happy

You Can be Happy!

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Like so many others, I was in search of happiness. I did not expect to find it where it was—in Christ alone. The more I studied from God’s Word, the more I realized that happiness was to be found in exactly the opposite of what I expected—not in receiving but in giving! Satan tries hard to becloud our minds in understanding this important subject, for which every human being is so hungry and desirous. What a privilege to understand, know, and experience this true happiness!

For this reason, I would like to share a few inspired quotations and Bible verses with others that want to find true happiness. If you will follow the true path to happiness, you shall never be sorry for it!

Those who find wisdom find happiness

“Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.” “She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.” Proverbs 3:13, 18.

What is the way to find true happiness?

“Seeking the good of others is the only way to find true happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 380.

“If the Christian lives a humble, self-sacrificing life, peace and joy in the Lord will be the result. But the greatest happiness experienced will be in doing others good, in making others happy. Such happiness will be lasting.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 161.

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:15, 17.

“ ‘All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.’ [Matthew 7:12.] The Saviour taught this principle to make mankind happy, not unhappy, for in no other way can happiness come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 114.

“He that hath mercy on the poor, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 14:21.

Why is it that so many people don’t find happiness?

“Very many who are seeking for happiness will be disappointed in their hopes, because they seek it amiss, and are indulging in sinful tempers and selfish feelings. By neglecting to discharge the little duties and observe the little courtesies of life, they violate the principles on which happiness depends. True happiness is not to be found in self-gratification, but in the path of duty. God desires man to be happy, and for this reason he gave him the precepts of his law, that in obeying these he might have joy at home and abroad. While he stands in his moral integrity, true to principle, and having the control of all his powers, he cannot be miserable. With its tendrils twined about God, the heart will be full of peace and joy, and the soul will flourish amid unbelief and depravity.” The Signs of the Times, November 11, 1886.

“In many ways, life’s happiness is bound up with faithfulness in common duties.” Education, 216.

“There are many youth who, because they cannot find happiness in plans of their own devising, will not accept it in God’s appointed way. They wonder over their unhappiness, and count their best friends—those who discern their difficulties—their enemies. They cling with tenacious grasp to their impressions and their ideas of just what they must have and what they must do in order to be happy, but they lose sight of the fact that the Lord rules alone, and that He is shaping circumstances.

“God says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ [Isaiah 55:8, 9.] Then let finite beings be humble and submissive in their desires, realizing that God uses many influences which it is beyond their power to control. We must take self in hand; we must do our duty faithfully; and in this work peace and rest and happiness will come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 316.

“When you eat the labor of your hands, you [shall be] happy, and [it shall be] well with you.” Psalm 128:2.

Happiness comes from within, not from outside.

“Our comfortable condition is made by the tone of our feelings within. None can but be happy if they take the happy with them. If we are connected with heaven, the content and peace and happiness of heaven will be ours. Our slights, our neglects, our sorrows and griefs, will not, cannot, depress the heart that is borrowing its strength and serenity from heaven.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 315.

“Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” Henry van Dyke, http://www.worldofquotes.com, (February 22, 2004).

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln, http://home.att.net/~quotesabout/abrahamlincoln.html, (February 22, 2004).

“Do not think to find happiness in selfish amusement. . . . True happiness is found only in the Master’s service. In him who is the Light of the world we shall find comfort and hope. Our happiness comes not from what is around us, but from what is within us; not from what we have, but from what we are.” The Youth’s Instructor, January 23, 1902.

The only Person that can make us happy

“The presence of Christ alone can make men and women happy. All the common waters of life Christ can turn into the wine of heaven. The home then becomes as an Eden of bliss; the family, a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven.” The Adventist Home, 28.

“It is the duty of every married couple studiously to avoid marring the feelings of each other. They should control every look of fretfulness and passion. They should study each other’s happiness in small matters as well as in large, manifesting a tender thoughtfulness in acknowledging kind acts and little courtesies. These small things should not be neglected; for they are just as important to the happiness of man and wife, as food is to sustain physical strength. The father should encourage the wife and mother to lean upon his large affection. Kind, cheerful, encouraging words from him to whom she has entrusted her life-happiness will be more beneficial to her than any medicine; and the cheerful rays of light that such sympathizing words will bring to the heart of the wife and mother, will reflect their own cheering beams upon the heart of the father.” Review and Herald, July 18, 1899.

“Husband and wife are to be faithful to each other so long as life shall last, ever revealing the self-sacrifice that leads to the truest happiness and the highest perfection of character.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 121.

“It is the little attentions, the numerous small incidents and simple courtesies of life, that make up the sum of life’s happiness; and it is the neglect of kindly, encouraging, affectionate words, and the little courtesies of life, which helps compose the sum of life’s wretchedness.” The Adventist Home, 108.

The only source of happiness

“The reason why some are restless is that they do not go to the only true source of happiness. They are ever trying to find out of Christ that enjoyment which is found alone in Him. In Him are no disappointed hopes. Oh, how is the precious privilege of prayer neglected!” My Life Today, 158.

“Prayer is communion with God, the Fountain of wisdom, the Source of strength, and peace, and happiness.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 42.

“The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace. Men, in their pride, delight in magnificent and costly edifices and glory in the works of their own hands; but God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adornings—the handiwork of the great Master Artist. In the surroundings of the holy pair was a lesson for all time—that true happiness is found, not in the indulgence of pride and luxury, but in communion with God through His created works.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 49.

“He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy [is] he.” Proverbs 16:20.

How is true happiness found?

“It is in a life of service only that true happiness is found. He who lives a useless, selfish life is miserable. He is dissatisfied with himself and with everyone else.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 422.

What religion is necessary for health and happiness?

A graceful, positive attitude, whatever the circumstances of our lives, is a source of health and happiness.

“Pure and undefiled religion is not a sentiment, but a doing of works of love and mercy. This religion is necessary to health and happiness.” Ibid., vol. 16, 72.

“Upon obedience depends the life and happiness, health and joy, of men, women, and children. Obedience is for their well-being in this life and in the life to come.” Ibid., vol. 19, 154.

“Happy is he who keeps the law.” “Happy [is] the man who is always reverent.” Proverbs 29:18; 28:14.

“Little expenses must be carefully guarded against. To deny one’s self in little as well as in great things is necessary to prosperity and happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 326.

“Happy [is he] who [has] the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope [is] in the Lord his God.” Psalm 146:5.

“The essence of true religion is a desire to be useful to others, to lighten their burdens and lessen their cares, to do not merely the most pleasing things, but all that needs to be done. It calls for the crucifixion of selfishness. Happiness will come to those who live this religion.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 54.

“Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God.” Review and Herald, February 10, 1903.

What brings us intense happiness?

“As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. . . . Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness.” The Desire of Ages, 331.

Suffering for your eternal happiness

“Oh, why are we so sensitive to trial and reproach, to shame and suffering, when our Lord has given us such an example? Who would wish to enter into the joy of their Lord while they were unwilling to partake of His sufferings? What! the servant unwilling to bear the humility and shame and reproach which the Master bore unselfishly for him! the servant shrinking from a life of humility and sacrifice which is for his own eternal happiness, by which he may finally obtain an exceedingly great, an eternal reward!” Testimonies, vol. 2, 491.

“Behold, happy [is] the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.” Job 5:17.

Our happiness depends on our faith and obedience

“Our future happiness depends on our active faith in the Word of God, including His will.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 49.

“All your happiness, peace, joy, and success in this life are dependent upon genuine, trusting faith in God. This faith will prompt true obedience to the commandments of God. Your knowledge and faith in God is the strongest restraint from every evil practice, and the motive to all good.” Messages to Young People, 410.

“None are so happy and entirely safe as those who have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 128, 129.

“Do you have faith? Have [it] to yourself before God. Happy [is] he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” Romans 14:22.

“Let us adore Him who is our life, our hope, our eternal happiness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 142.

“Happy [are] you, O Israel! Who [is] like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty!” Deuteronomy 33:29.

“God would have you pure and free and happy.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 52.

“Happy [are] the people who are in such a state; Happy [are] the people whose God [is] the Lord! Psalm 144:15.

Pass It On

By Kurt Kaiser

I wish for you, my friend,

This happiness that I’ve found.

You can depend on Him,

It matters not where you’re bound;

I’ll shout it from the mountaintops,

I want my world to know:

The Lord of love has come to me,

I want to pass it on!

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~walter/VeGe.doc, (February 22, 2004).

Bianca Vaughn, a homemaker and mother, is an English to Romanian language translator. Originally from Romania, she now lives in Hawaii with her husband and son. She may be contacted by telephone at: 808-965-0222.

The Essence of Heaven, Part I

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What is heaven all about? When I was a child, the pastor of the church my family attended told me the following true story.

During World War II, he was a preacher in Europe. A Christian family he knew had a daughter who was not interested in Christianity. She was not interested in going to heaven. This preacher wanted to try to help this young lady; he wanted to arouse in her a desire to be a Christian and a desire to go to heaven. So he engaged her in conversation one day about this subject. She emphatically stated that she was not interested in Christianity, and why, if she did not want to go to heaven anyway, should she be a Christian? What was the point?

This girl told him, “I have heard about heaven. I have heard that it is a place where people float around on clouds, and they play harps.” And, she continued, “I am not interested. I do not even care for harp music! I certainly am not interested in floating around on a cloud, so I do not want to go there.” You see, she had no idea what heaven was really about.

There are many people like her. Even many Protestant Christians who go to church every week, if asked, “What is heaven? Please describe it to me,” could tell you almost nothing.

Abodes of Bliss

Many Seventh-day Adventist preachers, when talking about heaven, just tell people what it is not like. There is nothing wrong with this, because the Bible probably has more texts telling us what heaven is not like than any other thing.

For instance, it says in Isaiah, concerning that place, that no violence will be there. In Isaiah 33:24, we are told, “The inhabitants of that place will not say, ‘I am sick.’ ” Is that nice to know?

Revelation 21 gives us a number of descriptions in the first four verses. It says that in that place there is no sorrow, crying, or death. When we are in heaven, we will never attend a funeral. We will never go to a mortuary or pick out a tombstone or a casket. We will never go to a hospital; there will be no surgery there, because it is not needed.

There will be no pain in heaven. This is a great comfort to many people, such as drug addicts. Those who are trying to get off an
addictive substance experience extreme withdrawal pain. I have never been addicted to a substance like that, so I cannot explain or understand exactly how they feel, but one of their greatest pleasures is to read in the Bible that when they get to heaven, there will be no pain.

So, this is what preachers usually do. We tell people what heaven is by telling them what it is not¾there is no war; there is no crime; there are no prisons; there is no sickness. This is all good to know, but have you ever stopped to analyze the situation and think through that even if all those things were taken away, you would not necessarily be happy?

Heaven is a place described by Ellen White as having “the abodes of bliss.” (See Testimonies, vol. 8, 140.) Bliss! Do you know what bliss is? Bliss is an extreme, intense state of happiness. The angels, the intelligences in heaven, are in this bliss or this extreme, intense state of happiness all the time. The redeemed are going to be the same. Isaiah 35:10 says, “The redeemed of the Lord will come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They will obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

They are going to have joy. They are going to have intense happiness. You see, that actually is the essence of what heaven is about. It is this intense happiness that everybody has all the time that makes heaven heaven.

Self-Sacrificing Love

You see, heaven actually has more to do with something that is internal in your mind than something that is external. It is not just golden streets and music, although there is beautiful music, and there are golden streets. There is also wonderful food, but that is not what heaven is.

So, here is the question: What makes heaven heaven? We can answer that in one sentence: “The spirit of Christ’s self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades heaven and is the very essence of its bliss.” Steps to Christ, 77.

What is the very essence of the bliss, the intense happiness that is in heaven? What is the very core of it? It is the spirit of self-sacrificing love. Somehow this is a concept that it is very difficult for people in this world to comprehend, because we have had an opposite education of which the devil has been in charge. It is throughout all the educational system, it is in all the philosophy of man, and it is in our language. Have you ever heard someone talking about “taking care of No. 1”? When they refer to “taking care of No. 1,” of whom are they speaking? Self. In the devil’s program, I am No. 1, and you are to make me happy.

There are many illustrations that would help us understand this concept, but I will share just one. About 30 years ago, a beautiful, young, married lady was driving her car, and she had neglected to put on her seat belt. Unfortunately, she was in a collision, and because she did not have her seat belt on, she was thrown forward headfirst through the windshield of the car. As she went through the shattered glass, her face was terribly lacerated. When her husband came to see her in the hospital, can you imagine what happened? This man had married that beautiful face. That beautiful face made him happy, but when that beautiful face did not exist any more, there was nothing to hold that marriage together, so he divorced her. (By the way, men are not the only ones who do things like that. I could tell you other stories where women did almost the identical same thing, but we will not go there. You get the point.)

If I am No. 1, then you are to make me happy, and when the time comes that you do not make me happy anymore, then we are going to separate. This is one of the reasons there is such a huge divorce rate today. This is the devil’s philosophy, the devil’s program that has taken over almost the entire world.

Jesus came into this world to show us that this is a wrong idea, to show us that we are to sacrifice ourselves for the good of somebody else. They are not to sacrifice themselves for our good; we are to sacrifice ourselves for their good. If we could ever get it learned, we would see the divorce rate bottom out.

Jesus’ Mission

Let us read a few Scriptures so you can see that this is exactly what the New Testament teaches that Jesus came to do.

“On behalf of all He died, in order that those living no longer might live for themselves, but on behalf of Him who died and was raised again.” 11 Corinthians 5:15. What was the purpose of Jesus’ coming and of His death on the cross? So I would no longer live for myself.

Jesus Himself talked about this in Matthew 10:34-39. Verse 39 reads, “The one who finds his soul will lose it.” Who is the one who finds his soul? That is the one, I am No. 1; I actually do get what I want! The text continues, “The one who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

What does it mean to lose your life? That means your life is sacrificed for somebody else, and if you learn that principle, Jesus says that you are going to find eternal life. If you do not learn that principle, you are not going to find eternal life.

John 12:25 says, “The one who loves his soul will lose it, and the one who hates his soul in this world will keep it unto life eter-nal.” Of what is Jesus talking? One person makes his own life  No. 1; the other person sacrifices his whole life for somebody else. The one who gains his soul and loves his soul will lose it, but the one who hates his soul and sacrifices all of his soul for somebody else will keep it. This is what Jesus taught.

Some Rain Must Fall

I have many cousins, but of all my relatives, two male cousins were much more handsome than were any of the rest of us. Both of them had very pleasing personalities and were very popular wherever they went.

One of these cousins, as a young man in the late 1950s, decided that he was going to join the Navy. He wanted to become a Navy pilot. I remember that as he was traveling from Washington State to Pensacola, Florida, he stopped to visit my family, who was living in Colorado, on a Saturday afternoon. He was going to Florida to join the Navy; then he went to flying school there, and realized his dream of becoming a Navy pilot.

While he was in Florida, he married an absolutely beautiful woman. Not only was she beautiful, but she was intelligent. She was a psychologist. After they married, he was stationed in Hawaii. He became one of the chief pilots for the DC7 that took the Rear Admiral of the United States Navy all over the world visiting bases, but especially over the South Pacific.

So, he had the job of flying the Rear Admiral of the United States Navy all over the South Pacific; his wife was a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii; they were stationed in Honolulu; they had it made! I mean, he had the kind of job, the kind of wife, the kind of life that men all over the world dream about but almost none of them ever have high status, high income, lots of friends, lots of official functions, lots of parties. But the saying goes, “Into each life, some rain must fall.”

One time when he was stateside, he was in a dreadful automobile accident. He was injured so badly that he was unconscious when he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit. Of course, his wife came to the hospital and talked with the physicians. They told her they did not know what would happen; they did not know if he would ever come to consciousness again, and if he did, whether or not he would have his faculties or if he would be a vegetable.

This beautiful, talented, intelligent lady knew lots of psychology, but she was not prepared for a situation like this. She could not handle it, so she divorced him. After the divorce, he did regain consciousness and improved, though he never could fly an airplane again because of the injuries he received.

This is what happens in this world when we make ourselves No. 1, but Jesus said, “If you gain your life, if you gain everything, you are going to lose it. But if you lose everything, if you lose your life, if you sacrifice your life for somebody else, you are going to keep your life unto life eternal.”

As a Mosquito

The greatest example of this is Jesus Himself. The more I study the story of Jesus, the more astonished I become. I am in absolute awe. I believe, personally, that I will tiptoe and walk in awe in His presence through all eternity, because I do not understand what He left. Talk about self-sacrifice! He did have everything. He had the whole universe, and He was not forced to come down here to earth. He was not ordered to come down here. He went to His Father and pled to come down here. He left everything¾the power and the glory.

There is no way to explain it. The best illustration I have ever heard is if you were to ask someone, “Do you want to become a mosquito?” That is pretty crude, I suppose. We just do not have any way to help people to understand what we are talking about when we talk about what He left behind to come down here to earth.

Jesus Christ is the only Person born in this world who planned out every detail of His life before He was born, with His Father. Every detail of His life was planned out before He ever came! It was not an accident that He was born in a stable. It was not an accident that He was born into a poor family.
It was not an accident that He was poor all of His life. Until He went to Jerusalem to die on the cross, He was one of the poorest men in Jerusalem. All He had left were His clothes, and they took those from Him. What was this all about? It was to teach us the principle that you sacrifice yourself for somebody else. Jesus said, “If you do not learn this, you will not have eternal life.”

A Happy Place

Now, what happens if you do learn the lesson? If you go to heaven, friend, here is what will happen. In this world, everybody is looking out for No. 1 first and, then, other people after that. But, in heaven, everybody is looking out for the happiness of somebody else. They get their joy and happiness from bringing joy and happiness to somebody else. So, everybody in the whole place will be interested in making someone else happy. It is a happy place!

When you are around somebody whose greatest desire is to give anything that they have to make you happy, then you are in a position to start to learn what heaven is about.

Ellen White said, concerning Jesus, that when He was here, “It was heaven to be in His presence.”
The Ministry of Healing, 18. Have you ever tried to analyze that? What was it that made it like heaven to be in His presence? Now, the road is going to get a little bit rough as we study this, so get your seat belt on!

The only people who are going to go to heaven are the people who are like Jesus Christ. Read Revelation 14:1-5; read 11 Corinthians 3:18; read 1 John 3:1-3. Now, Jesus Christ was a person, and it was heaven to be in His presence because of the self-sacrificing love that was in His heart. Remember, the spirit of self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades heaven, and it is the very essence of its bliss.

Now, notice carefully where we are going. Self-sacrificing love is the spirit that pervades heaven and is the very essence of its bliss. It was like heaven to be in Jesus’ presence, because He had that self-sacrificing love, and all the people who go to heaven will be people who are Christlike. They will have the spirit of self-sacrificing love like He had. Now, if we really have the spirit of self-sacrificing love like Jesus had, what will it be like to be in our presence? If you and I have become Christlike, it is going to be like heaven to be in our presence, because we have the spirit of self-sacrificing love inside.

The road is going to get rougher yet.

A Little Heaven

If the husband has the spirit of self-sacrificing love so that he is Christlike, it is going to be like heaven to be in his presence. If the wife has the spirit of self-sacrificing love like Jesus has, it is going to be like heaven to be in her presence. If both of them have the spirit of self-sacrificing love in their hearts, what is it going to be like in their home? Why, friend, it is going to be like heaven on earth!

I am glad Ellen White was so specific on this. “We may have a little heaven to go to heaven in, if Christ breathes upon us his Holy Spirit. His love will be with us, and we shall be acquainted with him, and can bring him into our families.” Review and Herald, April 21, 1891.

At another time, Mrs. White counseled: “Parents, make your home a little heaven on earth. You can do this, if you so choose. You can make home so pleasant and cheerful that it will be the most attractive place on earth to your children. Let them receive all the blessings of the household. You can so relate yourselves to God that His Spirit will abide in your home. Come close to the bleeding side of the Man of Calvary. Those who are partakers with Him in His sufferings will at last be partakers with Him in His glory.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 200.

Now the road is going to get really hard.

Consequences

What if your home is not like a little heaven to go to heaven in? Oh, friend, this is what we did not want to hear. If your home is not like that, if your home is not a little heaven to go to heaven in, at least one of the people in that home cannot go to heaven in the condition in which they are right now. Something to think about, is it not?

This spirit of self-sacrificing love cannot be forced on anybody. A husband cannot force his wife to love him; a wife cannot force her husband to love her; parents cannot force their children to love them. You cannot force it. It cannot be commanded.

Ellen White wrote, “The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known.” The Desire of Ages, 22.

Let us consider this in a very practical way for a moment. Some of you will be able to relate to this because you have children. A human baby is born to be loved, but the baby does not understand very much about love. The mother is supposed to know about love, and if the mother knows about love, the mother starts giving love to the baby. It is a wonderful thing to see. Every day, several times a day, the mother gives love to the baby. It is expressed in many different ways¾by touching, by stroking, by the expression on the face, by the tone of the voice, by giving food, by giving water, by making the baby comfortable. There is a reason that God made human babies so they require a lot of care. It is in the process of receiving that care that they learn what love is.

But the time comes when the baby starts to really respond to the mother’s love. It is very interesting to see this response. Why is the baby responding to the mother’s love? Because the baby has received so much love from the mother that now this baby has love to give back to the mother.

Now, let me ask you a serious question, albeit an awful question, but we need to face reality. What if the baby is born to a woman who is angry and bitter and does not have very much love to give? Do you know what will happen?

Let us read about it: “The reason why there are so many hard-hearted men and women in our world, is because true affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. The better part of the nature of those of this class was perverted and dwarfed in childhood; and unless rays of divine light can melt away their coldness and hard-hearted selfishness, the happiness of such is buried forever.” Review and Herald, June 22, 1886.

How awful this is! Their happiness is buried forever, unless divine love can break through that ice.

“If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when he was upon the earth, and sanctified sympathy, such as the angels have for sinful mortals, we must cultivate the sympathies of childhood, which are simplicity itself. Then we shall be refined, elevated, and directed by heavenly principles.” Ibid.

There are people all around us (I do not say this to judge anyone) especially in our time much more so than 50 years ago, who are spiritually and emotionally crippled, and they will be spiritually and emotionally crippled until Jesus comes, because of the spiritual and emotional damage that was inflicted on them from babyhood up through childhood.

I am not saying that those people cannot be saved. God can save people whether or not they are physically crippled or spiritually and emotionally crippled, but the fact remains that in this world they are spiritually and emotionally crippled.

I mention these things to hopefully be a little bit of help to those of you who are parents of small children. Do not repress or neglect
to give affection to your small children. If you do, they will grow up to be hard-hearted men and women. They will be emotionally crippled for the rest of their lives in this world.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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

Editorial – Quenching the Holy Spirit: When it is Impossible to be Happy

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Historic Seventh-day Adventists claim to be desirous of and preparing for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. The only way that this desired blessing can ever happen is through confession and forsaking of sin. In the letter we have been studying (Letter 16, 1888, written by Ellen White to an immoral administrator in an Adventist institution), repeated appeals are made to this leader to confess and come into harmony with the character of God. These appeals are for the remnant today who desire this promised blessing to come in this generation.

“You are preaching to others the binding claims of the law of God, but how does your own character stand in the light of that great moral standard of righteousness? You are weighed in the balance and found wanting. Will you now receive this light and humble your heart before God? Will you claim and accept longer the sympathies and the compassion and false estimate others will place upon you? Will you allow the cause of God to be burdened and reproached on your account? Will you confess your sins?

“The true happiness of the people of God depends upon righteousness of life and purity of character and true benevolence of heart. When their will harmonizes with the will of God; when they act as they know is right toward God and their fellow men, then they may claim peace and rest in Jesus Christ . . . . The heart is in harmony with God, they have the love of God in their heart and the love for their fellow men; perfect love united to a perfect life constitutes true happiness.

“A single unrighteous act of will, or bitterness, envy, jealousy, or evil surmising will quench the Spirit of God and banish from your heart true happiness. One emotion of hatred or ill will or of revenge, or an evil act or word toward one whom Christ calls ‘the least of these My brethren’ [Matthew 25:40], gives Satan the advantage over you, makes you a transgressor of God’s law, and will surely destroy the peace of the soul, and will stand as an act done to Jesus Christ in the person of His saints.

“Even hatred to an evil worker will place you in a position where your judgment will be warped and you will not be a doer of the work of Christ to render good for evil. While you despise the sin, you should love the souls of those for whom Christ has paid the price of His own blood.

“The desire for revenge, or any emotion but that of tender, pitying love as Jesus exercises toward us, fallen sinful humanity, injures the soul and is registered against us in heaven. Nothing short of perfection of character will meet the standard of God’s law. The great power of God will surely come to His people if they are obedient children and are living in accordance with the character of Christ. . . .

“We see God looking down upon the church with displeasure, because there are those who claim to be God’s representatives who have not in precept and example pointed to purity and holiness, but to earthliness and sensuality.

“Your sin stands charged against you in the books of heaven. We must labor in God to lead the people to the fountain of life. Your character is blotted and defiled by sin, and yet you have had messages sent from heaven to you which you have not heeded or appreciated. Now is your day; now is the time for you to humble your heart. Confess your sins. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy’ [Proverbs 28:13].” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 164–166.

Bible Study Guides – An Attitude of Gratitude

by

March 24, 2013 – March 30, 2013

Key Text

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 443–445; The Ministry of Healing, 241–259.

Introduction

“Good deeds are twice a blessing, benefiting both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. The consciousness of right-doing is one of the best medicines for diseased bodies and minds. When the mind is free and happy from a sense of duty well done and the satisfaction of giving happiness to others, the cheering, uplifting influence brings new life to the whole being.” The Ministry of Healing, 257.

“The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy—joy in the Holy Spirit—health-giving, life-giving joy. Our Saviour’s words, ‘Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.” Ibid., 115.

“Every ray of light shed upon others will be reflected upon our own hearts. Every kind and sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to supply the necessities of our fellow beings, given or done with an eye to God’s glory, will result in blessings to the giver. Those who are thus working are obeying a law of heaven and will receive the approval of God. The pleasure of doing good to others imparts a glow to the feelings which flashes through the nerves, quickens the circulation of the blood, and induces mental and physical health.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 56.

1 A MERRY HEART

  • There is something else necessary to our physical, spiritual, and mental well-being which will also directly affect our witness to the world. What is it? Psalm 5:11.

Note: “The influence of the mind on the body, as well as of the body on the mind, should be emphasized. The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease. This should be made plain. The power of the will and the importance of self-control, both in the preservation and in the recovery of health, the depressing and even ruinous effect of anger, discontent, selfishness, or impurity, and, on the other hand, the marvelous life-giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude, should also be shown.

“There is a physiological truth—truth that we need to consider—in the scripture [Proverbs 17:22 quoted].” Education, 197.

“When we go mourning, we leave the impression upon minds that God is not pleased to have us happy, and in this we bear false witness against our Heavenly Father. … But when we engage in the service of God, the heart should be aglow with thanksgiving; for the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths, he is not left to vain regrets and disappointments. If we do not have the pleasures of this life, we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond.” The Review and Herald, January 14, 1890.

  • Does this mean that we should amuse ourselves and others with frivolity, joking, and jesting? Ephesians 5:4.
  • How can we have a deep inner joy? Galatians 5:22–25; Psalm 43:5; Hebrews 13:6.

Note: “The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 547.

2 MENTAL HEALTH

  • How do our thoughts affect us physically? Proverbs 17:22; II Timothy 1:7.

Note: “Between the mind and the body there is a mysterious and wonderful relation. They react upon each other. To keep the body in a healthy condition to develop its strength, that every part of the living machinery may act harmoniously, should be the first study of our life. To neglect the body is to neglect the mind. It cannot be to the glory of God for His children to have sickly bodies or dwarfed minds.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 485, 486.

“There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control our physical being must be heeded.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 601.

“Every influence that affects the health of the body has its bearing upon mind and character.” Child Guidance, 408.

  • With what should we fill our minds? Philippians 4:8.
  • How can I have peace when there are circumstances and trials which overwhelm me? Philippians 4:6, 7; Psalm 130:5, 6; Lamentations 3:26.

Note: “Parents, gather the rays of divine light which are shining upon your pathway. Walk in the light as Christ is in the light. As you take up the work of saving your children and maintaining your position on the highway of holiness, the most provoking trials will come. But do not lose your hold. Cling to Jesus. He says, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). Difficulties will arise. You will meet with obstacles. Look constantly to Jesus. When an emergency arises, ask, Lord, what shall I do now?” The Adventist Home, 207, 208.

3 SORROW SUFFERERS

  • What does sorrow, regret, unrest, and guilt do to the body? Proverbs 12:25.

Note: “Satan is the originator of disease; and the physician is warring against his work and power. Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here. Perhaps some living home trouble is, like a canker, eating to the very soul and weakening the life forces. Remorse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution and unbalances the mind.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 443, 444.

  • What are some causes of a downcast spirit? Psalm 55:4, 5; Matthew 6:34.

Note: “He [God] does not desire us to go in anguish of spirit. We are not to look at the thorns and the thistles in our experience. We are to go into the garden of God’s Word, and pluck the lilies, and roses, and the fragrant pinks of His promises. Those who look upon the difficulties in their experience will talk doubt and discouragement, for they do not behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 160.

  • What is the remedy for the downcast spirit? Psalms 51:6–12; 55:16–18; 61:2–4; 77:11, 12.
  • When should we especially remember to be cheerful and why? Psalm 128:2.

Note: “Those who are excited, anxious, or in a hurry, would do well not to eat until they have found rest or relief; for the vital powers, already severely taxed, cannot supply the necessary digestive fluids.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107.

4 A LIVING PRINCIPLE

  • For what is God looking and longing? Leviticus 26:12; II Corinthians 6:16; Isaiah 57:15; 66:2.

Note: “Those who teach the principles of health reform should be intelligent in regard to disease and its causes, understanding that every action of the human agent should be in perfect harmony with the laws of life. The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Men and women should be informed in regard to the human habitation, fitted up by our Creator as His dwelling place and over which He desires us to be faithful stewards. ‘For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ II Corinthians 6:16.” Counsels on Health, 479.

  • Through whom and for what purpose does God want to dwell in us? John 16:13.
  • How will this affect those around us? Malachi 3:16; Ephesians 5:19, 20; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Note: “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home. But there are many who make life’s burdens doubly heavy by continually anticipating trouble. If they meet with adversity or disappointment they think that everything is going to ruin, that theirs is the hardest lot of all, that they are surely coming to want. Thus they bring wretchedness upon themselves and cast a shadow upon all around them. Life itself becomes a burden to them. But it need not be thus. It will cost a determined effort to change the current of their thought. But the change can be made. Their happiness, both for this life and for the life to come, depends upon their fixing their minds upon cheerful things. Let them look away from the dark picture, which is imaginary, to the benefits which God has strewn in their pathway, and beyond these to the unseen and eternal.

“For every trial, God has provided help.” The Ministry of Healing, 247, 248.

5 GOD’S PURPOSE

  • Why did God create humanity? Revelation 4:11.

Note: “Infinite love—how great it is! God made the world to enlarge heaven. He desires a larger family of created intelligences.” “Ellen G White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1081.

  • What cooperation on our part is needed that He may dwell within? II Corinthians 6:17, 18; 7:1; John 14:21, 23; Acts 5:32.

Note: “The condition of being received into the Lord’s family is coming out from the world, separating from all its contaminating influences. The people of God are to have no connection with idolatry in any of its forms. They are to reach a higher standard. We are to be distinguished from the world, and then God says, ‘I will receive you as members of My royal family, children of the heavenly King.’ As believers in the truth we are to be distinct in practice from sin and sinners. Our citizenship is in heaven.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 481

  • How is it possible to implement all of His instruction? Romans 8:7–14.

Note: “Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 165.

  • If we do what God has said, what reward awaits us? Isaiah 64:4; I Corinthians 2:9.

Note: “It should ever be kept prominent that the great object to be attained through this channel [the Battle Creek Health Institute] is not only health, but perfection, and the spirit of holiness, which cannot be attained with diseased bodies and minds. This object cannot be secured by working merely from the worldling’s standpoint.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 554.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Do I have a merry heart or a sad one?

2 What thought patterns do I need to change in order to think upon good things?

3 How can we give our fears to God in order to be set free from them?

4 For what things can I praise God today?

5 Do I really desire to have the Lord dwell within me, and what must I change in order to have that become a reality in my experience?

The Religion of Christ

“There are erroneous doctrines also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless torment of the wicked, that, by giving exaggerated and distorted views of the character of God, have produced the same result upon sensitive minds. Infidels have made the most of these unfortunate cases, attributing insanity to religion; but this is a gross libel and one which they will not be pleased to meet by and by. The religion of Christ, so far from being the cause of insanity, is one of its most effectual remedies; for it is a potent soother of the nerves.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 444.

This Lesson Is Not Only Theory

“This is true sanctification. It is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies—not an offering corrupted by wrong habits, but ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God’ (Romans 12:1).” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 57, 58.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.