Issue: 2004 May

Serving Cheerfully

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Several years ago, a friend of mine—a busy wife and mother—was living a full life; there was hardly time to sit down. She was occupied with many mundane things like diapers and laundry and crayons and playdough. Once in a while she would lament that there was no time for ministry. At such times I would try to encourage her, pointing out that her ministry at that time was in her home. “Their own household is the first missionary field in which parents are required to labor. Those who leave the home garden to grow up to thorns and briers, while they manifest great interest in the cultivation of their neighbor’s plot of ground, are disregarding the word of God.” Review and Herald, March 21, 1882.

One night, as she was washing the dishes (which were the last hurdle before tucking in the little ones), her mind wandered off in the direction of ministry again. She wondered whether she should be leading Bible studies or be involved in more active evangelism. She was certain God wanted her to do something for Him, but what could it be?

Service to God

Suddenly she knew what He wanted her to do. He wanted her to do the dishes!

But wasn’t there something else He would want her to do? Yes, there was something else. He would want her to do them cheerfully! “The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother’s privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart.” The Adventist Home, 234.

As she thought about this, she realized what she had known all along. God had called her to be a wife, mother, and homemaker. Because of this, all the mundane things she did were sanctified, holy, purposeful, and honoring to God, and she should offer them all to Him. Not only that, she should find contentment and satisfaction in knowing she was doing these things unto the Lord. “If any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified . . . .” 1 Peter 4:11.

When Christian homemakers view their work in this way, it makes all the difference. Work, hard work, no matter how humble the task, is our service to God. If this is true of digging ditches, or washing dishes, certainly it is so when it comes to rearing our children. My friend had a congregation of two right in her home—a Bible school with two students enrolled! “The more fully the spirit of true ministry pervades the home, the more fully it will be developed in the lives of the children. They will learn to find joy in service and sacrifice for the good of others.” Child Guidance, 36.

Drudgery or Duty to God?

When the mother views managing her home as drudgery, it becomes just that—drudgery. But if she views it as her duty to God, it becomes a joy and a delight. “Many a home is made very unhappy by the useless repining of its mistress, who turns with distaste from the simple, homely tasks of her unpretending domestic life. She looks upon the cares and duties of her lot as hardships; and that which, through cheerfulness, might be made not only pleasant and interesting, but profitable, becomes the merest drudgery. She looks upon the slavery of her life with repugnance and imagines herself a martyr.” The Adventist Home, 248.

If your home is disorganized and untidy, or downright dirty, you are not honoring God in your responsible duties as a wife and mother. We are to learn to manage our households. (See 1 Timothy 5:14.) It is our duty before the Lord, and as such, we must do it well. However, we should remember that all things should be done in a balanced manner.

“In some families there is too much done. Neatness and order are essential to comfort, but these virtues should not be carried to such an extreme as to make life a period of unceasing drudgery and to render the inmates of the home miserable. In the houses of some whom we highly esteem, there is a stiff precision about the arrangement of the furniture and belongings that is quite as disagreeable as a lack of order would be. The painful propriety which invests the whole house makes it impossible to find there that rest which one expects in the true home.

“It is not pleasant, when making a brief visit to dear friends, to see the broom and the duster in constant requisition, and the time which you had anticipated enjoying with your friends in social converse spent by them in a general tidying up and peering into corners in search of a concealed speck of dust or a cobweb. Although this may be done out of respect to your presence in the house, yet you feel a painful conviction that your company is of less consequence to your friends than their ideas of excessive neatness.” The Adventist Home, 152.

Train the Children

One time, when my friend’s children were still very young, I stopped by for a visit. “How do you keep your house so clean?” I asked. She thought for a moment, and then responded, “I work really hard—all the time.” As she accepted the duties of mother and homemaker as her God-given ministry, she realized that she should teach her children more responsibility about the home, thus relieving herself of some of the duties: “Very early the lesson of helpfulness should be taught the child. As soon as strength and reasoning power are sufficiently developed, he should be given duties to perform in the home. He should be encouraged in trying to help father and mother, encouraged to deny and to control himself, to put others’ happiness and convenience before his own, to watch for opportunities to cheer and assist brothers and sisters and playmates, and to show kindness to the aged, the sick, and the unfortunate. . . .

“Parents, help your children to do the will of God by being faithful in the performance of the duties which really belong to them as members of the family. This will give them a most valuable experience. It will teach them that they are not to center their thoughts upon themselves, to do their own pleasure, or to amuse themselves. Patiently educate them to act their part in the family circle.” Child Guidance, 36.

Other Activities Limited

Being committed to a clean home and clean children rules out many other activities. It can mean little time for creative activities, not too many long phone calls, and not much socializing. The home and the children are the first priority. Bathing the children, keeping their clothes clean, feeding them, and teaching them are all part of a full-time job that requires planning, stamina, and a heart that is committed to work.

Hard work is good for us. It strengthens us and builds character. “The formation of a good character involves hard work and severe self-denial; but it richly repays the effort.” The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1883.

Idleness is an evil that is destructive. It is also an evil that is accompanied by many other sins. It tears down our families and is dishonoring to God. When you are working hard at home, you do not have time to watch degrading television shows; you do not have time to spend your money recklessly; and you do not have time to fritter on the phone. Your hands are too full of your duties.

“For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” 11 Thessalonians 3:11–13.

Do Not Neglect Rest

Certainly I do not mean by this that work excludes all recreational activities and visiting. Anything can be taken too far. The children are more important than your particular cleaning schedule, and we all need rest. Mothers must be able to know when to lay the work aside. But just as our work is “unto the Lord,” so our rest should also be unto Him. This principle helps to establish guidelines for both work and rest. He must bless our rest for us really to enjoy it. He must bless our work for it to be truly fruitful.

Hard Work Rewarded

“[Hard work] is a resistance of the devil. It is the obtaining of daily victory over selfishness, pride, and folly, and the daily cultivation of love, mercy, and beneficence.” The Signs of the Times, August 23, 1883.

Hard work always bears fruit over time. Children who are loved and fed and washed, and taught to love God, grow up to become productive saints in the household of God.

“The mother’s work is given her of God, to bring up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The love and fear of God should ever be kept before their tender minds. When corrected, they should be taught to feel that they are admonished of God, that He is displeased with deception, untruthfulness, and wrongdoing. Thus the minds of little ones may be so connected with God that all they do and say will be in reference to His glory; and in after years they will not be like the reed in the wind, continually wavering between inclination and duty.” The Adventist Home, 233.

God-Appointed Work

“The Christian mother has her God-appointed work, which she will not neglect if she is closely connected with God and imbued with His Spirit.” The Adventist Home, 234.

“And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23, 24.

Maybe it is time that we all searched our lives to see if we are faithfully serving God in our homes. Not only serving Him, but serving Him cheerfully!

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A member of the LandMarks editorial staff, Anna Schultz writes from her home near Sedalia, Colorado. You may contact her by e-mail at: jschu67410@aol.com.

You Can be Happy!

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Like so many others, I was in search of happiness. I did not expect to find it where it was—in Christ alone. The more I studied from God’s Word, the more I realized that happiness was to be found in exactly the opposite of what I expected—not in receiving but in giving! Satan tries hard to becloud our minds in understanding this important subject, for which every human being is so hungry and desirous. What a privilege to understand, know, and experience this true happiness!

For this reason, I would like to share a few inspired quotations and Bible verses with others that want to find true happiness. If you will follow the true path to happiness, you shall never be sorry for it!

Those who find wisdom find happiness

“Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.” “She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.” Proverbs 3:13, 18.

What is the way to find true happiness?

“Seeking the good of others is the only way to find true happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 380.

“If the Christian lives a humble, self-sacrificing life, peace and joy in the Lord will be the result. But the greatest happiness experienced will be in doing others good, in making others happy. Such happiness will be lasting.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 161.

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:15, 17.

“ ‘All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.’ [Matthew 7:12.] The Saviour taught this principle to make mankind happy, not unhappy, for in no other way can happiness come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 114.

“He that hath mercy on the poor, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 14:21.

Why is it that so many people don’t find happiness?

“Very many who are seeking for happiness will be disappointed in their hopes, because they seek it amiss, and are indulging in sinful tempers and selfish feelings. By neglecting to discharge the little duties and observe the little courtesies of life, they violate the principles on which happiness depends. True happiness is not to be found in self-gratification, but in the path of duty. God desires man to be happy, and for this reason he gave him the precepts of his law, that in obeying these he might have joy at home and abroad. While he stands in his moral integrity, true to principle, and having the control of all his powers, he cannot be miserable. With its tendrils twined about God, the heart will be full of peace and joy, and the soul will flourish amid unbelief and depravity.” The Signs of the Times, November 11, 1886.

“In many ways, life’s happiness is bound up with faithfulness in common duties.” Education, 216.

“There are many youth who, because they cannot find happiness in plans of their own devising, will not accept it in God’s appointed way. They wonder over their unhappiness, and count their best friends—those who discern their difficulties—their enemies. They cling with tenacious grasp to their impressions and their ideas of just what they must have and what they must do in order to be happy, but they lose sight of the fact that the Lord rules alone, and that He is shaping circumstances.

“God says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ [Isaiah 55:8, 9.] Then let finite beings be humble and submissive in their desires, realizing that God uses many influences which it is beyond their power to control. We must take self in hand; we must do our duty faithfully; and in this work peace and rest and happiness will come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 316.

“When you eat the labor of your hands, you [shall be] happy, and [it shall be] well with you.” Psalm 128:2.

Happiness comes from within, not from outside.

“Our comfortable condition is made by the tone of our feelings within. None can but be happy if they take the happy with them. If we are connected with heaven, the content and peace and happiness of heaven will be ours. Our slights, our neglects, our sorrows and griefs, will not, cannot, depress the heart that is borrowing its strength and serenity from heaven.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 315.

“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” Henry van Dyke, http://www.worldofquotes.com, (February 22, 2004).

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln, http://home.att.net/~quotesabout/abrahamlincoln.html, (February 22, 2004).

“Do not think to find happiness in selfish amusement. . . . True happiness is found only in the Master’s service. In him who is the Light of the world we shall find comfort and hope. Our happiness comes not from what is around us, but from what is within us; not from what we have, but from what we are.” The Youth’s Instructor, January 23, 1902.

The only Person that can make us happy

“The presence of Christ alone can make men and women happy. All the common waters of life Christ can turn into the wine of heaven. The home then becomes as an Eden of bliss; the family, a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven.” The Adventist Home, 28.

“It is the duty of every married couple studiously to avoid marring the feelings of each other. They should control every look of fretfulness and passion. They should study each other’s happiness in small matters as well as in large, manifesting a tender thoughtfulness in acknowledging kind acts and little courtesies. These small things should not be neglected; for they are just as important to the happiness of man and wife, as food is to sustain physical strength. The father should encourage the wife and mother to lean upon his large affection. Kind, cheerful, encouraging words from him to whom she has entrusted her life-happiness will be more beneficial to her than any medicine; and the cheerful rays of light that such sympathizing words will bring to the heart of the wife and mother, will reflect their own cheering beams upon the heart of the father.” Review and Herald, July 18, 1899.

“Husband and wife are to be faithful to each other so long as life shall last, ever revealing the self-sacrifice that leads to the truest happiness and the highest perfection of character.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 121.

“It is the little attentions, the numerous small incidents and simple courtesies of life, that make up the sum of life’s happiness; and it is the neglect of kindly, encouraging, affectionate words, and the little courtesies of life, which helps compose the sum of life’s wretchedness.” The Adventist Home, 108.

The only source of happiness

“The reason why some are restless is that they do not go to the only true source of happiness. They are ever trying to find out of Christ that enjoyment which is found alone in Him. In Him are no disappointed hopes. Oh, how is the precious privilege of prayer neglected!” My Life Today, 158.

“Prayer is communion with God, the Fountain of wisdom, the Source of strength, and peace, and happiness.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 42.

“The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49.

“He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 16:20.

How is true happiness found?

“It is in a life of service only that true happiness is found. He who lives a useless, selfish life is miserable. He is dissatisfied with himself and with everyone else.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 422.

What religion is necessary for health and happiness?

A graceful, positive attitude, whatever the circumstances of our lives, is a source of health and happiness.

“Pure and undefiled religion is not a sentiment, but a doing of works of love and mercy. This religion is necessary to health and happiness.” Ibid., vol. 16, 72.

“Upon obedience depends the life and happiness, health and joy, of men, women, and children. Obedience is for their well-being in this life and in the life to come.” Ibid., vol. 19, 154.

“Happy is he who keeps the law.” “Happy [is] the man who is always reverent.” Proverbs 29:18; 28:14.

“Little expenses must be carefully guarded against. To deny one’s self in little as well as in great things is necessary to prosperity and happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 326.

“Happy [is he] who [has] the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope [is] in the Lord his God.” Psalm 146:5.

“The essence of true religion is a desire to be useful to others, to lighten their burdens and lessen their cares, to do not merely the most pleasing things, but all that needs to be done. It calls for the crucifixion of selfishness. Happiness will come to those who live this religion.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 54.

“Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God.” Review and Herald, February 10, 1903.

What brings us intense happiness?

“As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. . . . Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness.” The Desire of Ages, 331.

Suffering for your eternal happiness

“Oh, why are we so sensitive to trial and reproach, to shame and suffering, when our Lord has given us such an example? Who would wish to enter into the joy of their Lord while they were unwilling to partake of His sufferings? What! the servant unwilling to bear the humility and shame and reproach which the Master bore unselfishly for him! the servant shrinking from a life of humility and sacrifice which is for his own eternal happiness, by which he may finally obtain an exceedingly great, an eternal reward!” Testimonies, vol. 2, 491.

“Behold, happy [is] the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.” Job 5:17.

Our happiness depends on our faith and obedience

“Our future happiness depends on our active faith in the Word of God, including His will.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 49.

“All your happiness, peace, joy, and success in this life are dependent upon genuine, trusting faith in God. This faith will prompt true obedience to the commandments of God. Your knowledge and faith in God is the strongest restraint from every evil practice, and the motive to all good.” Messages to Young People, 410.

“None are so happy and entirely safe as those who have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 128, 129.

“Do you have faith? Have [it] to yourself before God. Happy [is] he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” Romans 14:22.

“Let us adore Him who is our life, our hope, our eternal happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 142.

“Happy [are] you, O Israel! Who [is] like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty!” Deuteronomy 33:29.

“God would have you pure and free and happy.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 52.

“Happy [are] the people who are in such a state; Happy [are] the people whose God [is] the Lord! Psalm 144:15.

Pass It On

By Kurt Kaiser

I wish for you, my friend,

This happiness that I’ve found.

You can depend on Him,

It matters not where you’re bound;

I’ll shout it from the mountaintops,

I want my world to know:

The Lord of love has come to me,

I want to pass it on!

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~walter/VeGe.doc, (February 22, 2004).

Bianca Vaughn, a homemaker and mother, is an English to Romanian language translator. Originally from Romania, she now lives in Hawaii with her husband and son. She may be contacted by telephone at: 808-965-0222.

The Power of Speech, Part V

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[Editor’s Note: This article continues a compilation of counsel given to strengthen and encourage anyone who is struggling through a crisis caused by the “Power of Speech.”]

In the previous segment of this series, the first eight points of “The Evil Report” were given. In summary, they are:

1 What should we do if someone has wronged us?

2 Whose name are we pledged to protect?

3 What created the frenzy that resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus?

4 What feelings are we not to allow to arise?

5 What is our moral obligation in regard to our countenance?

6 What are we to do with any evil report that we hear?

7 What other words and actions are a breaking of God’s Law?

8 What underhanded method will Satan use to destroy God’s people?

We continue now with Points 9-18:

9 What is another way that we break the Law of God in our speech about another?

“To speak evil of another secretly, leaving the one accused in ignorance of the wrong attributed to him, is an offense in the sight of God. Let those who have been drawn into this work repent before God, confess their sin, and then nourish the tender plant of love. Cultivate the graces of the spirit, cultivate tenderness, compassion for one another, and do not longer work on the enemy’s side of the question.” The Home Missionary, January 1, 1892.

10 Before we believe any evil report, what should we do?

“Before giving credence to an evil report, we should go to the one reported to be in error, and ask, with all the tenderness of a Christian, if these statements are true. A few words spoken in brotherly kindness may show the inquirer that the reports were wholly without foundation, or that the evil was greatly magnified.” Ibid.

11 Before we pass judgment on another, what should we do?

“And before passing unfavorable judgment upon another, you should go to the one whom you think has erred, tell him your fears, with your own souls subdued by the pitying love of Jesus, and see if some explanation cannot be made that will remove your unfavorable impressions.” Ibid.

12 How can a professed child of God become a servant of Satan?

“Christ prayed that his disciples might be one, even as he is one with the Father. Then every one who claims to be a child of God should labor for this oneness. When it exists, the followers of Christ will be a holy, powerful people, united in love. But if you let love die out of the soul, and accept the accusations of Satan’s agents against the children of God, you become servants of sin, and are helping the devil in his work.” Ibid.

13 What will happen when we love our neighbor as ourselves?

“When the members of God’s church see eye to eye, they will constantly guard the tongue, in order that they may not misuse the talent of speech. This talent is a precious gift. Let us study our words with care, and be a blessing to mankind by refusing to bring reproach upon one of our brethren by passing on to others some evil report that we may hear. If we speak evil of another, reproach will lie at our door. When we all love our neighbor as ourselves, idle, mischievous whisperings will cease. May the Lord by his converting power sanctify our talent of speech, that we may use it to his glory, and in no wise to the injury of souls.” Review and Herald, January 6, 1903.

14 The vultures gather wherever the carcass is?

“When the claims of God are presented, those who love sin evince their true character by the satisfaction with which they point to the faults and errors of professed Christians. They are actuated by the same spirit as their master, Satan, whom the Bible declares to be the ‘accuser of the brethren.’ [Revelation 12:10.] Let an evil report be started, and how rapidly it will be exaggerated and passed from lip to lip! How many will feast upon it, like vultures upon a heap of garbage. Whether the slanderous tale comes with or without proof, they give it ready credence, showing a strength of faith that is surprising. And yet these very persons will refuse to believe the truths of God’s word so long as there is the semblance of an excuse for doubt.” The Signs of the Times, March 9, 1882.

15 How a person says and does things of which he thought he was incapable?

“Saul had cut himself off from every means whereby the Lord could work in his behalf to save him from himself. In the facts of sacred history, there are lessons showing what a dangerous thing it is to cherish a jealous, revengeful spirit. It is impossible to determine to what length this spirit will lead its possessor if it is not overcome. When an evil report is circulated concerning the character of those who are striving to serve God, a power from beneath seems to move the minds of those who cherish enmity. He who has prided himself on possessing a high sense of honor, by taking this path of enmity will often fall into error, and will say and do things of which he deemed himself incapable. If a prophet of God should portray before him the course he would be led to pursue by cherishing such a spirit, he would indignantly inquire as did Hazael, ‘Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?’ [11 Kings 8:13.] But let him turn from the straight path of right, and follow where the promptings of Satan would lead him, and he will manifest the spirit of his captain until truth, honor, and justice are sacrificed through the lusts of passion.” Ibid., October 5, 1888.

16 The tiny seed of doubt?

“I had been, during the forty-five years of experience, shown the lives, the character and history of the patriarchs and prophets who had come to the people with a message from God, and Satan would start some evil report, or get up some difference of opinion or turn the interest in some other channel, that the people should be deprived of the good the Lord had to bestow upon them. And now in this case a firm, decided, obstinate spirit was taking possession of hearts, and those who had known of the grace of God and had felt His converting power upon their hearts once, were deluded, infatuated, working under a deception all through that meeting, and it took but a tiny seed of doubt and questioning to find fruitful soil in the hearts of those who had no living connection with God, whose hearts were hard and un-impressionable. Their base passions were stirred and it was a precious opportunity to them to show the mob spirit.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 309.

17 What happens when the satanic spirit takes control?

“I could but have a vivid picture in my mind from day to day of the way reformers were treated, how slight difference of opinion seemed to create a frenzy of feeling. Thus it was in the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus—all this had passed before me point by point. The Satanic spirit took control and moved with power upon the human hearts that had been opened to doubts and to bitterness, wrath and hatred. All this was prevailing in that meeting. I decided to leave the meeting, leave Minneapolis.” Ibid.

18 What we are not to listen to?

“Ministers and lay members of the church displease God when they allow individuals to tell them of the errors and faults of their brethren. They should not open their ears to these reports. They should inquire, ‘Have you strictly followed the injunction of your Saviour? Have you told him his faults between you and him alone? And then if he refused to hear, have you carefully and prayerfully taken two or three others and labored with him in tenderness, in humility, in meekness, your heart throbbing in love for his soul?’ If you failed here, there was only one more step you could take—tell it to the church, and let action be taken in the case according to the Scriptures. Then it is that heaven will ratify the decision made by the church in cutting off the offending member.

“If these steps have not been taken, do not listen to a word, close the ears, and refuse to take up a reproach against your neighbor; listening to the reports of evil is lifting or taking up the reproach. If there were no brethren and sisters to take up the reproach against their neighbors, evil tongues would not find so fruitful a field in which to labor, backbiting and devouring one another.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 280, 281.

To be continued . . .

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

The Power of Music, Part II

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There have been and continue to be many studies on what the precise effects of music are as related to the mind and body. These studies have been performed under controlled conditions in the attempt to further scientific understanding. They have not been based on the desires of the scientists to prove that their favorite kinds of music are superior to others. Rather, these studies have been undertaken using scientifically valid methods of measuring the effects of music on the human being.

Effects on the Body

A number of experiments have been conducted with regard to the effects of musical stimuli on the digestive system. Changes in digestion, internal secretions, and even assimilation and nutrition have been recorded. (David Tame, The Secret Power of Music, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, 1984, 136.) The use of dinner music in restaurants is of longstanding. Although some may doubt the effects of music on digestion, apparently business people are more pragmatic, and depend on the effects of music to enhance their profits.

Tarchanoff found an effect on muscular activity, which increased or diminished according to the nature of the music played. Ibid., 137.

Portnoy summarized his findings by stating that music can change metabolisms, affect muscular energy, raise or lower blood pressure, and influence digestion. (Julius Portnoy, Music in the Life of Man, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1963.)

The circulatory system also seems to be strongly affected by music. Byers and Smyth studied cardiac surgery patients. They found that a music intervention during the first postoperative day decreased noise annoyance, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure. (J. F. Byers and K. A. Smyth, “Effect of a Music Intervention on Noise Annoyance, Heart Rate, and Blood Pressure in Cardiac Surgery Patients,” American Journal of Critical Care (3), May 1977, 183–189.) Significant changes in the circulatory system under musical stimuli have been so great that music has been used effectively for therapeutic indications. Other experiments show that listening to music can measurably affect heart rate, and therapeutic exposure to certain kinds of music decreases heart rate significantly. Beyond this, there is abundant evidence that music can decrease blood pressure as well as heart rate, and even cause changes in plasma stress hormone levels. Some types of music can have the opposite effect. Gerra performed in Italy an experiment with 18- and 19-year-olds using techno-music. Techno-music was found to be associated with a significant increase in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and significant changes in self-rated emotional states. (G. Gerra et al., “Neuroendocrine Responses of Healthy Volunteers to ‘Techno-Music’ Relationships with Personality Traits and Emotional State,” International Journal of Psychophysiology, January 1998, 99–111.) Watkins reviewed research on the effects of music and reported his findings. He suggested that “Music Therapy may be useful in a wide range of clinical settings with patients experiencing health problems as diverse as hypertension/cardiovascular disease, migraine headaches, and gastrointestinal ulcers.” (G. W. Watkins, “Music Listening Preferences and Preadmission Dysfunctional Psychosocial Behaviors of Adolescents Hospitalized on an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit,” Clinical Nurse Specialist, 1997, 43–50.)

The effects of music on the respiratory system go far beyond what one might imagine and are certainly based on the music itself and not merely dancing and toe tapping. Many studies have measured how music influences respiration. Music has been shown to enhance respiration even among mechanically ventilated patients, thus providing an important therapeutic device. (Tame, op. cit.)

Muscular activity and potential are also increased or decreased under the influence of different types of music, and this has been studied by several researchers. Research by Tarchanoff (Tame, op. cit.) revealed what specific types of music have the influence of increasing or diminishing muscular energy. Playing one kind of music can make you stronger. Playing another kind can make you weaker.

Several skin changes can be measured under exposure to music. Skin temperature changes have been noted in people listening to music. In a study by R. A. McFarland, 100 psychology students listened to music while their skin temperature was measured. “Arousing, negative emotion music terminated skin temperature increases and perpetuated skin temperature decreases, whereas the calm, positive emotion selection terminated skin temperature decreases and perpetuated skin temperature increases.” (R. A. McFarland, “Relationship of Skin Temperature Changes to the Emotions Accompanying Music,” Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, September 1985, 255.)

Other kinds of stress, such as galvanic skin response, are clearly in evidence. Such indicators suggest a powerful effect of music not only on the body, but also on the mind. Skin response is the principle upon which lie detection is based. There is a direct correlation between measurable skin stress and the state of mind produced by music. These correlations are of such magnitude that they have been therapeutically significant. (P. O. Peretti and F. Swenson, “Effects of Music on Anxiety as Determined by Physiological Skin Responses,” Journal of Research in Music Education, 1974, 278–283.)

Music and Pain

Music has been shown by many studies to be an effective treatment for pain. In their examination of the effects of techno-music, Gerra et al. (op. cit.) found a significant increase observed in beta-endorphin, adreno-corticotropic hormone, plasma norepinephine, growth hormone, and cortisol. The conclusion was that listening to techno-music induces changes in neurotransmitters, peptides, and hormonal reactions related to mental state and emotional involvement. Music cannot only lessen pain, but can change your emotional or mental state and actually even help you to grow. Music is being used in the control of pain in hospice care and to reduce postoperative pain.

A study of the effects of music on headache (Juanita McElwain, “The Effect of Somatron and Music on Headache,” Southern Medical Journal, 1992, 85), showed significant results in the number of subjects who reported that their headaches were gone after a 30-minute session of music and Somatron. All subjects with stress headaches reported their headaches were eliminated. A Somatron is an acoustic massage reclining chair. The music used was recorded American Indian wooden flute music.

Effect on the Brain

Music has a variety of effects on the brain. These include influence on the neural networks of the brain, changes in the balance of brainwaves in both hemispheres, and activity in paralimbic brain regions. The author has conducted a number of studies on the effect of music on brain waves, including a study for my doctoral dissertation. Some of the things revealed indicated that musicians process music differently than non-musicians. Musicians produce significantly more alpha brainwaves than non-musicians do. The two hemispheres of the brain process music differently. These influences have also been used in therapeutic situations, in the treatment of depression, anxiety and stress, and in mood improvement. Music may often be a cure for insomnia . . . .

Therapeutic Situations

The many and varied effects of music on the body and mind have given rise to the development of many specific therapeutic situations. Besides mood improvement and curing anxiety and insomnia, music has been used with many specific indications. Pacchetti et al. used active Music Therapy that utilized instruments structured to correspond to all sensory organs with Parkinson patients. Music Therapy had an improving effect on emotional functions, activities of daily living, and quality of life. The conclusion was that “Music Therapy, operating at a multi-sensory level, stimulates motor, affective and behavioral functions.” (C. Pacchetti et al., “Active Music Therapy and Parkinson’s Disease Methods,” Functional Neurology 13, 1998, 57–67.) Ezzone et al. studied the use of music during high-dose chemotherapy administrations. They found “that music helped to lessen nausea and vomiting.” (S. Ezzone et al., “Music as an Adjunct to Aromatic Therapy,” Oncology Nursing Forum 9, 1995, 551–556.) A study by Hanser and Thompson found housebound elders who were experiencing symptoms of depression, distress, and anxiety, when presented with music, performed significantly better on standardized tests evaluating depression, distress, self-esteem, and mood. (S. Hanser and I. W. Thompson, “Effects of a Music Therapy Strategy on Depressed Older Adults,” Journal of Gerontology 49, November 1994, 265–269.)

Souson analyzed the effect of music on mood and memory. Interestingly enough, his analysis revealed that the mood of the participants was influenced by the music played and not by the lyrics. (S. D. Souson, “Effects of Melody and Lyrics on Mood and Memory,” Perceptual Motor Skills 859, 1997, 31–40.)

Music in Daily Life

Two authors have compiled lists of music for specific uses in daily life. (Hal Lingerman, Life Streams, The Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, Illinois, 1988; Barbara Scarantino, Music Power, Dodd Mead & Co., New York, New York, 1987.) Examples include:

1 Physical therapy—use music with stronger rhythms, peppy tunes, and powerful contrasts. However, do not play this music too long or too loudly because you can shock and exhaust yourself.

2 Anger—use strong music to release anger or quiet music to calm anger.

3 Hyperactivity—use more quiet music, melodically pleasing, and slower in rhythm and pacing.

4 Depression and fear—play music that will induce sleep for dejection and negative feelings. Other music can pierce through melancholy, fears, and doubts.

5 Boredom—use music that will arouse new enthusiasm.

6 Strength and courage—powerful music will cause increases of blood flow, speed of circulation, increased muscular energy and metabolism.

7 Relaxation and reverie—play quiet, perhaps nostalgic, music.

8 Love and devotion—play music that can arouse understanding and discernment and that will fill relationships with joys and overcomings.

9 Clear thinking and mental power—use music that will be clear melodically and rhythmi-cally. Much of the music of the baroque period is ordered and melodic with few surprises.

10 Waking up—play beautiful music, quiet pieces which will bring you back from sleep slowly, perhaps music for strings or flute. If you are prone to going back to sleep, choose music more peppy, bright, and airy.

11 Planning your day—play back-ground music; it should be joy-ous, transparent and clear, not heavily orchestrated or dissonant.

12 Meals—choose happy music that is light and airy; avoid heavy loud music and large contrasts. Music that is pleasing to the ear height-ens the taste buds, and both work to promote good digestion.

13 Insomnia—play quiet music for flutes, harps, or strings.

14 Home—music to quiet your home will treat stress, worry, and high-strung states. Lingerman says that it is very lovely to sing to your children, especially at bedtime.

15 Child’s energy—to release a child’s energy, avoid stressful, clashing sounds; beautiful, rhythmic music helps concentration, but chaotic sounds will make them lose con-centration and become jumpy.

16 Humor—music can help you unwind with a chuckle.

Music has become accepted as a therapeutic intervention worldwide. Historical studies show that this has always been true if only in an informal way. Now Music Therapy is a recognized and well-organized profession, which reaches out to a broad range of populations and applications. Some of the people with whom music therapists work include the mentally ill, mentally challenged, geriatrics, physically disabled, visually impaired, juvenile delinquents, those in criminal correction systems, people in hospitals, and coma and brain-injured patients. Music is used with childbirth and in kidney dialysis centers. Music is used for medicinal purposes more and more frequently.

In the summer of 1991, the U. S. Senate had a hearing on music and aging. One aspect, which was particularly emphasized, was the use of Music Therapy with Alzheimer’s patients.

Reprinted from The Lord is My Song, Print-Quik, Inc., Madison, Tennessee, 2002, and summarized from a 2003 Steps to Life Camp Meeting presentation.

To be concluded . . .

Juanita McElwain earned her PhD in Music Therapy from Florida State University. She has taught music on all levels from preschool to college graduate. She has worked as a music therapy clinician with the mentally challenged. Her areas of expertise in research include the effects of music on brain waves and the effects of music on headache. She has given numerous seminars on the power of music, which include good and bad effects of music—rock music, sensual music, music in worship and mind control through music—throughout the United States and in Europe. She and her husband are presently retired in West Virginia. She may be contacted by e-mail at: juamce@meer.net.

Lessons From the Book of Amos – Part VI

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Reading the Book of Amos is a disturbing experience, because as we read, we are faced with the awesome demands a righteous God makes on the lives of His people. We are also presented with the consequences, if we do not follow the commands that God makes upon our lives.

In Part v of this series [April 2004], we noted the parallels between the church of Laodicea and the children of Israel with whom Amos dealt. In the message to the church of Laodicea, we know that, if it does not come into line with God’s position, He is going to spew it out. (Revelation 3:16.) In Amos, we are told the process that the church will go through. It is all revealed to us there. It is not a welcome message; it is not a comforting message, and if we have not been perturbed and disturbed by it, we probably have not yet grasped the message of Amos.

Selective Hearing

In reality, I think all of us have that little mechanism built into us where we tune things out. If you have ever had dogs, you know how they can exercise tuning you out when they want to. They will filter out all the whistles, all the shouts, and all the screams that are supposed to make them come to you or to mind. But it is uncanny how they can hear the rattling of their dish when food is being poured into it. They may be at the other end of the house or out in the field, but they can hear that food being poured into the dish, and they know that it is time to eat. Human beings are a lot like that as well!

We all have our sophisticated ways of tuning out what we do not want to hear. We find this technique, often called selective hearing, operational in the lives of husbands and wives. We tune out what we do not want to hear.

If we human beings can find ways of avoiding messages from each other, we certainly can do that with God. But God tells us over and over again, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22. He speaks to us out of heaven with all the authority of our Creator and as the One Who has the right to rule and to control our lives. But we bristle when God wants to control our lives for us. If what He wants us to do does not meet our selective hearing, there is a tendency for us to tune Him out.

This is what was happening in Israel of old. They also had selective hearing. They did not want to hear that God had the right to rule over them or that He had the right to expect them to respond. For the most part, sinful human beings do not want to be ruled over; they want to rule. If you do not think this is true, then I do not think you have heard the message that has been presented in the Book of Amos.

Filtered Messages

As we study the prophets of old, there is a tendency to filter out the messages that they delivered, because we do not want to face the truth that their messages have applications to us today. We especially hold this view pertaining to the Old Testament. And even though we, as Seventh-day Adventists, like to console ourselves that we are Bible Christians, when we come to a commanding passage in the Old Testament, we like to say that it applied to the people in that day. If there is something in the New Testament with which we do not want to come into harmony, we say that that instruction was given 2,000 years ago.

And then we look at the messages and instructions given in the Spirit of Prophecy, written just over 100 years ago. There are those today who allege that Ellen White was a creature of her day and time—that her writings do not really apply to us. There are even some people who want to rewrite her writings and update the English. I have never had any problem reading what she has to say. It is very clear to me. But there is always the desire to tinker with something that we do not want to hear. Amos 7 gives an account of this.

Vision of Disaster

“Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, [it was] the latter growth after the king’s mowings. And it came to pass, [that] when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small. The Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord.” Verses 1–3.

Here is described a vision of judgment given to Amos. It was a vision of a natural disaster about to occur. The latter crop is referred to in verse 1. The first crop, or the first mowing, was given to the king as a tax, and the people had to depend upon the second mowing to not only feed themselves but also their animals and to have enough left over for the next year.

There is always more in the first mowing than there is in the second mowing, so you can imagine what was left—only enough for the people to just get by. But in this vision, Amos saw grasshoppers come in and begin to eat things down so that nothing was left. When Amos saw this, he, like Moses, began to intercede on behalf of Israel to God, so this would not take place. And the Bible says that God changed this disaster. He let it pass. He said, “It shall not be.”

Then Amos is given another vision.

“Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he [is] small. The Lord repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord God.” Verses 4–6.

Now, if the grasshoppers were a picture of a natural disaster, fire would seem to be something supernatural. If you have ever been through an area where a forest fire has burned, you know how devastating it is. All the vegetation has been destroyed, and it takes many years for restoration to take place.

That was the vision God gave to Amos—a warning of the devastation that was to come upon Israel as a judgment. And Amos said, “Lord, please, spare them; they are so small.” And the Lord said, “Alright, this is not going to happen.”

Intercessory Prayer

I wonder how many times intercessory prayer, prayer that we may never even know about, has spared us. Here was Israel, doing things that they thought God had no idea of, and the only reason they were spared judgment was because of God’s prophet. They did not even like Amos, but he was interceding on their behalf.

I am sure that we all have stories we could tell, either about parents or grandparents, who have interceded on our behalf. We will never really know or understand how many times intercessory prayer has preserved us until we enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The Plumbline

But then a third vision is given.

“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall [made] by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Verses 7–9.

A plumbline is a very basic tool of masonry or carpentry. It is used to build a wall so that the wall is plumb, that is, exactly vertical or true. The wall referred to in verse 7 had been established using a plumbline. It was set vertically straight by a plumbline.

Amos, in vision, saw the Lord standing like a construction foreman or a surveyor with a plumbline in His hand. He was checking the wall to see if it was still straight, if it was still bearing the load all right, and if it was still correctly aligned. He was looking to see that there was no hint of bulges or overhanging tilts or cracks or something that would cause the wall to go over.

What is the meaning of this vision? It is saying that the Lord brought Israel into being. He promised to save them; His laws were there to guide them. They were supposed to be in a covenant relationship with God and with His Law, and because of that, it was now necessary for God to take a plumb-line in His hand and to measure that wall to see if it was still straight.

God periodically comes by every one who has entered into a covenant relationship with Him and uses the plumbline to see if we are still straight and upright. It is not an arbitrary assessment; it is a highly precise and discriminating act, and we need to learn from Amos that this is how God works with His people. When we have agreed to be obedient to God’s Law and when we have been baptized to wash away our past sins, God uses the plumbline to continue measuring us.

Right to Measure

The two visions that Amos saw about disaster—the grasshoppers and the fire—have given way to a vision of something far more familiar in small scale, something almost domestic—the building of a wall with a plumbline. No disaster was involved in that. Grasshoppers coming through the field are disastrous. A fire sweeping through and consuming everything is disastrous. But using a plumbline to measure a wall is not disastrous. Everybody knows that a leaning wall cannot stand. A leaning wall has to be demolished and rebuilt.

The first two of these three visions equaled the equivalent of hell. This is the destruction; this is the wasting that is going to take place when judgment comes. The third vision of the plumbline is asking how are you going to measure up? Amos does not make any comment against this vision of judgment. He does not fall down on his knees and begin to pray, “Lord, spare Jacob.” The disasters of grasshoppers and fire had been canceled out in answer to the prayers of Amos. But Amos does not make any appeal against the use of the plumbline, because there is nothing harsh or capricious or arbitrary about God measuring His people. He has the right to do that.

Amos knew that. He knew what was going on, and if he should pray that God would overlook this fact—“Lord, do not measure Your people”—he would be a false prophet, because the words of the prophet deal with measuring.

Like Moses and others, he knew that this was God’s right and that it was helpful for His people. But Amos also knew that judgment would come, because he knew what was taking place in Israel.

Coming Judgment

The Bible never lets us escape from the fact that there is a judgment coming, and we are held morally accountable. As we see this fact being brought about in the Book of Amos, it should sober us in our thinking. This is why the apostle tells us that we are to be sober. (1 Peter 1:13; 4:7.) It should sober our thinking, because we live in a universe where good and evil matter. A lot of people do not think that evil matters. A lot of people do not think that good matters. But in God’s universe, good and evil matter, and where and on what side we place ourselves does matter.

“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it [is] the king’s chapel, and it [is] the king’s court.” Verses 10–13.

Apparently, Amos had been telling what was going on around the countryside. That is not always the best or the most enviable posi-tion in which to be found. There was an encounter with the High Priest of the county, and this man went to the king and told him that Amos was conspiring against him.

Church and State Integration

Let us ask some questions here:

First of all, who was this man Amaziah? He was the priest of Bethel; he held a religious position. One of the things we need to understand is that for Israel the church and the state were very integrated. The priest and the king were to work together. The church controlled the state; religious ideas were to overrule any civil ideas of the government.

If we were to translate this into a setting of spiritual understanding today, we would see that the priest of Bethel would be like the Secretary of the Northern Conference of Israel, and the king would represent the conference president.

The priest dealt with the sanctuary; the king dealt with the business administration of God’s people. The king ruled God’s people; the priest dealt with the sacrifices of the temple. They worked very closely together.

Here was Amaziah, a priest, trying to pull rank on Amos, who was God’s prophet. Amos, if you please, was a self-supporting minister in God’s cause, and Amaziah was attempting to control how his ministry was run. This offers the opportunity for many parallels, but I will suggest only one. The priest of the order and organization was trying to dictate how independent ministries were to work and to operate! Indeed there is nothing new under the sun!

Attempt to Prejudice the Hearer

Amaziah was passing on information designed to prejudice the king from even entertaining the message that Amos had for him. He was building a case against Amos and his message so the king would not even consider whether or not the words that Amos spoke were true.

How many times have we heard about those kinds of things happening today? They happen so often on a religious level. If someone has a position to defend, many times they will go to any length to defend that position, even to the extent of misrepresenting the facts. They resort to bribery or falsehood or whatever meets the need at the moment.

Amaziah misrepresented Amos and then turned on him, and in so many words, he told Amos, “You are out of your league up here. This is religious headquarters. It is not the right place for a small-town preacher like you. Anyway, you belong in the south. They will enjoy your prophecy down there. Go back there, if you want to make a living.”

The expression in verse 12, “go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there,” implies that Amos was only doing the work of God for money. “You are only up here causing all this trouble, operating this independent ministry for the money that you get out of it.” Of course, that is always the issue with religious headquarters who think that they have a corner on the market of the self-supporting minister.

As mentioned before, religion and politics were mixed together in this setting, and for a prophet to predict the imminent fall of the nation and the death of the monarch, as Amos did in verse 9, would have been seen as terribly demoralizing and politically treacherous. So Amaziah took it upon himself to deal with this prophet by using misrepresentation and belittlement. Amos was not welcome. No wonder the land could not bear Amos’ words. No wonder the established religious leader tried to silence him. It was the natural response of the human heart. Amaziah felt he was just doing his duty. We need to understand that those conditions have not really changed at all today.

Chosen of God

Notice Amos’ response: “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no prophet, neither [was] I a prophet’s son; but I [was] an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” Verses 14, 15.

If we examine Amos’ reference to his occupation as a shepherd and a tender of sycomore trees, it appears that he was answering Amaziah’s criticism of prophesying for money by saying that he had no need of the prophet’s stipend, and he was not doing the work for the money. Amos made it clear that his background was entirely secular, that he was dedicated to the Lord and that the Lord had chosen him and had sent him.

God had chosen him because He could not find anyone else—not even from the ranks of the religious orders or from the king’s court or from the sanctuary—who could be used to carry His message. He sought one who was tending sheep and said, “I want you.”

Amos then became a type of the Great Shepherd, the One who comes to us bringing the message of gospel and truth. God chose a holy man. The Bible says, “Holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.” 11 Peter 1:21. You do not have to be a priest; you do not have to be a king to carry God’s message of salvation. All you have to be is one who is dedicated wholly and completely to God, and He can use you in His cause.

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no prophet.” A lot of people asked Ellen White if she was a prophet. She always responded that she did not claim to be a prophet but a messenger of the Lord. The same feeling probably welled up in Amos when he was asked this. He said, “I am no prophet, neither am I a prophet’s son.” This is where the phrase comes from that we use so many times—“I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I can tell you, from what I see, that . . . .”

Work of Lay People

It is interesting to note that God called an Israelite to preach to Israelites. That is the method God uses to get His message across. If the professional rank and file are not going to do His will in completing the work He has called them to do, then He is going to raise up lay people to accomplish His purpose. When that happens, a scorning of the work that the lay people accomplish is going to take place. We need to be ready for that. If the message cannot be refuted from the writings of Inspiration, then you better watch out, because God has declared that His word will not return to Him void. You need to be aware, however, that there is always going to be opposition to the preaching of the truth.

Amaziah had said, in effect, that there was no salary for Amos, no career future. But Amos replied, “I am not a career man. I am a called man. The Lord took me from tending the flock, and He told me to go prophesy to His people, Israel.”

This is where spiritual gifts come into play. If God calls you to do a work for Him, He will equip you to accomplish the work. God calls individuals to ministry.

I believe that one of the failures that took place in Israel regarding the sanctuary was that those who were working in the sanctuary did not have a calling. They had a birthright. How many preachers’ kids do you know who have gone into ministry that did not have the same dedication as the father? The reason probably is that they did not have the calling to ministry. The father may have had the calling to ministry. The father may have encouraged the son to follow in his footsteps in ministry, but if that child did not have the call of God to go into ministry, it would be better that he work the plow than to try to fulfill a calling for which he has not been equipped. If God calls you to ministry, He will equip you for that ministry. He will give you the gift that is necessary for you to accomplish His ministry.

Service or Career Choice

There was a vast difference between Amos and Amaziah. This difference still divides those in full-time, Christian service today. The decision to serve God in full-time service can never be simply a career choice. I have colleagues who have selected ministry as a career choice, rather than being called of God. This was not the case with Amos. Amos did not decide one day that he was tired of following sheep from hillside to hillside and then choose to change professions and begin preaching. He did not think to himself that with such a change he would not have to get up so early in the morning to tend the sheep or worry about those who were out on the hillside in the bad weather. He did not consider that all he would need to do is preach on Sabbath morning and be done for the rest of the week. A lot of people believe that of a preacher. I do not think that very many of them have followed a preacher throughout the weekly routine to see just what he does.

Amos was not trying to focus attention on any sacrifice that
he was making to do God’s will. Rather, he was admitting his own lack of qualifications for the job. In effect, he was agreeing with Ama-ziah that he was out of his league as a country boy in the king’s sanctuary at Bethel. In other words, this messenger was utterly insignificant. What mattered is the fact that the Lord had sent him. He had a message from God, and Amos was driven by the message that he had received.

It was not his qualification for the job that put him where he was; it was God. All we need is a heart to obey God. That is all Amos had. We each need to pray for a heart to obey God, and if we are listening to the Word of God and trying to obey it, God can and will use us. When the occasion arose to defend the cause of God, all Amos needed was the word from God, and he was ready to go; he packed his suitcases and was ready.

“The Lord took me,” he said, “as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.”

Judgment Proclaimed

“Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not [thy word] against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.” Amos 7:16, 17.

That was Amos’ response to Amaziah. He was told not to prophesy again at Bethel. So what does Amos do in response? He immediately goes and prophesies against Israel at Bethel.

The location was important. Amaziah had not forbidden Amos to preach. He had not said, “Do not preach those things at all anywhere.” He just said, “Do not point out the wrongs that are being done at Bethel.” Why? Because that was the king’s chapel.

The offense of preaching often is found in where God’s message is delivered. Nobody minds the preaching of the Three Angels’ Messages, as long as the judgment is not part of the matter. “You can preach that all you want, but do not include us; do not point out what we are doing that is wrong! Tell all the people you want that they are going to hell, but do not tell us at headquarters that we are going to hell or that we are in danger of judgment.” This is basically what Amos was being told—“Go into someone else’s district; do not come into my district.”

Not My Backyard

A good friend of mine, a retired minister—independent minister now—was on an airplane in the Northwest. Little did he know, as he boarded the plane, that already seated in the plane was the local conference president. The conference president did not reveal himself to this man until after the plane landed at its destination. My friend got off first. The conference president followed him down the concourse and, coming up behind him, ran into him to the extent that it almost knocked him off his feet. When he recovered his composure, the conference president said to him, “What are you doing in my district?” My friend gave an excellent response: “I did not know it was your district. I thought it was God’s district.”

For Amos to speak in Jerusalem, where he was from, the things that God had told him to speak in Bethel would not have accomplished the purpose that God intended. God called him to preach in Bethel. His words, in verse 17, concerning Amaziah, his wife, his children, his land, and where he himself would end up would cause little or no problem if preached in Jerusalem. But speaking those things in the back yard where the priest lived was going to cause some problems. It would not be appreciated.

God had not just given Amos a message; He had given him a destination for that message. God said, “Go and prophesy to my people Israel.”

Rebuke; Exhort

Sometimes it is very difficult to deal with religious issues in the way that we should. It is not easy to speak out, pointing out areas where evil is taking place, but when God gives the message and calls us to go with that message, do you realize that we would be lost eternally if we did not carry out that message?

Ellen White would lament many times; she would weep before the Lord that she did not want to deliver the messages that God gave to her. She did not want to hurt people’s feelings with the messages that she had to carry. But she carried them anyway. She spoke them anyway. (See Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 60, 61.) We will never understand the anguish that she went through in having to do it.

In the instruction Paul gave to Timothy, the young man who would follow in his footsteps, he said, “Rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering.” 11 Timothy 4:2. That was where Amos’ personal experience was found. He told Amaziah that he must be obedient to what God had called him to do and that there was a vast difference between the word of man and the Word of the Lord.

Difference in the Word

Perhaps in Amos’ day it was at times difficult to distinguish the difference, particularly when some prophets spoke falsely in the name of the Lord, but that is not the case today. Why is that not the case today? Because, as 11 Peter 1:19 says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.” We now have the written Word of God, and that becomes the basis and the foundation of everything that we are to be and everything that we are to do. There is no doubt today about what God has said. We do not have to say, “Well, I heard this prophet, and I heard that prophet, and I heard another prophet, and I cannot figure it out.” No, we go to the Word, and there we find what is the truth. We can be sure that word, that message from God, always remains the same.

How are we to deal with situations like this? We see in this much more than just ourselves. We have before us the setting of prophet and priest, a setting where there is the confronting of the unwelcome, unsettling, unchanging Word of God. How are we to relate to that? How are we to cope with the voice of God when it applies to our situation?

Remember, we do not want to fall into the trap of filtering. When the Word comes, do not tune it out—examine it. Even though it may be cutting across our grain, do not filter it out. Do not become angry with the one who gives the message. Study it out; see if it is the truth. If you want to be angry with someone because it is the truth, be angry with the Lord, but do not be angry with the one who spoke the Word of the Lord. Does that sound reasonable? God can deal with anger. The message is the word of truth, so do not filter out what God is trying to get across. We will be in the same danger as Israel of old, if we do.

Do not try to fudge things or sort out things and put them into categories that we can get around. Take them as they come. If we will take God at His Word and apply God’s Word into our lives, it will not be long before Jesus can come. I am looking forward to that. I am longing for that day. I am getting tired of the things that I see going on in the world. I want it brought to an end. I want the Lord to come soon, and I know that you do, too. But we need to make sure that we are following as closely as we can what God has revealed to us in His Word.

To be continued . . .

Clean Hands and Pure Hearts, Part I

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We, in historic Adventism, have been involved in a spiritual war. The most painful thing about this war is that it involves our own brethren. It involves people who we have loved so dearly, those who we just cannot bear to fight, and yet we must because of the apostasy. We have been fighting, not because we enjoy it, but because a war is going on, and we must fight in order to have a clear conscience. We must proclaim the truth to have a clear conscience.

Ministers have been teaching in Seventh-day Adventist churches that all one must do to be saved is just believe in Jesus—one can go on sinning and be saved anyway. There are ministers who are telling people that they will sin until Jesus comes, and then they will go to heaven.

That is not what the Bible says, and that is not what the Spirit of Prophecy says.

Because people will go to hell as a result of what they have been taught and believed, historic Seventh-day Adventist preachers have said, “We have to tell people the truth, and we have to engage in a war with this false doctrine.” That is what we have been doing.

When you attend historic Seventh-day Adventist meetings, you will hear about the New Testament doctrine of perfection. You will hear about the necessity of overcoming sin. I have been studying Psalm 24 for quite some time and investigating the Spirit of Prophecy on the subject of clean hands and pure hearts. There are many Spirit of Prophecy quotations on this subject. There are also many Bible verses that apply to this study. Jesus is coming to take a people, and these people are going to have clean hands and pure hearts, without one spot or blemish. While all of this is true, I want to give you a word of encouragement.

All Things Are Possible

Sometimes people become discouraged. They are presented the standard, and they begin to weep. They become depressed, and they feel discouraged. They think they will never make it and believe they are stuck. If that is how you feel, consider what happened the morning after the transfiguration of Jesus.

The record of the transfiguration of Jesus is recorded in Mark 9:2–13. Jesus and the three disciples—Peter, James, and John—are coming down from the mountain, and it says, in verses 14–23, “Coming to the disciples [that is the rest of the disciples] they saw a great crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the crowd, seeing him, was greatly amazed, and running towards him they greeted him. And he said to them, ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ And a certain one answered him, out of the crowd, ‘Teacher, I brought my son to you having a dumb spirit [that is, he could not speak]; And wherever he seizes him it dashes him and he foams at the mouth and he gnashes his teeth and he wastes away. And I brought him to your disciples that they might cast it out, but they were not able.’ And answering, he says to them, ‘Oh faithless generation, how long am I going to be with you? how long am I going to endure you? bring him to me.’ And they brought him to him; and seeing him, the spirit immediately convulsed him and falling upon the earth he wallowed, foaming, and Jesus questioned the father saying, ‘How long a time is this that he has been like this?’ And he said, ‘Since childhood. And often times he has cast him into the fire and into the water that he might destroy him. And if you are able to do anything, please help us and have compassion on us.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able, all things are possible to the one who believes.’ ”

This is a man whose son has had a problem since childhood that he cannot overcome. Have you ever met somebody who has a besetting sin in his or her life that they cannot overcome, and that person declares, “I am going to quit”? Mark Twain said, “It is not hard to quit smoking; I have quit a thousand times.” So the individual quits the sin for a week; then the habit overcomes them again. Or maybe they are more successful than that. Maybe they quit for a month; then it overcomes them again. Maybe they quit for three months, and then it overpowers them again. They quit; they start again—repeatedly. Friend, this is the real world. I am not talking about something imaginary. I talk with such people. I visit with them in their homes and in the hospitals. After this pattern has been repeated over and over again, people sometimes become discouraged.

Envy and Jealousy

That is what happened to the father in Mark 9. He had already brought this boy to the leaders of the Christian church. I do not know if you have ever been in a situation where you have dealt with someone who has been possessed of an evil spirit. I have. Surely there is no situation where a human being feels more helpless. The elders of the church gather around, and when the evil spirit takes control of the person, the church leaders begin to pray, because they know that they cannot cast that evil spirit out; there is no human power that can take an evil spirit out of somebody.

If you are a minister, an elder, or a teacher, study what Ellen White says in The Desire of Ages concerning those nine disciples who were at the base of the mountain and why they could not cast out the devil.

These nine disciples had a real problem with feelings of envy and jealousy, because three of the disciples were given certain privileges that these nine did not have. Can you see how easy that would be? Let’s say you are a disciple; Jesus calls Peter, James, and John and takes them off separately for a special trip, and you are not asked to go. That happened quite a few times, did it not? It certainly did.

Because the nine disciples had feelings of envy and jealousy in their hearts, when they tried to cast out the evil spirit, the spirit just mocked them.

My dear friend, there is a reason. When people possessed of evil spirits call upon Seventh-day Adventist ministers, elders, and deacons to pray for them to cast out the demons, there is a reason why they are not successful. It is a reason for which every one of us who is a minister or an elder or a deacon in the church needs to go to the Lord. We need to pray, “Lord, are there any feelings or thoughts in my heart, in my mind, or in my life—are there any sinful thoughts, any sinful feelings, any sinful words, or any sinful actions in my life—that prevent You from working through me?”

Incurable

You see, if we go to meet these situations in our own natural temperaments, we are in this situation. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” The next Hebrew word in this text is a very interesting one. It is the word ‘anash, which means incurable. What does the Bible say about the heart of man? It says that it is deceitful above all things and is incurable. That is the way the Bible describes your heart and my heart.

What hope is there, if it is incurable? The text continues, “Who can know it?” Well, who can know it? Ellen White states that one of our problems is that “the vileness of the human heart is not understood.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 295. So when humans, with hearts like this, come into contact with an evil spirit, it is just going to mock them, even if it is more evil than they are.

Our only hope is that there is a Divine Physician that specializes in incurable diseases. The Bible says, in both the Old and New Testaments, that the natural man has to be crucified and has to die. It is so bad that you cannot improve it. You just have to get rid of it and get a new heart, because it says, “the heart of man is deceitful above all things;” it is incurable.

David’s Prayer

That is what David was praying about in Psalm 51. David’s experience has been a stumbling block to Christians ever since that time. It has been difficult for a lot of people to understand. You see, there will be people on the outside of the Holy City who are lost and who will burn up in hellfire that never killed a man and took his wife. Yet, what David did has been used as an excuse. The Lord told him that from then on the wicked would blaspheme his name because of what he had done. He also told him that the sword would never leave his house. It is true to this present day. But if the Holy Spirit ever reveals to you how incurable and deceitful your own heart is, then the story of David will take on a new meaning, because you will discover that as sinful as you are, you can be saved.

One of the reasons people become discouraged is because the Holy Spirit has been speaking to their hearts. The first thing the Holy Spirit does, if there is sin in your heart, is to point out the sin. John 16 teaches that. And people, when they begin to get just a little inkling of how vile they are, say, “There is no hope for somebody this bad.” That would be true for all of us, if there was not Someone that specializes in people who have hearts that are incurable and desperately wicked.

A Pure Heart

Psalm 51 is the Psalm that David prayed after Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had been with Bathsheba. (See 11 Samuel 11:2, 3.) In verse 10, he says, “Create in me, Oh God, a pure heart.” He knew he did not have one. It is a very interesting word he used here, bara’. It is the very same word that is used in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created [bara’] the heavens and the earth.” How did He create it? He spoke it. Psalm 33:9 says: “He spoke and it was.” (See also verse 6.) There was nothing there before, but He spoke and then it was. David used the same word. He knew that his heart was so bad it could not be improved, so he said, “I need You to create a pure heart for me, because I need a new one.”

Friend, you and I need new hearts too. We need pure hearts. Maybe God has allowed you to become discouraged so you would realize what you needed. You need what David needed. You need a new heart, a pure heart, and the only way that you are going to get one is if God creates one, because the natural one you were given in your first birth is not pure. It is “deceitful above all things,” and it is incurable.

You can pray the same prayer as David prayed. God will hear the prayer, because you are praying it right out of His Word. It says, “Create,” and that means speak. Create something out of nothing. Ask God to create a new heart for you. Tell Him that the one you have is deceitful and incurable, and you need a new one. David said, “Create in me a pure heart.” That is the kind of heart you must have to go to heaven. Nobody with a deceitful heart can go to heaven. Nobody with a wicked heart can go to heaven. But you cannot change your heart. Only Someone else can create in you a pure heart.

Humble Spirit

David had been in the true church for a long time when he had become involved with Bathsheba. He was so scared when he realized how bad he really was. He was afraid that he had committed the unpardonable sin. He was afraid that the Lord would take the Holy Spirit from him, and he would be lost. He said, “Lord, Lord, please help me. If You want me to give You sacrifices, I will, but I know that will not help. That is not what You want.” You see, David was a rich man. It would not have been any problem for him to give a great number of sacrifices. He was the king. But he knew the Lord desired someone with a humble and broken spirit. My friend, if you are willing to study this prayer and if you are willing to humble your spirit and if your spirit is broken because the Holy Spirit has revealed to you how bad you are, ask God to create in you a pure heart.

Steadfast Spirit

David prayed, “And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. That word steadfast means to stand firm, to be established, to be faithful, to be fixed—a spirit that cannot be moved. He had not had a steadfast spirit. He knew he needed a new spirit; he needed a pure heart, and he asked the Lord to give it to him.

Speech Changed

Friend, if you and I have received new hearts, pure hearts, our speech is going to change. We do not know our hearts. We do not know, many of us, whether we have the old, deceitful, incurable heart or whether we have the new heart, so the Lord, in His inspired writings, gives us some clues. We cannot read other people’s hearts; we cannot even read our own hearts. They are so desperately wicked; they deceive us with self-deceit, and we do not even know what is the condition of our hearts. The Lord gives us some pointers so we can begin to understand our hearts by what is on the outside.

Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34. If you start praying about this and begin evaluating your speech, it will reveal whether or not your heart has been changed. If David’s heart had been changed, he would rather have died than to take another man’s wife. The way you can know if your heart has been changed is to monitor how you talk about your neighbor.

If you do anything to diminish your neighbor’s reputation, you do not have a new heart—yet. You still have the old, deceitful heart that is incurable. If you see that I have a problem and you do not come talk to me about it but go tell somebody else, that is proof you do not yet have a new heart. Not yet. When you have the new heart, you will love your neighbor as yourself, and you will never do anything to hurt them, even if they sin. Oh, you may say that it will hurt them if you go and talk to them about the problem. Yes. That is the same as getting a thorn in your finger when you were a child and going to your mother and asking her to remove the thorn, even though you knew that it would hurt to get it out. Why? It was going to hurt less to get it out at the time than to leave it in there. For sure, it is going to hurt if you go talk to somebody because they have a sin problem in their life, but it is going to hurt less than if you do not go to them.

What is going to have to happen? Oh friend, I long to see the day when, among God’s people, we have pure hearts and clean hands. We will be filled with the Holy Spirit as a result! We will have unity and harmony like we have never before seen. And when we come into contact with people who are possessed with evil spirits, we will be just like the apostles. When the apostle Paul came into contact with that girl who was possessed with an evil spirit, Scripture says that he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he turned around and commanded the spirit to leave, and it left. (Acts 16:16–18.)

We are not like that today. There is a reason for it. We are just like those nine disciples. We gather around and pray, and may the Lord be praised, and may we be gracious and thankful for His mercy, but I can tell you, friend, we do not have the power the apostles had. We do not have it. We might as well recognize that we do not have it. We need to pray that we will come into a condition that we can have it, like they had it. There will be a time before probation closes when there will be a primitive godliness amongst God’s people that has not been since apostolic times. And friend, I am willing to be the doorkeeper, to perform any lowly office, as long as I can be part of it.

A Way Out

The nine disciples could not cast out the demon, because they had the wrong spirit. They were jealous and envious of the privileged three. That was the same problem the devil had in heaven. He was jealous of Christ.

The devil goes around trying to get all of us. No matter who you are, the devil can find somebody of whom you can be jealous. That was their problem, and they could not cast out the evil spirit.

The father was discouraged. His son had a problem that they could not overcome. No matter what they did, it came back. This is like the person who has a besetting sin that he cannot overcome. He may quit it for a month, but then it comes back. Maybe he quits it for three months, but it comes back, until finally he is so discouraged that, like this father, he says to Jesus, “Lord, if you can do anything, please have compassion on me, and help me.” Jesus promised, “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the one who believes.” Mark 9:23. All things are possible.

Does that include the drug addict? Yes. I work with drug addicts. Does it include the alcoholic? Yes. Does it include the prostitute? Yes. Actually, as bad as that is, I am not as concerned for their eternal salvation. A lot of prostitutes have been saved in Jesus’ time and our time. I am not as concerned about the prostitutes as the people who go to the prostitutes.

Oh friend, where are you? Somebody needs a word of encouragement, because the devil has you in a situation where you think there is no way out. That is where this father was. He was in a situation where he thought there was no way out. But if you come to Jesus, there is a way out, because He is the way out. And He said, “If you are able, all things are possible to the one who believes.”

To be continued . . .

Editorial – The Widow’s Mite

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“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall they give to your bosom. For with the same measure you mete, it shall be measured again to you.” Luke 6:38. This verse of Scripture explains in the simplest terms the essential difference between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan.

“The spirit of liberality is the spirit of heaven. This spirit finds its highest manifestation in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. . . . The cross of Calvary should appeal to the benevolence of every follower of the Saviour. The principle there illustrated is to give, give. . . .

“On the other hand, the spirit of selfishness is the spirit of Satan. The principle illustrated in the lives of worldlings is to get, get. Thus they hope to secure happiness and ease, but the fruit of their sowing is misery and death.” The Acts of the Apostles, 339.

The principle of Christ applies in every situation, and at Steps to Life Ministries, we have tried to implement this principle. That is why the majority of our appeals for funds are for monies to help us assist God’s work in many places throughout the earth.

Since we are a ministry and not a commercial business, even the money that we receive for our local use is directed toward finishing the Lord’s work in many places.

For example, one of our local expenses is the operation of a van. We are very thankful for this van, given to us by a friend of the ministry. We have too much mail to transport from and to the post office by automobile. We cannot pay for the expenses of the van from money allocated for various mission projects, but it is a vital expense. Without it we could not effectively receive or send materials and communications to others around the world.

Another of our local expenses is the production of radio and television programs that are aired around the world. This costs many thousands of dollars per year, and it is a miracle of God that the Holy Spirit has impressed people to contribute to the support of this outreach every year since 1987.

Something that has astonished me for a long time is that God’s work around the world is substantially supported by what could be called the “widows and the orphans.” You know the story of the widow’s mite in Luke 21. Jesus said that she had cast in more than all the rich! Ellen White describes two ways in which this statement is true in The Desire of Ages, 616. There is yet another way in which this story is true. This widow was a type of the widows and orphans of all ages—the poorer people of this world—who have the cause of God at heart and who sacrifice to make His work successful. They are the source of a large amount of the support for all of God’s work. There will be many surprises when we get to heaven, and not the least of them will be from whom the money came to support God’s work in this world.

The Lord appreciates the sacrifices of the wealthy, and we do, too, but He has a special place in His heart for those who, in spite of their poverty, practice severe self-denial to support the work. We want every person who is practicing self-denial for the success of God’s work to know that we pray for his or her financial and spiritual prosperity.

The people who have donated money to help us keep our van going back and forth to the post office and to maintain and upgrade our radio and television equipment will, in heaven, see where the Three Angels’ Messages went as a result of their gifts. They will be greeted by people that they never knew in this world who will say, “It was you who invited me here.”