Keys to the Storehouse – Nations Gather

Will you be ready to be gathered with all the nations of the redeemed to eat the fruit of the tree of life and be completely healed by its leaves?

Revelation 22:2 paints this beautiful picture: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Amazingly, we are told that eating the leaves of the tree of life starts right here on this earth.

“Must we wait until we are translated before we eat of the leaves of the tree of life? He who receives into his heart the words of Christ knows what it means to eat the leaves of the tree of life. …

“The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of life. It is the leaves of the tree of life which are for the healing of the nations. The current of spiritual life thrills the soul as the words of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is that we are made one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble becomes strong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end.” The Upward Look, 224.

Sharing the gospel in our various walks of life, whether we travel overseas to mission fields, or work in health, schools of learning and teaching children, or just in general contact with the public, there is a work to be done for the Lord and in keeping His commandments.

The health message was promoted in the early days of our church history. “The great reason why we have sanitariums [health centers] is that these institutions may be agencies in bringing men and women to a position where they may be numbered among those who shall some day eat of the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 227.

We must examine ourselves to see if we love Jesus enough to let go of the love of the world and find the true meaning and purpose in serving Him.

“The redeemed saints who have loved God and kept His commandments here, will enter in through the gates of the city and have right to the tree of life. They will eat freely of it as our first parents did before the fall. The leaves of that immortal widespread tree will be for the healing of the nations.” Maranatha, 325.

What a world of beauty and surprises awaits us!  No more divisions among nations. No more wars, fights, bloodshed, pain, crying and separation by death. All is healed.

Dear Lord, please help us to live each day for Your glory to seek others with whom to share Your truth and love. Oh Lord, we want to be in heaven with You. May we participate in Your plan to heal all nations and may we be ready to meet You very soon. Keep us faithful no matter what may come our way, is our prayer. Amen.

Children’s Story – Three Gifts

Three beautiful Christmas gifts were given to a baby boy, nearly two thousand years ago. He was just a little baby, and He was in a stable.

I’m sure you think that a stable is an odd place for a little baby to be, so I’ll tell you why this baby was in a stable.

His parents were away from home. They were at a town called Bethlehem. There was no room for them in the hotel, so they had to find lodging somewhere else. They looked here and there, but the only place they could find was a corner in a stable. There they had to stay for several days.

This baby boy’s gifts were carried to Him by some grown-up men. They were wise men. The wise men traveled a long, long way to get to Bethlehem. They had never seen the little Child, and they did not know just where He was; but they were led to Him by a bright star.

And they knew that the baby boy was a king!

As they went along the road, they could not always see the star. Once in a while they would ask somebody where the little King was. They would say:

“Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”

But for a long time, nobody could tell them where the baby King was located.

After a while they came to a city that is only five or six miles from Bethlehem. There they stopped and asked the question again:

“Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”

And somebody said, “In Bethlehem.”

Then the wise men set out for Bethlehem; and as soon as they did that, they saw the star again. It showed them just where to go.

When the wise men saw the baby King, they bowed down low before Him, and worshiped Him. Then they gave Him the three gifts that they had brought for Him.

And what do you think those three gifts were?

One was gold. I do not know how much gold there was in the gift, or just what the shape of it was; but it was gold – beautiful, precious, shining gold.

Another gift was frankincense. This is something that has a very sweet odor; it is also very precious – perhaps just as precious as gold.

The third gift was myrrh. Myrrh also has a sweet odor and it is a good medicine. It is good to heal sick people and help make them well.

All these gifts were very precious. They were just the kinds of gifts for a king. The wise men brought them to little King Jesus.

History Stories for Children, John W. Wayland, ©1991, 95–97.

Living Faith Needed

In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little suffering for Christ’s sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial, our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming, for they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when anguish will be upon every soul, when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could save neither son nor daughter, for everyone must deliver his soul by his own righteousness.

No one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a Christian. Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul. Jesus is our ever-present help in time of need. Only call upon Him in faith, and He has promised to hear and answer your petitions.

Oh, for a living, active faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings. We should know this by our past experience. In that day when God has a controversy with His people this experience will be a source of comfort and hope.

It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7, 8, 15). We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord’s appearing. The world is in darkness. “But ye, brethren,” says Paul, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). It is ever God’s purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness for the waiting, longing soul. What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. … Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour.

Testimony Treasures, vol. 2, 69–71.

Winter in Maine

It is October in Maine and the leaves are falling, reaching their peak color soon in the north. As I go over my list of all the myriad tasks that need to be accomplished before winter, I am still amazed at how much more there is to do before the heavy snows arrive. It seems when one is checked off, more are revealed.

This winterizing process all begins anew when the ground finally thaws in May. However, this particular year was different having taken off the month of May to drive across the country to Steps to Life camp meeting. What an adventure and a blessing it was to meet the staff and hear the wonderful sermons. Relatives and friends that we had not seen in years were visited along the way, making our trip all the more memorable.

Although short a month preparing for the coming winter, we knew God would make up the time we missed if we were diligent workers. The first job on arrival home was the grass that appeared unattended and unloved. Nothing looked like it did when we left.

We got busy, there was lots to do before the first snows in November or December. Wood would be needed. Fortunately, we have a lumber company on a nearby road where remnants of hardwood can be bought in huge quantities at a small cost to be stacked high in the garage. We were thankful for the leftover wood from the previous year for our old wood stove, which would see us through another winter. We then also had to purchase a couple of tons of wood pellets, making room for them too in our small garage. Then there were always the little jobs to do – places to seal, like lower basement windows, as the thawing snows of winter begin to melt, trying to drip inside the basement walls. In August each year, I begin to gather kindling of the many fallen limbs along forest roadsides, collecting only the limbs that break easily and are seasoned. This task takes a number of hours on days when weather permits. I do enjoy this quiet task out in nature, parking here and there along country roads on the fringes of the deep woods. In between all of these tasks, I trimmed rose bushes and mulched them for our neighbors, along with cutting back a very large bush in front of their house, so they could see more of their property. I took out toys and an old bird’s nest at the base and much dead wood and mulched the bush, in anticipation of a beautiful blooming tree in the Spring. Our neighbors emailed stating their appreciation. For busy, working young parents with two small children and one on the way there is not a lot of time left for yard work. This was how we could witness to them in a way that we had been unable to do thus far. Winterizing and waterproofing are huge jobs in these colder climates. While the days become shorter and the cold Fall winds begin to blow in this little town in the woods, there are cracks and holes to be filled and painted with so many other daily tasks to accomplish.

I was reminded during this process of how much more we should be winterizing our souls, taking time out every day, not just to prepare our surroundings, our properties, our car(s) for the coming winter, but for the winter of our souls, for those trying times just ahead. We need to be fortifying our minds and perfecting our characters with the truth of God’s word. We should be always striving to help others to spiritually prepare for what is surely to be soon, our last winter on earth. We are assured by the Scriptures that after the last trying days of earth’s history, eternal Spring will arrive, and we will be in the Kingdom. But are we ready spiritually to withstand the last winter of this world?

For a couple of weeks last winter, we had a big thaw, and although the snowstorms had left very high snows before that, not much of it was left when another blizzard was forecasted to arrive in early March. I went out to check the grounds of our house almost in disbelief that another blizzard was predicted for that night. We had been feeling quite complacent before this weather forecast, believing we would have an early Spring and the sudden mild temperatures we had experienced were a sure sign. But this huge wake-up blizzard came with a fury.

In many parts of the United States and around the world, unpredictable weather is arriving with storms, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes to shake it up. God is trying to get our attention. We are told that “the last movements will be rapid” (Testimonies, vol. 9, 11), and as we live on this planet, with every passing day, we realize what a short time is left for us to bring our lives into line for our own salvation, as well as making every attempt to insure the salvation of others. We should not be fooled by the lulls in current events, or that we have more and more time to get ready for Jesus to come. Life is fragile for all, young and old and none know how much time we have left. Grasp every precious hour, holding on to possibly our last earthly moments with Jesus.

When I was about three years old, we lived in a little house in the woods in Southern Maryland. One day a repair man came to our house and while he was fixing the appliance, my mother began to witness to him. He responded by saying he was young, that he had plenty of time to make up his mind about spiritual matters. A couple of weeks later she heard that he had been killed in an accident. Sometimes lives are cut short in an instant, and I must always ask myself if this should happen – am I ready to meet Jesus at that very moment? This may have been the first, and yet the last chance for this young man to know Jesus.

Are we ready to stand in times of great trial? Very soon now Christians will be tested in courts of law concerning their beliefs.

As the December snows begin anew, I question, am I ready, no matter the adversity, to stand up for Jesus during earth’s last winter? If not now, when? When can I say I am so close to the kingdom that it will be a natural transition from this life to life everlasting? For every great event in life, it seems the only way to meet it is to prepare, prepare, prepare – and although we may never feel good enough, or worthy enough – we can grow more and more like Jesus, every day becoming new in Christ. This is surely how Enoch was able to be like Jesus. By beholding Him, Enoch was changed, and God just took him. Isn’t this the heavenly goal we should hold so dear to our hearts? Are we the person we think we are? Are we careful to take a daily inventory of our hearts, watching, praying, and studying the scriptures to become more like Jesus?

“This earth is the place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here is the Christian’s winter. Here the chilly winds of affliction blow upon us, and the waves of trouble roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ comes, sorrow and sighing will be forever ended. Then will be the Christian’s summer. All trials will be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).” The Upward Look, 311.

Sorrow and sighing forever ended – then will be the Christian’s summer.

The Lovely Son of God

We are very fortunate as a people to have a special gift for the hours of these last days. As “holy men of God … were holy moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV), our last day gift is to be Holy Spirit filled to help us be taught spiritual things (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10).

The mystery of the incarnation of divinity to become flesh for the salvation of man is a miracle (1 Timothy 3:16). The name Jesus is defined by the scripture as “Savior from your sins” (Matthew 1:21). Hebrews 2:14 tells us that “… as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

The Spirit of God has told us, “The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

“The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. …

“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Savior. (See Colossians 2:9; Romans 1:20.)” Evangelism, 614, 615.

John 1:1–4 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Paul said it this way: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3, 4). This deteriorated nature spoken of was after 4000 years of degeneration and of sin.

The prophet of God states in The Desire of Ages, 49, that “It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. … He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.”

So now we know that we have the Son of God whose name is Jesus, who is in the fullness of the Godhead bodily, dwelling in the flesh. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

As a review, when was Jesus begotten of the Father? Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Certainly, this was a supernatural birth that we don’t know any more about than what is given to us to know. It is called the incarnation. But we do know more about Jesus’ humanity. Paul, speaking of Jesus in the synagogue at Antioch said, “We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee” (Acts 13:32, 33).

The Holy Spirit tells us in Selected Messages, Book 1, 244, that “The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. … This is to be our study. … We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth.”

This divine person, living in deteriorated human nature and having a weakened mind after 4000 years of degeneration, conquered sin in the flesh. However, Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself. He said, “I live by the Father” (John 6:57), and “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).

In The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897, Ellen White wrote, “… while bearing human nature, He [Jesus] was dependent upon the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, he laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.”

Are we getting the beautiful picture yet? Jesus is more than just our substitute for sin, He is also our example of how to live for God and be fitted for our heavenly home. It is true that Jesus was not like us in His humanity because he did not need to be reborn or converted. He never chose to sin even though He lived in the likeness of sinful flesh after 4000 years of weakness. So, how could He be called a Holy thing after being begotten in the flesh?

“He began life, passed through its experiences, and ended its record, with a sanctified human will.” The Signs of the Times, October 29, 1894. This whole article is well worth reading. The Holy Spirit controlled His mind and this is why Jesus can be our example. We also can have a sanctified will while living in sinful flesh through the process of being reborn of the Holy Spirit. (See John 3:3–5.)

The “new theology” in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as found in the Pentecostal churches, claims that Jesus did everything for you. He couldn’t sin, and He came in the same nature as Adam before the fall. So, in that condition, Jesus can only be a substitute and not an example. Since you cannot be like Jesus, there is nothing for you to do regarding your salvation. However, the Bible says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

Words in the Bible are the instructors of what we are to do. (See 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.) With a new sanctified reborn will in your mind, you will be able to discern the difference between sin and righteousness and know what is not of God. You will want to do God’s will as given in the word of God, as Jesus did. Commands of God will no longer be a problem. You will say as Jesus said, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). You will fulfill Jesus’ words in John 14:10–15 and do greater works than He had done. This is the last generation’s calling in life.

“Christ is our pattern, our example in all things. He was filled with the Spirit, and the Spirit’s power was manifested through Him.” Reflecting Christ, 130.

Jesus’ sacrifice to come to this world, to live divested of His holy position, weakened, and to die willingly by His own choice is beyond our comprehension. This is true love. All of heaven was poured out in this gift to save man. Nothing more could be given by God.

Will you rededicate your life and ask God in the name of Jesus for the miracle of a sanctified will? By God’s grace we can be restored to where Adam and Eve were before their fall. Praise God. He wants to save us. Just remember, “The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle that we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 141.

Gregg Richards can be contacted at: Three Angels Message Ministry, P.O. Box 1621, Bishop, CA 93514, or by email at: richthumper@gmail.com

I would like to give credit for an excellent source material book called The Truth and The Trident by Barry Mellor available from Steps to Life bookstore or from us in Bishop, California.

Do You Want Jesus to Come?

Sometimes we feel impatient for the second coming of Jesus Christ, thinking that He is taking His time. For many years I have preached with all my heart and with such a passion that Jesus Christ is going to come very, very soon. Sometimes I feel embarrassed when I say some things regarding Jesus’ coming, because even my children tell me that is the same as what I said 10 or 15 years ago. I have believed and expected it and yearned for it with all my heart.

I think of Noah who preached for 120 years of a coming flood. He built a big boat in a dry land that had never experienced rain. What a faith he had when it seemed so irrational. How would you understand why God would ask him to build a huge boat with one door on one side? Noah believed God and as he was building the boat for 120 years, he warned the world. His faith, his yearning expectation and fervent hope, believing God’s promise, kept him going.

Do you really want Jesus to come? If so, what is your bottom-line reason? Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. … Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42, 44). Jesus told His followers that His return could be imminent, even in their own generation. He spoke to them as if He were going to come back very soon.

In Revelation 22:20, Jesus said, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly,” to which John the Revelator added, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God wants His people in every generation to believe that Jesus Christ is coming soon, so they will see the urgency in being ready to meet Him.

Every day some people die, which means for them that day, that very day, is the day of Jesus’ second coming, for at the resurrection they will have no knowledge of how long they have slept in their dusty graves. Every day probation closes for some people. They may be alive, eating, drinking, thinking, working, and walking, but they do not realize their probation has been closed against their destiny. It is important to be aware that life as we know it is temporary and that Jesus is coming soon.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Certainly, the apostle Paul thought that Jesus Christ was going to come in his own time.

Today, we say exactly the same thing: Jesus Christ is going to come in our time. We believe and say that those who are dead in Jesus Christ will be resurrected and reunited with us and we will all be caught up in the air and see Jesus Christ together. Paul said, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

God knows that we need to believe that Jesus Christ is going to come in our own generation to help us to watch and be sober. God knows the way our minds work, the way we feel, the way we think, the way we anticipate, the way we analyze and understand.

Peter also said, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7). Peter was consumed by the expectation of the soon coming of Jesus Christ and gave his life for the salvation of other souls. When we lose this fervent hope of the soon coming of Jesus Christ, our enthusiasm in evangelism will die away. Adventist people in this world should be the most zealous people in evangelism. I am yearning to see Jesus in the air. That is my hope, my desire, my happiness, and my joy. Everything of my life depends on it. Everything about me hangs on that truth—the second coming of Christ and my hope that I may see His face in my own time.

But Jesus and His disciples said these things 2000 years ago. What about the end time prophet? “The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come. … but they [those who walk in the light] are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far from it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 209. Ellen White wrote as if Jesus Christ was coming very soon in her own time. She encouraged people to be prepared for the visitation of the Lord.

If you have ever lost this kind of urgency in your heart, then maybe there is something wrong with your spiritual experience. I’m not talking about fanatical experiences or feelings; I’m talking about the deep down, bottom of your heart yearning and hope. Every morning when you get up you may say, Lord, “When are You going to come? I can’t wait until I see You in the air.” That’s the kind of yearning in your heart I’m talking about.

“The coming of Christ is nearer than when we first believed. The great controversy is nearing its end. The judgments of God are in the land. …

“But there are many, many in our churches who know little of the real meaning of the truth for this time. I appeal to them not to disregard the fulfilling of the signs of the times, which says so plainly that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 252. This was written more than 100 years ago. The believers had such a fervent hope and yearning heart.

“We are living in the closing scenes of this earth’s history. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The hours of probation are fast passing. We have no time—not a moment—to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard. … Let the message of Christ’s soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation, for we little know what is before us.” Ibid. This too was written more than 100 years ago.

Why were the disciples urging on the people so long ago regarding the closeness of the second coming? I believe they said that for two reasons. They had believed that Jesus Christ was going to come soon. They were so longing to see Him that in every small sign they saw, they thought maybe that’s the last sign that Jesus Christ was going to come. They had a tendency to interpret every single sign, believing it to be the last sign for the second coming of Christ because they deeply desired to see Him soon.

After traveling for months over the past 15 years, I really want to go home and have a real vacation in heaven. I want to finish all this evangelism and go home and stay and rest with the Lord. Sometimes, while away from home, I wonder if my wife is going to really expect me to return soon, as she used to. When my children were young, they were always waiting for Dad’s coming. My wife would tell them, ten days and he will be home. They would mark it on the calendar. Seven days later, three days later, two days later, tomorrow! Because of our relationship, they always expected me to come soon. They loved me, I loved them. When they saw me in the airport, Dad! Dad! I’m here! Sometimes when I drive up to our home they burst in laughs, Daddy’s here! They cling to my arms, my legs. They are so happy to see me. Sometimes I wonder if my family members still feel the same way as they used to feel?

How long has it been since you have felt that fervent expectation for Jesus Christ’s coming? What kind of attitude should we have at this time for the second coming of Christ? The apostles Peter, John, James, and Paul were all anxiously longing to see Jesus in their lifetime, because they loved Him and wanted to be with Him. How much do you love Jesus? How much would you sacrifice for Him? Do you tell Jesus that you want to see Him? The apostles loved to read and recite again the words of Jesus, “I come quickly.” Those words sounded like a beautiful melody to their ears because they loved Jesus and longed to see His face. They expected to be delivered from the abuse and sufferings of this world.

Are you separated from your family? Are you being persecuted? Are you being misunderstood or wrongly accused? Are you being treated unfairly by your brothers and sisters? Does the world abuse you? Does the world treat you unfairly? Are you suffering for the sake of the truth and righteousness? Are you lonely and feel solitude? Do you want to be delivered from the suffering of this world?

The consequences of sin have been allowed to be played out for 6000 years in human history. It is when we are suffering that we long for Jesus’ second coming. When we are sick, we long for our heavenly home. When we are lonely, we want to see Jesus Christ in the sky. Throughout the inspired writings we see that these servants of God were expecting to be delivered from the suffering and pain of this world and wrote as if Jesus Christ was coming in their own time.

One Christmas, three young people from our China branch went to jail on Christmas Day. These young people, whether they are traveling for evangelism or visiting their families or hometown, always have some tracts or magazines in their backpack to share. Once, as they were passing by a large Catholic Church, they were compelled to go and distribute some of the tracts. Standing before the entrance of the church, they began to distribute a tract about the man of sin and nine points to identify the beast power as the papacy. As these young people were giving out the tracts to the Catholics coming out after the Christmas mass, they were suddenly surrounded. One of the priests who got hold of a tract became very angry; his face turned pale. They woke to the reality that something had gone wrong. The priest called the police, who locked the young men in jail. The accusation against these young people was that they were promoting hatred between the Christians.

Sooner or later, this same accusation will be brought against all those who share the truth of the three angels’ messages. These young people went to jail for two weeks. Later, they shared their experience with me. They said they had had a good time in the cell. In the prison they were allowed only one hour each day out in the sunshine. The prison cells were crowded, with a small bucket as a toilet in the corner. It was very difficult to live in that kind of condition for two weeks and yet they said it was like heaven in their hearts. They yearned to see each other during that one hour every day and couldn’t wait for that time of reunion.

When they got together for that one hour, they shared the Scriptures they had memorized and said they now understood the importance of the memorization of the Scriptures. They recited Scriptures and just held each other’s hands with tears in their eyes. They prayed and sang and studied the Scriptures together in that short period every day. They said that they really began to understand the sweet fellowship between believers. There was no time for hatred or factions or bad words or bitterness. Nothing like that is possible in that kind of situation. They said that they had been given a taste of heaven, the taste of sweet fellowship of the true remnant church. Friends, if we are really yearning for that kind of experience between God’s people, we want Jesus to come soon.

Ellen White wrote, “It is the duty of the people of God to have their lamps trimmed and burning, to be as men that wait for the Bridegroom, when He shall return from the wedding. You have not a moment to lose in neglect of the great salvation that has been provided for you. The time of the probation of souls is coming to an end. From day to day the destiny of men is being sealed, and even from this congregation we know not how soon many shall close their eyes in death and be habited for the tomb.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 189, 190.

We do not know when some of us are going to close our eyes and die, whether we are young or old or little. We do not know of our destiny for tomorrow. So, every day is the day of Jesus Christ’s coming. When we realize that, when we warn the world and preach and evangelize the world, our zeal will be doubled. When we say Jesus Christ is going to come soon, that will be the reality every day in our soul. When we say it, when we give out tracts, when we visit and knock on doors, that realization is going to be real for us every day. Who knows if the man that I meet or the lady I speak to today is being given their final invitation to know the Lord and their probation is about to close? Maybe they will die today or tomorrow.

“We should now consider that our life is swiftly passing away, that we are not safe one moment unless our life is hid with Christ in God. Our duty is not to be looking forward to some special time for some special work to be done for us.” Ibid., 190.

Friends, if you long for Jesus Christ—to see His face, if you are longing and expecting to be delivered from the sufferings of this world, if you feel every day that you do not want to stay in this world any longer, if you have that kind of feeling, you are going to expect Jesus to come soon and then your evangelism will be fervent. Do something about that. Don’t look forward to some special time for a special work to be done. Do it today. The work Jesus has left us to do, to spread the three angels’ messages, is the most important work in the world at this time.

I believe with all my heart that Jesus may come at any time. Sadly, many Adventists have lost their fervent hope for the soon coming of Jesus Christ. “Our duty is … to go forward in our work of warning the world; for we are to be witnesses of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.” Ibid.

“There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). No previous generations have had the kind of distress of nations seen in just about every country as is evident today. Terrorism is rampant everywhere. Every time we fly, security searches our body, our shoes, and our baggage. People are scared to death of the things that may come soon. They are fearful and in perplexity; men’s hearts are failing them for fear. “The sea and the waves roaring” is talking about disasters, especially natural disasters.

“And He spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees” (verse 29). The fig tree represents the Jewish nation, the trees the Gentiles, you and I, because it says in verse 24, “They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times [plural] of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” This means for many years Jerusalem has been trodden by the Gentiles, Roman armies. Also, God’s church, spiritual Israel, spiritual Jerusalem, would be trodden under foot by spiritual Rome, which is the papacy. The “times,” plural, of the Gentiles were fulfilled. Then, around 1844, God has given the sign of heavenly things that are shaken. At the end, the nations of earth are going to be distressed and in perplexity when the seas and waves are roaring. We are looking at that right now, at this time. There has been no generation in the past when all these nations were so distressed.

“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled” (verse 32). At the time of Jesus’ first coming, the apostles saw Jesus Christ in His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. So, in their generation the signs had been fulfilled.

In 1844, when God raised up the true remnant church, true spiritual Israel saw by faith Jesus Christ going before the Ancient of days, which is God the Father, according to Daniel 7. Jesus Christ went into the Most Holy Place where God the Father was sitting on the throne. Many books were open before Him, and Jesus Christ entered into that room, in the clouds, with the many angels.

So that generation actually saw by faith all the stars fall. They saw that heaven was shaken and then they saw Jesus Christ come in glory into the Most Holy Place.

Now in this generation, when the nations are in distress, with perplexity, natural disasters, and economic distress, Jesus Christ is going to appear. We are going to see Him coming in the clouds with the glory of the angels. We are going to see it. This generation shall not pass away till all these prophecies are going to be fulfilled.

This is the time we really need to have a fervent hope for Jesus Christ’s soon return. When we have that kind of urgency in our heart, then our message will be urgent. Then the way we work, the way we evangelize, the way we preach will be different and result in a great harvest of souls ready and waiting for Jesus to come.

Pastor David Kang was 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 passed away in 2016 waiting for the return of His best friend, Jesus, to reunite him with those with whom he labored and tirelessly worked for while he could. He is sadly missed.

The Cost of God’s Grace

Before modern modes of transport, it was a very rugged trip to cross the United States from the east coast to either Oregon or to California. Many people believed that there were great rewards to be gained in the West and with the desire in their hearts to make life easier for their families, they would set out on their journey to search for gold or other riches. Many were successful, but others were not so fortunate.

One man who left his wife and his son in the eastern United States and went out to California to seek riches prospered enough that he sent for his wife and son to come and join him. Instead of having them endure such a rugged journey as was involved in traveling on a stagecoach clear across the country, he arranged, as many did in those days, for them to board a ship for their journey. The Panama Canal did not yet exist, so the sea journey to California from New York or South Carolina took you all the way around the bottom of South America and up to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Tickets were purchased for this man’s wife and son to board the ship to California.

The straits at the bottom of South America are notorious for the violent storms that arise in that area. Unfortunately, the ship carrying this man’s precious cargo was involved in one of these storms and went down. As the ship was sinking, the passengers and crew scrambled to get on lifeboats. Looking desperately to save herself and her son, the mother discovered that there was only one seat left on the lifeboat. Without hesitation she lifted her son into that seat. As he looked up to her for the last time she said to him, “When you get to California tell your father that your mother died for you.” In order for him to live, she knew that she would have to die.

Grace is expensive  

Grace is the most expensive thing in the world. Paul wrote, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Again he says, “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:1–9).

Grace is wonderful

Because of grace, your sins and my sins can be forgiven. In fact, Paul said that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Even if you are the chief of sinners, the worst sinner in this world, your sins can be forgiven. But friend, don’t ever forget that the forgiveness of sins came at a great cost.

“We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). By grace your sins can be forgiven, but that grace is expensive; it cost heaven the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made. The sacrifice was not just one of money, but a sacrifice that involved suffering, separation, and the agonizing death of the dear Son of God.

Grace received changes people 

We can never be the same or live the same after we have received grace. Why? Because it cost so much to give it to us. The little boy who took the last seat on the lifeboat would never be the same again because he knew that an infinite price had been paid for his life. He would be a different person for he gained life at the expense of another.

Writing to Titus, Paul said, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly [without being intoxicated], righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11–14). Notice especially verse 14. Jesus did not come to this world and die on the cross so that you could go on and just live the same as you did before. Notice why He did it. It says, “He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Receiving God’s grace will change you.

“He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). As long as that boy lived, his most treasured memory would be of his mother, who gave her life for him. He could never live in a way that would bring dishonor upon her memory. Jesus died for all, so that we would no longer live for ourselves. Friend, if you’re living for yourself, you are living under the banner of the evil one and are still under his control. He claims you as his own (see The Desire of Ages, 130). The devil knows well that if he can get you to live for yourself then he’s got you; you are in his kingdom. Jesus died so that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the One who died for us.

If that boy had lived his life for himself, lived a sinful life and brought dishonor upon his mother’s memory, it would have been considered a terrible crime. Jesus has died for all and whoever turns his or her back on Him, choosing to live selfishly commits a heinous crime. The Bible says, “If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:26–29)? It is an insult; it is an outrage to the Holy Spirit, to go on and live in sin after receiving the grace of Christ and acknowledging His sacrifice.

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:14–17). Friend, grace is not something that can be trifled with. It is the most wonderful and generous gift in the world. It is expensive; it cost the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made. It shows that God is willing to save even the chief of sinners, but when a price like that has been paid to make grace available, it must be respected. Unfortunately, that is not what has happened in the Christian world for the last 2000 years.

Jude 4 says, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, it is the thought that because of the abundance of grace available, you can just go on and sin because all you have to do is ask for it to be forgiven. Sin and repent, sin and repent again. This doctrine has overtaken a large part of the Christian world. People think they can deliberately sin and then go and confess it to the priest, or sin and then go and tell the Lord that they are sorry. Friend, that is a dangerous game to play. That is an example of premeditated sin, turning the grace of God into lewdness, making God’s grace essentially granting permission to sin. It is not uncommon for people to think that they can sin and then come and ask God for forgiveness. That is what Esau did. He thought he could come and be forgiven at any time, but he found out God was not Someone who could be trifled with.

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1). Evidently it is possible to receive the grace of God in vain or we would not have been given this counsel. The grace of God does not only provide forgiveness from sins that are past, but the grace of God brings you the power to make it possible to live a new life, free from sin. If you don’t ever live the new life, then the grace of God is in vain for you.

Grace stabilizes a person’s life

From the time that little boy arrived in California, he felt duty bound to bring honor to his mother’s memory. He would maintain a constant effort to do what is right. Paul says, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9). Notice Paul says that grace will establish you; in other words, stabilize you so that you can’t be just blown about here and there by every wind of doctrine, till you are not sure what to believe.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace stabilizes a person’s life so they’re always attempting to do what is right.

Grace makes life serious, never a carnival Life is precious because it has been purchased at an infinite price. Grace makes life serious. “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Your neighbor’s life is also precious because of the infinite price that was paid for the entire race. Realization of that completely changes the way we regard and deal with each other. This is one of the main differences between Christian and non-Christian nations. Christian nations recognize that a human life is precious and will do anything that they can to preserve it. In non-Christian nations oftentimes life is cheap. Grace makes life more serious. True Christians recognize the infinite price that has been paid, not only for their own life but for the lives of all and affects the way they deal with each other.

A crude illustration is the way two different types of rock are treated. My house used to be on a country road about 300 feet back. To maintain the driveway, we would have dump trucks deliver rock which would be dumped on the driveway which I then smoothed out with the blade of my tractor. The reason the rock was brought in the dump trucks and dumped out and driven over is because that rock was common rock; it was not precious. But there are some rocks that are precious – a diamond for instance. You would not put diamonds in a dump truck and dump them on a driveway, smooth them out with a tractor and drive on them. Though they would make it a very hard road, diamonds are way too precious for that. Instead, you would place them in a velvet lined box and store them in a secure place, such as a safety deposit box or bank vault. Diamonds would be treated completely differently from the common rocks that you put on your driveway.

If I understand that all lives are precious, how then will I treat you? Some people, like rough diamonds, need their flaws removed and then to be polished. A diamond in the rough is still a diamond. It may need a lot of polishing and grinding in God’s workshop, but it’s still a diamond. Think about it. How do we treat each other? Do you treat your fellow men like gravel to be picked up and dumped here or there and driven on, or do you treat them like a diamond, though they still may be a bit rough?

Grace changes the way that we speak

There are many texts in the Bible about our speech. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6). “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).

In an Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah, it says, “You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever” (Psalm 45:2). A Christian speaks with grace. “He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the King will be his friend” (Proverbs 22:11).

The path of grace leads to character perfection

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16).

The Lord has promised that before the final outpouring of His judgments on this world, there is going to be a revival of primitive godliness among His people that has not been seen since the time of the apostles. We earnestly pray that we will accept the grace that has been freely offered, hold fast our confession, take up the armor of God and join with Him to take a part in this finishing work before Jesus returns.

(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 in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – Help Wanted

Our world is rapidly coming to an end and God is looking for people who want to be involved in His closing work.

Exact fulfillments of Bible prophecy show us that the end of all things earthly is at hand. In these troublous times, God is calling for people to be involved in His closing work. God is going to have people in this world in whose heart is His law (Isaiah 51:7). This real issue in the end is going to be over the law of God. (See Revelation 12–14.) That issue will divide the whole world into just two classes of people. Which group will you be in?

God is looking for people who

  1. can be depended on because they seek counsel of God and have chosen to live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth.
  2. will always be found on the right side in times of danger.
  3. will faithfully war against lawlessness and the lawless one.
  4. will never take their position with those who trouble the Lord’s people.
  5. will never come to the aid of those who weaken the hands of God’s servants.
  6. will never turn their weapons upon those whom God has said should be supported.

The Lord is looking for people who are true as steel to moral principle, who are unselfish and who have the cause of God at heart more than anything earthly. If you choose to be one of these people, the word of the Lord to you is, “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; and I will give you places to walk among these who stand here” (Zechariah 3:7).