happiness

Children’s Story – The Secret of Happiness

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The old man shuffled slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted and shoulders bent forward, he leaned on his trusty cane with each unhurried step.

His tattered cloth jacket, patched trousers, worn-out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Sunday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a tight, steady smile.

He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big grin right back at him. A young waitress named Mary watched him shuffle toward a table by the window.

Mary ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”

Without saying a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair and get comfortably seated. Then she scooted the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it.

In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures.”

“You are welcome, Sir,” she replied. “My name is Mary. I will be back in a moment, but if you need anything at all in the meantime, just wave at me!”

After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it lay. She helped him up from his chair, and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door.

Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!”

He turned with his whole body, winked a smile, and nodded a thank you. “You are very kind,” he said softly.

When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate, she found a business card and a note scribbled on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one hundred dollar bill.

The note on the napkin read: “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

The man on whom she had so lovingly waited was the owner of the restaurant where she worked! This was the first time that she or any of his employees had ever seen him in person.

“Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 16:20. “If we educated our souls to have more faith, more love, greater patience, a more perfect trust in our heavenly Father, we would have more peace and happiness as we pass through the conflicts of this life. The Lord is not pleased to have us fret and worry ourselves out of the arms of Jesus. He is the only source of every grace, the fulfillment of every promise, the realization of every blessing. . . . Our pilgrimage would indeed be lonely were it not for Jesus. ‘I will not leave you comfortless,’ (John 14:18) He says to us. Let us cherish His words, believe His promises, repeat them by day and meditate upon them in the night season, and be happy.” Our High Calling, 120.

Happiness–Salvation or a Curse?

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“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the “unalienable rights” which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their Creator and which governments are created to protect.

Although U.S. citizens are guaranteed the opportunity and privilege to pursue happiness, not many people know how to find it. The secret of happiness is not very well understood today.

For Christians, it should be the simplest, most important topic you need to thoroughly understand.

Is it possible to know the truth and for the truth to be a curse that thwarts our pursuit of happiness? Yes, the Bible is very clear about that. This is a serious subject that deserves study.

How to Be Happy

Asher was the son of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid that she gave to Jacob as a wife because she wanted more children. When he was born, Leah named him Asher, which means happy.

Deuteronomy 33:24–29 records the blessing that Moses pronounced upon the tribe of Asher. In that blessing is revealed the secret of happiness. “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of our majesty” (verse 29)!

One of the common words in the Bible for happy or happiness is the word that is translated blessed or blessing. To be blessed or to receive blessing is to be happy.

In the Psalms it says, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15)! “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Psalm 146:5).

Solomon also stated it a number of different ways in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 3:13, it says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.” Wisdom, by the way, is one of the names of Jesus Christ (see Proverbs 8).

In the last part of Proverbs 14:21, it says, “But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” People often say that as soon as they get rich they will have mercy on the poor. What happens in reality is that they pass through life always intending to have mercy on the poor and unfortunate, but they never find the wealth that they thought they should have and never fulfill their commitment. Don’t make the mistake and wait until you decide you are rich before you decide to help somebody else who is in trouble. It is a deception, nothing but a delusion. Proverbs 16:20, last part, says, “Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” And in Proverbs 29:18, last part, “Happy is he who keeps the law.”

There are texts in the New Testament about blessedness and happiness. John 13:17 says, “If you know these things, blessed [happy] are you if you do them.” Also in James 5:11 we are told: “We count them blessed [happy] who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” That is a verse which is very difficult for people to understand. It was also difficult for Job to understand this concept while he was going through the trial of his life.

Peter says something similar in 1 Peter 3:14: “If you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed [happy]. Do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” The Bible says that people who are suffering are the people who are happy. In fact, 1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [or happy] are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

Let’s summarize all these comments about how a person is going to find the secret of happiness. If you want to be happy, you will need to make a full and complete surrender of yourself to the Lord Jesus and choose to follow Him. The people whose God is the Lord are the happy people. Those who have received salvation are the people who are enjoying happiness. The rest of the world continue to seek for it.

Ellen White describes the secret of happiness this way: “God will accept nothing less than unreserved surrender. Half-hearted, sinful Christians can never enter heaven. There they would find no happiness; for they know nothing of the high, holy principles that govern the members of the royal family.” This Day With God, 145.

God knows that that there are people who would not find happiness in heaven if He took them there. Most people assume that to be taken to heaven means all would find happiness there. Those who find their pleasure in the things of this world would consider heaven torture, for in heaven, all have an unreserved surrender to the Lord. She says, “The true Christian keeps the windows of the soul open heavenward. He lives in fellowship with Christ. His will is conformed to the will of Christ. His highest desire is to become more and more Christlike. …

“Earnestly and untiringly we are to strive to reach God’s ideal for us.” Ibid.

God has an ideal for us and it is important for us to strive to be what God wants us to be. We are told: “Earnestly and untiringly we are to strive to reach God’s ideal for us. Not as a penance are we to do this, but as the only means of gaining true happiness.” Ibid.

The only people who attain true happiness are those who are striving to reach God’s ideal for them—striving to be what God wants them to be. Many think happiness is found in some kind of an amusement or thrill. One of the devices this world offers is county and state fairs with amusements that offer temporary happiness but they are just a distraction from the true aims of life.

The devil has invented many ways to entice people who are seeking pleasure and thrills. People trying to get a thrill or to get a high often turn to recreational drugs. All these things are temporary fixes and after the high they are no happier than they were before.

Until a person has made an unreserved surrender to the Lord Jesus they are never going to find the secret of true lasting happiness. Thrills are always temporary. Amusements always end.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:24–27: “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Moses understood that whatever pleasures he might enjoy in a life of sin would be temporary, and the time would come when the pleasure would end. He figured out that there was something more worthwhile than any pleasure he could enjoy in this world. He looked beyond the pleasures in this world for a reward—an eternity of endless bliss.

“Earnestly and untiringly we are to strive to reach God’s ideal for us. Not as a penance are we to do this, but as the only means of gaining true happiness. The only way to gain peace and joy is to have a living connection with Him who gave His life for us.” The Review and Herald, May 16, 1907.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 MEV). The more you love someone, the more pleasure is involved in that person’s company.

Have you found the secret of true happiness? The devil does not want you to find happiness. He is trying to put something in your way so that you are afraid to make an unreserved surrender to the Lord. The devil keeps telling you about something you are going to miss out on, the pleasures of sin. But remember, although sin can provide temporary pleasure, it is always temporary and ends in disappointment and loneliness. It brings with it a feeling of emptiness and worthlessness, a feeling of shame, and a desire to be free from the bondage you are in.

Jesus said that the person living in sin is a slave—he is in bondage. But He said, If the Son sets you free, you will really be free.

“The enemy leads those who do not yield entirely to God to exalt self, to seek for supremacy and power. When the eye is not single to the glory of God, eternity is dropped out of your reckoning. Oh, we need to pray for the vitalizing influence of the Spirit of God. Unless the professed people of God yield themselves to the influence of God’s Holy Spirit, they will be overcome by the temptation of Satan.” The Signs of the Times, July 25, 1892.

If you have not made an unreserved surrender to the Lord, it’s just a matter of time before you will yield to some temptation of Satan that he puts in your way. The result is that your happiness will be destroyed. You may think you are going to be happy, but it doesn’t work out.

How many people have you talked to who have told you that what they thought would work out by the time they were middle aged did not? So many seek for happiness in temporary things that never satisfy while neglecting to first make an unreserved surrender to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Are you striving to be what God wants you to be?

Some, especially the young, want an easy religion where they don’t have to work very hard. Ellen White wrote about the work Adventists were doing to try to educate young people. They were finding it very difficult, and she wrote: “We are educating the people here who are not inclined to put brain, bone, and muscles into their work. … We are trying to demonstrate to them that while there is no panoply but truth for us in order to be saved, diligence in business is essential to guard us against temptation. Indolence and idleness, games and parties and holiday picnics are opening many avenues to temptation.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 83.

Be diligent in working for Jesus or the devil will draw you into all kinds of temptations. This is especially true for young people today.

Many wish for lots of money so they do not have to work for their daily bread. The fact of the matter is, if they had to work long hours every day for their daily bread, they would be happier and less liable to fall into all kinds of temptations. The Bible says it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. It is good for a person to have to work in order to survive.

Ellen White wrote about the problems they were facing with these students: “Paul had to work laboring with his hands, and felt no dishonor in it. All who would resist temptations that assail them from without and within must make sure that they are on the Lord’s side.” Ibid.

If you have more money than you need so that you don’t have to work hard in order to survive, you still need to be busy doing something that is useful. There are many characters in the Bible, like Joseph, David, Elisha, John the Baptist, the apostle Paul, and Jesus, who all were workers. Consider the story of those who had plenty of money and idle time. Consider what happened to Solomon and to David’s oldest son, Amnon. Remember what happened to the people in Sodom. In Ezekiel 16, it says that they had “fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness” (verse 49 KJV). They had plenty to eat and too much idle time. Consequently, they got into trouble and lost their souls. Sodom became so wicked that God had to destroy it. The world today is becoming like that ancient city. People have too much free time and as a result, they are yielding to all kinds of temptations.

Here are a few sentences from a letter Ellen White wrote to her son: “Dear son Edson: I fear that you do not always wisely regulate your labor. You sometimes do too much, and then allow precious hours to pass unimproved, thus creating a necessity for extra exertion. Temperate, persevering, steady labor will achieve far more than can be accomplished by spasmodic efforts.” The Upward Look, 146.

What was she talking about? He was twenty-seven years old, married, and had not yet learned to manage his time. She continued, “Labor was appointed to man by his Creator. God provided employment for our first parents in holy Eden. And since the Fall, man has been a toiler, eating his bread by the sweat of his brow. Every bone of his body, every feature of his countenance, every muscle of his limbs, evinces the fact that he was made for activity, not for idleness. …

“The faithful discharge of life’s duties, whatever your position, calls for a wise improvement of all the talents and abilities that God has given you. Guard against being always hurried, yet accomplishing nothing worthy of the effort. … Whatever is neglected at the time when it should be performed, whether in secular or in religious things, is rarely done well. Many appear to labor diligently every hour in the day, and yet produce no results to correspond with their efforts. …

“My dear son, be thorough in all you undertake.” Ibid.

Timing is crucial. If something is not done at the proper time, it often causes trouble later.

How to Be Saved

In the gospel of John, how to be saved is reduced to one word. People came to Jesus wanting to know how to be saved. One such incident is described in John 6:28. “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ ” They wanted to be saved and didn’t know how. “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’ ” It is not complicated—just believe in the One whom He sent.

A few verses later in John 6, it says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (verse 47). Notice that is written in present tense. Jesus says, If you believe in Me, you have eternal life. “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die” (verses 48–50). The gospel of John emphasizes that the only thing necessary to be saved is to believe. In John 2:24, we are provided insight into what belief entails. It says, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” That word commit is the same Greek word which is also translated as faith or belief.

Salvation is not complicated. If you really believe, you will commit. A good example of true belief is illustrated in this story:

Charles Blondin was history’s most famous tightrope walker, the first to cross Niagara Falls on a 1,300 foot hemp rope, two inches in diameter. He asked the crowd that had gathered if they believed if he could push his wheel barrow across the waterfall on the tightrope. When they responded that they did believe, he then said to them, if you believe, get in the wheelbarrow. If you get in the wheelbarrow, you have made a commitment proving you really believe.

Many people think they are Christians. They expect to go to heaven, but they have never made a real commitment. They don’t really believe.

Making a Commitment

In John 14:12, it says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

God wants to work a miracle in each life to fulfill the words of Jesus—that their works will be greater than those that Jesus performed while He was on earth. This will truly take a miracle!

The Truth Becomes a Curse

The truth becomes a curse when a person who has an intellectual knowledge of the truth neglects to commit to it. This is a common condition for thousands of people who claim to be Christians. These people become what is termed “gospel hardened.” The truth for them becomes a curse. For instance, Paul said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

Sadly, these people have the truth. They know the truth. This is a great deception of our time. They will tell you that they are on the way to heaven because they believe the right theology, but they continue to practice unrighteousness. They are deluded. Truth for them is just an intellectual thing.

It says in 1 Peter 1:22: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth …” If you really commit to the Lord, then something is going to happen in your life. The Bible says that two people cannot walk together if they are not agreed (Amos 3:3). If you commit to the Lord, the Holy Spirit is going to speak to your mind: Why are you doing this? Should you be thinking that way? If you want to walk with Me, then you have to let that go.

In 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 we are told: “ ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ ”

Every commitment requires sacrifices. God asks us to separate from those things that are unclean—sin. Romans 1 elaborates on this subject. The result of those who refused: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (Romans 1:24).

These people weren’t willing to let loose, to get free from what was unclean, so they couldn’t walk with the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 12:21, it says, “Lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness [licentiousness] which they have practiced.”

My dear friend, if you want to commit to the Lord you have to be willing to separate yourself from sin. You cannot receive the gift of salvation if you are not willing to get separated from what’s unclean. God’s kingdom is clean.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 4, starting in verse 3. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness” (verses 3–7).

You see, if you know the truth, but are not willing to separate from everything that is unclean, the truth will become a curse to you. You may know truth, but you are not living in harmony with it.

“The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human experience a theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be insufficient for the saving of the soul. It does not bring forth the fruits of righteousness. … The Pharisees claimed to be children of Abraham, and boasted of their possession of the oracles of God; yet these advantages did not preserve them from selfishness, malignity, greed for gain, and the basest hypocrisy. …

“The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it; therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors.” The Desire of Ages, 309, 310.

They believe the truth intellectually, but it hasn’t changed their life. They have all the external forms of religion but have not become patient, kind, and forbearing, and the truth becomes a curse to them. The devil then uses brother against brother to stir up contentions, making it impossible for the Holy Spirit to work in the family or in the church.

Peter said, “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:10, 11).

God longs to pour out His Holy Spirit, not just on individuals, but on whole churches. However, He cannot do it when the church is not in the spiritual condition to receive it.

May the Lord help us to understand what it means to believe so that the truth may not become a curse to anyone. Then the Holy Spirit will work in our hearts and our minds so our life might be in harmony with what we profess to believe.

(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.

Faces Lighted Up

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Sometimes when we study a topic and do what we believe to be sufficient research, we think that we have the subject matter down pat, perfectly understood. Then the Lord will tell us to get back to that subject, and He shows us other angles from which that same topic can be viewed, and we begin to realize that God’s truth is much deeper than we can ever imagine. Every aspect of truth about which we may be aware today has a much deeper depth to it than our simple minds are capable of grasping. But we do thank God for His mercy, and, in His goodness, He allows us to get glimpses of the depth of His mind by the little things He allows us to see.

1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that certain things happen as examples: “They are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” Experiences pertaining to ancient Israel, both the good and the bad, were meant to be examples for us. Lessons were wrapped up in those things from which we can learn. Many times we talk about the bad things that took place with ancient Israel and their journey to the land of Canaan, but there were good things too. There were good things as well as bad things involving the leaders. Consider the good leaders such as Joshua, Moses, and the prophets. They did some marvelous things. God used them in certain ways and made Himself manifest through them in ways we do not often stop to study. Are these examples unto us too?

Good Examples Too

For example, when Moses returned from Mount Sinai where he received the Ten Commandments, his face was lighted up! Is it possible that this is an example? Or are we just to consider the fact that when he came down to the camp the noise from the Israelites sounded to Joshua as though they were in war, but to Moses as though they were in apostasy. Is it possible that it is not just the bad that God wants us to see, but also the good?

Let us look in our Bibles at the incidence involving Moses’ face being lit up.

“And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” Exodus 34:28–35.

The Scriptures make it quite clear; this was not just a light on Moses’ face, but Moses’ skin, the skin of his face, shined. Can you imagine that? It was as though you were looking straight at the sun when you were looking on another human being’s face, and the light was emanating from his or her skin. This meant that the glory of God, with which Moses came in contact, basically penetrated his skin, and it remained there to the extent that, the Scriptures tell us, when the children of Israel came to meet him they were afraid of him. Moses knew nothing; he had no idea why they would not approach him, until they revealed to him the problem. Then, in his compassion and meekness, he took action to cover his face, so he could communicate with them and give them the information that God so graciously had imparted for them.

What is the meaning of this for us? What I want to share with you is that, both symbolically and literally, there is a message for us today wrapped up in Moses’ example.

Wonderful Possibilities

We often take for granted all the wonderful things the Lord has in store for us at the end time. Because we have been so exposed to the sins and folly of our age, we tend to bypass the fact that marvelous things await us in the Word of God. Ellen White put it this way: “Wonderful possibilities are open to those who lay hold of the divine assurances of God’s word. There are glorious truths to come before the people of God. Privileges and duties which they do not even suspect to be in the Bible will be laid open before them. As they follow on in the path of humble obedience, doing His will, they will know more and more of the oracles of God.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 322.

One of these wonderful possibilities is that some, if not all of us, will one day have the experience of Moses. Can you imagine that? The skin will be shining. The faces of the children will appear as bright stars to their friends. The adults may be looking like the sun or the moon to their families, friends, and even enemies. Remember what we are told in Exodus about Moses—his friends were afraid. They were pained by what they saw and could not look upon his face. It was too bright to them.

The Book of Corinthians reveals what was symbolically wrapped up in all of this: “But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?” 11 Corinthians 3:7, 8.

Before we read on, just consider for a moment. We are being told that there are two different manifestations of the glory. What Moses had portrayed was basically in connection with the glory pertaining to the Lord.

“For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Verses 9–18.

What message is the Lord trying to convey to us? That what happened in the time of Moses was basically the type or an example of what is going to happen in the New Testament era. That which took place in the Old Testament was only a measure of the manifestation of the glory of God—a measure when compared with what will happen later on, which will exceed what happened in the past. What we need to understand, with the help of the Spirit of Prophecy, is that the phenomena of Moses’ lighted face is not going to be limited to the Law of God transferring from stone to the flesh. This same law, which God made personally available to His people anciently with His personal presence, enabled this man Moses to be lit up. His own skin shone, and the Scripture is telling us that in the New Testament era something more is going to happen, because that same law is not going to be in stone but will be inside the hearts of human beings with the help of the Holy Spirit. When that happens, do you not think that it is going to make itself manifest in the features of those who have the law now placed inside?

Experience of Pioneers

An illustration from the past is given to us by Ellen White, which reveals that the early Adventists under the Millerite movement had their faces lit up! It is an example of what will happen in the end of time. “Those who were obedient to the message stood out free and united. A holy light shone upon them. They renounced the world, sacrificed their earthly interests, gave up their earthly treasures, and directed their anxious gaze to heaven, expecting to see their loved Deliverer. A holy light beamed upon their countenances, telling of the peace and joy which reigned within.” Early Writings, 249, 250.

Were you aware that Adventists had this experience in the early, historical days? And why did they have this experience? Inspiration tells us why; each person had made a total surrender. They were not playing church. They had an experience with God that far surpassed what we claim to have. Because God was pleased with them, He made his glory shine forth from their countenances.

They were just under the former rain, and we are preparing for something more than that, the Latter Rain. Is it possible that the glory that shall shine forth from us will exceed what the early pioneers had? Is it possible that when the enemies of God look upon His people who have made a total surrender to Him, they will be able to see such brightness as to find themselves in pain to look upon these people, because they themselves may not be willing to make a surrender? Is it possible?

From Joel 2, we may begin to understand the possibility of what can really happen and what can cause it to happen: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.” Verses 1–6.

I wondered, Why? The only time I could correlate to this situation was what happened to the children of Israel in the time of Moses. Somehow the glory of Moses caused his brethren to be very uncomfortable. I believe Joel is prophesying that when God gets His real army together, they will bring discomfort. By their appearance, by God manifesting Himself through them, the wicked will be caused discomfort.

Relating what she had been shown in vision, Ellen White penned: “When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai.” Early Writings, 15. [Emphasis added.] History will be repeated. What happened in Moses’ day, will happen again. What we saw prophesied in the Book of Corinthians happened in the time of the Millerite movement, and that prophecy will find itself repeated even in the end time. Notice, however, that only those who have made a total surrender to God will hear the voice of the Master revealing the day and hour.

The Character of God

“The Ten Commandments are called in the New Testament the royal law of liberty. In obeying the divine precepts, men will assimilate to the divine character; for the character of God is expressed in his holy law.” The Signs of the Times, October 17, 1895.

“The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai’s mount were the revelation of the character of God.” Sons and Daughters of God, 53.

The Ten Commandments reveal God’s character. If God gets a people, therefore, who have made a total surrender—they are not afraid to make the kind of changes that the rest of the world does not want to make; they are not afraid to give up the things of this world; they are not afraid to commit themselves to the requirements of God’s Law and the Testimony of Jesus—then what they have ahead of them are marvelous blessings from God, things that we cannot even imagine.

We are only skimming the surface. Yes, we know we will have power, but have we known that our faces, the skin of our faces, will shine? Yes, we know the day will come when we will be changed, and we will be like Him, but this is speaking in the context of having incorruptible bodies. We are dealing with time before that occurs, because when the voice of the Lord reveals to His people the day and the hour, that is before Jesus comes!

The world will have a perfect replica of the Master in His people before He comes. They will not only see Him in the words and works, but they will also see Him in the glory that will rest upon them, the glory of God. “When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai.”

Ellen White leaves no room to doubt that there will be a repetition of what transpired on Mount Sinai with Moses. What a privilege! I cannot imagine anyone who would not want to have a part in this experience, who would not want to know that the glory of God will rest on them on this side of the heavenly border.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1, 2. Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God! Whenever we read verses such as these, we generally place the time at the Second Coming. But based upon what we have seen thus far, it is going to be made available to people even before Jesus bursts through the clouds. This glory of God will be made available to us even before Christ comes. What a privilege! What an opportunity! No wonder the devil has caused so much havoc in the Adventist world.

We just read about peace in Romans; now read Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Why is this so important to us? What did Ellen White say concerning the Millerites when the light of Christ or the glory of God rested upon them? She said that a holy light beamed upon their countenances telling of the peace and joy which reigned within.

Inner Peace

We do not have peace unless we have Christ. Every Adventist who was involved in the Millerite movement had Christ within. It was not just by word or theory; it was an experience. The very same thing will be the case of those who will have the glory of God rest upon them in these last days. They will have the peace and the joy of the Lord in their hearts. Not only that, but the Law of God will be perfectly reflected, because they will have the character of God fully established within them. So, the glory of God will basically be a reflection of God through the presence of His Spirit within His people who have made a total surrender to Him.

Ellen White made this statement: “Happiness drawn from earthly sources is as changeable as varying circumstances can make it; but the peace of Christ is a constant and abiding peace. It does not depend upon any circumstances in life, on the amount of worldly goods or the number of earthly friends. Christ is the fountain of living water, and happiness drawn from Him can never fail.” Reflecting Christ, 263.

So, we have either a temporary happiness or a permanent happiness. We are assured of permanent happiness if we do God’s will, because Christ will come and live in us. We talk about how much we love Jesus and how we have Jesus in our hearts, but do we have peace and joy? Why is the glory of God not reflecting from us? It is because we have not made a total surrender. God has many gifts and blessings reserved just for us, if only we would totally surrender our lives to Him.

Experience of the Saints

“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” Matthew 17:1, 2. This very thing will be the experience of the saints. Their faces will be shining, as did Moses’. You see, Jesus had it, but Jesus’ shining face was described “as the sun.” How could it have been described any other way, when He is the source of peace, the source of joy, the source of light, the source of life? He is the fullness of the manifestation of the character of God.

“Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven.” Early Writings, 278, 279. This will be the experience of those in the last days who will be going forward to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages. With faces lighted up, they will proclaim the Law of God. No wonder Joel said, “Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.” The people cannot deny that these are not ordinary people. They have met Somebody!

Continuing with the quote: “Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction.” Ibid., 279.

Can you see that this quote is referring to the Loud Cry? Note that the first part of the reference says the “servants of God,” not every member of the church. Only those who have qualified will have “their faces lighted up.” It amazes me to hear churches proclaiming that the Loud Cry is now being given. Their faces are not lighted up! Those lighted up faces in the time of the early Advent movement Ellen White said indicated that the people had experienced the peace and joy, because they had made a total surrender.

Like Him

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2. Does this verse not now take on a whole new meaning for us? We shall be like Him. We shall be like Him not only in character, but also in appearance. And then we will go a step further than just having our faces lit up; we shall be transformed. Oh, how much we shall be like Him!

Pastor Patrick Herbert is the senior pastor of the Tucker-Norcross Adventist Church and Director of the Gilead Institute of America, a medical missionary evangelistic training institution located in Norcross, Georgia. He holds a Doctorate in religion and speaks and writes on a wide range of religious and health topics. He may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Questions – Fun and Happiness

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Question:

How can a person be a Christian and obey all the commandments and have any fun and happiness?

Answer:

There is a certain amount of pleasure in sin. Moses had to choose which he would rather have—the pleasures of sin for a season or suffer with the children of Israel. Paul tells us about that in Hebrews 11:24, 25. Notice that in this passage it indicates that “there are pleasures of sin for a season.”

Moses made a good choice when he chose to suffer affliction with the children of Israel rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Although his choice cost him many sleepless nights and much heartache, the end results were glorious, and his joys will last forever.

There are many sins that give emotional satisfaction for a short period of time. There are also many sins that give thrills, excitement, and even a certain amount of good exercise. And then there are sins that will make you rich with this world’s goods, such as money or other possessions. But there are no sins that will give you lasting pleasure and a sense of real joy and security.

The pleasures of sin are just the opposite of joy or security. They usually end up in unhappiness, misery, ill health, and a sense of fear and emptiness. When it is all over, there is no hope for the future even if you are rich. The fun and emotional excitement soon pass away, and you are left with no security, but God has an entirely different program.

God’s promises are sure and have results that last throughout eternity. While on this earth, Jesus said, just before He left to return to heaven, these words which were dear to the disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. Is that what we all want? Yes, it is peace and it brings happiness.

From the Bible, we also read: “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fullness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.” “but let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Psalms 16:11; 5:11; Galatians 5:22,23.

Then we have this wonderful promise: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:14-18.

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165.

Created for Happiness

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“ ‘Even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it [a land that sins against God by persistent unfaithfulness], as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.’ ” Ezekiel 14:20

There is coming a time when no human being will be able to save you.

Children look to their parents for security, for deliverance from trouble, for help, for salvation, and that is not wrong. In fact, Ellen White says that parents stand in the place of God to their young children (see The Adventist Home, 293).

But there is coming a time when your parents are not going to be able to help you, and it could be sooner than you realize. Have you ever been in a situation where you wish more than anything else that you could just die? The Bible records a number of such instances. Numbers 11 describes how anxious Moses was being burdened by the complaints of the Israelites over the manna that God had supplied for them. He told God, “If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now” (verse 15, first part). Moses would rather die than face the situation with the people.

After the miraculous display on Mount Carmel and exhausted from his flight from Jezebel, Elijah also found himself in a situation where he no longer wanted to live. However, probably the most outstanding character of the Bible who felt this way was Job. The situation he found himself in was not just for an hour or a day, but for many days. It says in Job 3:20–22:

“Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures; who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave?”

Zephaniah 2:1, 2, literal translation, says, “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!”

One of the main ways that young people are being lost today is because of their desire for happiness which, in itself, is not wrong. The framers of the Declaration of Independence believed that every human being had inalienable rights. They had a right to life, they had a right to liberty, and they had a right to the pursuit of happiness.

The pursuit of happiness is not wrong, but unfortunately what most people think will make them happy doesn’t work.

God created man for happiness so it is natural to want that. Those who will have eternal life will never again experience unhappiness. They will have happiness that will continue to increase for eternity.

Ellen White wrote, “He [God] desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. He created man for happiness, and He longs to fill human hearts with the peace of heaven. He desires that the families below shall be a symbol of the great family above.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 290.

God not only wants you to be happy as an individual, but He wants you to have a happy family. It seems as if happy families today are in the minority. The majority of people fill their lives with those things that cannot satisfy. Let’s look at just a few quick examples.

Do you know anybody who thinks that if they had a lot more money they would be happy? The Bible has a lot to say about this. The wise man says in Ecclesiastes 5:10: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver.” Silver and gold have been used since ancient times for money. The one who loves money will never be satisfied because he thinks that he never has enough.

While pastoring in North Dakota, one of my church members shared the story about one of the local farmers there who owned many sections of land along the Red River and was one of the biggest farmers in that area. In winter, while things were quiet, farmers maintained their equipment, and this farmer had a building as big as a warehouse where his equipment was maintained and repaired and readied for the next growing season.

The farmer was one of the most successful and richest farmers in that entire region. However, one Sunday morning he did not come home for breakfast. A search began and in a very remote place on his farm, he was found. He had taken a pistol, put it to his head and pulled the trigger. He may have had wealth but he was devoid of happiness. He had found out that no amount of money could buy him happiness.

Yet somehow the masses of people continue to strive to find happiness with the pleasures of this life: television, movies, video games, concerts. The devil has something prepared for all tastes. The problem with all of those activities is that while they are fun, that fun is only temporary. Once finished, we immediately begin looking for the next source of fun.

The Bible tells us that Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25, KJV).

The second chapter of Joel describes a time that the young people need to become alarmed and a warning needs to go out to them. Joel 2:16 says, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.”

A time is coming when sin is going to be destroyed and all who are attached to those sins will also suffer with them. The devil deceives both the old and the young into believing that if you become a Christian and forsake these worldly pleasures, then you will not experience any happiness. The temptation to believe his lie is so powerful because for some the only pleasures they know are sinful pleasures. From their point of view, if those sinful but pleasurable things are taken away, there is nothing left that is enjoyable. That is a lie, of course.

There is one standard to enter heaven, not one for adults and another for young people. All who are engaging in sinful pleasures must be willing to leave them aside and substitute them with something wholesome.

Consider some of the following things that I have found to give me great pleasure that do not involve sin:

Gardening – Gardening is a lot of fun and I am often astonished when I meet young people who are 30 years old and have never grown a garden. They may live in an apartment but it is still possible to grow some things in a small way.

The book The Apartment Farmer describes a person who lived in New York City on the 30th floor in a high-rise building. He had no yard but wanted to be a gardener. There was a small patio allowing him to grow a small variety of crops in containers: corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and about every garden vegetable. If it is possible to grow a garden on the 30th floor of a high-rise building in New York City, you can do it just about anywhere.

When I was 9 years old, my mother gave me a 20 square foot patch in the garden to care for. She was a nurse working at the local hospital and also had a garden much bigger than mine. In my garden I planted several rows of green beans. The planting, watering, and weeding them was easy, but harvesting was not so easy. Those beans produced more beans than I’d ever seen in my life. After I picked them my mother would help me by taking them in apple boxes to the hospital to sell. At that time I was playing trumpet in the Yakima Junior Academy Band with a borrowed instrument. I really wanted a trumpet of my own but my parents couldn’t afford to buy one for me.

My mother had been the superintendent of nurses at the hospital so knew everyone in the hospital. One day while selling my beans she talked to a nurse who had found out that I wanted a trumpet and was willing to trade a really old cornet that still worked for a box of beans. How happy I was to be able to purchase my own cornet with the fruit of my own labor.

Gardening is God ordained and a righteous pleasure. Adam and Eve enjoyed their work in the Garden of Eden. It is something that the saved will do in heaven again.

Scripture songs – There are some people who get immense pleasure from music. Scripture songs are a way to enjoy and to learn the promises of God in His word. There is nothing evil or harmful about Scripture songs.

Hiking in nature – Though under the curse of sin, this world still has much beauty. When I was a boy, we always lived around mountains. As a young man I would hike into the Rocky Mountains. For the last 45 years, my wife and I have lived in the plains and I’ve learned to hike in the plains. There is so much to see when you take the time to get outside, and there are also great health benefits.

Games – All children should be taught to play wholesome games, not games that are sinful. How do you tell the difference between a game that is wholesome and a game that is not?

Wholesome games imitate life skills or adult work. Children learn by imitating. My 2-year old grandson as he pushes toy trucks and cars around starts making the noise, imitating the engine sounds which is something he has taught himself by playing. He also likes to try on my shoes, which are so big for him that as he starts to walk he steps right out of them.

War games are never constructive for children. There was one war in heaven that will never happen again. Those preparing for heaven have no need to learn about war.

Telecommunications – We live in a telecommunications age and are exposed to television, video, and internet, and all these different kinds of things. I believe that children should have moving pictures to watch as long as they are of a positive informative nature like a documentary on nature, science or history. Any of those categories are educational, interesting and pleasurable.

Music – It is wholesome to learn to play an instrument. Once when I was a little over 20 years of age, I was sick and almost died. While recuperating, there were several weeks when I couldn’t work. I needed something to do to fill my time. My father had an organ that I never before had opportunity to play. I could play piano a little so fiddled with the organ until I learned how to play it. The challenge gave me a lot of fun. For some people, learning to play a musical instrument can give a lot of pleasure.

Manufacture a garment – God gave people the ability to be creative. After God had finished creating each day, He looked at what He had made and said that it was very good! So it can be for those who learn to create a garment. Years ago, mothers passed on to their children the art of sewing garments or at least how to sew on a button or mend a tear in a garment, but today, in first world countries, that art is seldom taught. We live in a throwaway society where there is much waste. Learning how to produce something gives great pleasure.

Cooking and baking – The dinner table was a time where the family was all together to share a home cooked meal and share the events of the day with each other. Life has become so hectic with everyone on a different schedule that many pick and run without sitting down to eat. With much dining out and takeaway food, there are many who have lost the art of simple food preparation and baking. Ellen White wrote, “There is more religion in a good loaf of bread than many think.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 316. Much pleasure can be found in kneading a lump of dough and forming it into loaves for the family to enjoy or give to a neighbor. It takes skill to prepare a variety of wholesome foods, sweet breads, pies or cakes.

I decided when I was very young that cooking was a pleasurable activity; so I started learning to do it. In fact, when I was in college and lived at home, I worked to earn part of my college education by cooking and I enjoyed it.

My father once managed a nursing home that had over a hundred patients and I cooked two meals a day for all those patients. Cooking is fun.

I meet men who can’t do anything much more than boil water. That’s too bad. If their wives are gone from home, all they have to eat is milk and cereal, or a piece of bread. By not being able to prepare healthy, delicious food they miss out on a lot of pleasure.

Visit the elderly – Young people should know how to visit the elderly, the sick, and the shut-ins. By reaching out to add happiness to the life of someone else you will end up being happy yourself.

Be a practical problem-solver – It is pleasurable to be able to solve problems. Some people never learned that. Let me give you just a few examples. I have met people who do not know how to change a flat tire and when they find themselves in that situation, they have to stand beside the side of the road and wait for somebody to come and help them out. That person lacks self-sufficiency. The more skills we have, the more useful we can be in God’s service. Knowing how to solve problems brings great pleasure.

These are just a few ideas concerning exchanging sinful pleasures for other things that can give more joy and be a benefit to both self and others. When Jesus gave talents He expected that they be increased and not just lie idle. This takes time of which we are all given 24 hours each day. It would be beneficial for all to consider just how we spend our waking hours and whether there are many wasted hours spent on useless sinful pleasures that could be exchanged for righteous pleasure.

The Lord is speaking: “There is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” The Desire of Ages, 57.

Dear young friends, Do not be deceived into thinking that if I could just get ……, then I could have …… and that would make me happy. Be assured, as soon as you have what you desire, it will not be enough and you will certainly want something else. There have been many movie stars and successful men and women who have had all that this world could offer and then found that their life is hollow. They reach the same conclusion as the wealthy farmer, that life is not worth living.

If you have not yet discovered the happiness that is to be found in loving the Lord, you do not know what real happiness is. All the things that you think will make you happy will not give you perfect happiness unless you have this. If you do not know the Lord, if you do not love Him, you will never, ever be perfectly happy. Jesus promises “you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

 

(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.