Issue: 2021 November

Inspiration – Parable of the Straying Sheep

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The parable of the straying sheep should be treasured as a motto in every household. The divine Shepherd leaves the ninety and nine, and goes out into the wilderness to seek the one that is lost. There are thickets, quagmires, and dangerous crevices in the rocks, and the Shepherd knows that if the sheep is in any of these places, a friendly hand must help it out. As He hears its bleating afar off, He encounters any and every difficulty that He may save His sheep that is lost. When He discovers the lost one, He does not greet it with reproaches. He is only glad that He has found it alive. With firm yet gentle hand He parts the briers or takes it from the mire; tenderly He lifts it to His shoulders and bears it back to the fold. The pure, sinless Redeemer bears the sinful, the unclean.

The Sin Bearer carries the befouled sheep, yet so precious is His burden that He rejoices, singing: “I have found My sheep which was lost” (Luke 15:6). Let every one of you consider that your individual self has thus been borne upon Christ’s shoulders. Let none entertain a masterly spirit, a self-righteous, criticizing spirit; for not one sheep would ever have entered the fold if the Shepherd had not undertaken the painful search in the desert. The fact that one sheep was lost was enough to awaken the sympathy of the Shepherd and start Him on His quest.

This speck of a world was the scene of the incarnation and suffering of the Son of God. Christ did not go to worlds unfallen, but He came to this world, all seared and marred with the curse. The outlook was not favorable, but most discouraging. Yet “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth” (Isaiah 42:4). We must bear in mind the great joy manifested by the Shepherd at the recovery of the lost. He calls upon His neighbors: “Rejoice with Me; for I have found My sheep which was lost” (Luke 15:6). And all heaven echoes the note of joy. The Father Himself joys over the rescued one with singing. What a holy ecstasy of joy is expressed in this parable! That joy it is your privilege to share.

Are you, who have this example before you, cooperating with Him who is seeking to save the lost? Are you colaborers with Christ? Can you not for His sake endure suffering, sacrifice, and trial? There is opportunity for doing good to the souls of the youth and the erring. If you see one whose words or attitude shows that he is separated from God, do not blame him. It is not your work to condemn him, but come close to his side to give him help. Consider the humility of Christ, and His meekness and lowliness, and work as He worked, with a heart full of sanctified tenderness. “At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people. Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:1–3).

In order for us to work as Christ worked, self must be crucified. It is a painful death; but it is life, life to the soul. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). Testimonies, vol. 6, 124, 125

Story – At the First Thanksgiving

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The summer days were full for the busy Pilgrims. In the fields there were only twenty men and a few boys to do all the work. There was corn to hoe, and there were gardens to weed and care for. When time could be spared from this work, there were barns to be built, and the fort to finish.

The brave men worked from morning till night preparing for the next long winter. The sun and the rain helped them. The crops grew wonderfully, and soon the hillsides were green with growing corn, and wheat, and vegetables.

When the warm days of early summer came, there were sweet wild strawberries on the sunny hills. A little later, groups of boys and girls filled their baskets with wild raspberries and juicy blackberries from the bushes on the edge of the forest. Sugar was too scarce to be used for jellies and preserves, but trays of the wild fruits were placed in the sun to dry for winter use.

The fresh green of the wheat fields began to turn a golden brown. The harvest was ripening. Before long the air rang with the steady beat of the flail, as the Pilgrims threshed their first crop of golden grain.

Soon the corn was ready to be cut and stacked in shocks. Then came the early frosts, and the Pilgrims hurried to gather the sweet wild grapes from vines which grew over bushes and low trees near the brook. The frost had opened the prickly burs and hard brown coats of the nuts, and every day Squanto went with a merry group of boys to gather chestnuts, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and walnuts.

At last the harvest was all gathered in. The Pilgrims rejoiced as they saw the bountiful supply of food for the winter. Some of the golden ears of corn they hung above the fireplace to dry for seed. The rest they shelled and buried in the ground, as Squanto showed them how to do.

As the evenings grew longer and cooler, the Pilgrims often went in to spend an hour or two at Elder Brewster’s. The men piled great logs upon the fire. Then the girls and boys drew the chairs and benches nearer the huge fireplace, and all would sit in the twilight and talk.

Sometimes they spoke of old times in England, or Holland, but usually it was of their work and the life in their new home. On this November evening everyone talked of the harvest which had just been stored away.

“Friends,” said Governor Bradford, “God has blessed our summer’s work, and has sent us a bountiful harvest. He brought us safe to this new home and protected us through the terrible winter. It is fit we have a time for giving thanks to God for His mercies to us. What say you? Shall we not have a week of feasting and of thanksgiving?”

“A week of thanksgiving!” said the Pilgrims. “Yes, let us rest from our work and spend the time in gladness and thanksgiving. God has been very good to us.”

So it was decided that the next week should be set aside for the harvest feast of thanksgiving, and that their Indian friends should be asked to join them.

Early the next morning Squanto was sent to invite Massasoit with his brother and friends to come the following Thursday.

When he returned, a party of men went into the woods for two days of hunting. They would need many deer and wild ducks to feed so large a company. When the men came back from their hunt they brought a bountiful supply of deer, rabbits, wild ducks, and turkeys.

The next few days were busy ones in Plymouth kitchens. There were the great brick ovens to heat, and bread to bake and game to dress.

“Priscilla shall be chief cook,” said Mistress Brewster. “No one can make such delicious dishes as she.”

As soon as it was light on Wednesday morning, a roaring fire was built in the huge fireplace in Elder Brewster’s kitchen. A great pile of red-hot coals was placed in the brick oven in the chimney.

Then Mary Chilton and Priscilla tied their aprons around them, tucked up their sleeves, and put white caps over their hair. Their hands fairly flew as they measured and sifted the flour, or rolled and cut cookies and tarts.

Over at another table Remember Allerton and Constance Hopkins washed and chopped dried fruits for pies and puddings. Out on the sunny doorstone Love Brewster and Francis Billington sat cracking nuts and picking out the plump kernels for the cakes Priscilla was making. What a merry place the big kitchen was!

In the afternoon all of the girls and boys went to the beach. While they were gone, some of the men, brought boards, hammers, and saws and built two long tables out-of-doors near the common-house. Here the men would eat, and a table would be spread in the elder’s house for the women and children.

It was Thanksgiving morning, and the Pilgrims were up early to prepare for the guests they had invited to the feast of thanksgiving. The air was mild and pleasant, and a soft purple haze lay upon field and wood.

“We could not have had a more beautiful day for our feast,” thought Miles Standish, as he climbed the hill to fire the sunrise gun.

Just then wild yells and shouts told the astonished Pilgrims that their guests had arrived. Down the hill from the forest came Massasoit, his brother, and nearly a hundred of his friends, dressed in their finest skins, and in holiday paint and feathers.

The captain and a number of other men went out to welcome the Indians, and the women hurried to prepare breakfast for them.

Squanto and John Alden built a big fire near the brook, and soon a broth was simmering in the great kettle.

The roll of the drum called all to prayers, for the Pilgrim’s never began a day without asking God’s blessing upon it. “The white men talk to the Great Spirit,” Squanto explained to Chief Massasoit. “They thank Him for His good gifts.” The Indians seemed to understand, and listened quietly to the prayers.

They all sat down at the long tables. The women were soon busy passing great bowls of broth to each hungry guest. There were piles of brown bread and sweet cakes; there were dishes of turnips and boiled meat, and later, bowls of pudding made from Indian corn.

While they were eating, one of the Indians brought a great basket filled with popped corn and poured it out upon the table. The Pilgrims had never seen popcorn before. They filled a large bowl with this new dainty and set it on the children’s table.

When breakfast was over, there was another service of thanksgiving, led by Elder Brewster. Then Governor Bradford took his friends to the grassy common where they would have games.

A number of little stakes were driven into the ground, and here several groups of Indians and Pilgrims played quoits, the Indians often throwing the greater number of rings over the stakes.

Then the Indians entertained their friends with some wonderful feats of running and jumping. After this Governor Bradford invited the Indians to sit down on the grass and watch the soldiers drill on the common.

The Indians sat down, not knowing what to expect, for they had never before seen soldiers drill. Suddenly they heard the sound of trumpets, and the roll of drums. Down the hill marched the little army of only nineteen men, the flag of old England waving above their heads.

To right and to left they marched, in single file or by twos and threes, then at a word from the captain, fired their muskets into the air. The Indians were not expecting this, and some sprang to their feet in alarm. Many of the Indians looked frightened.

“The white men are our friends,” Massasoit told them. “They will not harm us.”

Soon the last day of the feast arrived. How busy the women were preparing this greatest dinner! Of course the men and boys helped too. They brought water from the brook, and wood for the fire.

You should have seen the great dishes of purple grapes, the nuts and the steaming puddings. The table seemed to groan under its load of good things, The Indians had never seen such a feast. “Ugh!” said Massasoit, as he ate the puffy dumplings in Priscilla’s stew. “Ugh! The Great Spirit loves His white children.”

So the happy day ended, and the Indians returned to their wigwams. The Pilgrims never forgot their first Thanksgiving day. Each year when the harvests were gathered, they would set aside a day for thanking God for His good gifts, and for years their Indian friends joined in this feast.

Stories of the Pilgrims, Margaret B. Pumphrey, ©1991, 155–163.

Testimony – God’s Test or Satan’s Temptation?

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On January 31, 2020, I had triple bypass surgery. I praise the Lord that the problem was discovered before I had a heart attack and that there was no damage to my heart muscle. That incident, though, made me consider my living situation—particularly with respect to my children and grandchildren. They all live a thousand miles away in Tucson, Arizona, and for several reasons I wanted to be closer to them.

First, if I ever had another serious physical problem, I thought it would be better if I were close to them so that they could provide any help I might need. But secondly, I am concerned for their salvation. I felt—and still feel—that being more involved in their daily lives might have a beneficial effect on their spiritual growth.

After pondering those factors and other considerations, I began a search for a place to buy in Tucson. I engaged the same real estate agent who had helped me with a previous property sale and initiated the search for a two-bedroom condominium.

After a bit of searching, my agent found a great unit in a small complex of 20 units near Saguaro National Park. It had a huge swimming pool, which I thought would be a great magnet for my kids and grandkids. I made an offer, which the buyer accepted; so I took a few days off from work and went to Tucson for the inspection prior to the close of the deal.

While the inspection was in process, I walked around the complex and met a man who it turned out had lived there for a year or so. He loved the place because “everything you need is within walking distance—both a McDonald’s and a Burger King.” That got me to thinking about what I really needed and was reminded of the abundant counsel we are given about leaving the cities.

I am truly blessed to be currently living in a rural environment. Deer and turkey regularly walk through my yard. I often hear coyotes howling at night. How foolish it seemed to go against counsel and move to a city of almost a million people!

So I backed out of the deal.

A few months later I was praying for guidance, still harboring the desire to move closer to family and freely ignoring the counsel that the Lord had already provided through His testimonies to live in the country.

In hindsight, I was doing what many have done who recognize the Sabbath truth for the first time and pray, “Lord, if you want me to keep Saturday as the Sabbath, give me a sign.” He’s not going to do that. He’s made it very plain in His word that He wants His faithful followers to observe and keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath.

Now let me tell you how I continued to rationalize my desire to do what I wanted to do.

Tucson is surrounded by mountains on four sides: the Catalina Mountains, the Rincons, the Santa Ritas and the Tucson Mountains. West of the Tucson Mountains, about a 30-minute drive from the heart of Tucson and a 45-minute drive from my children, is an area called Picture Rocks. It is an area with an eclectic assortment of residences, most on a minimum of an acre of land. So I thought, Why not check there? It might provide what I wanted—being close to family and in a relatively rural location.

So I booted up Zillow.com, typed in the ZIP code for Picture Rocks and there was what seemed to be the perfect place. It was a two-bedroom home with an office addition and a hobby room. There were two good-sized outbuildings, one of which was insulated and air conditioned. It sat on an acre and a quarter of land and had an abundance of irrigated fruit trees. It was a complete fulfillment of what I wanted.

I called up my real estate agent and asked him to check it out for me. He called me and said that it was a real oasis and in excellent condition, but, while he was there looking at it, there were several other interested parties checking it out as well. He said that if I really wanted it, I would have to offer more than the asking price. So I offered almost $3,000 above the listed price. My agent said that the seller was going to review all offers on the following Wednesday afternoon.

While I was waiting for his call, I kept trying to ignore the counsel to leave the cities. I would be close to my family, only 30 minutes from town yet with a mountain range in between. The yearning heart can easily overrule an otherwise rational mind.

Then as I was thinking about being closer to my family, the Holy Spirit kept reminding me of the quote from Adventist Home that I printed out and placed in the edge of the picture frame holding a photo of my three children:

“We must not center our affections on worldly relatives, who have no desire to learn the truth. We may seek in every way, while associated with them, to let our light shine; but our words, our deportment, our customs and practices, should not in any sense be molded by their ideas and customs. We are to show forth the truth in all our intercourse with them. If we cannot do this, the less association we have with them the better it will be for our spirituality.” Op. Cit., 462. (See also Testimonies, vol. 5, 543.)

All this time, I was also thinking of Balaam, the prophet who kept asking the Lord to let him do something that he wanted to do, but that the Lord had initially made clear to him He didn’t want him to do. The story is found in Numbers 22.

Inspiration offers this account of the story:

“Balaam inquired of God if he might curse Israel, because in so doing he had the promise of great reward. And God said, ‘Thou shalt not go;’ but he was urged by the messengers, and greater inducements were presented. Balaam had been shown the will of the Lord in this matter, but he was so eager for the reward that he ventured to ask God the second time. The Lord permitted Balaam to go. Then he had a wonderful experience, but who would wish to be guided by such an experience? There are those who would understand their duty clearly if it were in harmony with their natural inclinations. Circumstances and reason may clearly indicate their duty; but when against their natural inclination, these evidences are frequently set aside. Then these persons will presume to go to God to learn their duty. But God will not be trifled with. He will permit such persons to follow the desires of their own hearts. Psalm 81:11, 12: ‘But My people would not hearken to My voice.’ ‘So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 3, 73

It dawned on me that I was on the verge of committing the same error that Balaam had done by walking in my own counsel. So I finally said, “Lord, Your will be done. Close the door firmly and decidedly if You would not be honored by my moving to Tucson. You know whether or not I would have a beneficial and lasting effect on my children’s spiritual growth. I will accept whatever happens as Your will.”

Wednesday afternoon, my real estate agent called. “Bad news, John. The seller didn’t accept your offer. In fact, they accepted an offer that was several thousand dollars below yours,” explaining that the offer they accepted was all cash. The seller wanted a quick close, which the cash offer made possible. I could not help but think that the Lord had intervened and structured circumstances to prevent me from making a big mistake.

“Okay,” I thought. “The Lord has spoken.” Once I accepted that, I had a complete change of mindset. The draw of my family and the desire to move back to Tucson and the Sonoran Desert completely left me. I had a wonderful feeling of peace and contentment, knowing that the Lord had intervened and that I was doing His will. By accepting what I felt was the hand of the Lord moving in this situation, I had successfully resisted the temptation to move.

But that’s not the end of the story …

Two days later, my real estate agent called again. “I have some good news, John. The original buyer backed out of the deal. It was an older woman and her kids felt that the location was too remote and too far from medical care if anything should happen. The house is yours.”

An unnumbered jumble of thoughts was coursing through my head, resulting in a long, silent pause. Finally the agent asked, “Has there been a change of plans?”

I tried to explain to him briefly what I had gone through spiritually, but he brushed it aside clearly uninterested in my being guided by a higher purpose and said, “Do you want to buy the place or not?” There wasn’t any irritation in his voice, just “Let me know by tomorrow afternoon.”

The question I was asking myself was “Is this a temptation from Satan or a test from God—or both?” As I pondered that question, the Holy Spirit gave me insight into what my life would have been like if I had moved.

First, I would have no significant spiritual fellowship in my daily life. In fact, the prominent daily influences would be entirely of the world. Second, I would have no meaningful, edifying Sabbath worship. The nearest Seventh-day Adventist church would have been an hour away. The few times I had previously attended worship there, I was truly appalled by the lack of reverence in the sanctuary between Sabbath school and church. Quiet meditation between services had been impossible. Plus, the messages I had heard during the main worship service varied from travelogues to “feel good” sermons. Rarely, if ever, had I heard any encouragement regarding overcoming an inherited sinful nature.

There was absolutely no question in my mind that God had intervened and showed me what He wanted me to do. Was He trying to determine the depth of my conviction by giving me this one last test? Or was Satan trying to lure me away from a situation to which I had been called to be in God’s service?

I called my real estate agent and told him of my decision to pass on the purchase. I thanked him for his efforts on my behalf and hung up, certain that I was doing God’s will.

[All emphasis supplied.]

John R Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Words are Like Kites

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When I was young, my mother would tell me, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” If only I had followed that advice throughout my life. There have been many times that I have spoken when I should have kept my mouth closed. The important thing to understand about what we say, as damaging as the words can be, is what is in the heart.

Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, 35: “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Clearly what comes out of our mouths is indicative of the condition of our hearts. Alarmingly, this also can be a strong indication of whether or not we are in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Have you been driving down the road when suddenly someone cuts you off? What was your response? Driving is a very humbling experience for me, on a daily basis. There was a time when I lived about 30 miles from where I worked. The road I took home was a state highway, so the speed limit was 65. One day I was driving home, doing about 68, and a large pickup truck came up behind me, so close that all I could see in the rear view mirror was its front grill. He followed me that way for some time and then suddenly, like he’d been shot out of a cannon, he pulled around me, accelerated past me and then pulled right in front of me barely before he had cleared the front of my car. Then, just seconds after getting past me he abruptly slowed down to exit the highway. I slammed on the brakes, said some very colorful things and even wished some very uncharitable things about the driver. Immediately the thought came to me, Is this what Jesus would have done? Did my words and thoughts have any effect on that driver? No. Did they have an effect on me? Yes. Did the experience help me to change my behavior? I’d like to say yes, but the truth is, probably not. So, what does that say about my relationship with Christ?

“Shall we not remember this? If the love of God is in our hearts, we shall not think evil, we shall not be easily disturbed, we shall not give loose reign to passion, but we will show that we are yoked up with Christ, and that the restraining power of His Spirit leads us to speak words that He can approve. The yoke of Christ is the restraint of the Holy Spirit, and when we become heated by passion, let us say, No; I have Christ by my side, and I will not make Him ashamed of me by speaking hot, fiery words.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 146, 147

How many times have you had difficulty with someone at work or at home or at church and been able to keep your mouth shut at the moment. But later, after you stewed about it for a while, had plenty to say to someone else about what happened and more specifically about the person with whom you had the difficulty? Not only did your words bring more harm to yourself, but they also caused a problem for someone who wasn’t even involved. By this action you also have caused someone else to have ill feelings against another person and together you shared your misery and then perhaps shared it again with someone else and then another and another. Homes and churches have been divided and jobs have been lost because of careless words.

How many times has someone died and suddenly we hear how people really felt about them? Terrible words are spoken about the individual who now has no ability to defend himself/herself against those words. And what about the effect those words have on their family members? It may be that every word spoken is truth, but I just keep hearing the wise words of my mother, say something nice or don’t say anything. If we can speak terrible words about each other or someone who has died, what does that say about our relationship with Christ?

“There is often a great temptation to talk of things which do not profit the speaker or the hearer, but which bring evil and barrenness to both. Our probationary time is too brief to be spent in dwelling upon the shortcomings of others.

“The truly converted man has no inclination to think or talk of the faults of others. His lips are sanctified, and as God’s witness he testifies that the grace of Christ has transformed his heart. … Those only will enter heaven who have overcome the temptation to think and speak evil.” Ibid., 145

James 3:6–10 tells us, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

Years ago, Pastor Marshall Grosboll shared excerpts from “The First Settler’s Story,” written as a poem by Will Carleton and published in his book Farm Festivals in 1881. The story of a man and his young bride who went to settle in the western territory, the poem is written in the first-person perspective of the man and had to do, in part, with the man’s inability to control his impatience and his words toward his wife. Here are just a few passages from that poem:

 

“Well, neighborhoods meant counties, in those days;

The roads didn’t have accommodating ways;

And maybe weeks would pass before she’d see

And much less talk with anyone but me. …”

“And finally I thought that I could trace

A half heart-hunger peering from her face.

Then she would drive it back, and shut the door;

Of course that only made me see it more.

‘Twas hard to see her give her life to mine,

Making a steady effort not to pine;

‘Twas hard to hear that laugh bloom out each minute,

And recognize the seeds of sorrow in it.”

 

Time passed and the isolation, bad weather, failed crops, poverty and lack of almost everything began to take its toll.

 

“One night, I came from work unusual late,

Too hungry and too tired to feel first-rate,

Her supper struck me wrong (though I’ll allow

She hadn’t much to work with, anyhow);

And when I went to milk the cows, and found

They’d wandered from their usual feeding ground,

And maybe left a few long miles behind ‘em,

Which I must copy, if I meant to find ‘em;

Flash-quick the stay-chains of my temper broke,

And in a trice these hot words I had spoke:

‘You ought to’ve kept the animals in view,

And drove ‘em in; you’d nothing else to do.

The heft of all our life on me must fall;

You just lie around, and let me do it all.”

 

He knew right away he was in the wrong, but he was a proud man and he left the apology unsaid. With a quick good-bye the next morning, he left his young bride. But that afternoon, sensing a storm coming, he left work early and hurried home.

 

“Half out of breath, the cabin door I swung,

With tender heart-words trembling on my tongue;

But all looked desolate and bare;

My house had lost its soul – she was not there!

A penciled note was on the table spread,

And these are something like the words it said:

‘The cows have strayed away again, I fear;

I watched them pretty close; don’t scold me, dear.

And where they are, I think I nearly know;

I heard the bell not very long ago.

I’ve hunted them all afternoon;

I’ll try once more – I think I’ll find them soon.

Dear, if a burden I have been to you,

And haven’t helped as I ought to do,

Let old-time memories my forgiveness plead;

I’ve tried to do my best – I have, indeed.

Darling, piece out with love the strength I lack,

And have kind words for me when I get back.’ ”

 

As he finished reading her note, the storm swept in. Once the storm had ended, he and his dog went in search of his wife.

“All night we dragged the woods without avail;

The ground got drenched – we could not keep the trail.

Three times again my cabin home I found,

Half hoping she might be there, safe and sound;

But each time ‘twas an unavailing care:

My house had lost its soul; she was not there!

When climbing the wet trees, next morning sun

Laughed at the ruin that the night had done,

Bleeding and drenched – by toil and sorrow bent –

Back to what used to be my home I went.

But, as I neared our little clearing-ground

Listen! I heard the cowbell’s tinkling sound;

The cabin door was just a bit ajar;

It gleamed upon my glad eyes like a star!

‘Brave heart,’ I said, ‘for such a fragile form!

She made them guide her homeward through the storm!’

Such pangs of joy I never felt before

‘You’ve come!’ I shouted, and rushed through the door.

“Yes, she had come – and gone again. She lay

With all her young life crushed and wrenched away –

Lay the heart-ruins of home among

Not far from where I killed her with my tongue.

The rain drops glittered mid her hairs’ long strands,

The forest thorns had torn her feet and hands,

And midst the tears – brave tears – that one could trace

Upon the pale but sweetly resolute face,

I once again the mournful words could read –

‘I’ve tried to do my best – I have indeed!’ …

“Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds;

You can’t do that when you’re flying words.

‘Careful with fire,’ is good advice, we know:

‘Careful with words,’ is ten times doubly so.

Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead;

But God Himself can’t kill them once they’re said.”

I have remembered that last verse of the poem for at least 30 years now. Each time I have heard it or read it, it has brought me to tears, even now writing it in this article. And yet, I still struggle myself with impatience and my words. And with every thoughtless, angry, and unkind word spoken, I am reminded of the question: What does it say about my relationship with Jesus Christ?

“God desires your words to be life-giving. Not a word of irritation is to be spoken. However provoked you may feel, keep back every word that would stir up the evil in another heart. … Let every word you speak bless and elevate.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 144, 145

“The love of God in the heart will always lead us to speak gentle words. ‘Charity (love) suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.’ ” Ibid., 146

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23

Friends, let us all remember that our mouths only speak what is in our hearts. If we have not surrendered ourselves to the in-working of the Holy Spirit, then there will be no change and we will continue to speak evil. We must cry out to the Lord, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

“As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean, if the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to heaven, and helpful to your associates. … ‘For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ ” The Review and Herald, June 12, 1888

[All emphasis supplied]

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She can be contacted at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org

The Value of Salvation

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As a people, Seventh-day Adventists, to a degree that is sometimes incomprehensibly difficult to understand or appreciate, have a library of prophetic writings that give the ardent seeker a clear understanding of God’s will and thorough guidance in fulfilling that will in their daily lives. However, in providing that understanding and guidance, the reader sometimes encounters passages that cause varying degrees of puzzlement. Such is the case with the testimony entitled “The Sufferings of Christ.”

This extremely enlightening testimony is found in volume two of the Testimonies beginning on page 200, and provides an in-depth look at Christ’s suffering as well as a wealth of uplifting clarity on the plan of salvation.

The testimony begins with this statement: “In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost.” The testimony then explains that cost as the sufferings experienced by our Saviour when He left the glories of heaven and assumed the likeness of man.

The unfathomable nature of this sacrifice is a recurring theme in the Spirit of Prophecy, but it is quite succinctly explained in this passage from The Desire of Ages, 131:

“Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Revelation 5:12.”

Even though our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and suffering will not be complete until we stand before the throne, inspired writings provide abundant insight into the suffering He experienced while paying the penalty for man’s sin. However, in providing that insight, there are occasional statements that, as stated earlier, provoke a bit of uncertainty on first reading.

Continuing with this statement from this testimony: “Christ consented to die in the sinner’s stead, that man, by a life of obedience, might escape the penalty of the law of God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 200, 201

A question that might come to mind from this statement is: If one is obedient, why is there a need for Christ to die? By definition, obedience eliminates transgression. Doesn’t obedience to the law do away with the requirement for the second death?

Or perhaps one has progressed in the path of sanctification to the point of having achieved in his sphere the equivalent level of perfection that God possesses in His sphere. This principle is given in volume four of the Testimonies, 591:

“The perfection of God’s work is as clearly seen in the tiniest insect as in the king of birds. The soul of the little child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels about His throne. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ As God is perfect in His sphere, so man may be perfect in his sphere. Whatever the hand finds to do should be done with thoroughness and dispatch. Faithfulness and integrity in little things, the performance of little duties and little deeds of kindness, will cheer and gladden the pathway of life; and when our work on earth is ended, every one of the little duties performed with fidelity will be treasured as a precious gem before God.”

Even though this achievement may be the case with a given individual, it does not negate the fact that we are descendants of Adam and have inherited his sinful nature. This is made very clear at least a half dozen times in Romans 5, where Paul acknowledges that “by one man sin entered into the world.” (See Romans 5:12–21.) That one man, of course, was our first father, and as a child of Adam, having inherited his sinful nature, I have a sinful nature at birth, even though no sinful act would have been committed at that specific point in time. Paul confirmed the death sentence our inherited nature casts upon us in his first letter to the Corinthians when he wrote “… in Adam all die.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

Therefore, even though one may have achieved a certain level of sanctification, the sinful nature and corrupt heart for which an atonement must be offered remains.

There is another statement in the original testimony cited that provokes a question directly illustrating the value of salvation and the suffering that Christ endured:

“Taking human nature fitted Christ to understand man’s trials and sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 201

We concede that Christ is omniscient. That being true, should He not understand “man’s trials and sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset” without having to experience them firsthand?

Common sense dictates that of course He knows. Then why did Christ have to take human nature? Was it solely so that He could gain an understanding of man’s condition? Perhaps it was so that man could know without doubt that Christ Himself experienced and therefore understands our temptations and sorrows, having experienced them Himself in His humanity.

One might be tempted to say that Christ never experienced the untimely death of a child, the sufferings of a beloved spouse, an overdue mortgage, or any of a myriad other trials, but He did indeed suffer physically and emotionally far more than any human ever will. It can be asserted that He experienced this suffering in both His humanity and in His divinity, and perhaps more in the latter. By God’s grace, anything that we might experience pales in comparison with the extreme physical, mental, and spiritual nature of Christ’s sufferings.

A clearer explanation of why Christ had to incur suffering is provided as we continue examining our subject testimony.

“Angels who were unacquainted with sin could not sympathize with man in his peculiar trials. Christ condescended to take man’s nature and was tempted in all points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be tempted.

“… As the sinless One, His nature recoiled from evil. He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and privilege. He required all the stronger divine support and comfort which His Father was ready to impart to Him, to Him who had, for the benefit of man, left the joys of heaven and chosen His home in a cold and thankless world. Christ found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. Here He could unburden His heart of the sorrows that were crushing Him. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

“As the Son of God bowed in the attitude of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the agony of His spirit forced from His pores sweat like great drops of blood. It was here that the horror of great darkness surrounded Him. The sins of the world were upon Him. He was suffering in man’s stead as a transgressor of His Father’s law. Here was the scene of temptation. The divine light of God was receding from His vision, and He was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness. In His soul anguish He lay prostrate on the cold earth. He was realizing His Father’s frown. He had taken the cup of suffering from the lips of guilty man, and proposed to drink it Himself, and in its place give to man the cup of blessing. The wrath that would have fallen upon man was now falling upon Christ. It was here that the mysterious cup trembled in His hand.

“We can have but faint conceptions of the inexpressible anguish of God’s dear Son in Gethsemane, as He realized His separation from His Father in consequence of bearing man’s sin. He became sin for the fallen race. The sense of the withdrawal of His Father’s love pressed from His anguished soul these mournful words: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.’

“The sword of justice was now to awake against His dear Son. He was betrayed by a kiss into the hands of His enemies, and hurried to the judgment hall of an earthly court, there to be derided and condemned to death by sinful mortals. There the glorious Son of God was ‘wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.’ He bore insult, mockery, and shameful abuse, until ‘His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.’

“Who can comprehend the love here displayed!” Ibid., 202–207

And who can truly comprehend the suffering of body, mind, and spirit endured by our Redeemer to provide sinful man an escape from the penalty of transgressing the law?

Truly, “Worthy is the Lamb.”

[All emphasis supplied.]

 John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The Lesson of Thanksgiving

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On October 3, 1863, less than two years before he was assassinated, President Abraham Lincoln sent a proclamation to the people of the United States. In part, this proclamation said:

“The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. …

“No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience … [they] fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Some of us, it seems, still need to learn more of the lesson of thanksgiving to the Lord. As I perform the responsibilities of a pastor, I visit many people whose lives are so filled with difficulty and discouragement that there is nothing for which they are thankful. But God says His mercies and blessings toward each one of us are more than the hairs of our head. And though we today, like America in 1863, are in terrible trouble, it does not mean that we should not, cannot, be thankful.

On October 20, 1906, Ellen White gave a lengthy sermon to the Oakland Adventist church in California. The sermon was based on Romans 15 and she gave a specific counsel 22 times, in a number of different ways. Do you think if you said something to someone that many times that they might get the point? When you first look at this sermon, one might think that it really doesn’t have much to do with thankfulness or thanksgiving. But sometimes the best way to learn what something is, is to start from the opposite direction. Let’s read Romans 15:1–3:

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’ ”

We find a tremendous amount of instruction in these three verses. We are not to live simply to please ourselves, but should ask how we can please someone else. We are not to live to make ourselves happy; instead we are to live to bring happiness to others. How you live your life makes all the difference in your outlook on life. Jesus didn’t live to please Himself. He came, with a determined commitment, to do something for us that we could not do for ourselves.

Romans 15:5–7 says, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” Notice Paul says, “be like-minded toward one another.” If we are following God, we should not be of half-a-dozen different or a great variety of minds. To better explain these verses Mrs. White asks a question and provides the answer:

“What does this injunction entail? It places us under obligation to God. It leaves us where we must understand that we are amenable to Him alone. It leads us to realize that when the Holy Spirit is abiding in our hearts and working through us, we shall love one another, in the place of manifesting animosity toward one another.” The Review and Herald, December 13, 1906

Animosity toward others seems to be a natural trait of our fallen human nature. But when we receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we begin to love other people rather than harbor feelings of animosity toward them. “My dear brethren and sisters, God is not pleased with a spirit of criticism and faultfinding.” Ibid. Having a spirit of criticism and faultfinding is the opposite of thanksgiving.

There are many people who have a lot to eat on Thanksgiving Day, but they do not have a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude because they have a completely opposite spirit. We need to ask ourselves if we truly have a spirit of thanksgiving or a spirit of criticism and faultfinding. We cannot have both and if we have the spirit of thanksgiving, there will be no dissension among God’s children.

The strongest evidence of the truth of the three angels’ messages is a people in harmony and unity with Christ and with each other. This would demonstrate that God does have a people in the world because at present, there is only a thin veneer over harmony and unity. There is no real spirit of harmony or unity; the hearts of the people are not knit together. Underneath that veneer there is only dissension and bickering, even among those who claim to be God’s elect.

Jesus prayed in John 17:20–23, pleading with the Father that His followers might be one as He and the Father are one. But so many, while attempting to give the impression of harmony and unity, are filled with dissension. If this describes us, then we must have a new life. We must become dead to self and by the power of the Holy Spirit be made new.

“… keep the mind fixed on Jesus. Keep the heart uplifted in prayer to God. Behold Jesus and what He endured and suffered for us in order that we might have that life which measures with the life of God. How can any of us wear our nerves on the outside, ready to break forth into disaffection if every movement made by someone else is not in exact accordance with our ideas? All this super-sensitiveness is to be put away.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 363

“… it is time now that we were looking unto Jesus to see whether we are reflecting His image. It is time now that we put away everything that will grieve the Holy Spirit of God–divisions, dissensions, faultfinding, incriminations. God wants us to come to the light, that our light may shine forth in good works. Let the praise of God be in heart and voice.” Ibid., 365

It isn’t enough to just feel thankful; you have to express thankfulness. Thanksgiving and praise will be a large part of the tremendous bliss and joy that the people of God will experience in heaven, because they will be praising the Lord and will be thankful to Him all the time.

“Let us cherish a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. We want our faces shining, reflecting the glory of God.” Ibid. Then you will speak about God’s goodness and praise His holy name. We will not spend our time dwelling on negative things and the imperfections of others.

Do you know what happens to the person who dwells on the negative or the imperfections of other people? They actually take on the imperfections they dwell upon. It is astonishing that in the process of studying the defects of character in someone else, we will become like those defects as well.

“We may make mistakes, and we may have to ‘admonish one another.’ But there has come into the churches at Oakland and the surrounding community a spirit of backbiting, of faultfinding and evil-speaking, which demonstrates that you are not converted. Words are uttered that never should pass the lips of a Christian. My brethren and sisters, when you have nothing better to speak of than something about the faults of others, remember that ‘silence is eloquence.’ Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another; for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God’s holy name as verily as you would were you to swear. I am instructed to present these things before you, that you may see how you dishonor the name of Christ Jesus.” Ibid., 367

“When I feel oppressed, and hardly know how to relate myself toward the work that God has given me to do, I just call upon the three great Worthies, and say; You know I cannot do this work in my own strength. You must work in me, and by me and through me, sanctifying my tongue, sanctifying my spirit, sanctifying my words, and bringing me into a position where my spirit shall be susceptible to the movings of the Holy Spirit of God upon my mind and character.

“And this is the prayer that every one of us may offer.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 267, 268

This cannot happen as long as we retain a spirit of criticism and backbiting. If we want to be receptive to the influence of the Holy Spirit, we must develop a spirit of thanksgiving so that the Holy Spirit can change our minds and enable us to speak differently than the people of the world speak. The time we have been given is to be used to glorify God.

Paul describes in Romans 15:14–16 how we are to strive together. We need to learn to work together, strive together in prayers to God and not be looking for faults in one another. He says that instead of entering into conversation that tends to tear down, speak a word of encouragement. Our talent of speech is to be sanctified by God and cleansed from every form of negativity and faultfinding.

Do you know someone with the disposition to quarrel and find fault? This is very serious.

“I feel an intense interest regarding every faultfinder; for I know that a quarrelsome disposition will never find entrance into the city of God. Quarrel with yourself, but with no one else; and then be converted. Confess your sins right here where you are, before you return to your homes. With words of confession, humble your hearts before God.

“When you are tempted to speak unadvisedly, be on guard. If someone else approaches you with words of criticism regarding one of God’s children, turn a deaf ear to every such word. If you are spoken to harshly, never retaliate. Utter not a word. When under provocation, remember that ‘silence is eloquence.’ Silence is the greatest rebuke that you can possibly give a faultfinder or one whose temper is irritated. Keep your eye fixed on Jesus. Keep your eye on the One who never finds fault with you, only to lay before you perils from which He would deliver you.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 271

“The Lord is anxious to save us. He is anxious that everything separating us from Him should be put away, that our hearts may beat in unison with heaven. It is time to be in harmony with God. Let us spend a little while in clearing the King’s highway. If we have been indulging in the sin of telling others’ faults, let us confess it before the Lord and before our brethren.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 378

Brothers and sisters, the time is coming when probation will close and if we haven’t overcome this kind of character, we will be lost. “When probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpectedly—at a time when we are least expecting it.” Last Day Events, 230. It won’t matter if we are Sabbathkeepers. The people who crucified Jesus were Sabbathkeepers. We need to be right with God today, because if we delay, it will be too late.

At the end of her sermon to the Oakland church, Mrs. White offered a long prayer. I will not share the entire prayer, but here are a few lines from it:

“Our heavenly Father, we come to Thee this evening, as our only Refuge, as our only Helper, as the only One who can save us from ourselves. Thou alone can break the iron bands of the heart. Thou alone can cause the blind eyes to discern what sin is.

“Oh, my Father, my Father, the blindness, the terrible blindness, that comes over the people, that they do not discern what manner of character Thou can accept and what Thou wilt be compelled to reject! Oh, that Thou would impress upon all the terrible nature of sin, and how Thou dost regard sin.

“Yet, there are hearts that are becoming more and still more hardened, less and still less sensitive. By familiarity with sin, we lose our sensitiveness as to how awful it is. I pray Thee Lord that they may not go on hardening their hearts any longer.

“I pray Thee that this awful manifestation of self may be broken up. I pray Thee that self may be crucified, and that self may die, in order that there may be a reconversion in the midst of us, and that souls may be brought to humble themselves before Thee, and be reconverted. Break up this hardness of heart! I pray Thee, to melt and subdue the soul. Help them to remove the stumbling blocks out of the way, and to take themselves out of the way. Wilt Thou, Lord, break up this coldness, this iciness, this frozen-heartedness!

“Oh, give them no rest, day or night, until they see the necessity of transformation of character; until they see the necessity of clearing the King’s highway. Oh, help us to be converted. Thou hast a whole heaven of blessings that Thou art waiting to pour out upon a people who are ready to receive it, and use it.” [See Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 379–382.]

We must learn to have a spirit of thanksgiving, a spirit of praising the Lord and not one of finding fault with everything and everyone. We can spend our entire lives studying and talking about all the many things that are wrong in this world, but we will spiritually destroy ourselves if we do, and we won’t be ready for heaven.

“To praise God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty as is prayer. We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity and that we are expecting larger and yet larger blessings from His infinite fullness. … After a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, our joy in the Lord and our efficiency in His service would be greatly increased by recounting His goodness and His wonderful works in behalf of His children.

“These exercises drive back the power of Satan. They expel the spirit of murmuring and complaint, and the tempter loses ground. They cultivate those attributes of character which will fit the dwellers on earth for the heavenly mansions.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 299, 300

This is the experience that will fit us for heaven because part of getting ready for heaven is praising the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness, appreciating the love of God and what He has done to save the human race. We should have regular praise meetings in our homes, just as Jesus did when He worked in the carpenter shop each day. “His praises seemed to drive away the evil angels, and fill the place with sweet fragrance. He carried the minds of His hearers away from their earthly exile to their future, eternal home.

“All this has its lesson for us. We also may commune with God in words of holy song. Our house of worship may be very humble, but it is none the less acknowledged by God. If we worship in spirit, and in truth, and in the beauty of holiness, it will be to us the very gate of heaven. As lessons of the wondrous works of God are repeated, and as the heart’s gratitude is expressed in prayer and song, angels from heaven take up the strain, and unite in praise and thanksgiving to God.” The Review and Herald, October 24, 1899

What is heaven like?

“Heaven is full of joy. It resounds with the praises of Him who made so wonderful a sacrifice for the redemption of the human race.” Heaven, 63

The angels of heaven understand, in a way we do not, the condescension Christ made to come down to this world as a human being. They know what He went through. They know all about the cross and when they see what God has done to save us, night and day, they praise the Lord for His wonderful love. Don’t you think we, too, should be praising the Lord for what He has done for us?

“Should not the church on earth be full of praise? Should not Christians publish throughout the world the joy of serving Christ? Those who in heaven join with the angelic choir in their anthem of praise must learn on earth the song of heaven, the keynote of which is thanksgiving.” My Life Today, 359

Friends, I want to be praising the Lord. I want to be involved in the song of heaven, do you? It won’t matter whether you can carry a tune in this world or not if you know how to praise the Lord and give Him thanks for what He has done for you. If it is worthwhile for the angels to praise the Lord for what He has done, shouldn’t we do the same?

Remember, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was not something that He was required to do; it was not something that He had to do. He could have left us here and we all would have perished. He didn’t have to save us, but He chose to do it because He was willing to do anything so that we would not have to die.

“Jesus will receive you, all polluted as you are, and will wash you in His blood, and cleanse you from all pollution, and make you fit for the society of heavenly angels, in a pure, harmonious heaven. There is no jar, no discord, there. All is health, happiness, and joy.” Heaven, 63

Do you want to live a life that never ends in a place where you will always feel the freshness of the morning? It is difficult for us to understand God’s love, but we can ask Him to put within our hearts a spirit of praise so that we can sing the song of thanksgiving to our Saviour.

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

Editorial – The Future of Babylon and Jerusalem

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The destruction of the ancient city of Babylon is a symbol of the coming destruction of the entire world. The destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its stately temple is also a symbol of the destruction of the world. In the New Testament, Jerusalem and the Jews are used as a symbol of the professed Christian church and Babylon is used as a symbol of the entire religious world. And yet both of these—Babylon and Jerusalem—are portrayed as objects that will be totally destroyed (see for example The Desire of Ages, 743, 816; The Youth’s Instructor, December 29, 1890).

Why is the world going to be destroyed at the end?—because of its wickedness. “The destruction of Babylon pictures to some degree the final destruction of the world [see Isaiah 13]. Babylon is a symbol of the world at large. … When the doom of a nation is fixed, it seems that all the energy, wisdom, and discretion of its former time of prosperity, deserts its men of position, and they hasten the evil they would avert. Outside enemies are not the greatest peril to an individual or a nation. The overthrow of a nation results, under the providence of God, from some unwise or evil course of its own. But the people who fear God, who are loyal to His laws, who carry out the principles of righteousness in their lives, have a sure defense; God will be the refuge of those who trust in Him.” The Signs of the Times, December 29, 1890

“Could the curtain be rolled back before the youth who have never given their hearts to God, with others who are Christians in name, but who are unrenewed in heart and unsanctified in temper, they would see that God’s eye is ever upon them, and they would feel as disturbed as did the king of Babylon. …” The Youth’s Instructor, May 26, 1898

“We are never alone. We have a Companion, whether we choose Him or not. … Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, God is there. To your every word and action you have a witness,—the holy, sin-hating God. Nothing that is said or done or thought can escape His infinite eye. … In the deepest darkness and solitude He is there. No one can deceive God; none can escape from their accountability to Him.” Ibid