Signs of the Times - August 2021 by Adventist Media

I used to be a

CLAIRVOYANT ARE SPIRITUAL FORCES REAL?

FACEBOOK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY

IN THIS ISSUE

AUGUST 2021

I USED TO BE A CLAIRVOYANT. HERE'S WHY I STOPPED

How God saved me from

demons PAGE 32

12 CURRENT

4 6

WHAT IN THE WORLD FACEBOOK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND But is God?

WELLBEING

12 MY PLANT-BASED

JOURNEY Cutting meat out of my diet 22 BETTER HEALTH FOR EVERY BODY Health news that makes a difference 46 5 TIPS FOR BECOMING A CREATIVE POWER COUPLE Working together effectively

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA 2

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60 HOW TO EAT HEALTHY

FOR YOUR AGE

FAITH

SCIENCE & TECH

52 THE CUTTING EDGE Engineering, science

and technology news

18 OUT OF THE TOMB

What does the Bible say about death? 40 DAD'S RETURN God's coming back and He's bringing a gift

BIG QUESTIONS

24 ARE SPIRITUAL FORCES

REAL? Do ghosts confirm God?

/SIGNSMAG

CULTURE

54 A MAGAZINE FOR THE

TIMES 135 years of Signs of the Times and looking to the future

FUN

62 CROSSWORD AND

SUDOKU Have you been paying attention?

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY It is a real honour to be editor of one of Australia’s longest continuously-running magazines. Continuing the legacy of past Signs’ teams, we are committed to serving the needs of our community, by tackling current topics, trends, and technology from a Christian viewpoint. As a Seventh-day Adventist publication we also have an emphasis on overall health and wellbeing, from diet and nutrition, forming good habits to mental health and relationships. And we’ve done all of this for 135 years, as we continue to explore the questions that matter. But did you know that most subscriptions to our magazine aren’t individuals but are bulk orders supported by people who believe in the mission of Signs to share hope with our readers? In June, my colleague Daniel and I travelled to Logan in Queensland and spent a day at the ADRA Logan Community Centre. A hub of activity all day, the centre was humming with food packages, cooking classes, an op shop, counselling services . . . they are serving their community. And they support Signs, by having copies in the foyer for all who visit. It's projects like this that Signs is proud to support. You can support the work of Signs by donating, so others can read the life-changing stories. We cannot continue without you. Your support and feedback is valuable to us as we continue to address the tough questions that life throws at all of us. To partner with us as we continue to serve communities like yours all across Australia and New Zealand, visit <signsofthetimes.org.au/ august> and make a donation to where it's needed most.

Jarrod

JARROD STACKELROTH Editor

VOL 136 NO 8 ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniel Kuberek COPYEDITOR Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau'u Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsofthetimes.org.au WEBSITE signsofthetimes.org.au ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A26; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical. Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs. Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide. COVER PHOTO:

Portrait of Cathy Hookham by

Daniel Kuberek

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WHAT IN THE WORLD DIGITAL ID TO WATCH PORNOGRAPHY

VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY NEW ZEALAND

Auckland has been rated as the 13th most vegetarian-friendly city in the world according to a new study. Cities are ranked according to quality and affordability of food products, with the city ranking above both Sydney and Melbourne. The city was also chosen for its wide assortment of plant-based restaurants. London ranks #1 on the list, followed by Berlin and Munich. —Stuff.co.nz, Nestpick 4

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PHILIPP KATZENBERGER—UNSPLASH, ADRIEN OLICHON—UNSPLASH, SEBASTIAN COMAN—UNSPLASH, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

AUSTRALIA

The country's Digital Identity system may be extended to online gambling and pornography access. The recommendations by a parliamentary inquiry in February 2020 would prevent children and minors from accessing explicit or illegal material. The government insists this needs to be used in conjunction with parents engaging with children and discussing the harmful effects of pornography. The Digital Identity system has thus far been used for accessing government services.—ZDNet

Facebook's figures FORCED TO EAT PORK UNITED STATES

The family of a Jewish football athlete are considering filing a lawsuit after the 17-year-old athlete was forced to eat pork as punishment for missing a weight training session. It is alleged the athlete would have been expelled from the team if he had refused. Jews generally do not consume pork, adhering to the laws of Leviticus in the Torah.—The Jerusalem Post

MEIN KAMPF IS BACK FRANCE

Mein Kampf will be translated and re-released in France by publisher Fayard, and will contain commentary by historians about every lie it contains. The infamous book was at the core of Nazi ideology and contains Adolf Hitler's vision for Germany. Though banned in many countries in the decades following World War II, it has recently been released as an educational tool to combat neo-Nazism.—France24

52 per cent of Australians claimed they are cutting back on time spent on the social media platform, because of "boredom" and "time wasting."—ABC 51 per cent added that this made them feel uncomfortable, while 27 per cent said the "boredom" and "time wasting" categories were inaccurate.—Pew Research In 2018, 74 per cent of Facebook users in the US were unaware their interests and traits were being made available to advertisers.—Pew Research Following the 2019 Christchurch massacre, the New Zealand privacy commissioner called the website "morally bankrupt pathological liars" and said "Facebook cannot be trusted".—The Guardian

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FACEBOOK IS NOT

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YOUR FRIEND “Big tech” companies are slowly gaining more control over our lives, leading some to call them “Digital Lords”. But how do they stack up against the actual Lord? BY RYAN STANTON

acebook is not your friend. In 2018, whistleblower Christopher Wylie leaked that British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had used data collected by Facebook to influence users with political advertising in events like the 2016 US election—a revelation which according to The Guardian resulted in Facebook being handed a hefty $US5 billion fine. The company has also been criticised for its use of “shadow profiles”, which collect an individual’s data without their explicit permission—regardless of whether or not the user has a Facebook profile of their own. Then there’s the more troubling content the platform has also been used for— such as the livestreaming of the 2019

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Christchurch mosque shootings. More recently, a report by Reach Australia highlighted the ways in which advertisers were able to create Facebook ads targeted at 13–17-yearolds for vaping, cocktail recipes or online dating—activities that are illegal for minors. In contrast, Signal, a secure online messaging company and Facebook competitor, revealed that the latter would not allow them to create advertisements for Instagram which showed users the information that Facebook had collected on them and given to advertisers. Unfortunately, Facebook is not unique in this regard. When one examines most “big tech” companies, similar complaints, controversies or issues begin to surface. YouTube, which is owned by Google, has faced criticism for how its algorithm delivers increasingly fringe and radical right-wing content to its users. Twitter, meanwhile, has also been criticised for being unable to moderate fake news and misinformation. A 2017 survey published in the Communications Physics journal investigated users on the platform, estimating that between 9 and 15 per cent were bots, while a recent study conducted by researches at Carnegie Mellon University found that bots accounted for almost half of the tweets about Covid-19. Finally, there’s the issues of secrecy and a lack of transparency from these companies whose influence is increasingly commonplace in our lives. Frank Pasquale, professor of

to highlight two concerning trends law at Brooklyn Law School, uses a present in most big platforms: we do “black box” metaphor in his book not understand how they function, The Black Box Society to describe the and they do not care about us as processes involved: “The term ‘black individuals, but rather a mixture of box’ is a useful metaphor for [fully understanding the problem], given its product, user and revenue stream. Big tech is not your friend. own dual meaning. It can refer to a recording device. . . . Or it can mean a system whose workings are mysteri- an all-knowing power ous. . . . We face these two meanings Unfortunately, the status quo daily: tracked ever more closely by seems unlikely to change due to the firms and government, we have no sheer influence these institutions clear idea of just how far much of have over both individuals and this information can travel, how it governments. As Benedetta Brevini, is used, or its associate professor consequences.” at the University Pasquale of Sydney and continues by author of Amazon, explaining Understanding why this is a Global important: “It Communication we do not understand matters because Giant puts it, authority is these companies how they function and increasingly are like feudal they do not care about expressed lords from the algorithmically. dark ages. “I us as individuals . . . Such autolike to refer to platforms as mated processes have long guided our planes. . . . But ‘Digital Lords’,” Brevini says. “They lock their users in, by attracting them where do we call a halt? Does the into their digital estate. The more recommendation engine take into attractive the content is, the more account, say, whether the restaurant consumer engagement they have, or car company gives its workers and in this way, they can extract health benefits or maternity leave. more and more data from their users. . . The values and prerogatives that They then use this data to target the the encoded rules enact are hidden same users with more sophisticated within black boxes.” advertising.” Pasquale acknowledges that there Perhaps in the future, these are numerous benefits that “Big companies will have elevated themTech” provides to us in our everyday lives. But all this information seems selves from mere “Digital lords” into

ALEXSECRET—GETTY IMAGES

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“Digital demi-gods”, who know our every move and control or restrict our every action. It's interesting to contrast these “lords”, who wield and exert a vast amount of influence on us, with God. Many people perceive God in similar terms to these corporations: an all-knowing, ever-watching and controlling force. There is some biblical basis for this concept. In one of his songs about God, King David, leader of the nation of Israel, states: “Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them” (Psalm 139: 1,2, NCV*). Does this mean that God knows our thoughts before we do? Similarly, like a black box, we cannot ever fully understand God or His power, while on earth. In the Bible, a man named Job experiences great suffering and questions God as to why He let it happen. In response, God highlights the extent of His powers and questions Job in response—asking whether Job understands the complexity of the universe that God has created. Like a black box, God’s workings are mysterious. If this is your concept of God, you may be asking, “Should we be concerned about God?” While some of the aspects of God may bear a passing resemblance to parts of big tech, when placed in the fuller context of His character they paint a different picture. When looking at God’s all10

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RECEP-BG—GETTY IMAGES

knowing power, we can see that this is built on a foundation of love. Speaking once again to His chosen people in a time of crisis, God used this knowledge to reassure them: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). As the Bible continues, these plans do indeed come to fruition. But God does not force His plans or desires on us. While He emphasises His love, He does not force a relationship with those who do not want it. In Revelation 3:20, God likens His desire for a relationship to a visitor calling on you at home. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” God is not a controlling God. He provides for us but will not deprive us of one of the earliest gifts He gave us—the freedom of choice. Similarly, God’s Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20 may seem intimidating, but are actually straightforward applications of one of the most fundamental human concepts. When questioned on this topic Jesus summed up the law of God in a couple of simple maxims: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself ’” (Luke 10:27). Everything God wants us to do feeds back into

these two simple guidelines. Finally, God’s infinite power is contrasted with His desire to personally know us. God created the universe and all in it, but in the form of His Son Jesus He was also a Friend to the sick, the outcast and the non-believer. As one of the most famous Bible verses of all time states, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). No matter who you are, God loves you and is eager to connect with you—the Creator of all still has time for a personal relationship. The picture of God painted by these verses differs from the one you may have encountered previously. In contrast to the big tech companies which only seek to harvest you for their own gain, God has your best interests at heart, and wants to know you personally. Big tech may not be your friend. But God can be. If you want to know more about how you can connect to Him in prayer, or have any questions about God, why not throw us a line at <signsofthetimes.org.au/help>. Ryan Stanton is an editorial assistant for Signs of the Times magazine. A media and communications graduate, He is currently starting a PhD examining the intersection between podcasts and gaming content creation. *Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

ELL B EING

I used to eat meat daily. Persistent health issues, however, forced me to re-evaluate my diet. BY JULIANA MUNIZ

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

IMAGE SUPPLIED BY JULIANA MUNIZ

MY PLANT-BASED JOURNEY

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’ve never wanted to be a vegetarian—to the point of rolling my eyes at the thought of becoming one. My husband tried to suggest a change of diet a few years ago, but my answer would always be a resounding “no”, followed by the question, “Why would I deprive myself of eating something I like?” Growing up in Brazil, particularly in the south, where churrasco— marinated meats grilled over an open fire using long skewers—are consumed in every household

for Sunday lunch, I couldn’t imagine a flavourful dish without meat. It was a big part of my culture and, subsequently, who I was. You see, churrasco is not a technique that you learn in culinary school. It’s passed down in family generations. Traditionally, the men 14

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in the house are in charge of grilling meat, and the women prepare side dishes like rice, boiled cassava, vinaigrette and farofa—toasted and seasoned cassava flour. When all the food is ready and the table is set, everybody in the house gathers for lunch accompanied by very loud conversations and lots of sugar-loaded soft drinks. On weekdays, no-one has time to make churrasco, but meat and dairy still take a leading position in Brazilian dishes. A common weekday menu would start with a cup of milk and chocolate powder and a baguette-style sandwich filled with cheese and a choice of deli meat. For lunch—the main meal of the day—white rice, pinto or black beans, salad, hot chips and a choice of meat—chicken breast, beef steak or (only rarely) fish. This finishes at dinner with a burger, a pizza or another toastie with cheese and deli meat. Apart from the rice, beans and the occasional salad, my diet for around 25 years consisted of refined carbs and sugar, saturated fats, animal products and processed foods. Was I overweight? Never. I’ve always had a relatively stable weight. Given I was regularly eating three full meals a day and always looked thin, I thought I was doing great! My friends were always telling me how unfair it was that I could eat everything and stay slim. Of course, not everything was perfect. I would visit the

IMAGE SUPPLIED BY JULIANA MUNIZ

doctor—around once a week—with complaints such as migraine, lower back pain, sore throat, hay fever or a blocked sinus, menstrual cramps or even a mysterious itch on my skin that didn’t leave any marks. All symptoms that over-the-counter medication can easily solve. The diagnosis would always be “stress”. Every visit to the doctor meant a new purchase from the chemist, many times including antibiotics—probably one of the main reasons why I had such a bad relationship with my gut. Before moving to Australia in 2019, my husband and I decided to do a complete health check-up while we still had health insurance with full coverage. We spent the whole day in the hospital doing all sorts of exams, and at the end of the day we sat down with the doctor to evaluate our results. She didn’t tell us anything surprising: we had high cholesterol and triglycerides and some other results that were less than satisfactory, but fortunately no major disease diagnosis. I remember not taking the results too

seriously until the doctor pointed out that by moving to a new country, our access to health care would not be the same. I wouldn’t have health insurance with full coverage anymore, so my regular visits to the doctor would become quite expensive. After arriving in Australia, we made many friends in our church who followed vegetarian or vegan diets as described in the Bible. They never forced us to change our diet or judged us for our food choices. Being surrounded by so many people who also loved food and had

already decided to eliminate animal products from their diet, mainly for health reasons, started to exhibit a growing influence on me. For the first time, I was having more plants than meat in my meals. It tasted so good! But strangely, I wouldn’t feel great after every meal. Often I’d feel bloated, which left me confused. “If it’s healthy, it’s supposed to make me feel good, right?” I thought. Little did I know, my historically poor diet and overreliance on antibiotics meant my gut microbiome was no longer populated

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with the right bacteria to break down some foods. After a few months of becoming accustomed to the delicious possibilities of a plant-based diet and hearing some presentations about the significant impact of food on our overall health, I decided I needed to get serious about my diet. I enrolled in a Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) intended for people interested in preventing and even reversing chronic diseases through lifestyle change. Before starting the program, I did a blood test and had all my measurements and Body Mass Index (BMI) taken. Even though I hadn’t cooked meat at home for months, I still had high cholesterol. I felt hopeless, but decided to carry on with the program because even though I feared I’d have bad results in my final blood test, I was feeling great. For the first time, I was experiencing life without pain. No headaches, no bloating and so much energy! Even my mysterious skin allergy disappeared. My husband was doing the program with me and stopped snoring; subsequently I was also sleeping better. I not only learnt the incredible impact of diet on health through the lectures I was watching, but I saw and felt the effects on my body. I began to understand how essential fibre is and how its benefits go beyond regular bowel movements.

those inflammatory foods, and my Seventy per cent of our immune body healed itself. cells are located in the gut. To have You probably know someone who a healthy gut and subsequently a has a terrible diet and says, “If I die, healthy body, we need to feed our at least I’ll die happy.” I used to laugh gut microbes the best fuel: fibre. Yet, and nod, almost agreeing with that fibre is only found in foods of plant statement. But today, I realise that origin. eating all those unhealthy things Having fibre-rich meals helps to wasn’t allowing me to live a full or protect us from overeating. It also happy life. prevents a range of chronic diseases. Many people think churrasco, Research has even shown some types fried chicken, hot chips and sugary of soluble fibre to be effective in lowering cholesterol levels1—which it drinks bring happiness to life. They don’t. They did for me. slowly kill us I had my while making us second and miserable with final blood test, low energy, bad receiving my digestion, miresults a few days later: all graines, respiraWe made many friends my levels were tory allergies and normalised. so many other in our church who I didn’t have symptoms that in followed vegetarian or high cholesterol the long term can anymore! It was escalate to cancer, vegan diets all thanks to diabetes and heart my whole-foods issues. plant-based After the diet; a diet packed with fibre and program, I decided I never wanted to completely free of inflammatory feel miserable again. Since then, I’ve foods such as animal products, been sticking to my plant-based diet, refined sugars and saturated fats. and I certainly don’t miss visiting the It was then I understood that my doctor. high cholesterol and all the sympBrown, L, et al (1999), “Cholesterol-lowering toms I used to complain about to the effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis,” American doctor were not only caused by meat, Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 69 No 1, pages 30-42. dairy and eggs, but all the sugar, fried Juliana Muniz is assistant editor for Adventist Record magazine. She also runs a Portuguese and processed foods that I loved so Instagram page with plant-based recipes, Que Comida much. é essa? To find out more about the Complete Health Improvement Program, visit <chiphealth.com.au>. By switching to a whole-foods, plant-based diet, I eliminated all

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IMAGE SUPPLIED BY JULIANA MUNIZ

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

FA IT H

OUT OF THE TOMB We all fear death, but the Bible assures us that death is not the end.

TANYASID—GETTY IMAGES

BY JUSTIN BONE

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was so excited to finally see the pyramids! When you arrive in Cairo, the bustling city saturates your senses. There are so many sights and sounds demanding your attention that it can be hard to know where to look. On the tour bus heading to Giza, as you wind through Cairo, you start to glimpse something large out of the corner of your eye between city buildings or you see an angular shadow against the setting sun. And then you realise: you are looking at a pyramid! They’re everything you’d thought they would look like and standing next to one of them is awesome. I discovered that they also offer the opportunity to go inside for a small fee. Before long, I was crouched down in the tiny stone corridor, making my way into the dark. After a short and decidedly awkward journey, I emerged into a room at the very centre of the pyramid. It was rectangular and bare, with a tour guide standing next to a fan in the corner. This was the heart of the pyramid, where the sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian king rested after his death. Above me, it seemed as though I could feel the weight of millions of tons of rocks bearing down on this small, hot room.

the big question

When someone died in ancient Egypt, especially an important someone, the Egyptians had a

complicated burial ritual that involved mummification, magic spells and burying their dead with the favourite things from this life that they might need in the next life. The Egyptians believed that a dangerous journey through the underworld was ahead of them after they died and if they survived it, their heart would be weighed against a feather to judge their worthiness for a place in paradise. This was the ancient Egyptians’ answer to a question that every human being has been confronted with: What happens when I die? Across the world, every people group has had to wrestle with that question. Buddhists believe that life begins again after death—a concept called reincarnation. The dead are reborn into a new life. Traditional Maori beliefs teach that the spirit of the deceased is always a part of the marae (traditional meeting place) and the recently deceased are brought there as a part of their burial ceremony. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a variety of beliefs. Some believe that the dead are in an eternal dreaming where they are reborn. Some even believe that the spirits of the deceased became a part of the land.

looking for answers

Understanding of what happens in the afterlife is widely AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

varied across the world and ranges from a highly spiritual understanding of death to a shoulder shrug. “I dunno,” my father would say to me. “After all, death can’t be that bad. No-one has ever come back from death to complain!” Whichever camp you’re in, there’s no doubt that you’ve pondered the question of an afterlife. It’s one of the big questions of life, as confronting as any giant pyramid. No matter that you might try not to think about

there’s nothing after death, that answer doesn’t satisfy me. I feel the need for a better answer. There’s something inside us humans that rejects that sudden ending and looks for a deeper meaning for both our life and our death. I think I feel that way because God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). That’s why I instinctively sense that there should be more to life than a sudden ending. The world has somehow taken a wrong turn.

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He told His disciples that He was going

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to wake him up the question; like the pyramids, it is unavoidable and full of mystery. I think all of those cultures and peoples looking for an answer had the same thought that many of us have. Death doesn’t make sense. The sudden ceasing of life doesn’t fit into our understanding of the world. How can someone we love and have known suddenly cease to be? Where have they gone? Where is their personality, their being, their essence? While some people suggest that

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Instead of life, we have death because “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12).

Lazarus

The Bible has elements in common with some of those varied beliefs. There are themes of judgement. Some people have chosen God, while others turn away. Instead of the offer of free life, they chose death.

But what we call death, the Bible consistently describes as a sleep (Daniel 12:2; John 11:11–14). In a sense, when we sleep, we’re “dead”, unconscious. We “know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). The Bible says that our next moment of conscious awareness after death will take place when we hear a voice calling us up from the grave to live again. The Bible tells a famous story about Jesus explaining these concepts to His disciples after a friend of His had died. Ancient Hebrew funerary practices demanded that the body be wrapped in cloth and put in a tomb, and the customary belief was that the spirit would dwell around the body for three days before departing, and death was final. When Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was sick, He told His disciples that He was going to wake him up. The disciples said that He should let Lazarus sleep if he was sick, but Jesus “told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’ ” (John 11:14), and when He and His disciples went to the home of Lazarus, they found out he had died four days earlier. But then Jesus called out to His friend, “Lazarus, come out!” and sure enough, Lazarus emerged from the tomb. When freed from his funerary clothes, his first sight was his Friend Jesus. I’d love to have some of those I’ve lost come back again, but the Bible talks about first solving the problem that cost them their lives to begin with. And that was why Jesus died on the cross. Multiple reliable witnesses re-

ported that the tomb He was laid in couldn’t hold Him, that death was no barrier for Him. And we can expect that “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). The tomb is not forever after all. We’re told about a time when God will correct the wrong turn our world has taken and bring a complete end to death. It says, “Death and Hades [the grave] were [or “will be”] thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14). Imagine living in a place where no-one dies.

come out!

While standing in that pyramid in Egypt where an Egyptian king had been placed millenniums earlier, I had a revelation. I didn’t want to be underneath all those tons of rocks and my body felt that very keenly. I ran back to the tunnel and made my way outside as swiftly as I could. Finally, I emerged into the light, gasping for air. For a moment, it was like I was in the tomb and there was no life to be found there. But I trust that one day, when I am fast asleep, I will hear a voice saying “Come out!” and it will be Jesus calling me out of death and once more into the light and the fresh air of new life. Justin Bone supports and trains pastors and congregations around Victoria for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is passionate about helping people understand the Bible better.

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ELL B EING

BETTER HEALTH for every body WITH

DR SIMONE KOOKE

EXERCISE HELPS BEAT CANCER

Exercise is well recognised to be beneficial to health, but new research has suggested that regular exercise could reduce the chance of breast cancer recurring by 40 per cent, with similar reductions in women’s chances of dying from the illness. Both cardiovascular and strength training were seen to be beneficial, and with the mental health benefits of exercise in what is arguably one of the most stressful times of your life thrown in, it’s just what the doctor ordered.—Journal of the National Cancer Institute

EFFECT OF LOCKDOWN ON IBS

Anyone who has experienced the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome while know how debilitating they can be. Argentinian researchers have found that—rather than getting worse during their country’s Covid lockdowns—IBS sufferers reduced the number of symptoms and their severity, compared to prelockdown levels. Being able to avoid food triggers, and minimising the exposure to outside stresses were suggested as contributors.—Piskorz et al. 22

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ANTHONY TRAN, JOHN CAMERON, JONATHAN BORBA, WHITNEY WRIGHT, YULISSA TAGLE, ERIK MCLEAN—UNSPLASH

LOCKDOWN BABY BOOM

The Covid-19 lockdowns of March–April 2020 have had an unexpected happy outcome. Researchers from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney have suggested an additional 11,000 babies joined the world in the first quarter of 2021—a 25 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2019.—MJA

SUGARY DRINKS LINKED TO EARLY BOWEL CANCER

Before you pick up that sports drink, pause. Researchers from the USA have found that drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas) a day can double your risk of early bowel cancer (before age 50), compared to having one per week. The risk was compounded if consumption started in adolescence. When it comes to drinks, nothing beat H2O.—Gut (pre-pub)

MINDFULNESS REDUCES BURNOUT Few would argue that medicine as a vocation can be stressful. UK researchers have found that when providing doctors with specific mindfulness training, scores for stress, emotional exhaustion and disengagement fell by around 20 per cent, while resilience and wellbeing ratings improved by the same amount. While this is great news for doctors and their patients, other similarly high stress careers could benefit from a similar approach to wellbeing.—BMC Medical Education

REASON FOR LINK BETWEEN RED MEAT AND CANCER

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School have been able to identify the specific chemical process that leads to the cancer-causing mutations. A higher intake of both processed and unprocessed red meat was linked to more aggressive cancers, with a higher risk of death. Fish and poultry did not trigger the same chemical process.—American Association for Cancer Research

Dr Simone Kooke is a Sydney general practitioner and mum of two who loves to help her patients and family make simple, practical lifestyle improvements that will increase their longevity and quality of life. AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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FORCES REAL?

Explaining supernatural phenomena is a puzzling prospect. If ghosts and spirits are real though, then what does it say about the existence of God? BY JARROD STACKELROTH SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

tion and want an Puzzled by a "big picture" ques Times magazine the of s answer? In 2021, Sign on life’s most will be sharing fresh perspectives authors each new with s, terie mys us entio cont to present a ence evid ctive obje month examining case for Christianity.

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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recent McCrindle survey for the Centre for Public Christianity showed that more than half of Australians believe in or are open to the possibility of the existence of a soul (69 per cent), while almost half (48 per cent) claim to believe in ghosts. Ideas about death, souls and afterlife existence are often intertwined with religious or spiritual beliefs. In other words, belief in the supernatural. But are spiritual forces present or observable in this world? Do they exist? Can they be observed, defined, categorised? The short answer is that because supernatural means “outside the natural”, it is impossible to scientifically test using natural laws. Anything that conforms to natural laws is no longer supernatural. For that reason, the question “are spiritual forces real?” cannot be proven or disproven

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

definitively one way or the other. However, just because it cannot be proved beyond doubt doesn’t mean we can’t examine the evidence and attempt to explain the reasons these beliefs persist.

what do the experts say?

Throughout history, cultures have independently developed a form of belief in forces that cannot be seen. A vast majority of people who have existed on this blue and green globe for all of recorded history have had some form of belief in the spirit world—that there is more to existence than what can be touched, seen, smelt or tasted. There are many theories in the realm of cognitive psychology (how the brain works and why) that try to describe why these widespread beliefs exist and where they came from. While cognitive psychologists often reject the existence of supernatural

forces, they look for evolutionary explanations for why people might believe in forces outside of the natural world. “Just what is it about the human mind that leads so many members of our species, across cultures and geographic distances, to hold such an unshakable, sober and highly personal belief in an invisible, all-powerful being whom Westerners call God?” asks Jesse Bering in an American Scientist article. The Theory of Mind is the idea that humans have the ability to reason that other beings/entities have independent minds. If this is the case, humans have a propensity to assign feeling and meaning on other minds, including to dead or non-human forces: “because no-one knows what it's like to be dead, people attribute to dead agents the mental traits that they cannot imagine being without. The results also provide evidence that belief in supernatural agents pirates the brain's mental inference systems that are designed to reason about everyday intentional (living) agents.”

finding patterns

One explanation outlined in science magazine Discover is that the human mind attempts to find patterns in things that are unrelated. If you’ve lost someone dear to you, you want to continue that connection and read their presence into good and bad things that happen to you after that event.

So for many of these cognitive psychologists, belief in the supernatural is just a chance reaction in the human brain. “God might be an accidental by-product of human cognitive evolution, a functionless leftover of the capacity to reason about other human minds in the everyday social world,” explains Bering. But it’s not the only explanation that psychologists put forward. Bering continues: “There's a third option, which I favour: that religious belief is an exaptation—a spandrel that turned out to be useful and so was subsequently selected for by evolutionary pressures.” In Bering’s worldview therefore, belief in the supernatural is an evolutionary leftover that human beings have retained because of its usefulness. The theory goes like this: belief in the supernatural developed as some kind of external accountability or morality software in the human brain. Experiments have replicated the results of this kind of belief.

morality

Bering set out to test the theory. A group of students were set a competitive computer skills task. They were told that there was a glitch in the system, which meant that correct answers would sometimes appear on screen. They were supposed to immediately hit the spacebar to clear the answer. The researchers were really testing how long it would take them to clear the answer or whether AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

they would hesitate, being tempted to cheat or see the answer before clearing it. The control group was just asked to sit the test, while the second group was told that the test was being held in memory of a graduate student who had passed away during the study. The final group were told that the student had passed away in that room and that there had been some strange occurrences there—a ghost story. In testing the group’s reactions, the group who was told about the ghost of a former student on average pressed the space bar quickest. Their senses were heightened and they were less tempted to cheat, as “something” may be watching over them. The control group hesitated for the longest. “My view is that afterlife beliefs are the default state, and it is in fact counterintuitive for people to deny them,” said Bering, who continues to study the topic. “If one could answer what have traditionally been solely philosophical questions using testable means and place the results in a plausible theoretical context, areas that have historically been out of bounds for scientists could be rightfully claimed by psychological science.”

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not a full answer

Here then is some acknowledgement that science can’t fully answer these questions. Well-known psychologist and influential author Jordan Peterson is comfortable

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

leaving the fact that religious belief is so widespread unexplained. “What’s going on? How did [religious belief motivate culture and lead thought for 2000 years]? It’s by no means obvious,” said Peterson, during the first of a series of lectures on the biblical book of Genesis, where he explores early Hebrew concepts of God and how they tie in with psychological theory. “One of the things that bothers me about casual critics of religion is that they don’t take the phenomena seriously and it’s a serious phenomenon. Not least because people have the capacity for religious experience and no-one knows why that is, I mean you can induce it reliably in all sorts of different ways. You can do it with brain stimulation, certainly do it with drugs . . . to produce some sort of intimate union with the divine. We don’t understand any of that.” He’s asking where this tendency to supernatural belief comes from and, as an evolutionary psychologist, he’s not ready to dismiss the phenomenon out of hand. He highlights a problem in trying to quantify where supernatural ideas come from. One problem researchers run into in all fields of science is that the same evidence can be interpreted very differently by different groups of people. Widespread belief in the supernatural could point to a historical development of morality, or it could point to the fact that such forces do indeed exist but are outside of natural law

and cannot be tested. And morality that has developed could point to evolutionary advantages or to an objective moral truth.

searching for the supernatural

I have friends who I respect and trust, and who have told me about unexplainable “supernatural” encounters. Demonic manifestations, changed voices, unnatural physical strength, oppressive sensations, sleep paralysis. There is no reason to make these stories up. Maybe you’ve seen or experienced some of these things. Maybe you’ve heard stories or accounts from others you trust that can't be explained. While others would discount these happenings as impossible, a coincidence or even misunderstanding or delusion, my worldview leaves room for belief in the supernatural: things that are outside of the observable, natural world. As author CS Lewis said while he

grappled with concepts of the supernatural in his book Miracles, “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator.” In other words, humans initially sought to understand science because they believe there will be design patterns within the system created by something outside of the system. You may be reading this without sharing my worldview. But I invite you to consider a few things. If spiritual forces are indeed real, can they communicate with us or have an impact in the natural world? If we believe in the supernatural then it follows that we should try to figure out an explanation for it.

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

One possible explanation that may guide our understanding comes from religion. As mentioned, many religions acknowledge the existence of spiritual (supernatural) beings who influence the natural realm. While the origins and motivations of these beings can vary between religions, many argue that they are not neutral forces or laws but have a vested interest in what humanity does, and where our focus lies. In fact, they fight for supremacy and

“

Jesus is a person who connects the supernatural realm with the natural to be honoured and worshipped by humanity. The Bible reveals a worldview that explains the presence of spiritual forces, the possibility of resurrection/ life after death and the hope that this natural observable world is not all there is to look forward to. It states that God is the Creator of all things, in the heavens and the earth. This places Him above all other spiritual beings, including those attempting to influence the world by masquerading 30

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as ghosts and spirits to deceive people for their own evil purposes. The McCrindle study acknowledges that almost a quarter of people believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. More than a quarter admit that they just don’t know. Christians believe that Jesus is a person who connects the supernatural realm with the natural and walked as a human to reunite Creation with its Creator. As Jamaican theologian J Richard Middleton says when people wrestle with supernatural ideas, “I would say go to the real source, look for God.” You may agree with the evolutionary psychologists who say spiritual forces just demonstrate a development in thinking that helped humans find an advantage or to explain the unexplainable. But Bering and Peterson also agree that it is not a phenomenon to be dismissed altogether and that it is worth finding out. If you’ve seen or experienced something that has left you convinced that there is more out there than you understand, consider getting to know the God of the Bible, the Ultimate, transcendent Spiritual Being. After all He promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him (Matthew 7:7). Jarrod Stackelroth is editor of Signs of the Times magazine. He lives in Sydney with his wife and daughter.

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I USED TO BE A

Clairvoyant HERE’S WHY I STOPPED.

I was told angels were speaking through me. I thought I was helping others. But the truth was so much darker. BY CATHY HOOKHAM AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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hen I was little, I was a pretty good kid. Mum says I was one of those no-trouble children who did what I was told. At 14 years and nine months, I was raped. That’s when everything changed. I started drugs—crack and cocaine—by the time I was 15. With the help of Mum and Dad I got off them, but turned to alcohol and marijuana instead. I’d always felt different. I had unusual dreams, including one recurring dream about my grandfather being thrown from one side of the road to the other, running, yelling and screaming. He had a shotgun and my mum and aunty were running up the road after him. You could see something was throwing him violently. You could see the marks, the scratches on his back, but you couldn’t see what was inflicting the damage. Having morning tea with my sisters and mum one day—I was about 22—I brought my dream up. “Where did you hear this?” Mum asked. “What you’re describing is real. It happened—I was there. Tell me again—all the details you can remember.” When I finished, she said, “I don’t know how you know this. You weren’t even born yet.” For the first time I started to realise what was different about me. A couple of years later, I’d been considering moving from Sydney to Melbourne or Perth, but I hadn’t decided yet. Mum left me a phone message. “Rose is here,” she said.

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Now Rose was a clairvoyant who I’d met once years before. She’d had me in tears after telling me some truths about an ex who I’d been on and off with. Mum said, “She’d like you to come—she wants to see you.” I was doubtful, but I went. “So, have you decided if you are going to Perth or Melbourne?” Rose asked me. “You haven’t told your mum yet, have you?” I hadn’t mentioned anything to anyone. I hadn’t even told my son. I was shocked. “I think Melbourne’s probably best; what do you think?” she asked me. “Yes, I was leaning towards Melbourne. It’s not so far as Perth.” “Have you finished the drugs and the drinking yet?” Part of the reason I wanted to move was to change my lifestyle—I was at a crossroads. I wanted things to change. So I said, “Yeah, I think I am.” “Good,” she said. “Because they have been waiting a long time for you. The angels have been waiting for you to do the job you’re supposed to be doing. Are you ready?” It was then that I decided I’d

become a clairvoyant. I’d used drugs and alcohol to stop the things I was seeing—running away from the fact I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t think it was normal; it wasn’t anything I’d had in my environment before. So when she asked, “Are you ready?” I just felt this overwhelming sense of Yes, I am ready to do this. I thought it was angels—God’s angels. It never occurred to me that they were actually the devil’s angels— demons. In Melbourne, I set up a 1900 line that people would ring for clairvoyant readings over the phone. I was very good at it. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just giving my own opinion, so I would tell them to write their question down on a piece of paper and fold it. Then, without telling me what the question was, I would shuffle the cards. I would have oracle cards,

a couple of different sets of tarot cards and angel cards as well. I would select one from each deck—and I would read them and tell the caller what the question was and what the answer was. I needed to know I wasn’t making it up—that what was being pushed into my mind wasn’t from me. People believed me. There was a sense of trust that came with what I did, and I was able to support my family. I felt like I was helping people; it never occurred to me that “these powers” came from anything other than good angels. It took me four or five hours to recover from each session, so in a day I wouldn’t do any more than three. I did this very successfully for about two years. I felt so gifted with this blessing. I then decided to study angelology. I wanted to learn new things; I AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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wanted to teach other people to talk to angels. I felt it was a gift everybody should have. After about a year of study I was going over some content to prepare for my final exam and Mum kept distracting me. At one point she asked, “So, what do you think of the three angels’ message?” I looked over. “What do you mean?” “Haven’t you done that?” She sounded surprised. “No, I haven’t heard of it.” “I’ve seen you studying angels in history, in the Torah, in the Kabbalah, and you’re telling me you don’t know anything about the three angels’ message?” “No, I don’t. Where is it?” “It’s in the Bible,” she said. “What? Why would they leave that out?” “I don’t know. You’re the one who’s supposed to be being qualified to teach people about angels. Why do you think they’ve left it out?” The question played on my mind a lot. I passed the exams, became qualified, but it nagged at me. I was thinking, Why would they not want us to know? I felt drawn to read Revelation, the last book of the Bible, where the vision of the three angels’ messages is recorded. My grandmother had given me a Bible—I’d had it for years, but never read it. I started reading Revelation and wow, was it an eye-opener! I could relate to it—I’d seen some of these things. I knew what the visions

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of demons looked like, from different things I’d seen in my mind. So to me it was exciting. Mum had been going to church and she told me she was planning to invite a whole lot of people home for lunch to make up for all of the lunches she’d been invited to. “What? Your churchy friends?” “Yes,” she said. “You’ll sit there, I’ll sit here . . .” She was pointing out

around the table. “Hang on,” I said. “I’m not sitting at the table with your churchy friends.” “We need an even amount around the table so, yes, you will.” At one of these lunches I met Pastor David McKibben. He was so cool. Easy to talk to—I felt I could ask him things. He’d come over to

visit Mum and although he knew what I did, he never judged me, he’d just listen. Then one day, I told him, “I think I want to do Bible studies.” So we started Bible studies. I remember what he said when I told him I’d read Revelation: “It’s not the book everybody goes to first when they read the Bible. It’s one of those books most people steer clear from.” There were so many other things I

“

I thought it was angels . . . It never occurred to me that they were actually the devil's angels

wanted to know. I was absorbed with God. I wanted to know more. I discovered the life I’d been living was a lie. I was totally deceived, yet it had felt so right. I thought I was doing things to help people. But then, reading the Bible, I had this epiphany. When I got to the part of the Bible where sorcery and fortune-telling and trying to com-

municate with the dead is called an “abomination”, I thought to myself, Oh my goodness, this is what I’ve been doing! It was like a rock falling on my head. It was time to get rid of everything. I had rare cards that were worth lots of money. But I realised I was done. What I’d been doing was influenced by the devil and it was time to cleanse my life, our house. I packed it all up. I took all of my certificates out of their frames. I was a reiki master (a form of Japanese energy healing), I was all sorts of things by this stage. I told Mum I needed to burn them. “Why don’t you just throw them into the bin?” she asked. “No way. God has spent enough time competing with these things to get His daughter back. I’m not making Him compete and I’m not having anyone else find them. No-one else will use them again.” We took the lot and burnt it. There was probably $A10,000 worth of stuff and we needed the money. But I knew then that God would never compete with Satan in my life again. God gave us back the money in about nine days. Ten thousand dollars entered my account—a clerical error had been made in taxes. I knew I’d done the right thing—I knew God had done it on purpose. I was baptised on January 19, 2019. My birthday is on the 19th of AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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another month, so I felt like I was being given a new birthdate—my life was starting over. I felt the devil saying, “I’m not pleased with what you’re doing. Don’t think I’m prepared to let you go.” My son started seeing “grey men” in the corner of the room and a “grey boy”—a little boy who would stand with him. They would keep calling his name—they wouldn’t stop. Then there was screaming. I couldn’t hear anything, but my son could. He would end up so distressed. I told Pastor McKibben and we started praying terribly hard. I went into my room and I yelled at the devil, “You won’t have my child and you don’t own me anymore.” We prayed a lot. The next night there was no more screaming. He slept like a little boy should, nice and peacefully.

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For anyone who’s interested in clairvoyance or anything like that, all I can say is, don’t go there. It’s deceptive. It looks like fun, but the price is too high. And it’s not just you who you bring into it, it’s your family. I do my own Bible studies now with the girls I got baptised with. I help my church’s livestreaming and Facebook page; I teach Sabbath School for the kids, which I love. The devil hasn’t gone away—he still torments. But it doesn’t affect me like it used to. I don’t get the anxiety, I don’t drink, smoke, do drugs—I don’t need any of it anymore because I have prayer. And I have God. This article is taken from Cathy Hookham’s story in her own words, presented in a video during the online Sydney Adventist Women’s Breathe conference. You can watch the full interview in "Breathe Conference Online 2020—"More than Conquerors"—Session 1 on the Sydney Adventist Youtube channel.

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FA IT H

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DAD’S

RETURN SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

We’ve all felt excitement waiting for that special return: the anticipation, the gifts, the hugs. But there is one return we should expect that will be greater than all the others. BY ADELINA ALEXE AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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lived under a communist regime in Romania until I was eight. The borders were closed for most people, so we did not get to visit other countries until after the Revolution of 1989. Yet despite strict travel rules, my father was able to get a visa for work in Germany. He’d drive there every few months and spend half a year working with his uncle. I don’t recall much about how I felt during his absence. At that age, six months was a very long time that was hard to measure. However, one thing that will forever be etched in my memory, is his return. The real countdown began when he was a month away from driving back. I recall how eagerly I was waiting to hear those two words on the phone: “I left.” After crossing the border into Romania, I counted the hours and could hardly sleep at night. As he got closer to our hometown (I probably asked my mum dozens of times to figure out the timing), I would go into the balcony of our fourth-floor apartment and wait there, looking for his car to turn the corner onto our street, annoyed at the trees that partly blocked my view. If he happened to arrive at night, I was still on the balcony, looking for the headlights of our car and his driving pattern, which I was confident I could recognise. My eyes would trace car after car passing by, waiting for the one that would slow down in front of our apartment building and park there. I listened for the car door—I knew exactly how my

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

dad closed the door. This was the last unique place in my memory. But this confirmation it was him—I’d watch experience is highly valuable to me his silhouette slip into the building for another reason: it illustrates the and, once he disappeared inside, I’d moment when another Father makes run to the door and listen for his His appearance. footsteps approaching our floor. I A reunion between God and His could distinguish his footsteps from children—the crown of His creation, a million others. When he was just has been planned by God since about to turn the stairway onto the time unfathomable to us. You see, last level, I’d open the door and my God loves coming to us. According arms and shout: “You’ve arrived!” to the Bible, God initially came to I was absolutely delighted to see humankind in the garden of Eden him, to hug him. But there was to be with Adam and Eve after more! Every time my dad came back, creating them. And just like I knew his car was the footsteps of jam-packed with my father, they goodies—lolrecognised “the sound of the lies, toys, nice Lord God as clothes—things he was walking that were scarce I'd open the door and in the garden” in Romania at (Genesis 3:8). the time. If he my arms and shout Sadly, rebelcame at night, we had to wait lion and sin sepa"You've arrived!" until the next rated humankind day to unload from God and the car. Needless disrupted this to say, my sleep was greatly comproface-to-face communication. But mised on those occasions. Unloading God’s plan unfolded in the course of the car was a ridiculously fun time as Earth’s history, bringing the Godman Jesus to our planet for a differwe discovered, one after another, all the attractive treats he had purchased, ent kind of face-to-face communion. packed and transported for us. My As Jesus restored the character of sister and I divided the lollies and God through His life and death, He the similar toys equally. But he also also restored the possibility of future brought us unique gifts, and it was comings of God. He even foretold awesome to see what he had purHis return when He left Earth: “Do not let your hearts be trouchased specifically for each of us. Those two brief sentences, “I left” bled. You believe in God; believe also and “You’ve arrived” and the tension in me. My Father’s house has many in between their utterance, hold a rooms; if that were not so, would I

“

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3). So, following Jesus’ life on Earth, which occurred some 2000 years ago, the Bible speaks of two more comings of God that are yet in the future:

are still waiting for. The event often known as the second coming, led by Jesus, will be a time of reunion and resurrection. The “dead in Christ” (those who died waiting and wanting to be reunited with Jesus) will be resurrected and taken to heaven along with the living, who are still waiting for Him (1 Peter 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Corinthians

“

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Evil will be fully and permanently eradicated from the universe

one to reunite all humans who want to be with the Father and experience a transformed and eternal life, and a final coming when God will destroy evil and establish the headquarters of His everlasting kingdom on our recreated planet so there won’t have to be any separation again. I’d love to dwell a little on these two returns of God the Father to humanity, for these are the two we

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

15). These are the people who chose to accept God’s gift of life and relationship through the ministry of Jesus. Christ’s holiness will destroy all evil, leaving Earth desolate for one thousand years (in the Bible called the “millennium”). During this time Satan will be bound to Earth in the sense of not being able to deceive anyone because Earth will be uninhabited (Revelation 20:1–3). Mean-

while the saved will be in heaven with God, examining the records of lives and understanding God’s justice and goodness demonstrated by His decisions through history. It will be a time when sadness has not yet passed completely into shadow, for love mourns the lost and evil is still present, though bound. As God the Father comes for the last time to our planet, “He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes” (Revelation 21:4). At this final coming, all those who refused God’s gift of rescue will receive their punishment: eternal death (Revelation 21:8, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 2:11, Daniel 12:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 20:9, 14,15), and Satan himself will be destroyed (Revelation 20:7–9). Thus, evil will be fully and permanently eradicated from the universe. Then, God will create “a new heaven and a new earth” with the New Jerusalem as capital (Revelation 21:1, 5, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13). This will be our new home forever (Revelation 21:1,2), and God will dwell among us there permanently: “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people,

and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 4:3,4). Although these events are given in few details, we have enough to build our anticipation about all the good that is to come. God is a personal God, and when He returns, I believe He will greet each one of us individually. We will feel like children whose father has returned after a long absence. And if the return of an earthly father, or mother, if you wish, can cause as much joy as I felt, I cannot even begin to imagine what it will be like to meet our God—the One who created us and died for us because He loved us so much that the richness of His existence was tapered by our loss. Some people think God is selfsufficient; He doesn’t need anyone but Himself. But it seems to me that maybe He chose to value us so much that our existence enriches His own existence, so much so that He desires to dwell with us for eternity. The question is: how will we go about our lives knowing that this soon-coming God is also our Father who is bringing the gift of an eternally happy life to us? Adelina Alexe is a systematic theology student at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA. She loves God and enjoys nature, arts and meaningful conversations.

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

ELL B EING

5 TIPS FOR BECOMING

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a creative power couple

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

Some of the world’s most successful creative projects have been kickstarted by romantic couples. Before you and your partner work together, however, there are a few things worth considering . . . BY DANIEL KUBEREK

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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ou meet someone who is in-sync with you. You have the same hobbies and interests, you find the same things funny and you love sharing ideas with them. As your relationship grows, it becomes clear that your connection shouldn’t be constricted to everyday activities. You realise that your partnership has the potential to make a creative impact in the world. You decide to do business together. Some of the world’s most successful projects and companies are led by families. In Australia, Visy is the country’s largest private company. The packaging and recycling business was founded by Richard Pratt and since his death in 2008, has been run by his son Anthony. In New Zealand, the Todd Corporation provides energy for the country while accumulating a value of $NZ4.3 billion; all whilst being fully owned and controlled by the Todd family based in Wellington. Indeed, some of the world’s most formidable partnerships are also born out of love. Emma Thomas has produced some of the biggest movie blockbusters in history, including the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Tenet. All these movies were directed by her husband Christopher Nolan. Similarly, John Lennon spent a large part of his post-Beatles life making music with his wife Yoko Ono. But for every heartwarming story of collaborating couples, there’s an equal amount of heartbreak—victim

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

to when a partnership moves out of being personal to being professional. Australian fitness influencer Kayla Itsines addressed this reality in late 2020 after starting and successfully running her Sweat business with her romantic partner Tobi Pearce. “After eight years together, Tobi and I have come to the difficult decision to separate as a couple,” she wrote on Instagram. “Our friendship remains strong as we parent [our daughter] Arna together and run Sweat as business partners.” Every couple is confronted with answering questions like where do we live, should we have kids and what colour carpet should we put in the living room? Working through these requires plenty of communication; as well as some compromise and disagreement along the way. Going into the creative space, however, brings a whole new set of challenges. I’ve heard it said quite a few times that working closely with a partner or close friend on a project is guaranteed to ruin that relationship. I’ve experienced it. Collaborating on a project where the result leaves both parties feeling burnt out and the relationship struggles to recover. My fiancé and I frequently collaborate on film projects. She’s the first one I go to when I have an idea, and I consistently seek her feedback and creative input. While we have managed to find a way

to work well together, walking away from a mutual project becomes much more complicated when the two of you are romantically or relationally involved. Here are a few humble suggestions for overcoming these challenges; whether choosing the carpet or starting a business that you hope will change the world.

what’s your role?

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola famously declared, “A film director is kind of one of the last truly dictatorial posts left in a world getting more and more democratic.” This highlights something that may become a source of tension in the future. When two people have ideas that oppose each other, whose idea should be enacted? To avoid this, it may be worthwhile discussing what each other’s role will look like going forward. Co-directors in a film or other project are often rare, so unless you already have a proven track record of working well together, it

may be more beneficial to establish who will be taking the lead. Many successful partnerships I’ve witnessed have one person as the creative head (has the final say on creative aspects) and the other as a logistical force (has the final say on what is needed to make it happen). Find roles and responsibilities that suit each person’s strengths and go from there.

respect each other’s input

When an idea is challenged or put under scrutiny, it can either kill the idea or transform it into something far greater. That’s why the previous point is not intended to be rigid. If the person handling logistics has a creative idea, their partner is better to listen and consider the idea rather than immediately dismissing it. I recall many times when my ideas were strengthened by constructive criticism from my fiancé. Likewise, on other projects where she was in charge of creating and expanding an idea, she benefitted from listening to what logistical tools we’d need to use and how that would inform her creative decisions. One biblical principle can be applied here: the concept of roles in a loving home. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” In the same way that Jesus died a death of humility, working together (especially when there are feelings involved) requires humility and respect for each other. In a creative partnership, if both people respect each other, it can AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

be a powerful force. The Bible itself says that “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

communicating openly

“They always have to have it their way.” How many times have we heard or said this about someone— whether it be in the primary school sandpit right through to running multi-million dollar enterprises? Leading a project is power, and power has a corrupting influence. People listen to you and then they take your idea and put it into practice. As a result, it’s easy to forget that others matter. It helps to use active listening skills when the other party approaches you looking to add to or modify the idea. Legendary FBI hostage negotiator Gary Noesner details some of these skills in the research paper “Crisis Intervention: Using Active Listening Skills in Negotiations”. When listening to someone, he suggests practising seven skills:

1. MINIMAL ENCOURAGEMENTS:

Affirming their comments using your own, like “OK” or “I see”.

2. PARAPHRASING: BLACKCAT—GETTY IMAGES

Summarise what the person is saying and repeat it back to them.

3. EMOTION LABELLING:

Observe and tell the other person how it seems like they’re feeling.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

4. MIRRORING:

Use the final words they’re saying and repeat it back as a rhetorical question.

5. ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS:

Show that you’re putting effort in to understand where they’re coming from.

6. USE “I” MESSAGES:

Don’t be afraid to refer to yourself in first-person to show you are human too.

7. EFFECTIVE PAUSES: Silence conveys consideration and can be used effectively. Of course, there are many times when considering everyone’s opinion threatens to derail the original vision. The lead still needs to hold strongly to their idea, but some active listening as well as clear explanation about why the new idea can’t be used, helps maintain a harmonious, creative relationship with the other person. It’s also best to be honest when communicating with someone. Be clear, direct and constructive. Giving excuses opens up hope and expectations for the future, where it may not be appropriate.

working separately

Sometimes it’s better to spend quality time alone fleshing out an idea out rather than forcing yourself into providing all of the details in front of your partner in an instant.

Meeting together is more effective if both parties use it to inspire the next steps of making the project happen. In my film work, I often have initial conversations that inspire many hours of fleshing out the ideas; whether through script-writing or making calls, creating promotional material and more. Throughout the process, we meet often and check back on how the project is proceeding according to our shared vision.

go forth and create!

While many couples struggle to work together, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try! For better or worse, you already know each other more intimately than any other person. While my advice comes from experience and mistakes, your project doesn’t have to go through the same challenges. The Ecclesiastes verse from earlier describes a cord of three strands. You might wonder who the third party is in a monogamous relationship. Why not try praying to God with your creative partner for His support of your relationship as you set about creating? God is ultimately creative; He created humans in His image. The Bible encourages us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Time to go create! Daniel Kuberek is assistant editor for Signs of the Times magazine. He recently produced an independent Christian film. He lives in Sydney, NSW.

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

IE N

CE/ TE

JET FUEL IN ONE HOUR Polyethylene could be turned into jet fuel and liquid hydrocarbon products, according to scientists. A study of a new method—with metal ruthenium as a catalyst with solvent hexane— was successfully able to break down 90 per cent of plastics into liquid fuel within one hour. —Academic Times

NUCLEAR SHIELD Recycled waste plastic has been used by researchers to create sustainable nuclear radiation shields. Polymers in the form of ground-up powder have been used to replace sand in existing concrete structures due to their ability to deflect gamma and neutron radiation.—Academic Times

THE INTERNET, A LEAKY BOAT? 52

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HOME RECYCLING Plastics might soon be compostable thanks to polymer-consuming enzymes. One such enzyme is polylactic acid, which ensures plastic molecule chains don’t break apart in the compost process, avoiding the creation of microplastics which have an adverse environmental impact.—Science News

HUOER-BY-JOSHUA0EARLE, ISSAC-IBBOTT, JOHANNES-DALENG, JOSE-LEBRON, JOSHUA-HOEHNE, THE-BLOWUP—UNSPLASH

PLASTIC: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

NOT-SO-SECRET NUKES Poorly secured flashcard apps were blamed for the leak of sensitive US military data about nuclear weapon stockpiles in Europe. The location of nuclear weapons, in some cases even the exact shelter location, was leaked alongside other military secret codes and passwords.—Gizmodo

MAN OR MACHINE? THOUGHT TO TEXT Future brain implants will allow thoughts to be communicated via brain-to-text technology. A new prototype trialled on a 65-year-old paralysed man’s brain allowed him to produce 15 words per minute of text onto a screen. Two electrodes are implanted on the surface of the subject’s brain, which allows the tracking of neural patterns. Researchers were able to correspond each pattern to a letter, and then translate this into text on screen.—Science News THERE’S SOMETHING ELECTRIC ABOUT YOU . . . Stanford University researchers are looking into turning everyday items such as smartphones and appliances into “thermoelectric devices”.This includes “reusing waste heat” from the human body. A University of Colorado team also explored a similar idea in March, creating a ring-like device that converted body heat into electricity. The technology is still in early phases of development.—The Debrief

THE RETURN OF A PIANIST Accomplished Brazilian pianist Joao Carlos Martins was unable to play piano after a 1995 mugging incident in Bulgaria. Through the use of new neoprene bionic gloves developed by Ubiratan Bizarro, Martins has been able to play his favourite Bach sonatas again more than 20 years after leading orchestras in the United States and Europe. Bizarro, says the gloves were inspired by Formula 1 and were made using a 3D printer.—Reuters

APPLE’S “HOME-OS” Before Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference meeting, eagle-eyed reporters noticed a job advertisement at the company included working with “homeOS”, a previously unmentioned operating system. The new system will integrate with Apple Music.—Forbes

COURT-SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS 345,000 documents from the Philippines Office of the Solicitor General have been made publicly available for viewing by hackers recently. Tech privacy firms have expressed concern about the leaking of suppressed names and its impact on ongoing legal cases. —Restoftheworld.org MARCH 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

LT U R E

A MAGAZINE FOR THE TIMES

IMAGE SUPPLIED

135 years on from its launch, Signs of the Times has gone through a multitude of societal and technological changes, and is more relevant than ever before. BY BRUCE MANNERS

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

ADVENTISTARCHIVES.ORG

1886. Some 8000 copies were he Signs magazine you’re now printed. reading is one of Australia and This magazine had 16 pages and New Zealand’s longest, on page 8 it suggested that “many continuous-running magazines. In honest queries will arise in reference January 1886, the first issue of Signs to its design, and the scope it will of the Times wore the title of Bible occupy in the religious field. To Echo and Signs of the Times. many the name of the journal, Bible Our story begins with a group of Echo and Signs of the Times, will be 11 Seventh-day Adventists from the sufficient enough.” United States landing in Sydney on For those who did not understand June 6, 1885. Within the group were what the magazine was about, the three preachers, a printer and a book promise was made that it would be salesman—plus wives and children. a “thorough They settled exponent of the in Melbourne— Bible”, adding in North that “we firmly Fitzroy—and believe the began their work Bible to be the of attempting to There's a health revealed will of find supporters emphasis—in lifestyle, God concerning for their faith. His people on One newspaper diet and relationships— earth”. at the time (June in every issue Further, “It 28, 1885) noted, will also be a “The members chronicler of [of the group] events which observe Saturday mark the times as the Sabbath pointed out in the prophecies. These, and do not take alcohol or tobacco, it cannot be denied, are an important as they are not deemed good for the part of the Bible, for without them health.” Regular Signs readers will recognise its inspiration would be a matter of doubt.” The article spoke specifically that there’s a health emphasis—in about the prophecies concerning lifestyle, diet and relationships—in Jesus but added that a “portion of the every issue and that the Saturday prophetic word has its fulfilment in Sabbath also gains an occasional the present generation”. mention. The first Signs was typeset in the bedroom of one of the workers and the early years then carried to a nearby printer to Fortunately for the un-named prepare it for launch in January worker, his bedroom wasn’t needed

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“

to set type for the second issue. The back page announced that “friends of the Bible Echo will be gratified to learn that this issue of the paper is printed at our own place of business”. There’s an apology for some errors in the first issue and an offer of sending a copy to any who missed it if they send in “two two-penny stamps”. Importantly, there’s an answer to queries about how long they planned to remain in Australia. Readers are told of a “good-sized” congregation growing in Melbourne (meeting in the Temperance Hall in Russell Street) and two “companies” established in New Zealand. With these followers, their printing work and book stocks available, “We would therefore have our friends understand that we have ‘come to stay’.” The third issue gives an annual subscription price of 3 shillings and 6 pence. In 1889 it was published twice a month and the price rose to 5 shillings, 6 pence. Single copies could be bought for a penny. In 1894, Signs became an eight-page weekly magazine.

For a time, from August 15, 1892, the Signs front page called it The Bible Echo, but the masthead retained The Bible Echo and Signs of the Times. That changed on January 26, 1903 when the front page and the masthead proclaimed it the Australasian Signs of the Times. This came about after the deputy postmaster contacted the Echo Publishing Company to ask why the magazine should be registered as a newspaper and enjoy reduced postage rates. The publishers responded that they believed they were within the law because the Postal Act stated that “a substantial part” of their magazine must be of a “religious, technical or practical” content—as news. They were told that a “substantial part” was 50 per cent, and they weren’t meeting their obligation, so the content was adjusted to meet the requirements and the name changed. The January 2, 1905 issue was shortened to its current title Signs of the Times.

continuing development

The title, Signs of the Times, comes from the words of Jesus: “You know how to interpret the weather AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!” (Matthew 16:3, NLT). For Adventists, a group watching for and awaiting the Advent of Jesus, this fitted well. Lessons learned along the way have helped mature the magazine. The lifestyle features of the magazine not only use the latest information, but also help readers sift through available information by using credible writers and sources. During its history, Signs has seen many changes: monthly, fortnightly, weekly publication and back to monthly. It has been through the process of going from black and white to experiments with colour headlines, to what would now be considered insipid colour photographs, to vibrant colour. Technology has helped create these advances. The change to the current, smaller size in the 1990s seemed dramatic at the time, but it’s now just accepted. We live in a digital world and while Signs is still available in print form, it can be found in various forms online with a podcast and

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other digital opportunities to engage, such as social media. Change will continue.

what hasn’t changed

Now, 135 years after its launch, the underlying purpose of Signs hasn’t changed. It is still driven by a Christian philosophy that takes the Bible seriously; recognises Jesus as the ultimate hope in people’s lives and for our planet; and takes a whole-oflife approach to lifestyle, health and relationships. These remain as important in 2021 as they were in 1886. And this is what has helped keep Signs timely. August is traditionally Signs month, where we promote the magazine and encourage people to subscribe. You can do so at <subs. signsofthetimes.org.au> and follow us on Facebook and Twitter— @signsmag. Bruce Manners is a retired Signs of the Times editor, having served in the role between 1989-2003. He lives in Melbourne, Australia. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used with permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

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HOW TO EAT HEALTH SHOULD OUR DIETS CHANGE DEPENDING ON OUR AGE AND STAGE OF LIFE? ACCORDING TO NUTRITIONISTS, THEY SHOULD!

PETAR CHERNAEV—GETTYIMAGES

t’s true, the way you eat in your twenties just won’t cut it when you hit 40. While you may always stick to a relatively healthy diet, changes in hormones, metabolism and the different stresses of day-to-day life mean your nutritional needs are constantly changing. So, what should you eat for your age? With over 30 years’ experience, Sanitarium’s senior dietitian Angela Saunders has collated her insights into the key nutrients you need for each decade.

NUTRIENTS FOR YOUR TWENTIES AND THIRTIES Bone density continues to increase into your late twenties, so it’s important to get enough calcium. Dairy foods, firm tofu, soy beans and almonds are good sources of calcium. Protein, vitamin D and vitamin K are also important nutrients for bone health. Stick to mum’s advice and eat plenty of veggies. Plant foods are nutrient-rich and importantly provide calcium, iron and fibre. Also keep up those regular health checks for skin, dental and cervical screening.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2021

NUTRIENTS FOR YOUR FORTIES In your forties your metabolism will slow down so it’s easier for body weight to creep up. Protein is a great tool for maintaining weight. Eat plenty of wholegrains, legumes and other plant foods to get all the fibre you need. NUTRIENTS FOR YOUR FIFTIES At this age keeping an eye on your calcium intake is a must. Adding soy and flaxseeds to your diet can help alleviate some menopause symptoms. Vitamin D

Y FOR YOUR AGE is a key player in bone health and helps support the immune system. Another vitamin to watch is vitamin B12.

NUTRIENTS FOR YOUR SIXTIES AND BEYOND Resistance training and protein are important to help maintain muscle mass as we age. Make each mouthful count by enjoying a variety of foods that are nutrient-dense. Lots of fruit, veggies, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, and include sources of omega-3 in your diet.

Article courtesy of Sanitarium Health Food Company. Visit sanitarium.com. au or sanitarium.co.nz and subscribe to Recipe of the Week for weekly recipe inspiration in your email inbox.

FUN

CROSSWORD

UMANOIDE—UNSPLASH

Hint: 9 Down

EDUCATION.COM

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CROSSWORD CLUES

ACROSS 4 Singular of pennies 5 A temporary malfunction 6 Japanese alternative medicine 7 Mixture of oil and vinegar or lemon juice 8 Edible root native to South America 9 Dark shadow created by dominant backlight 12 Greek god of the underworld 13 Calculations made by a computer 14 When a train leaves its tracks DOWN 1 Process of preserving a body after death 2 Area between an arch and its supporting frame 3 Mechanism that creates mechanical energy 10 A person who provides prophetic predictions 11 Third largest city in Egypt

SUDOKU EASY

2 5

6 7 5

2 3

6 4

9 8

2 4

8 5

HARD

9 1

6 7

3 9

7 4

5 1

How closely have you been 8 9 7 reading? Each keyword in this 9 within 2 puzzle is also contained this edition of Signs of the Times. 6 7 8 9 Happy digging!

8 3 7

SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU AUGUST 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Signs of the Times radio is being enjoyed all across Australia and New Zealand on Faith FM and online. The Signs of the Times team discuss the latest in current world events, faith and wellbeing with experts and guests. Ready to feel informed and inspired?

Signs of the Times - August 2021

Articles inside

A MAGAZINE FOR THE TIMES

MY PLANT-BASED JOURNEY

OUT OF THE TOMB