AW English - June 2019 by Adventist World Magazine

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Joy in the Journey

Trial by Fire

Homeless for Christ

June 2019

The Ministry of Waiting BY BILL KNOTT

jordan

About the Cover Kameel Sami Hadad, 17, is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Amman, Jordan. He often translates the sermon into Arabic as Pastor Paulo Rabello preaches in English. Kameel is the grandson of Pastor Kameel Hadad who helped establish the Adventist church in Amman. Living just a few kilometers from the Jordan River, Kameel has visited the site where Jesus is said to have been baptized. Kameel plans to study data analysis after finishing high school. Cover Photo: Tor Tjeransen

Focus 10 Joy in the Journey The Word 18 The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength 26 Bible Questions Answered My Church 15 Millennial Voices 16 Trusting God Through Our Challenges 24 Homeless for Christ Living Faith 20 Trial by Fire 22 Our Quest for Contentment 27 Health and Wellness 28 May I Tell You a Story?

At 2:00 a.m., the conversation in the waiting room of the hospital intensive care unit always lags. There is nothing more to say. All the reassuring Bible passages have been read. All the children and grandchildren have been talked about. Every hopeful indicator offered by the medical staff has been thoroughly examined—two, three times, or four. The fluorescent lights occasionally flicker, as do the hopes of those who sit and wait. Inside the polished metal doors is someone precious, someone vital to those who wait. Each time there is a footfall in the hallway or a rolling gurney passes, there is a quick intake of breath, for fear makes even normal sounds seem ominous. As a young pastor, I used to think it was my role to say wise things, speak earnestly and slow; talk faith as long as there was cause for hope. But then I learned the poverty of words when hearts are twisted tight with grief; when tears bring no relief; when the worry will not go away. When words have run their course and done their best, there is, at last, the fact of simply waiting with the ones who worry, hurt, or grieve. The grip of a hand, an arm around the shoulder, the kindly touch that wordlessly says, “I’m not going anywhere”—these are the gifts we give each other when we’ve run out of words. When our bodies hurt, when hearts need healing, we learn what it means to be part of the body of Christ. The simple presence of another believer who shares our pain or holds our hand becomes the presence of the Lord Himself. It is just as He promised: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). The disciple of Jesus who waits with us in the small hours of the morning reminds us—brings back to our minds—the One who promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, even to the end of the age. The Lord who sought the comfort of His friends in His own awful waiting built His church upon a plan that we would bear each other’s burdens, and so fulfill His law of love (Gal. 6:2). Around you—day by day and week by week—are those whom God has gifted to encourage and sustain you, sometimes even with words. He has likewise given you to them—to wait with them and share the time, and represent Him in the hour when presence is more powerful than any spoken word. As you discover the remarkable stories of this edition of Adventist World, note just how often joy arrives in the presence of some godly man or woman who expresses Christ’s gift of presence in the moment of another’s need.

30 Growing Faith—Children’s Pages We believe in the power of prayer, and we welcome prayer requests that can be shared at our weekly staff worship every Wednesday morning. Send your requests to prayer@adventistworld.org, and pray for us as we work together to advance God’s kingdom.

June 2019 AdventistWorld.org

News Moment

A student from Union College in Nebraska, United States, connects with a group of children displaced by Cyclone Idai in southern Malawi. Union College operates an international rescue and relief (IRR) program, which recently assisted government-led efforts to provide medical services to those affected by the storm. Photo: Union College

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

News in Brief

“It is about saving lives and supporting an abundant life; it’s about creating conditions that will sustain a dignified life; and, it’s about fostering partnerships across many sectors of society to make life flourish for all.” —Ganoune Diop, director of the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department for the Adventist Church, defining the concept of “the economy of life.” The comment was made at the fifth annual symposium on the Role of FaithBased Organizations in International Affairs, held January 29, 2019, at the United Nations (UN) Secretariat in New York City, New York, United States. The annual event is co-organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and focused this year on practical and ethical issues surrounding development funding. More than 300 people attended, representing both the UN community and a diverse range of faith-based organizations.

Global Extreme Poverty Rate Falls

Source: World Bank Development Research Group 4

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11.2

9.9

2013

2015

12.8 2012

13.7 2011

15.7 2010

18.2

2008

2005

2002

1999

1996

1993

1990

1987

1984

1981

20.7

25.5

28.6

30 29.4

35.3

35.9

40 39.2

42.1

Percentage of Population

600

The number of liver transplants completed by Hospital Adventista Sylvestre (Sylvestre Adventist Hospital, HAS), a Seventh-day Adventist health-care institution in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The hospital took eight years to reach this milestone. HAS’s transplant program is run by a team of 20 professionals, including surgeons, hepatologists, and anesthesiologists. In February 2019 HAS celebrated the opening of a revamped surgical hospitalization ward.

“We have too many silos among the church’s various departments. We need to find one voice; we need to find one action.” —Jonathan Duffy, president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), addressing the attendees of GAiN, the denomination’s global communication and technology summit. GAiN partnered with ADRA to host its annual gathering in conjunction with ADRA’s annual council held this year near Amman, Jordan. Both organizations sought ways to create greater synergy between ADRA and various Adventist administrative units and institutions around the world.

News in Brief

“This event can be best Number 1 described as a café of ideas. I see what ideas are being tried, and it inspires me with new ideas and helps my team to reflect on our evangelistic efforts.”

The ranking on the Tripadvisor website for the Adventist-owned restaurant Manna Haven Café in Byron Bay on the far north coast of New South Wales, Australia. Byron Bay is a popular holiday destination known for beautiful hinterland and beaches, surfing and scuba diving sites, and art and music festivals. The all-vegan restaurant was started by members of the Adventist Church in Byron Bay on the church’s property. The church has been blessed with more than 10 café patrons visiting the local church for worship services.

—David Dennis, president of Southern New England Conference in the United States. Dennis attended the North American Division’s eHuddle conference on evangelism. More than 200 participants, ranging from pastors to conference administrators and evangelism coordinators, dialogued about how the division can more effectively reach people in an increasingly secular culture. Presenters shared tried and tested ways—often referred to as traditional witnessing methods—to reach out to their communities, while others shared innovative, creative, and new approaches for engaging their local communities and churches.

Australia

10,000 The number of The Power of Hope books passed out by representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Philippines to uniformed men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The literature sharing was coordinated by the Bagong Usbong Na Lingkod Bayan (BULB), an organization of Adventists in government service, following a military flag-raising ceremony regularly attended by government officials. Military officers expressed their appreciation on behalf of the thousands of employees who will receive copies. Photo: courtesy of Rodolfo Bautista Jr. AdventistWorld.org June 2019

News in Depth

Loma Linda Professor Named to 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Joan Sabaté is one of 20 scientists appointed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

By James Ponder, Loma Linda University Health News

A Loma Linda University (LLU) professor has been named to the United States government’s 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Joan Sabaté, a professor at the LLU schools of Public Health and Medicine in Loma Linda, California, United States, was announced as a member of the committee in February 2019. The announcement was made as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar released the names of 20 nationally recognized scientists who comprise the committee. The committee’s review will help develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In announcing the committee, Perdue and Azar said the guidelines, which are updated every five years, serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies, providing food-based recommendations

to help prevent diet-related chronic diseases and promote overall health. Secretary Perdue said the committee is tasked with ensuring that the guidelines are data driven and based in scientific fact. “The committee will evaluate existing research and develop a report objectively, with an open mind,” Perdue said. Secretary Azar said the committee “will conduct a rigorous examination of the scientific evidence on several diet-related health outcomes, including the prevention of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.” One of only three California scientists named to the 2020 committee, Sabaté sees broad significance for the committee’s findings. “We have the opportunity to craft improvements in the diet and health of Americans, and since many other countries look to America for guidance, we also have

Joan Sabaté, professor at the Loma Linda University schools of Public Health and Medicine who was recently named to the United States government’s 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Photo: Loma Linda University Health 6

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an opportunity to influence the eating patterns of people around the world,” Sabaté said. LONGTIME AUTHORITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Sabaté moved to the United States in the early 1980s to study public health nutrition. He currently serves as director of the Center for Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Disease Prevention at Loma Linda University School of Public Health. He has authored more than 150 research articles in scientific journals and is widely recognized as an authority on Mediterranean, sustainable, and plant-based diets. “I’m very happy to have been called to this task, but I’m also humbled because there will be thousands of pages to read, many trips to Washington, D.C., to make, and many discussions with my peers,” he said. Helen Hopp Marshak, dean of the School of Public Health, said Sabaté is the first Loma Linda University faculty member to be named to the committee. “We are delighted to see Sabaté recognized for his expertise in the field of nutrition. Selection to this committee represents the culmination of decades of study on the part of Sabaté and his team. His research in vegetarian and plantbased nutrition over the years has ranked him as one of the country’s leading authorities on nutritional epidemiology. We see this also as a recognition of excellence for more than 50 years of prevention research at the School of Public Health,” Hopp Marshak said.

News in Depth

Adventist School Raises Funds for Christchurch, New Zealand, Victims

“Power of Flowers” day seeks to bring light and color in the midst of darkness.

By Paul Mitchell and Adventist Record Staff

Students at Longburn Adventist College in Palmerston North, New Zealand, wore flowers and collected funds for a donation to the families of victims who died in the recent mosque shootings. From left: Eden Duker, 11; Josephine Ma’u, 17; Sophie Pigott, 17; Amelia Tyrrell, 17; Eva Zhou, 11; and Harmony Ngarepa, 11; form a colorful lineup. Photo: Warwick Smith

A group of New Zealand high school students are raising funds for victims of the Christchurch mosque shooting with the “power of flowers” and a message of shared humanity. Amelia Tyrrell, 17, and her fellow Longburn Adventist College student leaders have collected donations from their classmates to send to the victims of the March 15, 2019, terrorist attacks and their families. “The mosque shootings were on a Friday afternoon; this meant that Sabbath allowed for much reflection,” said school principal Brendan van Oostveen. “The disbelief and shock gave way to grief and anger, as we navigated uncharted territory. When Monday arrived, we met as a school, as we always do at the start of a week. What do you teach in response to such an act of hate? After chapel our student leaders team met, and it was agreed that love is always the answer.”

The school’s student leaders decided to hold a “power of flowers” fund-raising day, inspired by the wreaths and flowers people had laid at mosques across New Zealand. “It’s just such a positive image, all these different colors that stand out from each other, but they’re all still flowers and more beautiful together—same as it is for humans,” Tyrrell said. On Wednesday, March 20, every student and staff member at Longburn Adventist College wore flowers in their hair, around their necks, or printed on brightly colored shirts, and made a donation. It was deliberately bright and hopeful, in the face of New Zealand’s darkest day, and was a day for people to reflect on how similar we all are, Tyrrell said. One piece of common ground for Tyrrell was that many of the victims were refugees and immigrants who came here to feel safe. Her family

did too. There were two terrorist attacks near their old home in the United Kingdom, and the increased police presence, fear, and uncertainty of when the next attack would come was overbearing, she said. “My family came here 18 months ago to get away from that feeling, but now it’s here too,” she said. Fellow student Sophie Pigott, 17, said everyone was feeling anger and despair. “So we wanted to lift spirits and show that there’s a hopeful way forward together,” she said. “Peace, love, and respect are values shared by Muslims, Christians, and all New Zealanders. It’s better to build on our similarities rather than focus on differences—not just after a tragedy, but every day.” “I am so very proud that our student leader team, our school, and our country simply want to ‘show the love,’” van Oostveen said. “After all, God is love.” AdventistWorld.org June 2019

News Focus Inter-American Division (IAD)

3,737,554 IAD membership as of December 31, 2018

103

The age at which Carlos Ortiz García, a resident of Puerto Rico, was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ortiz García, who is in good health and walks with a cane, said that for several years he accompanied his wife to church every Sabbath to please her. After her death his visits to church stopped. Then two members of the San José Seventhday Adventist Church, Dulce Martínez and Victor Arriaga, began visiting Ortiz García, which ultimately resulted in his baptism. (^-)

“We want our church family to keep their trust in God in this time of apprehensiveness and uncertainty.” —Jorge Atalido, Adventist Church president of the East Venezuela Union. Zoraida Rodríguez, an active member of her local church in Kumarakapay, Venezuela, was killed during a confrontation between the military and members of nearby border communities. Her husband, two other church members, and 13 other civilians were injured. Church leaders in the IAD report that while religious freedom for the Adventist Church is intact, many pews have been left empty because of emigrating church members. Leaders emphasized that the remaining members have endeavored to work harder for the mission of the church.

“We cannot have a strong church if we do not ensure that there is education, formal and nonformal, for our young people and all church members.” —Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-America, speaking to church administrators in IAD at a recent business meeting in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The IAD will focus on increased evangelism efforts, intense community outreach, and heightened education training across the territory during the next two years. The division’s executive committee members voted to align their efforts on these three main strategic issues in their respective regions.

5,700 The number of people who have received free health services from mobile clinics in 65 communities across 10 parishes in Jamaica. The mobile clinics were launched in 2017 by Rohan McNellie, the Seventh-day Adventist owner of the Three Angels Pharmacy in Mandeville, Jamaica. Clinics are staffed by the pharmacy’s staff, volunteers, and volunteer nurses and physicians.

Photo: East Puerto Rico Conference, Inter-American Division News 8

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Perspective

By Ashley Stanton, ADRA Australia, and Adventist Record

Photo: Ben White

An Hour in Their Shoes Where do we draw the line between self-preservation and service to others? A few years ago I attended an event called Voices for Justice. Its purpose: to inspire, train, and equip Christians to speak with federal politicians about global poverty. As the years have passed, the exact details of the weekend in Canberra have faded. But one activity has ingrained itself in my memory: a simulation activity. The hundreds of attendees were split into smaller groups—“families,” we were called—and briefed on our mission. We were to make our living by catching and selling “fish” (laminated pictures) at the local “market” (event organizers who would swap the fish for tokens of money). With no savings we had to ensure that we were making enough money each day to feed our family and, if possible, secure shelter and send our children to school. The only problem was that every “family” had the same brief. Chaos ensued. My competitiveness kicked in, and it became a race against the other attendees to collect the most fish each day so that I could ensure that my family was

fed and educated. As the organizers removed more and more fish from the river, we decided to pull our kids out of school so that we could send them fishing too. As the activity wore on, we were only just scraping by, with only enough money to feed our family. Thoughts of education and more permanent shelter options were gone. Our sole focus was earning enough money to feed ourselves. By the time the organizers announced the end of the activity, I had become ruthless in my fishing efforts, and my family had lost a child to a cyclone because of our lack of sufficient shelter. It may have been only a simulation activity that lasted for less than an hour, but in that short time I had become an obsessed, self-centered person, with little care for anyone else. Not only that, I also gained a glimpse into the reality facing thousands of families around the world. An hourlong exercise for me is the reality of their lives, trying to make ends meet in less-than-favorable circumstances. That night I went to sleep with a full stomach in a comfy bed with a roof over my head. I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal was coming from, or if I could afford to sacrifice time and income to gain an education. I went to bed completely aware of how blessed I am. And with that came the over-

whelming knowledge that it is my duty as a Christian to campaign for others so they may experience the same basic rights that I have. It’s natural to want to take care of ourselves. Self-preservation is necessary to get by in a world corrupted by sin. But if, like me, you have the luxury of knowing where your next meal is coming from, then we have a God-given duty to help someone who doesn’t, whether they be your actual neighbor or a neighbor living on the other side of the world. Poverty and injustice are everywhere in this broken world. But we needn’t be discouraged by it. Rather, let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus and actively work to seek justice and stand up for the rights of those who are less fortunate. While this can seem like an overwhelming job to tackle individually, if we work together as a church our individual efforts quickly add up. So add your voice to petitions for positive change. Volunteer your time within your community. Donate to humanitarian organizations that are doing work in places beyond your reach. And, at the root of all of this, treat others as you want to be treated. Let the Seventh-day Adventist Church be a shining light in a dark world so that when people look at us they see the harmonious, loving, and just world that God originally intended. AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Focus

Joy in the Journey Is there joy to be found in every situation?

he beloved hymn “It is Well With My Soul” bears this precious verse: “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.” In good times and bad the feelings that emanate when one might sing that line will change as with the seasons. If our walk with Christ is meant to ensure that we can find His peace and presence in any situation, what does that really look like? We asked a few readers from around the world to write about what it means to find joy in whatever journey we are on, what it means to truly be able to sing the words of that hymn and mean it. We pray you will find new perspectives and new reasons to strengthen your sense of hope from what they have shared.—Editors. 10

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Through the Fire

ur lives changed dramatically on Thursday, November 8, 2018. Noticing the unique color of the early-morning sun, we went out to investigate. Roiling black clouds of smoke were the first indication that the flames of the Camp Fire would soon consume our home and possessions, along with most of our town of Paradise, California. Fear was very real as we drove through the flames, leaving the town that had been our home for 14 years. Yet there was a strange sense of peace as the words, “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isa. 43:2), became our reality. Along with many others, we have struggled with symptoms of critical incident stress disorder. Our emotions have swung through the stages of grief over loss and forced change. Yet we have seen God’s hand and abundant blessings. God’s Word that He brought to Mary three days after the fire—“I will lead them in paths they have not known” (Isa. 42:16)— led us to trust Him for strength and guidance. God led us to a new home near our son and his family, new friends, and a new and different life. Paul’s words—“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11, NIV)—have taken on new meaning. We choose to believe that God is always near. We have discovered that contentment is a choice—a choice to trust that God walks with us, takes care of us, and provides everything we need. His presence is greater than any fire.

Ben and Mary Maxson were pastors of the Paradise, California, Seventhday Adventist Church before their retirement in 2017.

Photo: Jordan Whitt

Looking Forward and Beyond

oy” is a short word that nevertheless encompasses a rich trove of experiences. Joy activates our whole being. We start glowing from the inside, seeing our daily and future affairs under a new, hopeful light. Inner joy downplays the dark clouds to focus instead on the blessings of rain. The exhaustion after a day of hard work is valued as a prize to well-wrought effort as we anticipate reinvigorating rest. In my job joy is listening to my young speech therapy patients as they mumble their first, struggling words. In my family life it is that which helps me not to focus on my son’s departure to college but to look forward to our next family reunion. Joy is a gift that comes only from the God of hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13). I am filled with joy after personal prayer, when I know that I’ve been listened to. It comes with the realization that despite our unsettled world, all things are working according to His plan. Above all, joy is what I feel when I remember that “for yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). Joy is the certainty that very soon I will get lost in God’s everlasting embrace.

Ana Zemleduch is a speech therapist and mother of two teenage sons in Oberá, Misiones, Argentina.

Photo: Janaya Dasiuk

The Basic Melody of Joy

here is no joy in pain. No joy in suffering. No joy in hardship. Paul writes a lot about joy in his letter to the Philippians, climaxing in the call: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4). It’s the word always that is challenging. For how could I rejoice if everything around me falls apart? How could I rejoice if my body or soul disintegrates? This is likely the reason that some think that joy is fragile and elusive, temporary and transient. If pain or sorrow cannons into joy, the latter often gets pulverized. However, I believe what really happens is this: suffering slaughters all our subtle joy replacements. There needs to be a deeper level of joy that survives all onslaughts of life’s dreadful circumstances. The prophet Habakkuk expresses the mystery of joy superbly at the end of his psalm: Though life circumstances are extremely dismal and dark, he exclaims, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:18). I have a hunch that Paul read this prophet for his daily devotions during his final days in prison, just before

writing to the believers in Philippi. There is a very basic melody of joy in my life because God entered it. Even while I am suffering, there is joy in God and joy about all the good gifts He bestows on me. In my experience, joy and thanksgiving are twin virtues. I can look for three reasons to be thankful today. With such a joy-sensitive outlook, I suddenly detect things, situations, and people that make me thankful and rejoice. Joy is an attitude toward God and toward life, making hardships more bearable. Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Franck got it right. The famous motet Jesus, meine Freude treats many of the tensions of Christian existence. In the final stanza it drives home the point that in the here and now, in spite of all suffering, there is joy when the “joy-master” Jesus enters the heart and banishes all “thoughts of sadness.” They just don’t have any power over us anymore. There is joy while we experience pain—for there is God.

Martin Proebstle is dean of the theology department at Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen in St. Peter am Hart, Austria.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

God Is My Strength

y husband of almost 19 years passed away on a Sunday, November 23, 2014—a day that will forever be etched in my mind. Next to losing my mother when I was just 16, this was the worst news I have ever received. My husband died following a short one-week illness. We thought he was suffering from the flu, but when he started having convulsions, I knew the prognosis was not good. I was not allowed to be with him in the emergency room as doctors kept him sedated while running various tests. It was tortuous. Finally the attending doctor said: “Your husband has meningitis.” I was told that his kidneys and other vital organs had already started

God’s Megaphone

f you are looking for a story about miracles, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a quick fix to problems, there isn’t one. If you are tired of looking and would actually enjoy finding things for a change, well, you’ve been looking at things from the wrong angle. I thought I had an OK relationship with God. We chatted off and on, and I went to church regularly. Everyone thought I had the perfect life. I knew something was missing, but I was too busy being mildly bored with mundane daily life to pay much attention. Then my marriage fell apart. I was suddenly scrambling to make sense of my life. In the process I read this from C. S. Lewis: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, 12

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failing, and that I should prepare myself and my children (then 16-year-old triplets) for the worst. Sadly, upon my arrival at the hospital the next day, I was informed that he had passed away. So many thoughts went through my mind. Will we survive this ordeal? How will we get by? Will I be able to pay all the bills? Will I be able to afford to keep three children in school on what I earn? But my God is such an amazing God! I clung to His many promises. And the one thing I asked from Him, He readily gave me: peace, a peace that passes all understanding. My husband was a man who loved and trusted God, and I was comforted by the fact that he died in Him. We had made a promise to each other, that we would always love God supremely, and that thought kept me going. My

speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” God now had my attention. I left Sri Lanka and went home to India. In the process of opening my heart to God, I found that I was opening my heart to everything around me. I got off social media for a while and spent my time climbing mango trees with my mom, going for early-morning walks with my dad, plucking fruit with my cousins, reading outdoors in the fresh air with my faithful dog at my feet. I slowly, very slowly, realized I was praying the wrong prayer. I was selfishly asking God for an easy way out, to miraculously fix the broken. He could have. But I would have learned nothing. Instead, God asked me to depend on Him constantly. In the space of nine months a close friend died from a brain tumor; my beloved grandfather

He readily gave me peace, a peace that passes all understanding. source of strength comes from the Almighty. I placed my total trust in Him who gave me life, and He has seen us through. My son and daughters are now 21 years old, and we have never stopped trusting and believing that God is our source of strength.

Karlyn Fisher spent 13 years as a financial analyst in the banking industry, and is the operations manager at a nondenominational Christian community radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa.

passed away; my best friend stopped talking to me over a misunderstanding; and my marriage of 12 years ended. I packed my life into two suitcases, left the company I helped found 10 years ago; said gut-wrenchingly tearful goodbyes to my church family, friends, and the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. I lost everything, but I found God as I had never before, and it is amazing and real. God is drawing me so close that my external circumstances are becoming irrelevant. I don’t know what my future holds, but God knows, and that’s enough. His mercies are new and beautiful every morning.

Cheryl Howson, an interior designer, writes from Hosur, India. When she gets the chance, she runs off to the mountains to hike and take pictures.

Rooted In Faith

hen I hear the phrase “rooted in faith,” I think of Mike. The most athletic and committed student on the university track and field team, Mike was always prepared for class, helped peers, volunteered. He enlisted in the military as a medic after September 11. On our last day of the semester he stopped by my office. “I know God will watch over me. Can I make that promise to everyone else? I’m about to see death up close. How do I tell people: ‘God’s not leaving you behind’? I guess just stay rooted in faith. Remind myself that God is with me.” I try not to cry as I realize Mike’s calling is quite heavy. Rooted in faith . . . I like that. I never heard from him again. Seven years later, while on call at a pediatrics hospital, I visit a family whose child is having a leg amputated. The doctor arrives, explains the procedure, then sits next to the young boy: “I’ll do my best for you. Don’t worry, buddy—God’s not leaving you behind when we get into the OR. He’s coming along.” The doctor stands, looks at me, smiles, and says: “Chaplain, a prayer before we go?” Rooted in faith. Hours later we sit and catch up. Mike, the pediatrics orthopedic surgeon, lost both legs in an explosion abroad. He knows from experience all the therapy the boy will need, and this creates a deeper kindness in him. “It was a tough time, but God never left me behind. I never let go of Him. I felt uprooted, replanted, new roots growing deeper, with a desire to serve. I learned to walk again.” On the drive home I thank God for reminding me that being rooted in faith is the only way to walk.

Dixil Rodríguez is a hospital chaplain and university professor in the state of Texas, United States.

Photo: Jeremy Bishop

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Contentment

Joy in the Face of Loss

recently attended a Teeks (Auckland native singer) concert at the Auckland Town Hall. The song that spoke to me the most was “Whakaaria Mai” (“How Great Thou Art” sung in Maori and English) alongside Hollie Smith. It was an incredibly emotive performance. The song was for those affected by the recent tragedies in Christchurch. He also sold his recordings at the concert, where all the proceeds went to the Muslim communities in Christchurch. New Zealand has shown a variety of support for the victim’s families. There are online pages to donate to, fund-raising events, and opporunities to pay one’s respects at gatherings organized throughout New Zealand. This is a country that many people forget to put on their maps; it’s isolated, in its own corner of the world. But nothing can exempt us from the evil of hate in its ugliest form. In times such as these it’s clear to see how out of control our world is—we’re all a little lost in the map of navigating life. So how does one stay grounded in times of uncertainty? How does a country recover from such great loss? Put simply, unity. We find contentment not in ourselves and our own inner workings but in the sense of community, family, and above all, God. David asked: “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (2 Sam. 22:32). When the world is spinning out of control, we can find security and peace when we look to God.

Isabella MacPherson studies biomedical sciences at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

June 2019 AdventistWorld.org

e live in a world in which joy seems hard to find. Faced with pain, loss, or even genocide, where can we find joy? Israel experienced joy at their deliverance by the mighty hand of God after He had brought them out of Egypt. Exodus 18:9-11 describes joy in Jethro’s (Moses’ father-in-law) heart when he saw the Israelites saved from the hand of the Egyptians. In a moment of extreme suffering, having just experienced Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of a time Israel “shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. . . . For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn” (Jer. 31:9). That feels like something that happened to me 25 years ago. I lived in exile for almost 35 years. During that time I experienced torture, including being put in front of a firing squad where the shooters missed their target. I have now been living in my native country for 25 years, and my heart is filled with joy. Before the European colonizers came to Rwanda, the joy of my country came from being called “the people of the king.” Today Rwandans experience joy because they have determined that they are all one. Ndi Umunyarwanda means “I am Rwandan” and reflects our efforts to build a new national identity based on trust and dignity. We Christians have an even better reason to experience joy, for God cares for us no matter what experience we are going through. “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope” (Lam. 3:21) is the best proof of that.

Jolay Paul Umuremye serves as field president of the Central Rwanda Field. He and his wife have been blessed with five beautiful children.

Photo: Richard Jaimes

Millennial Voices

A Letter to My 20-yearold Self

appy birthday! Today you turn “twenty-fine,” as your friends call it. Let’s cut to the chase. Now that you are officially a millennial, I know you think you may have heard it all from your “old-fashioned” elders trying to give you advice. But there is one thing you must remember: the four C’s of life. With every challenge there comes choice, which leads to a consequence, which, in time, determines our character. Looking back as a seasoned 50-yearold lawyer* at the peak of my career, I owe all my success to God’s favor and blessing upon the choices I made for Him when I was in my 20s. Mama always told me that if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. The most defining decision I made was to obey God, especially when the stakes were high. One of these defining moments of my successful career was made decades ago during my final-year examinations in law school. I remember it as if it were yesterday—the knot that twisted in my stomach as my lecturer announced to my class that the very last exam I was to take was slated for the early hours of the Sabbath. “There will be no exceptions—not even for the Adventists in this class,” he vehemently bellowed. Ouch! Failure to sit for this exam would definitely prevent me from graduating as a lawyer. My mind raced back, covering the past five years of my life, to all the sleepless nights and weary days spent reading and cramming voluminous textbooks. Was all that for nothing? Surely. God, You will understand if I sit for this one last exam, right? The thought was just too tempting. Back then, just as it is now in my 50s, my biggest fear was that of failure.

With every challenge there comes a choice. On the fateful day many of my fellow Adventist classmates entered the examination room, as I made my way to church to open the Sabbath. In the midst of worries God’s peace surrounded me. I realized that my academic future was uncertain. My chance at graduation was slim. Five years of law school down the drain! I had made a decision that would result in a consequence. Every choice has a consequence. The following week I went to appeal my case before the dean. He referred me back to the lecturer, who was livid at my “rebellion” for not sitting for his exam on Sabbath. However, in a miraculous twist of events, he offered to let me sit for a special supplementary examination the following month. I was stunned. The same God who had delivered the three Hebrews (Dan. 3) had done it again, just for me. He orchestrated events to ensure that I would have an extra month to prepare for this important final exam! I eventually graduated on the dean’s list with honors. The choice determines your character. Worship will be the defining issue as we approach the end. “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come” (Rev. 14:7, NIV) is the clarion call of earth’s final moments. I learned that making right choices in my youth has helped me to make right choices now—and prepares me to continue doing so in the future. The simple decision not to bow to the pressure of sitting for an exam on Sabbath has prepared me for even tougher decisions. With every challenge there comes choice, which leads to a consequence, which, in time, determines our character. * Many thanks to my lawyer friend who graciously allowed me to retell this true story through his eyes.

Frederick Kimani is a consultant physician born in Nairobi, Kenya, who is passionate about building bridges between God and young people through music.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Global View

Trusting God Through Our Challenges Why we can sing songs of joy

hat makes you happy? What fills you with joy? While feelings of happiness can be fleeting, joy—real joy— is deep and lasting. Not variable with present circumstances, real joy looks at the bigger picture and leads to a settled, lasting satisfaction. The Bible is filled with joy, with nearly 200 verses scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments. Of the many themes in the Bible, Scripture points out that joy often comes by trusting God and following His will, even when circumstances appear formidable. The story of joy recorded in 2 Chronicles 20 reveals God’s power in fighting for His people when they: n come together and “ask help from the Lord” (verse 4). n earnestly pray. In the beautiful prayer recorded in verses 6-12, Jehoshaphat acknowledges God’s greatness and power, recounts God’s past mercies to His people, and claims God’s promises for deliverance from their enemies. He acknowledges their own powerlessness and leaves judgment with God as he ends his prayer—“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (verse 12). n listen to God’s prophets and follow their instruction. In this story, God raised up a prophet, Jahaziel, to speak to His people. “Thus says the Lord to you,” he proclaimed. “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (verse 15). Jahaziel then gave specific instructions about how Judah was to approach their enemies, again assuring them, “Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you” (verse 17). Determined to believe the message God gave to Jahaziel and act upon it, Jehoshaphat declared,

“Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (verse 20). Then, after consulting with the people, “he appointed those who sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army” (verse 21). As God’s people moved forward in faith, He fulfilled His promises to them in a marvelous way and gave them victory! “Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies” (verse 27). THE JOY OF THE LORD

One of the most well-known statements of joy in the Bible is Nehemiah 8:10: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The circumstances surrounding this statement are not at all joyful in appearance. Many of the Israelites had returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon to find a ruined city, a damaged Temple, and torn-down walls. The Temple had been restored many decades earlier. But it wasn’t until Ezra and Nehemiah came that the walls were rebuilt. Even then, much of the city still lay in ruin. After the walls were finished and the gates put in place, “all the people gathered together . . . in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel” (verse 1). Standing on a high wooden platform, Ezra began reading the Scriptures slowly and distinctly. In addition, Levites were dispersed among the people to help them understand what was being read to them. As the people began to grasp the meaning of the Law of God, they began to weep. They realized how

far they had fallen. Convicted of sin, and with tears of repentance, the people bowed and worshipped God. “For those who are convicted of sin and weighed down with a sense of their unworthiness, there are lessons of faith and encouragement in this record,” wrote Ellen White. “Every true turning to the Lord brings abiding joy into the life. When a sinner yields to the influence of the Holy Spirit, he sees his own guilt and defilement in contrast with the holiness of the great Searcher of hearts. He sees himself condemned as a transgressor. But he is not . . . to give way to despair; for his pardon has already been secured. He may rejoice in the sense of sins forgiven in the love of a pardoning heavenly Father. It is God’s glory to encircle sinful, repentant human beings in the arms of His love, to bind up their wounds, to cleanse them from sin, and to clothe them with the garments of salvation.”1 What a reason to rejoice! The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength! And what is the joy of the Lord? It is the promise of forgiveness, of cleansing, and of restoration. It is the way of bringing us back into alignment with God’s will for our lives. The joy of the Lord is something we can receive now and is filled with the hope of an eternity with Him. BY BEHOLDING WE ARE CHANGED

Ellen White wrote: “Through Jesus the fallen sons of Adam become ‘sons of God.’ . . . The Christian’s life should be one of faith, of victory, and joy in God. ‘Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’ 1 John 5:4, KJV. . . . “Such are the fruits of Bible conversion and sanctification; and it is because the great principles of righteousness set forth in the law of God are so indifferently regarded by the Christian world that these fruits are so rarely witnessed. . . .

“The joy of the Lord . . . is the promise of forgiveness, of cleansing, and of restoration.” “It is by beholding that we become changed. And as those sacred precepts in which God has opened to men the perfection and holiness of His character are neglected, and the minds of the people are attracted to human teachings and theories, what marvel that there has followed a decline of living piety in the church. . . . “‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . . . But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ Psalm 1:1-3, KJV. “It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godliness among His professed people. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ Jeremiah 6:16, KJV.”2 The rest God puts into our souls as we daily connect with Him is that which will produce our greatest joy eternally—all because of Him! Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1917), p. 668. 2 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911, 1950), pp. 477, 478. 1

Ted N. C. Wilson is president of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additional articles and commentaries are available from the president’s office on Twitter: @pastortedwilson and on Facebook: @Pastor Ted Wilson.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Devotional

The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength D

ecember 2001 marked a difficult period for people living in Argentina. On December 1 the country’s finance minister announced a freeze on all bank accounts. Nobody could draw any money from their account; credit and debit cards didn’t work. Cash was truly king—and if one had no cash at home, things soon became very complex. The freeze was to last only a couple days. Devaluation of the Argentinian peso initially meant the loss of about half of its buying power. Social unrest grew quickly. People who cannot buy food still need to eat. In many parts of the country supermarkets were looted. We lived in Argentina in December 2001. The automated teller machine in our small university town didn’t spit out any cash either. We had little money at home—and nobody knew when the banks would open again. A sense of doom settled over the country during a time we usually sing “Silent Night” and give each other gifts. Our two daughters, age 4 and 2 respectively, didn’t worry too much about all of this. The summer weather was pleasant; there were no school (or university) classes, and Christmas was just around the corner.

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My wife and I didn’t feel that calm. The university had offered credit for our small local supermarket, so we would not starve. We had a little bit of cash and decided to drive to the closest large town and shop at our regular supermarket for small gifts for our daughters. Stocks were very low. Even if one had cash, most shelves were empty. We finally settled on two plastic cups, two plastic plates, and two plastic cereal bowls—all color-coordinated—to give to our girls. Not exactly the stuff of dreams. Christmas came quickly, and it was time to unwrap the gifts. In addition to the yellow and green plastic dishes, my wife, Chantal, had also sewn a cute apron for each girl. I will never forget the sheer joy in our daughters’ faces as they worked their way through the wrapping paper and finally saw their very own plastic dishes. With beaming faces they held their dishes and made sure they were on the table at the very next meal. Even today, 18 years later, we still have those dishes in our cupboard, slightly battered and well used. We dare not give them away. They tell a story of thankfulness and joy. WHEN WE DON’T FEEL JOY

For Ezra and Nehemiah, who lived in postexilic Jerusalem, times were tough too. Decades earlier God had brought His people back out of the Babylonian captivity—at least those who had been willing (Ezra 1; 2). What they encountered

How do we react when confronted with the power of God’s Word but caught in our selfish realities? was disheartening. The city and its Temple lay in ruins. There was no city wall and no protection. Many of the surrounding people eyed the returnees with suspicion or open hatred. Now, 80 years after the first group had returned and had rebuilt the Temple, things did not look much better. How can we trust God in the face of overwhelming challenges? How can we rejoice when we struggle to survive, and God seems absent? How can we move forward happily when He seems silent? Israel’s problems were not just material. They needed a new wall to protect Jerusalem—and God responded to that need. But beyond broken walls, they needed God to fix their broken lives. We break when we ignore (actively or passively) God’s will for our lives. We break when we lose sight of the others around us who need His grace and keep focusing only on our own needs. Israel had ignored God’s will for their lives. Israel had trampled the rights of the weak and helpless. Selfishness and greed have a way of killing joy and hope. THE REMEDY

That’s when Ezra and Nehemiah hatched a plan. Ezra, the scribe and priest, together with Nehemiah, the court-appointed governor, called a meeting (cf. Neh. 8). They built a wooden platform in an open square in front of the Water Gate. All people had been invited to listen to

the one thing that helps us refocus and revive—God’s Word. This was no ordinary 11:00 worship service. From morning to midday leaders read from the Torah, the law of God. And since many had lost the ability to understand Hebrew, they enjoyed simultaneous translation, which carefully explained the meaning of the words (Neh. 8:7, 8). How do we react when confronted with the power of God’s Word while caught in our selfish realities? Most people weep. We realize who we really are when we look into the mirror of God’s Word. Ezra and Nehemiah’s audience also wept as they listened attentively (verse 9). That’s when we hear Ezra make an astonishing statement: “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (verse 10). This is not a text about health reform or healthful living. In a world of unrefined foodstuffs and often very limited food supplies, eating the fat and drinking the sweet was a way of saying: “Let’s celebrate God’s abundant provisions and blessings—and then let’s share these blessings with those around us.” It’s the last section of the verse that catches our attention. Do all these things, Ezra says, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Old Testament scholars have puzzled about this phrase. Does the joy of the Lord refer to Israel’s

joy in their God, or does it point to something even more thrilling and exciting? Could it be that the biblical text points to the joy that the Lord experiences when He sees His people united in worship, and, finally, getting the big picture? Linguistically, both options are valid interpretations.* Theologically, I resonate more with option two. Our strength is not self-produced joy—even if it means grasping complex theology. Our strength is anchored in God’s grace and His joy over our salvation and commitment. Jesus hints at that when He says that there is joy in heaven over even one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7). We can see that joy in the father in the parable of the prodigal son who comes running, embraces the lost son, and declares the celebration of a feast (verses 20-24). Our two daughters don’t remember much of the Argentinian peso crash of 2001. But they do remember their plastic dishes. Their joy made our day. Our strength is anchored in His joy over us. What a marvelous God who enjoys giving grace to the ungrateful and restless! * G. C. I. Wong, “Notes on ‘Joy’ in Nehemiah viii 10,” Vetus Testamentum 45.3 (1995): 383-386.

Gerald A. Klingbeil is an associate editor of Adventist World who is yearning to dig deep into God’s joy and share it with others.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Faith in Action

Trial by Fire

Surviving—and leading—in the midst of unimaginable loss

an and Linda Martella had practiced evacuating before. They lived in Paradise, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, a place prone to wildfires. “A couple years before, some homes were being evacuated about a mile away, and we packed the cars [to get] ready to go,” Dan remembers. “It turned out to be a rehearsal for the future.” Dan is administrative pastor for the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church; Linda worked at Adventist Health: Feather River, the largest employer in the community of nearly 30,000 people. On the morning of November 8, 2018, the Martellas, and everyone else in Paradise, had to flee from what became known as the “Camp Fire,” considered the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California’s history. Steve Hamilton is lead pastor of the Paradise church, having recently transitioned from Colorado, where he had been youth director for the Rocky Mountain Conference. Hamilton, his wife, Delinda, and their children, Katie, Ashley, and Andrew, had moved into Paradise just five days before the fire destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings (14,000 homes) and displaced tens of thousands of people. What happens when suddenly and without warning disaster strikes, leaving you in a situation in which nearly all your earthly possessions can fit into your car? STAGING A RECOVERY

Steve Hamilton remembers: “It was a scramble to keep track of our people and try to figure out where they were able to stay.” Church members who owned property in some of the surrounding communities provided places where people could park their recreational vehicles (trailers and motor homes). Church members in nearby communities, particularly Chico, opened their homes, inviting people to stay in spare bedrooms. “My family of five stayed in a little studio apartment for four months,” said Hamilton. “The disaster really happened to Chico as well as to Paradise,” he said. “Chico didn’t burn, but the displacement of all the residents of Paradise and the surrounding areas heavily impacted Chico.”

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On the Sabbath following the Thursday fire, members of the Paradise and Chico Adventist churches came together to provide support and relief. Adventist churches up and down the west coast of the United States provided relief supplies: food, drinking water, toiletries, bedding. Hamilton remembers: “A church came in and brought food for 700 people and fed people after church.” Ed Fargusson, assistant to the president of the Northern California Conference, also remembers that first Sabbath: “Hundreds of people were there, many of whom I knew. I just went from table to table, hearing their stories. That’s when it hit me: These people have just lost everything, and they didn’t even know what that meant yet.” It meant that 385 Adventist families lost their homes to the disaster. A few homes in Paradise (about 10 percent) were left standing after the fire. But rebuilding was going to be a slow and frustrating process. In January Hamilton reported asking the county for permits to begin removing debris from the Paradise church and school—just to remove the debris. As of March the county had not yet granted the permits.

NASA

Some Adventist families, having nothing to return to, have moved to other parts of the state, or even to other states. Those who have chosen to stay are looking at months or years before their lives can return to normal. GOD STILL LEADS

So how does one make sense of a disaster of this scale? How does one begin to put the pieces back together? For Steve Hamilton this is no time to doubt God’s leading. “We’re confident that this is where God has led us. We don’t believe that His calling in our lives changes because things become difficult or different than we had planned.” So that means moving ahead. The Northern California Conference has put the Chico and Paradise churches in a two-church district, naming Hamilton its lead pastor. Paradise Adventist Academy has been given space in the Adventist church in Chico in which to finish out its school year, while the Chico Oaks Seventh-day Adventist School holds classes a few meters away. A committee has been set up to begin studying how to rebuild an

How does one make sense of a disaster of this scale? How does one begin to put the pieces back together? Adventist presence in Paradise: a presence that before the fire consisted of a 1,300-member church, an Adventist elementary school and academy, and a health-care facility that was one of the largest Adventist facilities in northern California. “The church [building] was insured,” says Hamilton. “There will be a church in Paradise. What it will look like . . . and what the community that the church is called to serve will look like is something that is going to be a process over the next couple years.” That process involves not only rebuilding the church but rebuilding the community as well. In addition to the homes and buildings that were destroyed, much of the infrastructure was destroyed as well, such as businesses, schools, churches, utilities. Dan Martella prefers the word “journey” to “process.” “We’re nowhere near the end of this journey. It’s challenging and it’s a place we’ve never been before. And it’s hard to say that we have all this figured out.” Martella mentioned some of the essential elements that helped him and his wife survive. He shared how his family supported them while they began to put their lives together. “We have life. We have our family pictures. We have each other.”

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Crystal Housman

He also mentioned the importance of his church family, how it survived (one Adventist was among the 85 people who died), and how the experience has affected it. “We’re bracing for the possibility that half our congregation will move out of the area.” If there’s a silver lining in this catastrophic event, Ed Fargusson sees it in the way the Adventist community in that part of the state came together to help put peoples’ lives back together. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) approached the Northern California Conference hours after the fire to ask the church if it could find shelter for its own members, saying that it would take a burden off the larger system. “I’ve learned that volunteers show up and do for free what some people say they can’t pay their people to do,” says Fargusson. “That’s the beauty of the church. When we have a need like this, we can pick up the phone and start calling people, and the next thing we know, we have an army behind us.”

Stephen Chavez is an assistant editor of Adventist World.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Spirit of Prophecy

Our Quest for Contentment Joy is elusive. Unless we know where to look.

In this issue we highlight a few statements about the subject of joy. We hope they will be a source of encouragement.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Editors.

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No real joy can be found in the path forbidden by Him who knows what is best and who plans for the good of His creatures. Steps to Christ, p. 46

It is [Christ’s] highest joy to have [the church] with Him to be partakers of His glory. Christ claims the privilege of having His church with Him. Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 10

The absence of joy is no evidence that a person is or is not sanctified.

The salvation of [humanity] was His joy. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 686

Light brings gladness and joy, and that joy is expressed in the life and the character. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 5. p. 1144

Our joy should be in the work of saving souls. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 481

In the path of obedience and duty there is contentment and even joy.

The Sanctified Life, p. 10

Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 98

Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures.

Even in this life we may catch glimpses of His presence and may taste the joy of communion with Heaven, but the fullness of its joy and blessing will be reached in the hereafter.

Steps to Christ, p. 46

Wherever [Jesus] went He carried rest and peace, joy and gladness.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 602

Steps to Christ, p. 46

It was the joy of Christ in His humiliation and pain that His disciples should be glorified with Him. The Desire of Ages, p. 624

Heaven is all joy. The Adventist Home, p. 430

In Christ is fullness of joy forevermore. Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 390

The purest joy springs from the deepest humiliation. The Acts of the Apostles, p. 319

Christ dwelling in the soul is a wellspring of joy. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 162

Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by [those] who [take] God at His word. Messages to Young People, p. 98

Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White (1827-1915) exercised the biblical gift of prophecy during more than 70 years of public ministry. These excerpts were taken from several of her books.

[God] desired . . . that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 290

God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Counsels on Stewardship, p. 23

In order to have perfect health our hearts must be filled with hope and love and joy. Counsels on Health, p. 587

Photo: Kalen Emsley

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Looking Back

Homeless for Christ One man’s mission to make a difference

y husband and I attended Annual Council in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States, in October 2018. As we entered the dining area, we joined Jeff Jordan and his wife, Melissa, for what was an interesting and lively meal—interesting for the conversation, and lively because Melissa didn’t get to eat much because she was actively interpreting for Jeff, who is deaf. Jeff is the pastor of Southern Deaf Fellowship near Collegedale, Tennessee. Jeff’s hands fly as he speaks in American Sign Language, with Melissa interpreting. In 2016 he was appointed associate coordinator (honorary) for deaf ministry within the office of Special Needs Ministries at the General Conference. As we talked with them that day Jeff and Melissa excitedly told us of a discovery in Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery.¹ Buried there is Eliphalet M. Kimball, believed to be the first Seventh-day Adventist “missionary” to the Deaf. Intrigued, I did some research and uncovered a fascinating story of a man little known in Adventism. Eliphalet Morrell Kimball was born March 13, 1816, in Lyme, New Hampshire. He was one of 12 children born to Eliphalet and Betsey Kimball. When

June 2019 AdventistWorld.org

he was 4, Eliphalet became sick with spotted fever and as a result lost hearing in both ears. About the time of Eliphalet’s birth, several men in the northeastern part of the United States who were parents of Deaf children sought a way to educate them. In 1817 they established the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons.2 This proved providential for Eliphalet, as it affected the course of his life. When he was 15 his parents sent him to this school, where there was not only a strong emphasis on reading, writing, and math, but also religious training. The students learned to communicate in sign language—speaking with one’s hands. There he met his future wife, Mary Webster, also described as deaf and mute.3 They married in 1839 and settled in New Hampshire. Two hearing children were born to the couple. In 1852 the couple decided to move west stopping in Indiana to stay with a “deaf-mute” man. During that visit Eliphalet was given a pamphlet stating that humans do Photos: Merle Poirier

Jeff Jordan (left) with his wife, Melissa, by the tombstone of Eliphalet Kimball in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan.

not have immortal souls. A lifelong Baptist and avid Bible student, Eliphalet began to study his Bible, comparing it with the pamphlet. They moved on to Wisconsin where they stayed with his brother and continued to search the Scriptures. The family was living in Anamosa, Iowa, when Merritt E. Cornell began evangelistic meetings in the winter of 1860. Meeting in the courthouse, Cornell reported enthusiastic attendance and interest. Because of their deafness, the Kimballs did not attend or even know of the meetings, but their children were attracted to the crowds and told them. Eliphalet managed to get some literature on the Sabbath from Cornell and again returned to study the Scriptures. Convinced of the Sabbath, he and his wife began keeping it faithfully, although alone. Kimball’s daughter married and moved to Missouri, while their son moved to Kansas. In 1867 the Kimballs divided their time with their children—six months with their daughter, during which they kept the Sabbath with her (but not her unbelieving husband), and six months with their son, during which they kept the Sabbath alone. Two years later, Eliphalet’s wife, Mary, died and was buried in Leavenworth, Kansas. Six months after Mary’s death, Eliphalet’s burning desire to extend the gospel to those with his disability caused him to make the decision to become “homeless,” going wherever the Lord led to teach and preach to “deaf-mutes” wherever they would listen. He moved from place to place, preaching and teaching, living and working with anyone who would take him in. He lived in Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. Using his hands for teaching and offering pamphlets for reading,

Kimball left a trail of converts behind him. “One who visited him in St. Joseph embraced the Sabbath, and two to whom he carried the truth in southern Nebraska. He has since visited New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and the cities of New York and Brooklyn, being now at work in the state of Maine. Three mutes, in Connecticut, are keeping the Sabbath; and there are two others who desire to keep it. . . . Three in Massachusetts are observing the Sabbath, and others [are] interested to learn more of these views. In New Hampshire there are five now observing the Sabbath.”4 Eliphalet lived in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Hill for six months to teach their “deaf-mute” daughter. He opened up the truths of the Bible to her. Ellen White, who preached at the Indiana camp meeting in August 1877, met the Hills: “A most interesting feature of this meeting was the case of a daughter of Brother and Sister Hill, a mute of sixteen years of age. She united with the supplicating ones, and prayed by signs; it was a most solemn and impressive sight.”5 White goes on to say that the Hills and their daughter were baptized. Ten days later, at a camp meeting held in Groveland, Massachusetts, three more “deaf-mutes” were baptized, including Benjamin Brown, a “deaf-mute,” and his wife. They were all a result of Eliphalet leading them to the truth. A year later Ellen White wrote of her encounters with him: “We were interested to meet Brother Kimbal[l], who is a mute and has been a missionary among the mutes. Through his persevering labors, quite a little army have accepted the truth. We meet this faithful brother at our yearly camp meetings surrounded by several of his mute converts. Someone who is interested, who

He moved from place to place, preaching and teaching, living and working with anyone who would take him in. has ears to hear, writes out some portion of the discourse, and he sits surrounded by his mute friends, actively preaching to them with his hands. He has freely used his means to advance the missionary work, thus honoring God with his substance. By and by, if faithful, he will receive a precious reward.”6 Eliphalet continued his missionary endeavors, eventually moving to Battle Creek Sanitarium to recover from a lingering illness. He died at the age of 71. His tombstone marks his grave as he awaits the call of the Life-giver, when he will hear, speak, and sing the truth he loved so well. What Eliphalet Kimball began so long ago continues. Just as he brought Deaf persons to “hearing” the message through literature and interpretation, there is now an established Adventist ministry for Deaf persons in 12 countries worldwide (www.adventistdeaf.org). What a day of noisy celebration it will be when Jesus returns and “the ears of the deaf [are] unstopped” . . . “and the mute tongue [shouts] for joy!” (Isa. 35:5, 6) The Jordans learned of Eliphalet Kimball after attending a presentation by André Barbosa de Oliveira and Douglas Silva, who did extensive research on this Adventist pioneer. 2 This is now the American School for the Deaf. It was the first school for the Deaf in the United States. 3 Deaf and dumb, deaf and mute, or deaf-mute are terms that were used in the 19th century. They are no longer used. The proper term is “deaf.” 4 In Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Jan. 28, 1875. 5 In Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Aug. 23, 1877. 6 In Signs of the Times, Sept. 12, 1878. 1

Merle Poirier is operations manager for Adventist World. AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Bible Questions Answered

God’s Divine Purpose Q

Why did God choose the nation of Israel, and not another?

This is an area of biblical study in which the Bible provides some important information. 1. ELECTION OF ABRAM

In order to gain a better understanding of the call of Abram (Gen. 12:1-3), we should place it within the context of post-Flood events. After the flood the new beginning of the human race was soon damaged when human pride sought self-preservation (Gen. 11:4). Out of that spiritual corruption the nations of the earth originated. In that setting God did not allow the condition of the nations to thwart or make His plan ineffective. If He could not use the nations of the earth to accomplish His universal purpose, then He was ready to create a new nation through which His saving purpose would be accomplished. This new creation did not imply the rejection of the nations; on the contrary, it revealed God’s deep concern for them. The election of Abram was God’s first step in the creation of a people through which He would bless all the nations of the earth. Grace was available for humans independent of nationality or race. Therefore the election of Israel was about inclusivity. This is shown in God’s choosing of Egypt as the place where the 12 tribes became a great people. Egypt was the “womb” within which Israel increased and was finally born through the Exodus. Disgracefully, Egypt, instead of cooperating with the Lord, opposed Him, with catastrophic results. It is finally at Sinai that the 12 tribes became the people of God and Yahweh their God. 26

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2. ALL BY GRACE

Israel could not claim superiority over the nations based on its election, because election was deeply grounded on a divine grace that constituted them into servants of the nations (Ex. 19:6). God made it clear that He did not choose Israel because it was a large nation, but because they were “the fewest of all peoples” (Deut. 7:7, NIV). They were chosen because God was fulfilling the promises He made to the patriarchs: “The Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations” (Deut. 10:15, NIV). Election takes place in the context of divine love and grace, not on the merits of the people. 3. DIVINE PURPOSE

The new nation, created out of God’s love and grace, had a God-given purpose: The blessing of all nations of the earth. Israel was entrusted with God’s blessings for the nations, particularly through the promise and future arrival of the Messiah. The people of God kept alive the promise that God gave to Adam and Eve concerning the coming messianic Son, until His arrival as the incarnated Son announcing salvation to the nations of the earth (Luke 2:30, 31). He also entrusted to Israel His divine plan to establish a kingdom that will never perish, restoring peace and harmony on the earth. Paul summarizes the divine goal for Israel: “Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen” (Rom. 9:4, 5, NIV). All these gifts were entrusted to the Israelites but designed for the human race. We are part of that wonderful manifestation of grace and love.

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired after serving the church as a pastor, professor, and theologian.

Health & Wellness

Global Conference of Health and Lifestyle What’s it about? Thank you for the regular health features and up-to-date information. I see there is a Global Conference on Health and Lifestyles, July 9-13, 2019, at Loma Linda University in California, United States. Why Loma Linda? It was previously held in Geneva. Do we just talk to ourselves at these conferences? Do we work with any major health organizations?

welve years ago Margaret Chan, then director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), encouraged the Seventh-day Adventist Church to speak on health and lifestyle to the world. This invitation was directed to the Health Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church through Chan’s Office for Partnerships and UN Reform. It followed her initiative to welcome collaboration with faith-based organizations, including churches. The year 2009 saw the first Adventist-sponsored Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle! Why a global conference? It affords a wonderful opportunity for the meeting of minds, the sharing of ideas, and the exploration of scientific developments together. Learning, debating, discussing, training, networking, and coming together from around the world. This invigorates, encourages growth in our knowledge and our relationships, and reminds us of our mission—to share wholeness and to serve all! Why at Loma Linda University? Adventist Health Ministries and Loma Linda University (LLU) are longtime partners in health work and education. Many exciting changes are taking place on the campus of LLU, including the erection of a modern, highly engineered new hospital. (State laws in California require earthquake-compliant hospital buildings; failure to comply results in closure of the hospital.) LLU has been the center of much research on health, healing, lifestyle, nutrition,

and health education; it continues this important role, and focuses also on working to bring health and healing through the best medical, dental, and nursing practices to the world. Of all the universities in the United States that teach medicine, nursing, and health sciences, LLU has the greatest global footprint. It’s not the largest university, but it continues to reach out widely across the globe. A significant factor in this success story is the strong relationship that LLU enjoys with the global Seventh-day Adventist Church. It continues to be a blessed partnership with powerful synergy. Adventist Health Ministries does indeed collaborate with international health organizations. Together with LLU we are working to upscale midwifery practice in four centers in the countries of Botswana, Cameroon, Lesotho, and Malawi. The Adventist Church in Inter-America works closely with the Pan American Health Organization, especially in the area of mental health. At this coming international convocation—the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle: Your Brain, Your Body—we will look at some of the ways lifestyle impacts not only our bodies but also our emotional, mental, and spiritual health and well-being. We will also celebrate Adventist Health Ministries’ partnerships with Loma Linda University, the International Commission for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (ICPA), the WHO, and every attendee. More information on the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle is available at conference.healthministries.com.

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.

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Savka’s Book

T “May I Tell You a Story?” BY DICK DUERKSEN

he Lord is my shepherd.’” Savka Vaselenko read the words carefully, hearing the crisp clatter of the consonants and the soft mushy sounds of the vowels. “‘I have everything I need.’” Savka spoke the words aloud, whispered phrases that fogged the cold air of their bedroom. “Mama,” the farmer whispered to the woman at his side, “God is our shepherd.” Mama smiled. It was her job to watch for neighbors, police, the priest, or anyone else who might be sneaking up to their farmhouse, hoping to catch them reading the Bible. Everyone knew they had it. Everyone had heard Savka speak of the joy he found in touching the large printed words, and hearing the Creator speak, “in my own bedroom.”

The police had searched the bedroom, the kitchen, the barn, the outhouse, and everywhere else they thought the Bible might be. They had searched individually and in groups, but no one had found anything except coats, potatoes, strawfilled mattresses, piles of rough blankets, a few old schoolbooks, a wood stove. Never the Bible. The Bible was large, filled with God’s words spelled out in clear Ukrainian. The language of thick consonants and muddy vowels as spoken by the farmers and shepherds of Ukraine. Like those who lived in their village. *** Savka wouldn’t tell even his wife, Fadora, where he had gotten the Bible; he just held it close and smiled the contented smile of one who had discovered the love sounds of God. On the afternoon when their first baby was born, Savka was in the fields, working the clods far away from the newborn’s cries. Fadora had begged the women who had helped with the birth to carry the baby boy to the church so the priest could give him “the name God wants him to have, before his father comes home.” They had obeyed, and a small clutch of women joined her at the church where the priest (a man far more powerful than even the mayor) named their son Ulas. “Son of the heretic.” Ulas. The very sound of it made Fadora angry. Why would God want her son to receive such a name? With it he would never be able to attend school, enter church, or be employed in a good job. Her son, the son of Savka the heretic, who believed God speaks directly to anyone who reads His Word, was being cursed! How could that be the will of God? Once, when the priest decided to gather a gang of angry men and destroy Savka the heretic, Fadora hid with Ulas in the bedroom. She heard the men approach the farm. She heard their excited shouts when they found Savka in the paddock. Then she heard the sounds of whips, sticks, and stout farm implements being pounded into her husband’s flesh. Photos: Dick Duerksen

She shouted at them and they stopped, surprised to see her there, and even more surprised to see she was commanding them to stop. She stood, puffing like a steam engine leaving the station, until the men left, a band of wolves that had made a kill and left before eating their fill. “How can God command the priest to gather mean men and beat and nearly kill my husband? My Savka could never be part of a rabble like them! He is the softest and kindest and most generous man in the entire village.” That day Fadora decided to become a heretic with Savka. For days she nursed her husband back to strength. Warm water, cold water, hot soup, soft singing. Good medicine. *** Now Fadora was in charge of hiding the Bible. They had considered the pile of cow dung, but decided God’s Word would not be comfortable there. Together they had finally settled on three protected spots. One would be deep in the canvas bag of flour beside the stove. Another would be Savka’s rough cashuk, the heavy coat he wore whenever he worked outside. The coat was large, and when it hung beside the door, there was room to place the Bible in its left sleeve. The third spot was her favorite. She had found a small cloth sack, the color of bread, that perfectly fit the Book. If anyone were nearby, she would slip the Bible into the sack and add it to the dough she was tending for today’s bread. Then she would sing her bread songs and knead the Scripture along with the dough. They read only in the daytime, when they could see if anyone was coming. Daily they read, line by line and page by page, leaving lines of red beneath words that touched them. A neighbor came, asking why the book was so important, wondering if he might hear the words also. Then others, until a small flock of heretics met regularly in the kitchen, each eager to know the kindness, gentleness, and hope Savka and Fadora had found in the book.

Finally, they taught young Ulas to read with them. Son of a heretic. Son of God. When Ulas was 8 the family immigrated from the Ukraine to North Dakota in the United States where the gray empty land was similar to what they had known. They built a simple house from earth and stone and filled it with love. In the spring they planted a field of wheat, another of hay, and filled a garden plot with potatoes, beets, carrots, and onions. At the town store Savka spoke of his treasured Bible and described some of the discoveries he had made while reading in it. “Did you know that Saturday is the Sabbath; that when people die and are buried, they just lie there until the great resurrection; that you’re to be baptized by dunking clear down under the water, not just by sprinkling a bit of water on your head; and best of all, that Jesus is coming back to take His children home?” Savka spoke with power and passion, just as he had always lived. The storekeeper listened and asked questions, as did several other men in the store. As Savka was lifting his purchases into the bed of his wagon, a young man approached him and asked where he had learned about Saturday being the Sabbath. “Why, it’s right there in God’s Word,” he answered. “In the book of Exodus, where Moses is writing down the law of God on the top of the mountain.” “Do you know there are other people who believe as you do?” the young man asked. “No!” Savka responded. “Who are they? Where do I find them?” “Ah, that’s quite easy,” the young man answered. “They are members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and many of them live just a few miles away. Would you like to meet them?”

Dick Duerksen, a pastor and storyteller living in Portland, Oregon, United States, is known around the world as “an itinerant pollinator of grace.”

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. Executive Editor/Director of Adventist Review Ministries Bill Knott International Publishing Manager Chun, Pyung Duk Adventist World Coordinating Committee Si Young Kim, chair; Yukata Inada; German Lust; Chun, Pyung Duk; Han, Suk Hee; Lyu, Dong Jin Associate Editors/Directors, Adventist Review Ministries Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Greg Scott Editors based in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA Sandra Blackmer, Stephen Chavez, Costin Jordache, Wilona Karimabadi Editors based in Seoul, Korea Chun, Pyung Duk; Park, Jae Man; Kim, Hyo-Jun Digital Platform Manager Gabriel Begle Operations Manager Merle Poirier Editorial Assessment Coordinator Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste Editors-at-Large/Advisors Mark A. Finley, John M. Fowler, E. Edward Zinke Financial Manager Kimberly Brown Management Board Si Young Kim, chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Chun, Pyung Duk; Karnik Doukmetzian; Han, Suk Hee; Yutaka Inada; Gerald A. Klingbeil; Joel Tompkins; Ray Wahlen; Ex-officio: Juan Prestol-Puesán; G. T. Ng; Ted N. C. Wilson Art Direction and Design Types & Symbols 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. Unless otherwise noted, all prominent photos are © Getty Images 2019. Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States. Vol. 15, No. 6

AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Growing Faith

Fun-filled pages for younger ages

Rescued

fell in love with Sparky the first time I saw his picture. Our 15-year-old Yorkshire terrier had recently died, and I was lonesome. “I’ll just look,” I told my husband. We learned that Sparky had been mistreated. Sparky’s hair had been long, dirty, and matted. His “foster parents” had cleaned him up, put a cute little scarf around his neck, and posted pictures on petfinder. 30

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com. We were hooked. He was a beautiful little dog on the outside, but we had no idea how hurt he was on the inside. The first time we took Sparky outside, he was terrified. When he was spooked, which was often, he would run under a bed. He did this so often that we finally left his leash on him around the clock so we could pull him out of his hiding places. Sparky grew attached to my

husband, but he was afraid of me. When I came near him, he would cower on my husband’s lap or run under a bed. I tried reasoning with him. “Come on, Sparky,” I pleaded. “You can trust me. I love you.” It didn’t help. I was ready to give up. Then my husband went out of town for a few days. Suddenly I had the only lap in the house. The first time Sparky jumped onto it, I almost fell out of my Illustration: Xuan Le

BY CHARLOTTE ERICKSON

Bible Treasure: “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15, NIV).

chair. He sat rigidly while I patted him. But at least he came to tolerate me. Sparky had no idea how to be a dog. We tried playing with him, tossing a ball, tugging on a sock, but he just sat there. It was eight months before he trusted me enough to take a treat from my hand. Slowly he started to relax. He grew to love being outside, and he liked going for walks. When snow

covered the ground, he would roll in it on his back, as if he were making a snow angel. He was cute, funny, and polite. By his one-year anniversary with us, we were friends—not best buds, but friends. Evidently he decided I wasn’t so bad after all. I learned a lot from Sparky. I learned that scars on the inside are like scars on the outside; they never quite go away. I learned you can’t force some-

one—or a dog—to trust you. It takes time, patience, and lots of love. I learned that Sparky is a lot like me. Even though God has told me many times that He is trustworthy, I still have trouble trusting Him completely. I learned that just as we rescued Sparky, God rescued me. When I run away, He comes after me and brings me back. “Come on,” He pleads. “You can trust Me. I love you.” AdventistWorld.org June 2019

Let those who have ears, listen!

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