Keys to the Storehouse – Forgiveness

Forgiveness does not create character. Many believe that all they need is to be forgiven and they are ready to go to heaven. Could that belief be wrong? The following may give insight about forgiveness and character.

“In the work of restoring man from sin, there are two distinct phases, which every seeker after this restoration needs to understand very clearly and to distinguish, but which are often too little understood.

“First: Those who come to Christ are given forgiveness for all their past sins upon repentance. After man has repented and been forgiven he is not counted as guilty, but he does not yet have a good character—because forgiveness does not and cannot give character—cannot restore the image of God in man; it can only take away the existing condemnation. Therefore God could not restore the eternal life to those who receive forgiveness only, if they were to develop no character. Such people would only continue disobeying and needing forgiveness. …

“Second: A righteous character is developed through continued obedience—through overcoming. This experience must follow that of forgiveness. This is the proof of the sincerity of the repentance. … It is obedience which develops character. ‘Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience.’ The Acts of the Apostles, 561. Forgiveness may be the work of a moment, but the development of a character cannot be done that quickly.

‘The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not developed in a moment. Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust in God’s power to save, are acquired by the experience of years.’ The Ministry of Healing, 454.

“Therefore in the present probation man is given another opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty to God through obedience.

“The great controversy in heaven between good and evil was transferred to this earth. Satan said that the obedience which God required could not possibly be rendered. And in the first probation given to man (Adam), Satan helped man to depart from obedience; and in the second probation which men now have, he does all he can to make it difficult and impossible for man to return to his obedience.

“And so all down through the ages God has been calling for obedience and helping man to obey, while Satan has been saying it could not be done, and doing all he could to prevent it. The history of the world and the church from that time to this would give the impression that Satan has been more successful than has God.” The Place of Health Reform in Character Development, Julius Gilbert White, 5, 6, Light Bearers “Present Truth” Ministries, 1989.

Ask God to forgive you and then make it a point to demonstrate your loyalty to God through obedience to all of His laws, health laws included. God is waiting for each of us to develop a righteous character. He is waiting for you!

Heavenly Father: What a miracle it is that Jesus died that He might cover our confessed sins and by His continued grace we may perfect a character fit for heaven. The devil is roaring to prevent this miracle so I plead for you to “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Psalm 17:5). Amen.

Current Events – Final Movements Will Be Rapid

We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. …

“Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.

This was written over a century ago and today we see its fulfillment. The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation this month is being celebrated in unity by both the Protestant churches and the Catholic Church, confirming that the Reformation has come to an end and that they are uniting on points of mutual interest. One might wonder if Martin Luther and the many martyrs that stood for truth would celebrate with them. How the churches have backslidden in these latter days! It is certainly a call to prayer for those that still believe that the Lord was leading those brave souls who stood for Bible truth against the tyranny of the Roman Church.

Pedestrians, enjoying the summer evening in a crowded boulevard in a tourist area in Barcelona, were mowed down in two vehicle attacks killing 15 people and wounding more than 120 others. This was Plan B of a much larger assault with explosives. According to the police, the 12-man cell’s plan for a more lethal attack fell apart after the house, filled with bomb-making equipment, blew up and they resorted to using the vehicles to carry out their mayhem. There seems to be no end to these terrorist attacks.

Natural disasters are also on the increase. In southern Texas, USA, Hurricane Harvey could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history with an estimated cost of $160 billion. Over 50” of rain has caused wide-spread flooding with a staggering death toll.

Earlier in the year, flooding and mudslides in Sri Lanka left more than 150 people dead and almost half a million displaced after the worst torrential rains to hit the tropical island nation since 2003.

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

“Now as He (Jesus) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘… And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. … You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various placed. All these are the beginning of sorrows. … But he who endures to the end shall be saved’ ” (Matthew 24:3–13).

If ever there was a time for the people of God to pray, it is now!

 

Michael’s Two Miracles

Michael bent his head against the stinging north wind as he hurried home from school. Even though it was still early autumn in the southern part of Canada where he lived he knew that the wind and the gray low-hanging clouds meant snow before morning. Jersey Girl would certainly have to be put in the barn tonight.

Jersey Girl was the purebred dairy heifer that Uncle Bill had given him. “She’s due to freshen soon,” Uncle Bill had said at breakfast that morning.

Michael could hardly wait to see the heifer’s little calf. “Maybe Jersey Girl will have a surprise for me today!” he exclaimed to himself as he hurried along.

When Michael reached home he found Uncle Bill in the barn filling the kerosene lantern. Uncle Bill glanced up, his face drawn with worry. “We’ll have to let the milking go for now. Jersey Girl had her calf today, but she left it somewhere in the pasture. She didn’t bring it when she came in with the herd.”

Michael swallowed hard at a lump in his throat. “Do you think the calf is dead?” he asked.

Uncle Bill shook his head. “No. If it were dead Jersey Girl wouldn’t have left it. The calf is alive, all right. She has just hidden it. Some first-calf heifers do that. I meant to leave her in the corral this morning, but she slipped past me.”

Uncle Bill opened the barn door as he spoke, and a gust of icy wind rushed in.

The lump in Michael’s throat grew. “Will the calf freeze?”

Quickly Uncle Bill nodded. “It will tonight if we can’t find it right away.”

Michael no longer minded the cold wind. He didn’t even think about it. All that mattered now was the tiny calf huddled somewhere in the big pasture. “Where will we look first?” he asked his uncle.

“Up the washout. Because of the cold, Jersey Girl would pick the warmest spot she could find. After we’ve searched the washout, we’ll try the grove.”

Michael nodded. He knew now why Uncle Bill had brought the lantern. The thick grove of oaks lay on the back side of the pasture more than half a mile away. Darkness would fall before they could make their way there and back, if they had to go that far looking for the calf.

“We can search the washout on our way to the grove,” Uncle Bill said. “This will save time. But I don’t believe we will find the calf there. The grove is the most likely place.”

Uncle Bill was right. Although he and Michael searched behind every rock and bush along the washout, there was no sign of a calf.

“The grove next,” said Uncle Bill, “and we’d better hurry. I see snowflakes.”

Michael could see some too. Quietly he stopped and bowed his head. “Dear Jesus,” he whispered, “please don’t let the snow keep us from finding Jersey Girl’s calf.”

When Michael had finished his prayer he looked up to find his uncle staring at him in disapproval. “We’d better not waste time,” he said shortly.

Uncle Bill did not believe in prayer. He didn’t believe in Jesus. This made Michael and his mother very sad. They had prayed many times for something to happen that would make Uncle Bill change, but so far he hadn’t.

Michael stumbled on the path and he realized it was beginning to grow dark. Uncle Bill paused long enough to light the lantern. As he did so, heavy flakes of snow swirled against the yellow globe.

Soon the flakes were beating thickly against Michael’s face. The path turned white. So did Uncle Bill’s back and shoulders.

Michael grew frightened. “Uncle Bill,” he cried, “how can we find the calf? I can hardly see the lantern, the snow is so thick!”

“It will be a miracle,” Uncle Bill’s voice sounded hollow. “We’re at the edge of the grove now, but we could walk within inches of the calf without seeing it.”

“Maybe it will bawl for Jersey Girl,” suggested Michael.

“It might,” answered Uncle Bill. “But it isn’t likely.”

“Please, Jesus, make the calf bawl!” Michael prayed as he plunged ahead on the path. He had only taken a few steps when he tripped and fell heavily onto a snow-shrouded bush. A snow-covered mound lay beside it. Michael put his right hand against it to brace himself in getting up. It gave way under his touch. Instantly a familiar-sounding small bawl filled Michael’s ears, and a little animal sprang up and out into the path. Michael seized it with a joyful cry.

“It’s Jersey Girl’s calf! Oh, Uncle Bill, we’ve found it!”

“So we have.” Uncle Bill’s voice sounded strange as he took the struggling calf from Michael’s arms. “We had better get it to its mother as quickly as we can.”

Michael took the lantern and held it close to the calf. “It’s so small—and so pretty!” he exclaimed happily. “It’s the color of fresh churned butter!”

After the calf and Jersey Girl had been put in the barn for the night and the milking was done, Michael told his mother what had happened.

“Your finding the calf like that certainly was a miracle,” she said softly. “We must thank Jesus for it.”

Michael nodded in agreement. He and Mother both knelt, then before either one had begun to pray Uncle Bill slipped into the room and knelt with them.

Michael’s heart nearly burst with thanksgiving as he leaned forward and whispered to his mother, “Let’s thank Jesus for two miracles!”

Heaven, Please! Helena Welch, 36–41.

When a Curse is a Blessing

Let us talk just a little bit about trials, difficulties, hardships—those things that we would naturally think of as unfortunate circumstances, or consider negative, things we would choose, in our human thinking and nature, to avoid. In studying this topic, we find many seeming dichotomies in Christianity, and herein is another. What looks good or right through human eyes is not good at all, and what looks unpleasant or distasteful or bad to human eyes, is the very thing that God, in His love and mercy, ordains.

We will begin our study right at the very beginning of the history of these dichotomies; the entrance of sin. Genesis 3:17: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” [Emphasis supplied.] This curse is a blessing.

We know that God is speaking to Adam and Eve after their fall, and in addressing them, He is addressing all humanity, caught in the net of sin. How is it that He pronounces a curse for our sake? What does the phrase mean “for your sake”? What do we mean when we say something is for your sake? It means that something is done or said for your good, your help, your benefit or blessing. In this Scripture God is telling us that He is pronouncing a curse for our good, our help, our benefit or blessing.

Let’s turn to a passage of inspiration to help us understand this seeming dichotomy. “It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. He had freely given them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it—they would have the knowledge of evil—all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan’s temptations. Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 59.

Oh, friends, our God of love and mercy gave freely and abundantly all that was good, that was lovely, that was pleasant, that would produce joy and happiness, and an eternal life of bliss. But man, seeing another choice and deeming it better, distrusted and disobeyed God’s explicit instructions and took that which seemed better in his own eyes. And this opened the floodgates of woe and misery and death. It brought “the knowledge of evil” to all mankind.

This is the lot in which Adam and Eve found themselves after eating the forbidden fruit. But the full consequences were hidden from their initial vision and understanding. Therefore these consequences of sin “disappointment, anxiety, and toil” were, in God’s merciful, gracious, and loving plan, “appointed” [prearranged, selected, employed or allotted] them, and were intended for their good—their eternal good.

It seems possible, and maybe even likely, that Adam and Eve would have raised the very questions we so often ask when we undergo trial, difficulty, hardship, pain, or sorrow: Why?

Before we continue, I would like to consider for just a moment the greatest danger that threatens our well-being the most. It is sin—the loss of a connection with God—the Life-giver. His whole purpose in this world—after the entrance of sin—is the redemption of man. Therefore, everything He does in relation to this world is in relation to His plan of redemption and that one issue—sin, and rectifying that problem in our lives.

We are going to continue reading our passage in Patriarchs and Prophets that indicates God’s thoughts and intentions in regard to suffering, sorrow, trials, and difficulties that come our way. “Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and results of rebellion against God.” Ibid.

When Adam and Eve sinned they did not understand or comprehend the nature of sin—of rebellion against God, and the severity of the consequences. God saw that they needed to be taught these things and what we read next is God’s method to teach them this truth.

“When God made man He made him rule over the earth and all living creatures. So long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule. Thus the Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead them, by their own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even in the slightest degree.” Ibid., 59, 60.

It is very painful to experience rebellion, but God saw that in order for man to comprehend the significance of his own rebellion to God, man must himself experience what it was like. There is not the least hint or shred of vindictiveness in this lesson that God has ordained. Rather it is given in the depths of Divine love. God knew we needed this lesson for our eternal salvation. This curse then, is really a blessing—a blessing for our eternal life.

God continues, “And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin … .” Ibid., 60. What is the sin that stands at the head of all sin? “Under the general heading of selfishness came every other sin.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 384.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “selfish” as “Having or showing concern only for yourself and not for the needs or feelings of other people.” So what does this have to do with “the life of toil and care … being a discipline rendered needful by his sin [selfishness]?”

“And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of self-control.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 60.

With what or whom does the “indulgence of appetite and passion” have to do? With self. It has to do with what gratifies “self.” What do I want, regardless of what is good for me, or my family, or my friends, or my God. What do I feel like? Will this kind of thinking ever bring happiness? “Simplicity of character and lowliness of heart will give happiness, while self-conceit will bring discontent, repining, and continual disappointment. It is learning to think less of ourselves and more of making others happy that will bring to us divine strength.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 476.

So, God ordained “the life of toil and care” to protect us against selfishness, the “indulgence of appetite and passion.” Is that a blessing, or a curse?

No sin or selfishness will be allowed in heaven. “Never will evil again be manifest. Says the word of God: ‘Affliction shall not rise up the second time’ (Nahum 1:9).” The Great Controversy, 504.

God, in His mercy and love, wants to teach us the consequences of sin and rebellion, and the best way is to experience it for ourselves. This can never take place in a situation of ease, a lack of trial and tribulation. So as we continue to read from Patriarchs and Prophets, 60, it says, “It [that is, “the life of toil and care”] was a part of God’s great plan of man’s recovery from the ruin and degradation of sin.”

Let’s look at this briefly from another angle. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). To please God, we must have faith. Now what does this have to do with trials, tribulations, the “curse” of sin?

“But ‘we know that all things work together for good to them that love God’ (Romans 8:28). ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’ (2 Timothy 3:12). It is good for me to tread a hard and humble path, to encounter difficulties, to experience disappointments, to suffer afflictions and bereavements. The Saviour knows what is best. Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.” The Review and Herald, August 28, 1883.

Faith grows through difficulty and trial. If you want your faith to grow then welcome trials. Know that they are ordained of God for your blessing. “Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.”

We have seen that trial and difficulty under the “curse of sin” has been allowed by God as a blessing—to show us, to teach us the reality of the consequences of sin so that we will flee from it.

When you experience what in your view is a trial or difficulty, remember, it is given through the hand of Omnipotent love—for your eternal salvation. The key is—how do you accept it? Do you mumble and grumble and complain, or receive it in gratitude for what it really is—a messenger from God for your salvation—a curse that is a blessing. It is God Himself that said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake.” [Emphasis supplied.]

All Bible quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.

 

 

The Approaching Storm

The basis for this study is found in Luke the 8th chapter verses 22–25, first part, which says, “Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He [Christ] went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.  And He said unto them, Where is your faith?”

This is a scriptural record of an actual experience which took place in the life of Jesus Christ and His disciples. They had just experienced a very busy day. Since early morning Christ had been teaching and healing. They were so busy that they had not taken time for food or for rest. To make matters even worse they were constantly being surrounded by malicious criticism and misrepresentation by the Pharisees who continually pursued Christ making His labors more severe and harassing.

So now at the close of this busy day the Lord was utterly wearied and He determined to seek a retirement in a secluded place across the lake. Dismissing the multitude Jesus and His disciples hastily set off in a boat to relieve the pressure of the crowd. Overcome with weariness and hunger Jesus lies down in the stern of the little boat and is soon sound asleep. The evening is calm and pleasant and the boat gently rides upon the lake, but suddenly a strange darkness spreads over the lake and the wind sweeps wildly down the mountain gorges as a fierce tempest bursts upon them. The waves lashed by such howling wind dash completely over the tiny boat threatening to engulf them. These hardy fishermen have guided their craft safely through many a storm but this time their strength and skill avail nothing.

The disciples are helpless in the face of this tempest, for Satan is attempting to destroy both the Master and His disciples. So absorbed are these men to save themselves that they have completely forgotten that Jesus is on board. Now as death is imminent they recall that it was Christ who commanded them to cross the lake and in their helpless condition they cried, Master, Master! but in such a stormy darkness they see no one and their voices are drowned by the roaring tempest. Doubts and fears grip their hearts. Had Jesus forsaken them? Could it be that He who would conquer disease and demons and even death itself could not help them now?

Again, they called for help, for the boat is beginning to sink. Another moment and they will be swallowed up by the angry waters. Suddenly there is a flash of lightning and they see Jesus lying asleep – undisturbed by the raging storm. In amazement they cry out, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish” (Mark 4:38)? Their cry arouses Jesus and in the lightning glare they see the peace of Heaven on His face. Again, they cry, “Lord, save us! We perish” (Matthew 8:25)! Never did a soul utter that cry unheeded.

Jesus arises as the waves sweep over them. Lifting His hands He says to the angry sea, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39). Immediately the stormy billows cease their attack. The clouds roll away, the stars shine forth, and the tiny boat rests upon a quiet sea. Jesus looks around at His disciples and asks sorrowfully, “Why are ye so fearful?” “Where is your faith” (Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25)? In this life and death crisis Jesus did not ask the questions that are so often to be found in the minds of uncertainty. He did not ask like we would today, “Don’t you have a bank account that you can count on? Don’t you have some investments? Don’t you have a lot of friends that will help you? What type of insurance do you carry, and how much?” No, He asked a very personal, heart searching question: “Where is your faith?”

As Seventh-day Adventists we believe that men are justified by faith for “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6), and we believe that “faith cometh by hearing … the word of God” (Romans 10:17). But how many of us know the faith that will be required of each one to meet the coming storm? When we are surrounded by riots and protests leading to civil strife and war here in America and with the united evangelical movement joined against us, when suddenly every security we’ve ever known has vanished in a time of trouble such as never was, what good will it be then to talk about the prestige of our great institutions? the luxury of our beautiful churches which architects have built with our sacrificial money? the well-edited literature and international broadcasts that our church presents? when every religious body in this world will be against us? I ask, Are we ready for persecution, even the facing of a universal death decree? Then to discover that our very best friends, even those within the church we love, are testifying against us. When our world collapses around us, will we be strong enough in the faith to stand alone or will we be captured in total fear as were the disciples? What will our answer be when Jesus speaks, “Where is your faith?”

In Revelation 14:12 the remnant have two characteristics. They keep the commandments of God and they keep the faith of Jesus. Let’s consider just for one more moment the faith of Jesus – literally. “When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. It was not as the ‘Master of earth and sea and sky’ that He reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, ‘I can of Mine own self do nothing’ (John 5:30). He trusted in the Father’s might. It was in faith—faith in God’s love and care—that Jesus rested, and the power of that Word which stilled the storm was the power of God,” His Father. The Desire of Ages, 336.

Let us think now of some very serious questions which I hope will awaken your mind to the approaching storm that is so soon to break upon us. I trust we will truly keep the faith of Jesus. There is a sinister force at work in our world today to overthrow the cause of God. “The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11. “We are on the very verge of the time of trouble, and perplexities that are scarcely dreamed of are before us. A power from beneath is leading men to war against Heaven. Human beings have confederated with satanic agencies to make void the law of God.” Ibid., 43. [Emphasis added.]

Let’s take the word consolidation. Never in my life span have I seen such a surge of consolidation that we now see taking place. The financial structures of this world are consolidating. Bank after bank merge together in a colossal empire. Giant corporations are swallowing up one another so that a few are now controlling every aspect of life. Even denominational churches are consolidating so that today a few are emerging with a powerful political clout. Even the nations are consolidating. Take the North American Process Technology Alliance (NAPTA). You find the joining together of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. And then look at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in which the third world countries are joining together for their power. Look across the Atlantic to the European commonwealth. Here countries are uniting in a European union which has one currency and a tremendous trade power.

Now let’s look at the word confederation. We hear much today of a United Nations for a new world order, and for what purpose? for peace? so that there will be no more war? Don’t be fooled. Inspiration has made it clear that it is to make void the law of God producing a worldwide united power in which it will not be possible to buy or to sell unless you have the mark of the beast.

Things are developing fast. The Lord said the last movements would be rapid ones. How is this crisis coming? Selected Messages, Book 2, 367: “The word of God plainly declares that His law is to be scorned, trampled upon, by the world; there will be an extraordinary prevalence of iniquity.” And nobody can shut their eyes today at the evils and say this is not here. It is. “The professed Protestant world will form a confederacy with the man of sin, and the church and the world will be in corrupt harmony.

“Here the great crisis is coming upon the world. The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time-serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world.” Ibid., 367, 368.

Did you catch that? Did you notice a confederacy between Protestants and the man of sin? Need I tell you that this just recently happened when Protestant and Catholic leadership in 1994 signed the document called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together”? An idea that was conceived by Charles Colson, the founder of the prison fellowship and a Catholic priest by the name of Richard Neuhaus.

Christianity Today, the evangelical magazine, was so excited that it called this document the most important. It said, “All who accept Christ as Lord and Savior are brothers and sisters in Christ. Evangelicals and Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ. However imperfect our communion with one another, however deep our disagreements with one another, we recognize that there is but One church.” [Emphasis added.] Oh, it’s here, friend!

The Great Controversy, 445, says, “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common … .” Let me tell you, the crisis is not coming; the crisis is here now! From our pulpits is being preached peace and safety. The purpose of this great ecumenical movement is to reestablish papal power as it was before the reformation. The papacy accomplished its authority in A.D. 538 by conducting councils, conventions, and evangelical alliances and they are using the same strategy today. “Was not this the way things went with Rome? Are we not living her life over again? And what do we see just ahead? Another general council! A world’s convention! Evangelical alliance, and universal creed!” Ibid.

There have been two great Vatican councils that have been held and there are numerous evangelical alliances that are now being formed by dialogs between Catholics, Protestants and Jews. I know of this personally because one day while I was pastor in Sacramento, California, I received a call from a Catholic priest from a nearby church. He remarked that there is a great ecumenical movement now. He wanted to come speak in my church on our Sabbath day. He would then invite me to come and speak to his people on a Sunday. My answer was, no thank you. …

Let me read to you from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 10, of the Bible Commentary, pages 410 and 411: “The ecumenical movement will … become a concerted effort to unite the world as to secure universal peace and security by enlisting the power of the civil government in a universal religio-political crusade to eliminate all dissent. SDA’s envision this crusade as the great apostasy to which John the revelator refers to ‘Babylon the great’ (Revelation 17:5).” …

In The Great Controversy, 571, are these words: “The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4). … Shall this power, whose record for a thousand years is written in the blood of saints, be now acknowledged as a part of the church of Christ?” And then Testimonies, vol. 7, 108: “To bind ourselves up by contracts with those not of our faith is not in the order of God. We are to treat with kindness and courtesy those who refuse to be loyal to God, but we are never, never to unite with them in counsel regarding the vital interests of His work.” [Emphasis added.] These things will only lead to persecution. The Great Controversy, 445: “When this shall be gained, then, in the effort to secure complete uniformity, it will be only a step to the resort of force.”

“In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance … .” The Great Controversy, 573.

Did you notice those words? “To regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she lost in the Old World.”

History reveals that in Europe during the 1260 years of papal supremacy Rome was in complete control of every kingdom and every law was based on Catholic law. Do we realize what it must have been to live there? Freedom of worship as we know it today was absolutely forbidden. You could be destroyed to think differently from than that which Rome taught. Freedom as we have experienced it in our lifetime did not exist then. Approximately a hundred and fifty million were put to death as heretics. You see, the reason why the founders of America established a strict separation of church and state was to give full freedom for religious groups to flourish as their own message would grow. But today’s religious right is not satisfied with this freedom. It feels driven by the name of God to conduct its doctrinal principles into the political arena.

I was amazed to read The Monitor of McAllen, Texas, January 24, 1995, in which the editor said some very bold things. He talks about the political principles, for example, of this new religious right. He says, “It tends to confine women to traditional roles proscribing any productive rights and impose public manifestations of religion such as school prayer. It is punitive in its outlook on people who receive government assistance and as a retributive view of criminal justice offering strong support for capital punishment.” Then are these words: “The religious right brooks no tolerance or possibility of divergent moral beliefs by equally religious folks. Perhaps for that reason it seems so full of hatred and intolerance, hardly biblical values, and for those who do not subscribe to its agenda, the religious right unleashes its version of the inquisition.” Here we see developing in America the beginning of the image of the beast.

Will churches seek the aid of the state? The Great Controversy, 443: “It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy … . Said Paul: ‘There’ shall ‘come a falling away, … and that man of sin be revealed’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3). So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast.”

God speaks of this in the second angel’s message when He said in Revelation 14:8: “… Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” In 1935 there was a man, Professor Beltz, who sent out questionnaires to the leading Protestant ministers throughout America. The statistics speak for themselves. These ministers of Protestant churches confessed as follows, that they believe no longer in the Bible as being trustworthy. So spoke the Baptists, 37%; the Congregational Church, 91% said they no longer believe the Bible to be trustworthy; the Episcopalians, 96%; the Presbyterians, 80%.

Thirty-five years later (1970), Look Magazine sent out a survey to the students in North American seminaries, asking them a question about the Second Coming. Only one percent believed that Jesus Christ would ever return. And these are the ministers that are in the churches today. Should we be amazed when we look at the books that are coming from our presses today which are teaching the doctrines of Babylon, that we can be saved in sin, that we don’t have to keep the law, that obedience is not required, that we do not have to overcome, that Jesus did it all for us on the cross? All we have to do is just believe.

We see the image of the beast developing. The Great Controversy, 445: “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.”

What is meant by giving life to the image of the beast? Testimonies, vol. 5, page 712: “When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism.”

And so, in The Great Controversy, 449: “Hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.” Have we been told when it will be formed? Yes, we have. Selected Messages, Book 2, 81: “The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes.”

And what is the mark? “The mark … is the observance of the first day of the week.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 117.

And what will the enforcement of the national Sunday law do to our church? “When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate, will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 368.

And what will happen to our nation? The Review and Herald, May 2, 1893: “The result of this apostasy will be national ruin.”

We see it all coming together. I believe as we have been told in Testimonies, vol. 5, 451, “The angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return.” “We may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Ibid.

Let me tell you friend, a storm is coming. May I ask you again that personal question, Is Christ on board your ship? When the storm breaks, will the Master ask, “Where is your faith?” Will you cringe in despair or will you be able to go to sleep at night just like Jesus in that little boat, without fear in a raging storm because His faith was in His God, His Father. God give us this kind of faith today is my prayer.

For more than fifty years Lawrence Nelson served the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a church pastor, evangelist, and then in Conference, Union, and General Conference leadership. When God laid upon him the responsibility to “tell it like it is” to alert the people how the church was leading them into the worldwide ecumenical movement he was forbidden to preach in any church within the Oregon Conference. Though nothing could be found in his preaching that was contrary to the doctrines of the church he was considered divisive. Thus Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry was born.

 

The Happiest Place on Earth

God has told us that He created men and women for happiness, and yet the majority in our world today do not experience it.

Many people mistakenly think that happiness is dependent on some type of outward circumstance. In other words, the thought that if I had a better job, if I had a nicer spouse, if I had better health, if I lived in a better house, and another hundred “ifs,” then I would be happy. That is a delusion.

Unhappiness began in heaven—in a perfect society. Nobody was sick; there was not one who did not have enough of anything they wanted or needed. It was a perfect society. There was no defect in the society of heaven, and yet, in a perfect place, unhappiness developed, because a leading angel found himself dissatisfied. Why? He became dissatisfied for two of the very same reasons that people become dissatisfied today. First, because he could not be first and highest in command, so he became jealous of Jesus Christ, who was above him.

A couple of thousand years ago, one of the most famous men of antiquity, Julius Caesar, was leading a group of soldiers through a deep mountain valley. Julius Caesar was not only one of the most famous men of antiquity, he was also one of the most wicked. As they passed through the deep mountain valley they noticed on the top of the mountain a little village with smoke rising from the home hearths. Julius Caesar was reported to say to one of his aids walking with him, “I would rather be number one in that little village than to be number two in Rome.” This was the same problem that Lucifer had and it is all through the human race.

Lucifer wanted to be number one but God did not consent for him to be number one and he was dissatisfied. The Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, sometimes had council meetings together where the angels were not included. These were secret councils. The angels were not told what happened in these secret councils. Lucifer was jealous thinking that he should be included. Because he was not accorded supreme honor, he began to ask some questions in which he impugned the justice of God and talked to the angels about his dissatisfaction. Ellen White wrote, “He bent all his powers to allure the angels from their allegiance. The fact that he was an archangel, glorious and powerful, enabled him to exert a mighty influence. His complaints against God’s government, at first met with no favor; yet being urged again and again, they were finally accepted by those who had before been loyal and happy subjects of the King of Heaven. There was not the shadow of justification or excuse for disaffection; but envy and jealousy, once cherished, gained a power that paralyzed reason and destroyed honor and loyalty.” The Signs of the Times, September 14, 1882.

It is impossible to reason with a person once his reason has been paralyzed. That happens to human beings all the time. If you have that problem, if there are times in your life when you get so wrought up with depression or anger or any other emotion that your reason becomes paralyzed, you must overcome that by the grace of God, or you will not be in kingdom of heaven.

Lucifer told the angels that God had shown preference to Jesus Christ, to the neglect of himself. He then started telling some lies. Jesus called the devil the father of lies (John 8:14).

“Henceforth all the sweet liberty the angels had enjoyed was at an end.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 19. Eventually, the result was contention among the angels. Satan and his sympathizers were striving to reform the government of God because they were discontented and unhappy. Remember, this problem started in heaven, the place that we say we want to go. But here angels are discontent because they could not look into God’s unsearchable councils.

How arrogant for a created being to think that he would have a right to make demands on what his Creator should or should not do. This opened into a revolt and we see this same arrogance displayed by human beings today in all kinds of situations. The Bible says because of this, war broke out in heaven (Revelation 12:7–9).

The translation of the Hebrew word Mich-a-el, which we call in English Michael, is One who is like God. Michael [Jesus] and His angels fought and the dragon fought, and his angels. The war in heaven was angels against angels. Evil did not prevail. The dragon (Satan) and his angels were cast out to the earth. The very same technique that Lucifer used to deceive the angels, by which he eventually succeeded in persuading approximately one third of them to rebel against the government of God, he started using down here on this earth with our first mother, Eve.

He lied about God just as he had to the angels. He also lied about herself, telling her that she was immortal and that if she ate the fruit she would become like God. Only God has immortality.

Since the fall in Eden, the devil has continued to stir up dissatisfaction among the people of the world, even among God’s professed people. For example, when the children of Israel were delivered from the land of Egypt there were 600,000 men over 20 years of age, and of those 600,000 men only two of them entered the land of Canaan. That is an awful record, all because of dissatisfaction.

God had miraculously rescued them from slavery but they did not trust Him. The first time they didn’t have enough water they murmured against Moses saying, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt, to kill us …” (Exodus 17:3, literal translation). They continually complained. In Numbers 11:1 it says, “… when the people complained, it displeased the Lord … His anger was aroused … .”

Verse 4 says, “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said, ‘Who will give us meat to eat?’ ” They craved their Egyptian diet, not satisfied with the manna that fell from heaven that sustained them in health for 40 years. Today, there are still people craving their Egyptian diet over the original diet that God gave mankind in the beginning.

Ellen White wrote in The Signs of the Times, March 7, 1906, “Do not look on the dark side. When the Israelites were content with the portion of manna that God gave, they found it sweet and full of nourishment. When they became dissatisfied, it was loathsome to them. Content is a blessing; discontent, a curse.”

Unfortunately, “Because of their dissatisfied, impatient, and rebellious spirit, they wandered for forty years in the wilderness.” Ibid., July 22, 1886.

“Whenever their appetite was restricted, the Israelites were dissatisfied, and murmured and complained against Moses and Aaron, and against God …” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1102. The Bible says that the Lord gave them angel’s food. So why were they not happy with it? “In Egypt their taste had become perverted. God designed to restore their appetite to a pure, healthy state, in order that they might enjoy the simple fruits that were given to Adam and Eve in Eden.” Ibid. If they had been willing to deny their appetite in obedience to God’s restrictions, there would have been no feeble one in all their tribes.

“God’s commands are never designed to make men unhappy.” The Signs of the Times, September 29, 1881. God never tells you to do something or not to do something for an arbitrary reason or to make you unhappy.

“They [God’s commandments] are the dictates of infinite wisdom, goodness, and love. While they secure the glory of God, they also promote the happiness of men. His restrictions are a safeguard against depravity of heart and corruption of life. The appetites and passions, indulged without restraint, enslave and degrade the higher and nobler powers.” Ibid.

We are living in a time when men want to please themselves without restrictions of any kind. However, any restriction that God gives is given for the happiness of mankind. This problem of dissatisfaction did not cease in the wilderness. Some hundreds of years later God’s people became dissatisfied with the guidance of the King of kings through the prophets. They told Samuel they wanted a human king. Now just think that through. They already had a King, the God of heaven, but they wanted to trade Him for a human king so they could be like everybody else. So God gave them what they wanted.

Human carnal nature can not help itself but be dissatisfied. Right after Jesus had fed the five thousand, the multitudes became dissatisfied with Him. “Their dissatisfied hearts queried why, if Jesus could perform so many wondrous works as they had witnessed, could He not give health, strength, and riches to all His people, free them from their oppressors, and exalt them to power and honor? The fact that He claimed to be the Sent of God, and yet refused to be Israel’s king, was a mystery which they could not fathom. His refusal was misinterpreted.” The Desire of Ages, 385. This mystery that they could not fathom caused many to leave Jesus and never come back. They became dissatisfied, one of the most successful tools of the devil.

“The world is full of dissatisfied spirits who overlook the happiness and blessings within their reach, and are continually seeking for happiness and satisfaction that they do not realize.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 640.

The reason for this is the same reason the devil had in the beginning. He wanted control as do people today. Control springs from selfishness. It is rampant in people who have not died to self, have too much idle time, and who have never been born again in the Spirit of God.

“It is in a life of service only that true happiness is found. He who lives a useless, selfish life is miserable. He is dissatisfied with himself and with every one else.” The Review and Herald, May 2, 1907.

If we do not overcome the temptation to dissatisfaction, we will lose heaven. It is a habit that once it gains a hold in your mind will eventually lead to dissatisfaction with everything. If you were taken to heaven, you would eventually be dissatisfied with the Lord Himself.

The story of Abraham in Genesis 12 reveals the secret of overcoming the temptation to dissatisfaction. Abraham was seventy-five years old at the time, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ ” (verses 1–3).

God made some wonderful promises to Abraham. First, He promises He would bless him and make his name great. Today we see that has happened. Christian, Jewish and Muslim nations all know that Abraham is great and call him their father.

Abraham knew how the world would be blessed through him. Though the nations around him worshiped idols Abraham worshiped the true God. The Lord had appeared to him and explained the plan of salvation. He knew that someday the Messiah would come through one of his descendants and as a result, salvation would be available to everybody in the world. That thrilled him more than anything else. God had promised Abraham that He would bless him and make of him a great nation. But Abraham questioned how could this be, as he had no children.

“And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This one [Eliezer of Damascus, Abraham’s servant] shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’ ” (Genesis 15:4, 5).

God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. The Messiah would come from one of his descendants. His name would be great and he would be made into a great nation. But that was not all. Along with these promises would be a test.

Hebrews 11:8, 9, says, “By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he would receive as an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (literal translation).

Abraham packed up and left his home, Ur of the Chaldees, without knowing where he would be led. Ur of the Chaldees is down by the Persian Gulf in the southern part of what is now called Iraq. Nimrod had founded a whole group of cities there in Mesopotamia, which means the land between the rivers.

It was a very fertile tropical country and in ancient times a large part of the world population lived there. They were a highly civilized group of people. Modern archeology has found out some very interesting things about Ur of the Chaldees. The streets were paved. The streets in the city had lights at night. Houses were built with indoor plumbing with running water. The people did not live in tents but in houses, permanent dwellings that were built out of brick or masonry.

God called Abraham from a comfortable living from one of the most wealthy, civilized cities in the world to an unknown place and by faith he obeyed. God said, I want you to leave your country, and leave all your relatives.

Ellen White says it was no light test that was brought upon Abraham, no small sacrifice that was required of him. There were strong ties to bind him to his country, his kindred, and his home. And what was worse, Abraham was not able to explain why he was doing this or where he was going so that his friends could understand. This must have appeared to his friends and family that he was crazy.

Abraham did not question God’s instructions. When God told Abraham something, he obeyed and he did not need to ask any questions. The Bible describes Abraham as the father of the faithful. The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:7, 29).

So, Abraham left his home and went to Haran. Eventually he landed in southern Palestine in a place that was later called Shechem.

Abraham no longer had a masonry house. There were no paved streets or city lights at night. He lived in a tent and was not dissatisfied because, “God has spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place on earth for him was the place where God would have him to be.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 126.

If you are a child of Abraham and you know that you are where God wants you to be, that is all you need to know and you will be satisfied. Unfortunately, dissatisfaction is still a problem for God’s children all over the world today. Have you ever met somebody who is dissatisfied with where they are? In fact, often people come to work at places like Steps to Life and they are so dissatisfied in Wichita, Kansas, that they want us to move the ministry somewhere else. That has happened many times. We are asked why we do not move this ministry to Hawaii or some other place they would desire to be. Why not move the ministry to Colorado where there are some mountains to look at?

If you are a Christian, the question is the same as was the question for Abraham: Where does God want me to be? That’s it. If I know that, then that is all I need to know. It is not important if there are mountains, or how the economy is, or the condition of the soil, or any number of other things. All I need to know is, Is this where God wants me to be? That was all Abraham needed to know.

The happiest place on earth is where God wants you to be. The happiest place on earth for Abraham was where God wanted him to be, even without the temporal comforts of the city he had left.

Then came more trials. It had stopped raining and the land was in a famine. Abraham had a lot of livestock that he had the potential of losing, as well as not being able to get enough food for his family. They were threatened with starvation. What would he do now?

Often when trials come, people start to question if that is really where the Lord wants them to be. But not Abraham; he knew the Lord had led him there so he did not go back to where he had come from. To avoid starvation and losing everything he went as close as he could to the land of promise. He went down to the land of Egypt a while to sojourn there.

Abraham could not explain the leadings of providence and had not realized his expectations but he never questioned Him who knows all. Ellen White wrote, “God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 129.

God has always sent His children trials of various kinds to prepare them for heaven and Abraham had to go through some very severe trials. In Canaan he found that the whole land, populated with Canaanites, not only worshiped idols, but on the mountains they offered human sacrifices. It was a terrible place to be, but Abraham stayed, knowing that the Lord had led him there. For him it was where God had put him. There would be a purpose because the happiest place on earth for him was where God would have him to be.

My friend, if you surrender your life to God, it will cut short the thousands of problems the people of this world have, because you need to ask far fewer questions. All you need to ask is, What do You want me do and where do you want me to live?

It worked for Abraham; he was at the place where God would have him be. He would then rest in the Lord and wait to see the bright side of what God was going to do in his life. Do you see how simple it is? You just need divine guidance in your life and you don’t need to get in all the quandary the people in this world have.

Thank God for the example of Abraham in Scripture and for the faith that he manifested. Pray that God will impart to us that same faith that Abraham had and that we may learn the lesson of satisfaction in this life and overcome the temptation to be dissatisfied. Remember, the happiest place on earth is where God wants you to be.

(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 in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

 

 

Editorial – The Secret of Christian Success

Many people are striving to be or become successful. Although it is important to be successful, the most important success of all is to be successful in becoming fitted to receive the gift of eternal life. If you gain this, you will gain everything; but if you fail to obtain eternal life, Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26)?

Like Naaman, some people think that success comes by some wonderful or dramatic action, but the truth is just the opposite of this. The secret of success is the faithful conscientious attention to what are called the little things—things that many people consider insignificant. (See John 20:6, 7 and The Desire of Ages, 789.) “Only by faithfulness in the little things can the soul be trained to act with fidelity under larger responsibilities.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 356.

Heaven is a place where each citizen is constantly seeking ways to be of service to others. This world on the other hand is a place where most people serve themselves first and only serve others after themselves. None of these people will be in the kingdom of heaven: “They consent to live for the service of self, and Satan is satisfied.” The Desire of Ages, 130.

“In the great judgment day those who have not worked for Christ, those who have drifted along, carrying no responsibility, thinking of themselves, pleasing themselves, will be placed by the Judge of all the earth with those who did evil. They receive the same condemnation.

“Many who profess to be Christians neglect the claims of God, and yet they do not feel that in this there is any wrong. They know that the blasphemer, the murderer, the adulterer, deserves punishment; but as for them, they enjoy the services of religion. They love to hear the gospel preached, and therefore they think themselves Christians. Though they have spent their lives in caring for themselves, they will be as much surprised as was the unfaithful servant in the parable to hear the sentence, ‘Take the talent from him.’ ” Christ’s Object Lessons, 365.

This is a major reason professed Christians do not receive the Holy Spirit even when they pray for it: “The continual misuse of their talents will effectually quench for them the Holy Spirit, which is the only light.” Ibid.

If we want to receive the Holy Spirit we must be seeking to be about our Master’s business.