Issue: 2013 September

Inspiration – Correct Religious Habits

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If we would develop a character which God can accept, we must form correct habits in our religious life. Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace, and even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to lift the thoughts often to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which He Himself has laid down.

Religion must be made the great business of life. Everything else should be held subordinate to this. All our powers, of soul, body, and spirit, must be engaged in the Christian warfare. We must look to Christ for strength and grace, and we shall gain the victory as surely as Jesus died for us.

The Value of the Soul

We must come nearer to the cross of Christ. Penitence at the foot of the cross is the first lesson of peace we have to learn. The love of Jesus—who can comprehend it? Infinitely more tender and self-denying than a mother’s love! If we would know the value of a human soul, we must look in living faith upon the cross, and thus begin the study which shall be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. The value of our time and our talents can be estimated only by the greatness of the ransom paid for our redemption. What ingratitude do we manifest toward God when we rob Him of His own by withholding from Him our affections and our service! Is it too much to give ourselves to Him who has sacrificed all for us? Can we choose the friendship of the world before the immortal honors which Christ proffers—“to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21)?

A Progressive Work

Sanctification is a progressive work. The successive steps are set before us in the words of Peter: “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (11 Peter 1:5–8). “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (verses 10, 11).

Here is a course by which we may be assured that we shall never fall. Those who are thus working upon the plan of addition in obtaining the Christian graces have the assurance that God will work upon the plan of multiplication in granting them the gifts of His Spirit. Peter addresses those who obtained like precious faith: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (verse 2). By divine grace, all who will may climb the shining steps from earth to heaven, and at last, “with songs and everlasting joy” (Isaiah 35:10), enter through the gates into the city of God.

Our Saviour claims all there is of us; He asks our first and holiest thoughts, our purest and most intense affection. If we are indeed partakers of the divine nature, His praise will be continually in our hearts and upon our lips. Our only safety is to surrender our all to Him and to be constantly growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

Paul’s Shout of Victory

The apostle Paul was highly honored of God, being taken in holy vision to the third heaven, where he looked upon scenes whose glories he was not permitted to reveal. Yet this did not lead him to boastfulness or self-confidence. He realized the importance of constant watchfulness and self-denial, and plainly declares, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27).

Paul suffered for the truth’s sake, and yet we hear no complaints from his lips. As he reviews his life of toil and care and sacrifice, he says, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). The shout of victory from God’s faithful servant comes down the line to our time: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39).

Though Paul was at last confined in a Roman prison—shut away from the light and air of heaven, cut off from his active labors in the gospel, and momentarily expecting to be condemned to death—yet he did not yield to doubt or despondency. From that gloomy dungeon came his dying testimony, full of a sublime faith and courage that has inspired the hearts of saints and martyrs in all succeeding ages. His words fitly describe the results of that sanctification which we have in these pages endeavored to set forth: “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:6–8).

The Sanctified Life, 93–96. (66–69 Original)

Keys to the Storehouse – Knock! Knock! Knock!

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With all of the distractions that are drawing our attention, it is very hard for many to be aware that Somebody is knocking at the door. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Revelation 3:20.

What are these knocks?

  • “Every warning, reproof, and entreaty in the word of God, or through his delegated messengers, is a knock at the door of the heart; it is the voice of Jesus, asking for entrance.” The Review and Herald, November 2, 1886.

What happens when you do not listen to these knocks?

  • “With every knock unheeded, your determination to open becomes weaker and weaker.
  • If the voice of Jesus is not heeded at once, it becomes confused in the mind with a multitude of other voices,
  • the world’s care and business engross the attention, and
  • conviction dies away.
  • The heart becomes less impressible, and
  • lapses into a perilous unconsciousness of the shortness of time, and of the great eternity beyond.” Ibid.

Are you listening to that knock?

“The heavenly Guest is standing at your door, while you are piling up obstructions to bar His entrance. Jesus is knocking through the prosperity He gives you. He loads you with blessings to test your fidelity, that they may flow out from you to others. Will you permit your selfishness to triumph? Will you squander God’s talents, and lose your soul through idolatrous love of the blessings He has given?” Ibid.

The last appeals are now being made by the knocking.

“Christ is making His last appeal to hearts. … how reluctant He is to give you up to separation from His love and presence forever! Still is heard the step of Him who waiteth at your door; His voice is yet pleading for entrance; but there is a point beyond which His forbearance will not reach. Shall the words be written over the doomed doorway,

  • ‘Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone’ (Hosea 4:17) …
  • He is joined to his idol of earthly treasure: let him alone?
  • He is joined to his idolatry of self: let him alone?” Ibid.

No time to loiter!

  • “You have no time to loiter, no time to consult your convenience. It is now, even now, that you are to be zealous and repent. Oh, it is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness, peace, and love in the soul.
  • Money cannot buy it,
  • intellect cannot procure it,
  • wisdom cannot attain to it;
  • but Jesus offers it as a gift.

It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. … We cannot be satisfied with a form of godliness. We must have the deep movings of the Spirit of God in the soul.” Ibid.

“Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of me.” Ibid., August 7, 1894.

Father: I thank You for showing me that every warning, reproof, and entreaty in Your word or through Your messengers is a knock at the door of my heart, that it is the voice of Jesus asking for entrance. I do not want to be joined to these idols. Please give me spiritual discernment so that I may hear Your knock and grant me the grace to remove all obstructions so that I may open the door to You. Amen.

Current Events – A Cashless Society

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“And he [Satan] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17

“In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.” The Desire of Ages, 121

Cash, after millennia as one of mankind’s most versatile and enduring technologies, looks set over the next 15 years or so finally to melt away into an electronic stream of ones and zeros. This week mobile-phone operators announced services that will allow people to use their handsets to remit money to those in other countries, even if both parties do not have bank accounts. Numerous mobile-phone shopping-systems are entering commercial use, especially in Asia. The Economist, February 15, 2007.

The Colorado State Fair is moving to a cashless system for the 2013 fair, in which fair-goers will use a card to buy their food, drinks and rides. With the cashless system, the Fair’s whole financial system runs more smoothly, and you only have one card to worry about during your visit. www.coloradostatefair.com/p/About-The-Fair/Questions/cashless

Online bill pay can help you manage your bills without having to worry about paper bills and checks. Once you’re up and running, you can spend more time on the fun things in life. The first type of online bill pay (online bill pay offered by your bank) is a service that sends money out of your bank account to whoever you wish. In some cases these online bill pay services will actually print a check and mail it to the recipient. If the company you want to send payments to is setup within the banks system, the bank will simply transfer the money electronically when you use online bill pay.

Another way you can let online bill pay run on auto-pilot is to allow your service providers to pull money out of your account without you having to click anywhere. In other words, the service provider just “asks” the online bill pay company for payment and the payment is made without any activity on your part. If you authorize these types of payments, make sure you have a good handle on your budget and available funds. http://banking.about.com/od/bankonline

Sabbath Preparation

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“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8–11 NIV

With God’s command to keep the Sabbath holy, we must connect with God’s great and merciful plan of salvation. We must be cleansed by His blood, through repentance and through the overcoming of sin. This process is carried out in the sanctuary of heaven. We learned, that without this, we have not the faintest possibility of obeying God’s command to keep the Sabbath holy. We must accept and act upon the grand truths of the new covenant made by God the Father and His Son, Jesus.

Let’s explore God’s guidelines as to the instructions given us on how we are to prepare for the Sabbath and when we are to make this preparation.

There are two statements that will give us a framework from which to understand our study.

“The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness.” Counsels for the Church, 261. And, “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God.” The Great Controversy, 488. Why are the subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment so important, and what connection do they have to the keeping of the Sabbath? Simply put, the sanctuary is where the process of sanctification is carried out, and the investigative judgment is the last phase of that process. The Sabbath, truly kept, is a sign of our acceptance of God’s sanctification in our lives. Please keep these thoughts in your mind as a background to this study.

This study is primarily based on a section in Testimonies, vol. 6, 350–368, called The Observance of the Sabbath. Just prior to one of the subsections entitled Preparation for the Sabbath is this admonition: “We must be guarded, lest the lax practices that prevail among Sundaykeepers shall be followed by those who profess to observe God’s holy rest day. The line of demarcation is to be made clear and distinct between those who bear the mark of God’s kingdom and those who bear the sign of the kingdom of rebellion.

“Far more sacredness is attached to the Sabbath than is given it by many professed Sabbathkeepers. The Lord has been greatly dishonored by those who have not kept the Sabbath according to the commandment, either in the letter or in the spirit. He calls for a reform in the observance of the Sabbath.” Ibid., 353.

We will see this statement borne out as we progress through the study. The very first sentence under the subtitle “Preparation for the Sabbath” are these words: “All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment.” Ibid. So first we need to study what kind of preparation God asks us to make throughout the week, and then we will look specifically at the preparations to be made on the preparation day, Friday.

Throughout the week we are to:

  1. Have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment.
  2. Preserve energy during the week so as to not be exhausted on Sabbath. (“None should permit themselves, through the week, to become so absorbed in their temporal interests, and so exhausted by their efforts for worldly gain, that on the Sabbath they have no strength or energy to give to the service of God. We are robbing the Lord when we unfit ourselves to worship Him upon His holy day. And we are robbing ourselves as well. …“Let not the precious hours of the Sabbath be wasted in bed. On Sabbath morning the family should be astir early.” Child Guidance, 530.)
  1. Daily pray that the sanctification of the Sabbath may rest upon you. If we remember that in order to keep the Sabbath holy, we must ourselves be holy, it is a logical thing to follow this principle. “All who regard the Sabbath as a sign between them and God, showing that He is the God who sanctifies them, will represent the principles of His government. They will bring into daily practice the laws of His kingdom. Daily it will be their prayer that the sanctification of the Sabbath may rest upon them. Every day they will have the companionship of Christ and will exemplify the perfection of His character. Every day their light will shine forth to others in good works.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 353. Sanctification means the act of making holy.
  2. Speak right words.
  3. Keep the spirit free from irritation.
  4. Live as in the sight of a holy God.
  5. Passages of Scripture should often be spoken, especially those that prepare the heart for religious service. The Bible is very clear on this: Deuteronomy 6:6–9 KJV says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” And also Psalm 119:11 KJV, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” These are just two from among many.

Remember, this study just touches the surface of the principles involved.

Now we will move on to the preparations to be made specifically on Friday, the preparation day. We will begin with instructions for our physical surroundings.

  1. See that the clothing is in order for Sabbath
    • Washed
    • Mended
    • Shoes shined

“Many need instruction as to how they should appear in the assembly for worship on the Sabbath. They are not to enter the presence of God in the common clothing worn during the week. All should have a special Sabbath suit, to be worn when attending service in God’s house. While we should not conform to worldly fashions, we are not to be indifferent in regard to our outward appearance. We are to be neat and trim, though without adornment. The children of God should be pure within and without.” Ibid., 355.

Messages to Young People, 352, elaborates on dress in this way: “We do not discourage neatness in dress. Correct taste is not to be despised nor condemned. Our faith, if carried out, will lead us to be so plain in dress … that we shall be marked as peculiar. But when we lose taste for order and neatness in dress, we virtually leave the truth; for the truth never degrades, but elevates.”

  1. See that all possible cooking is done
  2. Lay all secular work aside
  3. Put all secular papers out of sight

“On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done. Let the boots be blacked and the baths be taken. It is possible to do this. If you make it a rule you can do it. The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.” Ibid., 355, 356.

Now we will examine an even more important preparation, the preparation of the heart.

  1. All differences between brethren should be put away, whether family members or church members
  2. Let all bitterness, wrath and malice be expelled from the soul
  3. In a humble spirit, “confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” James 5:16 KJV.
  4. Make special arrangements that every member of the family may be prepared to honor the day which God has blessed and sanctified

And finally, towards the close of the preparation day, we are instructed as follows:

  1. Jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath
  2. Welcome the Lord’s day with quietness of mind
  3. Before sunset let the members of the family assemble to read God’s word, to sing and pray

“Before the Sabbath begins, the mind as well as the body should be withdrawn from worldly business. God has set His Sabbath at the end of the six working days, that men may stop and consider what they have gained during the week in preparation for the pure kingdom which admits no transgressor. We should each Sabbath reckon with our souls to see whether the week that has ended has brought spiritual gain or loss.

“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: ‘Them that honor Me I will honor’ (I Samuel 2:30).” Ibid., 356.

Did you get that? “It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord.” That is powerful. If we keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord, we have eternal salvation. Friends, do you want that eternal salvation? Let us work together, pray together, unite as one in praying to the God of our salvation to help us reform, so that we may fulfill God’s desire to sanctify us that we may indeed “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”

[All emphasis added.]

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

On Being a Christian

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The title Christian is adopted and used freely by millions of people today yet with a very shallow understanding of what it is all about! Rightly so, the greater number of adherents of the Christian faith are nowhere close to it in life and character, just as darkness is opposite to light. The great freedom fighter Marcus Garvey expressed his view of what he saw displayed as Christianity – “A form of religion practiced by the millions, but as misunderstood, and unreal to the majority as gravitation is to the untutored savage. We profess to live in the atmosphere of Christianity, yet our acts are as barbarous as if we never knew Christ. He taught us to love, yet we hate; to forgive, yet we revenge; to be merciful, yet we condemn and punish, and still we are Christian.

“If hell is what we are taught it is, then there will be more Christians there than the days in all creation. To be a true Christian one must be like Christ and practice Christianity, not as the Bishop does, but as he says, for if our lives were to be patterned after the other fellow’s all of us, Bishop, Priest and Layman would ultimately meet around the furnace of hell, and none of us, because of our sins, would see salvation.” (The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Routledge, New York, New York, 1923, 27.)

John Monroe Gibson, Scottish, American Clergyman of the eighteen hundreds wrote: “One truly Christian life will do more to prove the divine origin of Christianity than many lectures. It is of much greater importance to develop Christian character, than to exhibit Christian evidences.” Another once prominent Christian leader, F. W. Robertson, concludes, “The Christian life is not merely knowing or hearing, but doing the will of Christ.”

It has really become a challenge in this present age to define the word Christian if we were to accept the many definitions given by professed Christians and Christian churches through their verbal confessions and/or by their overt influence. What does it really mean to be a Christian? What was Jesus’ definition and understanding of “on being a Christian”? How did the early followers of Christ understand the meaning of the name Christian?

Luke 9:23 identifies the terms for discipleship or what it really means to be a Christian: “And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” This same teaching is recorded both by Matthew and Mark (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34). Notice that Matthew uses the same expression that Luke uses concerning who is being addressed, “If any man …” which some people will take to mean that Jesus was only addressing the male gender, but Mark explains it by the expression “Whosoever will come after Me … .” This word whosoever takes in every human being, male and female.

So Jesus lays the foundation principles for what constitute the true meaning of “on being a Christian.” He states emphatically, “If any man will come after me … .” That is to “follow Me” where I am going. To come after or behind Christ means to attach oneself to Jesus as a disciple, but the thought is deepened; it is to follow as a disciple this Messiah who is going into death and resurrection.

On being a Christian involves the engaging of the will of the person, for Jesus says, whoever wills to come after Me. There is no force involved in being a Christian. Christ does not pull His sheep by a rope; in His army are none but volunteers. Ellen White wrote, “Christ does not use force or compulsion in drawing men [people] to Him.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 95. Also, she points out: “How much does God value man? I point you to Calvary. The most ignominious death my Lord suffered that He might rescue you, yet He does not force any of you to serve Him. He does not force the will or conscience of any soul.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 105.

We must also bear in mind that God will not accept unwilling service; this we are told once again: “If men, after this great and merciful condescension on the part of God, maintain their position with the first apostate, no force will be used with them. God accepts no unwilling service.” The Review and Herald, September 13, 1898. Therefore, the decision to become a Christian, or follower of Christ, is left up to each individual!

Now having said that, whoever chooses to become a Christian must understand what is required in being a Christian. Look at what Jesus said as recorded by Luke: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.” Luke 9:23. The truest and most serious thought that Jesus is here conveying, with which we professed Christians are constantly struggling, is to turn someone off, to refuse association and companionship with, to disown. And the one who is here to be disowned is self, and that means self altogether, not merely some portion, some special habit or desire, some outward practice. What our Lord is addressing here is the natural, sinful self as it centers in the things of men and has no use for the things of God. Why must we disown self completely? Here are ten reasons:

  1. Ellen White puts it this way: “Self is a hard tyrant, and while this power rules in the life, we cannot do unto others as we would have them do to us.” The Review and Herald, April 9, 1908.
  2. Self also is our enemy. “Self is the enemy we most need to fear. No form of vice has a more baleful effect upon the character than has human passion not under the control of the Holy Spirit. No other victory we can gain will be so precious as the victory gained over self.” Ministry of Healing, 485.
  3. Another important reason why we must disown self is that no human being can become a Christian as long as self is cherished. God’s messenger states, “Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature.” The Desire of Ages, 280.
  4. Self blinds people’s eyes. “But when the eye is blinded by the love of self, there is only darkness.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 91.
  5. Self brings unrest. “It is the love of self that brings unrest.” The Desire of Ages, 330.
  6. Self chills religious zeal. “There are many who give no decided evidence that they are true to their baptismal vows. Their zeal is chilled by formality, worldly ambition, pride, and love of self.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 155.
  7. Self destroys peace. “It is the love of self that destroys our peace.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 16.
  8. The love of self excludes the love of Christ. “Love of self excludes the love of Christ.” The Review and Herald, August 6, 1901.
  9. Self leads to the substitution of human theories and traditions. “It is the love of self, the desire for an easier way than God has appointed that leads to the substitution of human theories and traditions for the divine precepts.” The Desire of Ages, 409.
  10. Self opens the door that leads to ruin. “Through devotion to worldly interests, Satan receives all the homage he asks. The door is left open for him to enter as he pleases, with his evil train of impatience, love of self, pride, avarice, overreaching, and his whole catalogue of evil spirits. Man is charmed and treacherously allured on to ruin.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 45. What our Saviour focused on in this phrase “let him deny himself” is true conversion, one of the very first essentials of the Christian life. The person sees all the sin of self and the damnation and death bound up in this sin and turns away from it in utter dismay and seeks rescue in Christ alone. Self is thus cast out, and Christ enters in; henceforth the believer lives not unto himself but unto Christ who died for him.

To give an even more in depth definition of “to deny self,” the following is worth our careful observation: “Man is required to love God supremely, with his might, mind, and strength; and his neighbor as himself. This he cannot possibly do unless he denies himself. To deny self means to rule the spirit when passion is striving for the mastery; to resist the temptation to censure and to speak words of faultfinding; to have patience with the child that is dull, and whose conduct is grievous and trying; to stand at the post of duty even though others may fail; to lift responsibilities wherever and whenever duty requires, not to gain applause, not for policy, but for the sake of the Master, who has given each of His followers a work that is to be done with unwavering fidelity. To deny self means to do good when inclination would lead us to serve and please ourselves. It means to work patiently and cheerfully for the good of others, even though our efforts may not seem to be appreciated.” The Review and Herald, July 11, 1907.

So then for Jesus, on being a Christian means that you and I will lovingly and voluntarily submit our wills to Him, henceforth to live for Him rather than for ourselves. “What is specifically Christian,” according to Dr. Hans Küng “is the fact that all ethical requirements are understood in the light of the rule of the crucified Jesus Christ. … Jesus to whom we are subordinated once and for all in baptism by faith, must remain Lord over us. In following the Crucified it is a question of manifesting the rule of the risen Christ. Justification and sanctification go together in the sense that both mean assimilation to Christ.” On Being a Christian, SCM Press, Norwich, United Kingdom, 544.

To be a Christian in the truest sense of the word has to do with total subordination to the divine historical Christ and complete, ongoing demonstration of His lifestyle. “The Christian faith is one of those great religions the strength of which lies in being able to justify and substantiate in detail an attitude to life, a way of life and a life-style, by pointing to a quite definite, authoritative, historical figure. … Jesus of Nazareth is himself the personification of this new way of life.” Ibid. The apostle Paul understood it this way, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.

After self has been disowned, Jesus then states the next imperative which is, “… take up his cross daily.” It is impossible to take up the cross if self is not denied! What does Jesus mean by take up the cross? It has to do with assuming the responsibilities that come with being a Christian, even though by doing so he/she be called upon to pay the supreme price. In the context in which Christ here mentions cross bearing, He refers not so much to the minor difficulties and obstacles to be encountered by the Christian, but rather to the need to be ready to face death itself. The Christian must be prepared to give up earthly ease and comfort, and be ready to bear the sufferings which will be sure to fall on him if he struggles after holiness. This readiness to give up ease, this willingness to bear suffering, will be a matter of everyday experience.

The cross is that suffering alone which results from our faithful connection with Christ. Let us remember that each Christian will have his/her share of suffering. The solemn message that Jesus gives is that He leads with His cross, and all His disciples, each loaded with his/her cross, follow in one immense procession like men who are being led away to be crucified. Paul carries the figure further: “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh” (Galatians 5:24); and Paul himself is crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus, in Matthew’s gospel chapter 11 verses 28–30, states, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

There is a direct similarity between yoke wearing and cross bearing. “The yoke and the cross are symbols representing the same thing—the giving up of the will to God. Wearing the yoke unites finite man in companionship with the dearly beloved Son of God. Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ’s burdens. We cannot follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him.” The Review and Herald, October 23, 1900.

Christ, in His life here on earth, exemplified what it means to bear the cross: “By His own example the Saviour has shown that His followers can be in the world and yet not of the world. He came not to partake of its delusive pleasures, to be swayed by its customs, and to follow its practices, but to do His Father’s will, to seek and save the lost. With this object before him the Christian may stand uncontaminated in any surroundings. …

“Not in freedom from trial, but in the midst of it, is Christian character developed. Exposure to rebuffs and opposition leads the follower of Christ to greater watchfulness and more earnest prayer to the mighty Helper. Severe trial endured by the grace of God develops patience, vigilance, fortitude, and a deep abiding trust in God. It is the triumph of the Christian faith that it enables its followers to suffer and be strong; to submit, and thus to conquer; to be killed all the day long, and yet to live; to bear the cross, and thus to win the crown of glory.” The Acts of the Apostles, 467, 479.

One writer says that three things are necessary in traveling: first, to say farewell (to self); second, to carry one’s baggage (the cross); third, to proceed with the journey (follow Me). The question that needs to be answered is, Are we willing to make this journey? Following Christ shows that self has been disowned completely and the cross has been willingly taken up.

Dr. Hans Küng puts it this way: “The following of Christ is what distinguishes Christians from other disciples and supporters of great men, in the sense that Christians are ultimately dependent on this person, not only on his teaching, but also on his life, death, and new life.” On Being a Christian, 545.

“True religion,” Ellen white says, “is the imitation of Christ. Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. No soldier can be said to follow his commander unless he obeys orders. Christ is our model. To copy Jesus, full of love and tenderness and compassion, will require that we draw near to Him daily.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 949.

So what does it mean to be a Christian? “As Christians, we are to manifest to the world the character of Christ in all the affairs of life. To be a Christian means to act in Christ’s stead, to represent Christ.” The Southern Worker, 39. Following Christ or being a Christian means “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This was the experience of the Antioch believers: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 11: 26. And we are told why they were given this title: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. The name was given them because Christ was the main theme of their preaching, their teaching, and their conversation.” The Acts of the Apostles, 157. She further states, “It was God who gave to them the name of Christian. This is a royal name, given to all who join themselves to Christ.” Ibid.

In closing, are you a Christian? Have you disowned yourself and taken up the cross, Christ’s yoke, and are you following Him? If you haven’t or you had once done it but have given it up, today Jesus says to you, come unto Me!

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

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

Do Not Be Afraid of the Dark

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In the book of Genesis, we find the first mention of darkness in Scripture. In the record of the Creation, we read in Genesis 1:2–5, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

This mention is rather innocuous and does not attribute either good or bad to the state of darkness. However, as we look at the context of dark, darkness, and night as used throughout the Bible, we will quickly come to realize that these terms most commonly connote a state of being—physical and spiritual—that is almost never good. Indeed, even in the text quoted above, although God saw that the light was good, no such attribute was attributed to darkness.

When God was making the promise to Abraham about his inheritance, the Bible says that “an horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12 KJV). The Spirit of Prophecy explains that this was the means by which God was conveying to Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and declaring that the time of their sojourning would be four hundred years. Clearly, this was not a good thing. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 267.)

After the plague of locusts had been stayed, when Pharaoh went back on his commitment to free the Israelites, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.” Exodus 10:21, 22. Here, darkness is used as a means of conveying God’s disciplinary action upon an uncooperative subject.

But the next verse provides an interesting detail that should give those who are seeking to do the Lord’s will great hope: “They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” [Emphasis added.] Verse 23.

Perhaps we can thus assume that even when the judgments of God are falling, the children of Israel will find shelter and safety in obedience. Indeed, the Spirit of Prophecy tells us, “Man’s happiness must always be guarded by the law of God. In obedience only can he find true happiness. The law is the hedge which God has placed about His vineyard. By it those who obey are protected from evil.” The Signs of the Times, June 13, 1900.

Darkness continued to play a role in the exodus of the children of Israel from their Egyptian task masters.

“And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.” Exodus 14:19, 20.

It could be asserted that this incident shows that the light provided by the word of God becomes darkness to those who refuse to accept it. What is the light of hope and freedom from bondage to one becomes a source of darkness to another.

In the previous examples, darkness is used to connote the displeasure of the Almighty. But later in Exodus, darkness is also used in a completely different context. In Exodus 20, after giving Moses the Decalogue, the Bible says, in Exodus 20:18–21, “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.’ So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.”

The Bible also uses darkness as a representation of erroneous thinking and actions. Consider Saul, the first king of Israel. There are few stories in Scripture as tragic as his. He was anointed as the king and at one point even had the gift of prophecy. Yet, we are told in 1 Samuel 28:5–7, “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’ And his servants said to him, ‘In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.’ ”

We know the disastrous results of Saul’s folly, but his actions are a perfect example of those described in Isaiah 5:20, 21: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”

Saul had indeed “put darkness for light,” resulting not only in his tragic death but also the death of his three sons. (See I Samuel 31:1–6.)

That humans tend to equate desperate situations with darkness is made clear by Job. In Job 3:3–7, Job laments in very strong terms the fact that he had even been born: “ ‘May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, “A male child is conceived.” May that day be darkness; may God above not seek it, nor the light shine upon it. May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; may a cloud settle on it; may the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, may darkness seize it; may it not rejoice among the days of the year, may it not come into the number of the months. Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it!’ ”

It is fairly easy to understand Job’s mind-set here. Having lost his ten children, all his livestock, and everything that he owned, then being afflicted “with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7), who wouldn’t curse the day of his birth?

The obsession of Job and his three “miserable comforters” with darkness continues throughout the story of his experience. References to the gloom of darkness and night occur over fifty times in his story.

In Psalm 18, David uses darkness in two opposing contexts. In verse 11, he uses it to describe the atmosphere that surrounds God Himself: “He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.” But then, in verse 28, he uses darkness to describe his condition from which God provides enlightenment: “For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”

The only positive mentions of darkness in Scripture—texts that speak of darkness in a way that is not negative—are in reference to the atmosphere that surrounds God Himself. Yet there are instances, such as that just cited, in which God, even though He is enshrouded in darkness, dispels the darkness that enshrouds man.

Similar juxtapositions continue throughout the book of Psalms. In 97:2, we read in reference to God, “Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Then in Psalm 112:4, God is represented as dispelling darkness: “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

In Psalm 143:3, David uses darkness as a representation of the state of the dead, a precursor to his son’s later statement that the dead know nothing; “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead.”

In the second chapter of Proverbs, Scripture equates disobedience with darkness:

“When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
To deliver you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words,
Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.”

Proverbs 2:10–17

This passage takes on a much deeper meaning when we remember that a woman in Scripture is a symbol for the church. Here Scripture clearly speaks of a church that has forgotten “the covenant of her God.” Determining which church that is makes for an interesting and controversial study.

That the path of disobedience is a path devoid of light is confirmed in Proverbs 4:19: “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”

There are many other references in Scripture to darkness that make it abundantly clear that the path of disobedience is a path of darkness—far too many to cover completely in the limited space of this treatment. Although we have these warnings as examples that “were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (I Corinthians 10:11), we also have great hope from these same examples.

Quite early in Jesus’ ministry, He worked to dispel the darkness that had spread throughout the kingdom of Israel.

Matthew 4 provides a sequence of Jesus’ activities immediately following his forty-day wilderness experience and of Satan’s subsequent efforts to tempt Him. There we are told that after the angels ministered to Him, having heard of John’s imprisonment, “He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ” Verses 12–17.

Scripture makes it clear that “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29), that “the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22). Therefore the children of modern Israel have every right to expect that they will recognize the nearness of the time. In fact, we are told in I Thessalonians 5:4–6, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

It is essential to note that there is a significant degree of personal responsibility in this promise. We cannot sleep. We are to “watch and be sober.”

There is a wonderful promise provided in Isaiah that gives the children of Israel great hope. “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16).

With this promise in mind, there is no need for children of the King to be afraid of the dark. So long as those children embrace the light that streams so radiantly from God’s word, they can be assured that God will “make darkness light before them,” and that the path “shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

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

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

God’s Promises

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The Bible says that the devil goes out to deceive the whole world. To do this he uses a three-pronged approach. First he attempts to deceive through miracles, false teachings and false doctrine. If that does not work he uses his seductive power, at which he is very successful. Multitudes of people know the truth, but they are seduced by the various forms of sin and held in bondage to them.

If you cannot be deceived or seduced, he still has a powerful weapon to use against you. He will use fear tactics that include threatened death, imprisonment or torture to get you to forsake the Lord. God is going to have a fearless people who cannot be deceived, because they know God will fulfill His promises. God says 366 times in the Bible, “Do not be afraid”—a promise for each day of the year, including the leap year.

God has every experience covered, and you can never be put in a position in which God is not aware and able to help you. Those who know these things will not fear the devil.

Bible Promises

“And of Asher he said, ‘Asher is most blessed of sons; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be.’ ” Deuteronomy 33:24, 25. Remember, the more trouble you find yourself in, the more grace and help is available—“as your days, so will your strength be.” “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ ” Verses 26 and 27.

“But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:7–10. God is a refuge and help in trouble and does not forsake those that seek Him.

Psalm 46 is a prophecy of the experience of those who live at the very end of the time of trouble. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (verse 1). It goes on to say that God is going to be with them and help them (verses 5 and 7).

Psalm 91, also a prophecy of the final time of trouble, says in verses 1 and 2, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ ”

“You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” Isaiah 25:4. That also applies to the time of trouble coming upon the world at the end.

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:1, 2.

Isaiah 26:20, 21 is a prophecy about the experience of God’s people right at the beginning of the time of trouble. It says, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. … For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ ” Isaiah 41:10, 13.

Ellen White tells us that the three Hebrew worthies who were thrown into the fiery furnace remembered the promise, in Isaiah 43:1, 2, and it was fulfilled to them. “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.’ ”

When Jesus sent out His disciples to minister, He said: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:28–31.

God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. He notices your every experience and says you have no need to be afraid. Jesus told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18. He also said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Verse 20. Paul said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:12, 13. This verse is so interesting that I have personally checked it in the Greek New Testament to be sure it was translated accurately without taking any liberties.

Only those who have been in severe temptations, trials, troubles, suffering, and pain can totally understand this wonderful promise. We should all have that one memorized.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:7–10.

If you understood the full thrust of this promise, nobody could ever make you upset or dissatisfied or unhappy again no matter what happens, for God has grace that is sufficient for you. This is an instance where Paul prayed for something and the Lord chose not to give him what he had asked for three times, but He said, “I will give you grace, and I’ll give you enough.” His grace is sufficient. Now the word sufficient means you have enough and you are not lacking. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack [want KJV].” God’s grace is limitless!

In Hebrews 13:5, 6, Paul actually quotes from Psalm 118. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ”

Perhaps we underestimate how strong a helper we really do have. Paul said to the Athenians, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28.

There are many recorded incidences of people, being tortured for their faith, who feel no pain when they cry out to the Lord. God knows every feeling, every pain, every suffering that we go through and when we pray to Him, He hears. The Bible says His name “is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10. God’s promises defray all attempts of Satan to terrify, so take the time to store them in your memory so they are always available.

“No soul will be left to perish who asks in faith for the help of Christ. The weakest, the most struggling soul, may live, and find hope and sufficiency in God. When Jesus comes into the storm and the darkness, midnight is as bright as noonday.” The Signs of the Times, May 28, 1896. When the disciples were out in the storm and afraid they would die, Jesus came walking out to them and said, “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

He has promised also to be with you, and you can claim it at any time or in any place and it will be fulfilled. He said, “Don’t be afraid, I am with you; I will help you.”

Ellen White describes the help God will give His people in the future. She says, “History will be repeated [referring to the three Hebrew worthies]. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation.

“The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world. In a limited degree, it has already gone forth. In several places the civil power is speaking with the voice of a dragon, just as the heathen king spoke to the Hebrew captives.

“Trial and persecution will come to all who, in obedience to the word of God, refuse to worship this false sabbath. Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward show. If these attractions, invented by men inspired by Satan, failed to make men worship the image, the hungry flames of the furnace were ready to consume them. So it will be now. The Papacy has exercised her power to compel men to obey her, and she will continue to do so. We need the same spirit that was manifested by God’s servants in the conflict with paganism. Giving an account of the treatment of the Christians by the emperor of Rome, Tertullian [who lived about the close of the second century] says, ‘We are thrown to the wild beasts to make us recant; we are burned in the flames; we are condemned to prisons and to mines; we are banished to islands—such as Patmos—and all have failed.’ So it was in the case of the three Hebrew worthies; their eye was single to the glory of God; their souls were steadfast; the power of the truth held them firmly to their allegiance to God. It is in the power of God alone that we shall be enabled to be loyal to Him.

“ ‘If ye love Me,’ said Christ, ‘keep My commandments’ (John 14:15). ‘He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him’ (John 14:21). And has not Christ manifested Himself to his faithful children? Did He not walk in the furnace with the captives who refused to yield to the golden image one tittle of the reverence which belonged to God? Did He not manifest Himself to John, banished to the Isle of Patmos for his faithfulness? Have not those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, who, tho they have been compelled to suffer, have refused to worship the institution of the Papacy, realized the presence of the divine Comforter in their lonely prisons?” The Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897.

A pastor was thrown into a communist prison and told that he would rot down there. In the complete darkness he had no perspective, nothing by which to gauge time, so he did not know whether it was night or day. He was given food, but in the dark it was impossible to know if he had been in there for an hour, a day, a week, a month or even a year. In a situation like this you become completely disoriented and can go crazy. He was afraid that he would lose his sanity. So, in his desperation he began to pray and cry out to the Lord to keep him sane. He reports it this way: “As I was praying, I saw a light. It was perfectly dark down there. The light came close and I saw that it was a person, a bright shining person who came right up to me and picked me up and just held me for a while, and then everything was all right.” It is impossible for man to put you in a place where God can’t hear your cry for help and find you. Eventually, the guard was changed, and he was taken out after 35 days in total darkness, but throughout that trying time God comforted him.

“The commandments of finite, sinful men are to sink into insignificance beside the word of the eternal God. Truth is to be obeyed at any cost, even tho gaping prisons, chain-gangs, and banishment stare us in the face. If you are loyal and true, that God who walked with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, who protected Daniel in the lions’ den, Who manifested Himself to John on the lonely island, will go with you wherever you go. His abiding presence will comfort and sustain you; and you will realize the fulfillment of the promise, ‘If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him’ (John 14:23).” Ibid.

“Our victory as believers is obtained through the grace of Christ, which He can and will bestow upon all who will put their trust in Him. This is the good news with which Christ would have us comforted. In all the tribulation which the child of God must receive, whatever his position in the world, he may be of good cheer in contemplation of the truth that Christ has overcome the world.

“It is a great thing to be right with God, the soul in harmony with its Maker. Amid the contagion of evil example, which by its deceitful appearance would lure the soul from duty, angels will be sent to our rescue. But if we invite temptation, we can not have divine aid to keep us from being overcome. The three worthies endured the fiery furnace, for Jesus walked with them amid the flames. If they had, of themselves, walked into the fire, they would have been consumed. Thus it will be with us. If we do not deliberately go into temptation, God will sustain us when the temptation comes.

“But let no one think that an entirely new set of energies are to be communicated when we are brought into trying circumstances. We are to seek daily for the converting power of God. We should daily seek to recover in ourselves the moral image of God. Every affection, every attribute that has been perverted, must be restored by the grace of Christ. Lesser trials nobly borne under the control of God, will purify, refine, and ennoble us for endurance when the time shall come for greater test and greater trials.

“Then let us look the future decidedly in the face, and say, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’ (Philippians 4:13). We must cherish the presence of Christ, for we need Him in the less as well as the greater trials. By a willingness for His sake to endure shame and reproach, by learning the meekness and lowliness of Christ, we shall prove the sincerity of our Christianity. When we are called to imprisonment and shame, when degraded by our fellow-beings, who are inspired by the spirit of Satan, God will give His grace to sustain us. His promise is, ‘… as thy days, so shall thy strength be’ (Deuteronomy 33:25).

“The righteous have ever obtained help from above. How often have the enemies of God combined to destroy the character and influence of a few simple persons who trusted in God! But because the Lord was for them, none could prevail against them. Only let the followers of Christ be united, and they will prevail. Let them be separated from their idols and from the world, and the world will not separate them from God. Christ is our present, all-sufficient Saviour. In Him all fullness dwells. It is the privilege of Christians to know that Christ is in them of a truth. ‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith’ (I John 5:4). ‘All things are possible to him that believeth’ (Mark 9:23); and whatsoever things we desire when we pray, if we believe that we receive them, we shall have them. This faith will penetrate the darkest cloud, and bring hope to the drooping, desponding soul. It is the absence of this faith and trust which brings perplexity, distressing fears, and surmisings of evil. God will do great things for His people when they will put their entire trust in Him. Christ will prove a never-failing source of strength, a present help in every time of trouble.” Ibid.

“ ‘In quietness and confidence shall be your strength’ (Isaiah 30:15). This is the lesson given to every soul. The strength of every soul is in God and not in man. Quietness and confidence is to be the strength of all who give their hearts to God. In all our temporal concerns, in all our cares and anxieties, we need to wait upon the Lord. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men’ (Psalm 146:3 KJV), is the word that comes to us. The Lord has united our hearts with His. If we love Him, and are accepted in His service, we shall bring all our burdens to the Lord, and wait upon Him. Then we shall have an individual experience, a conviction of His presence and His readiness to hear our prayer for wisdom and for instruction, that will give us assurance and confidence in His willingness to succor [to help] in perplexity.

“God would have us rejoice, and praise Him every day for the privilege granted us in the words of Christ: ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light’ (Matthew 11:28–30). A kind and loving Friend and Father is overruling all things. And if this is true of individuals and nations, how much more of His church, His chosen ones?” The Signs of the Times, October 7, 1897.

Jesus invites all to come to Him as their refuge. Tell Him all of your concerns and what grieves you. Share your heart with Him and trust that He will give you all the answers to work calmly and quietly. He is also interested in how you will pay your bills or how you will get your car fixed when you do not have enough money. What if you lose your job? How will you manage with any health issues? Work as you can for others and the Lord will answer you. (See Isaiah 58.)

“The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as his Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are their wants, and where lies the strength of their temptations. The weakness of our human nature will not bar our access to the heavenly Father; for Christ was tempted in all points ‘like as we are, yet without sin’ (Matthew 11:25).

“Christ has not a casual interest in us. His love for us is stronger than that of a mother for her child. Says the prophet, ‘Can a woman forget her sucking child? … yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee’ (Isaiah 49:15). Our Saviour has purchased us by human suffering and sorrow. He suffered insult, reproach, abuse, mockery, rejection, and death. God is near in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, in His intercession, His loving, tender, ruling power over His church. Seated by the eternal throne, He watches His children with intense interest. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. He will make you secure under His protection. His promises are: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee’ (Isaiah 26:3). ‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord’ (Psalm 27:14). ‘They that wait on the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which can not be moved, but abideth forever’ (Psalm 125:1).” Ibid.

“The Lord is in active communication with every part of His vast dominions. He is represented as bending toward the earth and its inhabitants. He is listening to every word that is uttered. He hears every groan; He listens to every prayer; He observes the movements of every one; He approves or condemns every action. The hand of Christ draws aside the vail which conceals from our eyes the glory of heaven; and we behold Him in His high and holy place, not in a state of silence and indifference to His subjects in a fallen world, but surrounded by all the heavenly host—ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, all waiting to go at His bidding on errands of mercy and love.

“Christ had such an experience in His humanity that He desires to be close beside every one who passes through suffering for the truth’s sake—those who are tortured, imprisoned in dungeons, and bound in chains. He ministers to all such. He is the friend of all who love and fear Him, and He will punish those who dare to lead them from safe paths, or put them in positions of distress as they conscientiously endeavor to keep the way of the Lord.” The Signs of the Times, November 17, 1898.

Jesus suffered and died to save us. It was only when His disciples saw Him risen from the dead did they understand what He meant when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).

Ellen White said, “Shall our faith ever falter again? What stronger evidence could God have given us that Jesus is the Son of God? What greater evidence could be given of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ than that which has been given by those who were eyewitnesses of his Majesty? Will those who claim to believe in Christ as a personal Saviour, dishonor God by doubting that He to whose guardianship they have committed their souls will keep that which has been committed to His trust against that day? Jesus is a risen Saviour. He came forth from the grave to vindicate His previous claims, to confirm the faith of His followers, to establish the truth of His Godhead before men, to make doubly sure the assurance that ‘whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16).” The Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895.

If we could just get a hold by faith and understand how strong a helper we have that is in control of everything, Who knows all about us and will never forsake us, our stress would be eliminated. He has intimate knowledge of every molecule in every body and mind, and He wants to help. His love casts out all fear, no matter the threats of the evil agents or the trials that you face.

God has promised to be a refuge, a strength, a fortress, a help, a deliverance for His people. As our days, so our strength will be. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you.” Deuteronomy 33:27. He will never leave you or forsake you and whatever happens, He will be your strength.

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

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

Editorial – Why is There Constant Trouble in the Churches?

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One of the major reasons for it is the lack of a meek and quiet spirit amongst God’s professed people around the world. Unless this is acquired, that person will never be in the kingdom of heaven. (See Matthew 5:5.) Examine yourself to see whether you have a meek and quiet spirit.

“You have brought upon yourself many grievances that could have been avoided had you possessed a meek and quiet spirit. You provoke contention; for when your will is crossed, your spirit rises for conflict. Your disposition to rule is a constant source of trouble to yourself. Your nature has become jealous and distrustful. You are overbearing, and stir up strife by faultfinding and hasty condemnation. You have so long cultivated a spirit of retaliation that you continually need the grace of God to soften and subdue your nature. The dear Saviour has said: ‘Bless them that curse you,’ ‘and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44).

“Dear sister, I was shown that you bring darkness into your own soul by dwelling upon the mistakes and imperfections of others. You will never have their sins to answer for, but you have a work to do for your own soul and for your own family that no other can do for you. You need to crucify self and to check the disposition to magnify your neighbors’ faults and to talk thoughtlessly. There are subjects upon which you may converse with the very best results. It is always safe to speak of Jesus, of the Christian’s hope, and of the beauties of our faith. Let your tongue be sanctified to God, that your speech may be ever seasoned with grace.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 134, 135.

It is appropriate to fast and pray for John 17 to be fulfilled among God’s professed people. When it is, we will have no more strife and contention among us. “Every branch draws its nourishment from the same source. When we are branches of the true Vine, there will be no quarreling among us, no strife for the supremacy, no disparaging of one another.” The General Conference Bulletin, April 25, 1901.

“Oh, if the church would arise, and put on her beautiful garments, the righteousness of Christ, what a change would be realized in her influence, and in her spiritual condition! The jealousies and fault-finding, the heart-burnings, the envy and dissensions, the strife for supremacy, would cease.” The Review and Herald, October 12, 1886. (See James 3:13–18.)