apostasy of His people by sending them judgments if need be so that they might repent and recover from their terrible condition.

The Bible describes this righteous man in James 5:17, 18. It says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

When Elijah prayed the Lord answered his prayer. The Lord told him to go and announce to King Ahab that there would be no rain on the land. So, Elijah started out on his long journey down the mountains to the Jordan and clear across on the other side into the city of Samaria where he came to the royal city, the king’s residence. When he came to the palace of King Ahab he did not ask or solicit an admission or even wait for a formal introduction. Clothed in the course garments that prophets wore in those days, he passed by the royal guards, apparently unnoticed, and entered into the presence of the king, who was astonished to suddenly see someone standing before him unannounced. This was quite unheard of.

Elijah made no apology for his abrupt appearance because Somebody greater than any human king had commissioned him with a message. Lifting his hand toward heaven he solemnly affirmed before the king that the judgments of the Most High God were about to fall upon Israel. Elijah’s announcement is given in I Kings 17:1: “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.’ ”

There was no physical evidence that what Elijah had predicted was going to happen. At the time everything was green and lush and there was plenty of water everywhere. However, Elijah made the pronouncement the Lord had given him to tell the king, then he immediately turned around and walked out.

The king was so astonished that he didn’t have time to say or do anything before Elijah went abruptly out of the palace and out of the city, not waiting to see the reaction to his message. “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.” I Kings 17:2–6.

Time went on. The first day didn’t seem much different than before, maybe no change, even after the first week. But after a month had gone by and there was no rain and no dew, things began to get dry. And then six months went by with no sign of rain and no dew and things really got dry. Lack of rain in the second year caused a famine in the land. The pitiless heavens gave no sign of any rain. There was drought and famine throughout the whole land. During this time Elijah was praying and waiting. What will it take for these people to see that what they are doing is wrong? They seemed unable to discern in their suffering a divine call to repentance and a divine interposition to save them from taking the fatal step beyond the boundary of heaven’s patience and forgiveness.

The Bible teaches very clearly that it is possible to take that fatal step, to go beyond the boundary of forgiveness. This apostasy of Israel was actually more dreadful than the horrors of the famine that they were enduring. But as the famine went on, the time came when the brook Cherith had less and less water until it too dried up. When people study a story like this, some wonder why the Lord sends judgments. The prophet Ezekiel tells us what the Lord thinks and feels when He has to send judgments upon people.

“ ‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ Says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’ ” Ezekiel 18:23.

“ ‘Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God. ‘Therefore turn and live!’ ” Verses 31, 32.

Over and over this message is repeated in the Bible. Again in Ezekiel 33:11, it says, “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ ”

But the time came that people were still unrepentant. The brook Cherith was drying up and Elijah needed somewhere to go where he would be able to get water. The Lord sent him not to anybody in the land of Israel, but into a heathen land to live among the heathen.

“The word of the Lord came to him [Elijah] saying, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’ So he arose and went to Zarephath [clear west of the land of Israel, over by the Mediterranean Sea, to the city of Sidon]. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ So she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’ ” I Kings 17:8–12.

This was a favor that no person from that region of the world would ever deny, to offer a drink to a stranger who was thirsty. This woman was not only poor, but she was at the point of starvation, getting ready to prepare her last meal. There would have been no more food and she and her son would die.

“And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.” ’ ” Verses 13, 14.

This was a supreme test of faith for this heathen woman who was told that the God of Israel would provide for her need. She would have flour and oil to sustain her until the day that rain came upon the earth. She passed the test. She decided to do as Elijah had asked.

“So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.” Verses 15, 16.

It is interesting that Jesus referred to this experience in one of His sermons (Luke 4:25 and 26). Jesus said there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah but he was not sent to any of them, but into a heathen land for a widow from Zarephath to provide for him. This woman was not an Israelite and had never had the blessings and the privileges of God’s chosen people. She did not have access to the Bible that they possessed. However, she was a believer in the true God and had walked in all the light that she had. This was the home to which God sent Elijah to find an asylum. She was hospitable to a stranger who asked a favor of her, a little food and a little water. Not only did God work a miracle to provide food for her until the end of the famine, but also provided for her for the rest of her life.

“Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. So she said to Elijah, ‘What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?’ And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?’ And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.’ Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives!’ Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.’ ” I Kings 17:17–24.

This woman practiced the gift of hospitality. She was tested because it looked like she was going to starve to death when she was asked to help somebody else who was hungry and thirsty. She shared what she had with somebody else who was in just as great a need as she was and the result was, not only her life, but the life of her son was spared. It is still true that God has promised a great blessing to any person who, in a time of trial, and want, and trouble, gives sympathy and assistance to others who are more needy. The Bible says that God does not change (Hebrews 13:8). He is the same today and He has no less power now than He did in the days of Elijah.

The Scriptures have a lot to say about providing sympathy and assistance to others.

Notice what the apostle Paul wrote about it in Hebrews 13:2. He said, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Jesus talked about it, as recorded in Matthew 10:40–42. “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Throughout the Bible we are instructed not just to be considerate, but also to be hospitable and helpful to our fellow men and to anyone who is in need or who is in trouble. Isaiah the prophet described it this way: The Lord said, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ ” Isaiah 58:6–9.

This widow was abundantly rewarded because she practiced hospitality to someone who was in need. It is still true today that our heavenly Father continues to place in the pathway of His children opportunities that are blessings in disguise. No act of kindness shown to someone in the name of Christ will fail to be recognized and rewarded. We should have the same tender regard for the feeblest and the lowliest human being, especially those who are in trouble.

If you are saved, you will meet this woman and her son in the kingdom of heaven. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew 10:41 that the person that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.

The time came when it had not rained for three years and six months. The Lord saw it was finally time to show His hand. He told Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab. Elijah met King Ahab out in a field. The first words from the king’s mouth revealed his inmost thoughts. “Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ ” I Kings 18:17. While the drought lasted, the king had sent to all countries of the world to try to find Elijah, without success.

Ahab should have known that it was by the word of the God of the heavens and that it was because of their idolatry that this plague, this terrible disaster, had come. But he sought to cast the blame upon the prophet Elijah for what was happening. That same accusation is still happening in the world today. People get in trouble because of their sins and then they blame the trouble that they experience on God’s children who have told them the truth that they didn’t enjoy hearing.

Elijah had no apology to make. In fact, he was indignant at what the king and his wife Jezebel had done that had brought this terrible trouble upon the whole nation and had resulted in the death of many, many people. “And he [Elijah] answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.’ ” I Kings 18:18.

It is still true today. Why does trouble come upon the world? The world is fraught with trouble today because of the sinful way that we are living. We might blame anybody we want to, just like Ahab did, but Elijah told the truth. He said, “I’m not the problem.” God’s people, the ones who keep His laws and do His will and obey the laws of the Bible, they are not the problem. Elijah said, “You are the problem because you have forsaken the Lord and forsaken His commandments.”

How is it with you?

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

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

Editorial – The Judgment

The judgment is referred to several hundred times in the Bible. God does not inspire His prophets and apostles to emphasize things that are unimportant. The emphasis given to the judgment in the Bible shows us that this is a subject that we should all become familiar with and understand. The judgment is far more important than whether or not you should die, because for the Christian, death is simply a temporary separation. However, the judgment will either unite or separate people for eternity.

Following are five facts about the judgment:

  1. God’s judgment of mankind includes every single person who has lived on this earth. II Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10; Jude 15. For some people, it will be as though they had not been. Obadiah 16.
  2. The first phase of any judgment is an investigation. If the person being judged is acquitted, that is the end of the judgment, but if he is convicted, two more phases of judgment follow—the sentencing and finally the execution of the sentence when the convicted person must pay the penalty imposed by the sentence.

In God’s judgment, there is first an investigation. The Bible speaks repeatedly about this, often in symbolic language. For example, in Zephaniah 1:12, the prophet makes note of a search. (A search is an investigation.) Notice also that this search or investigation of God’s professed people comes when the day of the Lord is at hand (Zephaniah 1:7).

A court battle with Satan as the prosecuting attorney and Jesus Christ as the advocate of God’s people is described in Zechariah 3. In this judgment scene the salvation of God’s professed people is dependent on their walking in God’s ways—keeping His commandments (verse 7) and having their iniquity removed.

  1. No judgment can take place without a standard for making a decision of guilt or innocence. The standard for God’s judgment is the law of God, the Ten Commandments. James 2:10–12; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.
  2. Every action and word and thought and feeling of every person who has ever lived is reviewed in the judgment. See Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Matthew 12:36, 37; Isaiah 66:18; Psalm 139; I Corinthians 4:5.
  3. If you are to be acquitted in God’s judgment, your name must be entered and remain in the Book of Life. Revelation 20:15; Revelation 13:8; Luke 10:17, 18; Revelation 3:5; Daniel 12:1, 2; Philippians 4:3; The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God. Great Controversy, 480. Exodus 32:33; Ezekiel 18:24; Acts 3:19–21; Matthew 10:32, 33.

If you are a professed Christian, your name has been registered in the book. How does your page in that book look today?