Adventist World - March 2017 by Adventist Media

The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists

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14 From Sundown to Sundown 20 Sabbath Memories From Around the World 28 A Matter of Justice ISSN 255003/09614

Love

Falling in All Over Again Rediscovering the gift of the Sabbath in a busy world

Ma rc h 2017

10 Unity: Then and Now F E A T U R E

By Mark A. Finley

The Holy Spirit is indispensable.

14 From Sundown to Sundown F U N D A M E N T A L

B E L I E F S

By Stephen Chavez

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not be legalistic about keeping the Sabbath.

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Sabbath Memories from 20 Around the World A D V E N T I S T

Falling in Love All Over Again

We have 52 opportunities a year to make the Sabbath something special.

By Gerald A. Klingbeil

The Sabbath is as old as Creation. Yet this is no time to take it for granted.

8 A Day of Rest and Gladness W O R L D

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26 The Sure Word of Prophecy D I S C O V E R I N G T H E S P I R I T O F P R O P H E C Y

By Valdecir SimĂľes Lima

By Ted N. C. Wilson

God never leaves His people without guidance.

Too bad the Sabbath only comes once a week.

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R E P O R T

3 News Briefs 5 News Feature

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H E A L T H

Heart Failure B I B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D

A Matter of Justice

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S T U D Y

Experiencing the Power to Obey E X C H A N G E

www.adventistworld.org Available in 12 languages online

Adventist World | March 2017

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Healed Each Sabbath

1 Scripture

Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man.

WORLD REPORT

Philosophy Professor Finds Adventism Through

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Health Message

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f wishing it could make it so, I would stand each Sabbath morning on the western shores of Galilee, watching the dawn color the sky behind the eastern hills. Long before I visited the lake, I had been there a thousand times in my imagination, walking by myself—but never alone—the watery zone where wavelets baptize travelers’ feet as well as their minds. I never think about the seventh day without treading—often without conversation—the orbit of this lake where Jesus healed, restored, quieted, and calmed. All things take on their proper size and shape in the clear light of a Sabbath morning, whether we are in Galilee or Galway, Bethsaida or Buenos Aires. When we lay down our fishing and our fuming, we learn our true size and importance: we join the Lord in remembering that “we are dust,” but that “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him” (Ps. 103:14, 17, ESV).1 On Sabbath, we remember that “the world has already been created and will survive without the help of man.”2 The Sabbath is the great renewer of an Advent people, the necessary counterpart to all our calls to mission, duty, sweat, and service. On Sabbath Jesus calls us to remember grace—the grace that made us, called us, saved us, changed us. We tell each other through our worship, rest, and time together that our finest effort is—at best—an act of gratitude for how we have ourselves been healed. As you read the pages of this month’s Adventist World, pray for the Sabbath restoration that Jesus promises to all who walk with Him each seventh day, and who wait so eagerly for the day of His appearing.

Francisco Rozas Bravo joined the Seventhday Adventist Church after attending classes at an Adventist center in his community.

former philosophy professor at the Catholic University of Chile has joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church after a Center of Influence in his neighborhood offered courses in healthy cooking, and an opportunity to study the violin. Francisco Rozas Bravo passed by the local Adventist church for many years, but it never caught his attention. One day, as he and his wife were returning home from shopping, they noticed a sign outside the church offering a “healthy eating course,” for which the couple signed up. They met a young graduate from the Adventist University of Chile who urged Rozas to sign up for a violin workshop also being taught at the center. The student eventually gained Rozas’ trust and offered to give the professor Bible studies. Rozas was no stranger to religion: he’d studied many religious philosophies over the years, completing a program at the University of Chile that earned him academic recognition in the field. Finally, after study and participation in the congregation, Rozas was baptized on December 3, 2016, the day a youth seminar was held highlighting the experiences of young Chilean Adventists involved in the “One Year in Mission” program. The Centers of Influence launched in 2016 in Santiago, Chile, developed activities and courses to help the community. More than 500 people have participated in activities related to health, food, education, computer training, and music. —Gabriel Gamboa/ASN Continued on next page

March 2017 | Adventist World

WORLD REPORT

Caleb Adeogun, Adventist Leader, Passes at 84

aleb Oyelayo Adeogun, 84, the first African elected executive secretary of his home division, and the first Nigerian secretary then president of his country’s union mission, passed to his rest on December 2, 2016. The first child of a pioneering Seventh-day Adventist convert and pastor in Nigeria, the late Joseph Adeyemo Adeogun, Caleb served the Seventhday Adventist church all his life. He was a graduate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he received his bachelor’s degree, as well as churchowned Andrews University, where he received a Master of Arts in English. Adeogun held different positions

in denominational service: teaching at the Adventist grammar school, Ede, and as registrar and acting principal of the Adventist College of West Africa, which his father, Joseph, cofounded. Today that school is known as Babcock University, and is one of the premier educational institutions in Nigeria. Caleb Adeogun later served as the first Nigerian-born secretary and president of the Nigerian Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1990 he became the first African to serve as executive secretary of the Africa-Indian Ocean Division. Ted N. C. Wilson, world church president, served in West Africa when

Adventists Welcome New

U.S. International Religious Freedom Law

egislation signed into law by then-U.S. president Barack Obama represents a muchneeded step forward in the global effort to combat religious persecution, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Washington, D.C., representative said. Dwayne Leslie, an associate director of the Public Affairs and Religious

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Liberty (PARL) Department of the Adventist world church, says the impact of the new law is potentially significant. It increases the emphasis on religious liberty issues within U.S. foreign policy, such as requiring religious freedom training for all diplomatic officers, mandating tracking of religious repression around the world,

Caleb Adeogun Adeogun was Nigerian Union Mission president. In an e-mail message he paid tribute to his former colleague: “Pastor Adeogun was a longtime leader in God’s church in Nigeria and in the West-Central Africa Division. It was a privilege to work with him while serving in that territory some years ago. We are grateful for the dedicated service of Pastor and Mrs. Adeogun.” Adeogun’s survivors include his wife, Elizabeth; children Moyosore Ajayi, Caleb Olugbenga Adeogun, Ayotunde Adeogun, Oyinkansola Ajetunmobi, James Adeogun, and Comfort Kenya; 11 grandchildren; and two brothers. —Adventist World staff

and raising the status of the office of the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. “In recent years we’ve seen the devastation of Christian communities in the Middle East, along with increasing religious violence in so many parts of the world—from Nigeria, to Pakistan, to the countries of central Asia,” said Leslie. “As Adventists we believe that everyone, regardless of where they live, has a right to worship, or not to worship, according to their conscience. This fundamental freedom is one that governments around the world have a responsibility both to recognize and to protect.”

The passage of the bill, known as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, came in the final legislative moments of 2016, and was passed by unanimous consent by the U.S. House of Representatives after earlier passage by the Senate. This was the last step in a five-year-long effort to pass the bill. Obama signed the legislation into law on December 16, 2016. Ganoune Diop, director of PARL for the world church, said supporting legislation such as this within every nation’s political system is a core part of the work of PARL. “Here at the world church headquarters, as well as at each of the church’s 13 world divisions, PARL leaders are charged with

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Former U.S. representative Frank R. Wolf addresses the 2016 International Religious Liberty Summit in Washington, D.C.

monitoring legislation, and advocating for legal change that will increase protections for religious freedom for all,” he noted. This, he adds, is a vital part of the church’s more-than-150-year commitment to promoting religious liberty as a fundamental human right.

By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission

Boys Sell Paper Airplanes in Kyrgyzstan

The two become unlikely—and successful—fundraisers

hen Christian Müller, a Seventh-day Adventist who volunteered in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, found his two young sons selling paper airplanes on the city street outside their home, he was surprised. The boys—Lukas, 7, and Thomas, 6—had dragged a table into the road, decorated it with colorful flowers, and filled it with the homemade planes, which they were trying to sell for 10 Kyrgyzstani som (US15 cents) each. The boys wanted to donate the money for new classrooms at Heritage

Christian School in Tokmok, a city of about 53,000, located a 90-minute drive east of Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. “The children became very excited about the project,” said Müller, who served as development director at Heritage Christian School, “so they decided to fund-raise.” The boys had spent the previous month listening to their father speak about the project at churches in their home country of Argentina, as well as in the United States and Spain, during the family’s annual leave. The Adventistowned school, with 330 students—

The law is named after former U.S. congressman Frank Wolf, a lawmaker known for his relentless efforts, for more than two decades, to protect religious minorities around the world. —By Bettina Krause, International Religious Liberty Association

kindergarten through high school— was turning away 40 students a year because of a lack of space, and needed US$400,000 to construct a new threestory building, Müller said. About 700 Adventists live in Kyrgyzstan, a predominantly Muslim country of 6 million people bordered by China and three former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Müller said that his sons appeared to have caught the mission spirit by listening to his fund-raising presentations and hearing his daily prayers to God for help during family worship. But he said he didn’t want them to sell paper airplanes on the street; so he suggested that they try to sell them on the school campus. Plane Sales Take Off

The boys went straight to the school’s cashier, a native of Kyrgyzstan. She agreed to buy two paper airplanes for a total of 20 som (30 cents). Continued on next page

March 2017 | Adventist World

WORLD REPORT Thomas, left, and Lukas Müller, right, sitting at home with their homemade piggy bank, in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan.

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Putting Mission First

“I am happy that they understand the mission we have as a family,” Müller said. “It is special to me because I have

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A portion of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for fourth quarter 2017 will go toward the construction of a multifunctional center at Heritage Christian School in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan, which is part of the Euro-Asia Division.

A construction team at work on the classroom building cofunded by Lukas and Thomas Müller.

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realized that I am not alone in my work. We are all committed to the same goal.” The school has raised nearly all the funds needed for the new classrooms, and the building is expected to open in time for the new school year in September 2017. Fund-raising work is now starting on another building: a multifunctional center where students will be able to attend indoor physical education classes during cold winter months. The center also will contain a large auditorium where students can gather for meetings; serve as a center of influence with a soccer school for 100 underprivileged children; and provide conference facilities for events hosted by the church’s Southern Union Mission, whose territory includes Kyr-

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Then the boys approached their father. “They came to me, and I said, ‘OK, I’ll buy one,’ ” Müller said in an interview in his home on the school campus. But the boys told him: “No, no. For you, it’s not 10 som, it’s $20. You’re a foreigner.” Foreigners in Kyrgyzstan are sometimes charged a significantly higher rate than locals. The boys’ fund-raising efforts didn’t stop with paper airplanes. They built a cardboard box to collect money for the school at the local grocery store. Their father liked the idea, but suggested that it might be better to place the box in the school. “I told them to ask the principal for permission,” Müller said. “The principal thought it was a good idea and assigned the boys’ father the task of placing the box in the school.” When the boys received cash from relatives for special occasions, they contributed it to the school project instead of spending it on toys or candy, their parents said. Lukas lost two teeth and put them under the pillow at night. The $20 and 5 Argentine pesos that he found the next morning went to the construction fund.

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gyzstan. The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in fourth quarter 2017 is to cover $300,000 of its $400,000 cost. Lukas and Thomas Müller, meanwhile, have contributed about $150 to the classroom project, and they are continuing to look for new ways to raise money. The boys have a homemade piggy bank where they collect som banknotes and coins. “I don’t need to buy more toys, because God has blessed me with many toys,” Lukas said in an interview. The boys’ enthusiasm for the school has built the faith of many, including Konstyantin Kampen, education director for the Southern Union Mission. “When I saw how these children were sacrificing, I realized that we would finish this project,” he said. “If God can touch the hearts of these kids, then He will touch the hearts of the adults, too.”

Heart

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Failure

Symptoms and Treatment By Peter N. Landless and Zeno L. Charles-Marcel My husband is 55 years old and had a coronary artery stent put in a year ago. We understand that his heart disease is now cured. He recently noticed shortness of breath on climbing stairs; could this be just a lack of physical fitness?

hortness of breath on climbing stairs may be related to being unfit. In your husband’s case this must be a diagnosis of exclusion: other causes must be sought, especially the progression of coronary artery disease. Regardless of the intervention, be it medical treatment (medications such as aspirin and statins), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA), stenting, or open-heart surgery with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), coronary artery disease is never cured. It is arrested, or may be partially reversed, but the propensity remains, and there has to be permanent, intensive treatment and lifestyle change. Key interventions include regular exercise and a healthful, balanced vegetarian diet. Sadly, fewer than 30 percent of individuals who have been given a life-threatening diagnosis such as heart attack, stroke, or cancer make long-term lifestyle adjustments, despite such changes promoting increased length and quality of life. Especially in your husband’s case, any new symptom must be taken seriously. Recently noted shortness of breath on exertion requires reassessment of his coronary artery disease. One must rule out progression of the disease and establish that it will be safe for him to engage in a supervised exercise program with gradually increasing inten-

sity. Numerous tests can be done, including a straightforward electrocardiogram (EKG), a stress or exercise EKG, radioisotope nuclear testing (which is not available universally), stress echocardiography (which is more readily available around the world and is not dependent on the short half-life of radioisotopes), computed tomography (CT) scanning for coronary artery calcification, and angiography/CT angiography. Each of these tests has its place and, as available, may be helpful in confirming the status of coronary artery disease at any given point in time. An echocardiogram may be particularly helpful. It can help detect the mechanical function and efficiency of the heart by measuring what we call the ejection fraction. In individuals who have scarring of the heart muscle or muscle deprived of oxygen (ischemia), ventricular function (pumping action) is decreased. These studies can show abnormalities of specific areas of the heart muscle that fail to move efficiently either when scarred or oxygen-deprived. This may be very useful in guiding further investigations and interventions. Other symptoms to look out for include chest pain, shortness of breath that wakes one up at night, increased ankle swelling that worsens toward the end of the day, generalized fatigue, and palpitations (an

increased awareness of one’s heartbeat). Lung congestion may manifest itself as wheezing and coughing and add to the shortness of breath. If these symptoms are present, then doctors must test for heart failure. The reason we emphasize possible heart failure is because of your husband’s history of coronary artery disease. Other conditions have to be excluded, including lung disease, thyroid underactivity, and anemia, to name a few. The essential take-home message is for your husband to see his physician as soon as possible and have a definitive diagnosis made. Best medical practices and healthful lifestyle changes are key to quality of life and longevity. A healthful lifestyle may prevent many dangerous diseases. Why not enjoy the more abundant life, including wholeness in Jesus? “[We] pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2, NIV). n

Peter N. Landless, a board-certiﬁed nuclear cardiologist, is director of Adventist Health Ministries at the General Conference. Zeno L. Charles-Marcel, a board-certiﬁed internist, is an associate director of Adventist Health Ministries at the General Conference. March 2017 | Adventist World

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A Day of and

Rest

By Ted N. C. Wilson

ot long ago I received a question for my Q & A on Facebook asking, “Must we keep the Sabbath to be saved?” This question is similar to others that perhaps you have heard or even asked yourself: “Can we go swimming on Sabbath?” “Are we allowed to cook on Sabbath?” “Is it OK to eat out on Sabbath?” “May I ______________ [fill in the blank] on Sabbath?” We Seventh-day Adventists don’t have a book of rules specifying every detail of how to keep the Sabbath holy. As with all our beliefs, we turn to the Bible as the basis for belief and practice. In the Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). After six days of creating the world and all that was in it, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (verse 31). But one thing was still missing: rest. True, sanctified rest comes only from the Creator. “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done,

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and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Gen. 2:1-3). Notice in this passage the strong emphasis on God as the Creator. Three times it reminds us of the “work which He had done,” and links the seventh-day Sabbath as blessed and sanctified by the One who created everything. When we “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8), we acknowledge God as our Creator, the one who not only created us but who made all things good. The psalmist blended Creation and worship together beautifully when he wrote: “For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Ps. 95:3-6). Paul links this psalm to the Sabbath in Hebrews 3 and 4. In chapter 3 he quotes directly from Psalm 95:7-11:

Now and

“Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ” In Hebrews 4 this rest is linked to faith, salvation, and the Sabbath. “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. . . . For we who have believed do enter that rest. . . . For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.’ . . . There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (verses 1-10). At Kadesh-barnea, on the borders of Canaan, nearly an entire generation of Israelites refused to enter because they failed to believe God’s promise that He would give them victory over the land’s inhabitants. A little later,

Most of Christ’s healing miracles were performed on the Sabbath.

ness

for eternity when God told them that they would never enter the land of Canaan but would die in the wilderness because of their unbelief, they rebelled again against God’s word and tried to win the victory over the Canaanites in their own strength. As elsewhere (see 1 Cor. 10:1-13; Gal. 4:22-31), Paul saw a lesson from the Old Testament in connection with righteousness by faith. The Sabbath symbolizes resting from our own efforts to gain victory over sin and accepting the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. That rest is still available to those who believe and accept God’s wonderful promises. Jesus and the Sabbath

Jesus brought the true meaning of the Sabbath back into focus as a day of restoration and healing, a day for reCreation. We read in that wonderful book The Desire of Ages that “He had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome requirements that had made it a curse instead of a blessing.”1 Most of Christ’s healing miracles were performed on the Sabbath. One of the many well-known examples is that of the paralytic at the Pool of

Bethesda, recorded in John 5. This man had suffered for 38 years, longing for healing but virtually hopeless. Jesus’ loving heart was touched. After a brief conversation Jesus told the man to “rise, take up your bed and walk” (verse 8). As the invalid obeyed, his faith was rewarded, and he was healed. While the man was overjoyed, not all were delighted, especially the religious leaders who were loath to acknowledge the miracle. Instead they condemned the man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath. Commenting on this incident, Ellen White wrote: “Jesus stated to them [religious leaders] that the work of relieving the afflicted was in harmony with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the work of God’s angels, who are ever descending and ascending between heaven and earth to minister to suffering humanity.”2 Christ honored the Sabbath not only in life, but even in death. Crucified on the sixth day, He rested in the tomb on the seventh day, just as His followers “rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). Jesus, when speaking of future events, instructed His followers to “pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath” (Matt. 24:20), indicating the perpetuity of Sabbath sacredness in New Testament times and beyond. Edge of Eternity

As we come closer to the edge of eternity, our Lord’s sacred, seventh-

day Sabbath will be a deciding factor in end-time events. For well more than 100 years God as Creator has been ridiculed and relegated to the fringes by most of the world. The truth of His word—the Bible—has been attacked relentlessly. For more than 1,000 years His holy, sanctified Sabbath has been trampled upon by a religious power whose deadly wound is nearly healed (see Rev. 13). This end-time battle encompasses far more than a discussion on what we can or cannot do. It’s a battle for our loyalty, our faith, and our obedience. Do we really believe that God is our Creator? Do we actually trust that His Word is true? Are we willing to follow and worship Him on the day He set apart and sanctified? Now is the time for us to draw close to the Lord of the Sabbath (see Mark 2:28). Now is the time to discover the joy of having a relationship with Him, and experience the blessedness of resting in Him as our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend. When we know Him thus, we will eagerly anticipate spending His holy, set-apart day with Him, not only on this earth, but for all eternity (see Isa. 66:23). n 1

Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898), p. 206. 2 Ibid.

Ted N. C. Wilson is president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

March 2017 | Adventist World

F E A T U R E

Unity

By Mark A. Finley

Then a n dNow

PART 1

A divine movement founded on the Word This is part 1 of a two-part series on church unity. Part 2 of “Unity: Then and Now” will be printed in the April issue of Adventist World.—Editors.

he unity of the church lies at the very heart of the gospel and matters greatly to God. Without unity the church is powerless to proclaim the gospel in its fullness to the world; worse yet, it becomes a contradiction to the true nature of the gospel. Jesus revealed the importance of unity in His final intercessory prayer: “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that

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the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:23). One of the greatest evidences of the power of the gospel is the unity of the church. When people of different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and dispositions are united by the Holy Spirit in Christ, the world notices. Writing with divine insight, Ellen White put it this way: “Only as they were united with Christ could the disciples hope to have the accompanying power of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of angels of heaven. With the help of these divine agencies they would present before the world a

united front and would be victorious in the conflict they were compelled to wage unceasingly against the powers of darkness. As they should continue to labor unitedly, heavenly messengers would go before them, opening the way; hearts would be prepared for the reception of truth, and many would be won to Christ.”1 The Acts Model: A United Church

One of the most striking New Testament examples of a unified church is in the book of Acts. Although there were differences of background and culture and at times heated debates, at its very I L L U S T R AT I O N :

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core the New Testament church exhibited unity. This unity was not some vague, undefinable, pluralistic “oneness” in which each tolerated the others’ personal views to accomplish some larger ethereal goal; instead, it was a unity of faith rooted in the person, message, and mission of Jesus Christ. United in the Centrality of Christ’s Love

The disciples were united in their love for Christ. Committed to Christ, their bond of union was forged in Him. Charmed by His love, redeemed by His grace, and empowered by His Spirit, they were—in spite of their differences—united in one body. Ellen White used an interesting expression to describe this: “Christ’s name was to be their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing was to be recognized in His kingdom that did not bear His name and superscription.”2

Christ’s name was their “bond of union.” In other words, they were one in an indissoluble union with Christ. Revivalist A. W. Tozer put it this way: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”3 Tuned to Christ, the disciples were tuned to one another. Christ is the great unifier. Speaking of Christ bridging the divide between Jews and Gentiles, the apostle Paul emphatically declared, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle

wall of separation” (Eph. 2:14). The apostle adds that in Christ “the whole body [is] joined and knit together” (Eph. 4:16), and pleads with the church at Corinth that there “be no schism in the body” (1 Cor. 12:25). When hearts are one in Christ, they cannot be far apart. United in the Centrality of Christ’s Message

It is often overlooked that when Jesus prayed for the unity of His church, He prayed that His Father would “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The unity of the New Testament church was based on a common commitment to Jesus’ revealed truth. New Testament believers accepted the truth about such central teachings as the authoritative revelation of Scripture; salvation by faith; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the second coming of Christ; the Sabbath; and Christ’s death, resurrection, and priestly ministry. They March 2017 | Adventist World

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were brought together through His prophetic Word, bonded in truth and committed to the divine revelation of His will. Luke described the union of New Testament believers in Acts 2:41, 42: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Notice two significant expressions: (1) “those who gladly received his word” and (2) “they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine.” Both imply an acceptance of and commitment to the unchanging, eternal truths of Scripture. The unity of the New Testament believers was based on their common commitment to the teachings of Jesus. Charles Spurgeon spoke of unity in the truth in these straightforward words: “A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, ‘Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless. . . . Unite, unite!’ Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s Prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: ‘Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.’ Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the gospel.”4 Ellen White would agree with Spurgeon. Commenting on Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17, she

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We cannot surrender the truth in order to accomplish this union; for the very means by which it is to be gained is sanctification through the truth. wrote, “We cannot surrender the truth in order to accomplish this union; for the very means by which it is to be gained is sanctification through the truth. Human wisdom would change all this, thinking this basis of union too narrow. Men would effect a union through conformity to popular opinions, through a compromise with the world. But truth is God’s basis for the unity of His people.”5 The New Testament church was united through a prophetic, presenttruth message. Peter’s masterful presentation in Acts 2 clearly revealed Jesus as the promised Messiah. In Acts 8 Philip’s prophetic Bible study on

Jesus as the messianic fulfillment of Isaiah 53 led the Ethiopian to a decision for Christ, and Paul’s prophetic preaching in Acts 17 in Thessalonica for three consecutive Sabbaths touched Jewish hearts. The truth as it is in Jesus, prophetically proclaimed, unified the church in a common mission. Truth unites. There is something larger, greater, and grander than our personal opinions, or even our individual convictions. The truth of the Word revealed by the Spirit supersedes everything else. When the people of God are united in Christ to proclaim the prophetic Word of God in the power of

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the Holy Spirit, the earth will be lightened with the glory of God. Once again, in this generation, God has entrusted His people with a prophetic, present-truth message. God has given divine insight on what is coming upon God’s end-time people. Subtle errors and falsehoods in the name of truth will gradually enter in among God’s people. Ellen White wrote, “The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventhday Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. . . . Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced.”6 It is the Bible-based message of Christ our righteousness in light of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12 that will unite His people in one final end-time proclamation of truth. United in the Centrality of Christ’s Mission

The New Testament church was united in a single-minded passion of sharing Christ and the message of the gospel with the world. Personal preferences and opinions were secondary to the proclamation of the

message of the cross. The one thing that overshadowed everything else was a world in need of Christ’s saving grace and the certainty of the life-changing Word. Two classic statements in the book The Acts of the Apostles powerfully portray the focus of the early church: “The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of [men and women]. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.”7 “Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. . . . The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.”8 The overriding purpose of the first-century church was winning the lost to Christ. This one thing triumphed over personal ambition and human strivings for position or power. They were willing to sacrifice their cherished ambitions to maintain a unified focus on soul winning. The New Testament church was united in Christ with a passion for His passion—saving lost people. Church organization stimulated this unity by providing a structure to grow in the truth of His Word and foster the proclamation of the Word.

United in the Centrality of His Church

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus emphasized the divine nature of the church. When Peter confessed that Jesus was the divine Son of God, our Savior replied, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The church is not some humanmade bureaucratic institution. It is a divine movement raised up by God. Its purpose is to nurture and foster the spiritual life of each believer and equip each one to use their gifts in the proclamation of the gospel through self-sacrificial service to others. The church is the “body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27), “the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), the “pillar and ground of the truth,”9 and “a holy temple.”10 It is “God’s appointed agency for the salvation of [men and women]. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.”11 n 1 Ellen

G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), pp. 90, 91. 2 Ibid., p. 28. 3 A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, p. 90. 4 Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Essence of Separation,” quoted in The Berean Call, July 1, 1992, p. 4. 5 Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers (Battle Creek, Mich.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1892), p. 391. 6 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1958, 1980), book 1, p. 204. 7 E. G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9. 8 Ibid., p. 37. 9 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900), p. 54. 10 E. G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 275. 11 Ibid., p. 9.

Mark A. Finley retired

in 2010 as a general vice president of the General Conference of Seventhday Adventists following nearly 40 years as a pastor, evangelist, and media ministry leader. He now serves as an assistant to the General Conference president.

March 2017 | Adventist World

F U N D A M E N T A L

B E L I E F S

From

By Stephen Chavez

NUMBER 20

to What difference does a few minutes make?

he sun was just going down as Dennis* drove an old flatbed truck filled with firewood up the driveway to his s last delivery for the day. At the sound of the truck homeowner Oscar strode into the yard and addressed Dennis, already unloading his truck: “I told you to deliver the wood before sundown,” he said emphatically. Dennis looked around. “Yeah, well, I didn’t quite make it. I had trouble with my truck. Fortunately, it’s still light enough to unload my truck before dark.” Oscar, a relatively new Adventist, walked into his house. He returned carrying a Bible. “Stop unloading,” he said. “This is my Sabbath, and we don’t work on the Sabbath.” “Well, it’s not my Sabbath,” Dennis replied. Oscar was ready. Opening his Bible to Exodus 20, he read: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates” (verses 9, 10). “You’re the ‘stranger within my gates,’ ” said Oscar. “I don’t want you working on my property on the Sabbath.” Dennis protested that his truck, still loaded with wood, might not make it home. He had to get rid of this load because he had other deliveries to make the next day. Oscar stood his ground. Not only did Dennis leave without unloading that firewood, he later returned to learn more. Oscar was right about the Sabbath beginning at sun-

Adventist World | March 2017

down, but he might have been more considerate. After all, Jesus said about the Sabbath, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5). Not all “work” is prohibited on the Sabbath. A few months after this episode, I had the privilege of baptizing Dennis into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, all because of a believer who guarded the edges of the Sabbath. But Dennis went on to learn that the Sabbath isn’t just about a day; it’s about having a relationship with God, and having a day—24 hours—to focus exclusively on that relationship. Time Together

Anyone who’s dated knows how having a romantic interest influences everything you do. You may have a date on Wednesday, but you don’t wait until Wednesday to decide where you’ll go, what you’ll wear, and what you’ll do. You’re thinking about all these things for a portion of each and every day until Wednesday. So it is with the Sabbath. To receive the maximum benefit of keeping the Sabbath, we don’t wait until sundown Friday evening to plan how we’re going to spend the Sabbath, and with whom. Sabbathkeeping is not like flipping a switch: now it’s Sabbath, now it isn’t. Sabbathkeeping is a state of mind that informs our choices throughout the week. From the beginning of time—Creation week—each new day began at sunset: “So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5). When God finished His

The Sabbath is God’s gift to us, a time for rest and restoration of our connection to God and others. It reminds us of God’s creation and Jesus’ grace. The gracious Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God’s unchangeable law requires

the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctiﬁcation, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s kingdom.

work, He blessed the seventh day and made holy the time between sundown on the sixth day of the week and sundown on the seventh day of the week. That’s why we worship from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night; it’s the day God blessed and set aside for that particular purpose. But we don’t have to wait until sundown Friday evening to begin our Sabbath experience. We can use the days and hours leading up to the Sabbath to prepare for a relaxed, nonstressful 24 hours with our Creator. When the sun goes down Saturday night, we don’t have to switch gears and move directly into secular activities. It may no longer technically be the Sabbath, but we can still linger in the atmosphere of our Sabbath experience. Rest, Rest, Rest

In His wisdom God knew that humanity would need one day out of the week to rest and recharge. Indeed, our seven-day week is the universally observed legacy of that reality. And although the seventh day of Creation week was God’s seventh day on this planet, it was Adam and Eve’s first day. God commanded them to rest before they had done any work, suggesting that while work is important, rest is more important. We now live in a culture obsessed with work, status, achievement. How many of us really know how to rest? Even on Sabbath our digital devices—if we allow them— conspire to interrupt the communion God wants us to have with Him and with our fellow creatures.

The Sabbath is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God’s creative and redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:13; Ex. 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Lev. 23:32; Deut. 5:12-15; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Eze. 20:12, 20; Matt. 12:1-12; Mark 1:32; Luke 4:16; Heb. 4:1-11.)

God’s commandment to observe the Sabbath is intriguingly vague: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . In it you shall do no work” (Ex. 20:8-10). But it doesn’t say what we should do. Jesus spent His Sabbaths worshipping in the synagogue. He also healed people. We can easily imagine Him hiking on a mountainside or strolling a seaside, surrounded not only by people who wanted to hear what He had to say, but also by those who just enjoyed being in His presence. It’s hard to imagine anyone saying, or even thinking, I wish the Sabbath were over so I could get back to work. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NIV). The Sabbath was never meant to be an exercise in legalism; it was meant to be a delight (Isa. 58:13). That’s why it would be tragic to make the Sabbath a burden rather than a blessing. When the Sabbath is understood properly, we can appreciate it and revel in our relationship with Jesus long before the sun goes down on Friday evening, and long after it goes down on Saturday night. n *Although the events in this article are true, the names are fictional.

Stephen Chavez is an assistant editor of

Adventist World.

March 2017 | Adventist World

C OV E R S T O RY

Love By Gerald A. Klingbeil

Falling in All Over Again

Rediscovering the gift of the Sabbath in a

P O K

R I E

busy world

dventists take Sabbath as a given. We know it to be God’s special gift, offered to humanity at Creation. We know that the seventh day comes before Sunday (and many languages around the world reflect this truth). Based on prophetic interpretation, some write passionately about Sabbath laws and persecution or Sabbath and endtimes—but what does “keeping the Sabbath holy” really mean in a global church family reflecting many different cultural realities and practices? Our family lived from 2005 to 2009 on the campus of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the Philippines. We cherish many unforgettable memories from these years living on a truly multicultural campus. One, however, stands out. Sabbaths on campus were always very special. The international nature of AIIAS’ students and faculty from all around the world made Sabbaths even more intriguing. Some people liked to welcome the Sabbath in a group outside their apartments; others preferred a quiet moment in the prayer garden on campus. Some left campus on Sabbath morning to serve smaller congregations around the area; others spent the afternoon playing games with their children outside. The prevailing attitude was: “If I see you do something on Sabbath that looks strange or even foreign to me, I will ask why you do what you do.” That’s a good premise as we revisit together five key principles underlying the biblical Sabbath.1

the third day, until we reach the sixth day (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). God is thrilled with His handiwork, and the biblical narrator tells us that after the creation of humanity on the sixth day God looked, and “it was very good” (verse 31). God, however, is not yet done. Thrilled as He is with what He sees before Him, there is one more day that awaits completion. The seventh day of Creation is unique—in verbal forms used and focus offered. God finishes the work, He rests, and in His resting He blesses and sanctifies (Gen. 2:2, 3). The Sabbath represents the climax of Creation and an invitation to rest— side by side—with the Creator. God’s rest communicates that “it is done,” that His perfect creation is complete and perfect—and all we need. Wholeness is a key characteristic of God’s Creation before the Fall and covers all relationships. God’s Sabbath rest is also an expression of His passionate love. God wanted to spend time with His creatures. In Eden God gives Himself every seventh day exclusively to fellowship with humanity. Jump forward to Sinai. The Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:811 is the longest commandment and employs a distinct syntactic structure. The opening invitation to “remember” echoes Genesis 1-2 and the holiness that comes from fellowship with the Creator. God’s presence makes the Sabbath holy. Creation reminds us of His hallowing activity and our yearning for community. This is true in all cultures and at all times.

1. Creation Echoes

2. Free at Last

“In the beginning” is a powerful way to start a story. Right from the outset, Scripture reminds us that time is part of God’s Creation mix. He speaks in time—and Creation happens in time. Evening and morning make the first day, the second day,

Sabbath began with Creation, but there is more to Sabbath than creation. The Lawgiver Himself helps us understand this bigger dimension in Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Somewhere on a plain in Moab, Moses exhorts Israel at the end of wandering in the wilderMarch 2017 | Adventist World

C OV E R S T O RY

ness for 40 years (Deut. 1:1-5). His retelling of Israel’s history is a teaching tool, helping a new generation to remember and to understand. Intriguingly, the rationale for Sabbathkeeping in Deuteronomy 5:15 is not Creation but rather focuses on God’s liberation of Israel from Egypt. Redemption is an integral part of the Sabbath package in Scripture. In fact, Deuteronomy 5:15 represents a conscious contextualization for a new generation, making the implicit explicit.2 In Creation there were no master and slave. All creation was equally dependent on the Creator and derived life from the divine Maker. Both man and woman were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), and after the Fall, both man and woman (and the rest of creation) required redemption. Sabbath is the great equalizer. We all sit around the table of God’s grace and enjoy the fellowship of the redeemed. Social standing, gender, and ethnic differences become irrelevant. God has brought us out of “Egypt”—all of us—and He did so with “a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 5:15). Israel’s new generation is to remember Egypt and slavery and God’s mighty acts. As they enter the Promised Land, they become God’s “new creation.” Just imagine what would happen if we could remember every Sabbath that we have been brought out of our Egypts and Babylons full of addiction, hatred, self-centeredness, and selfrighteousness? “I’ve been redeemed” would become so much more than the title of a familiar hymn. The Sabbath liberates us from misguided attempts to produce righteousness and holiness within ourselves. Can we hear Scripture’s good news whispering in our ears that we can truly rest in Him?

Adventist World | March 2017

3. What About the Stranger?

4. How Can I Serve You?

Creation and liberation are foundational principles of a biblical Sabbath theology, but what about the stranger? Exodus 23:12 provides a helpful answer. Scholars have called the larger context of this passage the Book of the Covenant, as it details a number of laws governing human relations. These laws concern the altar, slaves, violence between human beings, property, restitution, equality before the law, Sabbath years, and annual feasts (Ex. 20:19-23:33). Exodus 23:12 speaks specifically about the Sabbath, and includes an important reference to “the stranger” (Hebrew: ger). In a section dealing with practical issues affecting God’s people, why would God include another reference to the Sabbath that specifically mentions the “stranger”? The Sabbath effect described in Exodus 23:12 may give us a hint. People and animals should rest so that they will “be refreshed.” The Hebrew verb used here describes refreshment coming from catching one’s breath while resting. In fact, the noun using the same root means “life” or “living being” and already appeared in Exodus 23:9. We all need to catch our breath and become, again, “living beings.” Sabbath rest is part of God’s therapy for stressed-out, overworked, and worried workaholics. Yet Exodus 23:12 does not really focus upon them. The text focuses on animals, the “son of your female servant,” and the “stranger.” Exodus 23:12 tells us that God cares for those who are downtrodden, those who are marginalized, and those who are strangers. Refugees and “strangers” are evermore present in many parts of our world. We do well to remember God’s special care for them and the close link to the Sabbath.

There exists a close link between the Sabbath and the commitment to serve others. We sometimes forget this important part of Sabbath theology, as did people who lived in ancient Israel. Amos, the prophet, wrote passionately about the disconnect between keeping the Sabbath and abusive practices aimed against those who are poor and afflicted (Amos 8:5, 6). Somehow, Israel had forgotten that God’s justice is intricately connected to His creation and redemption that involves all. Isaiah 58 highlights this important element of the Sabbath in Scripture. The chapter juxtaposes false and true worship. The prophet, echoing God’s voice, wonders about the disconnect of seeking God and drawing near to God, yet ignoring righteousness and oppressing society’s marginalized (Isa. 58:2, 3). Fasting and praying are not good replacements for humble service and unselfish giving. Sabbath worship, it seems, cannot be a self-centered pursuit of happiness but should focus upon God’s dreams and His will for this world. Pursuing “our pleasure” (or our “own interests” [verse 13, NRSV]3) is equivalent to “trampling the Sabbath” (verse 13, NRSV). Human agendas are not part of God’s Sabbath ideal. Rather, we are invited to look out for those who struggle, who are captives, who are hungry and naked and walk in darkness, whose names no one seems to remember. In fact, if we are honest and take a good look into the mirror, that’s really us, isn’t it? Revelation 3:17 tells us that we think we have it all together, but in reality we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. We think we are doing well, yet we are blindsided to our true condition. We are gracestarved and self-propelled.

God is still around—and every new Sabbath becomes a sign of His presence, grace, and future. What happens when we recognize the Sabbath’s implicit invitation to serve others? Isaiah 58 mentions twice the notion of “delight.” The Hebrew root is not used often in the Old Testament. Isaiah 58:13 contrasts human pleasure to God-centered delight. Instead of pursuing self-gratification, God invites us to experience the sheer delight of discovering His sustaining and creative grace as we serve society’s downtrodden. 5. See the Sign?

In an age of smartphone apps and GPS we pay less and less attention to signs and maps. Yet signs still matter (and not just when the satellite is down or we don’t have coverage). Signs identify locations; they highlight important events; and they point to something beyond themselves. Exodus 31:12-17 includes a unique contribution to a biblical Sabbath theology: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Ex. 31:13). Sabbathkeeping is not an optional recreational activity. Rather, as a divine command it represents a sign between God and His people helping humanity to understand true sanctification. Scholars have long recognized the close link between the Sabbath and the sanctuary. Both emphasize divine-human fellowship and community—in space and time (cf. Ex. 25:8). Both were given by God and reflect divine characteristics.

But another dimension to the Sabbath sign is expressed in Exodus 31:12-17. Sabbath is a sign for a perpetual (or eternal) covenant (verses 16, 17) that is rooted in Creation. Scripture mentions three covenant signs in the Old Testament (the rainbow [Gen. 9:12, 13, 17]; circumcision [Gen. 17:11]; and the Sabbath [Ex. 31:13, 17; Eze. 20:12, 20]). Of these three, Sabbath is the least physically tangible and involves a consistent human response. The Sabbath sign helps us to “know” (Ex. 31:13) the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. It’s like a flag that gets raised every seven days and helps us to remember—lest we forget. Adventists have always recognized the message of the first angel of Revelation 14:6, 7 as pointing to the Sabbath. The language of the text clearly reflects the language of the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:11). In a sense, the Sabbath becomes the subtext of God’s story set in contrast to the dragon’s story in Revelation. The loving Creator is set against the angry accuser who wants to sow doubt about God’s character. In the first angel’s message, “the Sabbath,” writes Adventist scholar Sigve Tonstad, “conveys the message of God’s enduring and faithful participation in human reality.”4 God is still around, and every new Sabbath becomes a sign of His presence, grace, and future. Looking Back—and Looking Up

We have nearly reached the end of our journey into the Sabbath. Cre-

ation and redemption lie at its very foundation; mission, service, and the public declaration are additional nuances reflecting the perfect character of the Lawgiver. But our search is not yet over. Too often we have become sidetracked by the intricacies of the do’s and don’ts of appropriate Sabbathkeeping and overlooked the foundational Sabbath principles that challenge us to ultimately “rest in Him.” Instead of living the Sabbath principles 24/7, we have frequently specialized in establishing a canon of appropriate Sabbath behavior. Imagine what could happen if these principles affected our lives, not just our Sabbathkeeping? Hebrews 4:1-6 speaks of another rest. It’s rest from our own righteousness; rest from our poor attempts at true holiness; and rest from our self-centeredness. As we begin to see more clearly the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), we too are drawn to Him who came to save the lost, the weary, and the broken. It’s time to begin falling in love all over again. n 1 In

writing this article I have benefited significantly from the research found in Mathilde Frey, “The Sabbath in the Pentateuch: An Exegetical and Theological Study” (Ph.D. diss., Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University, 2011), and Sigve K. Tonstad, The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2009). 2 See Gerald A. Klingbeil, “The Sabbath Law in the Decalogue(s): Creation and Liberation as a Paradigm for Community,” Revue Biblique 117, no. 4 (2010): 491-509, esp. 506. 3 Bible texts credited to NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. 4 Tonstad, pp. 479, 480.

Gerald A. Klingbeil is

an associate editor of Adventist World who longs for the ultimate Sabbath rest in Jesus.

March 2017 | Adventist World

A D V E N T I S T

L I F E

Sabbath Mem There’s probably no such thing as a “typical” Sabbath. Like a precious gem, the Sabbath has many facets that reflect the love, joy, and fellowship we enjoy with God and with one another. Enjoy this sampling from your Adventist family around the world.—Editors

S O U T H PAC I F I C D I V I S I O N

The Celebration of Salvation April 29, 2011, will always be one of my most special Sabbaths. I called it “The Celebration of Salvation.” It was the date of my baptism, the Friday night I publicly gave my life to Jesus Christ. It was also my first opportunity to share the Savior’s “matchless love” with the people close to me who didn’t yet know God. I also celebrated with my community the news that I was going into fulltime ministry. My experience with the Sabbath has gone through both ups and downs, but I can truly celebrate the sacred day of rest, and appreciate it for what God intended it to be. It all came together for me when a pastor friend of

mine challenged me to search for Christ and His love in the Sabbath, rather than seeing the Sabbath as a limitation and restriction. I discovered God’s desire to intentionally connect with me, encouraging me to spend time with loved ones and help grow His community. I’m now a pastor for a church where God continues to reveal Himself each Sabbath, helping us to grow in His love as a family.

Bernard (Beez) Deojee lives in Sydney, Australia, and has recently transitioned into a volunteer ministry role and, together with his wife, Caryn, has planted a home community church to build relationships with former members and new friends and family.

Adventist World | March 2017

F RO M A R S O U T H E R N AS I A- PAC I F I C DIVISION

Bringing Light— and Fruit Sabbath is a day of rest and a day of sharing God’s word and love. As a college student I had the opportunity to join a trip to an AIDS hospital in Lopburi, Thailand, with my professors and friends on Sabbath. It was a great way of sharing God’s word and love. That day has become one of my most memorable Sabbaths. After the church service we traveled almost two hours to the AIDS hospital. When we entered the patients’ hall, the atmosphere was quiet and somber. I saw sadness and pain in the eyes of the many patients. We had brought fruits for each patient. We massaged them, shared some Bible verses, and tried to talk to them in Thai and

English. Considering that neither is my native language, communication wasn’t always easy. Somehow, however, our presence brought light, comfort, and hope to them. If we love and are kind to one another, our lives will be meaningful. We need to be thankful for the miracles God performs for us every day. No matter what problems we may face right now, we can find courage and strength in God to face them. Every new Sabbath is a reminder of this to me.

Linh Nguyen Thi Phuong, a lecturer at Asia-Paciﬁc International University in Muak Lek, Thailand, is passionate about teaching accounting and sharing God’s Word with her students.

mories

O U N D T H E WO RL D N O RT H E R N AS I A- PAC I F I C DIVISION

Faith and Freedom I lost all confidence in humanity when a physician said, “He’s going to pass away soon; we can do nothing for him now.” This was said to my mom about my dad when I was 16. The only thing that comforted me at this terribly lonely and disastrous time was

God’s Word. The more I read it, truer joy than I ever possessed filled my anguished mind and pushed out the darkness. The guilt, anger, and evil passion that had haunted me lost their grip on me, and I found healing and forgiveness in Jesus..

E U RO -AS I A D I V I S I O N ( E S D)

A Memorable Sabbath in Russia Everything was covered with snow and ice. That Sabbath my mom, my little sister, and I took a bus to church because my father— director of the youth ministry, communication, and global mission departments for one of the unions in the Euro-Asia Division at the

time—was away from home and had the car. After church we headed to the bus stop, which was on the other side of some railway tracks. I saw the bus coming and started running toward it without looking around me. I didn’t notice the train rushing

This experience prepared me for the trials I faced in my military service. When Friday came, I had to choose between human traditions and God’s solemn command. I was expected to participate in rifle training. To refuse was to risk going to jail. My conscience found no peace until I fully surrendered my will to God’s command to rest on His Sabbath. I was imprisoned for a year and two months.

toward me. I heard my mom cry out, but the tracks beneath my feet were covered in ice and I couldn’t move. My sister, who was behind me, grabbed the backpack I was wearing and pulled me back. Just a heartbeat later the train sped by. My sister saved my life. God had sent my guardian angel to protect me. Every time I remember that near-death experience my heart fills with gratitude

What made my imprisonment meaningful was lovingly drawing my fellow prisoners, who were seeking heart change and moral renewal, close to Jesus. The habits I picked up there continue to brighten my life as a free citizen.

Jaehwa Shim is president of JAERIM, a GYC-inspired Adventist young adult movement in South Korea that seeks to empower every church member for local church mission.

to God for His goodness and love! God tells us to “fear not, for I am with you” (Isa. 41:10). These words give me confidence and remind me of the kindness, care, and love of our gracious Lord!

Larisa Liberanskaya, a

ﬁfth-generation Adventist, is secretary and translator for the Publishing Ministries Department and Ministerial Association of the Euro-Asia Division.

March 2017 | Adventist World

A D V E N T I S T

L I F E

Surrender, singing, service, love: that would make any Sabbath great for me. — DA LY N E BA P T I ST E , N A I RO B I , K E N YA

S O U T H E R N AS I A D I V I S I O N

Awaiting the Lord of the Sabbath Around the age of 12 or so, I started receiving them: sets of two lessons twice a week. Never before or since have such soul-penetrating lessons come my way. From the metallic image of Daniel 2, to the mathematical puzzle of 2300 days, to the wonder of the cross, to the three angels of Revelation 14, hitherto unheard-of truth lit my soul in awesome marvel. Where did I come from? That question of life’s origin was always a puzzle wrapped in mystery. But two of those 36 lessons suddenly unraveled the mystery and unwrapped the puzzle: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the

earth, the sea. . . . Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Ex. 20:8-11). The Lord made me, and the Sabbath became a perpetual pointer in time and in history that I am not an accident in a long evolutionary process. On the first Sabbath after that discovery I found myself in a small rented hall in Kolar Gold Fields, India, along with six others who had made a similar find. That Sabbath 65 years ago initiated me to the wonder of Jesus and remains the most memorable Sabbath of my life.

John M. Fowler is a Sabbathkeeper, awaiting the second coming of the Lord of the Sabbath.

Adventist World | March 2017

E AST- C E N T R A L A F R I CA DIVISION

A Sabbath of Communion Music! Laughter! Stories! Roses and a cross. Entering Brakenhurst Conference Center in Nairobi, Kenya, I smelled unleavened bread and grape juice. Maxwell Adventist Academy was concluding a Week of Prayer with Dwain Esmond, our guest speaker. That Friday night we all gathered together for a memorable vesper experience. The sounds that filled the room gave me a foretaste of heaven. I remember laying my white rose on the huge cross and thinking of God’s goodness and promises: “God can do just what He says He will do.” My rose on the cross reminded me of Jesus’ sacrifice for me. It also symbolized peace. On

Sabbath I always yearn for peace. Sabbath morning continued our awesome fellowship, and the afternoon was filled with numerous outreach programs. I joined a group that visited a women’s shelter where many women and children welcomed our group: the women sang along with us, sometimes in Swahili, and the children clapped and danced. Sabbath ended with a wonderful vesper program and a beautiful baptism. Surrender, singing, service, love: that would make any Sabbath great for me.

Dalyne Baptiste is princi-

pal of Maxwell Elementary School in Nairobi, Kenya.

S O U T H E R N -A F R I CA A N D INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION

Sabbathkeeping— Down South The small congregation of Monte Vista is located in Cape Town, South Africa. One recent Sabbath worship on a cold winter morning reminded us that even a few can serve. We had planned a special Sabbath activity that would cater to the needs of others, not our own. Following prayer in our church, we drove to the city center where those who are homeless can be found under

intersecting bridges. Forming a circle under the crisp morning sky, we started singing hymns. Suspicion turned to openness as people listened to familiar songs they hadn’t heard for a long time. People started coming closer and joining the circle; others stood afar, listening. Little children with bright smiles came out of “holes in the wall,” dark dingy corners where no one should ever

W E ST- C E N T R A L A F R I CA DIVISION

Sabbath: For All God’s Children On one of my best Sabbaths ever my family visited the Seabrook Seventhday Adventist Church in Lanham, Maryland, United States. As leaders in our Liberian Seventh-day Adventist community, we travel a lot on weekends

and do not always find enjoyable worship services for our two young children. But this Sabbath at Seabrook really worked. After an interactive Sabbath School program, during which the children sang and played with sheep and

live. The songs, the shared Word, and the prayers touched each heart. I drive past this place most workdays, and so I felt ashamed for never noticing, for never seeing needy people behind the faces. We shared food parcels and secondhand clothing with our new found friends who were struggling to survive. We served bowls of vegetable soup and bread for lunch. We began to chatted about the commonness of life’s challenges and the similarity of us all trying to find our way under the umbrella of God’s grace. As the winter sun

descended and a chill filled the air, it was time to return to our different realities. This Sabbath experience made me realize that God’s Word is indeed for all— without exception. “Lord, please forgive us, forgive the entitlement spirit we have about Your Word. Teach us to share Your Sabbath’s joy with all, great and small, rich and poor, as we all await Your soon coming.”

learned about King David, we went to Children’s Church. Much care had gone into planning the program: everyone got a name badge and their hand stamped before entering the hall. Besides many fun activities for the kids, a guest presenter spoke about the challenges of being blind. We learned about how our blind friends read braille, cross the street with their canes, and survive with just four

senses—hearing, touch, taste, and smell. It’s been more than two years now, but my children still remember many lessons from that day, including singing and acting the song “My God Is So Big.” https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=OfmPrAsKGI. We hope we can visit that church again soon.

Nqobile Nicholas Damane

works as a director at the City of Cape Town Municipality. He is married to Thembi and is the proud father of two girls, Lino and Khanya.

Johnetta Flomo is from Montserrado County in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa.

March 2017 | Adventist World

A D V E N T I S T

L I F E

One Friday night my husband announced: ‘Tomorrow we are going to have an adventure Sabbath.’ — SY LV I A R E N Z , A L S BAC H - H A H N L E I N , G E R M A N Y

I N T E R - E U RO P E A N D I V I S I O N

The Other Kind of Service Sabbaths tend to be busy days for most pastoral families. Expectations of church members are high; children often take second place. On many weekends my husband, serving at the European Media Center Stimme der Hoffnung, had to visit distant churches to preach and train members. We

seldom spent Sabbaths with him. One Friday night my husband announced a special plan: “Tomorrow we are going to have an adventure Sabbath. We will visit another kind of service.” After a big breakfast we drove to a beautiful hillside and started to stroll through the meadows. There was so

T R A N S- E U RO P E A N D I V I S I O N

Memories From Ireland My husband and I had just left Ireland and our families to undertake studies at Weimar Institute in California, United States. I was looking forward to a new challenge and a new chapter in my life. Our suitcases not even unpacked, we drifted into a deep jet-lagged sleep when

suddenly my husband’s phone rang. Muffled voices and then an eerie silence followed. It was bad news— but what? When my husband’s initial shock wore off, I learned that my mother-in-law in Ireland had died suddenly. It was August 6, 2011— Sabbath in California—and

Adventist World | March 2017

much to discover in God’s nature! Then we rested on a wooden bench and sang some hymns. Our prayers felt different. We spoke with Jesus as though He was right there with us, and I’m sure He was! We felt close to God and to each other. Before we left, each child received a Swiss Army pocketknife that included many different tools. “The Bible is a similar tool with its many answers to our questions,” my husband said. “It can help us solve our problems. The

white cross on top of the knife should remind you that we have a Friend in heaven. Trust Him and use this friendship as you will use these tools to manage life.” We never forgot this important lesson shared on a special Sabbath.

we knew no one on campus and had no friends or relatives nearby to console us. My husband went into the campus woods to talk with the Lord. God sent a retired teacher to encourage him and to invite us to join him and his family for Sabbath services at the ASI convention in Sacramento. “Spend this Sabbath with my family until you can make arrangements to travel back to Ireland,” he said. God sent us a new family to support us.

That Sabbath we experienced the love of a world church family, the love of strangers, and the peace of a very special Sabbath spent in a strange land, but with a familiar, comforting, and caring God.

Sylvia Renz is an author,

mother, and pastor’s wife living in Alsbach-Hähnlein, Germany. She recently retired from working at the Stimme der Hoffnung Bible correspondence school and enjoys playing with her young grandson.

Betty O’Rourke is a retired nurse manager, a mother of four young adults, a grandmother, and the wife of a three-district pastor in west Ireland. She recently accepted the position of health sponsor for the Irish Mission.

N O RT H A M E R I CA N DIVISION

My Father’s Third Sabbath S O U T H A M E R I CA N D I V I S I O N

As for Me, I Will Serve the Lord Since I can never look at the present from the vantage point of the future, I had no idea that the mild spring day would be my most memorable Sabbath. Following my birth, my mother faithfully took me every single Sabbath to the only Adventist church in our rural town. Now I was determined not to postpone my baptism anymore. Two years had already passed since Mom advised me to wait longer. It was not an easy decision for a shy 14-year-old girl. In my family (to this day), children adopt their father’s religion. My father, a Lutheran, had never been an active church member, but he hoped that I would become a Lutheran. So that week of November (late spring in Argentina),

when I invited him to come to my baptism, his typical even-tempered manners gave way to an outburst of rage so hurtful that I trembled like a leaf. As much as I loved him, I stood foursquare behind my beloved Jesus. I learned that “we must obey God rather than human beings!” My grandmother became even angrier. I was baptized during a simple ceremony that bittersweet Sabbath. I had reached a major crossroads of my life. I cannot imagine where I’d be now were it not for that decision for eternity.

Claudia Blath is a pastor’s

wife, mother of two preteens, and a freelance translator. She writes from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I N T E R -A M E R I CA N D I V I S I O N

Sabbath is for Family My best Sabbath was any Sabbath spent with my family at my grandparents’ house. Although I’ve tried to recall, I cannot remem-

ber a singular Sabbath that stands out. However, every Sabbath spent in deep conversation and laughter around the table with my

In 1942 my father, Max Torres, opened a grocery store in Magdalena, New Mexico, with his life’s savings and $2,000 he borrowed from his uncle. The business flourished and was profitable from the start. One year later he joined the Adventist Church and closed his store on Sabbaths. It was an agonizing decision, because ranchers accounted for half of his business, and they bought their groceries early on Saturday mornings. He feared bankruptcy. The following Sabbath Max took his family to church in a neighboring town and drove back to Magdalena after sundown, intending to open the store for business on Saturday night. To his chagrin, his father and brothers had kept the store open all day. The following Sabbath Max’s father and brothers again kept the

cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and immediate family while we ate Sabbath lunch is etched in my heart. I loved to listen to the different perspectives that each person had to share. It stimulated my intellect and caused warm fuzzies to grow. Because of this time spent together—accompa-

store open for business. On the third Sabbath the store was closed all day. I was only 4 at the time, yet I vividly remember that Saturday night. As my father drove the car into the parking area I saw about a dozen ranchers sitting in their pickups waiting for the store to open. I heard my father say, “God bless the ranchers. I won’t lose their business.” Then I saw my father run to the store and unlock doors. At least a dozen ranchers trailed him like cattle. They told him they admired him for sticking by his convictions. They assured him that he wouldn’t lose their business. The next year sales doubled, and my father paid his uncle in full. Before he retired, Rudy Torres spent his adult life as a pastor in the states of California, Washington, and Maryland, United States.

nied by my grandmother’s finest cooking—I love conversing and fellowshipping with others. This is what Sabbath means to me.

Marguerite Samuel, stay-

at-home mom, founded and directs a choral music organization named Journey Ministries.

March 2017 | Adventist World

D I S C O V E R I N G

T H E

S P I R I T

he hardening of the heart to the Word of God has provoked various kinds of misbehavior: idolatry, sensuality, egocentrism, unbridled struggle for power, disregard for the suffering of others, disregard for the Sabbath, etc. These are some of the reasons the world has faced many of its greatest crises. But for every major crisis God has provided people to deliver His messages, outlining the steps they must take to be spiritually safe. This principle was expressed by the prophet Amos: “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Allow me to trace how God guided His people through at least four major crises during earth’s history. We can see His providential leading during the time of the Flood, the liberation of His people from Egypt, through times of idolatry, and in the radical demonstration of His love for humanity that led God to allow His only Son, Jesus Christ, to live and die for us. Four Crucial Moments in History

The Flood. The Bible says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Verse 11 adds the damning indictment that the earth was “corrupt” and filled with “violence.” Secularism was so deeply rooted among the people that God took drastic action to stem the tide of sin and degradation. However, God did not do so without first announcing His decision to those who lived on the earth. He called Noah as His prophet to warn the people of the destruction to come. After 120 years of preaching by Noah (Gen. 6:3), God destroyed the world. Liberation From Egyptian Captivity. After centuries of captivity in Egypt,

Adventist World | March 2017

O F

P R O P H E C Y

By Valdecir Simões Lima

th e

SureofWord

Prophecy Human history has never been without someone who speaks for God.

the time for liberation had come. The people turned to God and cried out under their yoke of bondage (see Ex. 2:23). God decided to deliver His people from the yoke that plagued them, and He chose Moses as a prophet and leader to announce His plan and lead the deliverance of His people. Warnings Against Idolatry. Having arrived at the Promised Land, the people still did not obey God. His love had not been internalized, and idolatry was rampant. Canaan was full of idols. People worshipped “the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made” (Isa. 2:8). In response, God chose a number of prophets to call His people away from their worship of idols. It’s important to note that God not only used men for this task; He also used women. He called a prophet named Deborah, and used her as His instrument to warn people away from idolatry. The First Coming of Christ. The world needed the first advent of the Messiah. People needed to know and understand the true nature of God’s

kingdom. Upon the Messiah the Spirit of the Lord would rest, and He would reign with wisdom and power, for He would reveal the Father (see Micah 5:2; Isa. 11:1, 2). Although the people did not know the hour of His coming, they should have been be prepared to receive Him. Through John the Baptist they learned that the time to receive this mighty King had come. John implored them to repent of their sins, rather than seeking to justify themselves by proclaiming their religious pedigree (see Matt. 3:8-11). To announce the first coming of Christ, and to prepare the people for this special occasion, God sent several prophets: Micah, Isaiah, John the Baptist, as well as Anna. Throughout the Bible we see a pattern, a twofold condition for safely navigating crises: seeking God with the whole heart, and believing His prophets (Jer. 29:13; 2 Chron. 20:20). This is how our sovereign Leader protected His people from destruction, and how He gave them opportunities to begin anew after great calamities.

restor at ion of t ru th FLOOD FALL

EGYPT

AHAB/ JEZABEL

FIRST COMING

BABYLON

1844

SECOND COMING

NOAH

MOSES

ELIJAH

DANIEL

JOHN THE BAPTIST

ELLEN G. WHITE

Destruction

Captivity

Apostasy

Exile

Formalism

All others

Another Crisis, Another Voice

Is there anything about our time that justifies the presence of a prophet? The emphatic answer is yes! This double condition of seeking God and believing in His prophets is still a master line that runs through history. We believe the second coming of Jesus is near. We also expect another crisis before Jesus returns. If past crises are any indication, why would God fail to send a prophet to prepare His people now? The second coming of Christ is the greatest event in human history since Christ’s death and resurrection! Before Christ returns, many of the devastating realities that preceded His first advent will be repeated in greater scope and destruction. Christ Himself declared that the behavior of humanity, and the events that preceded the Flood, would be repeated at His second coming (Matt. 24:37, 38). The end of time will see a convergence of the characteristics that framed previous historical crises. This time these events will happen simultaneously. We will witness parallels between

the behaviors of people who lived in the past and those who live today. There is ample reason to believe that idol worship is an evil that plagues our time. Warnings to avoid this practice are few. Just as there are literal idols, people have to be warned about everything that stands between humanity and God, whether it’s secularism in all its forms or worship to the beast and his image—anything that makes us think of something other than worshipping God deserves reproof (Rev. 14:9, 10). God’s people will serve Him wholeheartedly. One of the characteristics of the remnant is the observance of the “commandments of God” and the “testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17), defined in Revelation 19:10 as the Spirit of prophecy. God has sent us a prophet to whom we must pay attention. Rejection of God’s prophets at crucial times in history has always had serious consequences for God’s professed people, because the rejection of a prophet implies, according to Luke 10:16, the rejection of He who sent him or her.

Ellen White was enlightened by God. She inspired God’s end-time people toward the most secure paths of Christian behavior. We must respect her relevance and take her teachings seriously. We are responsible for believing, living, and proclaiming this light. The Adventist Church is going somewhere. Without a doubt, the Spirit of Prophecy belongs to this movement as it experiences the most critical days in human history. God, once again, has provided a way for His people to be led and delivered. One day soon Christ will return for those who are His. May God help us to seek Him with our whole hearts, and listen to His prophets so that we might be ready for His soon return. n

Valdecir Simões Lima is a professor at the Schools of Theology and Social Communication at Brazil Adventist University. March 2017 | Adventist World

B I B L E

Q U E S T I O N S

A N S W E R E D

Matter

Why did God choose to save the human race, but not Lucifer and his angels?

Justice

This question seems to be based on the false assumption that God did not try to save Lucifer. Perhaps the intended question is Why did God not send His Son to save fallen angels? Although the cosmic conflict is a central topic in biblical theology, there is not a detailed exposition of its origin in the Bible, making it difficult to know everything God did on behalf of the heavenly host at the beginning of the conflict. All I can do is share some of my own thoughts as they relate to your question. 1. Justice and Love: Sin was not created; neither did it come into existence. It is in fact the denial of both creation and existence. It is the embracing of de-creation by intelligent creatures who chose the nothingness of nonexistence while claiming the irrational right to exist independent of God. There was no reason for a group of heavenly beings to rebel. Therefore, in condemning them God acted justly. But He was also acting lovingly by not allowing de-creation to totally overtake His good creation. The integrity of divine judgment against rebellious angels will even be recognized by them at the close of the cosmic conflict (e.g., Phil. 2:10, 11). 2. Uniqueness of Lucifer’s Sin: We usually understand sin as a condition (e.g., having a sinful nature) or as an act (e.g., violation of the law). In the case of Lucifer and his angels we are dealing with the strangest expression of sin and evil: they are not yet explicit; they are being gestated inside the angels, altering their nature in a radical way: decomposing it. This chaotic anomaly was slowly disintegrating a segment of God’s creation and expressed itself in rebellion against the will of the Creator. There is not yet an external power tempting creatures to sin. We are dealing with the moment sin and evil originated. This was not the condition of Adam and Eve. However, their sin was as inexcusable as that of Lucifer and deserved the same penalty. 3. Resolution and Revelation: God did all He could to save not only Lucifer and his angels but also the human

Adventist World | March 2017

race. The Bible suggests a constant dialogue with the rebellious angels in an attempt to persuade them that their course of action would damage the divine cosmic order and themselves. God tried to abort the origin of sin. Through His Son, the Mediator between God and His creation (Col. 1:15), God revealed to them His infinite love. Because they had been so close to God, they experienced in unique ways His love and care for all His creatures. They also realized that the Son of God who seemed to have been one more among them—the Archangel (Dan. 10:21; 12:1; Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 12:7)—was none other than their Creator (Col. 1:16). This magnificent revelation presumably caused many angels to return to their allegiance to God and should have brought the insurrection to an end, but that was not the case. A judicial process was set in place to examine the evidence and the arguments, but the decision of the tribunal was clear: “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Eze. 28:15, NIV). Satan was found guilty. Once the self-corrupting nature of sin/evil de-created the goodness of the nature of Lucifer and his angels, there was absolutely nothing God could do to save them. They had rejected the divine revelation of God’s love for them. God granted the same option to the human race. God’s most glorious revelation of His love for sinners through His Son, who became one of us through the incarnation, offers us the possibility or returning to our allegiance to God and living. Sin and evil have almost eradicated the image of God in us, but this process can come to an end if we see in Christ the most majestic revelation of His love that justly condemns rebellious creatures and justly saves repentant sinners (Rom. 3:25, 26). n

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired, after

serving the church as a pastor, professor, and theologian.

B I B L E

S T U D Y

By Mark A. Finley

Experiencing the

Power

to Obey

rom the beginning of time, loving obedience has always been a test of loyalty to God. Lucifer led one third of the angels to disobey God (Rev. 12:3, 4, 7-9). He claimed that God’s government was unfair and His laws unjust. Satan painted a picture of God as an authoritarian ruler who had little interest in His creation. His claim has always been that obedience limits our happiness and that disobedience enhances life. He perpetrated this lie in heaven and repeated it in Eden (Gen. 3:1-5). In today’s lesson we will discover that obedience to God’s law brings the greatest joy and highest delight to God’s people. We will also discover the amazing truth that God not only calls us to obey, but also gives us power to obey.

1 What was David’s attitude toward the law of God? How does this compare to Jesus’ attitude toward doing God’s will? Compare Psalm 40:8 with John 8:29 and Hebrews 10:7. David sensed that God’s law was his source of true joy. In Psalm 1 he wrote about God’s faithful people: “But [their] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law [they meditate] day and night” (verse 2). He added in Psalm 119, “Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction” (verse 92). The eternal Christ placed the desire in David’s heart to obey, just as that desire was in Jesus’ heart to obey throughout His earthly life.

Look up Deuteronomy 8:1, 6, 7, 11 and 28:1. What is God saying to Israel in these verses? Does it sound like obedience to God’s law limits our happiness and restricts our freedom?

3 Did Jesus come to do away with the law? Is it legalistic to want to keep the law of God? Compare Matthew 5:17 with Romans 3:31. I M A G E :

L D S

M E D I A / J E R R Y

H A R S T O N

The New Testament makes it abundantly plain: Jesus did not come to destroy the law; He came to fulfill it. To fulfill means to fill it full of meaning. In Colossians 4:17 the apostle Paul counseled a disciple named Archippus to “fulfill” his ministry. He certainly didn’t mean for him to do away with it. He meant for Archippus to fill it with meaning, to complete it; to persevere and never give up.

4 Is it possible to obey God’s law? Is the grace of God sufficient to enable Christians to overcome known sin? Discover the answer in Romans 5:20, 21; 1 John 5:4; and Revelation 14:12. 5 How is it possible to obey God? Where does the power to obey originate? Do we obey by our own willpower? Read Ephesians 2:8-10; 3:15, 20. We are saved by grace and grace alone. By faith we receive God’s forgiveness. In Christ we stand before God as if we had never sinned. The same grace that justifies us also sanctifies us. The same faith that gives us forgiveness also gives us power to obey.

What does God promise for each believer who comes to Him in faith? Compare Hebrews 8:10 with 1 Thessalonians 5:23. God promises to do for us that which we can never do for ourselves. In Christ the gift of salvation is ours. He places His law in our minds so we can know it, and places it in our hearts so we can love it. Through His Holy Spirit, God gives us power to obey and delight in His ways. This is the miracle of the gospel. n March 2017 | Adventist World

IDEA EXCHANGE

“Behold, I come quickly…” Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ, uniting Seventh-day Adventists everywhere in beliefs, mission, life, and hope.

Letters Beyond Words

A note of thanks to Bill Knott for his December editorial in Adventist World, “Beyond Words.” I hope he doesn’t mind that I drew from it to share thoughts with the Dayton, Ohio, Christian Scribes writers’ group. I’ve been privileged to produce the club’s newsletter through many of these years. Knott’s words seemed just the ones to convey the desired message of inspiration to our writers as we approach the Christmas season and a new year. My best wishes to him and to all the talented and faithful staff. Lois Pecce Ohio, United States The Paradox of Unity and Variety

I enjoyed reading Richard Aguilera’s “The Paradox of Unity and Variety” (November 2016). I believe that “God loves every single person, whatever the surface differences, whether attire, coiffure, music, or styles of prayer. We must completely understand that our holy calling is to love and serve others and to share the good news of hope and salvation.”

Adventist World | March 2017

Like a loving Father, God wants His family united. We cannot accomplish what God has for us to do if we refuse to be reconciled with one another. In His most impassioned prayer, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus pleaded with God to unite His followers: “That they all might be one as you, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us” (John 17:21). Larry Valorozo The Hague, Netherlands We must discern between innocence and evil culturally, allowing the first and rejecting the second. People committed to biblical truths don’t end up divided while aiming at the same goal. Jesus produces pure truth, and real unity is a side effect only for those who accept it. Truth is a higher priority than false unity (Amos 3:2, 3; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15, 17; The Great Controversy, p. 45). Ken Lemky British Columbia, Canada Looking Forward to Adventist World

I look forward to the monthly release of Adventist World. I devour it from the first page to the last. In one of the special issues you had slipped in a GLOW leaflet to cut and give out. I want to participate in evangelizing efforts. When is the next coming? Marie-Pierre Crostella Cranves-Sales, France

Letters Policy: Please send to: letters@adventistworld.org. Letters must be clearly written, 100-word maximum. Include the name of the article and the date of publication with your letter. Also include your name, the town/city, state, and country from which you are writing. Letters will be edited for space and clarity. Not all letters submitted will be published.

Publisher The Adventist World, an international periodical of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The General Conference, Northern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists®, is the publisher. Adventist Review Ministries Board Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Guillermo Biaggi, vice chair, Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, Williams Costa, Daniel R. Jackson, Peter Landless, Robert Lemon, Geoffrey Mbwana, G. T. Ng, Daisy Orion, Juan Prestol-Puesán, Ella Simmons, Artur Stele, Ray Wahlen, Karnik Doukmetzian, legal advisor Executive Editor/Director of Adventist Review Ministries Bill Knott Associate Director of Adventist Review Ministries International Publishing Manager Chun, Pyung Duk Adventist World Coordinating Committee Jairyong Lee, chair; Yukata Inada; German Lust; Chun, Pyung Duk; Han, Suk Hee; Lyu, Dong Jin Editors based in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA André Brink, Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil (associate editors), Sandra Blackmer, Stephen Chavez, Wilona Karimabadi Editors based in Seoul, Korea Chun, Pyung Duk; Park, Jae Man; Kim, Hyo-Jun Operations Manager Merle Poirier Editors-at-large Mark A. Finley, John M. Fowler Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke Financial Manager Kimberly Brown Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste Management Board Jairyong Lee, chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Chun, Pyung Duk; Karnik Doukmetzian; Han, Suk Hee; Yutaka Inada; German Lust; Ray Wahlen; Ex-officio: Juan Prestol-Puesán; G. T. Ng; Ted N. C. Wilson Art Direction and Design Jeff Dever, Brett Meliti Consultants Ted N. C. Wilson, Juan Prestol-Puesán, G. T. Ng, Guillermo E. Biaggi, Mario Brito, Abner De Los Santos, Dan Jackson, Raafat A. Kamal, Michael F. Kaminskiy, Erton C. Köhler, Ezras Lakra, Jairyong Lee, Israel Leito, Thomas L. Lemon, Solomon Maphosa, Geoffrey G. Mbwana, Blasious M. Ruguri, Saw Samuel, Ella Simmons, Artur A. Stele, Glenn Townend, Elie Weick-Dido To Writers: We welcome unsolicited manuscripts. Address all editorial correspondence to 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. Editorial office fax number: (301) 680-6638 E-mail: worldeditor@gc.adventist.org Web site: www.adventistworld.org Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible references are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, and the United States.

Vol. 13, No. 3

noticeboard Obituaries

DUNN, Lloyd Maxwell, born

27.9.1930 in Launceston, Tas; died 1.1.17 in Legana. He married Edith Mary Abraham in 1955. He is survived by his wife; daughters Jillian Hennessy (Launceston), Andrea Hepburn (Launceston) and Tracy Watson (Cairns, Qld); and four grandsons. Lloyd is described as a man with a quiet, abiding faith. He had a practical bent, a keen love of the bush, a generous spirit and a strong love for his family. He was a faithful worker for Sanitarium in Tasmania for 15 years. He then worked in private business where clients commented on his integrity, caring and friendship. So, with his confidence in God, he rests looking to “Beyond the sunset, eternal joy”. Bruce Grosse

MILLER, Valerie Margaret (nee

Freitag), born 10.12.1933 in Fremantle, WA; died 2.1.17 in Alstonville Senior Living Village, NSW. She was predeceased by her son Keith and brother Lawrence. She is survived by her husband Max, daughter-in-law Kim and sister Bernice. Valerie was educated in Fremantle and later employed in a large business as cashier and secretary. In 1956 the family were posted to New Guinea for education work. They served the

Church for 21 years throughout the Pacific Islands. During this time Valerie volunteered her services in numerous ways. After their move to Goonellabah, Max and Valerie became members of Lismore church, in which they held several positions over the years before moving to Alstonville. Beth McMurtry, Tim Merritt

MORRALL, Phyllis Grace (nee Holman), born 17.7.1918 in Moreland, Vic; died 26.1.17 in Werribee. Phyllis was predeceased by her husband Reg, son Graeme, a grandson and a great-granddaughter. She is survived by her daughters and their husbands: Leonie and Graham Billings (Chirnside Park), Corinne and Max De Courey Cann (Werribee); eight grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and sisters Yvonne O’Conner and Roma Miller. Phyllis was a gifted florist who used her talents to bless the Coburg church. She served as a St John Ambulance instructor from 1963 to 1979. In later years she attended Werribee church. Sabbath remained an integral part of her life and her Bible could always be found on her table. Kingsley Andrews

POSITIONS VACANT Administrative assistant Adventist Media (Wahroonga, NSW) is seeking an administrative assistant to join its editorial team. The position will be based at Wahroonga, NSW, and is part-time (3 days per week). The successful applicant will work as part of a team who produce magazines, newsletters and other digital content for our websites. The role involves working with dedicated professionals to communicate key messages that will inform, educate and nurture church members across the South Pacific Division. Duties will include: handling telephone inquiries and mail; compiling the Noticeboard section in Adventist Record and coordinating advertising bookings and inquiries for the magazine; filing and records maintenance; correspondence and other general administrative tasks. Mail to: <corpserv@adventistmedia.org.au>. Send a letter of application detailing your skills, knowledge and experience. Attach a copy of your resume/CV. Applications close March 21, 2017. Chief financial officer Australian Union Conference (Ringwood, Vic). This is normally a position elected at the time of the union constituency meeting. The position is currently vacant and will be appointed by the Australian Union Conference (AUC) executive committee for the term ending in the last half of 2020, at which time the normal election process will take place. The role involves responsibility for the proper conduct of financial and business matters within the territory of the AUC. It also requires mentoring and working with local conference CFOs. Applicants must have proven financial management skills, a high level of experience in good governance and a comprehensive understanding of Church structure, operating policies and procedures. Request a copy of the job description from and send applications to Pastor Tony Knight (Director for Resource Development and Personnel), 289 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood VIC 3134; (03) 9871 7591 or email <tonyknight@adventist.org.au>. The AUC reserves the right to make an appointment. Applications close March 31, 2017.

FOR MORE: ADVENTISTEMPLOYMENT.ORG.AU

POSITION VACANT | SYDNEY ADVENTIST HOSPITAL SENIOR CHAPLAIN Sydney Adventist Hospital, the largest private hospital in NSW, is a world class facility of 524 beds for surgical, medical, cancer care and obstetric specialties. It provides 24 hour access to Cardiac Catheter Lab, Operating Theatres, Emergency facilities, and ICU services. Sydney Adventist Hospital is a division of Adventist HealthCare Limited which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We are seeking to appoint a Senior Chaplain to lead the Spiritual Care Team, consisting of professional chaplains, CPE trainees and volunteer chaplains. This position provides both strategic and operational leadership across the Spiritual Care team and plays an active role in supporting the mission activities of Sydney Adventist Hospital and Adventist HealthCare. The department provides a caring ministry to patients, families and staff of Sydney Adventist Hospital. The successful applicant will have the following skills and abilities:

• Proven experience in counselling and dealing with interpersonal relationships

• Bachelor degree in Theology

• Active member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

• Effective communication skills with groups from diverse backgrounds • Previous experience in caring for the spiritual needs of people with serious illness • Proven leadership skills • Completed the CPE training or be willing to undertake this training program • Commitment to training and professional development

Further information can be found at www.sah.org.au or contact Dr Branimir Schubert – Director of Mission and Culture Email: Branimir.Schubert@sah.org.au Phone: 02 9487 9437 Written applications addressing the selection criteria and including full curriculum vitae should be addressed to: Melva Lee – Director Human Resources Email: Melva.Lee@sah.org.au

Applications close 5pm Friday 31st March 2017.

March 2017 | Adventist World

Radio to reach a

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This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission project will support evangelism on Wallis and Futuna, a country of over 15,000 people where 99% are Catholic. This is a country that has taken many years to enter and where many villages are still closed to our message.

However, radio can cross boundaries and enter homes. Please give generously to help the people of Wallis and Futuna today. My support for the mission in the South Pacific MY DETAILS Name...................................................................................... Address................................................................................... State.................................... Postcode..................................... Phone...................................................................................... Email.......................................................................................

Mail to:

PAYMENT OPTIONS . .Cash.. .Cheque.or.Money.Order.for.$___________ . .Please.charge.my. .Mastercard. .Visa.amount.of.$__________ Or.charge.monthly.amount.of.$__________.for.12.months Card.Number.

Expiry.date.(MM/YY)................../................ Name.on.card........................................................................................

Australia:.Locked.Bag.2014,.Wahroonga,.NSW.2076,.Australia New.Zealand:.Private.Bag.94200,.Howick,.Auckland.2145,.New.Zealand

eGiving.org.au