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Better to Be Ready
On Dry Land
50 Years of Mission
October 2019 The Church I Want to Belong to Is...
READY
FOR JESUS
Until He Comes BY BILL KNOTT
T About the Cover Åsne Bergland is 7 years old and lives on an island in the Vesterålen archipelago in northern Norway beyond the Arctic Circle. The sun does not set there for two months in the summer and does not rise for two months in the winter. Her father is pastoring the Adventist churches in the area. Åsne has many wonderful experiences of answered prayer and is very conscious that she is a missionary for Jesus in her local community, in school, and among her friends. The first letter of her name is pronounced as the “a” in all. Credit: Tor Tjeransen/ADAMS
The Church I Want to Belong to Is...
READY FOR JESUS 10 Better to Be Ready
14 Wanted: A Brighter Future 15 1844 in Context The Word 20 On Dry Land 26 Bible Questions Answered My Church 16 Are You Ready? 22 Competition and the Christian Life 27 Health and Wellness Living Faith
here is an irony, both sweet and sad, in the fact that millions of Seventh-day Adventists around the globe will note the 175th anniversary this month of what we still call “The Great Disappointment.” It is sweet because the Spirit used the near-despair of that October day in 1844 to spark deeper study of the Scriptures by a tiny band of disappointed men and women who had staked everything on the belief that Jesus would return to earth. Their intensive investigation of the Word led to an awareness of the importance of the heavenly sanctuary in God’s plan of salvation, a recovery of the truth about the seventh-day Sabbath, and a rediscovery of God’s Edenic plan for human health and wholeness. Tens of millions of people around the world have lived healthier, happier, and yes, holier lives in the unfolding of that disappointing day. But 175 years of waiting for the second coming of our Saviour and Best Friend is, by any measure, a special sadness as well. Followers of Jesus will never be fully content until they are in the physical presence of the Lord who showed how much He valued our material reality by becoming one of us. Grace, at its heart, requires a day—actually, an eternity—of embrace and conversation, for gratitude can never fully be expressed in any one-time “thank you.” The same divinely-given love that makes us seek the presence of other believers every Sabbath also makes us ache until that day when distance and separation will themselves disappear in the reality of being with Jesus. Six weeks after the discouraging day of October 22, 1844, several lines were written that still guide my life’s journey as a committed Seventh-day Adventist. William Miller, the Baptist farmer who had spent years preaching his belief that Jesus would return to earth as the climax of the 2,300-day prophecy of Daniel 8— wrote these remarkable words: “I have fixed my mind upon another time, and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light.—And that is Today, TODAY, and TODAY, until He comes, and I see HIM for whom my soul yearns.”1 These are words for a worldwide fellowship both defined and empowered by its willingness to wait until the Bridegroom appears. That’s why the church I want to belong to is . . . ready for Jesus. 1
William Miller, in The Midnight Cry, Dec. 5, 1844, p. 180.
18 Millennial Voices 19 14th + U for You 24 50 Years of Mission 28 May I Tell You a Story? 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.
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News Moment
Almost 50 percent of decisions for baptism in the Polish Union territory come as a result of ministry activities at Zatonie campground for youth and Pathfinders in Poland. Photo: Polish Union Conference
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News in Brief
“The church owes a lot to these retirees.” —Roger Caderma, president of the South Philippine Union Conference (SPUC), about the attendees of the first-ever Mindanao-wide retirees convention. SPUC is celebrating the fact that one out of every 40 residents in the southern Philippines is a Seventh-day Adventist by honoring the denominational workers, now retired, who are responsible for that growth.
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The number of new bedsheets delivered by a group of Seventhday Adventist women from eastern Guatemala to four hospitals in the cities of Chiquimula, Zacapa, Jalapa, and Jutiapa. Many local hospitals lack supplies, and the life cycle of bedding supplies in a hospital is approximately three months. Funds for the bedsheets were collected from among local Adventist churches.
“We’ve got 90 Minutes to separate politics from people, especially the vulnerable and feeble.” The amount of time it takes the human brain to run through a sleep cycle, including dream sleep, which is rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. Unless the brain cycles through these stages, a person will not feel rested after waking. This concept, along with insights for better natural sleep, was presented by Daniel Giang, vice president of Graduate Medical Education for Loma Linda University Health, during the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle.
—Clifford Jones, president of the Lake Region Conference in the United States. Jones, together with a group of regional administrators and pastors, visited a center in Ciudad Juárez, México, where migrants refused entry into the United States are housed, pending asylum interviews at the border. Hygiene and grooming supplies were delivered to the migrants, funded by the nine regional conferences (historically Black church administrative units) in the United States.
CORRECTION The infographic on page 5 of the July 2019 issue of Adventist World describing the diet of Adventist church members mixed up the sequence of some categories. The correct numbers are: Vegan (5 percent); Vegetarian (14 percent); Pescatarian (11 percent); Eat meat once a week or less (32 percent); Eat meat a few times a week (24 percent); Eat meat most days (14 percent). We apologize.—Editors.
“Fanaticism is a flight from fallibility, and to be a human being is to be fallible.” —Adventist psychiatrist Torben Bergland at the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle at Loma Linda University. Bergland, an associate director of the Health Ministries Department, shared a presentation entitled “What’s Unhealthy About Fanaticism,” in which he unpacked how the fanatical mind thinks and works and how to prevent it. Photo: Adventist News Network 4
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News in Brief
100 The number of topics that were submitted for consideration by attendees to the GAIN Europe meeting this year for an international cross-media collaborative project. The winning topic was “uncertainty.” Over the next year multiple media centers, authors, and communication professionals around the world will work on a variety of components that will address and explore the topic of human uncertainty in the context of Christian thought.
How Many Adventists Agree That God Created the World in Six Days of 24 Hours Each in the Relatively Recent Past Source: General Conference 2018 Global Membership Survey
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90% 100%
65% 21% 7% 3% 4% Strongly Agree
Agree
I’m not sure
“You are the chairman of the board of your health, so don’t let others do it for you.” —Wes Youngberg, assistant clinical professor at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health and School of Medicine; also a certified nutrition specialist and author of Memory Makeover: How to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Reverse Cognitive Decline. Youngberg made his comments during a series of presentations on the sidelines of the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle in Loma Linda, California, United States, while addressing cognitive decline and the possibility of reversing it.
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
More Than 1,000 Young People Gather for Evangelistic Meetings in Mongolia In early 2019 Public Campus Ministries (PCM) leaders in Mongolia planned for what was thought impossible: an evangelistic series that 1,000 young people would attend. By the fourth night more than 1,000 young people were in attendance. Ninety percent were not Adventists, reported organizers. More than 250 young people indicated their decision to follow Jesus and to live a life of mission and service. The first group of 60 attendees were baptized on May 4. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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News in Depth
Amid Ebola Outbreak, ADRA Works to Feed Malnourished Children
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Adventist agency provides humanitarian support.
By Kimi-Roux James, Adventist Development and Relief Agency
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1984. The most recent outbreak of the ebola virus, which began in August 2018, has reportedly been the longest-lasting and second-biggest outbreak to strike the country so far. ADRA has been delivering support through providing clean water, sanitation, and instruction in hygiene best practices. The most vulnerable of the population, who face dire needs during the epidemic, are children and women. CRISIS OVERVIEW
The World Health Organization (WHO), an agency of the United Nations concerned with international public health, recently made the official call that the Ebola disease in the DRC had become a global health crisis.
Since the current outbreak began in 2018, more than 1,700 deaths have been confirmed, more than 2,500 people infected, and 17,000 people are in question who may have been in contact with the virus. Vaccinations, according to WHO, help minimize the spread or exposure of the disease, but because of ongoing conflict and community resistance, in part because of poverty, misinformation, cultural practices, and marginalization, the outbreak has posed a challenge for frontline workers to contain. ADRA’S RESPONSE TO EBOLA
In the DRC, ADRA has branch offices in 17 provinces around the country and is partnering with other humanitarian organizations to implement a food-for-work program to help the communities most affected by the epidemic. “Our top priority is to work with community leaders to help us
This photo from the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa shows ADRA personnel disinfecting ambulances and household items of Ebola patients. Photo: ADRA 6
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build trust and engage with the communities. We want to bridge any gaps in care so we can offer humanitarian assistance,” said Mario Oliveira, emergency response director for ADRA. ADRA has developed a child feeding program with help from UNICEF to work in health-care zones of Katwa, Butembo, Beni, Mabalako, and Oicha in the North Kivu province. “The main objective of this emergency response is to reduce the risk of malnutrition among children aged 26 months and younger, pregnant, and lactating women affected by the Ebola virus disease,” Oliveira said. The project, according to ADRA in DRC, includes establishing maternal breastfeeding corners in treatment centers and health centers for children 2 years old and younger. The initiative also includes purchasing necessary breastfeeding items to nurse infants; training psychosocial and nutrition assistants, including ADRA staff, on emergency feeding of infants and young children; and training registered nurses to relay infection control communication and prevention methods. To date, ADRA has reached more than 170,000 beneficiaries through prevention and community mobilization activities. More work, Oliveira believes, is needed to contain the virus. “The Ebola outbreak will eventually be contained, but hopefully soon before it gets much worse and does not spread across any other borders,” Oliveira said.
News in Depth
Is the Adventist Health Message Changing?
Third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle brings new focus to historical church positions.
By Marcos Paseggi, Adventist World
More than 800 church leaders, health practitioners, and healthy-lifestyle advocates from 106 countries made their way to southern California to attend the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle, themed “Your Brain, Your Body,” in Loma Linda, California, United States. The July 9-13, 2019, event, organized by the Health Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, brought a renewed focus and emphasis to the historical position of the church on health matters, its director, Peter Landless, believes. “We want to emphasize the importance of the mind, body, spirit, social, and emotional connection,” Landless said during a preliminary meeting for coordinators. “We also want to show how lifestyle influences all of those.” THE HEALTH MESSAGE RECHARGED
Church health leaders believe that the Seventh-day Adventist health message has not changed since the breakthrough revelations of Adventist Church cofounder Ellen G. White in the mid-nineteenth century. “From Battle Creek days [establishment of the first Adventist Church sanitarium] to the present, the world has craved the answers to questions that we are uniquely positioned to answer,” wrote Loma Linda University Health president Richard Hart in welcoming participants to the school premises. “What we’ll learn here this week will be a great source of hope for people everywhere.” At the same time, church health leaders explained, the event’s goal is to double down on focusing on
Adventist Health Ministries director Peter Landless addresses some church health leaders and the organizing committee a few hours before the 3rd Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle opened on July 9. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist World
areas that might have been, to some extent, neglected in past decades. Take mental health, for example. “Mental health is hugely important, and needs to be destigmatized,” Landless said when describing some of the focal points of the event. He singled out depression, noting that even though it is the leading cause of disability in the world today, insufficient emphasis has been placed on wholistic well-being, even among Adventists. During the past few years the Adventist world church has focused more on the importance of mental health for overall health. Last year church leaders appointed Torben Bergland, a psychiatrist, as a Health Ministries Department associate director. Bergland is working on Mindwell, an online program that aims to teach mental health awareness. POSSIBILITY MINISTRIES
Another area with a renewed emphasis is special needs, Landless said. “People who have disabilities of any kind need to be treated equally,” he emphasized. According to leaders, this includes accommodating members with disabilities at church services and adding this group to outreach and evangelistic initiatives.
Larry Evans, special assistant to the president of the world church for special needs, agrees. Evans, who usually calls his office “Possibility Ministries,” said that this is “an intentionally inclusive conference.” Church leaders and health practitioners were invited to stay one more day after the closing of the health conference to participate in an event dubbed “Possibility Ministries Conference.” Presentations were designed to create awareness and provide basic training to church leaders for responding better to the various needs of people living with disabilities. ENERGIZING PEOPLE
Landless emphasized a final goal for the event, that it can trigger positive responses in those who attend. “We want to energize people,” he said. “We want them to take what they learned and practice it.” He added, “My prayer is that we will gain knowledge, and be inspired to return to our places of service . . . energized, enthused, sharing wholeness, and serving all. In essence, truly extending the healing ministry of Jesus.” For more articles from the third Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle visit AdventistWorld.org. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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News Focus Trans-European Division (TED)
88,215 TED membership as of March 31, 2019
“It is very clear that the communities of Hackney care about our young people. The council and I, as mayor, believe in our young people, and marches like this are important to show that the community can come together in a spirit of peace and harmony.” —Philip Glanville, mayor of Hackney, a district of London, applauding the local Seventh-day Adventist church for organizing a silent march to support local communities being affected by violent crime. (^-)
“We didn’t expect the response. On Facebook the first video was shared hundreds of times, all over the world.” —Clive Coutet, one of the principal producers of Lineage, an Internet video series that explores the little-known connections and backstories in the development of the Adventist Church, as well as the growth of Christianity itself. While the production team is based in London, England, episodes are shot at various sites around the world. The series is aimed mostly at a secular audience.
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The number of Seventhday Adventist departmental leaders and church employees from across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania who now have a greater understanding in dealing with mental health issues thanks to a three-part training series run in the Baltic Union Conference during the past year. The course was designed to help church employees become better listeners, while understanding emotions and people’s relational needs, especially during times of crisis.
NinetyYears since the Trans-European Division has been in existence. Despite several name changes over the decades, mission has always been at its core, leaders explained at a recent anniversary celebration marking the milestone.
“Your mission begins where you are, not where you think you should be.” —TED president Raafat Kamal, in a commentary article relating the story of David and Svea Flood, Swedish missionaries to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Svea Flood died in the mission field, and David left the Christian faith, discouraged that they had converted no one. Fifty years later a man presented himself to Flood’s daughter and told her that he heard about Jesus from the Floods every day as a boy when he delivered eggs to their back door. He is now a Christian leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, responsible for the growth of the Christian church there.
Photo: Trans-European Division News 8
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Perspective
By Bruce Manners, Adventist Record
Photo: NASA
Remembering the Earth Landing In the big picture of the universe, earth is insignificant. But not to God. This year we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the “giant leap for mankind” moon landing. It was an exciting, significant time in the history of our planet. Most of those old enough to remember it will talk about how they gathered around television sets watching live, grainy, black-and-white images on television as Neil Armstrong and then Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. After the landing of the lunar module, Aldrin asked for everyone listening in to “pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.” During the silence that followed he read the words of Jesus: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you
remain in me and I in you, you will bring forth much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NIV). Then he took the bread and wine (for a private communion) he’d brought with him for the occasion. Later Aldrin wondered whether he should have done that because the astronauts knew they were representing all humankind, whatever their belief. “But at the time, I could think of no better way to acknowledge the Apollo 11 experience than by giving thanks to God,” said Aldrin. Stepping down the steps of the lunar module to the moon’s surface, Armstrong gave his prepared line: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” He spoke truth. A couple years later, in 1971, Jim Irwin spent three days on the moon. He’s best remembered for images of David Scott and him bouncing across the moon’s surface in a moon buggy. He was the first automobile passenger on the moon [Scott drove].
He recalls an occasion during which he stood on the moon looking at the earth. He stretched his hand out, thumb up, and closed one eye. The earth was lost behind his thumb. In a sense, the whole of our planet was under his thumb. For Irwin, it made him feel “terrifyingly small.” We can say that our planet is just another rock in the universe. Yes, it sustains life. Intelligent life. Life that’s creative enough to send humans across inhospitable space and land them on the moon. However, in the big picture of the universe, earth is insignificant. But not to God. He demonstrated that by an earth landing in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago with the birth of Jesus. It is what makes our planet great. Significant. It isn’t because of who we are, what we’ve become, or our abilities or wisdom. God makes the difference. “God so loved the world that He gave” (John 3:16). That’s one giant leap for humankind. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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The Church I Want to Belong to Is...
READY FOR JESUS
Better to Be Ready BY WILLIAM MILLER
The following sermon* was preached by William Miller in 1842. The language clearly exhibits traits of the nineteenth century; the ideas, however, are solidly biblical, timeless, and echo both urgency and passion.—Editors.
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Photo: Benjamin Lambert
Adventist Digital Library
L
et us take a view of the effects produced by the promulgation of this doctrine [of the second coming of Christ], and see how much evidence we have that it is of God. First, wherever this subject has been presented to the people with any fairness, it has been invariably said, and you yourselves are witnesses, that it has produced a general reading and searching of the Bible; our enemies themselves being witnesses also. This cannot be called a bad effect. Second, wherever this fruit has been seen, [“the searching of the Bible”], it has produced a complete revolution with a large majority of such in their faith and hope. And whereas some did not believe that Christ was ever coming again to the earth, or, if He [was], it was a great while yet to come, and of course there could be no such thing as watching for His return with such; now they are anxiously looking for His glorious appearing. This must have the happiest influence on the mind and life of every individual who thus believes. . . . Now they believe in the near approach of the resurrection, and the final union of all the saints, both which are in heaven and which are on the earth; and that the great Sabbath will be enjoyed as a day of rest, with all the children at home. There is a great difference between their former and present faith, as well as hope. And you can all judge which is most scriptural, and congenial with the Christian heart. Third, there were many, very many, sleeping and slumbering over this important subject, of the coming of Christ, the judgment day, and the glorious reign. Now, in every part of the Christian world, the cry is being made, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him”; and the response is heard, “Come, tell us of these things.” And you, my brethren, are my witnesses, many of you, that hundreds—yea thousands—have been as it were chained to their seats for hours, silent as the tomb, to hear this subject discussed. Fourth, in every place where this subject has been judiciously preached, and the necessity of repentance properly enforced, the sceptic, the deist, the universalist, the impenitent, and the careless of all classes, have been made by the power of the Spirit to see and feel their danger, and to seek for the forgiveness of their sins by repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of you, my brethren, can witness to the saving influence of preaching “the kingdom of God is at hand” as a motive to repentance, and to a godly life and conversation. Fifth, we have the consolation of seeing many of our best ministers renouncing the doctrine of the temporal millennium,
William Miller (1782-1849) preached the second coming of Jesus for more than 13 years, and was one of the driving forces of the Second Great Awakening that swept the United States prior to 1844.
believing in the Second Advent as near at hand; and the kingdom of God in its glorified state about to be established on the ruins of the kingdoms of this world; the resurrection of the just, and judgment of the saints; the reign of Christ on the earth 1,000 years, then the resurrection of the wicked, and the finale, or close of the judgment. . . . What has caused all this great movement to one point? Have our periodicals accomplished this? No, my brethren; five years ago, not an individual could be found who had moral courage enough to edit a paper advocating these doctrines. Have societies been formed to carry the news? No. Have missionaries been sent out by a board or sect [denomination]? No. Have seminaries taught their students and sent them out to tell the church of the approach of her blessed Lord? No. What has revived and brought this soul-reviving news to the suffering children of God? Have wicked men? Our opponents dare not accuse us thus. What then has moved the wheel that rolls this blessed sound, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh”? Is it Satan? Look at the effects, and tell me what object he could have in opposing AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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his own kingdom. How inconsistent he must be to oppose his own children thus! See how angry they are, how it disturbs their ranks! Will Beelzebub cast out devils? . . . The answer must be obvious; a child could tell us what: it is the Spirit and power of God. It is He who has promised “to do nothing but He will reveal His secret to His servants the prophets.” He can move upon the minds of His servants to read His Word. He can open it to their understandings. He can call them to publish it far and near. He can protect them from the anger of men, and the fowler’s snare. He will do His will on earth as in heaven, and no one can say, “Why doest thou thus?” *** Now, let me address you in particular, my brethren in the gospel ministry, of every sect, who believe in the speedy coming of our Divine Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of our fathers in the gospel have undoubtedly desired to see the day, which you now see is very nigh, but have fallen asleep in Christ and saw it not. For us who now live is reserved the most important period that man ever saw on earth: the time when these heavens and this earth are rolling together like a scroll, and the history of the world and the church are folding up for the judgment. . . . My brethren, “can you not discern the signs of the times?” Yes, I know many of you do. Then what a thrilling time! What a fearful period—and especially to those servants who may “say in their hearts, my Lord delayeth His coming,” or who “cry peace and safety when sudden destruction!” Let us arouse ourselves, one and all, to the battle, not of blood, but of truth. Let us not mix with the divisions of the day in setting up men or measures, nor stop to contend 12
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who shall be greatest; but let our conversation be in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour. Let us be like servants who wait for their Lord. If we believe we shall soon stand before the judgment seat of Christ, will it not prompt us to have our work done and well done, so that we be not ashamed before Him at His coming? If we believe the prophets, shall not our faith be manifested by our works? If we believe the midnight cry is being made, will we not show ourselves to be friends of the Bridegroom? Can we behold the signs in the moral heavens gathering thick around us, and yet be unmoved at the sight? Do we behold the last plagues pouring upon this guilty world, and our warning voices not mingling in the blast? Is this the harvest home, and are we folding our hands to sleep? *** Let us ask ourselves these solemn questions and answer them to God and our own souls without deceit. Shall we see some of our brethren moving on to the onset, receiving the darts of the scoffer, the shafts of the malignant, the arrows of the enemies, and we, through fear or cowardice, remain among the stuff? No, my brethren, I am persuaded better things of you; if you have courage enough to avow your principles in this age of scoffers, you will have grace enough to protect you in the time of battle. Go on then to victory and glory. Bring in your whole strength to the field, give your enemies no advantage over you, put on the whole armor, be immovably fixed in this one thing, to stand whole nights on your watchtower, if need be; to show our love for God by our faithfulness in the work He has assigned us to do. Let us manifest our love for souls, by our plain dealing in truth, and faithfully warning the wicked
and impenitent of their danger. Let us take the Bible for our guide, and teach others the way of life. Then, if Christ come, we shall be found ready; and if He does not come at the time which I believe is specified in the Bible, still there can be no harm done; for to watch for His coming is duty now, and it can be no less a duty then. . . . I have often heard the whispered words, “God grant that it may be so.” I have often, very often, heard from a warm and animated heart, expressed by voice, the loud response, “Amen.” I have often felt, when retiring from the house of worship, the warm pressure of a hand, accompanied with a “God bless you, my brother.” I have received many written epistles, full of expressions of love and gratitude to God for the good news of a coming Saviour. Need I say to such, watch, lest He come suddenly and find you sleeping? No. As well might I say to the loving mother, “Forget not your lovely babe.” What shall I say? I will say, Rejoice; for now your salvation from all sin is drawing nigh. Keep the faith, and soon you will receive a crown which is laid up for all those who love His appearing. . . . Go on, my brethren, in well doing; encourage, I pray you, those dear servants who are willing to publish the news of a coming Saviour, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You know how your souls were fed, and now will you feed others? Remember that those who are willing to preach this good news are many of them poor and persecuted servants; even their own sects treat them harshly, turn them from their doors, and shut their pulpits against them. And shall it be said in that glorious day, “As much as ye did it not unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me,” unto any of you? . . . A word to those who, by reading
If you have courage enough to avow your principles in this age of scoffers, you will have grace enough to protect you in the time of battle.
or hearing the Lectures on the coming of the Son of man, have been convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of a judgment, and have fled for refuge to the blessed Saviour. I would say, hold on by faith, let no man take your crown of rejoicing from you; are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? . . . The time is at hand. Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain: for God will bruise Satan under your feet shortly. I hope to meet you where sighing and sorrowing will be done away, where there will be no foes, where the last enemy, death, will be conquered, and the family of the redeemed meet in one general assembly. Oh, there will be joy, and immortal life, when we shall meet again! *** Therefore, let me persuade you to be faithful, even to the end. If any of you should feel your hearts grow cold, and relax from your duty, and have strong doubts of your interest Photo: Priscilla Du Preez
in the kingdom, go to the Bible, pray for the Spirit of God to help you, examine this doctrine of the coming of Christ, the resurrection and judgment; if you are a child of God, you will love the doctrine; if you are not, you will hate it. Whatever you may think of yourself, whatever doubts or fears you may have, your heart must be the thermometer on this subject; your affections, like quicksilver, will rise or fall as you come in contact with this glorious theme. If a man love Christ, he will love His appearing; if he hate Him, he will hate to see Him come. This rule cannot be broken. . . . Let me pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. There is religion for you: it is free as the mountain brook, it is plenteous as the dew on mount Hermon, it is as rich as the fruits in autumn. There is “enough and to spare”; it is ever green as the foliage in the spring. Why then perish? What reasons can you give for your rejection of
Christ? He is the one whose day our fathers desired to see, and kings waited for. Prophets foretold His birth and declared His work from times of old. And will you not believe? Will you not hear Moses and the prophets, nor Christ and His disciples? Then in vain would it be for me to try to persuade you to get religion. . . . Let me close by quoting to you the apostle Peter’s words, Acts 3:19-21: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” * This sermon was published in the booklet From Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ about the Year 1843; Exhibited in a Course of Lectures (Boston: Joshua V. Himes, 1842).
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Wanted:
A BRIGHTER FUTURE We asked readers: What comes to mind when you think of the words “the blessed hope”? How has the reality of Christ’s return affected your Christian experience, as well as that of your family and friends? Here are a few of their responses.—Editors.
Axel, Colorado, United States
A rescue mission to save us from this sinful world comes to mind whenever I reflect on the words “blessed hope.” During World War II U.S. general Douglas MacArthur was ordered to leave the Philippines because of an impending enemy invasion. MacArthur fled Corregidor with the solemn promise “I shall return.” MacArthur did return to the Philippines. He announced his triumphant return on the radio: “This is the voice of freedom. . . . I have returned.” Like MacArthur, God will keep His promise to return and take us home. Jayvee, Quezon, Bukidnon, Philippines
No matter how difficult life seems here on earth, I have the strength to continue. People are sometimes difficult to love and deal with. They can be unlovable and unloving. Yet when I think of Christ’s soon return, I am reminded of Him. He will come not only for me, but for the whole world. He loves all people, no matter how bad they seem. He died on the cross for our sins. When I am tempted to be mad at someone, I remember Jesus. Thinking about His return gives me joy, peace, strength, and assurance that everything ugly in this world will come to an end. I am energized to love all people, just as God loves us.
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James, Nairobi, Kenya
Born into a Roman Catholic home, I knew that we go to heaven when we die, passing through a purgatory experience. Then I learned that Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2, 3). The blessed hope is that we’ll be received by Christ Himself, and inherit the everlasting kingdom of God. I don’t want to go alone. My wife, our son, and our two daughters, if we keep the faith, will all ascend to the city of God. As I preach this gospel to others, I pray that my family, like that of Noah’s, will be saved. We shall meet there.
Lailanie, Silang, Cavite, Philippines
I have lost three loved ones in three successive years (brother in 2011, sister in 2012, and father in 2013). Our family has gone through unimaginable crucibles dealing with sudden deaths and severe diseases. Although I know that pain is a blessing not everyone appreciates, I long for Jesus to come again to give us life eternal, and to awaken my loved ones from death’s slumber. I long for the day that death, sickness, suffering, and pain won’t exist. The blessed hope is also about embracing Jesus, accepting Him as our personal Saviour and Advocate. We are living in troublous times. Yet through the Holy Spirit we can have peace amid chaos. I love to share the blessed hope with everyone. Pamela, New Hampshire, United States
The blessed hope is the gift that every individual on this planet has been given by our awesome Creator. If embraced, those three words have the ability to save lives, transform thinking, and provide peace and joy in a world of uncertainty and pain.
Paola, Colombia
The blessed hope helps me get up every day with the strength and will to face a world without faith. It opens my eyes to contemplate the wonders of God, both small and large. Above all, it helps me to appreciate the gift of life, and to use the time He gives me to spend with Him as I would with a good friend.
I am eternally grateful that we had parents who nurtured this gift. Although both my parents are asleep in Jesus, it gives me great comfort knowing that I will see them again and be able to thank our Saviour for this gift. Romario, Jamaica
The reality of Christ’s return affects my Christian experience drastically. It puts me in the state of mind to live in readiness, as if I have only an hour, a minute, a second left here. This also affects my friends, because, after making myself an example, I inform them that we have only a short time here and that they need to set their houses in order because the Son of man will be coming again. Sandra, California, United States
This truth gives me peace that in spite of what happens now, and what’s to come, I will see Jesus and be with Him in eternity. Shylet, Zimbabwe
In my country life is fraught with stress and insecurity because of political uncertainty and economic stagnation. Many have emigrated from a future that seems bleak. I may envy those who relocate to greener pastures, but I realize that even those pastures have their own problems—postmodern societies tearing at the seams. Only the coming of the Saviour can solve my problems, my country’s problems, and the world’s problems, replacing them with infinite joy and peace. His return gives me comfort as I navigate the unique circumstances of my homeland, knowing that soon Christ will come to establish a perfect world.
1844 in Context
Many Millerites waited for Jesus to come on October 22, 1844, on Ascension Rock, close to the William Miller farm.
Moving from disappointment to mission
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ne hundred seventy-five years ago this month we remember what has been known as the Great Disappointment. October 22, 1844, was unlike most other days in history. Thousands upon thousands expected to see Jesus return in the clouds of heaven. They waited for Him in the United States; they waited for Him in Europe, in South America, and many other places around the world. Waiting for the second coming of Jesus was no local or even regional pastime. It was global—and it was biblical. Bible students all around the world had started to put two and two together. Daniel’s prophecies in chapters 7-9 began to make sense. Like William Miller, many had figured out God’s prophetic timing. They thought that the cleansing of the sanctuary, noted in Daniel 8:14, was a reference to Jesus’ return as it appeared in the context of judgment on the little horn. When He didn’t come, they cried and cried until they had no more tears. Many gave up on religion altogether. Others rejoined their former denominations. A small group, however, went back to Scripture. There they discovered that they had
Photo: Gerald Klingbeil
had the time right—but not the event. The end of prophetic time didn’t mark the return of Jesus to Planet Earth. Rather, it marked the beginning of God’s public investigative judgment on His people. It was an important part of God’s plan of salvation. This small group of early Advent believers learned a valuable lesson. When they went back to Scripture, they began to find answers. Scripture is always our safe haven. But, as with the early Christians, they also realized that their disappointment had a purpose. God wanted to reach the world, not just New England or North America—every tribe, language, tongue, and nation. It took decades for them to fully catch the vision of global mission, but once they got it, they never looked back. Like the first Christians, they knew that Jesus was coming again. We still wait and work in anticipation of that great day, which will mark the end of all sin, pain, and also disappointments.
Gerald A. Klingbeil is an associate editor of Adventist World. He has learned the most from the biggest disappointments in his life.
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Global View
Are You Ready? Jesus will return.
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he Second Coming is the very heartbeat of our hope as Adventists. It has been the hope of God’s people for thousands of years. Two thousand years ago 11 men stood on Mount Olivet watching Jesus ascend into the clouds, His hands outstretched in blessing. Suddenly the disciples were startled by two beings, clothed in white, standing beside them. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?” they asked. “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10, 11). God’s Word is filled with promises of Christ’s return. Jesus assured His followers, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). Explaining how He would return, Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. . . . They will see the Son coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:27-30). The apostle Paul wrote: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an 16
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archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thess. 4:16). The book of Revelation proclaims: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). The Bible clearly teaches that Christ’s second coming “will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide.”1 But when? Jesus Himself provides the answer in the last chapter of Revelation. He tells us three times: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll” (Rev. 22:7, NIV). “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (verse 12, NIV). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (verse 20, NIV). HOW SOON?
It could be today for you or me, since we do not have the promise of life for tomorrow. For those who sleep in death, it is only a moment until they see Jesus coming in the clouds.2 But it may be soon for the living, as well, and I wholeheartedly believe it will be. The prophecies in Daniel and Revelation are nearly fulfilled. The present condition of the world with its socioeconomic-political turmoil, point to Christ’s soon coming. Numerous indicators worldwide herald His coming. Nevertheless, naysayers sneer, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4, NIV). Sadly, even some Adventists doubt that Jesus will come in their lifetimes, choosing to focus on earth rather than to prepare for heaven. This is not an Photo: Tom Barret
admonition to be “so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good”! It is rather to live fully expecting Christ’s soon return. LIVING EXPECTANTLY
Speaking of His return, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows,” urging His followers, “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. . . . For you do not know when the master of the house is coming. . . . And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37). One aspect of living expectantly is faithfully doing the work the Master has given us. Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). “The whole world is opening to the gospel,” wrote Ellen White in 1902. “From every quarter of this world of ours comes the cry of sin-stricken hearts for a knowledge of the God of love. Millions upon millions have never so much as heard of God or of His love revealed in Christ. It is their right to receive this knowledge. They have an equal claim with us in the Saviour’s mercy. And it rests with us who have received the knowledge, with our children to whom we may impart it, to answer their cry.”3 Today this plea is even more relevant. It is vital that every Seventh-day Adventist be part of Total Member Involvement—everyone, everywhere, sharing the lifegiving “gospel of the kingdom.” Ellen White wrote: “His [God’s] kingdom will not come until the good tidings of His grace have been carried to all the earth. Hence, as we give ourselves to God, and win other souls to Him, we hasten the coming of His kingdom.”4 What a marvelous thought! We can hasten Christ’s coming by doing the work He has called us to do! CHRIST’S CHARACTER REPRODUCED
Another way we can be ready for Christ’s return is by allowing Him to reproduce His character in us. God loves us and invites us to come to Him just as we are. The Bible assures: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What wonderful assurance that God not only forgives but cleanses us now! Paul’s letter to Titus further clarifies this powerful promise: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all . . . , teaching us
We can hasten Christ’s coming by doing the work He has called us to do!” that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14). Expanding on this, Ellen White provides further inspired counsel: “At the very outset of the Christian life every believer should be taught its foundation principles. He should be taught that he is not merely to be saved by Christ’s sacrifice, but that he is to make the life of Christ his life and the character of Christ his character. Let all be taught that they are to bear burdens and to deny natural inclination. Let them learn the blessedness of working for Christ, following Him in self-denial, and enduring hardness as good soldiers. Let them learn to trust His love and to cast on Him their cares. Let them taste the joy of winning souls for Him. In their love and interest for the lost, they will lose sight of self. The pleasures of the world will lose their power to attract and its burdens to dishearten. The plowshare of truth will do its work. . . . It will not merely cut off the tops of the thorns, but will take them out by the roots.”5 Friends, Jesus is coming soon! Now is the time to surrender fully to Him each day, taking hold of His promises not only to forgive but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and to work through us to win many souls for Him. Are you ready for Jesus to come? “The Second Coming of Christ,” Seventh-day Adventists Believe (Silver Spring, Md.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2018), p. 373. 2 See “Death and Resurrection,” Seventh-day Adventists Believe, pp. 393, 394. 3 Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1903, 1952), pp. 262, 263. 4 Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), pp. 108, 109. 5 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900, 1941), p. 57. 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.
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Millennial Voices
Hot Pursuit
P
lease, Doctor, just one more time!” I froze in my tracks, bewildered by Belinda’s1 persistence. My pregnant patient was desperately pleading with me to forget my medical duties just to rub her lower back, in a bid to offer some relief from her increasingly intense labor pains. From my obstetric assessment I knew she had at least 10 more hours before she would give birth. Six hundred minutes by her bedside, in the middle of the night, and I had 20 more pregnant women to review before I could get some sleep. This was going to be a long night. Earlier, feeling empathetic, I had offered to rub her lower back to relieve the pain of her contractions. I underestimated the appreciation my efforts would elicit. Hardly had I begun to rub her back when the patient on the adjacent bed also began to demand my “soothing back-rub services.” I realized that I would be stuck in this room for the rest of the night, oscillating between their backs, neither of them willing to share my hands. Oh! Time to split. No sooner had I moved into the next room to review other patients than I heard a loud, piercing cry from the hallway. “Daktari! Daktari!2 Where are you? Come rub my back!” Yikes! Belinda qualified for mostpersistent-patient-of-the-year award. I thought that her tenacity and determination would subside, given a few more minutes. Those minutes turned into hours. By the time I had reviewed the whole ward, I still heard her crying for me from her room. I had just sat down at the nurses’ station when I saw her making her way in the hallway, asking every nurse if they had seen the nice “four-eyed doctor” (referring to my spectacles), who had graciously done mysterious wonders for her. I cowered lower behind a wall, hoping that she wouldn’t notice me. The nurses burst into uncontrollable laughter, making fun of me the rest of the night. Even today I remember Belinda “chasing” me relentlessly through the corridors of the hospital. She took the initiative to pursue me. She des-
No matter how far or fast we may run from Him, He still pursues us.
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perately needed relief from her pain, and she was willing to get what she wanted at all costs. That is what persistence is all about. If that’s what a human is capable of, what about God? Reflecting on the events of that night, I am reminded how relentless our Saviour is in His pursuit of us. No matter how far or fast we may run from Him, He still pursues us. He runs toward us, just as the father ran toward his prodigal son. Who can run faster? The psalmist declared that His “beauty and love chase after me every day of my life” (Ps. 23:6, Message).3 His hot pursuit of us is so intense that He became the God-man and chased after us in the hallways of earth. He did not stop there. He went beyond pursuing us and exchanged His perfect life for our doom—all while we were still sinners (see Rom. 5:8). He did not wait for us to be perfect. He became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich (cf. 2 Cor. 8:9). Of His own volition He grabbed my exam paper that had been graded F for fail, erased my name, and wrote His name on it. Then He took His flawless exam sheet (graded A for distinction), erased His name, and wrote my name on it. One day, when we stand before our divine Judge, He will see Christ’s perfect grades attached to our names. Jesus still pursues us today, knocking on the door of our hearts, hoping that we will let Him in (see Rev. 3:20). Why? He says, “That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you” (Isa. 43:4, Message). Will we give in to His chase? Not her real name. Swahili word for doctor. Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 1 2 3
Frederick Kimani is a consultant physician in Nairobi, Kenya, who is passionate about building bridges between God and young people through music.
Special Feature
14th + U for You Interested in current events, relevant news, and a dose of spirituality? BY WILONA KARIMABADI
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wain Esmond and Cliff Goldstein, White Estate associate director and Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide editor, respectively, sit in a restaurant, chatting spiritedly over orange juice, water, and a basket of chips and salsa. Tonight they discuss their varied experiences with racism, and whether anything has changed in the United States and the larger world on this issue. No, I wasn’t privy to their private conversation in a public restaurant. But I did watch their discussion on a new and engaging program on the Adventist Review TV platform—14th + U. And you can too. 14th + U is a program homing in on the intersection of current events and topics shaping our world today, while examining the spiritual lessons we might glean from them. It’s intended for 18- to 55-year-olds who wouldn’t call themselves religious, but who like to stay on top of current events and global news. The show also features snippets of interviews with everyday people taped on the corner of 14th and U streets in Washington, D.C., United States. These “vox pop” or “manon-the-street” sound bites give viewers an insight into what society is talking about while also serving as topics of conversation for Esmond and Goldstein to pick apart. While the program appears to be set in a local restaurant, it is taped in a studio at the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s world headquarters, an effect that helps viewers feel as if they are privileged to listen in on a lively conversation between two friends. According to Rico Hill, Adventist Review Ministries TV lead for programming and development, the purpose of 14th + U addresses
a real need right now. “14th + U is first and foremost designed to increase the Adventist Church’s relevance in the world, while offering a spiritual/moral perspective on the issues that arise daily/weekly. It’s intended to appeal to those who have opinions or may even be outraged by the events in the news cycle, but aren’t aware of the larger, moral center, and biblical narrative.” If you enjoy shorter length videos or podcasts, 14th + U presents its thought-provoking content in a format that you will appreciate. “It is designed to appeal to those who watch and listen to video and audio podcasts, respectively,” says Hill. “We wanted to go a step further and remove the typical recorded aesthetic to give it more authenticity. We decided that two guys in a restaurant booth, while still ‘talking heads,’ was much more interesting to watch.” A key goal of the program, according to Hill, is simple. “We hope to use the show as an evangelistic tool by showing the issues of the day to attract people, then sharing the bigger, spiritual story that includes prophecy and the gospel.” To watch, visit www.artvnow.com and create a free account. The program is also available as an audio podcast from AR Audio. New episodes are available on demand and are archived to make them easy to share on social media. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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Devotional
On Dry A Land
t least 10 times. That’s about how many times the Bible refers to the three incidents in which people crossed through rivers or seas on dry land. The Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan at the end of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and, many centuries later, the prophets Elijah and Elisha at the Jordan. Dry land. Not soft, mushy, sticky stuff that you would expect having just been under water. But dry land.
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Photo: Patrick Hendry
I must admit that those words “on dry land” have impressed me just as much as, if not more than, the fact that God parted the waters in the first place. Parting the waters was a big miracle, I will not deny that. But instantly drying up the ground in order to give those crossing a sound footing? That’s the “Wow!” factor in these miracles.
God made it very clear that salvation comes through His Son. Period.
THE GOD OF DETAILS
But it’s more than just awe-inspiring. It’s reassuring and encouraging. The same God who looks at the big picture takes care of the details. If He did that in these three instances, then He was perfectly capable of doing it in some other very important events. First, there’s creation. It’s a hot topic in many circles— including Adventist circles. Some people would like us to believe that something or someone may have set all this in motion, but then, like an absentee landlord, walked off and let it run its course. That doesn’t make sense. That would be like parting the waters, then letting the Israelites, or Elijah and Elisha, slog through the mud to their destination. God isn’t like that, because again and again the Bible assures readers that they crossed “on dry land.” Second, there’s the matter of worship. God didn’t give some vague command about worshipping Him whenever and however. He was very specific. He wants us to spend the seventh-day Sabbath with Him. He wants us to serve Him by blessing others—including also on the Sabbath day (Isa. 58). Our God is a God of details. I like someone who not only sees the bigger picture but also focuses on the details. Third, there’s the matter of salvation. God made it very clear that salvation comes through His Son. Period. That forgiveness is a free gift. Period. We don’t have to slog through the mud of self-redemption to reach the other side of the Jordan or the Red Sea. God “parted the waters” through the death of His Son on the cross. Then He dried up the land by having Christ rise from the dead. If God can do that for Jesus—raise Him from the dead—then we can be sure that He is planning something equally spectacular for His children, both dead and alive, who wait for Jesus’ return. HE TRULY CARES
To get even closer to home, the same God who did all of the above surely cares about the details of our everyday lives. For some people, that idea is incomprehensible. They’re willing to give God credit for taking care of the big things (like parting the waters), but the little things are too inconsequential for Him. They feel that we have to muddle through the mud on our own.
Nonsense. To God there is no big or little thing in the lives of His children. They’re all equally important. The same God who provides breath and life for us moment by moment can help us make it through the daily ups and downs. He’s there when we lose a loved one, or our job, or our home. He’s there when we lose our keys, or a contact lens, or an important document. He’s there when we cannot see how to make it through the next chemo therapy session or radiation treatment, or stretch the money to reach the end of the month. He is there when we struggle to reach out to our marriage partner or feel deeply hurt by those around us. Sometimes He waits until the eleventh hour to take us through “on dry land.” But that’s not because He’s incompetent or impotent. Sometimes it’s like the angel telling Daniel that it took three weeks to answer his prayer because he—the messenger—had been contending with the prince of the kingdom of Persia all that time (Dan. 10:13). Sometimes certain events have to line up just right before we can see the fulfillment of God’s plan. I have experienced that personally on more than one occasion. The point is that while we are waiting for God not only to part the waters but to dry up the land, we have to wait in faith. We stretch our faith muscles and exercise trust. That’s the bottom line. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve failed the trust test, along with millions of other people since then. But we can reverse the damage done by lack of trust if, by the grace of God, we determine from this moment forward to keep holding on. The God who created the universe, then separated the waters and the dry land during Creation week, is the same God who can see us through today on dry land. Just wait—and watch Him in action.
Sharon Clark holds an M.A. in educational leadership and teaches at Colquitt Christian Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist school in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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Discovering the Spirit of Prophecy
Competition and the Christian Life Boardrooms as well as ball fields
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hen we hear the word competition, we often think of the sports arena. While this may be the most common example, we should step back and consider the larger picture. In doing so we are not alone. Ellen White certainly addressed the matter of rivalry on the playing field. In the context of the bicycle races that engulfed Battle Creek, she observed, “There were some who were striving for the mastery. . . . There was a spirit of strife and contention among them, as to which should be the greatest. The spirit was similar to that manifested in the ball games on the College grounds.” She then stated that this spirit of competition and rivalry was “an offense to God.”1 Nevertheless, Ellen White wrote more frequently of competition within the broader context of life. Ellen White often described competition as strife for supremacy and the desire to be first. She also used the terms competition and rivalry interchangeably. Referencing the publishing ministry, for example, she wrote, “There is a rivalry coming into the work. . . . The publishers and authors who enter this competition will lose the grace of God out of their hearts.”2 BIBLICAL EXAMPLES
Ellen White frequently referred to Scripture in discussing competition and rivalry. She stated that Lucifer’s craving for self-exaltation (Isa. 14:12) “brought strife into the heavenly courts.”3 She observed that the spirit of rivalry between Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:29-34; 27) led to deception, while rivalry between the sister wives, Leah and Rachel, embittered Jacob’s later life.4 She noted that a “sad feature of Solomon’s experience was his supposition that massive buildings and magnificent furnishings give character 22
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to the work of God.” This, she explains, was a result of his endeavor “to pattern after, and to compete with, the world.”5 Christ encountered a spirit of rivalry among His disciples as they argued about who would be the greatest (Matt. 18). In the book The Desire of Ages Ellen White describes Christ’s endeavors to cultivate in His followers a different focus; He explained that while in secular society people compete for the highest position, those who were part of His kingdom should seek to serve (Mark 10:35-45).6 Elsewhere, Ellen White referenced Paul’s metaphor of ancient races and the Christian life (1 Cor. 9:24-27). On the one hand, Paul invites believers to imitate competitors’ commitment to obtain the prize. On the other, he draws a distinction between the popular contests, in which only one receives the prize, and the heavenly race, in which the attainments of one do not detract from those of others. Photo: Abigail Keenan
While there is certainly a cosmic contest in which we all play a part (Gen. 3:15), in this life “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). Indeed, in the great conflict it is Satan’s strategy “to nourish the spirit of rivalry.”7 ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS
Ellen White discussed competition and rivalry in various contexts. When some church members started a sanitarium in Boulder, Colorado, to compete with the institution already established, she declared that these individuals “are doing Satan’s work. . . . [The Lord] bids that this miserable work of rivalry be brought to a close.”8 Another instance was the rivalry that arose between the publishing houses. “My heart is sick, grieved, disappointed,” she wrote. “A contemptible spirit of rivalry, a spirit of seeking for supremacy, prevails.”9 One way that these institutions competed was by increasing the number of illustrations in the materials published. Another was in the rivalry between their flagship periodicals. In her book Medical Ministry Ellen White asserts that church institutions should not attempt to rival nondenominational entities. “Never are we to rely upon worldly recognition and rank. Never are we, in the establishment of institutions, to try to compete with worldly institutions in size or splendor.”10
the believers “have lost their spiritual eyesight,” and the world “has to a large degree lost the conviction that Seventh-day Adventists are a people peculiarly loyal to God.”12 Ellen White was particularly concerned about competition within the family. She stated, “To compete with their neighbors and church members in matters of dress and display is the sin of many parents.”13 LIFE CONSEQUENCES
Ellen White pointed out the results of cherishing a spirit of competition and rivalry, warning that these will create disunity and contention, suspicion and jealousy. She wrote: “The great weakness in the churches is the result of the spirit of rivalry, of seeking to be first.”14 Spiritual life is also affected; witness is compromised. “[The spirit of rivalry] will hurt and finally ruin every soul who engages in it.”15 Not only is the truth misrepresented and the cause of God disgraced, but the spirit of rivalry “will crowd out the missionary spirit.”16 Tragically, when rivalry occurs, the Holy Spirit is grieved, ministering angels are banished, and God’s purpose is defeated.17 To state the matter affirmatively, however, she wrote: “When there is no rivalry, no strife for the supremacy, when oneness exists, . . . then the showers of the grace of the Holy Spirit will . . . surely come upon them.”18
PERSONAL SETTINGS
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE?
It was not only institutional rivalry that concerned her, but competition among individuals. “Not a particle of strife or rivalry should exist between the workers,”11 she penned. Ministers and physicians alike were warned against engaging in competition. Lay members were also cautioned. In business, Ellen White observed that some drove sharp bargains and were viewed by nonbelievers as “keenest competitors for advantage in trade.” As a result,
While Ellen White directly addressed their perils, competition and rivalry were relatively minor themes. Her emphasis was on the remedy—cooperation, unity, and a spirit of selfless service. She referenced cooperation 10 times more frequently than competition and rivalry combined, and unity and service even more often. Ellen White asserted: “Not rivalry . . . , but cooperation, is God’s plan.”19 When “self sinks out of sight, and
“With God at the center, there will be ‘no perilous rivalry,’ but a mutual connectedness that will result in the harmony of heaven.” Christ is exalted,” she penned, “there will be a decided effort, not for rivalry, not to exalt self, but to harmonize with others.”20 Countermeasures to the spirit of competition are found in the attributes of humility, grace, and love. Ultimately, the antidote for competition and rivalry is to receive the Spirit of Christ. “Your energy and efficiency in the upbuilding of My kingdom, Jesus says, depend upon your receiving of My Spirit,” she wrote. “Then there will be no rivalry, no self-seeking, no desire for the highest place.”21 With God at the center, there will be “no perilous rivalry,” but a mutual connectedness that will result in the harmony of heaven.22 Ellen G. White letter 23b, 1894. See also R. Graybill, “Ellen G. White and Competitive Sports,” Ministry, July 1974, pp. 4-7. 2 Ellen G. White letter 133, 1899. 3 Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898, 1940), p. 435. 4 Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 189. 5 In Review and Herald, Jan. 18, 1906. 6 White, The Desire of Ages, p. 432. 7 Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Aug. 6, 1901. 8 Ellen G. White letter 262, 1907. 9 Ellen G. White manuscript 2, 1902. 10 Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1932), p. 158. 11 Ellen G. White letter 53, 1887. Addressed to the Brethren and Sisters Attending the Oakland Meeting. 12 Ellen G. White manuscript 41, 1901. 13 Ellen G. White manuscript 12, 1898. 14 Ellen G. White letter 136, 1900. 15 Ellen G. White manuscript 139, 1899. 16 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 7, p. 173. 17 Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Aug. 6, 1901. 18 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1958, 1980) book 1, p. 175. 19 Ellen G. White, The Publishing Ministry (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1983), p. 158. 20 Ellen G. White letter 152, 1899. 21 White, The Desire of Ages, p. 439. 22 Ellen G. White manuscript 176, 1901. 1
John Wesley Taylor V serves as an associate director of education at the General Conference of Seventhday Adventists. AdventistWorld.org October 2019
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In the village of Serata, in Kenya, the local Samburu women gather to collect water at their new water well provided by Maranatha.
Faith in Action
50 Years of Mission Maranatha celebrates five decades of construction, service, and changing lives.
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n a warm, sunny day in July, a peculiar sight is seen on the campus of the Kiutine Adventist Secondary School in Kenya. A round plastic swimming pool sits amid a landscape of red dirt, acacia trees, and simple block buildings. Surrounding the water is a large group of teenagers. They watch, hopeful, as a young woman climbs into the pool and joins a man dressed in black. The man raises his arm and speaks. “This is Zhenzhu. Zhenzhu has fallen in love with Jesus again on this trip. She wants to live her life for Him. Because you love Jesus and want to make Him the Lord of your life, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He dips her into the water. When she emerges, the crowd erupts into cheers. This happens again and again—37 times—with teenagers and adults who have lined up to recommit or give their hearts to the Lord. By the time they’re finished, the pool has acquired a layer of dirt, its sky-blue floor covered in red. But no one seems to notice. They are too busy hugging, crying, and singing. ULTIMATE WORKOUT
This is the scene on the last Sabbath of the Ultimate Workout (UW), an annual mission trip exclusively for teens, organized by Maranatha Volunteers International. On this twenty-ninth edition of the project, 111 volunteers have gathered in Kenya to build a boys dormitory and classroom at Kiutine. And while the physical work of UW is focused around construction and outreach, the goal is Jesus. Each day begins and ends with worship, a divine connection to God. Couple this with a new environment, new relationships, and new vulnerability, and the result is spiritual transformation. “Everyone should have this experience,” says 16-year-old Elise Hall from Texas, United States, who was among the people baptized on Sabbath. “Everyone should be able to get out of their comfort zone and be put into a place they’re not familiar with, with people they’re not familiar with, and just learn to adapt and love and grow with people they don’t know.” UW is one of Maranatha’s most popular projects, drawing anywhere from 100 to 200 teens each summer. As Maranatha celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, it’s interesting to consider how young people were a motivation in the creation of the organization. MARANATHA’S STORY
The story of Maranatha begins in 1969. John Freeman, a photographer and pilot from Michigan, wanted to create a service experience for his daughters. So he organized a team of young people and recruited pilot Photo: Maranatha Volunteers International
friends to transport the group. In December, 28 volunteers flew to the Bahamas over Christmas to build the Eight-Mile Rock Adventist Church. Maranatha Flights International was born. The program started with a few mission trips and mostly relied on volunteers who could fly their own aircraft to the work site. Early projects were in places such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia, with a handful of participants. A couple years later Caris Lauda, Sabbath School leader for the Adventist Church in North America, contacted Freeman. “He said, ‘We need a church built in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Would you come up?’” recalled Freeman during an interview in 2008 (he died in 2017). The proposed project was far bigger than anything Maranatha had done, but Lauda promised to help recruit volunteers by publicizing the project throughout North America. Maranatha accepted the challenge, and in 1973, 140 volunteers in 23 private planes flew to Canada. In two weeks they built a church from the ground up. The project was a success, and people took notice. The story of Yellowknife circulated throughout Adventist publications and was featured in Mission Spotlight. “I think Yellowknife played a very important part in Maranatha. . . . It sent a signal to the world church that it was good for the church, good for the people,” says Leon Slikkers, one of the original board members of Maranatha. In 1982 the board hired Don Noble to be president of Maranatha. Then in 1989 Maranatha merged with Volunteers International, a Virginia-based humanitarian organization. The organization was renamed Maranatha Volunteers International; that year the headquarters, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, moved to Sacramento, California.
“I believe that Maranatha has provided more than schools and more than churches. They’ve provided the development of thousands of individuals who went on these projects and changed their lives and their witness for God everywhere they went after that,” says Robert Bainum, founder of Volunteers International and former board member of Maranatha. Like Maritza Piedra in Cuba. She had been worshipping in a church so small that people had to sit outside and listen through the windows. She prayed for a new church for so long that she developed calluses on her knees. When her prayer was finally answered with a church that seats 750 people, she cried tears of joy and gratitude. Or like the Turkana tribe of Chumviere in Kenya. The women used to walk for miles to reach the nearest well, spending hours each day fetching water. Today they have a well right in their village. Or like 14-year-old Mia Goldman from California, United States. She had no knowledge of Adventists, and church was a place to go once or twice a year for holidays. Then a neighbor told her about Maranatha and the mission field. Inspired, Goldman and her friends organized an event that raised more than US$15,000 for a water well. After that, the same neighbor invited her on a mission trip. Goldman, along with her mother and brother, headed to Kenya, where they built a much-needed classroom at the Gucha Adventist Preparatory School. Coming from a relatively privileged background, Goldman’s eyes were opened to the reality of life outside her bubble. When she witnessed the connection her fellow volunteers in Kenya had with God, she felt a calling to learn more about Him. “I wondered, what has God done for these people to make them want to worship more? It made me wonder if I could be closer to Him,” she says.
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH!
A FOCUS ON MISSION
In the years that followed, Maranatha’s mission grew exponentially with major initiatives, such as building churches in the Dominican Republic and India, constructing a seminary in Communist Cuba, and drilling water wells in Africa. In some cases they partnered with other organizations such as Insight magazine and ASI (Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries). Today Maranatha has constructed more than 11,000 buildings, drilled 1,000 water wells, and mobilized an estimated 90,000 volunteers in nearly 90 countries. More than 2,200 volunteers participate in mission trips each year.
On a mission trip the noise of the world tends to drop away and is replaced by a simple focus on service. During the past five decades much has changed about Maranatha—from its building designs to volunteer processes to staff—but the one constant is that simple, singular focus on the gospel commission. Maranatha is sharing God’s love with congregations praying for a church, children needing a school, communities desperate for water, and volunteers seeking to renew their connection with Jesus Christ. Or in Goldman’s case, meeting Him for the first time. To learn more about Maranatha Volunteers International, visit Maranatha.org.
MORE THAN NUMBERS
While the numbers give a comprehensive perspective on the organization’s overall accomplishments, they obscure what truly matters: the story of individuals who have been impacted by missions.
Julie Z. Lee is vice president of marketing for Maranatha Volunteers International, headquartered in Roseville, California, United States.
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Bible Questions Answered
Forever Human, Forever Divine Q
I understand why Jesus became human, but why will He remain human forever?
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The Incarnation is a mystery because we do not have the depth of rational thinking necessary to comprehend it. Your question is a good one. Let’s review some of the biblical evidence indicating that the incarnation of the Son of God will be preserved throughout eternity. Then I will list a few theological reasons for addressing your concern. 1. THE PERPETUITY OF THE INCARNATION
The biblical evidence is clear: the union of the human and divine natures of Christ is unbreakable. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14) and was “born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). He grew up as a human being (Luke 2:40) and remained so throughout His ministry (Heb. 5:7). During His crucifixion human blood came out of Jesus’ hands and forehead; He was thirsty (John 19:28) and felt abandoned by God (Matt. 27:46). Like all human beings, He finally died (John 19:30). He came from the tomb as a human being in a glorified body (John 20:27) and was seen by Mary (verse 18) and the disciples (John 21:1). Christ ascended to heaven with His human, physical body, taking human nature to the throne of God (Acts 1:11). He now intercedes for us before the Father: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men [anthrōpōn, “human beings”], the Man [anthrōpos, “human being”] Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). John affirms what false prophets deny, namely that “Jesus Christ [is] coming in the flesh” (2 John 7). Paul adds that once the cosmic conflict is over, all things will again be subject to the Father, and “the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28, NASB).* The Incarnation will never be suspended. Christ became human forever. His sacrifice is an eternal one. 26
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2. ONE INCARNATED SAVIOUR
The perpetuity of the Incarnation reflects the very nature of the Incarnation. If it were not eternal, we would not have an Incarnation but only a temporary indwelling of God in a human being. The Incarnation is in fact two natures in one person, not two persons dwelling together who could easily separate from each other whenever they wished. Jesus does not exist independent of the Incarnation. In Him the human and the divine coexist in an unbreakable union, making it possible for us to be united with God once again. This divine saving act will always be a reality in the universe. The end of the Incarnation would be the end of our divine-human Saviour. It is simply impossible for this to happen. He is, and will remain forever, our Saviour. What happened in the Incarnation was not something that could be undone once it accomplished its purpose. 3. END OF SIN AND PERPETUITY OF THE INCARNATION
In exploring the permanent nature of the Incarnation, we should also consider the fact that sin is both a cosmic and temporal phenomenon, and that its resolution is also cosmic and temporal. Through the work of Christ sin will be eliminated from the universe (cosmos) forever (the time element) and will never rise again. The solution to the sin problem is cosmic and permanent. It is not only a historical event that happened at a particular time in the past—God’s saving act is an ever-present and eternally effective event. The humiliation of God in becoming human in order to die for a sinful race is eternally preserved to ensure that sin will not rise again. The Incarnation is part of Christ’s sacrifice for us. *Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired after serving the church as a pastor, professor, and theologian.
Health & Wellness
Activated Charcoal Is it a good detox agent? I’m interested in the benefits of activated charcoal. A friend told me it’s great as a detox. Is that true?
Y
ou have asked two interesting questions: one about activated charcoal, and one about “detox.” A quick visit to the Internet will take you to numerous sites, mostly commercial, that sing the praises and ring up the charges on juices, potions, and powders from plant extracts to probiotics to “detox” our bodies. We have been “fearfully and wonderfully made,” designed by a Creator who has taken all our metabolic needs into account. Each and every day our bodies are actively engaged in taking care of all the waste products, sometimes referred to as toxins. In high concentrations some of these—such as urea and carbon dioxide—are harmful. The lungs, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, and the process of perspiration take care of detoxifying the body of the products of metabolism that are harmful. We cannot improve on the design. We can work toward having the greatest efficiency of the body’s built-in detox process by drinking adequate amounts of pure water; eating a diet rich in fiber, using a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes; and exercising regularly. All of these habits may improve general body function and cognitive function, and stimulate and strengthen immunity—a truly win-win situation. Adding charcoal as a supplement or treatment does not improve this process. Activated charcoal (referred to as charcoal in this article) is produced by superheating natural sources of carbon, such as wood, along with an activating gas to help expand the surface area. Charcoal has been used for many decades in the treatment of poisoning. Because it’s porous and therefore has a large surface area, it’s able to trap (absorb) chemicals and drugs following an overdose (intended or otherwise). It is not useful in poisonings with alcohol, lithium, cyanide, or iron tablet overdose. In a case of poisoning, never just guess as to whether charcoal will be helpful; always call for emergency and professional help and proceed to a hospital. If charcoal is specifically recommended, it should be administered as soon as possible. It may be because of the usefulness of charcoal in poisonings and overdoses that it’s advertised as a general detox agent in the healthy
state. This is not supported by robust research and science, and it should not be used as a general detox agent. Charcoal may reduce bloating and flatulence, but the literature is divided on its actual efficacy. It may be helpful in diarrhea, as it may bind toxins. It is generally harmless when used in appropriate doses. The side effects of charcoal taken by mouth include a black tongue, black stools, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation. It should not be used in combination with drugs for constipation. Because of its ability to trap chemicals or drugs, it may influence the availability and absorption of regularly taken medications. Speak with your physician about the advisability of your personal use of charcoal.
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.
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The Spring in the Tank Y
“May I Tell You a Story?” BY DICK DUERKSEN
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ou know it’s dry when dust puffs up above your shoes when you walk. By July, dust puffed halfway up our legs. No rain. No thunderstorms. No water in the springs. No water running into the storage tanks. Barely enough water to flush all the camp toilets three times. And 200 9-year-old summer campers were arriving on Sunday, just seven days away. We prayed. All the camp staff begged God for rain, reminding God that Pine Springs Ranch was “His summer camp” and that the ministry we were doing here for the kids was “His ministry.” We prayed for a thunderstorm that would fill the lake without starting fires in the forest. We prayed for water from the sky, on any cloud He would choose. We prayed, certain that God was hearing and that His response would be rapid and powerful, a direct answer to our prayers. Nothing changed. Monday evening Mare Judson, our chief horse wrangler, came to camp with a friend who needed help boarding her horse for a few days. We accepted Cindy as a new staff member. She listened to our water prayers, amazed at our conviction, and wondering about the God who was not answering. *** Tuesday we called a special camp council. “We have a bigger problem
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than dry ground,” our director said. “The Forest Service tells us that if we don’t have water—lots more water—we’ll have to cancel camp.” That intensified our prayers and turned us into avid “cloud watchers.” Thursday we actually saw clouds. They arrived as white puffy wisps that floated over the mountain peaks, then disappeared into the shimmering heat of the summer sky. No water. None. By Friday we were thoroughly discouraged. Pine Springs Ranch is one of the “star” summer camps in the North American Seventh-day Adventist Church. Each summer a couple thousand children fill the dusty forest with joyful laughter and campfire songs. They ride horses, paddle canoes, shoot arrows, make new friends, and learn about God in the mountains above San Bernardino, California. This is “obviously” God’s camp, and He will make sure all goes well. Right? Wrong! Our prayers had progressed from “please” to direct commands. We knew what God should do and demanded that He do it NOW! No water. Friday evening the director and I walked up beyond the boys camp to the giant water tanks nestled beneath the pines. Each tank held more than
10,000 gallons, and each tank was nearly dry. The pipes that fed clear cold water from the spring were hot. No water was flowing. Unless a miracle occurred soon, we were going to have to close the camp. We told God it was time for a miracle, described the appropriate size of the thunderstorm, and even told Him which mountain it should come over. Sabbath a counselor asked to speak before we began worship. “I’m bothered by how we have been commanding God to do something, but have not been doing anything ourselves. We’ve been praying for rain, but if we get a big huge rainstorm the water will just drain down into the valley. It won’t flow into our lake or help with our water supply. We’ve got to put our own energy into this, do our own part, not just wait for God to send rain.” Then he passed out shovels, hoes, and rakes, and showed us where to dig trenches, where to clear pine needles, and where to place mounds of dirt to dam up God’s coming rain. Church was canceled as we did “our part.” *** As we toiled, God sent a thunderstorm! It was huge, a gray-and-white cumulous boomer that promised to fulfill our prayers. We shouted, hollered, praised God for His bounty, and celebrated each raindrop that fell. That didn’t take long, because we felt only about three drops before the clouds went away and the sky returned to the terrifying shimmering blue of a very dry summer day. After sundown we met in the cafeteria, a sad group of counselors, archers, cooks, and leaders. Hope had washed from our hearts. We prayed. Poorly. We sang. Worse. Then Cindy stood, walked slowly to the center of our pity-filled circle, and finally spoke. “You guys make me sick. All week long you’ve been telling me about this wonderful God you serve; about how you can trust Him with your lives and everything; about how He’s going to
send rain because He thinks this is the best summer camp on the planet. Now, when He pushes your faith to the limit by leaving you dry, you put on long faces and cry as if He’s forgotten you, left you alone out here on the mountain, abandoned you in the dust.” We all stared silently, listening but not really feeling what Cindy was saying. “If you really believe in your God, then quit whining about His choices. Get down on your knees and celebrate everything He’s doing for you. And by the way, you’ve been asking just for rain, demanding that He do things your way. What if He has a better idea? Now get out of here; go somewhere and pray for forgiveness.” We went. Shredded in spirit. Repentance on our lips. Later that night several of us were talking humbly near the dry creek that threaded through camp. Two of the counselors, Jack and Don, said good night, and headed up to the boys camp. Moments later we heard a scream that sounded like Jack was being attacked by a cougar. I ran, others right behind me, Jack’s screams drawing us into his danger. We found him standing beside a 10,000-gallon water tank, cold water pouring out the overflow and showering over Jack. The tank, which had been 98 percent empty just a couple hours before, was now full of God’s water. I took a brief shower, then slipped around to the intake pipe, the one that carries water from the spring into the tank. The steel pipe was hot, dry hot. Nothing was flowing into the tank. That night, and for the rest of the summer, we served in awe of the spring in the tank. Water. Pure cold water. More than we needed. Sent His way.
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 Distribution Coordinator Sharon Tennyson 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. 10
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Growing Faith
Fun-filled pages for younger ages
Why You Matter Wonder why you are here? Because you can make a difference.
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ne day in a little Australian town called Byron Bay I noticed a sign that read “I saw the universe change today.” Whoever wrote those words was paying attention. Everything we do makes a difference. That is a lot of responsibility—but we aren’t alone. God, who made us and gave us choices, will also help us make good decisions when we ask for His help. God could have made us machines. Or slaves. Or free 30
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moral agents (beings able to choose and act). God picked the third option, and we make choices and do things that have eternal impact. God created humanity “in His own image” (Gen. 1:27), and every human being has the power to think and to do things. What we do matters. What we do creates relationships, either positive or negative, that otherwise would not exist. There are people—real people with names and faces—who are who
they are, and love what they love, because of us. Every act of love we perform makes a difference to the course of history and, therefore, in the eternal plan of reality itself. Look at it this way: If I speak a word of encouragement to a heavy heart, it matters on a grand and heavenly scale. If I visit a sick person and envelop their heart in compassion, that deed means something of huge worth. If I feed a hungry child, doing so establishes a vital Illustration: Xuan Le
BY TY GIBSON
Bible Treasure: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV).
experience of generosity in that child’s life, as well as in God’s existence as the one who loves that child as Himself. These ideas may be difficult to understand at first. But here is an important question we should ask ourselves: What will we do with our lives today, this very hour? Look around. Men, women, and children await our impact, crave our love, and may be spiritually blessed by our example. These people may be
made alive by our kind words, forever saved because we’ve revealed the Saviour’s heart to them—and they’ve chosen Him because of our example. “I saw the university change today.” It changed because of my choices and yours.
What Can You Do? List five ways you are going to show God’s love to others this week.
This article was written by Ty Gibson and adapted for KidsView. It first appeared in the July 2013 KidsView.
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Read inspired writings. Learn to pray with power. Become equipped for witnessing. Find practical resources for your spiritual life. revivalandreformation.org
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