Issue: 2013 February

Bible Study Guides – An Attitude of Gratitude

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March 24, 2013 – March 30, 2013

Key Text

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 443–445; The Ministry of Healing, 241–259.

Introduction

“Good deeds are twice a blessing, benefiting both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. The consciousness of right-doing is one of the best medicines for diseased bodies and minds. When the mind is free and happy from a sense of duty well done and the satisfaction of giving happiness to others, the cheering, uplifting influence brings new life to the whole being.” The Ministry of Healing, 257.

“The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy—joy in the Holy Spirit—health-giving, life-giving joy. Our Saviour’s words, ‘Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.” Ibid., 115.

“Every ray of light shed upon others will be reflected upon our own hearts. Every kind and sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to supply the necessities of our fellow beings, given or done with an eye to God’s glory, will result in blessings to the giver. Those who are thus working are obeying a law of heaven and will receive the approval of God. The pleasure of doing good to others imparts a glow to the feelings which flashes through the nerves, quickens the circulation of the blood, and induces mental and physical health.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 56.

1 A MERRY HEART

  • There is something else necessary to our physical, spiritual, and mental well-being which will also directly affect our witness to the world. What is it? Psalm 5:11.

Note: “The influence of the mind on the body, as well as of the body on the mind, should be emphasized. The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease. This should be made plain. The power of the will and the importance of self-control, both in the preservation and in the recovery of health, the depressing and even ruinous effect of anger, discontent, selfishness, or impurity, and, on the other hand, the marvelous life-giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude, should also be shown.

“There is a physiological truth—truth that we need to consider—in the scripture [Proverbs 17:22 quoted].” Education, 197.

“When we go mourning, we leave the impression upon minds that God is not pleased to have us happy, and in this we bear false witness against our Heavenly Father. … But when we engage in the service of God, the heart should be aglow with thanksgiving; for the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths, he is not left to vain regrets and disappointments. If we do not have the pleasures of this life, we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond.” The Review and Herald, January 14, 1890.

  • Does this mean that we should amuse ourselves and others with frivolity, joking, and jesting? Ephesians 5:4.
  • How can we have a deep inner joy? Galatians 5:22–25; Psalm 43:5; Hebrews 13:6.

Note: “The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 547.

2 MENTAL HEALTH

  • How do our thoughts affect us physically? Proverbs 17:22; II Timothy 1:7.

Note: “Between the mind and the body there is a mysterious and wonderful relation. They react upon each other. To keep the body in a healthy condition to develop its strength, that every part of the living machinery may act harmoniously, should be the first study of our life. To neglect the body is to neglect the mind. It cannot be to the glory of God for His children to have sickly bodies or dwarfed minds.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 485, 486.

“There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control our physical being must be heeded.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 601.

“Every influence that affects the health of the body has its bearing upon mind and character.” Child Guidance, 408.

  • With what should we fill our minds? Philippians 4:8.
  • How can I have peace when there are circumstances and trials which overwhelm me? Philippians 4:6, 7; Psalm 130:5, 6; Lamentations 3:26.

Note: “Parents, gather the rays of divine light which are shining upon your pathway. Walk in the light as Christ is in the light. As you take up the work of saving your children and maintaining your position on the highway of holiness, the most provoking trials will come. But do not lose your hold. Cling to Jesus. He says, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). Difficulties will arise. You will meet with obstacles. Look constantly to Jesus. When an emergency arises, ask, Lord, what shall I do now?” The Adventist Home, 207, 208.

3 SORROW SUFFERERS

  • What does sorrow, regret, unrest, and guilt do to the body? Proverbs 12:25.

Note: “Satan is the originator of disease; and the physician is warring against his work and power. Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here. Perhaps some living home trouble is, like a canker, eating to the very soul and weakening the life forces. Remorse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution and unbalances the mind.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 443, 444.

  • What are some causes of a downcast spirit? Psalm 55:4, 5; Matthew 6:34.

Note: “He [God] does not desire us to go in anguish of spirit. We are not to look at the thorns and the thistles in our experience. We are to go into the garden of God’s Word, and pluck the lilies, and roses, and the fragrant pinks of His promises. Those who look upon the difficulties in their experience will talk doubt and discouragement, for they do not behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 160.

  • What is the remedy for the downcast spirit? Psalms 51:6–12; 55:16–18; 61:2–4; 77:11, 12.
  • When should we especially remember to be cheerful and why? Psalm 128:2.

Note: “Those who are excited, anxious, or in a hurry, would do well not to eat until they have found rest or relief; for the vital powers, already severely taxed, cannot supply the necessary digestive fluids.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107.

4 A LIVING PRINCIPLE

  • For what is God looking and longing? Leviticus 26:12; II Corinthians 6:16; Isaiah 57:15; 66:2.

Note: “Those who teach the principles of health reform should be intelligent in regard to disease and its causes, understanding that every action of the human agent should be in perfect harmony with the laws of life. The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Men and women should be informed in regard to the human habitation, fitted up by our Creator as His dwelling place and over which He desires us to be faithful stewards. ‘For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ II Corinthians 6:16.” Counsels on Health, 479.

  • Through whom and for what purpose does God want to dwell in us? John 16:13.
  • How will this affect those around us? Malachi 3:16; Ephesians 5:19, 20; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Note: “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home. But there are many who make life’s burdens doubly heavy by continually anticipating trouble. If they meet with adversity or disappointment they think that everything is going to ruin, that theirs is the hardest lot of all, that they are surely coming to want. Thus they bring wretchedness upon themselves and cast a shadow upon all around them. Life itself becomes a burden to them. But it need not be thus. It will cost a determined effort to change the current of their thought. But the change can be made. Their happiness, both for this life and for the life to come, depends upon their fixing their minds upon cheerful things. Let them look away from the dark picture, which is imaginary, to the benefits which God has strewn in their pathway, and beyond these to the unseen and eternal.

“For every trial, God has provided help.” The Ministry of Healing, 247, 248.

5 GOD’S PURPOSE

  • Why did God create humanity? Revelation 4:11.

Note: “Infinite love—how great it is! God made the world to enlarge heaven. He desires a larger family of created intelligences.” “Ellen G White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1081.

  • What cooperation on our part is needed that He may dwell within? II Corinthians 6:17, 18; 7:1; John 14:21, 23; Acts 5:32.

Note: “The condition of being received into the Lord’s family is coming out from the world, separating from all its contaminating influences. The people of God are to have no connection with idolatry in any of its forms. They are to reach a higher standard. We are to be distinguished from the world, and then God says, ‘I will receive you as members of My royal family, children of the heavenly King.’ As believers in the truth we are to be distinct in practice from sin and sinners. Our citizenship is in heaven.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 481

  • How is it possible to implement all of His instruction? Romans 8:7–14.

Note: “Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 165.

  • If we do what God has said, what reward awaits us? Isaiah 64:4; I Corinthians 2:9.

Note: “It should ever be kept prominent that the great object to be attained through this channel [the Battle Creek Health Institute] is not only health, but perfection, and the spirit of holiness, which cannot be attained with diseased bodies and minds. This object cannot be secured by working merely from the worldling’s standpoint.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 554.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Do I have a merry heart or a sad one?

2 What thought patterns do I need to change in order to think upon good things?

3 How can we give our fears to God in order to be set free from them?

4 For what things can I praise God today?

5 Do I really desire to have the Lord dwell within me, and what must I change in order to have that become a reality in my experience?

The Religion of Christ

“There are erroneous doctrines also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless torment of the wicked, that, by giving exaggerated and distorted views of the character of God, have produced the same result upon sensitive minds. Infidels have made the most of these unfortunate cases, attributing insanity to religion; but this is a gross libel and one which they will not be pleased to meet by and by. The religion of Christ, so far from being the cause of insanity, is one of its most effectual remedies; for it is a potent soother of the nerves.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 444.

This Lesson Is Not Only Theory

“This is true sanctification. It is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies—not an offering corrupted by wrong habits, but ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God’ (Romans 12:1).” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 57, 58.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Ribbon of Blue

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March 17, 2013 – March 23, 2013

Key Text

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10.

Study Help: Counsels on Health, 91–93; Selected Messages, Book 2, 465–472; Testimonies, vol. 4, 628–648.

Introduction

“The amount of physical suffering created by unnatural and unhealthful dress cannot be estimated. Many have become lifelong invalids through their compliance with the demands of fashion. Displacements and deformities, cancers and other terrible diseases, are among the evils resulting from fashionable dress.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 634, 635.

“It was the adversary of all good who instigated the invention of the ever-changing fashions. He desires nothing so much as to bring grief and dishonor to God by working the misery and ruin of human beings. One of the means by which he most effectually accomplishes this is the devices of fashion that weaken the body, as well as enfeeble the mind and belittle the soul.” Counsels on Health, 91.

“ ‘We are,’ said the inspired apostle, ‘made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men’ (I Corinthians 4:9). All heaven is marking the daily influence which the professed followers of Christ exert upon the world. My sisters, your dress is telling either in favor of Christ and the sacred truth or in favor of the world. Which is it? Remember we must all answer to God for the influence we exert.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 641.

“The dress and its arrangement upon the person is generally found to be the index of the man or the woman.

“We judge of a person’s character by the style of dress worn. A modest, godly woman will dress modestly. A refined taste, a cultivated mind, will be revealed in the choice of a simple, appropriate attire.” Child Guidance, 413.

1 AN INDEX TO THE MIND

  • In ancient Israel, what did God prescribe so that they would be identified as His chosen people? Numbers 15:38–41.

Note: “The children of Israel, after they were brought out of Egypt, were commanded to have a simple ribbon of blue in the border of their garments, to distinguish them from the nations around them, and to signify that they were God’s peculiar people. The people of God are not now required to have a special mark placed upon their garments. But in the New Testament we are often referred to ancient Israel for examples. If God gave such definite directions to His ancient people in regard to their dress, will not the dress of His people in this age come under His notice? Should there not be in their dress a distinction from that of the world? Should not the people of God, who are His peculiar treasure, seek even in their dress to glorify God? And should they not be examples in point of dress, and by their simple style rebuke the pride, vanity, and extravagance of worldly, pleasure–loving professors? God requires this of His people. Pride is rebuked in His Word.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1114.

  • How do the following scriptures show that appearance demonstrates our allegiance to someone? I Timothy 2:9, 10; Revelation 17:4; Zephaniah 1:8; Matthew 22:11.

Note: “The outside appearance is frequently an index to the mind, and we should be careful what signs we hang out for the world to judge of our faith.” Messages to Young People, 346, 347.

“A plain, direct testimony is now needed, as given in the Word of God, in regard to the plainness of dress. This should be our burden.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 253.

  • What kind of raiment does Christ offer us and why? Revelation 3:18. What do many professed Christians say through their attitude? Isaiah 4:1.

2 DRESSING FOR HEALTH

  • Does our dress have anything to do with our health?

Note: “Another serious evil is the wearing of skirts so that their weight must be sustained by the hips. This heavy weight, pressing upon the internal organs, drags them downward and causes weakness of the stomach and a feeling of lassitude, inclining the wearer to stoop, which further cramps the lungs, making correct breathing more difficult. …

“It is essential to health that the chest have room to expand to its fullest extent in order that the lungs may be enabled to take full inspiration. When the lungs are restricted, the quantity of oxygen received into them is lessened. The blood is not properly vitalized, and the waste, poisonous matter which should be thrown off through the lungs, is retained.” Counsels on Health, 91, 92.

  • What is rarely practiced by women and men? I Timothy 2:9, 10.

Note: “Perfect health depends upon perfect circulation. Special attention should be given to the extremities, that they may be as thoroughly clothed as the chest and region over the heart.” My Life Today, 145.

“Satan invented the fashions which leave the limbs exposed, chilling back the life current from its original course.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 532.

  • What other counsels are necessary to guard the well-being of children and adults?

Note: “Another great cause of mortality among infants and youth, is the custom of leaving their arms and shoulders naked. This fashion cannot be too severely censured. It has cost the lives of thousands. The air, bathing the arms and limbs and circulating about the armpits, chills these sensitive portions of the body so near the vitals, hinders the healthy circulation of the blood, and induces disease, especially of the lungs and brain.” Healthful Living, 148.

3 PLAIN DISTINCTIONS

  • Besides our physical well-being, what else does our clothing directly affect? Matthew 5:27, 28.

Note: “This [seventh] commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 308.

“When once the barriers of female modesty are removed, the basest licentiousness does not appear exceeding sinful. Alas, what terrible results of woman’s influence for evil may be witnessed in the world today!” The Adventist Home, 58, 59.

  • If we dress in a way contrary to what God has said, how does He look at our offense? Deuteronomy 22:5.

Note: “There is an increasing tendency to have women in their dress and appearance as near like the other sex as possible and to fashion their dress very much like that of men, but God pronounces it abomination. …

“God designed that there should be a plain distinction between the dress of men and women, and has considered the matter of sufficient importance to give explicit directions in regard to it; for the same dress worn by both sexes would cause confusion and great increase of crime.” Child Guidance, 427.

  • What prophecy warns us of the spiritual consequences of fostering glamour and bodily display? Isaiah 3:16–24.

Note: “The prophecy of Isaiah 3 was presented before me as applying to these last days, and the reproofs are given to the daughters of Zion who have thought only of appearance and display. Read verse 25: ‘Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.’ I was shown that this scripture will be strictly fulfilled.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 270.

  • What is the remedy for this condition? Ezekiel 36:26, 27.

Note: “Cleanse the fountain, and the streams will be pure. If the heart is right, your words, your dress, your acts, will all be right.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 158.

4 WARNING AND APPEALS

  • What aspect of apparel which has a significant effect upon our physical well-being is often overlooked? Luke 15:22. What kind of weather demands special care? Psalm 147:16, 17.

Note: “The feet should be protected from cold and dampness by warm stockings, and by easy-fitting, thick-soled shoes.” Life and Health, May 1, 1905.

“Our limbs and feet are suitably protected from cold and damp, to secure the circulation of the blood to them, with all its blessings. We can take exercise in the open air, in the dews of morning or evening, or after the falling storm of snow or rain, without fears of taking cold. Morning exercise, in walking in the free, invigorating air of heaven, or cultivating flowers, small fruits, and vegetables, is necessary to a healthful circulation of the blood. It is the surest safeguard against colds, coughs, congestions of the brain and lungs, inflammation of the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs, and a hundred other diseases.” The Health Reformer, May 1, 1872.

  • What are some of the heathen ways that are very hateful to the Lord? Exodus 32:25; II Kings 9:30; I John 2:15. What lesson should we learn from the angels standing before God? Isaiah 6:2, 3.

Note: “Fashion is deteriorating the intellect and eating out the spirituality of our people. Obedience to fashion is pervading our Seventh-day Adventist churches and is doing more than any other power to separate our people from God. I have been shown that our church rules are very deficient. All exhibitions of pride in dress, which is forbidden in the word of God, should be sufficient reason for church discipline. If there is a continuance, in face of warnings and appeals and entreaties, to still follow the perverse will, it may be regarded as proof that the heart is in no way assimilated to Christ. Self, and only self, is the object of adoration, and one such professed Christian will lead many away from God.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 647, 648.

  • Historically designed for the business of harlotry, high-heeled shoes create an exaggerated curvature of the spine, in turn bringing attention to certain parts of the body. Whose eyes do they attract, tempt, and provoke? II Peter 2:12–14.

5 LIVING PREACHERS

  • What should we do while testing an item of clothing to see whether it is according to God’s Word? Psalm 139:23, 24.

Note: “Our words, our actions, and our dress are daily, living preachers, gathering with Christ or scattering abroad. This is no trivial matter to be passed off with a jest. The subject of dress demands serious reflection and much prayer. Many unbelievers have felt that they were not doing right in permitting themselves to be slaves of fashion; but when they see some who make a high profession of godliness dressing as worldlings dress, enjoying frivolous society, they decide that there can be no wrong in such a course.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 641.

  • What should we do if we are not sure about specific articles? James 1:5; Philippians 3:15, 16.
  • What should we remember about the character of our God? Exodus 20:5; Malachi 3:6.
  • If we would really clothe ourselves in Christ’s righteousness, what would be noticed by others? Acts 4:13.

Note: “Our clothing should be plain and simple, so that when we visit the poor, they will not be embarrassed by the contrast between our appearance and their own.” Gospel Workers, 189.

“I saw that the words, the dress, and actions should tell for God. Then a holy influence will be shed upon all, and all will take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus. Unbelievers will see that the truth we profess has a holy influence, and that faith in Christ’s coming affects the character of the man or woman. If any wish to have their influence tell in favor of the truth, let them live it out, and thus imitate the humble Pattern.” Messages to Young People, 128.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Of whom are my garments speaking? Is my appearance modest, pointing to Jesus or exalting self?

2 Am I dressing healthfully? Am I warm, covered, comfortable?

3 Am I wearing anything which could cause someone to stumble?

4 What about my footwear, hairstyles, face? Am I in line with God’s ways?

5 Am I willing to ask Christ to go into my closet and show me anything that is not reflecting His righteous character?

Be in Health

“In all respects the dress should be healthful. ‘Above all things,’ God desires us to ‘be in health’ (III John 1:2)—health of body and of soul. And we are to be workers together with Him for the health of both soul and body. Both are promoted by healthful dress.” Child Guidance, 398.

Perfect Circulation

“It is impossible to have health when the extremities are habitually cold; for if there is too little blood in them there will be too much in other portions of the body. Perfect health requires a perfect circulation; but this cannot be had while three or four times as much clothing is worn upon the body, where the vital organs are situated, as upon the feet and limbs.” Ibid.

Bible Study Guides – Rest for the Weary

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March 10, 2013 – March 16, 2013

Key Text

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 359–363; My Life Today, 143, 144; Steps to Christ, 46, 47.

Introduction

“Sleep, nature’s sweet restorer, invigorates the weary body and prepares it for the next day’s duties.” The Adventist Home, 289.

“He [Christ] saw, too, that they [the disciples] had become weary in their labors, and that they needed to rest. …

“ ‘And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile’ (Mark 6:31). Christ is full of tenderness and compassion for all in His service. He would show His disciples that God does not require sacrifice, but mercy. They had been putting their whole souls into labor for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and mental strength. It was their duty to rest. …

“The rest which Christ and His disciples took was not self-indulgent rest. …

“Though Jesus could work miracles, and had empowered His disciples to work miracles, He directed His worn servants to go apart into the country and rest. When He said that the harvest was great, and the laborers were few, He did not urge upon His disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil, but said, [Matthew 9:38 quoted.] …

“It is not wise to be always under the strain of work and excitement, even in ministering to men’s spiritual needs; for in this way personal piety is neglected, and the powers of mind and soul and body are overtaxed. Self-denial is required of the disciples of Christ, and sacrifices must be made; but care must also be exercised lest through their overzeal Satan take advantage of the weakness of humanity, and the work of God be marred.” The Desire of Ages, 359–362.

1 GOD GIVETH HIS BELOVED REST

  • What part of life takes up approximately one third of the time you live? Psalm 4:8.
  • What example shows why God gives us sleep? Matthew 26:45.

Note: “Nature will restore their [the children’s] vigor and strength in their sleeping hours, if her laws are not violated.” Healthful Living, 69.

  • What example do we have even in the life of Jesus regarding the physical need of rest? Luke 8:23; Mark 4:38.

Note: “The Saviour was at last relieved from the pressure of the multitude, and, overcome with weariness and hunger, He lay down in the stern of the boat, and soon fell asleep.” The Desire of Ages, 334.

“On the way to Galilee Jesus passed through Samaria. It was noon when He reached the beautiful Vale of Shechem. At the opening of this valley was Jacob’s well. Wearied with His journey, He sat down here to rest while His disciples went to buy food.” Ibid., 183.

“Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them across the fields, and far up a rugged path, to a lonely mountainside. The Saviour and His disciples have spent the day in traveling and teaching, and the mountain climb adds to their weariness. Christ has lifted burdens from mind and body of many sufferers; He has sent the thrill of life through their enfeebled frames; but He also is compassed with humanity, and with His disciples He is wearied with the ascent.” Ibid., 419.

2 EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE

  • What inspired counsel do we have regarding sleep? Psalm 127:2.
  • How do we define “early to bed” in a world that is able to stay up all night? Psalm 104:20–23.

Note: “Since the work of building up the body takes place during the hours of rest, it is essential, especially in youth, that sleep should be regular and abundant.” My Life Today, 143.

“They [physicians] should teach that by studying after nine o’clock, there is nothing gained but much lost.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 330.

“I know from the testimonies given me from time to time for brain workers, that sleep is worth far more before than after midnight. Two hours’ good sleep before twelve o’clock is worth more than four hours after twelve o’clock.” Ibid., vol. 7, 224.

“In our schools the lights should be put out at half past nine.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 297.

  • What does God think about mixing up or changing His plan? Job 17:12.

Note: “Some youth are much opposed to order and discipline. They do not respect the rules of the home by rising at a regular hour. They lie in bed some hours after daylight, when everyone should be astir. They burn the midnight oil, depending upon artificial light to supply the place of the light that nature has provided at seasonable hours. …

“Our God is a God of order, and He desires that His children shall will to bring themselves into order and under His discipline. Would it not be better, therefore, to break up this habit of turning night into day, and the fresh hours of the morning into night? If the youth would form habits of regularity and order, they would improve in health, in spirits, in memory, and in disposition.” Child Guidance, 111, 112.

  • What are the exceptions? Luke 6:12; John 3:1, 2; 19:39.

3 WEARINESS WEARS

  • What do we need when we become tired? Genesis 18:4; John 4:6.

Note: “The disciples of Jesus needed to be educated as to how they should labor and how they should rest. Today there is need that God’s chosen workmen should listen to the command of Christ to go apart and rest awhile.” My Life Today, 133.

  • What is the best preventive against weariness? Mark 6:31.

Note: “It is a great mistake to keep a minister constantly at work in business lines, going from place to place, and sitting up late at night in attendance at board meetings and committee meetings. This brings upon him weariness and discouragement.” Gospel Workers, 271.

  • What disturbs the sleep?

Note: “If a third meal be eaten at all, it should be light, and several hours before going to bed. But with many the poor tired stomach may complain of weariness in vain. More food is forced upon it, which sets the digestive organs in motion, again to perform the same round of labor through the sleeping hours. The sleep is generally disturbed with unpleasant dreams, and in the morning they awake unrefreshed. There is a sense of languor and loss of appetite. A lack of energy is felt through the entire system. In a short time the digestive organs are worn out, for they have had no time to rest. Such persons become miserable dyspeptics, and wonder what has made them so. The cause has brought the sure result.” Healthful Living, 165.

  • How can our personal weariness affect others? Deuteronomy 25:18; Exodus 17:11, 12.

4 REST IS NOT JUST SLEEPING

  • What do we need besides cessation from work? Exodus 33:14; Matthew 11:28–30; Luke 10:5, 6.

Note: “God has pledged Himself to keep the living machinery [of our body] in healthful action if the human agent will obey His laws and co-operate with God.” Healthful Living, 31.

  • On what condition can we enjoy Christ’s rest? John 14:27; II Corinthians 12:9, 10. What is Christ’s yoke that gives us rest? Isaiah 48:17, 18; Jeremiah 6:16.

Note: “When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest in Christ’s love and under His protecting care. When sin struggles for the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, remember that Christ’s grace is sufficient to subdue sin and banish the darkness. Entering into communion with the Saviour, we enter the region of peace.” The Ministry of Healing, 250.

  • What keeps us from entering His rest? Romans 6:20; Psalm 95:9–11; Hebrews 3:17, 18.

Note: “Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted by the word of God; but through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they lose the blessing, and find themselves more destitute than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus, they have shut away the light of His presence.” The Desire of Ages, 83.

  • How can I enter His rest? Hebrews 4:11, 16.

Note: “Accept the Holy Spirit for your spiritual illumination, and under its guidance follow on to know the Lord. Go forth where the Lord directs, doing what He commands. Wait on the Lord, and He will renew your strength.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 230.

5 THE SEVENTH DAY CYCLE

  • What weekly blessing has God given us that we may have physical and mental rest? Exodus 20:10, 11.
  • How is the Sabbath rest related to our redemption? Exodus 31:13; I Thessalonians 5:23; Mark 2:27, 28.

Note: “To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28.” The Desire of Ages, 289.

“The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people.” Maranatha, 244.

  • Are we to catch up on our lost sleep on the Sabbath day? What does it mean to rest on the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13; Matthew 12:12; Acts 16:13.

Note: “None should feel at liberty to spend sanctified time in an unprofitable manner. It is displeasing to God for Sabbathkeepers to sleep during much of the Sabbath. They dishonor their Creator in so doing, and, by their example, say that the six days are too precious for them to spend in resting. They must make money, although it be by robbing themselves of needed sleep, which they make up by sleeping away holy time. They then excuse themselves by saying: ‘The Sabbath was given for a day of rest. I will not deprive myself of rest to attend meeting, for I need rest.’ Such make a wrong use of the sanctified day. They should, upon that day especially, interest their families in its observance and assemble at the house of prayer with the few or with the many, as the case may be. They should devote their time and energies to spiritual exercises, that the divine influence resting upon the Sabbath may attend them through the week. Of all the days in the week, none are so favorable for devotional thoughts and feelings as the Sabbath.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 704.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 How would you establish a proper balance between activity and rest?

2 Am I getting enough sleep? If not, what will I change in order to do so?

3 How does lack of sleep affect me and those around me?

4 Am I taking times of relaxation so that I can be refreshed physically, mentally, and spiritually?

5 Am I gaining the blessings that God wants me to have on a weekly basis?

A Bustling Danger

“In the estimation of the rabbis it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of activity. They depended upon some outward performance to show their superior piety. Thus they separated their souls from God, and built themselves up in self-sufficiency. The same dangers still exist.” The Desire of Ages, 362.

Time for Spiritual Reflection

“Though time is short, and there is a great work to be done, the Lord is not pleased to have us so prolong our seasons of activity that there will not be time for periods of rest, for the study of the Bible, and for communion with God. …

“When Jesus said the harvest was great and the laborers were few, He did not urge upon His disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil. … He tells His disciples that their strength has been severely tried, that they will be unfitted for future labor unless they rest awhile. … In the name of Jesus, economize your powers, that after being refreshed with rest, you may do more and better work.” My Life Today, 133.

Rest and Stomach Problems

“If this practise [sic] [of eating late, just before going to sleep] is indulged in a great length of time, the health will become seriously impaired. The blood becomes impure, the complexion sallow, and eruptions will frequently appear. You will often hear complaints of frequent pains and soreness in the region of the stomach; and while performing labor, the stomach becomes so tired that they are obliged to desist from work, and rest. They seem to be at a loss to account for this state of things; for, setting this aside, they are apparently healthy. … After the stomach, which has been overtaxed, has performed its task, it is exhausted, which causes faintness. Here many are deceived, and think that it is the want of food that produces such feelings, and without giving the stomach time to rest, they take more food, which for the time removes the faintness.” Healthful Living, 165.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Breathing and Health

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March 3, 2013 – March 9, 2013

The Healthy Reformer

Key Text

“The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 2, 522–535.

Introduction

“The health of the entire system depends upon the healthy action of the respiratory organs.” Healthful Living, 30.

“Wake up, brethren and sisters, wake up. Sleep no longer. ‘Why stand ye here all the day idle?’ Jesus calls you, saying, ‘Go work today in my vineyard’ (Matthew 20:6, 7). Whoever has received the Holy Spirit, will make it manifest; for all his powers will be employed in the most active service. All who actually receive Christ by faith, work. They feel the burden of souls. God now calls upon every one who has a knowledge of the truth, who is a depositary of sacred truth, to arise and impart the light of heaven to others. Those who have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit, will show its office work upon life and character. They will be mediums through which the Holy Spirit will communicate light and knowledge to others. The wonderful truth revealed to us in these last days, is to be revealed to others. ‘The end of all things is at hand’ (1 Peter 4:7). The Lord has been speaking to you in America, and may the Lord forbid that at the time of great illumination, darkness should come upon you because you fail to walk in the light that has been given. Darkness corresponding to your light will surely come upon you, if you do not now arouse from your slumbers, and shake off your useless musings and selfish indulgences, and trade diligently with your Lord’s goods. Move out from your pleasant homes. Develop the talents God has given you, and tell to others what the Holy Spirit has communicated to you. God requires you to work in proportion to the light He has given.” The Review and Herald, December 5, 1893.

1 THE “BREATH OF LIFE” AND THE “BREATH OF THE SOUL”

  • What is the “breath of life” that Adam received from God? Genesis 2:7.

Note: “In God we live and move and have our being. Each heart-beat, each breath, is the inspiration of Him who breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life—the inspiration of the ever-present God, the Great I AM.” The Review and Herald, November 8, 1898.

  • What is the “breath of the soul”? Luke 11:1.

Note: “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor.” Gospel Workers, 254, 255.

  • What was the custom of the prophet Daniel regarding prayer? Daniel 6:10. What does it mean to pray unceasingly? I Thessalonians 5:17.

Note: “Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” Steps to Christ, 98.

“While engaged in our daily work, we should lift the soul to heaven in prayer. These silent petitions rise like incense before the throne of grace; and the enemy is baffled. The Christian whose heart is thus stayed upon God cannot be overcome. No evil arts can destroy his peace. All the promises of God’s word, all the power of divine grace, all the resources of Jehovah, are pledged to secure his deliverance. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. And God was with him, a present help in every time of need.” Gospel Workers, 254.

2 BREATHE WELL

  • What admonition given to Israel shows us our need to learn proper physical as well as spiritual habits? Deuteronomy 31:12. Among other things, what do we need to teach our children?

Note: “Encourage them [the patients] to breathe the fresh air. Teach them to breathe deeply, and in breathing and speaking to exercise the abdominal muscles. This is an education that will be invaluable to them.” The Ministry of Healing, 264, 265.

“While it may be necessary to protect the little ones from sudden or too great changes of temperature, care should be taken that, sleeping or waking, day or night, they breathe a pure, invigorating atmosphere.” The Adventist Home, 263.

  • What happens to us when we do not get enough “breath” physically or spiritually? Psalm 146:4.

Note: “You have not had a liberal supply of air. Brother I has labored in his store, closely applying himself to his business and allowing himself but a limited amount of air and exercise. His circulation is depressed. He breathes only from the top of his lungs. It is seldom that he exercises the abdominal muscles in the act of breathing. Stomach, liver, lungs, and brain are suffering for the want of deep, full inspirations of air, which would electrify the blood and impart to it a bright, lively color, and which alone can keep it pure and give tone and vigor to every part of the living machinery.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 67, 68.

“Those who have not had a free circulation of air in their rooms through the night generally awake feeling exhausted and feverish, and know not the cause. It was air, vital air, that the whole system required, but which it could not obtain. … Then the clothing should be removed piece by piece from the bed, and exposed to the air. The windows should be opened, the blinds fastened back, and the air allowed to circulate freely for several hours, if not all day, through the sleeping apartments. In this manner the bed and clothing will become thoroughly aired, and the impurities will be removed from the room.” Counsels on Health, 58.

3 SLEEP WELL

  • How can we enjoy fresh air and sleep well even in cold climates? What is our duty toward those who do not have enough clothing because of poverty? Exodus 22:27; Isaiah 58:7; James 2:15, 16.

Note: “Many have been taught from childhood that night air is positively injurious to health and therefore must be excluded from their rooms. To their own injury they close the windows and doors of their sleeping apartments to protect themselves from the night air which they say is so dangerous to health. In this they are deceived. In the cool of the evening it may be necessary to guard from chilliness by extra clothing, but they should give their lungs air.

“On an autumn evening we were once traveling in a crowded car, where the atmosphere was rendered very impure by the mingling of so many breaths. The exhalations from lungs and bodies caused a most sickening sensation to come over me. I raised my window and was enjoying the fresh air, when a lady, in earnest, imploring tones, cried out: ‘Do put down that window. You will take cold and be sick, for the night air is so unhealthy.’ I replied: ‘Madam, we have no other air, in this car or out of it, but night air. If you refuse to breathe night air, then you must stop breathing. God has provided for His creatures air to breathe for the day, and the same, made a little cooler, for the night. In the night it is not possible for you to breathe anything but night air.’ … Many are suffering from disease because they refuse to receive into their rooms at night the pure night air. The free, pure air of heaven is one of the richest blessings we can enjoy.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 527, 528.

  • What promise was given to Israel on condition of obedience to the Lord? Deuteronomy 7:11–15. How are we to cooperate with the Lord if we want to become sharers of the same promise?

Note: “Out of doors, surrounded by the beautiful things that God has made, breathing the fresh, health-giving air, the sick can best be told of the new life in Christ. Here God’s words can be taught.” Counsels on Health, 251.

“The heated air coming from a stove is injurious, and were it not for the air coming in at the crevices of the windows, would be poisonous and destroy life. Stove heat destroys the vitality of the air, and weakens the lungs. … Sick persons are debilitated by disease, and need all the invigorating air that they can bear to strengthen the vital organs to resist disease.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4a, 152.

4 PURE AIR VS. AIR POLLUTION

  • What kind of environment is the best place for recovery from disease?

Note: “If these [many of those living in the cities] could be taken to some farming district, surrounded with the green fields, the woods and hills and brooks, the clear skies and the fresh, pure air of the country, it would seem almost like heaven. …

“Through nature they would hear His voice speaking to their hearts of His peace and love, and mind and soul and body would respond to the healing, life-giving power.” The Ministry of Healing, 192.

  • What kind of environment is among the worst places for recovery?

Note: “The noise and excitement and confusion of the cities, … are most wearisome and exhausting to the sick. The air, laden with smoke and dust, with poisonous gases, and with germs of disease, is a peril to life.” The Ministry of Healing, 262.

“If a house is built where water settles around it, remaining for a time, and then drying away, a poisonous miasma arises, and fever and ague, sore throat, lung diseases, and fevers will be the result.” Counsels on Health, 58, 59.

  • As we compare Isaiah 24:5 with Revelation 16:17, what kind of pollution should we expect in these last days?
  • What instruction given to Lot is applicable also today in view of the air pollution in the cities? Genesis 19:17.

Note: “Serious times are before us, and there is great need for the families to get out of the cities into the country. … Let those who are suffering with poor health go out into country places.” Home and Church School Manual, 42.

5 SPIRITUAL SLEEPINESS

  • What unusual event in Acts 20:9 is repeated by many during church services? Why is it very dangerous to be spiritually asleep? Matthew 25:5; I Thessalonians 5:6–8; I Peter 4:7.

Note: “Neglect of proper ventilation is responsible for much of the drowsiness and dullness that destroy the effect of many a sermon and make the teacher’s work toilsome and ineffective.” The Ministry of Healing, 274.

“I felt compelled twice, as I was speaking, to change the exercise, and have all arise and engage in singing; for a sleepy lethargy seemed to be upon the people, who were compelled to work hard during the week. The windows were thrown open as often as practicable.” The Review and Herald, September 27, 1887.

  • What can we do to avoid “spiritual sleepiness”? Romans 13:11.

Note: “Again and again the Lord has pointed out the work which the church in Battle Creek and those all through America are to do. They are to reach a much higher standard in spiritual advancement than they have yet reached. They are to awake out of sleep and go without the camp, working for souls that are ready to perish.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 70, 71.

“Let every church awake out of sleep; let the members unite themselves together in the love of Jesus, and in sympathy for perishing souls, all go forth to their neighbors, pointing them to the way of salvation. Our Leader has all power in heaven and in earth.” Lake Union Herald, December 30, 1908.

“Let every church arouse and put away their pride and vanity and worldliness. Let them humble their hearts before God by repentance that they have lifted so few burdens for Christ.” The Review and Herald, December 7, 1886.

“There is a work to be done in the churches. A different testimony must go forth. I am terribly alarmed. Throughout the churches there are selfishness and sin, dishonesty, unbelief, criticism and fault-finding. It is high time to awake out of sleep. You who have long lost the spirit of prayer, pray, pray earnestly. Pity thy suffering cause; pity the church, pity the individual believers, thou Father of mercies. Take from us everything that defiles, deny us what thou wilt; but take not from us Thy Holy Spirit.” East Michigan Banner, March 15, 1905.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Have I thanked my Creator for giving me breath to live this day?

2 Have I learned how to pray without ceasing, like I breathe?

3 Do I understand and practice how to breathe deeply by using my diaphragm?

4 Am I sleeping with fresh air in my room?

5 Am I breathing anything which is poisonous and, if so, what can I do to change the circumstances?

6 Am I alert during worship or am I a sleepy saint? How can I wake up?

The Soul Needs Prayer

“We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected.” Steps to Christ, 98.

Tobacco on the Brain

“Tobacco using is a habit which frequently affects the nervous system in a more powerful manner than does the use of alcohol. …

“Tobacco … affects the brain and benumbs the sensibilities, so that the mind cannot clearly discern spiritual things, especially those truths which would have a tendency to correct this filthy indulgence.” Child Guidance, 403, 404.

Benefits of Outdoor Work

“Let men and women work in fields and orchard and garden. This will bring health and strength to nerve and muscle. Living indoors and cherishing invalidism is a very poor business. If those who are sick will give nerves and muscles and sinews proper exercise in the open air, their health will be renewed.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 230.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Physical Activity, a Blessing

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February 24, 2013 – March 2, 2013

Key Text

“Thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands.” Psalm 128:2.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 3, 75–78; Testimonies, vol. 2, 186–192; Selected Messages, Book 2, 322–324.

Introduction

“Inactivity is a fruitful cause of disease. Exercise quickens and equalizes the circulation of the blood.” My Life Today, 130.

“How should we labor to obtain the reward offered to those who are faithful in the service of their God! Is not an eternity of bliss worth a life-long, persevering effort? Those who truly follow Christ will not be left to misdirect their efforts. They will be led to set their affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Transformed by the grace of God, their life will be hid with Christ in God. The energy of the true Christian will be employed in gaining spiritual power. He will appreciate his entrusted talents, and will feel his responsibility to use them for the glory of God. The servant of God will prize his property, but will not hoard it. He will value it only as it can be of use in advancing the kingdom of God on the earth. He will work as did Christ, to bless humanity. He will put his powers to their highest use, not to glorify self, but that every gift may be strengthened to render to God the best use. He will be ‘not slothful in business,’ but ‘fervent in spirit, serving the Lord’ (Romans 12:11).” The Signs of the Times, January 12, 1891.

1 HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON LABOR

  • What is the best activity for the well-being of God’s crowning act of creation? Genesis 2:8, 15.

Note: “God made Adam and Eve in Paradise, and surrounded them with everything that was useful and lovely. … The Creator of man knew that the workmanship of His hands could not be happy without employment. Paradise delighted their souls, but this was not enough; they must have labor to call into exercise the wonderful organs of the body. The Lord had made the organs for use. Had happiness consisted in doing nothing, man, in his state of holy innocence, would have been left unemployed. But He who formed man knew what would be for his best happiness, and He no sooner made him than He gave him his appointed work. In order to be happy, he must labor.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 77.

  • Why is a life of activity intended to be a blessing? Psalm 128:2.

Note: “Another precious blessing is proper exercise. Each organ and muscle has its work to do in the living organism. Every wheel in the machinery must be a living, active, working wheel. Nature’s fine and wonderful works need to be kept in active motion in order to accomplish the object for which they were designed. …

“Without such exercise the mind cannot be kept in working order. It becomes inactive, unable to put forth the sharp, quick action that will give scope to its powers.” My Life Today, 130.

  • What does the written Word say about work and indolence? II Thessalonians 3:10, 12.

Note: “Parents should provide employment for their children. Nothing will be a more sure source of evil than indolence. Physical labor that brings healthful weariness to the muscles, will give an appetite for simple, wholesome food.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 243.

2 DO NOT OVERWORK

  • Even though we are created to be active, what must we remember? Mark 6:31.

Note: “Bring into the day’s work hopefulness, courage, and amiability. Do not overwork. Better far leave undone some of the things planned for the day’s work than to undo oneself and become overtaxed, losing the courage necessary for the performance of the tasks of the next day. Do not today violate the laws of nature, lest you lose your strength for the day to follow.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 376.

“Overwork sometimes causes a loss of self-control. But the Lord never compels hurried, complicated movements. Many gather to themselves burdens that the merciful Heavenly Father did not place on them. Duties He never designed them to perform chase one another wildly. God desires us to realize that we do not glorify His name when we take so many burdens that we are overtaxed, and, becoming heart-weary and brain-weary, chafe and fret and scold. We are to bear only the responsibilities that the Lord gives us, trusting in Him, and thus keeping our hearts pure and sweet and sympathetic.” Messages to Young People, 135.

“There is danger that the women connected with the work will be required to labor too hard without proper periods of rest. Such severe taxation should not be brought upon the workers. Some will not injure themselves, but others, who are conscientious, will certainly overwork. Periods of rest are necessary for all, especially women.” Evangelism, 494.

  • While we seek to preserve sound physical and mental health, what is to be our first object in life? Luke 12:30, 31.

Note: “[Matthew 6:28–30 quoted.] In the sermon on the mount these words were spoken to others besides children and youth. They were spoken to the multitude, among whom were men and women full of worries and perplexities, and sore with disappointment and sorrow.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 19.

“Hence that time is spent to good account which is directed to the establishment and preservation of sound physical and mental health. We cannot afford to dwarf or cripple a single function of mind or body by overwork or by abuse of any part of the living machinery. As surely as we do this, we must suffer the consequences.” Child Guidance, 395.

3 HUMANS MADE UPRIGHT

  • What other element of physical well-being is taught in Scripture? Acts 14:10; Ecclesiastes 7:29.

Note: “Among the first things to be aimed at should be a correct position, both in sitting and in standing. God made man upright, and He desires him to possess not only the physical but the mental and moral benefit, the grace and dignity and self-possession, the courage and self-reliance, which an erect bearing so greatly tends to promote. Let the teacher give instruction on this point by example and by precept. Show what a correct position is, and insist that it shall be maintained.” Child Guidance, 364.

  • How should we walk uprightly in a spiritual sense? Psalms 7:10; 32:11.

Note: “All the heavenly beings are in constant activity, and the Lord Jesus, in His lifework, has given an example for every one. He went about ‘doing good.’ God has established the law of obedient action. …

“Action gives power.” My Life Today, 130.

  • In all of our habits of work and rest, what should we do? Colossians 3:23; Acts 10:38.

Note: “We need to be converted from our faulty lives to the faith of the Gospel. Christ’s followers have no need to try to shine. If they will behold constantly the life of Christ they will be changed in mind and heart into the same image. Then they will shine without any superficial attempt. The Lord asks for no display of goodness. In the gift of His Son He has made provision that our inward lives may be imbued with the principles of heaven. It is the appropriation of this provision that will lead to a manifestation of Christ to the world. When the people of God experience the new birth, their honesty, their uprightness, their fidelity, their steadfast principles, will unfailingly reveal it.” Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 251.

4 REAP THE BENEFITS

  • What are the benefits of a life of activity? Genesis 2:15; Ecclesiastes 5:12.

Note: “Not only will the organs of the body be strengthened by exercise, but the mind also will acquire strength and knowledge through the action of these organs.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 77.

“Judicious exercise would induce the blood to the surface, and thus relieve the internal organs. Brisk, yet not violent exercise in the open air, with cheerfulness of spirits, will promote the circulation, giving a healthful glow to the skin, and sending the blood, vitalized by the pure air, to the extremities.” Ibid., vol. 2, 530.

“Digestion will be promoted by physical exercise.” Ibid., 569.

  • How should we develop every faculty with which we have been created? I Corinthians 6:20; I Thessalonians 5:23.

Note: “All the varied capabilities that men possess—of mind and soul and body—are given them by God, to be so employed as to reach the highest possible degree of excellence. But this cannot be a selfish and exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to receive, is benevolence and love. Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed us, is to be employed for His glory and for the uplifting of our fellow-men. And in this employment is found its purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.” Christian Education, 64.

  • What should we learn from the competitive sports practiced in the world? I Corinthians 9:24–27.

Note: “Among the youth the passion for football games and other kindred selfish gratifications have been misleading in their influence. Watchfulness and prayer and daily consecration to God have not been maintained.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 127.

5 SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

  • What is even more important in our life than physical exercise? I Timothy 4:8, 7.

Note: “Unless the mind is educated to dwell upon religious themes, it will be weak and feeble in this direction. But while dwelling upon worldly enterprises, it will be strong; for in this direction it has been cultivated, and has strengthened with exercise. The reason it is so difficult for men and women to live religious lives is because they do not exercise the mind unto godliness. It is trained to run in an opposite direction. Unless the mind is constantly exercised in obtaining spiritual knowledge and in seeking to understand the mystery of godliness, it is incapable of appreciating eternal things. … When the heart is divided, dwelling principally upon things of the world, and but little upon the things of God, there can be no special increase of spiritual strength.” God’s Amazing Grace, 297.

  • What is included in spiritual exercise? Jeremiah 9:24; Acts 24:16.
  • What will happen if we do not remain both physically and spiritually active? Proverbs 24:32–34; Matthew 25:26–29.

Note: “[Luke 21:34–36 quoted.]

“This is a warning to those who claim to be Christians. Those who have had light upon the important, testing truths for this time, and yet are not making ready for the coming of the Son of man, are not taking heed. ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares’ (Luke 21:34). There is no period of time when spiritual slothfulness is excusable.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 24.

  • What are the benefits of spiritual diligence? Romans 12:11, 12; Hebrews 6:12; Philippians 2:14–16.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Am I thankful for the ability and opportunity to labor physically?

2 Am I temperate in my work habits? Is there something that I need to change in order to be more in line with God’s way?

3 How is my posture as I walk, sit, or sleep? Uprightness is known also as being an honest, trustworthy individual. Am I one? What can I do to improve my physical and spiritual uprightness?

4 What benefits have I noticed in the life of those who are physically active?

5 Am I active or slothful in my spiritual exercises? No one wins a race without running.

Proper Recreation

“There are modes of recreation which are highly beneficial to both mind and body. An enlightened, discriminating mind will find abundant means for entertainment and diversion, from sources not only innocent, but instructive. Recreation in the open air, the contemplation of the works of God in nature, will be of the highest benefit.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 653.

“Healthy young men and young women have no need of cricket, ball playing, or any kind of amusement just for the gratification of self, to pass away the time. There are useful things to be done by every one of God’s created intelligences. Some one needs from you something that will help him. No one in the Lord’s great domain of creation was made to be a drone. Our happiness increases, and our powers develop, as we engage in useful employment.” The Youth’s Instructor, January 31, 1901.

Healthy Upbringing “Young children can grow into almost any shape, and can, by habits of proper exercise and positions of the body, obtain healthy forms. It is destructive to the health and life of young children for them to sit in the school-room, upon hard ill-formed benches, from three to five hours a day, inhaling the impure air caused by many breaths. The weak lungs become affected, the brain, from which the nervous energy of the whole system is derived, becomes enfeebled by being called into active exercise before the strength of the mental organs is sufficiently matured to endure fatigue.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 436.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Recipe – Carob Chip Bars

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4 cups quick cook oats

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup oil

1 cup vegan carob chips

¾ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spread oats onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients. Add warm oats and stir well. Spread oat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, pressing down hard to compact it. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Food – Carob

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If you are a chocolate lover, you know it’s hard to find a replacement with the same flavor and mouth-feel, right? Enter carob. Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet, low in fat, high in fiber, has calcium and most importantly, no caffeine. Carob comes from the pod of a tree that grows along the Mediterranean Sea. The pod contains a sweet, edible pulp. Once dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder called carob flour (but more commonly referred to as carob powder). It’s similar to cocoa powder in color and can be substituted one-for-one in recipes, but carob is unique with its own special flavor and texture. It’s sweet, mild and packed with pectin, a soluble fiber. Traditionally, it was used to soothe an upset stomach. You can try carob in cookies, candies and beverages. It’s very simple to substitute in your favorite recipes.

Here are some substitution ideas to get you started:

  • Replace cocoa powder with carob powder one-for-one in your recipes.
  • Substitute carob chips for chocolate chips in cookies, bars, cakes, muffins and candies.
  • Carob is higher in sugars and lower in fat than unsweetened cocoa. Be sure to reduce the sugar and increase the fat in your recipe.
  • For each ½ cup of carob used, reduce sugar by 2 to 3 tablespoons and increase butter or oil by the same.
  • Baking fat free? No problem! Omit the oil or butter and use a little extra applesauce, mashed pears, mashed bananas or other fruit puree.
  • Carob can burn! Set your oven 25°F lower when baking with it exclusively.
  • Got a recipe calling for baking chocolate? For each square, use 3 tablespoons of carob powder plus one to two tablespoons of non-dairy milk.
  • Add a tablespoon of carob powder to bread dough to make a nice, rich dark color.
  • Store carob flour in an air-tight container in a cool, dry pantry; if it lumps up, just sift before using.

And now for some fun ideas:

  • Make a carob smoothie with non-dairy milk or fruit juice, frozen fruit, nut butter and carob powder.
  • Make carob pancakes: Substitute 1/4 cup carob flour for 1/4 cup regular flour in your recipe. Omit the sugar and add an extra tablespoon of oil or melted butter. Top with strawberries, walnuts and a little pure maple syrup.
  • Top fresh berries or other fruit with a combination of nuts and carob chips.
  • Melt carob chips and spoon over fruit or frozen desserts. Try with mango sorbet.
  • Throw a handful of carob chips into muffins for a nice treat.
  • Heat a cup of non-dairy milk. Add a small handful of carob chips, stir until melted and drink up.
  • Make trail mix with carob chips, dried fruit, whole grain cereal and chopped nuts.

Children’s Story – The Little Outcast

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“May’nt I stay ma’am? I’ll do anything you give me—cut wood, go after water, and do all your errands.”

The troubled eyes of the speaker were filled with tears. It was a lad that stood at the outer door, pleading with a kindly-looking woman, who still seemed to doubt the reality of his good intentions.

The cottage sat by itself on a bleak moor, or what in Scotland would have been called such. The time was near the latter end of September, and a fierce wind rattled the boughs of the only two naked trees near the house, and fled with a shivering sound into the narrow doorway, as if seeking for warmth at the blazing fire within.

Now and then a snowflake touched with its soft chill the cheek of the listener, or whitened the angry redness of the poor boy’s benumbed hands.

The woman was evidently loth to grant the boy’s request, and the peculiar look stamped upon his features would have suggested to any mind an idea of depravity far beyond his years.

But her woman’s heart could not resist the sorrow in those large, but by no means handsome grey eyes.

“Come in at any rate till the good man comes home. There, sit down by the fire; you look perishing with cold;” and she drew a rude chair up to the warmest corner; then, suspiciously glancing at the child from the corners of her eyes, she continued setting the table for supper.

Presently was heard the tramp of heavy shoes; the door was swung open with a quick jerk, and the “good man” presented himself wearied with labor.

A look of intelligence passed between his wife and himself; he too scanned the boy’s face with an expression not evincing satisfaction, but, nevertheless, made him come to the table, and then enjoyed the zest with which he dispatched his supper.

Day after day passed, and yet the boy begged to be kept “only till to-morrow;” so the good couple, after due consideration, concluded that as long as he was so docile, and worked so heartily, they would retain him.

One day in the middle of the winter, a peddler, long accustomed to trade at the cottage, made his appearance, and disposed of his goods readily, as if he had been waited for.

“You have a boy out there splitting wood, I see,” he said, pointing to the yard.

“Yes, do you know him?”

“I have seen him,” replied the peddler evasively.

“And, where? Who is he? What is he?”

“A jail-bird;” and the peddler swung his pack over his shoulder. “That boy, young as he looks, I saw in court myself, and heard his sentence—‘ten months.’ He’s a hard one. You’d do well to look carefully after him.”

Oh! there was something so horrible in the word jail—the poor woman trembled as she laid away her purchases; nor could she be easy till she called the boy in, and assured him that she knew that dark part of his history.

Ashamed, distressed, the boy hung down his head; his cheeks seemed bursting with the hot blood; his lips quivered, and anguish was painted as vividly upon his forehead as if the word was branded into the flesh.

“Well,” he muttered, his whole frame relaxing, as if a burden of guilt or joy had suddenly rolled off. “I may as well go to ruin at once—there’s no use in my trying to do better—everybody hates and despises me—nobody cares about me—I may as well go to ruin at once.”

“Tell me,” said the woman, who stood off far enough for flight, if that should be necessary, “how came you to go so young to that dreadful place? Where was your mother—where?”

“Oh!” exclaimed the boy, with a burst of grief that was terrible to behold. “Oh! I hain’t no mother! Oh! I hain’t had no mother ever since I was a baby. If I’d only had a mother,” he continued, his anguish growing vehement, and the tears gushing out from his strange-looking grey eyes, “I wouldn’t ha’ been bound out, and kicked, an’ cuffed, an’ laid on to with whips. I wouldn’t ha’ been saucy, and got knocked down, and run away, and then stole because I was hungry. Oh! I hain’t got no mother. I ain’t got no mother—I haven’t had no mother since I was a baby.”

The strength was all gone from the poor boy, and he sank on his knees, sobbing great choking sobs, and rubbing the hot tears away with his poor knuckles.

And did that woman stand there unmoved? Did she coldly bid him pack up and be off—the jail-bird? No, no; she had been a mother, and though all her children slept under the cold sod in the church-yard, she was a mother still.

She went up to that poor boy, not to hasten him away, but to lay her fingers kindly, softly on his head, to tell him to look up, and from henceforth find in her a mother. Yes; she even put her arm about the neck of that forsaken, deserted child; she poured from her mother’s heart sweet, womanly words, words of counsel and tenderness.

Oh! how sweet was her sleep that night; how soft her pillow! She had linked a poor, suffering heart to hers, by the most silken, the strongest bands of love; she had plucked some thorns from the path of a little, sinning, but striving mortal. None but the angels could witness her holy joy, and not envy. Did the boy leave her? Never! He is with her still; a vigorous, manly, promising youth. The once poor outcast is her only dependence, and nobly does he repay the trust.

The Youth’s Instructor, vol. 1, No. 6, March 1853.

Health – Casein, Small Ingredient, But Big Trouble!

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It is becoming more and more necessary to carefully read the ingredients label on your packaged foods. If you are vegan, then you need to keep an eye out for the word casein. It is crucial to review and to learn about any new developments with ingredients.

The book, The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD., [1 Edition BenBella Books, Dallas, Texas, December 11, 2004] contains fascinating information on health and diet. If you have not read it, I would highly suggest you get a copy and read it from cover to cover.

Dr. Campbell explains the apparent link between the occurrence of cancer (and other diseases) and the consumption of animal protein. The following is an excerpt from page six of his book:

“It was important to understand not only whether but also how protein might promote cancer. …

“What we found was shocking. Low-protein diets inhibited the initiation of cancer by aflatoxin, regardless of how much of this carcinogen was administered to these animals. After cancer initiation was completed, low-protein diets also dramatically blocked subsequent cancer growth, In other words, the cancer-producing effects of this highly carcinogenic chemical were rendered insignificant by a low-protein diet. In fact, dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its effect that we could turn on and turn off cancer growth simply by changing the level consumed.

“Furthermore, the amounts of protein being fed were those that we humans routinely consume. We didn’t use extraordinary levels, as is so often the case in carcinogen studies.

“But that’s not all. We found that not all proteins had this effect. What protein consistently and strongly promoted cancer? Casein, which makes up 87 percent of cow’s milk protein, promoted all stages of the cancer process. What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels of intake? The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy.”

Casein is thick, coarse and often used to form the strongest glue known to man.

“Protein-based glues are durable and water-resistant. One type is casein glue, or milk glue, which can permanently bond porous materials like wood and paper. Casein glue has been used since antiquity; the Ancient Egyptians used it as an adhesive and paint medium.” Clare Edwards. Ms Edwards has been providing Internet content since 1998. She has written and translated for a variety of markets: everything from technical articles to short fiction and essays on alternative spirituality. She holds a certificate of higher education in electronics and audio arts from Middlesex University.

A recipe to make this super strong “casein glue” can be found at: www.ehow.com/how_8452451_make-super-strong-permanent-glue.html.

Casein is also a strong mucus-forming substance that can cause respiratory problems. There is 300 percent more casein in cow’s milk than in human milk. Due to this high amount of casein in the diet, the human respiratory system can become clogged and irritated. See www.livestrong.com/article/257495-casein-protein-dangers.

You can also find casein in some of the powdered soymilks. Fast foods often contain casein—and in seemingly unlikely places like French fries. The buns—and all baked goods whether from a fast-food restaurant or not for that matter—usually contain casein.

Foods that say “non-dairy” or appear to be non-dairy can actually contain casein, according to FAAN. This includes non-dairy whipped toppings. It also includes soy cheese, which is marketed as an alternative to dairy cheese, according to Mike Adams, editor of naturalnews.com. It might also be beneficial to get into the habit of reading the labels and watch out for artificial butter flavor and margarine.

Processed foods often contain casein. It will not always be labeled as such. Look out for milk solids, lactose, sodium lactylate, and any other ingredient that starts with “lact.” Even the vinegar flavoring in potato chips contains casein. There is also the risk of cross-contamination when products are made on equipment that has been used for another product that contains a milk ingredient. Watch the brands of the soy cheese and many of the milk powders, including coconut, that you choose because many of them also contain casein.

Many people are not concerned with the so-called little things, but it is often the little things with their hidden dangers that can lead to large health problems, so we need to exercise wisdom. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and Paul said, “ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” I Corinthians 3:16, 17.

Spiritual Insight – The Proof is in the Life

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Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If your heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, your life will bear witness to the fact. How? A change will be seen in your character. Not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of your habitual words and acts. …

When the principle of love is implanted in your heart, [then] the new-covenant promise is fulfilled. “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them” (Hebrews 10:16). And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience—the service and allegiance of love—is the true sign of discipleship. … Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.

We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. … If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. …

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized. …

We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.

More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. So you may say, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). … Then with Christ working in you, you will manifest the same spirit and do the same good works—works of righteousness, obedience.

Steps to Christ, 57–62.