Question & Answer – Who received the fragments of the loaves and fishes in John 6:12, 13?

Jesus, His disciples and the people.

“When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered [them] together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten” (John 6:12, 13).

“ ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.’ These words meant more than putting the bread into the baskets. The lesson was twofold. Nothing is to be wasted. We are to let slip no temporal advantage. We should neglect nothing that will tend to benefit a human being. Let everything be gathered up that will relieve the necessity of earth’s hungry ones. And there should be the same carefulness in spiritual things. When the baskets of fragments were collected, the people thought of their friends at home. They wanted them to share in the bread that Christ had blessed. The contents of the baskets were distributed among the eager throng, and were carried away into all the region round about. So those who were at the feast were to give to others the bread that comes down from heaven, to satisfy the hunger of the soul. They were to repeat what they had learned of the wonderful things of God. Nothing was to be lost. Not one word that concerned their eternal salvation was to fall useless to the ground. …

“In Christ’s act of supplying the temporal necessities of a hungry multitude is wrapped up a deep spiritual lesson for all His workers. Christ received from the Father; He imparted to the disciples; they imparted to the multitude; and the people to one another. So all who are united to Christ will receive from Him the bread of life, the heavenly food, and impart it to others.

“In full reliance upon God, Jesus took the small store of loaves; and although there was but a small portion for His own family of disciples, He did not invite them to eat, but began to distribute to them, bidding them serve the people. The food multiplied in His hands; and the hands of the disciples, reaching out to Christ Himself the Bread of Life, were never empty. The little store was sufficient for all. After the wants of the people had been supplied, the fragments were gathered up, and Christ and His disciples ate together of the precious, Heaven-supplied food.” The Desire of Ages, 368, 369.

Inspiration – Separation From the World

Christ never leads His followers to take upon themselves vows that will unite them with those who have no connection with God, those who are not under the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit. The only correct standard of character is the law of God; and it is impossible for those who make that law their rule of life, to unite in confidence and brotherhood with those who turn the truth of God into a lie, and regard divine authority as a thing of naught.

Between the worldly man and the one who is faithfully serving God, there is a great gulf fixed. Upon the most momentous subjects—God and truth and eternity—their thoughts and sympathies and feelings are not in harmony. One class is ripening as wheat for the garner of God, the other as tares for the fires of destruction. How can there be unity of purpose or action between them? “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, “Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” We are not to shut ourselves away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed our own hearts. We are to let it be seen that ours is the religion of love. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

But if we are Christians, having the Spirit of Him Who died to save men from their sins, we shall love the souls of our fellow men too well to countenance their sinful pleasures by our presence and our influence. We can not sanction their course by assembling with them at their feasts and their councils, where God does not preside. Such a course, so far from benefiting them, would only cause them to doubt the reality of our religion. We should be false lights, by our course leading souls to ruin.

Christians who connect themselves with worldly associations are injuring themselves as well as misleading others. Those who fear God can not choose the ungodly for companions, and remain themselves unharmed. In worldly societies they are brought under the influence of worldly principles and customs, and through the power of association and habit the mind becomes more and more conformed to the worldling’s standard. Their love for God grows cold, and they have no desire for communion with Him. They become spiritually blind. They can see no particular difference between the transgressor of God’s law and those who fear God and keep His commandments. They call evil good and good evil. The brightness of eternal realities fades away. The truth may be presented in ever so forcible a manner, but they do not hunger for the bread of life, nor thirst for the waters of salvation. They are drinking at broken cisterns, which can hold no water. O, it is an easy thing, by association with the world, to catch the spirit of the world, to be molded by a false view of things, so that the preciousness of Jesus and the truth is not discerned! And just to the degree that the spirit of the world dwells in the heart, to just that degree will it control the life.

When men are under the control of the world and not of the Spirit of God, they are captives of Satan, and we know not to what lengths he may lead them in sin. The patriarch Jacob, inspired by the Holy Spirit, beheld those who take pleasure in wickedness. He saw what would be the result of associating with them, and he exclaimed, “O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united” (Genesis 49:6). He lifts up a danger-signal, to warn every soul against such associations. The apostle Paul echoes the warning: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (I Corinthians 15:33).

We can not swerve from the truth, we can not depart from right principles, without forsaking Him Who is our strength, our righteousness, our sanctification. We should be firmly rooted in the conviction that whatever in any sense turns aside from truth and justice in our association and partnership with men, can not benefit us, and greatly dishonors God.

The work of God for the salvation of the human family is the one work of supreme importance to be carried forward in our world. When men are willing to count all things but loss that they may win Christ, their eyes will be open to see things as they really are. Then they will turn away from the earthly attractions to the heavenly. They will see the true nature of the worldly, selfish enjoyments that they now value so highly, and the things that they now hold so dear will be given up.

All heaven is looking upon those who profess to believe the most sacred truths ever committed to mortals. Angels are waiting, longing to co-operate with you in working for the salvation of souls. Will you refuse this heavenly alliance in order to obtain worldly advantage, withholding your means and your talent of influence from the service of God?

“They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,” of the obedient, “in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 3:17–4:1).

While temporal honor and riches and power are the great objects of ambition with the men of this world, the Lord points out to us something more worthy of our highest aspirations. “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23, 24).

The Review and Herald, August 25, 1910.

Keys to the Storehouse – Is Obedience Necessary?

Is it true that no truth is so unimportant that obedience to it is unnecessary? Many will say: “Oh, it is just a little thing! God is forgiving and merciful—He knows our hearts!” Is obedience necessary? Is there really a violation of truth so small that God will overlook it? Would it be heaven if all of the “small” sins were brought in?

We live in a world of people who are brainwashed by media and movies, who watch play-acting on television and copy those things until their lives reflect what they watch. There are so many fake people play-acting that this behavior now seems to be the norm. Sin has become so common that it has become normal behavior. “The traditions of men, like floating germs, attach themselves to the truth of God, and men regard them as a part of the truth.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1094, 1095.

Seriously contemplate on the following:

“There is no truth so small but is worthy to be known, no duty so inconsiderable as to render obedience unnecessary or indifferent. Remember Lot’s wife, who for looking back was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Nadab and Abihu were smitten with fire from heaven for offering strange fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2). Achan was destroyed for saving of the spoils against God’s command (Joshua 7:20, 21). King Saul was threatened with the loss of his kingdom for being disobedient to God’s command, ‘for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry; because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king’ (I Samuel 15:23). And the men of Bethshemesh, for looking into the ark of the Lord, ‘even He smote of the people above fifty thousand’ (I Samuel 6:19). Uzzah was slain for touching the ark of the Lord (I Chronicles 13:10). And the young man’s salvation rendered improbable for not parting with his possessions when commanded by Christ (Matthew 19:21). Ananias and his wife for telling a lie were struck with death (Acts 5:5). These by many are thought to be small sins; yet divine judgment attended these sinners, and it is but just that they who will not obey in little things should be denied a great reward.

“We see no such punishments in our days upon persons profaning the Sabbath. ‘Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil’ (Ecclesiastes 8:11).” Defense of the Sabbath, by George Carlow, 1847, 19, 20. Re-produced by HIS Vine Publishing Association.

Please do not think that any truth from God’s word is so small that it need not be taken seriously. Stand for truth today. Obedience is necessary.

Heavenly Father: The world around me has become so normal in my eyes that I have slipped and joined that which I thought was good but found it was drawing me away into thoughtlessness and little sins. Forgive me. Restore unto me spiritual eyesight that I may discern the devil’s floating germs in which the whole world has become entwined, allowing approval of little sins. I choose to serve You in truth and not serve the world in tradition. Please give me spiritual discernment and grace. Amen.

Children Story – The Pilgrims and the Mayflower

A little more than three hundred years ago, there were people in different countries who had not learned to let others worship God as they thought was right. Even in good old England the king wanted everyone to go to the same church he attended. If they refused to obey him, they were severely punished. Sometimes, they were put in prison or even to death. Some of the people did not like this. They thought the king should not meddle with their religion. They wanted to be free to worship God in their own way, and not be punished for it.

In Holland there was religious freedom for all. At last, a company of people left England and went to Holland to live. They were happy in Holland, but as their children grew up, they seemed more like the Dutch than like English people. The fathers and mothers thought this was not best. So, after living in Holland twelve years, they decided to sail to far-off America where they could have a country of their own.

They remembered how Abraham and his family wandered from place to place—“strangers and pilgrims on the earth,” desiring a “better country, that is, an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:13, last part, 16, first part). “We, too, are pilgrims,” they said, “on our way to heaven.” Ever afterwards, these English people were called “Pilgrims.”

Some of the older people thought the wild trip across the ocean would be too much for them.

“Isn’t the trip too long and too dangerous?” they asked. “Will not the Indians in America kill us?”

“Let us be brave and trust in God. He will surely take care of us,” the others said.

Still, the aged men and women thought it was best for them to stay in Holland. But they went to the boat to bid their loved ones good-by. On the shore they all knelt down and prayed that God would protect those who were leaving, and that He would be a father to those who were left behind. The good old pastor, John Robinson, stayed in Holland to look after those who remained.

With tearful eyes but brave hearts one hundred twenty Pilgrims sailed back to England in the ship “Speedwell.” From there they sailed away in two ships, the “Speedwell” and the “Mayflower.” But the “Speedwell” was a poor boat. Twice it sprang a leak, so they had to bring it back to England. Only one hundred of the little company could find room in the “Mayflower.” So another tearful good-by had to be said to the twenty who were left in Plymouth, England. At last, on September 6, 1620, these one hundred Pilgrims sailed away from their native land never again to return.

Among the Pilgrim children on the ship there were four little girls with very singular names. One little girl’s name was “Remember.” Another was “Resolved,” another was “Desire,” and still another was “Love.” Another of the children was named “Wrestling.” Then there was a beautiful young woman, whose name was Priscilla. She was an ancestor of the poet Longfellow. Captain Miles Standish and John Alden were there, too. Miles Standish was captain of the Pilgrims’ little army of twelve men, who were always ready to keep back unfriendly Indians. John Alden was a gentle, scholarly young man, a close friend of the captain.

The voyage was a long and stormy one. On the ocean a little boy was born. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. White, named him “Peregrine.” It meant “Wanderer.” Everyone on the ship had a kind word and a loving arm for this dear little wanderer. Years and years after this, some of his descendants went as missionaries to China.

At last, on December 21, 1620, after more than one hundred days, the people on the “Mayflower” landed on the shores of America. John Alden was one of the first who stepped ashore on the great rock which is now called “Plymouth Rock,” or “Forefathers’ Rock.” They had with them a map of this country, which Captain John Smith had made. By looking at it, they found that they were in New England at a place called Plymouth.

“Surely God has led us to this place,” they said. “We left our Plymouth in Old England, and here we have a new Plymouth in New England. Let us make our new homes here.”

It was in the middle of winter. Not a house was to be seen! Not a person anywhere to welcome them! Only the dark forests before them! Only the great ocean behind them! Yet with full hearts they thanked God. They knew that He was with them.

The men began at once to build homes. With willing hands they cut down trees for walls. They made the roofs of bark stripped from the logs. They filled the cracks between the logs with mud and grass. They built the chimneys on the outside with stones. They put sheets of oiled paper over the windows for glass. They had no clock, so they cut a notch on the window. When the sun shone on this notch they knew it was noon. They had no stove, so they cooked their food in an iron kettle which hung in the big fireplace. In those days there were no matches, and if the fire in one house went out, one of the boys was sent to a neighbor’s house for some coals.

The winter was very cold, and the Pilgrims suffered much. They did not have enough food. A great many became sick. At one time, there were only seven well ones to take care of the others. When spring came, half the little company had died, among them Priscilla’s father and mother and brother, leaving her alone. In their sorrow the singing of the spring birds seemed like music straight from heaven.

Suddenly, one day in March, a tall Indian stood before them. His body was covered with bright-colored paint. His course, straight, black hair was cut square across his forehead. At the back it hung down long, and from it three eagle’s feathers stuck out. In his hand he carried a bow nearly as tall as he, and in his belt a tomahawk. For a moment, no one spoke.

“Welcome, welcome, Englishmen!” the Indian said at last.

“Welcome, Indian!” the white men answered. “Who taught you to speak English?”

“Some fishermen who were here several years ago,” answered the Indian.

Samoset, for this was the Indian’s name, decided to stay awhile. The Pilgrims did everything they could to gain his friendship. As he went from house to house, each one gave him something to eat. One man gave him some beads. The governor gave him a cloak. Samoset called Baby Peregrine the little “paleface papoose.”

When night came, Samoset decided to stay all night. Some of the Pilgrims slept but little that night. They feared unfriendly Indians might come during the night and kill them. In the morning, the mothers gave Samoset a good breakfast. The men gave him a knife, a bracelet, and a ring. He was pleased with these things, and finally went away. After this, the Indians were friends of the Pilgrims, and gave them very little trouble.

During the spring, the Pilgrims planted Indian corn which the Indians gave them. They also planted seeds of pumpkins and other vegetables. When autumn came, they had a bountiful harvest. They were not going to starve as they had the first winter.

They were so thankful for God’s blessings that they had a great feast to which they invited the Indians. This was the first Thanksgiving Day in America. Early in the morning of Thanksgiving Day, ninety Indians greeted them with a loud Indian yell. They brought deer meat with them. After breakfast, the beating of the drum called everyone to church. Then some of the white men went into the woods and got wild turkey. Others picked cranberries, grapes, and plums, which grew wild. Outdoor fires were started, and the food was cooked in large kettles which hung over the fire. Tables were set outdoors, and everyone had all he wanted to eat. It was a grand feast.

After the table was cleared, the Indian chief poured out a bushel of popped corn. The children had never eaten anything like this before. This Thanksgiving feast was another tie that bound the Indians to the Pilgrims in friendship—a friendship that lasted fifty years.

[Emphasis author’s.]

True Education Reader, Sixth Grade, 115–122.

Unity Through Faith in Christ

On the night of His betrayal, Christ made a very interesting statement, recorded in Luke 22:37. “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” [Emphasis added.]

Christ was quoting from Isaiah 53, a chapter that so faithfully and clearly describes Himself as the Messiah that Jewish parents refuse to discuss the chapter with their children. Thankfully, we are not so blind to the mercies of God that we refuse to recognize His prophetic voice speaking in the message He gave Isaiah centuries ago.

What are the things concerning Christ that “have an end” that He was referring to in Luke 22:37? A careful reading of Isaiah 53 will answer that question. Much of what Isaiah described about Christ ended at the cross—being “numbered with the transgressors”—but the entirety of the assertion He made in Luke has yet to come fully to pass. Christ continues to experience the sinfulness of sin as He pleads His blood before the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary. And that ordeal will not end until the sanctuary is cleansed and He returns to this earth with the host of heaven to gather His saints.

Thus we ponder if Christ’s statement that “the things concerning Me have an end” has a broader application. Indeed, many things concerning Him did have an end when He was crucified. But there is, in my opinion, another end yet to come, and that will occur when Christ returns to gather His saints and ends the misery that sin has brought upon this earth.

What must we do to cope with the trials of life until that glorious event occurs? Remember that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Our hope lies not in this life, but in the life to come. Christ referred to that eternal life time and time again when He was on earth, though at the time few comprehended what He meant. The most famous reference, perhaps, is in John 3:16, a text that most professors of Christ learned at their parent’s knee.

The promise of eternal life, though, occurs over and over again in the record of Christ’s life as recorded in the gospels, and that promise is always based on the same condition—obedience—sometimes clearly stated and sometimes implied by the context of the statement.

In Matthew 19, we have this record: “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’ ” (Matthew 19:16, 17).

This is a rather amazing statement for a reason that might be easily overlooked. Clearly Christ is mindful here of His human nature and recognizes the inherent capacity for sin in the natural heart, which He assumed when He came to this earth to rescue man from the wages of sin. Mindful of this, of the potential sinfulness of humanity, He refused to accept the accolade offered by this rich young ruler: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” After that assertion, Christ clearly states the one and only condition for eternal life: “keep the commandments.”

The gospel writer who wrote most frequently of the reward of eternal life was the apostle John, usually in his record of Christ’s interactions with non-believers or in response to questions from His erstwhile followers.

John records an interesting exchange in the sixth chapter of his gospel narrative, where there is a comprehensive record of the feeding of the five thousand and the events that followed.

Perceiving the intent of the masses to “take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15), Jesus absented Himself from the scene and sought solitude. After reuniting with His disciples in a rather startling manner (verses 19 and 20), He engaged in an extended conversation with the people about Himself as the bread of life.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst’ ” (John 6:35). A bit later, Christ made a less symbolic, more direct statement regarding eternal realities; “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47). Unfortunately, there were not many who were willing to carry their belief in Him to complete fulfillment, as we see as this crisis in Galilee was building.

Christ’s statements that followed were unacceptable to the masses, for they failed to understand the symbolism in His assertion that “… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (verse 53).

Even after Christ clearly stated in no vague language, “It is the Spirit Who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63), “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (verse 66).

In the following chapter, John records a conversation that again was so full of symbolism that few truly understood His meaning.

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37, 38).

The meaning of this statement that so puzzled His hearers is made clear in the Spirit of Prophecy:

“The flowing of the water from the rock in the desert was celebrated by the Israelites, after their establishment in Canaan, with demonstrations of great rejoicing. In the time of Christ this celebration had become a most impressive ceremony. It took place on the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people from all the land were assembled at Jerusalem. On each of the seven days of the feast the priests went out with music and the choir of Levites to draw water in a golden vessel from the spring of Siloam. They were followed by multitudes of the worshipers, as many as could get near the stream drinking of it, while the jubilant strains arose, ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Isaiah 12:3). Then the water drawn by the priests was borne to the temple amid the sounding of trumpets and the solemn chant, ‘Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem’ (Psalm 122:2). The water was poured out upon the altar of burnt offering, while songs of praise rang out, the multitudes joining in triumphant chorus with musical instruments and deep-toned trumpets.

“The Saviour made use of this symbolic service to direct the minds of the people to the blessings that He had come to bring them. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast,’ His voice was heard in tones that rang through the temple courts, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ ‘This,’ said John, ‘spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive’ (John 7:37–39). The refreshing water, welling up in a parched and barren land, causing the desert place to blossom, and flowing out to give life to the perishing, is an emblem of the divine grace which Christ alone can bestow, and which is as the living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul. He in whom Christ is abiding has within him a never-failing fountain of grace and strength. Jesus cheers the life and brightens the path of all who truly seek Him. His love, received into the heart, will spring up in good works unto eternal life. And not only does it bless the soul in which it springs, but the living stream will flow out in words and deeds of righteousness, to refresh the thirsting around him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 412.

In the eleventh chapter of John we have the record of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. After Christ and His disciples come to Bethany on the fourth day following Lazarus’ death, there is an interesting exchange between Martha and Jesus in which Martha’s understanding of the state of the dead is clearly revealed. “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ ” (John 11:23, 24).

In response, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? ’ ” (verses 25 and 26).

Though Martha responded positively, her response indicated that she failed to fully comprehend what belief in Christ fully means.

“To the Saviour’s words, ‘Believest thou?’ Martha responded, ‘Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world’ (verses 26, 27). She did not comprehend in all their significance the words spoken by Christ, but she confessed her faith in His divinity, and her confidence that He was able to perform whatever it pleased Him to do.” The Desire of Ages, 530.

There are two other passages in John’s gospel that should bring great joy to the believer. In John 16:33, Christ provides a reason for the continuing hope that His followers should have: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

There is no greater peace, in the fullest meaning of the word, that one can have than is obtained in recognizing that Christ’s victory over the enemy of souls is our victory as well. Truly, “in the world” we “will have tribulation.” We have an enemy who is determined to drag humanity down into the same miserable pit of sin and degradation that he currently occupies. Nevertheless, by fully believing in Christ, by nurturing that measure of faith that each of us has been given, we can “be of good cheer” and “overcome the world.”

The final passage in the gospel of John that expresses the eternal life available to all who have faith in Christ is given in Christ’s prayer in John 17.

John 17:20–23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

All who understand fully what “belief” in Christ entails will indeed be unified in the bonds of Christian brotherhood that John summarized succinctly but powerfully in his first missive: “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

We cannot “walk in the light” unless we have complete faith in Christ as the Redeemer of mankind and fully believe that His blood cleanses us from all sin. Then that unity that Christ prayed so fervently for in John 17 will be a reality and we will indeed have true Christian fellowship with one another.

The gospel writers were not alone in their affirmation that obedience through faith in Christ imparts righteousness to the believer—that righteousness by faith that alone provides the spotless wedding garment to the saved. Paul alluded time and time again to the inseparable union of faith, righteousness, and eternal life.

One of his strongest statements occurs in Philippians 3:8, 9: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”

As Paul’s long, final imprisonment began and his itinerate ministry was drawing to a close, he continued to bear faithfully the message that God had laid upon his heart. When arraigned before Felix, he took the opportunity to preach one of his most meaningful and memorable sermons.

For two years, “a ray of light from heaven had been permitted to shine upon Felix, when Paul reasoned with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. That was his heaven-sent opportunity to see and to forsake his sins. But he said to the messenger of God, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee’ (Acts 24:25). He had slighted his last offer of mercy. Never was he to receive another call from God.” The Acts of the Apostles, 427.

Let us not be like Felix, who had at his disposal for two years one of the greatest expositors of the gospel, who apparently conversed with him at will, but who rejected this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know more fully the way of salvation.

“And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” (Acts 24:24).

“The faith in Christ” … Felix rejected his opportunity to understand what that meant. Thankfully, by the grace and love of God, we have on record Paul’s explanation of what it means to be in Christ and to have faith in Christ, so that we are “without excuse” if we fail to grasp the full import of what that means.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21–26).

“… through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe …”

Unity through faith in Christ!

All quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

 

Light Through Orion

Jesus reproved His disciples for being slow to believe in the prophets and their writings. “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). Then to establish and ground them in the truth, it is recorded, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (verse 27).

God speaks to His people through human agents who are moved by the Spirit of God. “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets” (Hosea 12:10). “The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). Not only holy men but women also are given the gift of prophecy. “It shall come to pass in the last days saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy” (Acts 2:17).

An important evidence of a true prophet is found in the predictions made coming to pass, and in facts stated proving true. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously” (Deuteronomy 18:22). “When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him” (Jeremiah 28:9).

Ellen G. White was shown the following in vision:

“December 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view of the shaking of the powers of the heavens. …

“Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space.” Early Writings, page 41.

Elder Bates, a man who had followed the sea for fifty years, filling all positions from cabin-boy to master and owner of vessels; one who had understanding of astronomy, said he tried to talk with Ellen White about the stars, but found she knew nothing about astronomy. She told him that she did not know that she had ever looked into a book treating on that subject. Because of an accident, her formal school education had ceased at about the third or fourth grade level.

A few years ago Edgar Lucien Larkin, director of Mount Lowe Observatory, Pasadena, California, said:

“Recent photographic transparencies made on glass plates at the Mount Wilson Observatory reveal the optical property of perspective. What has all along appeared to be a flat surface of nebulous matter, the beautiful shimmer and sheen in the great nebula in the sword of Orion, is shown, in the central regions of these negatives, to be the mouth of a cavern, a deep opening receding into the mighty distance beyond. These large negatives, … actually show depths below the shining surface of the nebula, the effect being that the eye looks into the opening and along the apparent sides to the rear.”

“The opening in Orion … stretches many trillions of miles. And this is the enormous width of the colossal opening which leads into the cavern.

“Then 90,000 little rings of the dimensions of the earth’s orbit, each with a sun in the center, could enter this abyss side by side and be engulfed. And all these dimensions are less than the reality, without doubt.

“These negatives reveal the opening and interior of a cavern so stupendous that our entire solar system, including the orbit of Neptune, would be lost therein. In all ordinary telescopes, the nebula looks like a flat surface. I have watched it since the days of youth, in many telescopes of many powers, but never dreamed that the central region is the mouth of a colossal cave.” Quoted in The Message of the Stars, by J. Walter Rich, pp. 82–85.

In the National Geographic Magazine, August, 1919, in an article entitled, “Exploring the Glories of the Firmament,” by William Joseph Showalter, beginning on page 153 is a fine description of many heavenly wonders. On page 181, we read:

“Look on a winter’s night at Orion. Between Betelgeuse and Rigel in his belt, and suspended from his belt his sword. The central star of this sword appears to the naked eye as merely a fuzzy little fellow that might be passed over without thought.

“But train a big telescope on it and instead you see the most magnificent nebula in the heavens. Its diameter is thought to be twenty million times as great as that of our sun.”

Again on page 175, “The central portion of the huyghenian region in the nebula of Orion is the opening of a colossal cavern in the primordial stellar floor. The nebula is no longer a flat surface. One peers within cosmic deeps, one looks into a chasm before which all powers of imagination are submerged, and feasts the eye with supernal splendors. It is like looking in at a door to the rear of a cave, deep within glittering nebulosity. The chasm is the most beautiful object visible to human sight. Pillars, columns, walls, facades, bulwarks, stalactites, and stalagmites are within deeps of deeps. They glow and shine superbly with pearly light.”

What an evidence of divine revelation! Seventy or more years after the testimony of this young woman who had never studied astronomy, science discovers this great opening in Orion. Should not this verifying of the accuracy of this statement strengthen our confidence in the events mentioned with the statement?—the voice of God, delivering His people, and the coming down of the Holy City? Should it not also strengthen our confidence in the testimonies given to the church through this messenger?

Other evidences of inspiration are found in the instruction given through Ellen G. White in the fields of nutrition and education. Beginning in 1863 to the last years of her life, she gave instruction in proper diet and the care of the sick. Much of this instruction was given before the development of the science of nutrition.

In recent years Dr. Clive M. McCay, professor of nutrition at Cornell University, examined Ellen G. White’s counsels on nutrition. A question that came to his mind was, “How do you explain the fact that Mrs. White, with very little formal education and no special training in nutrition, so accurately set forth nutrition principles that are only now scientifically established?” To the answer that she probably borrowed her ideas from her contemporaries, Dr. McCay raised another question: “How would Mrs. White know which ideas to borrow and which to reject out of the bewildering array of theories and health teaching current in the nineteenth century?”

In a series of articles written for the Review and Herald, Dr. McCay said in the opening paragraphs:

“Among the thousand historical acquaintances in my files, one of the most worth-while is Ellen G. White. As near as one can judge by the evidence of modern nutritional science, her extensive writings on the subject of nutrition, and health in general, are correct in their conclusions. This is doubly remarkable: Not only was most of her writing done at a time when a bewildering array of new health views—good and bad—were being promoted but the modern science of nutrition, which helps us to check on views and theories, had not yet been born. Even more singular, Mrs. White had no technical training in nutrition, or in any subdivision of science that deals with health.” The Review and Herald, February, 12, 1959.

Continuing, this expert observed: “When one reads such works by Mrs. White as The Ministry of Healing or Counsels on Diet and Foods he is impressed with the correctness of her teachings in the light of modern nutritional science. One can only speculate how much better the health of the average American might be, even though he knew almost nothing of modern science, if he but followed the teachings of Mrs. White.” Ibid.

In a lecture given at the Unitarian Church, April 9, 1958, in Ithaca, N. Y., Doctor McCay said: “In spite of the fact that the works of Mrs. White were written long before the advent of modern scientific nutrition, no better overall guide is available today. Her basic concepts about the relation between diet and health have been verified to an unusual degree by scientific advances of the past century.”

Turning now to the field of education we find three books devoted to the subject plus hundreds of pages of magazine articles and of letters giving instruction and counsel. A high and broad philosophy of education has been taught beginning back in 1880s. Many of the early articles and counsels culminated in the book Education.

How do the modern experts in the field of education regard the principles given in these books on education by Ellen G. White? Let Dr. Florence Stratemeyer, professor of education, Teacher’s College, Columbia University answer:

“Recently the book Education by Ellen G. White has been brought to my attention. Written at the turn of the century, this volume was more than fifty years ahead of its time. And I was surprised to learn that it was written by a woman with but three years of schooling.

“The breadth and depth of its philosophy amazed me. Its concepts of balanced education, harmonious development, and of thinking and acting on principle are advanced educational concepts.

“The objective of restoring in man the image of God, the teaching of parental responsibility, and the emphasis on self-control in the child are ideals the world desperately needs.

“Mrs. White did not necessarily use current terms. In fact she did not use the word curriculum in her writing. But the book Education in certain parts treats of important curriculum principles. She was concerned with the whole learner—the harmonious development of mental, physical, and spiritual powers. …

“I am not surprised that members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church hold the writings of Mrs. White in great respect and make them central in developing the educational programs in their schools.” The Review and Herald, August 6, 1959, p. 13.

Doctor Stratemeyer was amazed to discover that a woman with only three or four grades of common schooling should become the author of books like Education, Counsels to Teachers, and Fundamentals of Christian Education—books as modern as mid-twentieth century works from outstanding experts in the field.

“Be happy always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants of you, in your life in Christ Jesus. Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good, and avoid every kind of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:16–22, Today’s English Version).

“Do not believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the Spirit they have comes from God. … This is how you will be able to know whether it is God’s Spirit: everyone who confesses that Jesus Christ became mortal man has the Spirit who comes from God. But anyone who denies this about Jesus does not have the Spirit from God” (I John 4:1–3 Today’s English Version).

False prophets do not exalt Christ. They rather draw attention to themselves. They “draw away disciples” after themselves (Acts 20:30). In Mrs. White’s teachings Christ is recognized and exalted. Note this instruction to ministers and gospel workers which she carried out in her own practice:

“Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended into the heavens, Christ coming again, should so soften, gladden, and fill the mind of the minister that he will present these truths to the people in love and deep earnestness. The minister will then be lost sight of, and Jesus will be made manifest. Lift up Jesus, you that teach the people, lift Him up in sermon, in song, in prayer. Let all your powers be directed to pointing souls, confused, bewildered, lost, to the ‘Lamb of God.’ (John 1:29). Lift Him up, the risen Saviour, and say to all who hear, Come to Him Who ‘hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us’ (Ephesians 5:2). Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon, the theme of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Bring nothing into your preaching to supplement Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Hold forth the word of life, presenting Jesus as the hope of the penitent and the stronghold of every believer. Reveal the way of peace to the troubled and the despondent, and show forth the grace and completeness of the Saviour.” Gospel Workers, 159, 160.

“Do not advocate theories or tests that Christ has never mentioned, and that have no foundation in the Bible. We have grand, solemn truths for the people. ‘It is written’ is the test that must be brought home to every soul. Let us go to the word of God for guidance. Let us seek for a ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ We have had enough of human methods. A mind trained only in worldly science will fail to understand the things of God; but the same mind, converted and sanctified, will see the divine power in the Word.” Ibid., 309, 310.

Elder W.D. Frazee studied the Medical Missionary Course at the College of Medical Evangelists in Loma Linda, California. He was called to Utah as a gospel medical evangelist. During the Great Depression, when the church could not afford to hire any assistants, Elder Frazee began inviting professionals to join him as volunteers. This began a faith ministry that would become the foundation for the establishment of the Wildwood Medical Missionary Institute in 1942. He believed that each person is unique, specially designed by the Lord, of infinite value, and has a special place and mission in this world which only he can fill. His life followed this principle and he encouraged others to do the same.

Enchantments

When I was just a lad of four years old and my younger brother was less than a year old, my parents went as Seventh-day Adventist missionaries to Burma, now called Myanmar. We arrived just before the civil war in what was a dangerous situation, with soldiers committing many crimes and atrocities against the civilians. However, the Lord was very merciful to our family and though there were some close calls, the Lord protected us from harm.

A common practice in market places at that time was snake charming. People have been charming snakes for thousands of years and it is even mentioned in the Bible several times. Ecclesiastes 10:11 says, “A serpent may bite when it is not charmed …” Psalm 58:4, 5 says, “Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully.”

In Jeremiah, 8:17 the Lord says, “ ‘For behold, I will send serpents among you, vipers which cannot be charmed, And they will bite you,’ says the Lord.”

Snakes can be charmed or they can charm other creatures just before they strike for the kill. A snake is charmed by what we call enchantments. The Bible talks a lot about enchantments. In Isaiah 47:10–12, it says, “You have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, ‘No one sees me;’ your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; and you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’ Therefore evil shall come upon you; you shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; you will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know. Stand now with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries in which you have labored from your youth—perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will prevail.”

To “enchant” means “to cast under a spell, bewitch, or attract or delight completely,” so that a person is totally engrossed in or by something. To “bewitch” means “to place under one’s power as if by magic, to cast a spell over, to captivate completely or to fascinate.” To “charm” means “to attract, delight greatly or irresistibly, to fascinate.” To cast a spell on someone is to render them into a state of compelling attraction, fascination, a bewitched state or trance.

In the book Maranatha, 220, is a description of what happens to a person who has been enchanted. It states: “There are those who have the blazing light of truth shining all around them, and yet are insensible to it. They are enchanted by the enemy, held under a spell by his bewitching power. They are not preparing for that great day which is soon to come to our world.” These people may be religious and go to church, but their mind is occupied with something else. By the way, that “something else” may not necessarily be bad. It may be something which is all right, but takes so much of their attention that they neglect getting ready for the close of probation. It is true that everyone must make a living but we are not in this world for simply that purpose. However, there are some whose every waking moment from early in the morning until late at night is consumed by making a living. They are so totally engrossed that they neglect spending time with the Lord, preparing for the close of probation. They are enchanted with the affairs of this world and are preoccupied. They often seem utterly insensible to religious truth.

Others are enchanted with useless entertainment. “Many are on the enchanted ground of the enemy. Things of the least importance—foolish social parties, singing, jesting, joking—engross their minds and they serve God with a divided heart. … Excessive love and devotion to that which in itself is lawful proves the ruination of thousands upon thousands of souls. To matters of minor importance is often given the strength of intellect that should be wholly devoted to God. We need always to be guarded against carrying to excess that which, rightly used, is lawful. Many, many souls are lost by engaging in those things which, properly managed, are harmless, but which, perverted and misapplied, become sinful and demoralizing.” Our Father Cares, 94, 95.

We must ask ourselves if we have been distracted from our spiritual journey and fallen on enchanted ground. It is bad enough to be on enchanted ground, but worse still to be asleep while there. Ellen White tells us that this is a problem for God’s church. She says, “All things are ready, but the church is apparently upon the enchanted ground. When they shall arouse and lay their prayers, their wealth, and all their energies and resources at the feet of Jesus, the cause of truth will triumph. Angels are amazed that Christians do so little when such an example has been given them by Jesus.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 475.

Everything is ready. The Lord has been ready to come for over 100 years, but we are on enchanted ground, and the devil is working hard to keep us there.

“Satan is continually at work to rock our people to sleep in the cradle of carnal security.” Ibid., 600. It is possible to be on the enchanted ground, and to be totally over-involved and engrossed in things that are good. However, it is also true, and we need to recognize this, that many people are charmed with the pleasures of sin in some form. If we do not find a way to escape from them we are going to lose our souls.

In Numbers 25, just before the children of Israel entered the promised land, they were in danger, mesmerized by the beautiful Moabitish women who led them to transgress the law of God. In the chapter in Patriarchs and Prophets entitled “Apostasy at the Jordan,” Ellen White gives approximately twenty different things that the devil uses to get people to break the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

You cannot break this commandment by just walking along and then all of a sudden accidently fall off a cliff. Before the fall, a long process has taken place in the mind which has become allured with the pleasures of sin. We are counselled, “This courtship and marriage is the most difficult to manage, because the mind becomes so bewildered and enchanted that duty to God and everything else becomes tame and uninteresting.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 20.

Marriage is not wrong, but some people are so consumed with it and the pleasures it brings that they become too preoccupied and fail to prepare for the close of probation and the return of Jesus.

A Christian should be careful to avoid situations where they can become entangled in the sophistries of the devil. There are people who deliberately place themselves on dangerous ground and become captivated by events that under normal circumstances they would avoid. The Lord is not going to work a miracle to protect you if you do something presumptuous.

“Many place themselves on the enchanted ground by frequenting scenes of amusement where fallen spirits congregate.” The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882. Thus you can find yourself in the midst of an army of evil angels.

Where are these scenes of amusement? Years ago, to watch a play or movie meant you would have to go to the theater. Later, drive-in theaters were built where you could drive your own car and park in rows and watch movies on a big screen while not having to leave your car. Then, in the 1950s, television sets were invented and people brought the entertainment right into their living rooms.

When I was a child the Seventh-day Adventist Church believed and taught that it was wrong to visit theaters to watch plays or movies, as did other conservative churches. My father once won a television set but it did not find its way into our home. He quickly figured out there was no difference going to the movies or having a television set at home and decided he did not want that distraction in his home.

As Christians we cannot afford to enter enchanted ground. “Professing Christian, when you resort to the theater, remember that Satan is there, conducting the play as the master-actor. He is there to excite passion and glorify vice. The very atmosphere is permeated with licentiousness. Satan presides, also, at the masquerade and the dance; he throws around the card-table its bewitching power. Wherever an influence is exerted to cause men to forget their Creator, there Satan is at work, it matters not how innocent the guise under which he conceals his purpose.” The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882. A masquerade is like a costume party where people wear masques of disguise or play pantomime games.

All of these games and entertainments are designed to preoccupy you so there is no time left to seek after your Creator. Often the same people who spend hours in front of their television set will tell you how hard it is to spend 15 minutes a day in their private devotions. But you can’t stay alive spiritually on 15 minutes a day. It is impossible. The reason we do not have time is because the devil has lured us into his enchanted garden of entertainment.

The devil has many ways to seduce you and if he can’t get you on entertainment he may charm you with science, falsely called so. Science encourages us to extol human reason above divine revelation, to exalt nature and forget the God of nature.

The devil also uses all kinds of works of philosophy, skepticism and infidelity to cause people to lose their confidence in the Bible. Science can be dangerous and many who have been involved in it often carry the scars on their mind and religious experience, making their spiritual walk difficult. The more sin indulged in, the more avenues and greater the ability the devil has to tempt you.

Why make it more difficult for yourself to overcome sin and to be saved? Why? In addition to skepticism and infidelity Ellen White says, “There are treatises on money-making, that fill thousands of minds with fancies and follies, that fire thousands with an insane desire to amass wealth.” The Signs of the Times, May 18, 1882.

“There are fascinating volumes, that portray with all the power of human eloquence the lives of those who have made fame their god.” These volumes provide examples of how people have become famous or well-known. And then she says, “And outnumbering all other productions of the press, like the swarms of locusts that darkened the whole land, comes the flood of novels and romances, to cultivate in the youth a love-sick sentimentalism, to teach them that courtship and marriage are the great object of their existence …” Ibid. It is a trap, and many are charmed by it.

“There is a great work to be done in our colleges, a work which demands the co-operation of every teacher; and it is displeasing to God for one to discourage another. But nearly all seem to forget that Satan is an accuser of the brethren, and they unite with the enemy in his work. While professed Christians are contending, Satan is laying his snares for the inexperienced feet of children and youth. Those who have had a religious experience should seek to shield the young from his devices. They should never forget that they themselves were once enchanted with the pleasures of sin. We need the mercy and forbearance of God every hour, and how unbecoming for us to be impatient with the errors of the inexperienced youth. So long as God bears with them, dare we, fellow sinners, cast them off?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 34.

What is the solution? First of all, if the Holy Spirit is telling you that this is a problem, that you are charmed by something so that it has just got you totally engrossed in it, you are going to have to wrench yourself loose and say, “Lord, deliver me from this and help me to start living.” If the attraction that you are involved with is something good, you have to ask the Lord to help you so that you are not totally engrossed in it so that you can prepare for the close of probation.

“There is only one remedy; that is, to become conversant with the Scriptures. We cannot study the Bible too much. Christ said, ‘Search the Scriptures’ (John 5:39); but the natural heart would search everything else rather than the Scriptures.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 260.

So, the church is on dangerous ground. The members are being seduced, and then we wonder why we have the spiritual troubles that we have. Proverbs 26:2 says, “… the curse causeless shall not come.” Whenever there is a curse, there is always one. We may not know what the cause is, but we can be sure that there is always one.

What is the devil’s goal for your life? In 1850 Ellen White wrote, “I saw Satan would work more powerfully now than he ever has before. He knows that his time is short and that the sealing of the saints will place them beyond his power; he will now work in every way that he can and will try his every insinuation to get the saints off from their guard and get them asleep on the present truth or doubting it, so as to prevent their being sealed with the seal of the living God.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 220.

The devil does not care what it is that distracts you as long as he can keep you from being ready to be sealed. If you do not receive the seal, then you will be destroyed when the judgments come. The only people who will be secure and safe at that time are those who have been sealed. Everybody else will either be dead or destroyed in the final destruction.

“Satan is ever on the alert to deceive and mislead. He is using every enchantment to allure men into the broad road of disobedience.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1120. He is the master of his craft but Jesus came to break the spell.

A young Adventist girl in the 1950s was riding on a bus sitting next to a man with whom she spoke. In the course of the conversation she found out that this man practiced hypnotism. She told him that it would be impossible to hypnotize her. Somewhat into the journey the bus broke down and was unable to continue so the bus company arranged for accommodations that night for all of the passengers.

Fortunately, this girl had a habit of always studying her Sabbath School lesson before she went to bed. As she opened her Bible to study her Sabbath School lesson, she suddenly came out of the trance that she was unaware she had been in. To her amazement she was in a motel room with this man who then admitted that he had indeed hypnotized her.

Because she had developed a habit of studying her Sabbath School lesson before retiring, when she opened the Bible, the Holy Spirit broke the trance and she came to her senses again. Sometimes I have said to myself, “Lord, what can be done so that your people can come to their senses?” They are charmed and unaware of it. They are just like that girl, in a trance, and unless it is broken, they will be lost.

My dear friend, if the devil has you enchanted, I cannot break it for you. There is nothing I can do to break it, but Jesus Christ can break it. If you would pray, “Lord, am I on the enchanted ground? Am I charmed by something down here and I don’t even realize what’s going on?”

Have you ever said, “Lord, please wake me up.” It wouldn’t be wrong to say it. Maybe you are asleep and do not know it. That is the way it is with a person who has been hypnotized. They are unaware of their situation. Our High Calling, page 285 says: “Christ came to break the satanic enchantment, counterwork the work of Satan, and charm the mind away from the earthly to the heavenly. He alone is able to break the enchantment. …”

I can’t do it, but Jesus can do it. In fact, we just read, He is the only One that can break the spell. Very soon, friend, your name will be coming up in the judgment. If you have remained on enchanted ground, you will lose your soul. It will be your responsibility. The question we need to be thinking about is,

“What does God think about the life that I am living right now?”

As I was thinking about this, here are a few questions that I put down.

  1. Am I spiritually awake, or am I spiritually paralyzed by some enchantment of this world?
  2. Do I see clearly the spiritual war that is taking place in this world, or am I spiritually blind?
  3. Am I an active Christian, actively involved in God’s work in the world, or am I passive?
  4. Am I daily preparing for the judgment, or am I enchanted by the pleasures of sin?
  5. Nobody’s going to heaven alone. Am I working with an organized group of Christian workers, to finish God’s work? If not, am I sure I am not paralyzed and enchanted by one of the devil’s devices?

Ellen White wrote to a young Christian lady in 1861 and you can read part of this letter in the book Upward Look, 300. She wrote, “None—no not one—can go alone to heaven.” Did you understand that? How many people are going to go alone to heaven? Not one. God has a people whom He is leading, guiding, and instructing. “They must be subject one to another.” Ibid. This thought is very unpopular, but is inspired writing. “If one undertakes to go alone, independently, to heaven he will find he has chosen the … path that will not lead him to life.” Ibid.

If you think that you can go to heaven alone, you are not going to make it. God has a people and they are subject to one another, working together to finish God’s work.

If I am not an enthusiastic Christian, actively involved with God’s people to finish His work, then something is dreadfully wrong. I must have stepped onto the devil’s enchanted ground.

I cannot wrench you free. Only the Lord can deliver you. Only the Lord can deliver me. And my friend, I am also praying that the Lord will save me from the devil’s ground. Preachers also have all the temptations that are common to everybody else. They too have sinful natures and the same battles to fight. They also must gain the victory over selfishness and lust.

We must gain Christ’s victory and get off the devil’s enchanted ground if we are going to go to heaven together.

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

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

Editorial – Unmasking the Master Mind

The title for this editorial is copied from the title of chapter ten of the book Prophet of the End and is about the same subject. Ellen White received many visions, both public and private. Her public visions were accompanied with supernatural phenomena which forces any candid observer to the same conclusion that Ellen White made herself: “God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith, or He is not. This work is of God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. My work for the past thirty years bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil. In arraying yourself against the servants of God you are doing a work either for God or for the devil.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 230.

On Sunday afternoon, March 14, 1858, at Lovett’s Grove, Ohio, in a schoolhouse where religious meetings were being held, there was a funeral at which James White was invited to speak. After he had finished, Ellen White believed that she was being urged by the Spirit of the Lord to bear her testimony.

I believe it is always appropriate for a Christian to attempt to comfort those who are bereaved. We have a “blessed hope” (Titus 2). Ellen White began to speak about the coming of Christ, the resurrection and the cheering hope possessed by the Christian. During this time she was taken in vision for approximately two hours and was shown many things that she had been initially shown about ten years before about the great controversy of the ages between Christ and Satan. She was instructed in this vision to write out what had been revealed to her. She was also told that Satan would make strong efforts to hinder her from writing.

This vision and later visions on the same subject form the basis of the books in the Conflict of the Ages series and especially the last book of the set, The Great Controversy. For any person who wants to avoid being deceived in our time, this book, The Great Controversy between Christ and His Angels and Satan and his Angels, is a book that should be carefully studied.

“In The Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books.” Letter 281, 1905.