Issue: 2010 November

Inspiration – The Present Crisis

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The faith and patience of those who have waited long, have been sorely tried. “Hope deferred has made the heart sick;” and the cry has come up before God, “Lord, how long?” But now the signs are fulfilling—nation rising against nation, startling calamities by land and by sea, famine, pestilence, fearful storms, sweeping floods, and great conflagrations. All these testify that we are approaching the grand consummation. The cry going up to God from the waiting ones, will not be in vain. The response will come, “It is done.”…

The crisis is now upon us. The battle is to be waged between the Christianity of the Bible and the Christianity of human tradition. Is there not a criminal neglect in our present sleepy condition? There must be a decided advance movement among us. We must show to the world that we recognize, in the events that are now taking place in connection with the National Reform movement, the fulfillment of prophecy. …

The National Reform movement, that the world and the church have linked hands to bring about, will manifest the same oppression, haughtiness, arrogance, and intolerance which have prevailed in past ages. …

This nation has been highly favored of God. It has been the great center of religious light and liberty. O, do not sleep now, and in your inactivity feel that you are doing the will of God! The experience of God’s commandment-keeping people now should correspond with the events that are crowding upon us.

It should be the business of all the righteous in the land, as they see signs of the approach of peril, to arouse to action, and not sit in calm expectation of ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that this work must go on, because prophecy has foretold it, and that the Lord will shelter his people in the day of trial. Effectual, fervent prayers should be ascending to Heaven, that this calamity may be deferred; for we are not ready to meet it.

Every passing hour now is one of activity in the heavenly courts, to make ready a people upon the earth to act a part in the great scenes that are soon to open upon us. These transient moments, that seem of so little value to us, are weighty with eternal interests. They are molding the destiny of souls for everlasting life or everlasting death. The words we utter today in the ears of the people, the works we are doing, the spirit of the message we are bearing, will be to human souls the savor of life unto life or of death unto death. We must be washing our robes of character in the blood of the Lamb. If we would be saints above, we must first be saints below.

We have lost much time in inaction, because we have not realized the time in which we are living. This we deplore, and would humble our souls before God, pleading with him for pardon for sleeping at our post of duty, and allowing the enemy to gain the advantage over us. Many have chosen to do nothing, when they should have been diligent to repulse the enemy. Let your services now be dedicated to God. Gird on the armor for vigorous work, saying, “Here am I, Lord, send me.”

It is essential that we be much in prayer to God, that his voice and his power may be manifested in behalf of his people, and that the angels may hold the four winds until the truth is more fully proclaimed, and the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. God is not pleased with the attitude of his people. Satan is taking the world captive, and the sentinels for God and the truth are letting him do it. “Watch then, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” [I Corinthinians 16:13]. Arouse, and come to the front. Be stanch to defend your religious liberty.

Many of our people are registered in the books of heaven as slothful servants. They have buried their talents of money and capability in the world, and the work they should have done has been left undone. Some to whom the Lord has intrusted means, have been ease-lovers, and have not done their duty in the fear and love of God. Many have left the smaller churches, to unite with larger ones, where they carry no burden of responsibility, and are only in the way. Such lose their spirituality and vital force, because they do comparatively nothing for the truth. What account will these have to give to the Master when he shall say, “Give account of thy stewardship”?

We are not ready for this great issue to which the enforcement of the Sunday law will bring us. Let the members of our churches become missionaries for the Master; let them not linger in ease and indifference; but let them go forth to work for God. Their spiritual muscles have been nearly palsied with inaction. Go without the camp, bearing the reproach for Christ and the truth. Work today in the Lord’s vineyard. Go out into the highways and hedges, and stir up the people to investigate the truth. Woe to all who profess to walk in the light, yet who are at ease in Zion. They absorb the God-given rays of righteousness, but do not diffuse the light to others. The parable of the faithless servant who hid his Lord’s money, condemns them, and they are classed among those who refuse to be co-laborers with Jesus Christ, selfishly caring for their own ease, and leaving those for whom Christ has died, to perish without the knowledge of the truth which God has graciously given to them. Those who have been the receivers of spiritual light, may become the receptacles of darkness, to whom the words of Christ are applicable, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! [Matthew 6:23] …

Every true child of God should now be inquiring, “What wouldst thou have me to do? Brethren, for Christ’s sake, do something, and do it now. Satanic influences are all around us, to be met and resisted. The tares are mingled with the wheat, error with truth, coldness with zeal, darkness with light. There must be a returning to our first love. We must battle nobly with tribulation and danger, in the midst of trials, tests, and provings of God. We must be rich in faith and good works. The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to those who have been made the repository of rich truth. This church is distinguished in prophecy by its great profession of advanced light; yet it was filled with spiritual pride and lukewarmness in religion. They had a religious theory, but were greatly lacking in moral power and holiness. They are pronounced wretched, poor, blind, and naked. O that our people would realize the danger, and heed the counsel of the True Witness, “Buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed; … and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see” [Revelation 3:18].

Will we now, who have such great light, make some sacrifice for Jesus, who for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich? We must arouse, and through piety and earnest work for the Master, partake of his spirit of love for souls, of faith in God, that he may work with us, by us, and through us.

Excerpts from The Review and Herald, January 1, 1889.

Keys to the Storehouse – The Ripple Effect

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King David’s sin had its baleful results. “Now his subjects, having a knowledge of his sin, would be led to sin more freely.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 723. Many around us, of whom we may not be aware, are affected by both our words and actions. We must continually be on guard so that by our example, others are not negatively influenced by the ripple effect of evil.

“His authority in his own household, his claim to respect and obedience from his sons, was weakened. … His evil example exerted its influence upon his sons, and God would not interpose to prevent the result. He would permit things to take their natural course, and thus David was severely chastised.” Ibid.

Many times we hear the words: “Well, Mom does it,” or “Dad talks that way,” or “Everybody else is doing it.” No one lives to themselves. By every act, there is a ripple of either good or of evil, which proceeds from each one of us touching the lives of others.

The magnitude of an evil ripple is tremendous when a “little white lie” is told, or any impatience or anger is displayed. There is also an evil ripple that goes forth to all around when somebody professing Christianity is living a worldly lifestyle. David’s sin, besides affecting his own family, made a great impact on his entire realm.

Our influence also, whatever it may be, sends ripples to all around us, either for good or for evil. Because of the things that we say or do, somebody will stand or fall. When we try to lessen the guilt in our lives with excuses, we are told: “Those who, by pointing to the example of David, try to lessen the guilt of their own sins, should learn from the Bible record that the way of transgression is hard. Though like David they should turn from their evil course, the results of sin, even in this life, will be found bitter and hard to bear.” Ibid.

David was not a man after God’s own heart when he sinned. We no longer carry the name of Christian, being Christlike, when we sin or while walking in sin. At the moment of sin there is a shadow ready to carry its evil ripple to all around.

“The history of David furnishes no countenance to sin. It was when he was walking in the counsel of God that he was called a man after God’s own heart. When he sinned, this ceased to be true of him until by repentance he had returned to the Lord. … Though David repented of his sin and was forgiven and accepted by the Lord, he reaped the baleful harvest of the seed he himself had sown.” Ibid.

It is a good thing to choose to walk in heavenly places, so that we may never see or feel the baleful harvest of wrong choices. The results of all those seeds we sow are influenced either for good to God’s glory, or evil to honor Satan. What is your choice?

O Lord, I choose to walk in the light of Your will—in heavenly places. If I fall beneath Satan’s hellish shadow of corrupt character seeds, wash me and remove any ripples that may poison someone else and lead them to sin more freely because of my choices. Alert me to any danger and allow nothing but your heavenly atmosphere to flow forth through me to the praise and glory of Thy name. Amen.

Turn this key to the storehouse and humbly enter in where the ripples of dark shadows have no life.

The Principles of Worship

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With the many different styles of worship in our society today, the question has arisen: What is acceptable worship to God and what is the best way to worship Him?

The word worship, derived from an old English word, means to give honor or respect to a personage, especially to God. The first part comes from the word worth; to give worth to something, worthiness and respect. On the Sabbath we attend church to give God honor and respect and spend the day in worship with Him.

Worship, when rendered to another god or a created being, is called idolatry. Such worship Peter refused (Acts 10:25, 26). In the book of Revelation we see that John bowed down to the angel who refused to be worshiped.

From ancient times all civilizations had some form of worship. They may not have worshiped the God of heaven, but they did have worship and worship ceremonies. In Egypt, the Pharaohs worshiped snakes, the Nile and many other objects of creation. Even as horrific as it was, some forms of worship involved human sacrifices.

Today, in modern worship there are different types of worship where people adore things or people, called adoration, and there is worship of saints, called veneration, and there are also contemporary worship services known as celebration services. It is believed that by bringing music and contemporary things into Christian worship, the young people will stay in the church. I have attended some contemporary services where the Bible was not opened throughout the whole service. In some cases the worship is very light and informal and the speakers crack jokes, resulting in much laughter. That type of church service is more like a social club designed to gather with people and have a good time. Leaving such a service as that leaves one devoid of any spiritual meat to contemplate through the following week and nothing to contemplate in making a closer relationship with God. Once I attended a service where the preacher talked about a recent football game, which provided no spiritual food.

There are many examples in the Bible of worship. God’s people worshiped in their own peculiar style as well as did the heathen. During the time of Ahab and Jezebel, God’s people fell into Baal worship. At the time Nebuchadnezzar ruled the Babylonian kingdom, he had a vision of an image describing all of the kingdoms that would come after him. He wanted his kingdom to last forever and wasn’t happy to be told that his kingdom would come to an end, so he made a golden image and demanded everybody to worship that image, representing his kingdom which he believed should endure forever.

Later Belshazzar, with his rulers, feasted and praised the gods of wood, stone, silver and gold in place of the God of heaven.

Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because he refused to stop praying or worshiping his God for even a few days.

As you read through the Bible you can learn about the patriarchs and prophets, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who set up altars to God. Moses was told to take off his sandals, because the place on which he was standing, near the burning bush, was holy ground.

There were very specific and explicit instructions given to Moses in regard to the performance of the sanctuary services that were implemented in the wilderness. In the New Testament, it is recorded that Jesus worshiped on the Sabbath day and tells of Him standing up to read from Isaiah, the prophet (Luke 4:16, 17).

In the book of Acts, the apostle, Paul, whose many letters to the churches that he ministered to and make up most of the New Testament, met and worshiped with the believers on the Sabbath day.

Worship is the theme of the book of Daniel and also the book of Revelation where three angels were sent to give the last message of warning to the world to worship God who made heaven and the earth. Within those messages there is also warning against worshiping the beast and his image.

It is very important to understand the important principles of whom to worship, what to worship and how to worship.

Music

In Ephesians 5:19 it says, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Music is mentioned over and over again in the book of Psalms as an act of worship. “Singing, as a part of religious service, is as much an act of worship as is prayer.” Christian Education, 63. Songs that praise and give devotion to God should be selected and never music that is devoid of beauty and power.

“Those who make singing a part of divine worship should select hymns with music appropriate to the occasion, not funeral notes, but cheerful yet solemn melodies. The voice can and should be modulated, softened, and subdued.” The Signs of the Times, June 22, 1882. In some churches music is selected that is so loud that it is impossible to hear that still quiet voice. Such does not show reverence toward God.

Prayer

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” Psalm 95:6, 7. Part of worship is to kneel before God in prayer. There are other times to be in communication with heaven when it is inconvenient and even dangerous to kneel with eyes closed, e.g., while driving a car or going walking, but there are several examples in the New Testament written by Paul describing bowing down on our knees before God as part of public worship. Prayer and kneeling are principles of worship and to bow reverently with eyes closed is an act of submission, allowing the mind to concentrate on the prayer without being distracted. Public prayers need to be spoken clearly and plainly so all listening will benefit from the words, and when children are present prayer should be short so they are not wearied.

Listening and Reverence

“Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20. This brings in the aspect of listening and of reverence in the house of God. “When the benediction is pronounced, all should still be quiet, as if fearful of losing the peace of Christ. Let all pass out without jostling or loud talking, feeling that they are in the presence of God, that His eye is resting upon them, and that they must act as in His visible presence. Let there be no stopping in the aisles to visit or gossip, thus blocking them up so that others cannot pass out. The precincts of the church should be invested with a sacred reverence. It should not be made a place to meet old friends and visit and introduce common thoughts and worldly business transactions. These should be left outside the church. God and angels have been dishonored by the careless, noisy laughing and shuffling of feet heard in some places.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 493, 494.

When we enter into the presence of God, no matter where that is, an atmosphere of reverence should prevail.

Observing Personal Boundaries

In one church service I attended the pastor encouraged the congregation to go around and greet everyone and hug everyone and kiss the ladies if they could get away with it. That surely does not sound right for this culture. Some people read the verse that says to greet others with a holy kiss and in some countries men do greet each other with a kiss on each cheek (II Corinthians 13:12), but where did that come from? Some earlier commentaries say that this custom was usually men greeting men and the women greeting women in this manner, that being the culture. In our culture greetings should be in a different context which should also correlate with the whole Bible. If you read I Corinthians 7:1, it says, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” There needs to be balance here; the Bible does not contradict itself and the cultural context must be considered. Though it is not good that men kiss the ladies in church, they do not want to be so cold and formal that visitors feel unwelcome without being greeted with a smile or handshake. Paul tells us in Romans 12:10 that we are to be “kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” There is always a balance in these things, showing friendship but also respecting personal boundaries.

No Idolatry

Christ should be the theme of our conversation. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” I Corinthians 2:1, 2. The theme of all the apostles preaching and discussion in the New Testament was Christ and so should it be the theme of our own worship.

“The science of salvation is to be the burden of every sermon, the theme of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Let nothing be brought into the preaching of the Word to supplement Christ, the Word and power of God.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 337.

Christ is the only name given by which we are saved; He is our salvation. Christ should be in every worship service. He should always be the theme of all worship.

Offering

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:7. When Abraham returned from the battle, rescuing Lot and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, he gave an offering and tithe to God for all that He had done. This instruction of giving tithes and offerings was also given to the children of Israel. There is also the example in the New Testament of Jesus commending the widow who gave her two mites, which was all that she had. Her contribution, because it was all her wealth, was far more than all the others who gave.

Hebrews chapter 10 tells us that we are not saved by the blood of bulls and goats, but we are saved through the blood of Christ. The Lamb of God has already paid that price by His sacrifice so today it is no longer necessary to offer these sacrifices.

Worship God in Truth

“But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” I Timothy 3:15.

Where we worship God should be a place of truth. We are also told of the importance of worshiping God. The Bible talks about assembling together in Hebrews 10:25. It says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching.” In Matthew 18:20 it says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” It is important to worship God in His house on His day. We need that fellowship and communion with one another to strengthen and encourage us in our spiritual walk. Those who go to church only on New Year’s Day, Christmas and Thanksgiving, or even less than that, miss the blessing promised that where people are gathered together in His name He will be among them (Matthew 18:20).

John Wesley once said, “Sir, if you wish to serve God, you can’t serve Him alone. You must find companions or make them. The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.” We are meant to associate together and to help each other on the way to the kingdom of heaven.

Praise and Thanksgiving

Praise is a key component of worship. We need to remember to praise the Lord and thank Him for all of the things He has done for us. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1. This does not say that I will bless the Lord when I feel good or when things are going good or bad. It does not say that I will bless the Lord when I am rich or poor. It does not say I will bless the Lord when I have everything or when I am in trouble. It says all of the time, no matter what condition you are in.

In Psalm 42:5 it says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” This praise is repeated several times.

There are many verses in the book of Psalms that praise the Lord. “Whoso offers praise glorifies Me: and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23. God likes to be praised. We can join David when he said, “I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works; and that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14.

“Where the church is walking in the light, there will ever be cheerful, hearty responses and words of joyful praise.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 318. Ellen White also said, “Have we not reason to talk of God’s goodness and to tell of His power? When friends are kind to us we esteem it a privilege to thank them for their kindness. How much more should we count it a joy to return thanks to the Friend who has given us every good and perfect gift. Then let us, in every church, cultivate thanksgiving to God. Let us educate our lips to praise God in the family circle. … God’s goodness in hearing and answering prayer places us under heavy obligation to express our thanksgiving for the favors bestowed upon us. We should praise God much more than we do. The blessings received in answer to prayer should be promptly acknowledged.

“We grieve the Spirit of Christ by our complaints and murmurings and repinings. We should not dishonor God by the mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious life will be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works.

“Let the peace of God reign in your soul. Then you will have strength to bear all suffering, and you will rejoice that you have grace to endure. Praise the Lord; talk of His goodness; tell of His power. Sweeten the atmosphere that surrounds your soul. … Praise with heart and soul and voice, Him who is the health of your countenance, your Saviour, and your God.” God’s Amazing Grace, 325.

We have many things to praise God and to thank Him for. One favorite quote comes from the book, The Ministry of Healing, 251. It says, “Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings—as much a duty as it is to pray. If we are heaven-bound, how can we go as a band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the way to our Father’s house?” This goes along with the text in Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

“Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven.” Ibid., 253.

There are so many reasons for which to be thankful and to give praise to the Lord for what He has done for us. If nothing else, you can be thankful that there is a God in heaven who cares about you and listens to you—that is something to be really thankful for!

Whatever trial you may be going through you often do not have to look very far to find someone who is in a worse situation. Not too long ago I read about a lady journalist who was laid off from her job. She drew unemployment which soon ran out, along with her savings, causing her to lose her apartment. About that same time, her father died and she inherited a motor home which then provided her with a place to live. She parked her motor home in a business parking lot until she was asked to leave and then made a temporary arrangement with some people whom she knew to park her motor home in their back yard while searching for work, putting up notices in coffee shops and online.

Anyone who has a roof over their head, a job, clothes and shoes, has something to be thankful for. It may not be the best, but it is more than many other people have in this world.

When I visited the Philippines, I saw that there were some very wealthy people there and then there were the very poor. In the city, most of the poor have crude, corrugated iron shacks which become very muddy when it rains. If you have a place to live, be thankful. Be thankful if you have a family.

A story is told of a Christian lady and her friend who enjoyed bike riding. One day as they were riding on a bike trail she was about a minute ahead of her friend who heard a commotion up ahead. As her friend caught up she saw that a cougar had attacked her and had her by the face. She was struggling to free herself from the mountain lion without success. Eventually, others arrived and threw rocks at the cougar which finally ran off. Surprisingly, the woman survived the attack with minimal scarring. She relates now with Daniel who was thrown into the lion’s den and survived. She now praises God for her own deliverance from the cougar.

A private plane crashed in the desert in Arizona, bursting into flames upon impact. Surviving the crash and in flames, both the parents rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames. The woman had massive burns and it was uncertain for several weeks if she would come out of the coma and survive. Though her husband was also severely burned, he was not as badly burned as she was and a vigil was held by that mother’s bedside every day to talk to and encourage her. While lying there in the hospital, she resolved to survive and return home to her family. In time, she left the hospital still with bandages over her burns. Simple chores that normally took little time were now mammoth tasks, but she was thankful to be alive.

A young mother gave birth to her second daughter. Three days later she was running a high temperature and it was discovered that she had some sort of bacterial infection. As a result of this, she underwent many surgeries during which both of her hands and legs were amputated, because they had turned black. Her survival was uncertain, but she was determined to be there for her baby. With sheer determination, very soon she, with prosthetic arms and legs, was back home caring for her two daughters, remaining cheerful and thankful to be alive and an encouragement to others in far less difficult situations.

One lady came to grief when her chimpanzee got loose while attempting to get the 200-pound animal back into its cage. The chimp was a bit upset and started to fight with her, literally ripping off her face. Her fingers, her hand and her teeth, eyes, nose and mouth were all gone. When help arrived, the chimpanzee was shot and all were amazed to find the lady who was in such a terrible condition still breathing. Even with such horrific injuries and also blind, this poor lady hung on to life to be there for her daughter. She insisted that though she had been damaged physically, she was still the same person inside and wanted acceptance in spite of her appearance.

Considering what others have endured, most of us have nothing to complain about. Lord, forgive me for complaining about anything. I have all of my limbs, my face and my hands. No matter what situation you are going through, there is always something to be thankful for. Stories like these inspire me with God’s faithfulness, knowing that there is a better place where those horrible things will no longer happen. It also gives a proper perspective on life. Whatever problems or difficulties you face, there is still something to be thankful for, if you still have life. We all have troubles, disappointments and hard experiences to go through, but in spite of all of those things, if we look beyond to the big picture, there is always something for which to give praise and thanks.

Each of us has been blessed abundantly. The greatest thing we have to be thankful for is Jesus. We should be thankful that there is something beyond this fragile life of which there are no certainties and Someone who is going to make all things better. If we are ready for His kingdom, our bodies will be repaired and we will live for eternity. Jesus was willing to leave heaven and to sacrifice His life so that we may have eternal life. That is the number one thing that we can be thankful for every day. Heaven is a real place worth considering and something we do not often grasp.

Because of His great love for us and the hope He gives to all who choose to accept His invitation, God deserves all of our worship. Let us honor Him with reverence, praise and thanksgiving for He has blessed us above all things, way more than we are worthy.

A network engineer, Jana Grosboll lives in Derby, Kansas. 

The Room

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In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in The Room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author and subject in alphabetical order, but these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read, People I Have Liked. I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then, without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named Friends was next to one marked Friends I Have Betrayed.

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird: Books I Have Read, Lies I Have Told, Comfort I Have Given, Jokes I Have Laughed At. Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers. Others I could not laugh at: Things I Have Done In My Anger, Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my many years to write each of these thousand or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked Songs I Have Listened To, I realized that the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, ashamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked Lustful Thoughts, I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: “No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!” In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now; I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore, People with whom I Have Shared the Gospel. The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep—sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus! I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worse boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things, but He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, No,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so bright, so dark, so alive! The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

What is on your cards—what cards are you writing?

Is Christ in You?

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The path on which each person walks is either heading for the kingdom of heaven or to destruction.

The night before Jesus was to be arrested, all, including the one who would betray him, were spending time together in communion. “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” Mark 14:27. Something was about to happen that would result in all of His disciples being offended.

Depending upon whether being accused of something of which you are guilty or innocent, the reaction of an offended person will differ. But, Jesus told them that they would all be offended because of something He would do that night.

“But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.” Mark 14:29. This statement by Peter was filled with self-assurance and self-confidence, thinking that he knew better than his Lord. He really believed that though all of the others would be offended, he would not. How easy it is for us to fall for that same deception of self-reliance. “Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Verse 30. Here, Jesus prophesied what Peter would do before that next morning, yet Peter still neglected to admit his weakness and plead for the courage and strength that he would need to avoid denying his Lord.

How often we deceive ourselves because of our pride and selfishness and do not acknowledge our own weaknesses when struggling with trials. If we would simply humble our hearts and fall at the feet of Jesus, giving ourselves completely into His hands, all the power of heaven would be available to us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12); to “resist the devil and he would flee from us” (James 4:7). The audacity of Peter’s confidence influenced the other disciples who then responded in the same manner. “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” Mark 14:31.

No one lives to himself, but all have either a positive or negative influence on those around them. Though it is not the ideal, the non-Christian judges God by the behavior of Christians who, by their very profession of faith, are His representatives here on the earth. Great wisdom and grace is required to live a righteous life to truly represent Jesus.

Peter’s confidence and arrogance was so great that he really thought he was capable of following Jesus and defending Him even to death.

Often we judge another’s reaction to certain situations believing that we would never do what they have done, but when in a similar situation we surprise ourselves. Remember that the way we act or react to trials affects those around us, whether in a work environment or at home just as Peter, by the way he responded, affected all of the other disciples. When Judas came and betrayed his Master, instead of them not being offended, they all ran away.

There is coming a day very soon, when each will give an account of his/her life. Situations or trials that arise are opportunities to allow others to witness the power of God in the life of the Christian.

The Bible is very clear that the great controversy is between Christ and Satan, good and evil, and this war will continue until Jesus comes. In the end, there will only be two groups, those who believe and have developed a relationship with Jesus and walk with Him, and those who reject the last message of mercy, refusing to follow in the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ and remain on the path to destruction.

The decisions that are crucial to eternal life must be made in accordance with the Word of God. Time is running out. The prophecies tell us that before Jesus comes again there will be many wonderful signs, including earthquakes and disasters. Already, we see these things happening.

Just as Peter was under the delusion that he was ready for the prophecy Jesus spoke concerning him that would take place that very night, we also can be deluded into thinking that, in our own strength, we are ready to go through a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation (Daniel 12:1).

In Mark 14:37 it says, “And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?” Not even one hour could Peter watch. This same Peter had earlier said that he would die for Jesus, but when Jesus said watch, he slept. “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” Verse 38.

All power is available but will do us no good unless we respond to the invitation to have that connection with God and reach out to Him and receive Him, acknowledging our weakness and drawing upon His strength to overcome.

Peter had already been told that he would deny his Saviour. If ever there was a time to “watch and pray” it was that night, but instead, Peter was found sleeping.

We know that the end of the world is coming. Do we take the warning seriously? Do we recognize all the signs? Are we watching and praying to be strengthened for the final battle so that we do not fall into temptation? Or are we sleeping as did Peter?

Later that night “Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, “And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied it saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto but he began to curse and to swear, saying I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.” Verses 54–72.

Peter reacted to the accusation of being one of Christ’s followers by cursing. Jesus saw that Peter’s heart had not been renewed and in that moment of trial the thoughts of his heart were made manifest by denying Jesus. Paul said, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2.

Peter had been under the impression that since Jesus walked with him and the other disciples, taught them and ate with them, that he was connected with Him. In that court of the palace of the high priest, Peter’s eyes were opened and he saw that he did not have that relationship with Jesus that he thought he had. He saw that the Lord did not curse or do anything to shame His heavenly Father as he had done. Every time we find that we, in the least way, misbehave, it is a reminder that our connection with God is being lost. It is not Christ who directs our bad behavior. If we continue on that path, the more we misbehave, the farther we grow from the Lord. On the other hand, the closer we grow to the Lord, we will respond as Christ would, reflecting His character.

In all of his denials and cursing, it was evident that Peter still lacked self-control. At the moment Jesus looked over to him and their eyes met, Peter was converted as he saw no condemnation, but love directed toward him. It was then that Peter ran out and wept. Everything that Jesus had prophesied that night regarding him had taken place.

Everything that Jesus prophesied about the end of the world is going to take place exactly as He described it would. If we have the attitude that “it is not a big deal” or “we can do it,” we will surely fail as did Peter. We need to recognize our humanness and weakness and our need for dependency on Jesus. The carnal nature is selfish, disobedient and very hardheaded and stubborn, but God desires to re-create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit in us (Psalm 51:10) to prepare us for the things that are coming on the earth.

How would you react if you were told, as Peter was, that you would deny your Lord this very night? What would your response be if you were told that your soul would be required of you this very night (Luke 12:20)? Maybe it would be time to “watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.” Matthew 26:41. We know that those who are not ready, those who have not been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and covered with the garment of Christ’s righteousness, will not enter into heaven. It is not by watching government conspiracies or even watching what the papacy does that will prepare us for the final crisis. This is all about a personal heart preparation.

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Luke 21:34. The Bible tells us that it will happen. All of those things will come. If you are not ready, you will be overwhelmed by anxiety. You will be involved in doing the wrong things, because you are not physically, mentally and spiritually prepared for the crisis that is coming. Peter fell after he had been in the physical presence of Jesus for three whole years. We will fall also if we are not prepared.

“For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Verses 35, 36. It is coming upon all of us. What are we told to do? “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Verse 36. Here Jesus is talking about the end of time. We are to watch and pray that we may be accounted worthy. Peter fell because he was sleeping when he should have been watching and praying. Peter had been given warning and we are to learn from his neglect of that warning.

“Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4. In other words, he says that if you are friend of the world, you are my enemy, and if you are an enemy to the world, you are a friend to me. When Peter did not stand up for his master, he was not a friend. There is no middle ground. Either you are for Christ or against Him. “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Psalm 1:5. Peter found himself unable to stand up for Jesus; he followed his Master from a distance. He was afraid to be associated with Him; therefore, he came at a distance. We are told that if we walk with the Lord daily, we will have a closer walk with Him.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 11 Timothy 2:19. We have a tremendous responsibility to stand up for the Lord and if we do not have that living connection with Him, we will go through the same experience as did Peter.

“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33. Now is the time to be watching and praying. We are to be walking with the Lord right now and gaining strength to be able to stand. If we could put ourselves in the place of Peter right now, how would we stand? Only the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in heaven know what tomorrow will bring. Our only hope is to have faith in Christ and have that confidence that we are in connection with God, living our life and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight today. Trusting in Jesus today guarantees that tomorrow the Lord will be our strength and He will take care of us. Those who watch and pray today will find a place by His side in His kingdom.

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ ” The Faith I Live By, 126.

Tell the Lord that even though you may become offended, you want to react to His glory. Ask Him to teach you what you need to do to give Him honor and glory so that you will never be guilty of denying Him.

Situations or crises may come upon us to show us where our hearts are. The Lord is watching with interest to see how each of us responds to these trials. He is especially watching the ones who profess themselves as Christians. Christians are to be followers, or imitators, of Christ. When Peter denied Christ, he recognized that his relationship was not one of the heart. Later, Peter did truly fall in love with Christ. Peter now understood why Jesus had asked him, “Do you love me?”

Three times Jesus had asked the same question and his response was the same. Peter now understood the purpose and mission of Jesus Christ. It was to select him and His followers to be ambassadors or representatives of His kingdom. At that point Jesus said unto Peter, “Peter, feed my sheep.” Once Peter was truly converted and had received the bread of life in his heart, he was able to give it to others. He was done with the old man. He now knew his Master and could honestly say to his Lord, “I do love you.”

When Peter died, it was in honor of his Lord. At first, he demonstrated that he was not willing to die or even to stand up and acknowledge that he knew Jesus of Nazareth or to be recognized as one of His followers. He now acknowledged his love for the Lord and he understood the responsibilities and consequences of following Jesus. He understood the consequences of preaching that message under opposition, oppression, and persecution but he could finally say, “Master, I love you.”

Do we know ourselves? Are we now, while not under the threat of opposition, persecution or oppression, claiming to love Jesus? Persecution will come. Will you stand? Now is the time that we must prepare our hearts and souls by allowing the Holy Spirit to convert us, and give us the faith that will be needed to stand and serve God unto death. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6. We are to be calm and not in distress because God knows what is going to happen and we must trust in Him. We know that we have an economic crisis going on right now, but the Lord tells us not to be distressed. Let each of us watch and pray so that our connection with the Lord today is our surety that He will take care of us tomorrow.

In 1 Peter 4:7 it tells us, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” Be alert and watch and pray. Never be afraid to pray. Scripture records that three times each day, as was his habit, Daniel was not ashamed to pray in his window for any to see, even when there was a decree prohibiting prayer to anyone except the king (Daniel 6). We are told not to fear men but we should fear God. Men can destroy this body but cannot destroy the soul.

“There are those who profess to serve God, while they rely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right character, and secure salvation. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion is worth nothing. When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek. A profession of Christ without this deep love is mere talk, dry formality, and heavy drudgery.” Steps to Christ, 44.

We know that those decrees are coming and many will deny Christ. Many today are too proud to acknowledge their weaknesses, but Satan knows them all too well. He has studied carefully each life and has become an expert at knowing what buttons to push to get the reaction he desires. Only the Lord can heal those weak spots and turn them into strengths that will resist the devil. We need to have a relationship with God. Today is the day to examine ourselves to see where we stand, for Jesus or against Him. When Peter came to Jesus that night, he assumed that he would follow the master, even to death, but he was mistaken. Peter walked on water, but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he fell. As long as we preserve that relationship with God, we will go forward. If we take our eyes off Jesus, we will fall.

Today, make sure you can say, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

Pastor Domingo Nunez is Director of Outreach Ministry for Steps to Life. He is involved in the coordination of world mission projects and he travels extensively, encouraging the many home churches supported by Steps to Life. He can be contacted at: (316) 788-5559 or by email at: domingonunez@stepstolife.org.

Honor has Lost its Integrity

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We live in a world abounding in contracts, lawsuits, counter lawsuits, a world teeming with word processors, with delete buttons and faulty memory, but lacking in one crucial commodity—men, real men. By that I mean both men and women who would be true to their word like the needle to the pole. Our world has discovered the mystery of the atom but it has forgotten the Sermon on the Mount. We live in a world of both nuclear giants and moral midgets. The churches, the business world and even the Marines are looking for a few good men.

My maternal grandfather was a cattle rancher in Cuba. My grandfather was like Lorne Greene in the series Bonanza. At my grandfather’s ranch you could ride your horse a whole day and not see the end of it and there were thousands of heads of cattle. My grandfather was not a terribly educated man, except for the fact he was self-taught and very naturally intelligent. He was not a man of many words. I had precious few times with him, as I only lived a few years of my infancy in Cuba. My father was a businessman, so he liked the city and did not see the charm of the ranch and only once in awhile would he take me to see my grandfather, but I remember those times well.

The only thing I can remember my grandfather ever telling me is something that I remember still to this day. He said, “If you speak all the time, people will not remember what you say. You must be economical with your words. If you are economical, they will be memorable and if they are memorable, they are useful. If they are useful, they will do somebody some good.” I remember grandfather getting off his beautiful white horse and grabbing me and lifting me on top of those wooden fences. He looked at me as if he was going to speak and I thought, the world is going to come to an end; my grandfather is going to speak! I looked at him as I waited for the words to come. He said, “My boy, be a man of your word.” By that time the Fidel house was already dispossessing him of everything he owned and he may have been thinking of that, but he said to me, “The only thing no one can ever take away from you, the treasure that you will always possess, is your word. When you give your word, you are giving your own soul.”

My grandfather did not know the slogan save the trees, but he did, because he never used paper. He did not need paper. When it came to doing a contract with someone, there was no need for paper or a notary public or a lawyer. He only entered into deals with real men who he knew were real men. He would look them in the eye, shake their hand and the deal was sealed. We need that today. We need the power of the word. We need our word to become real. We need to be one with our word. We need to be known by what we say.

Two of the Ten Commandments speak about how we use the tongue. The third commandment says if we believe the good news of Jesus Christ, we shall never be guilty of taking the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). The ninth commandment becomes a wonderful promise to the one who understands and believes just how good the good news is. You will never bear false witness (Exodus 20:16).

I once wrote a book on the Ten Commandments, which was published by Pacific Press. It is titled Ten Promises of Miracles and by God’s grace 150,000 copies have been sold. I believe that the Ten Commandments, rightly understood and connected with the understanding of the gospel through the New Covenant spectacles, which is how God sees them, are not harsh, impossible rules to obey. Instead, the Ten Commandments will be seen as ten promises of God to you. The problem is that the world has been taught a gospel less than Ten Commandments. It is as if somebody gave you a wonderful Cadillac, which looks great, and when you get into it, it is so plush, but there is no motor in it. There is no gas tank. There is no radiator. Other than that you will like it, it will not take you anywhere. It is like those wonderful gifts that you buy for your grandchildren that they have seen on television. They are all excited about it, but you did not read the small print which would turn what could have been a wonderful experience into the worse you can imagine. The small print says, “Batteries not included.” Without the batteries, without the power, it simply does not do what it is supposed to do.

The world has been told that the Ten Commandments do not come with the batteries included, because it is gospel-less and only the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). I am going to show you where the batteries are located.We obtained thousands of prints of the Ten Commandments and after being shown how beautiful they were I was asked, “What should we do with them?” I said, “They have to go into the trash.” They just stared at me in disbelief. I said, “You forgot the batteries. You have the Ten Commandments without the batteries. That is not going to help anybody.” Now we have a new poster of the Ten Commandments which includes the battery. The battery is already part of the commandments. Let me explain.

Look at Exodus 20:1: “And God spake all these words, saying …” From here on it is all God’s words. This is where the Ten Commandments actually start. Then God continues, “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Those first words are the batteries. The Ten Commandments begin with an expression of the gospel and it reminds us of who the deliverer is. The Ten Commandments come with a Saviour, the One who first took little Egypt out of Egypt, and now, by His sacrifice on the cross, has taken spiritual Egypt out of Egypt becoming the Saviour of the world. That very fact is the battery power of the commandments. Do not leave the batteries out. Never start with the third verse. The Ten Commandments start after the word saying.

Here we are reminded that we have a God who is a Deliverer. It states here what God did for His people. Sometimes He went against their will and some of them wanted to go back to Egypt. He stepped in and took them out of Egypt. He physically took them out of bondage and put them where the air was pure and where the light was illuminant, where they could breathe freedom. God put the people in a free place and said to them that this is my magna carta; this is my declaration of independence. This is what I promise my citizens. This is what I will do. I pledge myself to perform this gospel work in your life. Jesus did the same thing on Calvary; God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

He liberated us from the world, freed us from the bondage of sin. If we believe and want to be a citizen of the free kingdom of God, He will then give us the magna carta, the ruling documents of freedom and promises, the batteries so you can live your life and be free.

The Ten Commandments rightly understood are ten promises. This is good news, not bad news. God is not a stern lawgiver, dishing out the theories of impossible-to-obey rules. He is a Saviour from breaking those commandments. The only way the commandments can be kept is because of the Saviour. The only way the commandments can be obeyed is to allow Jesus to be in control of your heart. He is your battery. Christ is the Saviour of all men and especially of those who believe (1 Timothy 4:10). This country is free to everyone, but especially to those who cherish it.

Breaking the ninth commandment is a sin, unfortunately, for which many people will lose their soul. When God says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour,” Exodus 20:16, He means that we are never to tell a lie, not even one of those white lies. It commands never to give a false impression, even by a nod of the head. It forbids all gossip, including damaging the reputation of a person by remaining silent while he or she is being accused of something and you know differently and it is possible to speak up to save that person’s reputation.

We are to “speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” Zechariah 8:16. All false witness somehow comes from its true origin, Satan. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:42. “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Proverbs 12:22. They are His delight!

“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.” Proverbs 19:5. We read that God actually hates “a lying tongue, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies” (Proverbs 6:17-19). But remember that even though God hates lying, He loves the liar and wants to save him. There are people who are as sincere as any of us, who bear false witness and have no idea of what they are doing. They are among those for whom Jesus prayed as He was being crucified, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.

Sometimes parents unwittingly teach children to tell lies. Some people are color blind and cannot tell the difference between a red light and a green light, which can cause accidents. Though a judge would not be merciful in such a case, God is merciful to those who do not know the difference between right and wrong and He sends His Holy Spirit to teach the people.

Children in schools today are being taught that the universe is a random universe, that this universe, one among billions of universes, just happened to have everything lined up right, exactly the way it needed to be to sustain life. It is just an object of chance, like the roll of the dice! We just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Scientists have had to come up with a theory to explain the incredible order of our universe. But there is no mystery. The universe is the way it is today because God made it that way to suit life. God created things just the way they needed to be. Scientists call it the big bang theory. But they are running away from the real big bang. It scares them! When the big bang happened, the elements spread so quickly that it had to have been faster than the speed of light and according to Einstein, nothing goes faster than the speed of light. For the universe to be what it is, there is only one explanation, which science does not want to accept: the big bang had an author, and His name is God.

In the last few verses of the Bible there are three warnings that tell us that whosoever loveth and maketh a lie will not be able to enter the eternal kingdom (Revelation 22:15). Fiction, which makes up the subject matter of most books and movies today, is just lies. It is not only a serious thing to make a lie, but the text says it is equally serious to love a lie.

Truth, according to Biblical principles, is very clear. We are invited to turn from fables and turn to the truth and be God’s delight. He loves those who are His true witnesses. “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that … speaketh the truth in his heart.” Psalm 15:1, 2. But, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18. In other words, smiling at someone, slapping him/her on the back, shaking his/her hand and yet hiding our hatred for him or her deep in our heart is acting out a lie and breaking the commandment. Even if it means costing your job, you may need to confront that person and be honest and truthful in all your dealings to be clean and ready to live in the heavenly kingdom.

What it boils down to is that it is impossible for any of us mortals to obey this commandment unless we are truly converted deep within. This commandment goes to the core of all things. The core of God is His Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). God is one with His Word. The same is true with us. We can never escape our words. Once words are spoken they can never be unspoken and they always have either a positive or negative response. You will be remembered by what you said, even if it came out differently from what you meant to say. For that reason the counsel is to let your words be few. This reminds me of Romans 3:10. It says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me.” Psalm 139:23, 24.

When children would say bad things to me when I was a boy growing up in the south of Florida, Mom would say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” This is such foolishness! There are times when people have said things to you that you would rather have had a broken bone that would heal far more easily than the hurt of words. Some of us are an emotional mess, having stored in our minds those words that we have heard as children, whether it be wittingly or unwittingly. The brain has a heart. When the Bible talks about the heart, it says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19.

When we say that a person has a big heart it is not referring to the physical condition of the heart, which would be a serious medical condition, but the mind wherein lies all the thoughts and feelings, which is called the hypothalamus region. Jesus says that the evil thoughts are right there. When bad words are spoken and terrible things happen to you it is stored in your subconscious, in the basement of the hypothalamus, so to speak. Sometimes things are so tragic that you have put them into the subconscious, which can be very dangerous. God wants to cleanse these inner temples, our hearts. In fact, the promise of the gospel is a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). It is a cleansing out of the hypothalamus so you can be true and faithful. Part of the hypothalamus region controls the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system which regulates the inner organs. The pancreas and other internal organs do not depend on conscious decisions but are controlled involuntarily to do their work. This is why hanging onto stress or other negative emotions can cause physical sickness. To enjoy true health one must have a happy heart that trusts in the Lord at all times.

I visit a health center every so often where I have seen people go in terribly sick, in wheelchairs, etc., and come out running in a few weeks. I finally turned to the doctor one day and asked him, “Is there anybody who does not heal or get well here?” He said, “Oh yes, the people who cannot forgive. One of the things we teach those who come here is to write letters to the people with whom they have a problem, because that is often the reason for their sickness.” When God says to forgive, He not only is doing it for the benefit of the person who hurt you, He is doing it for your own sake, to help you.

This commandment is a promise from God to make you a true witness. It is impossible for you to be a true and faithful witness and also a false witness. It is a promise from God to make you a person of integrity, one who is always true to your word. It is a promise to make you one who will reflect the character of Christ and be a witness and a light wherever you are.

Frank Gonzales’ sermon was taken from the Ten Commandment Weekend, 2008 series aired on 3ABN. For more information contact www.3ABN.org.

Wrong Expectations End in Disappointment

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There is a common saying that there are no disappointments in heaven, but in this world everyone will meet with them at some time. This is one of the major causes of mental depression, which is a big problem today.

As Jesus left the temple for the last time, He said to the Jews, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.

As Jesus departed from the temple that day, His disciples were astounded at this and pointed out to Him the massive stones in the walls. We understand that these stones were so huge that we do not even understand how the builders in ancient times managed to deal with stones so big. They must have weighed hundreds of tons and were cut so precisely that they fitted together without the need of any mortar. Seen from a distance, it looked like one solid, white wall of marble.

The temple was considered by many people in ancient times to be one of the wonders of the world. The Bible records that Herod spent an additional 46 years beautifying it. The disciples thought that by pointing out to Jesus the massive stones, He would admire them, but instead, He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. His disciples believed that He could only mean that the temple would be overthrown at the end of the world (Matthew 24:3), not comprehending that such an awful thing could happen.

A study of history shows that the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly to the letter in the destruction of Jerusalem that took place less than 40 years later when the temple was destroyed and burned with fire. As the fire spread, it got so hot that the gold melted, causing it to run down the stones. Later, to retrieve all of the gold, the stones were knocked down until there was not a single stone upon another, literally fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy.

Today, there are many ancient artifacts and various ancient buildings around the Mediterranean, but there is no part of the wall of the temple, because nothing of it was left standing. It was completely demolished.

It was only a few days before His crucifixion and His disciples were perplexed by what Jesus had predicted. They approached Him on the Mount of Olives with the questions, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

They wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed, when Jerusalem would be destroyed and what sign they would have of His coming and the end of the world. They thought that they were just asking one question, but they were actually asking two. Though Jesus did not tell them everything at that time, He did answer both questions, leaving them enough to figure out, as time passed.

He first pointed out the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:4–14). History proves that His predictions were accurate and precisely fulfilled.

After the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus pointed out major events that would take place in earth’s history, before His return again to this world. He predicted a great tribulation for the church (Matthew 24:16).

This was not referring to the tribulation for the world. The great time of trouble for the world is still future, but the great tribulation for the church is in the past. Jesus made this very clear that after the destruction of Jerusalem there would be great tribulation for the church. He said it would be so great for His followers that there had not been anything like it in the past, nor would there be anything like it in the future for His church, or His people.

This prophecy, again, was exactly and precisely fulfilled. For well over one thousand years, Christians suffered persecution such as had never been before. History books tell about the massacre of Saint Bartholomew in France when it is estimated that around thirty thousand lost their lives. We will never know for sure until the Day of Judgment. You can read about the time when the whole nation of the Netherlands was sentenced to death, or the time when in the space of about one year a million people were martyred for their faith in Northern Italy. There are many other accounts of massacres of the faithful during this time. The Society of Friends estimated that fifty, or perhaps even seventy million Christians lost their lives during the Dark Ages because of their faith.

This great tribulation that Jesus predicted, such as had never been and never would be again, specifically referred to the persecution of His followers. Remember, that this does not refer to the great time of trouble such as never was. The great time of trouble for the world is still in the future, but the great tribulation for the church, the greatest tribulation that there has ever been, is already in the past.

Daniel, in his book, and John, in the book of Revelation, have also extensively spoken about these predictions, spoken of by Jesus. These books describe how long the tribulation will last—over a thousand years, twelve hundred and sixty years to be exact. Jesus said it would be cut short for the saints’ sake. As this persecution was to draw to a close, Jesus said there would be a dark day (Matthew 24; Mark 13).

As the 18th century came to a close, so did this period of persecution. Jesus, describing the dark day that would come at that time, said that the sun would not give its light, neither the moon. On May 19, 1780, that was fulfilled.

Jesus also said that the stars would fall from heaven. I am always interested in the order of things in Bible prophecy; it is one of the most intriguing things to study. If the order of things given in Bible prophecy should ever prove to be incorrect, then every skeptic and every scoffer in the world would point that out and say, “See, the Bible predicted this, but it didn’t happen that way; it happened this way.” But they cannot do that. Bible prophecy always turns out to be fulfilled just in the order that the prophets gave it. Jesus said there would be a dark day, and after that, the stars would fall from heaven.

It happened! The stars fell from heaven in November 1833. It was the greatest shower of meteors and meteorites that has ever been recorded. We do not know the exact number, but it has been estimated at 240,000. The shower was so great that night was turned into day on that November evening. The prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly as He predicted.

When they saw these things, Bible students all over the world studied to find out what these signs in the heavens were all about. Looking at the prophecy of Jesus and comparing it with the prophecies in Daniel and in Revelation they concluded that things had been fulfilled right in order, and the next thing to expect would be the second coming of Christ.

These Bible students did not understand everything, but what they did understand they began to preach and the result of this proclamation was that there was a second advent awakening that took place all over the world. People from all different faiths—Protestants, Catholics and other people not connected to any church saw the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. They realized that the next thing to happen was the judgment. This was the beginning of the judgment hour message that was preached.

In those days the believers did not understand exactly what the hour of God’s judgment was. They preached the 2,300 day prophecy from Daniel 8:14 that the hour of judgment would begin in 1843 and 1844.

Actually they were right about the time, but they just did not yet have a correct understanding of the event or what the hour of God’s judgment involved. It was thought that the hour of God’s judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary meant that Christ would return for the saints, taking them out of this world before destroying the rest of the world with fire.

When 1844 came and Jesus did not come, those expecting Him were extremely disappointed. This was not the first time a disappointment is recorded in Scripture. It happened just six days before the crucifixion and the disciples had proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah. People were coming down from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem witnessing to many miracles Jesus had performed there, proclaiming Him to be the Messiah, just as is predicted in the book of Zechariah. It says that the Messiah would come riding on a donkey and the people would say to the daughter of Jerusalem, “Shout! … Your King is coming to you.” Zechariah 9:9. They quoted the Scripture and told about the miracles. There were so many in that crowd and they were so happy. There were some people who could say, “I was blind until Jesus came and now I can see.” There were others who could say, “I was deaf until Jesus came, and now I can hear.” There were yet others who could say, “I was paralyzed and couldn’t walk until Jesus came, and now I can walk.” Lazarus was in that crowd and he could say, “I was dead; I was in a cave tomb for four days and Jesus came, and now here I am alive.”

As the people related all the wonderful things that Jesus had done, they became very, very excited. Even the disciples thought that Jesus would reign as a king in Jerusalem, but instead of that, in less than a week from that happy occasion, they were sorely disappointed as their hopes vanished and they saw Jesus being lifted up on the cross of Calvary.

They did not yet understand the plan of salvation and that sin cannot be taken away unless someone pays the price. The only person able to pay the price was someone who was above the law. You and I are not above the law. The Bible says we are beneath the law; we are below the law. Even the angels are made under the law. Only Jesus is above the law and for that reason He was the only One who could pay the price for sin. The disciples, not understanding, were disappointed. In the same way, those who were expecting Jesus to come in 1844 were disappointed, because it did not happen the way they had thought. They did not perfectly understand the prophecies.

Interestingly, when we study Matthew 24 and 25, we find that Jesus anticipated this. Notice what He says in Matthew 24: Jesus says, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48–51. Then Jesus, talking about the time when He would return said, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1.

Jesus told them a story about a wedding. He described an Eastern marriage. I have never heard of a marriage that took place at midnight, but this is a marriage that didn’t take place until midnight.

The story in Matthew 25 is especially about Christ’s followers—His church, His people, those who will be living in the last days in the evening of this world’s history.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” The bridegroom is Jesus Christ and the people who went out to meet Him are His followers. They are described as ten virgins.

“They all took their lamps.” Matthew 25:3. These are people who have a pure faith, because they are described as virgins. The meaning of lamp, when we are talking spiritually is found in Psalm 119:105. It says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Bible is a lamp, but it does not do any good if it is not lit—if there is no fire coming out of it. Anciently, in order to keep the lamp lit, there was need of oil in the base. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Even the Bible will not do you any good if the Holy Spirit does not do its work on your mind. In fact, the apostle Paul says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. It is the Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible, and it is also necessary that the Spirit interpret to the reader the things of God.

Without the Holy Spirit working on your mind, you cannot understand the Bible. People often want the church, the theologian or the minister to explain Scripture because they can’t understand it. But what we really need to do is pray and say, “Lord, You have promised!” Jesus promised that if you ask, you will be given the Holy Spirit and you will be enabled to understand God’s word (Luke 11:9).

The main reason people do not want to receive the Holy Spirit is because the first thing that happens when the Holy Spirit starts working on a person’s mind is that person becomes convicted of sin (John 16). People generally do not want to be convicted of sin, but they want some other way out. They want to go to heaven without being convicted of their sins.

Many believe that they do want the Holy Spirit until their hearts become convicted of sin; then they say, “No, go away!” But, if you are willing, as you read God’s Word, to accept the conviction by the Holy Spirit of sin you can then confess, repent and forsake your sins and be ready for heaven.

All of the virgins had lamps—the Bible. They all had oil, the Holy Spirit enabling them to understand it, but notice what happened. Some of the virgins took extra oil. Jesus said five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish had their lamps, but no extra oil with them. The wise took extra oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the Bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

They were expecting the Bridegroom to return, but they didn’t realize there would be such a long delay. They thought it would be 7 o’clock, but it wasn’t. They thought the Lord would return at 8 o’clock but He didn’t. And then they thought 9 o’clock, but He still didn’t come. And then at midnight they heard the cry, “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him” (Matthew 25:6). Then all those virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps.

Notice, according to this story, it will be in the darkest period of earth’s history that the Bridegroom returns. This does not mean the darkest period intellectually, but the darkest period spiritually and morally. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:8–10).

This is a very solemn story indeed. It tells us that there will be many Christians at the end of the world who will find out they are not ready to meet the Bridegroom.

The people who expected the Bridegroom to come in 1844 were disappointed. They had to go back and study their Bibles to find out what had happened, where they had made their mistake. As they continued to study the Word of God they found out a great deal about why they had been disappointed, what was going to happen and what they needed to do.

In the parable of the virgins is seen a delay. The Bridegroom tarried; the Bridegroom delayed his coming. The Bridegroom is not going to tarry forever and when He comes back at the darkest hour of earth’s history, are you going to be ready?

The story teaches us that a large percentage (50 percent) of people who call themselves Christians will not be ready for the Lord’s return. When the Bridegroom returns in the clouds of heaven they will not be ready with their lamps trimmed; they will be out of oil. It will then be too late to make preparation, for just before the Bridegroom returns, the proclamation is made, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” Revelation 22:11, 12.

Christ believes in lawfulness and hates lawlessness. It means that each person is to choose which side of the great controversy he/she is on and that decision involves the law of God.

Whoever sins breaks God’s law and puts himself/herself on the devil’s side (1 John 3:4–8).

While this great controversy is going on it is still possible to change sides. If you find yourself today on the devil’s side, you could decide to change by surrendering your heart and life over to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ and be on His side.

The opposite is also true. If you decide to live a lawless life, breaking God’s law as you please, you will be on the devil’s side of the great controversy (1 John 3).

Right now while there is an opportunity you can change sides, but midnight is coming; the Bridegroom is going to come back and then it will be too late to change. The door of mercy will be shut. At that time you will either be saved already, or you will never be saved.

Make a decision today while there is still time.

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

Editorial – God Will Straighten It Out

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It is often stated by Christians when some problem or sin is brought up, that we do not need to worry about it, because someday God will straighten it all out. Although this statement itself is true, it often leads to a dangerous, passive attitude. If we wait for God to straighten it out, we might be very disappointed and disheartened by His method. God sometimes solves problems by means of judgments. For example, Israel had a problem with idolatry, which was only cured by allowing them to go into Babylonian captivity for 70 years. God is going to straighten out all the problems in our modern world and all the problems in Adventism too, but if we wait for Him to do it, instead of seeking to cooperate with Him in solving the problems now, we will become the recipients of judgments.

“God will not complete his work without human agencies. Jesus has made the infinite sacrifice in our behalf, and he expects of his followers far more than they give him—voluntary, zealous, disinterested co-operation. His bounty has brought the treasures of heaven within the reach of man, and God expects us to show our faith by our works. God is waiting, angels are watching, to see what the people to whom are committed the treasures of truth will do. They are God’s workmen and his agents, and if those who are so highly favored with intrusted truths fail through love for earthly things to perform the part assigned them, it would have been better for them had they never been born. Not only will they lose heaven themselves, but, failing to act their part in the great plan of saving their fellow-men, they will scatter from Christ by thus neglecting to do their appointed work. Others will follow their example, and they will be cursed of God.” The Review and Herald, March 1, 1887.

“Watch, watch, watch. This watching and waiting, ready, all ready to welcome our Lord, has ceased with nearly all. We are not ready to open to him immediately. The love of the world has occupied our thoughts, and so filled our minds that our eyes are turned downward to the earth, but not upward. We are hurrying about, engaged in different enterprises, with zeal and earnestness, and God is forgotten, and the heavenly treasure is not valued. We are not in a waiting, watching position. The love of the world and the deceitfulness of riches eclipses our faith, and we do not long for, and love, the appearing of our Saviour. We do too much ourselves, to take care of self.” Phamplets 098, 19.