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Bible Study Guides – The World Astir

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December 13, 2009 – December 19, 2009

Key Text

“The people that do know their God shall be strong.” Daniel 11:32.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 449–454; Maranatha, 180–186.

Introduction

“From the days of Christ until now His faithful disciples have excited the hatred and opposition of those who love and follow the ways of sin.” The Great Controversy, 46.

1 How does Scripture depict worldly kingdoms being overturned? Daniel 11:1–4. Contrast this to the followers of Christ.

Note: “Many falter and fall because of the indulgence of a perverse temper. …

“God calls upon you to yield pride and stubbornness, and to let His peace rule in your hearts. A meek and quiet spirit must be cherished. Carry Christ’s meekness with you in all your labors. An excited temper and cutting censure will not impress the people or gain their sympathy. If we have the truth, we can afford to be calm and unexcited. Our language should be modest and elevated. The spirit you have cherished within has left its impression upon the countenance. Christ, enthroned in the soul-temple, will efface that fretful, peevish, unhappy look; and as the cloud of witnesses look upon a man reflecting the image of Christ, they will realize that he is surrounded by a pleasant atmosphere.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 348.

2 After years of struggle between the southern and the northern kingdoms (Daniel 11:5–19), our attention is drawn to Rome. What is written about Caesar Augustus? Daniel 11:20; Luke 2:1–3.

Note: “As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne of the world’s empire that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus is made the agent for the fulfillment of God’s purpose in bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of the lineage of David, and the Son of David must be born in David’s city. Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet, ‘shall He come forth … that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.’ Micah 5:2, margin. … In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they [Joseph and Mary] at last find refuge, and here the Redeemer of the world is born.” The Desire of Ages, 44.

3 How did the heavenly messenger describe the actions of papal Rome? Daniel 11:31; 12:1 (cf. Daniel 8:11, 12).

Note: “The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that none could approach God except through him; and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed. A deviation from his requirements was sufficient cause for the severest punishment to be visited upon the bodies and souls of the offenders. Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to fallible, erring, and cruel men, nay, more, to the prince of darkness himself, who exercised his power through them. Sin was disguised in a garb of sanctity.” The Great Controversy, 55.

4 What is said about the faithfulness of God’s people in the time of persecution under papal Rome? Daniel 11:32.

Note: “In lands beyond the jurisdiction of Rome there existed for many centuries bodies of Christians who remained almost wholly free from papal corruption. They were surrounded by heathenism and in the lapse of ages were affected by its errors; but they continued to regard the Bible as the only rule of faith and adhered to many of its truths. These Christians believed in the perpetuity of the law of God and observed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Churches that held to this faith and practice existed in Central Africa and among the Armenians of Asia.

“But of those who resisted the encroachments of the papal power, the Waldenses stood foremost. In the very land where popery had fixed its seat, there its falsehood and corruption were most steadfastly resisted.” The Great Controversy, 63, 64.

5 Describe the sufferings of God’s people under papal Rome. Daniel 11:33–35; Matthew 10:17–22; 24:21.

Note: “In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy—the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy.” The Great Controversy, 59.

“Persecution will spread the light. The servants of Christ will be brought before the great men of the world, who, but for this, might never hear the gospel. The truth has been misrepresented to these men. They have listened to false charges concerning the faith of Christ’s disciples. Often their only means of learning its real character is the testimony of those who are brought to trial for their faith. Under examination these are required to answer, and their judges to listen to the testimony borne. God’s grace will be dispensed to His servants to meet the emergency.” The Desire of Ages, 354.

6 How will history be repeated? Matthew 24:9; Revelation 12:17; Matthew 10:23.

Note: “The time is not far distant, when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a warning to us. It will then be time to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains. And now, instead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be preparing to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Instead of spending our means in self-gratification, we should be studying to economize. Every talent lent of God should be used to His glory in giving the warning to the world.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 464, 465.

7 What benefits should we draw from trials permitted by God? I Peter 1:7; Psalm 139:23, 24.

Note: “Trial is part of the education given in the school of Christ, to purify God’s children from the dross of earthliness. It is because God is leading His children that trying experiences come to them. Trials and obstacles are His chosen methods of discipline, and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their weaknesses better than they themselves can know them. He sees that some have qualifications which, if rightly directed, could be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these souls into different positions and varied circumstances, that they may discover the defects that are concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to overcome these defects and to fit themselves for service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to burn, that they may be purified.” The Acts of the Apostles, 524.

8 How will God interpose in behalf of His people during the last great crisis? Isaiah 26:20, 21.

Note: “In this time of prevailing iniquity we may know that the last great crisis is at hand. When the defiance of God’s law is almost universal, when His people are oppressed and afflicted by their fellow men, the Lord will interpose.

“The time is near when He will say, ‘Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.’ Isaiah 26:20, 21. Men who claim to be Christians may now defraud and oppress the poor; they may rob the widow and fatherless; they may indulge their Satanic hatred because they cannot control the consciences of God’s people; but for all this God will bring them into judgment. They ‘shall have judgment without mercy’ that have ‘showed no mercy.’ (James 2:13.) Not long hence they will stand before the Judge of all the earth, to render an account for the pain they have caused to the bodies and souls of His heritage. They may now indulge in false accusations, they may deride those whom God has appointed to do His work, they may consign His believing ones to prison, to the chain gang, to banishment, to death; but for every pang of anguish, every tear shed, they must answer. God will reward them double for their sins.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 178, 179.

9 What parallel exists between Daniel 11:36, 8:25, II Thessalonians 2:3, 4 and Revelation 13:6?

Note: “Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High.” The Great Controversy, 571.

10 What should we know concerning the final verses of Daniel 11? Habakkuk 2:3.

Note: “The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 14.

Additional Reading

“The signs of the times tell us that the end of all things is at hand. Prophecies fulfilled have become facts of history, clearly defining our position. We are standing upon the verge of the eternal world. … Our Lord forewarned His people that iniquity would abound in the last days and would have a paralyzing influence upon true godliness. Wickedness is seen and heard and felt all around us. It seems to permeate the very atmosphere, and affects the faith and love of God’s professed people. It is difficult to hold fast Christian integrity. The fact is, much which is current in our day as Christianity is indebted for its very existence to the absence of persecution. When the test of fiery trial comes, a great proportion of these who profess the faith will show that their religion was hollow formalism. …

“The days in which we live are days of peril. Carelessness, levity, love of pleasure and selfish gratification, are seen in the lives of very many professed Christians. Is this the time for Seventh-day Adventists to lose their faith and grow cold and formal? God forbid! Shall we turn traitor at the very moment when God would be most glorified by our steadfast adherence to principle? Shall we turn from the heavenly attractions now, when we can almost see the glories on the other shore? We are living in the most important period of earth’s history. By maintaining our allegiance to God, we may bear the noblest testimony for Christ and the truth.

“The true Christian will cling to the promises of God more firmly now than ever before. His heart is where he has laid up his treasure—in heaven. When right principles are despised and forsaken, then the true and loyal will show their warmest zeal and deepest love; then they will stand most firmly for truth, unpopular though it be. …

“The Lord is coming. … Let us be consistent; let our works correspond with our profession of faith.” That I May Know Him, 352.

“The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.

“Soon strife among the nations will break out with an intensity that we do not now anticipate. The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place, that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.” Maranatha, 174.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Questions and Answers: The Little Time of Trouble

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Could you explain Revelation 20:4 and when the events in this verse occur as related to the little time of trouble?

First we will establish the time and setting of Revelation 20:4. This verse is part of an event that is described in verses 4–6. The event described in these verses is the executive (sentencing) phase of the judgment which takes place during the 1,000 years or millennium.

Immediately preceding the millennium is the second coming of Jesus as described in Revelation 19:11–21. In the battle that takes place at the coming of Jesus (verse 19) the beast (papacy) and the false prophet (Protestant United States) are captured and thrown into the lake of fire (verse 20). The rest of the people are destroyed and the birds eat their flesh (verse 21). In this battle the dragon is not destroyed, but bound and held as a prisoner on this earth for 1,000 years as described in Revelation 20:1–3.

Next follows the executive phase of the judgment during the 1,000 years in which the sentences of the wicked are determined. This is the event that is described in Revelation 20:4–6. Following the millennium is the execution phase of the judgment in which the sentences are carried out on the wicked. The execution phase of the judgment is described in Revelation 20:7–15.

Next we want to understand how the little time of trouble relates to the executive phase of the judgment. There are two specific times of trouble mentioned in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. They are the (1) short (little) time of trouble and (2) the time of Jacob’s trouble. These two times of trouble make up the whole period of the time of trouble.

The little time of trouble takes place during the final warning which begins with the falling of the latter rain and ends soon after the close of probation. At this time the death decree is issued which immediately brings on the time of Jacob’s trouble. The time of Jacob’s trouble ends on the date that has been set by the world on which to kill God’s people at which time God delivers them.

So we see that the little time of trouble and Revelation 20:4–6 are two separate events, the little time of trouble taking place before the close of probation, and the sentencing phase of the judgment (Revelation 20:4–6) occurring during the 1,000 years after the second coming of Jesus.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please write to Steps to Life or e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Questions and Answers – Time Set Aside for God

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How important is it to set apart daily time with God? How will this help me in developing Christian character?

Each morning, a great while before daybreak, Jesus rose and prayed to His Father (Mark 1:35). If Jesus was so serious about reserving time for His Father, we should also realize the importance of personal time with God.

First, we should desire to be with the Lord simply because we love Him. Those who allow their personal worship time to be crowded out by late sleeping or the activities of daily life show a lack of friendship with God.

Second, time with God enriches us personally. Bible reading familiarizes the reader with the teachings, guidelines, and promises of God. A willful neglect of these will leave us unprepared when temptations arise. Adequate time for personal prayer lays the foundation for a day of communion with God.

Third, making regular time for devotions demonstrates our earnestness to receive God’s help. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41. These were Jesus’ words to His disciples, just prior to events that would bring them into great trial. But, their eyes were heavy and sleep took the place of prayer. Jesus had asked, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” Verse 40. More than one hour would have been better, but they could not devote even one. They showed that preparing to remain faithful in the trials ahead was not their first priority. When we neglect prayer and study, or shirk the faithful hour and content ourselves with a few random minutes, we evidence to God and angels that we have higher priorities than establishing a walk with God.

So what should you do? Decide that personal time with God each morning will be a serious priority from now on. Make time for it at the beginning of your day, when the house is quiet and distractions are not pressing in to steal your attention. Allow adequate time. Jesus recommends at least one hour. Do not be tempted to omit or shorten this time or to put it off until later in the day. If one day you make a mistake and are not consistent, do not give up; have your worship that evening, if necessary, and then pray for help to become more consistent.

Morning worship is not a guarantee that we will be faithful throughout the day, for victory lies in continuing and maintaining the union with God formed in the morning. If we leave our devotional hour and forget to pray, we are likely to fall into some temptation. If this happens, do not become discouraged about the value of morning devotions. Rather, pray for help to continue your communion with God, instead of breaking it off at the end of your devotional time.

Merely reading and saying a perfunctory prayer will be of little help if we fail to fully surrender the will to Christ. Complete submission, seeking God’s will, and communion with Him must take place. If these things are continued through the following hours, we will be prepared to stay strong in the Lord through the whole day.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please write to Steps to Life or e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

A Time for Every Purpose

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The wisdom of King Solomon is given in the Bible:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The seasons of my life have varied tremendously, but I never really questioned the purpose. From an early age, I pursued a variety of activities, and my husband Jän and I have shared many interests. We have enjoyed music, camping, backpacking, riding our motorcycles and bicycles, relaxing on our boat, traveling, and have welcomed every opportunity to learn about and experience new things. But challenges have occurred throughout time that have altered these interests.

In late 1985, I began to occasionally stumble, and once in a while I would fall. I tried to ignore the situations, until the day I lost sight in my right eye. Visits to an optometrist and an ophthalmologist identified optic neuritis, inflammation of the optic nerve. Experiencing vision loss and learning the cause led to appointments with my general practice physician and a neurologist specialist. A spinal tap and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test confirmed that I had Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS affects each person differently. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary from person to person depending on which parts of the brain or spinal cord (central nervous system) are damaged. Demyelination, the loss of the myelin sheathes or covering of the nerves, and the scarring caused by MS can affect any part of the central nervous system.

MS symptoms may come and go or become more or less severe from day to day or, in rare cases, from hour to hour. Consequently, the doctors could not predict what I might expect, but within 12 months my sight had returned and the physical issues had dissipated. Regular activities again filled each day until the MS symptoms struck back with a vengeance in 1996.

Strength and agility weakened until I could no longer handle my work requirements. I had been manager of travel and meeting planning for a Fortune 500 mining company. (The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 United States corporations as ranked by their gross revenue.) I had written numerous manuals, introduced cost-saving travel practices, and had traveled to all of the company’s mines and offices throughout the United States and in other countries, giving training seminars and maintaining budgets. But after 20 years of service, in 1999 I was granted permanent disability because of the physical challenges of MS.

Purpose #1: One month after leaving work on permanent disability, the company suffered a hostile takeover by another mining company. I would have been unemployed without compensation. Without work, time was given to me to participate in church activities. Having been raised in Seventh-day Adventist families, Jän and I had built upon the foundation of our early training and, in 1991, had opened the Renaissance Church near Sedalia, Colorado. More time could now be given to its activities and to assist Jän with his work, at that time, as managing editor for LandMarks.

At this time, the neurologist explained that I was experiencing Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS). SPMS is characterized by a steady progression of clinical neurological damage with or without superimposed relapses and minor remissions and plateaus. People who develop SPMS will have previously experienced a period of Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) which occurred for me in 1985–1986. Over the months, I began to depend on a wheelchair as walking and standing became more difficult.

Everything changed June 27, 2008.

It was a very hot summer afternoon. Completing errands in Castle Rock, Colorado, before the Sabbath hours, we had stopped for Jän to make copies needed for the church. As he parked in front of the UPS store, saying he would be only five minutes, I asked him to open one of the side doors of our van for fresh air, rather than leaving the van’s engine running to provide cooling from the air conditioner. I was sitting in my wheelchair that was secured to the lift, facing the two side doors. He opened one of the doors, exposing my left arm and about one-fourth of the left side of the wheelchair and my body. That is all I remember.

Jän returned to the van within five minutes wondering why people were standing around it, but when he made his way through the crowd, he saw me lying on the ground in a pool of blood with more blood gushing from my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Only the one door of the van was open; the wheelchair was securely in place; our black Labrador was still lying peacefully beside it.

A lady who had seen me fall from the van had stopped her car immediately and called 911. Within moments an ambulance arrived and rushed me to Sky Ridge Medical Center Emergency Room in Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

When Jän arrived at the ER, CAT scans (computerized axial tomography frequently used to evaluate the brain, neck, and spine) and x-rays had already been taken, revealing that the right side of my skull had been crushed and the artery just above the right ear was severed, hence the continual bleeding. Several bones on the right side of my face were also fractured. A doctor approached Jän and told him that I had only two hours to live. He explained that three options were available: (1) do nothing, (2) insert tubes into the skull to drain the fluid and relieve the building pressure, (3) surgery. Jän asked him to do what he could to save my life. The doctor was the head neurological surgeon for the hospital. Only God could have placed him at the hospital, late in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.), before a holiday weekend.

Following Jän’s request, the doctor, using his cell phone, began calling the doctors and nurses needed for the procedure. Jän heard the doctor’s words, stating such things as, “I know you are leaving on vacation … ,” “I know you are not on call … ,” “I know it is a holiday weekend … ,” to “I need you here immediately.” Soon he had a seven-doctor neurological surgical team and needed assistants in place.

Surgery began in less than the predicted two hours of life I had remaining. Seven bone fragments, embedded in the right side of my brain, had to be carefully removed. The severed artery was a challenge. It was so torn that the doctor had difficulty piecing it together. During the six-hour craniotomy, my heart stopped twice, and six units of blood and four units of plasma were given to help retain life.

When I was taken to recovery, the doctor told Jän that I had a fifty-fifty chance to survive the procedure but would either be a vegetable or need to live in a nursing home the rest of my life. When Jän next saw me, my head was secured in a Styrofoam base and strapped down so it could not move; my body, legs and arms were also strapped to the bed so nothing could move, and I was in an induced coma. He has told me that in addition to my immobility, 25 different tubes were in my body for different purposes, controlling every function of my body.

In the Intensive Care Unit, I remained in the coma. A nurse sat outside my room continually, monitoring me. The medical staff routinely reduced the medication that induced the coma, but my autonomic nervous system would not begin to function. My Living Will states that I am to receive no extra medical assistance after seven days. I know now that many prayers were ascending for me during these days. The afternoon of the sixth day, when the medication was reduced, my autonomic nervous system responded; I began breathing on my own.

Purpose #2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest … be in health.” III John 1:2.

Twenty days later it was necessary to transfer me from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. Jän was able to have me admitted to the Castle Rock Care Center (CRCC) in Castle Rock, Colorado, just 13 miles from our home.

I remember nothing of the hospital days, and the first days at CRCC are a blur. My vision was not clear; I could not focus to read. I could not speak, and as the words eventually formed, they were jumbled and made no sense. My thoughts were scrambled. My body was very weak—especially my legs—after no movement during those hospital days.

Physical and occupational therapy began immediately. Slowly, physical strength improved, my brain began to heal and memory gradually returned. In addition to the physical therapy and occupational therapy, I regularly met with a speech therapist who focused on my speech and language skills.

Each day at CRCC brought improvement and opportunities in many ways. By mid October 2008, I was dismissed to return home! During my last session in therapy, the physical and occupational therapists read to me what they had written in their notes the first time I met them. They each had written that I would never leave the facility!

Purpose #3: “I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:17. God performed a miracle. He had work for me.

During the months of my recovery, Jän faithfully was by my side. While I was in the hospital, friends from our church and from the community would sit by me while he took some time to eat or rest. He also spent time with me each day at the Care Center, usually sharing a meal during his visit and becoming acquainted with other residents. I enjoyed visits from many friends while I was at CRCC—they came from many parts of the United States and from Ghana.

As my thoughts became clearer and I learned about my accident and the miracle of life, I began to pray, “Father, I don’t know why I’m here, but thank-you. Show me what to do.” He has provided numerous opportunities.

Purpose #4: I conduct knitting circles twice a month at CRCC. It provides time to chat with the group and share the joys God has given each of us. Jän and I also spend many Sabbath afternoons visiting residents at CRCC. The director of activities recently asked Jän to present a Bible study twice a month! He is using the Steps to Life studies prepared by Marshall Grosboll. I assist the attending residents and help read the Bible texts. We have provided large print Bibles for each attendee to use if they are able. The residents attending frequently express their appreciation of the studies.

Purpose #5: We have also accepted volunteer positions to assist the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Several of its members have played at the Renaissance Church, and others are asking when they may play their instruments there. We are continually given the opportunity to answer questions about the church and to share from the Bible what we believe.

Physical challenges have turned the activities I enjoyed previously into memories. The backpacks and camping gear are stored in the closet. The motorcycles and bicycles are dusty in the garage. Travel is difficult. But God has directed me to activities with Jän where we may share Him and experience His purpose for us.

“Every action of ours in befriending God’s people will be rewarded as done unto Himself.” Maranatha, 317.

Anna Schultz is again an integral part of the Landmarks team. She may be contacted by email at: ams80135@aol.com.

Manage Your Time

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Time is a talent. Each person born has been granted a certain amount for which they are accountable. One of the most important verses in the whole Bible about time is found in John 9:4 where Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” No matter how old you are, whether young or old, there are some things that you are able to do now that you will not be able to do in the future. No longer am I able to say to my deceased mother, “I love you.” There were many days that I could say that, but no more.

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He [Jesus] went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.” Mark 11:13. For everything, even the fig tree, there is a best time or season. Timing is everything. There is an opportune time, and then there is another time that is not the right time. There are things that are right when you are 30 that are not right when you are 15. There are things that are right when you are 18 that are not right when you are 9. It is often the timing that makes the difference. When Jesus approached the fig tree it was not the right time for the figs to appear. There is a time to plant and a time to reap. There is a time to work and there is a time to sleep. There is a time to eat. Part of maturing is to become wise in regard to discerning the right time for what you need or want to do.

In Luke 22:37, the Bible says, “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors,’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” Jesus said, “The things concerning Me have an end.” This world is temporal and everything in it has an end. It is true that everyone, whether two or ninety-two, will one day reach the last day that they will live in this world. Even for those who are alive when Jesus comes, a time will come when it will be the last day that they will live in this world. Knowing that everything in this world comes to an end should regulate the way we think and plan in regard to the use of our time.

Romans 13:11 and 12 tell us, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Paul says that first we need to know the time. Most people in this world do not know the time, but if you are a Christian, you should be aware that it is time to wake up out of a Laodicean slumber.

When I was a teenager, my uncle, a building contractor, would sometimes stay with my family. I can still hear him rallying the household with his loud voice saying, “It’s time to roll out. Do you know what time it is?” No one was allowed to sleep past 7:00 a.m.

Paul said, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15, 16.

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near at hand.” “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Revelation 1:3, 19.

The book of Revelation is about things that are in the present and what will be in the future. To regulate your time you need to understand what you need to do today, as well as have plans about the future, for next week, next month, and next year.

In the book Christ’s Object Lessons, page 342, Ellen White talks about the talent of time. Following are different facts in regard to time:

  1. How is your time spent?

Most important is to understand that we are accountable to God for how our time is spent. “Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.”

That statement makes most people tremble for almost all of us have wasted some time in the past. In the day of final judgment God is going to require a strict account of how the time He has given us has been used. It will be a fearful day for those who have used their time only in pleasing themselves.

“Those who choose to neglect the great salvation offered to them freely, who choose to serve themselves and remain enemies of God, enemies of the self-sacrificing Redeemer, are earning their wages. They are sowing to the flesh, and will of the flesh reap corruption.” The Bible Echo, September 19, 1898. The devil delights in those who serve themselves and claims them as his own.

Jesus is the Christian’s example. “For even Christ did not please Himself.” Romans 15:3. Jesus did not live for Himself. If that were the case He would not have come to this world as a poor man and been born in Bethlehem in a cow barn. If He had lived for Himself, He would have never consented to fast for six weeks in the wilderness or spend day and night helping people, even when He was tired and hungry. If He had lived for Himself, He would not have been willing to sleep outdoors when nobody had invited Him into his house to share the home comforts.

If Jesus had lived for Himself, He certainly would never have consented to go the cruel cross and die the death of the worst of criminals, but for our sakes, He was not self-serving. On the day of final judgment will the recording angel be able to say, “According to the record, this person has spent his/her life living to try to help other people,” or sadly report that he/she lived for himself/herself? We must give an account to God for our time. Those who are saved will have lived to help others.

  1. The value of time.

How much is your time worth? When I was a small boy, my father would tell me this story to teach me a lesson. He said there were three bricklayers working on a building. A person came up to the first bricklayer and said, “What are you doing?” He said, “I’m earning $1.75 an hour.” His interest was only in collecting his pay.

When the second bricklayer was asked, he said, “I am laying brick.” This man saw no further than the immediate task; he was simply laying brick.

He then came to the third bricklayer and asked him, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I am building a temple.”

How do you see the work that you do and how would you describe what you are doing with your time? God has given us our job; it is to help people get ready for the kingdom of heaven. Time is so valuable that it cannot be measured and infinitely valuable when used to lead someone to Jesus.

“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342.

  1. Redeeming the time.

See Ephesians 5:16. The first thing to understand about redeeming time is that there is absolutely nothing you can do to redeem wasted time. Whatever age you are you cannot change one particle of how you spent one minute of the past. The only way that time can be redeemed is to use it more efficiently now and in the future. The past is forever gone.

  1. Taking time to witness.

Are you witnessing concerning your faith, your religion, and your hope for the future? Are you looking for opportunities to tell others about Jesus and His love for them? “Now is our time to labor for the salvation of our fellow men. There are some who think that if they give money to the cause of Christ, this is all they are required to do …” Ibid., 343. There are many Adventists like that. Some work 80 hours a week and earn so much money that they want to give money so that others can do the witnessing. Well, notice what Ellen White says about this: “The precious time in which they might do personal service for Him passes unimproved. But it is the privilege and duty of all who have health and strength to render to God active service. All are to labor in winning souls to Christ. Donations of money cannot take the place of this.” Ibid. It is not enough for me to say, “I’m going to work hard and earn so much, that I’ll be able to give money to get the … .” No, no! It is not God’s plan to work and earn what money I can and then pay someone else to go and win the souls.

There are people you can reach that your husband, or your wife, or your parents, or your children cannot reach. Young people can often reach people that older people cannot reach. You cannot buy your way into heaven. There are people that God wants you to reach personally.

Who is the person God has put in your pathway? Witnessing involves more than just giving out literature or giving Bible Studies. If you pray for guidance, the Lord might show you many other things that you could do to witness. It would be tragic to come to the day of judgment and say, “O, I didn’t take very much time to witness to anybody.” It will be too late then to do what is possible right now.

  1. How is your time being spent?

Jesus once said to His disciples, “Watch out that you do not become overcharged, overburdened with feasting, and the cares of this life, and that day overtake you unawares.” Luke 21:34 (literal translation).

For many people, especially the middle class, the whole day from early morning to late at night is taken up with just making a living. Many are working two or three jobs to bring in enough money to pay for their luxurious lifestyle. They make the mistake of being so busy with the cares of this life they just don’t have much time to prepare for eternity.

“Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 343.

Being a Christian does not mean that you will not have to make a living and manage your worldly business, but that must never become so all-absorbing that no time is spared to prepare for eternity.

The rich young ruler that met Jesus was not a crimina; he was a good man. He did not break the law. Everybody respected him. He was just totally absorbed in this world. Jesus tried to cut him loose, but he did not want to be freed and left Jesus sorrowful for he had many possessions.

  1. Idleness.

It is a great mistake for any adult or young person to be idle. In fact, “The Bible gives no endorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world.” Ibid.

It is because of idleness that there is such an avalanche of crime in America today. Idleness was one of the main reasons Sodom and Gomorrah got into the trouble they did. Read Ezekiel 16:49.

The devil has his greatest success with men and women, boys and girls when they have idle time and nothing practical to occupy them. Parents must make it their duty to keep their children productively occupied, teaching them to be productive, for idleness leads to every kind of crime.

  1. Efficient use of time.

About a hundred and seventy years ago there was a young boy growing up in Illinois by the name of Abraham Lincoln. His family was very poor and he had to spend early morning till evening working out in the field. After supper when the rest of the family retired after a long day’s work Abraham would light a fire, either in the lamp or in the stove, so that he could read. He hungered for knowledge and those who knew him said he devoured every book available for him to borrow or find in the community.

“The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.” Education, 296.

It is especially important that while still young the lesson is learned how to most efficiently use your time.

  1. Habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch in your use of time.

“Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. … A few moments here and a few there, that might be frittered away in aimless talk; the morning hours so often wasted in bed; the time spent in traveling on trams or railway cars, or waiting at the station; the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment—if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished. …

“It is the duty of every Christian to acquire habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch. There is no excuse for slow bungling at work of any character.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 343, 344.

“By tact and method, some will accomplish as much in five hours as others do in ten.” Ibid., 344. How long does it take you to get done with the job? Diligent people learn to use their time more efficiently.

One of the problems in today’s society is that parents do not understand that their children need to be occupied all day long every day with something that is worthwhile. “Parents should teach their children the value and right use of time. …

“Parents cannot commit a greater sin than to allow their children to have nothing to do. The children soon learn to love idleness, and they grow up shiftless, useless men and women. When they are old enough to earn their living, and find employment, they work in a lazy, droning way, yet expect to be paid as much as if they were faithful.” Ibid., 345.

Many people have been ruined because they didn’t learn how to work when they were growing up. Concerning children: “Lack of employment and of steadfast purpose opens the door to a thousand temptations.” Ibid.

Many children are left unsupervised for lengthy periods while both parents have to work to meet their financial commitments. A way must be determined that they have plenty to keep them occupied all day long. This does not always have to be work, but it does need to be useful activities so that the children can develop into happy and healthy citizens.

  1. The other time extreme.

Many years ago I read in inspired writings that we should not try to do two days’ work in one. “Let no one labor to the point of exhaustion, thereby disqualifying himself for other duties. Do not try to crowd two days’ work into one. All should use their strength wisely, and at the end those who work carefully and wisely will be found to have accomplished as much as those who so expend their physical and mental strength that they have no deposit from which to draw in a time of need.” The Signs of the Times, August 5, 1897.

It is very easy for man to go to extremes but we must find the right balance. Often in zeal to accomplish one thing, something else just as important gets neglected.

“You must learn to give up your will and your way, and to receive light from those whom God has made His helping hand, those by whom He designs that you shall be helped. Go to Christ for relief. Cling to Him. Stay long enough to yield up your will to the will of God. Many are in too great a hurry to pray. With hurried steps they pass through the shadow of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps for a few moments within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to sit down, no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens, they return to their work.” This Day With God, 154.

Most important is to take time each morning before the hustle of the day begins to sit down and receive some instruction from the divine Teacher. The time spent with your Maker will never be wasted and you can move on with the activities of each day laying all of your burdens at the foot of His cross. With the right allocation of time you will be amazed at what you are able to accomplish.

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

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

Editorial – Not A Moment To Lose

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In Ephesians 5:26, 27, Paul describes the condition in which God’s church is to be found when Jesus returns—without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish. See also The Great Controversy, 425. Now let us consider a very practical matter. As we are living in the last days of probation on the very borders of the eternal world, if we are not in this condition now, how are we going to attain this condition in time before it is too late?

Inspiration gives us some insights as to what must take place if we are to be a part of the church triumphant. We will begin looking at the answer to this question in this editorial.

It takes time to get ready and be ready in character for the coming of Christ. Readiness for translation cannot be attained in a moment of time: “The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not developed in a moment. Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust in God’s power to save, are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right, the children of God are to seal their destiny.” Ministry of Healing, 454

“When tempted to murmur, censure, and indulge in fretfulness, wounding those around you, and in so doing wounding your own soul, oh! let the deep, earnest, anxious inquiry come from your soul, Shall I stand without fault before the throne of God? Only the faultless will be there. None will be translated to heaven while their hearts are filled with the rubbish of earth. Every defect in the moral character must first be remedied, every stain removed by the cleansing blood of Christ, and all the unlovely, unlovable traits of character overcome.

“How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censuring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 705, 706

As getting ready for heaven is a process that takes time, we must not delay making earnest preparation:

“This work of individual purification of character can not be safely delayed. Let our brethren and sisters take hold diligently of this work, cooperation with Him who ‘loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle are any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’” Review and Herald, November 8, 1906

Delay can be fatal:

“God requires you to make more thorough efforts to subdue and control self. I was shown that God and angels are ready and waiting to help you in this important work. If you delay, if you are even dilatory, it may be too late. Your probation is lengthened, your character is now forming, and soon, my dear brother and sister, it will be stereotyped for ever. Halfway work with you will not advance you one step toward heaven. Indecision soon becomes decision in the wrong direction. Many decide to serve themselves and Satan by not making determined efforts to overcome their defects of character. While many are petting sinful propensities, expecting to be overcomers sometime, they are deciding for perdition….You cannot be wholly the Lord’s while encouraging any degree of selfishness. Such great love as the Redeemer has shown you should be received with great humility and continual rejoicing. In order to be happy, you must control your thoughts and words. It will require a masterly effort on your part; nevertheless it must be done if you are to be the acknowledged children of God. Be not weary in your efforts. Satan is battling for your souls, and he must be disappointed.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 343, 344 [Emphasis Supplied]

Friend, do you understand that you have none too much time and that if you delay in overcoming your defects of character, this delay could cost you eternal life? You might delay until there is not sufficient time for the plan of salvation to be worked out in your life. Do not delay, you have “no time—not a moment—to lose.” Maranatha, 106

(to be continued)