Adventist World English - February 2021

02/2021 Surviving the Storms Page 15 God’s Plans or Mine?

Page 20

From Fear to Awe

The Spirit Still Speaks Page 24

Crossing the Lake

BY BILL KNOTT

O

10 From Fear to Awe Bill Knott

14 Experience This

16 Artistry

Lisa Froelich

Wilona Karimabadi

18 Global View The Secret of Peace Ted N. C. Wilson 20 Millennial Voices God’s Plans or Mine?

Lynette Allcock 21 What We Believe Satan Says Lael Caesar 22 Faith in Action A Conversion, Adventist Education, and the Holy Spirit Youssry Guirguis 24 Discovering the Spirit of Prophecy The Spirit Still Speaks Tim Poirier

26 Bible Questions Answered Which Commandments?

27 Health & Wellness Cognitive Changes 28 May I Tell You a Story?

Still Keeping and Giving at 102 30 Growing Faith Love

ne bitterly cold day when I was 23, I stood beside an open grave and read these lines to a grieving family: “And all is well, tho’ faith and form Be sunder’d in the night of fear; Well roars the storm to those that hear A deeper voice across the storm.”

The words had been extracted from a monumental poem, “In Memoriam,” composed by Alfred Tennyson in 1850 to commemorate the loss of his friend, Arthur Hallam. The lines spoke comfort, certainty, and faith—things people at a graveside need.

Ten months later I stood beside the open grave of my best friend in a light October rain and wondered at my optimism. Jeff and I had been friends since the beginning of high school—battling for the highest grades in English, chemistry, and math; singing in mixed quartets and choirs; praying together every morning during a break between classes.

Now he was gone, a brilliant young minister, cut down by a road accident at the dawn of his day.

Was there, in fact, “a deeper voice across the storm”? It took me months to discover it—hard, painful months in which the reassurance I had offered others didn’t always soothe my grief. The seeming meaningless of loss—the hopes cut short, the conversations never had—felt like the Galilean waves that nearly sank another boat.

It required months—no, years—and other major storms survived to be certain of that deeper voice. Losing my friend was only the first of many tempests that have battered my boat in the last 40 years. There were other accidents, other dread diseases, that swept away the ones I loved. There were a hundred disappointing days when I wondered if my ministry meant anything, if progress could be made, if some beside me in the boat had given up their trust and hope.

Yet still we push out to the deep, let down our nets, and find ourselves surprised by joy.

This boat makes many crossings of the lake—to watch the Saviour still feed thousands through His word; to see His healing touch conveyed through hundreds of trained hands; to see new converts buried in the water and raised again to life abundant.

And on some nights the winds still howl. The waves still lash God’s remnant church with all the fury of the demons Jesus once sent plummeting into the lake. The boat will seem to fill with pain as we discover just how much the devil hates this fishing craft.

And we will need each other—to remind each other—that there’s a Lord who has never left us, One who rises in the tumult to again command, “Peace, be still.”

Keep sailing, friends, and when it’s needed, keep on rowing.

There is a great calm coming—an eternal, joyful harbor to which the Lord will finally steer His ship.

Stay in grace. Stay in the boat.

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

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Adventist Church in Serbia used a converted RV trailer to offer “schools on wheels,� serving Roma children. Teachers offered fun and educational activities, library facilities, and one-on-one mentoring.

Photo credit: ADRA Serbia

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News in Brief

February 2021 AdventistWorld.org

Source: ASTR Research and Evaluation Team in collaboration with Meta-Analysis Research Team, Andrews University, n = 56,827

0%

12.3

0%

21.99%

%

4

.8 13

11.4 3

—Helio Carnassale, director of public affairs and religious liberty in the South American Division, commenting on a recent historic ruling by Brazil’s supreme court protecting the rights of Sabbathkeepers.

More than once a week Every week Almost every week Once a month At least once a quarter Only once or twice Never

14.

32 %

“This is more than an Adventist cause; it is a ruling that benefits every person with a holy religious day. It stresses our conviction that freedom of religion is an individual right, something that every human being must equally enjoy.”

In the 2017-2018 General Conference-commissioned Global Church Member Survey, researchers asked the question: How often during the past 12 months did you support another church member to grow spiritually?

18% 15.

Number of registered participants of the seventeenth Global Adventist Internet (GAiN) Conference, held virtually from November 30 to December 3, 2020. Participants from many countries around the globe heard inspiring testimonies about the use of technology and media in evangelism and also received practical training. The content of the conference was made available in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

8% 10.9

3,000

Supporting One Another

“There are some Christians who speak against Muslims, but that’s not what Jesus would have us do. We want to build friendships with our Muslim neighbors and share Jesus’ love with them.”

—Edison Akrawi, volunteer director of Middle Eastern relationships of the Greater Sydney Conference, talking about being a blessing to Muslims living in Australia. There are about 322,000 Arabic-speaking people in Australia.

News in Brief

“Márcia is my “I was learning first student from preaching it also.” receiving Bible studies entirely in a virtual setting. It was an immense satisfaction to finally meet her in person on the day of her baptism!”

—Dwayne, a sixth-grade student at Peterson-Warren Academy in Inkster, Michigan, United States, reflecting on his experience as one of the speakers of a virtual evangelism series led by Adventist elementary students from four schools in the Lake Union Conference.

330

—Ronaldo Hausen, a volunteer Bible instructor of the Porto Alegre Central Adventist Church, Brazil, after finally meeting Márcia Ribeiro in person, one of his virtual Bible study participants, following her baptism on November 14, 2020.

Number of houses built during the past 15 years by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and many volunteers in Romania as part of the “Finally Home!” initiative designed to help working families in need.

House number 330 was inaugurated in Valea Lungă-Cricov, Dâmbovița, and blessed Gabriel and Veronica Cismaru and their two young children.

“Forgiveness is a choice and journey.

Trauma is the gift that keeps on giving. It sticks like glue to your hearts and minds. Be compassionate to those who are hurting. Do everything you can to prevent abuse. We need to take responsibility for what’s gone wrong.”

—Mary DeMuth, author and keynote speaker of the virtual enditnow Summit on Abuse, organized by the North American Division in November of 2020.

Hjelpeaksjon Norwegian name for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Ingathering campaign, traditionally connected to the end of the International Week of Prayer. In 2020 the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway, ADRA Norway, and Hope Channel Norway produced an interactive virtual two-hour program that also included an online auction of paintings, photographs, and books and raised both awareness and funds for ADRA projects in Africa and Myanmar. (->) Photo: ADRA Norway AdventistWorld.org February 2021

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News in Depth

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Opens Adventist Business Sessions

James Marape, himself an Adventist, calls members to focus on mission.

By Jarrod Stackelroth, Adventist Record

Papua New Guinea (PNG) prime minister James Marape has used his address at the opening of the sixteenth business session of the Papua New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM) to challenge Seventh-day Adventists. “The Adventist Church is not growing at the same rate as PNG’s population,” Marape said.

“You should aim to reach 1 million members by the end of the next five-year term.”

Marape, himself a Seventh-day Adventist, was unable to attend in person during the opening program on November 29, 2020, which was livestreamed on Facebook, but shared his favorite verse, Romans 8:28, and reminded attendees that God is in control and knows what is best for each one, collectively and individually.

While Marape has no scope to influence the Adventist Church

strategy, his speech seemed to inspire delegates and was a highlight during the first day of meetings.

Marape encouraged the Adventist Church in PNG during this time as the newly appointed church administrators take over. At the same time, he commended those who had gone before.

Much of the opening program was spent introducing the newly appointed administration team of Malachi Yani (PNGUM president) and Leonard Sumatau (secretary) and thanking the outgoing team, Kepsie Elodo and Henry Monape— with all four giving speeches.

Delegates in the auditorium of the PNG University of Technology, Lae campus, joined with international guests from the South Pacific Division (SPD) who were on Zoom.

The reports and worships for the week were also livestreamed on

The IT team helped keep things running smoothly, broadcasting on Facebook.

Photo: Adventist Record 6

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Facebook so that church members and those around the Pacific region could join.

According to church leaders, one central talking point was the PNGUM Survey Commission, which looked at mission structure, staffing, and funding in depth to address some issues and help PNGUM’s missions mobilize for success in the field. PNGUM has appointed a consultation committee, composed of Ray Paul and Ahu Baliki, to consult with the missions and membership before working on a final recommendation.

PNGUM currently has nine local missions and one conference, while the government uses only four provinces to administer the country. One of the survey recommendations looked at the impact of adopting the model of four administrative units.

A strong emphasis on discipleship and total member involvement shone through many of the presentations at the “Jesus Is Coming, Get Involved” theme of the session.

Many of the mission reports testified to the effectiveness of the Discovery Bible Reading method and the small groups that have been embraced this year, even as larger gatherings and a nationwide evangelism program, “PNG for Christ 2020,” had to be abandoned due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Church planting expert and author Peter Roennfeldt, who has spent much time during the past five years running training programs throughout PNG, joined SPD president Glenn Townend in taking worships throughout the week.

News in Depth

Physical Disabilities Are Not a Hurdle for Volunteer Evangelists

In Brazil, physical challenges have not stopped them from sharing Jesus.

By Anne Seixas, South American Division, and Adventist World

Thais Alencar was born and raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since she was a young girl, her parents encouraged her to have an active role in her faith community’s activities. She was part of the church choir and took part in children’s Sabbath School activities.

Even though Alencar’s story could be similar to that of many other young Adventists, there is a significant difference: as a result of premature birth, Alencar had cerebral palsy and became quadriplegic. A wheelchair became her only means of moving around. But despite her motor difficulties, Alencar became a translator, interpreter, and journalist and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in scientific and cultural promotion from Campinas State University.

The call to dedicate her life to preaching the gospel came at age 10, while her father was studying theology at Brazil Adventist University.

Now, at 28, she preaches often, as she has a clear vision of how having a disability can open doors for more people to understand God’s love.

“It allows me to talk about other issues, such as the hope of Jesus’ return and the gospel, in a unique way,” Alencar said. “I don’t think that having a disability draws other people’s attention, but it is undoubtedly a way God uses to help me be a witness by talking about His power,” she added.

Pastor Julio Ribeiro (left) and his family. Ribeiro says that it is crucial for local churches to change the preconceived idea that people with disabilities are needy and helpless.

Photo: courtesy of Julio Ribeiro

create a register that can map and locate these people and then offer services and content that encourage and facilitate evangelistic work.

“The focus is to include people with disabilities and support them so that they can invite others with similar disabilities to their groups,” Alacy Barbosa, Possibility Ministries coordinator in eight South American countries, explained.

ADAPTING TO NEW NEEDS

INCLUDING EVERY PERSON

With the help of experts, the South American Division Possibility Ministries has been working to increase projects that include people with the most diverse disabilities. One of the initiatives is to

At the same time, Alencar said, those with no significant disabilities can help support the mission of evangelists like her. According to Alencar, just praying and actively supporting their ministry can be a factor for change.

Julio Cesar Ribeiro, associate coordinator and advisor of Possibility Ministries in the central region of São Paulo, agrees.

“The local church must act in the training of human resources.

Leaders, Sabbath School teachers, elders, church preachers, and members must understand the importance of bestowing dignity to people with disabilities,” he said.

Ribeiro was born with a congenital malformation in his arms.

According to him, it is crucial to change the preconceived idea that people with disabilities are needy and helpless. “It is important to understand that the gospel is power and grace, and it is available to everyone,” he said.

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News Focus Inter-American Division (IAD)

3,676,457 Membership of the Inter-American Division (IAD) as of September 30, 2020

15:14 The number of minutes and seconds it took Ruben Gustavo Maltez, age 18, of El Salvador, to answer 72 questions correctly in the IAD territory-wide Bible Connection competition. The seventeenth iteration of the yearly contest focused on the book of Job, as well as several corresponding chapters from Ellen White’s book The Great Controversy. Maltez won a four-year scholarship to the Antillean Adventist University in Puerto Rico.

“Communication and media are having a much greater place in our lives and in our ministry now. We must make sure we can use what’s available and use it to full potential, for we have an eternal gospel to share.”

—Elie Henry, president, Inter-American Division, during a special online communication and media advisory for union conference administrators, communication directors, media staff, and members of the IAD’s executive committee held on November 12, 2020.

#Rescate316 Hashtag of a digital evangelism campaign organized by the InterOceanic Mexican Union, Mexico, and geared toward a younger viewership and presented on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. A variety of digital evangelism efforts in 2020 resulted in nearly 6,000 baptisms in the territory of the union. The campaign was preceded by training thousands of young adults as virtual Bible workers. (^-)

3,030 Number of food bags distributed to hundreds of families in the state of Táchira, western Venezuela, affected by major flooding in November 2020. The donations were funded by a partnership of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the West Venezuela Union Mission. More than 200 church volunteers helped to pack and distribute the food bags.

“I am extremely elated at my election to this high-level committee at the United Nations. This is what one receives when you put your faith and trust in God, as He promised that when we put our faith and trust in Him, He will lead and direct our path.”

—Floyd Morris, visually impaired senator of the Caribbean country of Jamaica, commenting on his election to be a member of the United Nations Committee for Persons With Disabilities.

Photo: Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union 8

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Perspective

By Dwight Nelson, lead pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church, Andrews University

Photo: azerberber / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

Don’t Forget the Vaccine Only one antidote offers a 100 percent cure to those who take it.

When I was a sixth-grader at John Nevins Andrews Elementary School in Takoma Park, Maryland, United States, I can still remember traveling with my parents to a distribution point, where medical personnel were giving all of us small sugar cubes containing the polio vaccine. Subsequently, I never contracted polio, and the disease has virtually been eradicated in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. In the early 1950s, before polio vaccines were available, polio outbreaks caused more than 15,000 cases of paralysis each year. Following the introduction of vaccines—specifically, trivalent inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in 1955 and trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in 1963 [when I got my vaccination]—the number of polio cases fell rapidly to less than 100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in the 1970s.”1 On December 2, 2020, the United Kingdom was the first to approve a mass distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, and other countries soon

followed. But why talk about vaccinations at all? Because we need to remember what vaccinations are.

During the past two centuries, vaccines have been the scientific fruit of the medical community’s desperate efforts to eradicate or at least halt the advance of killer diseases. Plain and simple. Are they perfect scientific medical remedies? Probably not. But is there anything perfect on this side of heaven? Although come to think of it, one of the great Bible narratives is about a vaccination antidote that offered a 100 percent cure to those who took it.

PIERCING CRIES

The children of Israel are bellyaching against God and Moses (for the umpteenth time), but this time God honors their bitter complaints by withdrawing His guarding presence: “As the protecting hand of God was removed from Israel, great numbers of the people were attacked by these venomous creatures [wilderness vipers God had been shielding them from].”2 “Piercing cries” rend the night air as these once-kept-at-bay killer vipers attack the tented masses. Humbled now by their act of rebellion, the people cry out, “Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us” (Num. 21:7, NIV). At God’s direction, Moses hurriedly crafts a bronze viper and hoists it on a pole in the center of the community. God’s promise is

simple: “Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (verse 8, NIV).

And the story concludes, “Then when anyone who was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived” (verse 9, NIV).

The divine vaccination worked perfectly. Those who looked, lived— healed by faith on the spot.

Jesus reminded His midnight visitor of the story and then declared: “‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him’” (John 3:14, 15, NIV).

Everyone. One hundred percent of those who look by faith to the cross and their Saviour for healing are healed of the killer disease of sin.

LOOK AND LIVE

So, let’s celebrate the good news of God’s vaccine: “While we realize our helpless condition without Christ, we are not to yield to discouragement, but rely upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Look and live. Jesus has pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him. . . . Not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish.”3 There it is again—100 percent efficacy of His vaccine. So let’s look to Jesus—and live. www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1890,1908), p. 429.

3 Ibid., p. 432.

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Focus

BY BILL KNOTT

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Neither age, nor health, nor race, nor wealth protect us from a tiny enemy we cannot see.

W

hen we were children, it seemed sometimes that we controlled the world.

We held stubby fingers up before our eyes, and beloved family members disappeared—but only for a moment.

We laughed, and a roomful of adults stopped all their busy talking to laugh uproariously with us.

And when we cried, the world ceased all its normal turning, for people rushed to hold us, clean us, comfort us, or feed us.

We prayed for lost kittens and puppies, and (mostly) they came home. We prayed for the safety of those who went to share the gospel, and they returned with tales that validated all our prayers.

There was, we thought, a straight connection between our actions and the happenings around us. When we were good, the sun broke through the clouds. When we were angry, churlish, selfish, mad—things only went from bad to worse.

Bicycles or cars broke down on Friday afternoon because we hadn’t adequately prepared for Sabbath. Friendships ruptured because somewhere, somehow, there was a sin we never had confessed. In the universe we knew, good things happened to people who made wise and good choices. Bad things—terrible, unspeakable things—were waiting for those who lived without the law. Because we finally learned that “there is none righteous, no, not one”—not us, not me—we wondered if the fire that burned the barn or the accident that broke a wrist was somehow heaven signaling us of our lost innocence and poor choices.

But then there come events so cosmic and so vastly scaled there seems no way anything in us could be the cause of them.

National economies slide into debt, and currencies are devalued. Corruption reigns where justice ought to sit, and all our

Photo: Matt Hardy

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moral compass seems reversed.

A terrorist attacks an oil lagoon 10,000 miles from where we live, and suddenly, we find it difficult to fill the fuel tank.

Wildfires rage and icebergs melt.

Hurricanes and typhoons spin across vast oceans, targeted, it seems, on just those places where the misery will be greatest. Coral die; species disappear; and coastal cities watch their gleaming towers succumb to rising seas.

A great pandemic sweeps the globe—carrying off the righteous and the uncaring, the faithful and the atheists. Neither age, nor health, nor race, nor wealth protect us from a tiny enemy we cannot see. And with each COVID death of one we know, of one we love, we lift our weeping eyes to heaven and murmur in our grief, “Don’t You care if we perish?”

The storms of everyday existence in the twenty-first century are real enough, and we have come to realize that there are larger,

We cannot see that He who slept in innocence has in His hands a vast omnipotence.

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darker forces as their cause than anything we did, or any choice we made. “For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, RSV).1 Like overtired and fearful disciples clinging to a sinking boat, we wait impatiently for rescue: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Ps. 13:1, NRSV).2 And there, in the stern of our boat, lies the One in whom we have been taught to trust, sleeping the imperturbable sleep of innocence and faith.

It’s enough to make grown men and women gnash their teeth, for we have it as a rule of what we call our “faith” that everyone is needed in a crisis. “All hands on deck,” the navy motto goes when calamities require every resource and could-be sailor possible. At minimum, we mutter, Jesus could be bailing water with us. He should be manning oars, or hauling down the broken mast. Because we are having an emergency in our lives, we assume He should be having an emergency in His. But still He sleeps—no, actually, He rests—within the hollow, not of a boat, but of His Father’s hands.

And while He dreams of thousands He will feed and bodies He will heal and eyes He will cause to see, we feel our helplessness and panic transform to caustic indignation.

We now blurt out what once we only dared to think: “Don’t You care if we perish?”

“This is my job, Jesus, that I’m losing. How will my family eat?”

“This is my neighborhood the typhoon destroyed. How can we ever rebuild?” “This is my wife, my husband—the one you gave to Me—now in the hospital barely able to draw breath, unable to communicate.”

These are the questions born of fright, but they seem deadly urgent.

Faith in this moment seems akin to “God helps those who help themselves” (and other unbiblical ideas).

We insist that the answers to our crisis lie in the means we have at hand—in stabilizing a capsizing boat, in bailing water, in keeping oars in oarlocks.

We can’t imagine One who rises from His rest to stand there in the filling boat and call the winds and waves to heel. We cannot see that He who slept in innocence has in His hands a vast omnipotence. His answer is beyond our sinking imaginations, for He controls the very forces we have deemed most deadly: “The waves and winds still know His voice, who ruled them while He dwelt below.”3 He knows that, terrible as it is, this storm is not the biggest one that will yet invade our destinies.

“Whether the wrath of the stormtossed sea Or demons or men or whatever it be, No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean and earth and skies.”4 And the calm He creates, and the gentle lapping of the waves upon the suddenly-stable boat are as surprising as the storm that swept

down from the canyons. The pain and tension of clenched muscles and clenched minds gradually subside as we are now overtaken by a new and righteous fear—or rather awe—the fear another dull disciple once confessed in the bottom of another boat: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8, RSV).

We sense again our deep unworthiness—not as the cause of all that happened, nor as the ones whose bad behavior generated big storms—but how much we are held by grace, even in emergencies; especially in emergencies. He who shared the soggy bottom of a boat with 12 desperate, frightened men now shares the bottom of your boat as you peer over the gunwales at a world still threatening more illnesses and storms.

Jobs will still be lost, and pets will disappear. Rebuilding houses and communities will be both hard and slow, and broken relationships will be healed only at the pace of humility and love. We will still grieve when dear ones breathe their last, or sink to places conversation cannot go. But we have seen the vital vision of a Lord who never leaves a sinking ship, or turns His face when we are in calamities. Against the roiling waves and surly clouds we see the silhouette of Him who has committed to bringing us to His eternal harbor. We now have this certainty that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39, RSV)—not height of storm, nor depth of sea; nor crises now, nor crises yet to come; nor life cut short, nor death delayed; nor any other thing in all creation.

Photo: Thirdman

Because we are having an emergency in our lives, we assume He should be having an emergency in His.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18, RSV). “

Bible texts credited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1946, 1952, 1971, by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

2 Bible texts credited to NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

3 Katharina von Schlegel, tr. Jane Borthwick, “Be Still, My Soul” (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1985), 461.

4 M. A, Baker, “Master, the Tempest is Raging” in The Church Hymnal (Takoma Park, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 677.

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Bill Knott is the executive editor of Adventist World.

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Focus

Experience This

Seeing and hearing a different perspective

We imagine Bible stories as we read. In the story of Jesus calming the storm, we see the

waves, we hear the cry of the disciples, we imagine lightning splitting the sky. Music and art offer us an entirely different viewpoint. The musician writes calmer music than we expected; the artist uses pastels when we imagined bold strokes. The disciples don’t look like us; Jesus isn’t exactly as we thought.

Various perspectives are important. It is through these that we understand all that God wants us to learn. Adventist World offers two hymns and three artistic perspectives in the next few pages. Scan the QR code for even more.

Saved From Trial

A

merican Mary Ann Baker, who wrote the lyrics to “Master, the Tempest Is Raging!” faced many trials in early life. Her parents died of tuberculosis.

Soon after, her brother contracted the same disease. She, along with her sister, contributed what little money they had to send their brother to Florida, so he could recover in a warmer climate than their Chicago, Illinois, home. At first, her brother showed signs of improvement, but suddenly took a turn for the worse and died almost immediately. The two sisters did not have enough money to travel to Florida for his funeral, or to bring his body back to Chicago.

Though raised in a strong Christian home, Baker struggled to keep her faith after the death of her brother. “I became wickedly rebellious at this dispensation of divine providence,” she said. “I said in my heart that God did not care for me or mine.”

As weeks passed, God began to calm the strong winds and waves of Baker’s trials. “The Master’s own voice stilled the tempest in my unsanctified heart and brought it to the calm of a deeper faith and a more perfect trust,” she said, referencing the story in Mark 4.

Her personal testimony was suffused throughout the hymn. The image of Jesus rebuking the wind and calming the waves eased her troubled spirit. Baker’s faith not only returned, but it flourished.

Her words were set to music by H. R. Palmer, who requested Baker prepare several songs to go with several themes, including Christ stilling the tempest.

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“Be Still, My Soul”

B

e Still, My Soul,” hymn 461 in the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, is an outcome of the work of three people in three countries and different centuries. It was written in the 1750s by a woman named Katharina von Schlegel. Little is known of her, other than that she was born in Germany on October 22, 1697. She wrote a number of hymns, but “Be Still, My Soul” is the only one to survive.

The text, originally in German, was given the title, “Stille, mein Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen.” One hundred years later in Scotland the words were translated into English by Jane L. Borthwick. Because of this translation the hymn has survived. It’s said that von Schlegel wrote six verses, but Borthwick translated only five, three of which are usually sung today.

Though little is known about von Schlegel, it is evident she was well versed in both the Old and New Testaments.

Throughout the hymn she wove together a series of scriptural themes and references to different biblical events, including a reference at the end of the second verse to Jesus calming the storm.

The tune comes from the central melody of Finlandia, an orchestra piece composed by Jean Sibelius. Sibelius was born in Finland and the music mirrors portions of Finnish history. Finlandia was composed in 1899-1900, but wasn’t paired with Katharina’s words until almost three centuries after the words were written.

Much of the piece is turbulent in nature, reflecting the Finnish people’s national struggle. Eventually the vigorous music develops into sounds of hope and resolution, creating the serenity of the melody we know as “Be Still, My Soul.” It’s still considered a Finnish national favorite today.

Lisa Froelich is the music teacher for prekindergarten and kindergarten, as well as the band instructor for grades 6 to 12, at Spencerville Adventist Academy, in Silver Spring, Maryland

Focus

Surviving the Storms

R

embrandt van Rijn was a Dutch seventeenthcentury artist who enjoyed painting stories that featured Jesus.

He opened his Bible and studied the texts to find details to include in his paintings. He saw his Bible as a diary of his own life: full of adventure, difficult times, and triumph as he lived with Jesus.

A look at the painting Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee* reveals Rembrandt’s connection to the story.

The seas are wild, and the sky is black as the sail of the boat is ripped and its ropes are broken. At the front of the boat are terrified and panicked disciples trying with all their might to save themselves. One man is vomiting over the side while holding the top of his head for stability. Down the

back of the boat we see five disciples next to Jesus. One is kneeling and praying. Another is grabbing the clothes of Jesus as if to say, “Why don’t You do something?”

Then we see the artist, Rembrandt.

He has painted himself in the boat holding on to a rope with one hand and his hat with the other. Why did Rembrandt include himself in this story? And why is he looking out at the viewers of his painting? Because, like many of us, even the famous Rembrandt experienced rough seas in his life. Tough times that made him wonder whether or not he would survive. Rembrandt married Saskia, the love of his life, and together they had four children. Within just a few years Rembrandt saw his wife, three of his children, and his mother die. He went

bankrupt and became depressed.

The timing of the story is important. Rembrandt painted the scene just before Jesus rose to His feet to tell the waves and wind, “Peace, be still.” The point that Rembrandt is making is from the Bible and his own experience. Even when everything looks hopeless in life, Jesus is with us, and He will bring us peace. *Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1633 (oil on canvas). This painting was stolen in 1990 from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

Neale Schofield is presenter of the Masterstroke series, which is featured on Hope Channel and Adventist Review TV. He has studied at the National Gallery of London and is completing a doctorate in religious history at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

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Focus

Artistry Two takes on one of Jesus’ most enduring moments.

Music and art offer different perspectives on the same story. Scan the QR code or go to www.adventistworld. org/imagine-this/.

Laura James Jesus Calms the Storm “The need to see yourself in your chosen religion is not a trivial thing,” says Laura James, a New Yorkbased painter and illustrator. “With my work I am trying to offer an alternative to the ‘traditional’ images we find in Western religious art.”

Perhaps the most striking element of Jesus Calms the Storm is her depiction of Jesus and His disciples.

For anyone used to religious art depicting Christ and His followers as Anglo-Saxon in look, her portrayal of characters as dark-skinned individuals may be jarring to some but carries profound meaning.

“I grew up attending a Brethren church with my Caribbean family in Brooklyn, New York. We were not allowed to image Bible characters, and there was no art on the walls,” she says. “However, we did have children’s Bibles filled with fantastic images! Although surrounding characters were light brown in color, perhaps reflecting Middle Eastern people, Jesus was unbelievably White, with blond hair and blue eyes. The Black/African people were invariably odd shades 16

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Art: Laura James

of brown or gray, and often apelike.

These images led me to believe this religion was at most not necessarily for me, a Black person, or at least did not respect Black people.”

Many years later Laura happened upon a book and remembers being struck by the images of Black angels on the cover. The style of art seemed simple enough to try to copy, so she took a chance with it. “At the time, I was interested in photography and hadn’t done much painting. But because everything was outlined in black and sort of looked like a coloring book, I managed to work it out. I am a selftaught painter inspired by Ethiopian Christian art and its long tradition,” she says.

Laura’s love of painting—specifically acrylic on canvas or wood—is further inspired by the feedback

she receives from people who find renewed spiritual meaning through her pieces. They “appreciate the different colors of biblical characters represented in my work,” she says. After a long tradition of only seeing Christ and biblical characters represented by a look that doesn’t resemble people of color in the slightest, seeing oneself as part of the biblical narrative of the ministry of Christ can change a person’s entire outlook on His personal interest in their lives and love for them.

Jesus Calms the Storm has special personal meaning for Laura.

“I’ve always liked the idea of Jesus keeping calm and steady as He taught unbelieving people, even as He did miraculous things!” she says.

“As a big fan of water and the ocean, I was very happy to paint Jesus in this scene.”

Neil Thorogood Calming of the Storm “A lot of art begins with the Bible,” says Neil Thorogood, ordained minister and artist. “As a preacher I relish, and am constantly challenged by, the weekly opportunity to dwell upon Scripture and bring it alive for a congregation. The same starting point applies to art. I love the chance to begin with a text and let it grow into an image.”

Thorogood, who had never had any sort of formal art training, was exposed to it through his father, also an ordained minister. As his father carried a sketchbook wherever he went, Thorogood says he’s drawn and painted for as long as he can remember. He quickly found a way to incorporate art into ministry, “often creating large-scale installations as part of intergenerational worship and retreats,” he says.

Master’s studies culminated in Neil combining art and theology. “My dissertation was a large-scale art installation exploring the Lord’s Prayer as an invitation to mission.

From then on, I increasingly came to see myself as both a Christian minister and an artist. I discovered the joy of oils on canvas, which have become my primary medium, often on a large scale.”

“I believe the Bible is, all too often, a closed book for many within our culture,” Neil adds. “That can also be true within the church. Art can be a means to break it open in fresh ways.”

Calming of the Storm is a unique look at the story of Jesus commanding the waves to be silent in the face of His disciples’ terror.

Rather than employing a traditional viewpoint, Neil portrays the story from an unexpected angle. “As I was wondering, back in the early 2000s, about a series on the Bible that I could keep adding to, I was drawn

to the idea of images seen from the air. I love the ways in which so many photographers create stunning images from the air, and now, from space,” he says. “My hope is that this viewpoint invites people to stop and look a little more so that the story comes to them afresh.”

This particular piece, one of Neil’s most sought after, has been re-created in many versions. “It works well, in part, because the story itself is such a powerful one about being at the mercy of so much, then being saved by the Word and presence of Jesus. So the story resonates with many people’s own lives,” says Neil.

“The image is powerful because of that sense of the tiny and fragile boat amid the vast and chaotic sea; it is the epitome of vulnerability.”

Religious art is all about the message and meaning in any given

piece. For Neil, who is inspired by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Stanley Spencer, Jackson Pollock, and Ron Mueck, the melding of meaning and medium (oil on canvas) creates a great energy when he paints.

Calming of the Storm is a piece that exemplifies two of Neil’s great artistic loves: “The buttery nature of oils and the chance to mix color on canvas and let things emerge as the painting progresses.”

But it also goes deep into his soul.

“I know dark times and profound fear and loss myself. This is an image that keeps wanting to say that all is never lost, and that God is at work even when we don’t see what is going on.”

Wilona Karimabadi is an assistant editor of Adventist World.

Art: Neil Thorogood AdventistWorld.org February 2021

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Global View

The Secret of Peace Having certainty in an uncertain world

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bout a year ago the world began to change drastically as COVID-19 started its deadly spread around the globe. Since then we have seen the world grow more unstable and uncertain. Just about everywhere we see unease, unrest, and uncertainty. Things don’t seem to be getting better. Many hearts are filled with anxiety, fearful about what lies ahead.

It reminds me of how the Bible describes the last days. Jesus said, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25, 26).

While times and situations may change, fear and 18

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anxiety are not new. Looking back 2,000 years ago with the help of Scripture, we see terror on the faces of Christ’s disciples and hear it in their voices as they are tossed to and fro in a tempestuous storm, certain that they are about to drown in the Sea of Galilee (see Matt. 8:23-27).

Things hadn’t started out that way. In fact, the day had been like so many others, filled with activity as Jesus taught and healed the many people who crowded around Him. But the time came to leave the multitudes and get some much-needed rest.

As the little group stepped into the wooden fishing boat and set sail on the calm sea, little did the disciples realize a storm was brewing. Exhausted from a very full day, Jesus was soon fast asleep in the back of the boat.

Photo: Khoa Võ

Before long, however, the atmosphere changed and a storm burst upon the lake. Due to the mountain and ravines surrounding the lake, even today the Sea of Galilee is known for its sudden changes from calm to storm in a very short time.

In the book The Desire of Ages, Ellen White describes the scene this way: “The sun had set, and the blackness of night settled down upon the stormy sea. The waves, lashed into fury by the howling winds, dashed fiercely over the disciples’ boat, and threatened to engulf it. . . . They were helpless in the grasp of the tempest, and hope failed them as they saw that their boat was filling.”

Friends, how tempting it is when, like the disciples, we find ourselves in the midst of a storm, to feel helpless and hopeless—forgetting that Jesus is “a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

Nevertheless, He is there, and just as He responded to the desperate cry of the disciples, He will answer our pleas as well.

Continuing on in that beautiful chapter of The Desire of Ages we read: “Their cry arouses Jesus. As the lightning’s glare reveals Him, they see the peace of heaven in His face; they read in His glance self-forgetful, tender love, and, their hearts turning to Him, cry, ‘Lord, save us: we perish.’ Never did a soul utter that cry unheeded. . . .

Jesus rises. He stands in the midst of His disciples, while the tempest rages, the waves break over them, and the lightning illuminates His countenance. He lifts His hand, so often employed in deeds of mercy, and says to the angry sea, ‘Peace, be still.’”1 Instantly the storm stops. Imagine that moment— going from thrashing waves and howling wind to serene silence—all in an instant. Once more the sea is calm, and so are the amazed disciples.

IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Today we are indeed in the midst of a storm—a storm of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. And we know that an even greater storm is coming. How can we get through this storm and be prepared to meet what lies ahead?

In the book Our High Calling we are given this valuable insight: “That night in that boat was to the disciples a school where they were to receive their education for the great work which was to be done afterward. The dark hours of trial are to come to everyone as a part of his education for higher work, for more devoted, consecrated effort. The storm was not sent upon the disciples to shipwreck them, but to test and prove them individually.”

The author continues: “The time of our educating will soon be over. We have no time to lose in walking through clouds of doubt and uncertainty. . . . We may stand close to the side of Jesus. Let none . . . shirk one hard lesson or lose the blessing of one hard discipline.”2 What a wonderful promise: to be close to Jesus through every storm, to remember that He is by our side to

Elisha remained calm; he was already looking through the eyes of faith.” strengthen and guide us through whatever we may face.

How important it is—now more than ever—that we spend time reading His Word, which shines light in the darkness (see Ps. 119:105), and connecting with Him through prayer.

OPEN OUR EYES

The Bible is filled with examples of people who did just that when faced with seemingly insurmountable situations. While the examples are many, perhaps one of the most stunning is found in 2 Kings 6.

The Syrian king sent a mighty army with horses and chariots to completely surround the city of Dothan, where the prophet Elisha was staying. Early in the morning Elisha’s servant was terrified to see what appeared to be certain death on the horizon. He cried out, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (verse 15).

Elisha remained calm; he was already looking through eyes of faith. “Do not be afraid,” he replied, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (verse 16, ESV).3 Then he did a wonderful thing—He prayed. “‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’” The Lord answered his prayer in a magnificent way! The young man “saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (verse 17, ESV).

This, my friends, is the secret of peace. This is how we weather the storm. This is how we have certainty in an uncertain world. We see through eyes of faith, believing that God is near, trusting in His Word, connecting with Him through prayer, allowing Him to teach us valuable lessons of faith and trust, providing us with revival and reformation, and moving ahead with the incredible mission of saving souls for Him in Total Member Involvement—all through His power.

Maranatha! Jesus is coming soon! In spite of the challenging circumstances we all face, let’s each respond to Jesus’ call by saying, “Lord, I will go.” As our upcoming General Conference Session theme says: “Jesus Is Coming! Get Involved!”

Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898, 1940), p. 334.

Ellen G. White, Our High Calling (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1961). p. 56.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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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

God’s Plans or Mine?

I He reminds me that if I am too busy for time with Him and for the people He puts in my path, something is wrong.

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was jittery. I had a long to-do list waiting to be accomplished, and people kept interrupting me.

On my way to my desk, a colleague waylaid me.

I listened politely as she chatted, but in the back of my mind I was plotting out a piece of writing with an imminent deadline. Finally I sat down at my computer, and just as I opened a document, my phone buzzed with an urgent message. A friend needed to talk. Did I have a few minutes? I sighed, wanting to help, but also wondering if I would ever get through my assignments. I had even rushed my prayer time that morning because I had to get on with the busy day. Surely God would understand. I was working for Him, after all.

Slow down, came a thought, piercing through my irritation. “Look at these deviations to your plans as God’s divine interruptions.” Convicted, I closed my computer and picked up my phone. As I messaged my struggling friend, a couple verses flashed into my mind: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40, NIV).

And: “For we are co-workers in God’s service” (1 Cor. 3:9, NIV). These were striking ideas. What if God’s intent for me that day went beyond my to-do list? What if He wanted me to work with Him to impact someone’s life in that moment? Would I trust Him with my time?

I have often struggled with placing more emphasis on tasks than relationships; God then has to correct the balance. He reminds me that if I am too busy for time with Him and for the people He puts

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in my path, something is wrong. It does take faith to let go of my plans and trust God with my time and tasks, but that’s part of letting God realign my priorities.

I look at the example of Jesus. No matter how in demand He was, He took time alone with His Father (see Matt.

14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:15, 16). He reacted to apparent interruptions to His day with grace and love. For example, He stopped on the way to Jairus’ dying daughter to heal and speak with a bleeding woman. He compassionately taught the crowds that pursued Him while He was trying to spend time with His disciples (Mark 5:21-43; 6:30-34). Ellen White comments, “[Christ] accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.”* That’s a challenge for me: to watch for God’s unfolding plans in my day. I don’t want to be deaf to God’s invitations because I am too preoccupied with my own plans. I want to be so connected to God that I welcome His divine interruptions to my day.

Sometimes there are more important things than my to-do list. * Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1905), p. 479.

Lynette Allcock, a graduate of Southern Adventist University, lives in Watford, United Kingdom.

What We Believe

Death and Resurrection

Satan Says S

atan says we can live forever. Thankfully, he is not our only option for instruction. There’s also God. Indeed, it was God who spoke first.

GOD’S GUIDELINES. SATAN’S RESTATEMENT

In the beginning God laid out an orientation course for life that disclosed His natural generosity, an all-embracing yet brief and readily comprehensible declaration that lays out the options clearly: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16, 17). You may live; you also have the option to die.

Satan’s simple restatement of lines for living contradicts God completely: “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). This restatement would turn God into a liar if found to be true, and establish Satan as a source of reliable information, which is his goal. Living forever is not his original idea. His hope is to persuade us that he is on par with God; that both of them offer viable options for living; that his options are more satisfying than God’s; that there is greater flexibility across his platter of options, with the fundamental characteristic being “grab and go.” Life is grabbing and holding all I can get: fruit, money, sex, power, things, fame, etc.

Moreover, Satan offers a plethora of possibilities beyond the grave.

Yes, the grave is a place for decaying bodies. But remember, “You will not surely die”: the immortal self inside the body flies free when the pulse stops beating. Or the immortal being is ever transferring to new bodies. Or manifesting itself in constantly new and higher or lower life forms as its karma determines. Or suffering in the fires of purgatory in proportion to the evil of its time on earth, leading to eventual purgation and promotion to glory. Or one’s evil life on earth may doom them to eternal fire. Or those left behind on earth may communicate with the accessible spirits of those who have gone on before. Satan would love to be considered a reliable Photo: Jan Kopřiva

source of truth, so that we may accept any of these as a life forever option.

The attractiveness of Satan’s wealth of offers is not their variety—it is the idea that they all offer life. Generating life is utterly beyond him. But eternal life is an option: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 6:23). The real issue is not whether eternal life is possible. It is whom we shall believe.

You probably remember playing Simon Says, a game in which what Simon says matters only incidentally, but that Simon says it matters completely. No one was to obey the leader’s instruction, however reasonable, except it was introduced with the words “Simon says.” The only messages that mattered were those from Simon. In the same way, God would have us dismiss every counsel besides that which the Spirit gives to His church, preserved forever from conformity to what Satan says.

Lael Caesar is an associate editor of Adventist World.

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Faith in Action

Nateekan Nithan (third from left) stands with the author, Youssry Guirguis (left), with whom he studied the Bible; Nateekan’s sister; his aunt and her husband; and M. Varah, AIU church senior pastor.

A Conversion, Adventist Education, and the Holy Spirit A winning combination

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orn into a Buddhist family in Saraburi, Thailand, Nateekan Nithan attended Asia-Pacific International University (AIU), a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Muak Lek, to earn a bachelor’s degree in English. His parents were Buddhist farmers, but when Nateekan was about 10 years old, his aunt converted to Adventism. She later became a college professor at AIU. His aunt’s conversion introduced Christianity into his family circle and was the reason Nateekan decided to attend the school.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

A few months after Nateekan arrived at the AIU campus, he learned that his parents could no longer afford the cost of tuition and fees, so he moved in with his aunt and began commuting to school to reduce the cost of food and lodging.

While studying at AIU, Nateekan discovered that all his professors—even for his general education courses—talked about Jesus in their classrooms.

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Am I here to study English or Christianity, particularly about Jesus Christ? he wondered.

His first general education classes were “The Life and Teachings of Jesus” and “Fundamentals of Christian Beliefs,” in which the lecturers introduced Jesus to Nateekan as taught in the Bible, particularly in the Gospels. The courses sparked a deep spiritual interest in him, and slowly a seed of faith was implanted in his heart.

Nateekan excelled in his studies, which distinguished him among Photos: Courtesy of the author

The author, Youssry Guirguis, baptizes Nateekan Nithan on September 19, 2020.

his peers. He also became good friends with some of the professors.

The professors recognized by Nateekan’s questions and changed behaviors that the Holy Spirit was working with him, so they helped him to learn even more about Jesus.

They showed him kindness and compassion and prayed with and for him frequently. Nateekan began to see Christ through his teachers, and this increased his desire to become more like his Saviour.

THE ROLE OF MENTORS

When Nateekan was pursuing his studies at AIU, God provided many spiritual mentors for him.

Among them was his academic advisor, Anita Sundaresan, who played a crucial role in caring for his academic and spiritual life.

“I was very moved by the genuine love and concern she showed,” Nateekan says.

Nateekan began to realize that such affection was motivated by true love in “deed” and in “truth.” To love in “deed” means to do something about it, and to love in “truth” means to love that individual genuinely.

CHANGED LIFE

As Nateekan was nearing the completion of his studies, he became convinced that Jesus is his Saviour, and he wanted to be baptized and become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

He kept that desire to himself, though. How can I be an Adventist, a Christian? he wondered. I need the consent of my parents.

Nateekan graduated in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in English without being baptized into the Adventist faith. About a month

later he returned to his parents’ home and began to assist them with their farming business. His desire to continue studying the Bible, however, was still strong. He longed to know more about Jesus.

So he contacted Professor Sundaresan, who connected him with one of the pastors at AIU. Nateekan and the pastor studied the Bible together for four months. Nateekan’s dream of becoming a Seventh-day Adventist Christian finally came true when he was baptized on Sabbath, September 19, 2020.

AN ONGOING JOURNEY

Nateekan wanted to apply for a job as an English teacher; however, he was unable to receive his graduation diploma because he still owed tuition to AIU. How can I work as a teacher when I don’t have my diploma? he asked himself. He also shared his dilemma with the pastor with whom he had been studying the Bible. The pastor suggested that Nateekan take the matter to God in prayer.

God heard and answered his prayer. Three days before Nateekan was baptized, God moved upon the heart of one of his professors at AIU to pay his debts to the school for him. Nateekan was very grateful to the professor and thrilled at the power of prayer.

“Prayers can move giants looming over believers’ lives,” Nateekan says. “The greatest of the giants in life can be defeated when we pray.”

He added, “The Lord used the professors at AIU, friends, church services, and my aunt to show me the way to Christ. I am so grateful to them and to God!” When we love people genuinely, we attract them to Christ. The true

love of Christians for one another should attract others to the faith.

NOT ONLY A CONVERSION STORY

This is not only a conversion story—it’s also a story about the power of Christian education, which leads people to search for the ultimate meaning in life: Jesus Christ.

Religious education transforms people and inspires them to be agents of change. That’s the purpose of Adventist educational institutions all around the world: to be evangelistic centers directing students to the Person of Jesus Christ.

The words of the prophet Isaiah are an admonition to every Christian teacher: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11).

Youssry Guirguis is a professor in the Religious Studies Department at Asia-Pacific International University in Muak Lek, Saraburi, Thailand.

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Discovering the Spirit of Prophecy

The Spirit Still Speaks God’s people always need counsel.

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ive hundred years ago Martin Luther and other Reformers exalted the Holy Scriptures and challenged people to obey the Word. Many heeded this call, but some claimed that they were directly instructed by the Holy Spirit and did not need to submit to the authority of ancient writings. In the chapter “Progress of Reform in Germany” in The Great Controversy, Ellen White describes how the Reformers used God’s Word as a mighty weapon to overcome this opposition.

Today, an opposite heresy has gained a foothold in Christendom, with echoes heard even among some Seventh-day Adventists. In correctly extolling the Scriptures as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, some cry, “The Bible, the Bible only,” denying the continuing prophetic voice of the Holy Spirit in post-New Testament times.

Seventh-day Adventists have stated as one of our Fundamental Beliefs that the Holy Spirit was at work in the ministry of Ellen White, providing “comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction” for the church. We have pointed to the teaching of the Scriptures that the gift of prophecy did not cease with the apostles, but that it would be present in the “last days,” as prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28, 29). John tells us that God’s people at the very end of time will possess the testimony of Jesus Himself, which the angel identifies as the Spirit of prophecy (Rev. 12:17; 19:10).

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If one interprets sola Scriptura— “the Bible and the Bible only”—to mean that everything Christians need to pay attention to was already written 2,000 years ago—to the exclusion of what the Spirit says to the church today—their position holds no practical difference from the belief that the prophetic gift ceased with the apostles.

The Scriptures stand unique as God’s infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, and the revealer of doctrines. If this is true, then why the writings of Ellen White? If the Bible is all-sufficient, what need is there for the continuing special guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus presents the answer: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth: . . . and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:12, 13). This promise was fulfilled in the life and writings of the apostles, but this testimony of the Spirit did not end with the apostles.

Scripture records how God instructed His people through special messengers to rebuke sin, to warn of coming dangers, to unmask Satan’s plans, and to reveal the results of misdirected choices— timely instruction from the Holy Spirit that was distinct from the light ultimately embodied in the canon, yet just as necessary.

God has not left His end-time church without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And this has been remarkably demonstrated in the life and writings of Ellen White.

A PRESENT HELP

Let’s look at five areas in which the writings of Ellen White accomplish God’s purposes for us individually and as a church.

Photos: R. F. Studio

They reveal the enemy’s plans.

In the days of Elisha, the king of Syria was convinced that his army had been infiltrated by Israelite spies because the enemy seemed to know in advance when and where he would attack. The king was told, however, that it wasn’t human intelligence, but Israel’s prophet— Elisha—to whom the Lord was giving “inside” information (2 Kings 6:8-12).

In Ellen White’s writings there is perhaps no greater theme than that of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The Conflict of the Ages series shows how the conflict that began in heaven continues on our planet and in each person’s heart.

Bringing the instruction even closer, we are given insights into Satan’s strategies for his war against the remnant—the war described by John in Revelation 12:17. While we know that the devil is as a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey (1 Peter 5:8), the modern-day voice of the Spirit of prophecy unmasks his deceptions so that we can be more fully equipped to follow the apostle’s admonition to “resist” the enemy and “be vigilant” (verses 8, 9).

They show God’s hand in human history. Prophets interpreted events of their day in the light of God’s dealings with His people and surrounding nations. Daniel revealed God’s sovereignty in the succession of kingdoms that were to follow from Babylon to the breaking-up of the Roman Empire. In the cases of individuals, it often required the prophetic voice to explain sudden sicknesses or unexpected blessings.

Similarly, we find in Ellen White’s writings descriptions of events in which God was directly involved. One example is that of the sudden retreat of the superior Union army in the First Battle of Manassas in the U.S. Civil War in 1861. This was shown to Ellen

White in vision, and what was inexplicable in human terms was revealed to be the work of angelic intervention.* They set forth the results of choices.

When Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian army, King Zedekiah promised to spare Jeremiah’s life if he would tell him the truth about the future of his kingdom. Jeremiah laid out two options: Surrender to the king of Babylon and live, or fight and the city would be destroyed (Jer. 38:14-23).

A call to surrender was not what Zedekiah wanted to hear. He hoped Jeremiah would predict deliverance, announcing that God would fight for the protection of His people. Ultimately, Zedekiah made the wrong choice, and Jeremiah’s unpopular words were proven true—words that were counter to all the king’s advisers and military officials.

Today, while the will of God is broadly revealed in His Word, there are occasions when God’s people need supernatural guidance to lead them. Ellen White’s instruction about healthful living illustrates this in a practical way. Study after study has confirmed the positive results of choosing to live according to the principles of health outlined in her writings.

They rebuke sin. There is, perhaps, no greater illustration of the Spirit’s work in bringing conviction to the human heart than the prophetic word that Nathan spoke to David.

David was already familiar with the seventh commandment and the sixth. He knew the writings of Moses.

God, in His mercy, sent His messenger to reveal the sin that David had been trying to conceal and to bring home to his heart the truth that he had been trying to ignore.

Who knows whether David would have repented on his own, had it not been for the prophetic word communicated through Nathan?

God has not left His end-time church without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Through the writings of Ellen White our lives are held up before us as in a mirror. In the light of the principles of God’s Word we are led to feel our deficiencies, to recognize our sinfulness, and to prayerfully accept the forgiveness and righteousness that Christ offers.

They apply Scripture. Early Christians had the writings of the Old Testament that they could study for themselves. Yet this did not preclude the working of the Spirit to draw their minds to a further application of particular passages, just as when Jesus announced that the words of Isaiah 61—setting free the captives—were being fulfilled that very day in their presence.

Today it is part of the work of the Holy Spirit to point out and apply particular themes and passages from the Word that have special significance for God’s people. Believing that the Holy Spirit enlightened Ellen White through the gift of prophecy, we are led to greater study of such passages, fulfilling God’s purpose in continuing to speak to His people through His Word. *See Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 1, pp. 266, 267.

Tim Poirier is vice director of the Ellen G. White Estate, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.

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Bible Questions Answered

Which Commandments?

Q

Which commandments are referred to in the phrase “keep the commandments of God” in Revelation 12:17 and 14:12?

A

In both passages, obedience to the commandments is a characteristic of God’s end-time people, called the remnant in Revelation 12:17 or the rest of the descendants of the woman and the “saints” in Revelation 14:12. Certainly “keep the commandments of God” sounds by itself too general and in need of clarification.

1. DIFFERENT OPINIONS

When we examine commentaries written on the book of Revelation, we find different opinions. Some commentators do not even take time to explore its meaning and simply quote the biblical text, then move on to discuss other aspects of the passage, as if the reference to the commandments is not that important.

For others, the commandments are the Torah, that is to say, all of God’s instructions/revelation found in the Old Testament. Still others argue that the commandments refer to the faith of the Lamb of God who was faithful to God and whom Christians are urged to emulate. More common is the view that the “commandments of God” designate the ethical components of the Decalogue, the last six commandments. The proper interpretation is no doubt determined by the context.

2. REFERENCE TO THE DECALOGUE

The two passages in which the commandments of God are mentioned belong to the central portion of Revelation (chapters 12-15:5). In the introduction to this section John saw the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, specifically the ark of the covenant.

In the earthly sanctuary Moses placed inside the ark of the covenant the two tables of stone on which God 26

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had inscribed the Ten Commandments. Therefore, this vision implies that the ministry of Christ in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary and the Ten Commandments will play important roles on what follows in the book. The implied reference to the Ten Commandments here becomes explicit at the end of the whole section when John again saw the “tabernacle of the testimony” in heaven (Rev. 15:5). The noun “testimony” was used in the Old Testament to designate the Ten Commandments placed inside the ark of the covenant, and that testified to God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 25:20, 21; 32:15, 16). This reference to the Ten Commandments should be the first piece of information to be taken into consideration in the interpretation of the phrase “the commandments of God.” 3. SPECIFIC COMMANDMENTS OF THE DECALOGUE

Perhaps even more important is the fact that in the context of the two passages there are clear references to some of the Ten Commandments. The most explicit one is found in the call of the first angel for the human race to obey the first commandment by worshipping God, “who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Rev. 14:7, NIV). The mention of God as Creator is taken from the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8-11), implying that the remnant will also keep this commandment. Humans are not to worship the image of the beast, a violation of the second commandment (Rev. 14:9). The beast blasphemes the name of God in violation of the third commandment (Rev. 13:6). These are the first four commandments of the Ten Commandments, but other commandments are mentioned in Revelation. For instance, Revelation 9:20, 21 mentions murder, adultery, or sexual immorality, and theft (see also Rev. 13:10; 14:4), and lying is found in Revelation 14:5. Contextually, the proper answer to your question would be that God’s people will observe the Ten Commandments as a sign of loyalty and gratitude to the Lamb.

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is a former director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference.

Health & Wellness

Cognitive Changes Are they inevitable?

I’m 18 years old and we have my grandmother staying with us. She has dementia. My parents and brother and sister assist with caregiving—we sometimes even miss school to help. It’s not always easy, and I worry about what will happen to my parents and even to me. Are we destined to suffer from dementia in our senior years? Some say it’s inevitable. Is dementia preventable? Do you have any advice for our specific situation?

D

ementia is a common problem, and it’s estimated that approximately 50 million people live with this disease worldwide. This number is steadily growing and projected to increase to 150 million by 2050. Dementia is especially increasing in low- and middle-income countries. As in the case of your family, dementia affects individuals, but its consequences also affect family members—even children living in the home (e.g., absenteeism from school). The global costs related to dementia are estimated to be about US$1 trillion (or about 823 billions Euros) each year.

The 2020 Report of the Lancet Commission* lists 12 factors that contribute to about 40 percent of worldwide dementias. These include less education early in life, hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, lack of physical activity, depression, diabetes, smoking, social isolation, hearing impairment, exposure to air pollution, traumatic brain injury, and excessive alcohol consumption. It’s important to reiterate that the stance of the Adventist Church regarding alcohol is total abstinence. Although ridiculed in the past by even scientists, strong scientific evidence supports abstinence as the healthful option, Photo: Rodnae Productions

confirming that there’s no safe level of alcohol consumption.

Many factors are beyond our control regarding risk for dementia, including our genes and family history. As adults, we have no control over the amount of schooling we had as children, but we should encourage those within our influence to complete their schooling (thinking especially of your siblings who are helping to care for their grandmother).

Other lifestyle choices may prevent or at least delay the onset of dementia. Behavior change is not easy, and we need the support of committed and caring family and friends in managing diabetes, blood pressure control, managing weight loss, accountability regarding regular physical exercise, and nurturing social connectedness and relationships.

We Seventh-day Adventists have been blessed with a comprehensive and grace-filled health message that informs our lifestyle in simple yet powerful ways—making wise choices, physical exercise, drinking pure water, belief and trust in God, rest at night and enjoying Sabbath rest, getting out in the fresh air as much as possible, living in balance (temperance), eating a balanced and healthful vegetarian diet, and enjoying strong and supportive relationships.

These blessings are not just for us, but to be shared freely with our family, friends, and the communities in which we live.

And please don’t forget the best news regardless of our circumstances: “[God’s] grace is sufficient for you, for [His] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV). * G. Livingston, J. Huntley, A. Sommerlad et al, “Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission,” www.the lancet.com, vol. 396, Aug. 8, 2020, pp. 413-446.

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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Still Keeping and Giving at 102

T

his sounds a bit crazy, but Grandma Frieda is known as someone who gives everything away, and also as a person who keeps everything!

Frieda Tanner was born 102 years ago in Greeley, Colorado. Her husband, Lew, is only 96.

“One of my high school teachers was a Seventh-day Adventist,” she remembers. “I actually lived with them

BY DICK DUERKSEN for a while and cleaned house for them.

They were very kind and deepened my understanding of God and introduced me to Adventism. My parents didn’t believe that it was necessary for girls to go to school past eighth grade, so I had to plead to go to high school. After graduation the Adventist teacher convinced them it would be OK for me to go to Madison College in Tennessee to take nursing. I was baptized the summer after high school, the only one of my Lutheran family to become a Seventh-day Adventist.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, a rarity at the time, Frieda moved to Lynwood, California, to help her widowed sister care for her children. *** In 1908 Grandma Frieda’s parents had immigrated from Russia to Colorado, where they joined other German Russians as farmers. Frieda remembers all the hard work. “I spent a lot of time in the summer thinning beets and getting sunburned. I had 11 brothers and sisters.

“May I Tell You a Story?”

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Three died as children, but the rest grew up and spread out to other states.” The family has maintained a close family connection, and cousins have gathered yearly for more than 30 years.

Grandma Frieda’s family blessed her with a deep love for children. With her own children she practiced acceptance and love. As the children grew, she and Grandpa modeled a supportive and noncritical atmosphere about religion and politics. Central, always, was loving, “as God loves.”

“We can talk all kinds of theology,” Grandma says, “but if we do not have a central core of love, it’s just empty words.”

When Grandma Frieda talks about her husband, Lew, she smiles at him or reaches out and touches his hand.

“When I met Lew, I really liked him. The first time he kissed me, he asked if it was nice, and I told him it would have been better if he didn’t smoke,” she laughs.

That was the end of the cigarettes and the beginning of a 68-year marriage.

Lew and Frieda have two daughters, Carol and Jeanne. “And a houseful of children and grandchildren,” says Grandpa Lew. *** In the 1950s, while volunteering in the children’s divisions at the White Memorial church in Los Angeles, Frieda discovered Bible Story felts—plain drawings of Bible characters, animals, and other nature subjects printed on large sheets of felt. Every drawing needed to be colored and cut out of the sheet, then assembled into sets to tell Bible stories.

Frieda immediately saw how valuable Photos: Dick Duerksen

these felts would be to people who were telling Bible stories to children around the world. She decided to do all she could to get the felts prepared and distributed.

“Kids have always loved them,” she proclaims. “They’re fascinated with the felts.

They love how they feel, how they look, how they stick on the board. They play with them, put them up on felt boards, and tell each other the Bible stories. This is how children can learn about Jesus.”

For years anyone coming through the door was handed a pile of felts, coloring pens, and a pair of scissors. Everyone became part of Frieda’s army of cutters and colorers. It was a rite of passage for the boys wanting to date the Tanner daughters to sit at the dining room table and cut and color felts.

“People around the world learned about us, and they would write and request material for the children,” Grandma Frieda tells the story. “Then we’d purchase the materials and get to work. We were self-supporting, dependent upon donations, eager to help children learn about Jesus.”

The work changed when someone began making full-colored felts. Then Frieda joined Faith Adventures, a group of Adventist stalwarts from the White Memorial church—evangelistic and tireless to the core—who began purchasing sets of brightly colored felts, packaging them, and sending them all over the world. Frieda’s family, and an even larger group of friends, were now spending hundreds of hours at the dining room table putting everything

together, talking about the stories, about God, about love, about life.

“Our home was a safe place,” says daughter Jeanne. “My parents weren’t judgmental, just open and loving. They had a penchant for entertaining and made sure we had a full table for Sabbath dinners. That table was a safe place for open discussions, where everyone could share without fear. That’s where my folks taught us to listen and respect others; where we learned how to deal with the hard issues in life.” *** Grandma Frieda’s Bible is always nearby, with The Desire of Ages right beside it. Both are well read. Open any page and you’ll see notes she’s written in the margins, places she’s underlined in red or green or blue, words that point to a Bible story she wants to share.

“It’s easy to use felts to show God’s love in the simple Bible stories, but it’s equally important to find God’s love in the really hard stories. The simple stories give you a basis for evaluating God’s love, a way to approach the world. But if you stop there, then when you hit a hard point in life, you’ll not have a solid way to investigate it. We’ve got to look deeply at the harder Bible stories, the violent tales, stories about women, even some of the sayings of Jesus that are hard to unpack. Understanding how God loves throughout all of Scripture will give us the skills to know how to respond to the tough challenges,” says Jeanne. “My parents gave me this foundation, for which I am grateful.”

Through the years thank-you letters and cards have come in from scores of countries. Most have said, “Thank you for remembering the children.” They’ve come from Cuba, Russia, Ukraine, India, from everywhere! Grandma Frieda kept every one of them, until she had boxes and boxes filled with “thank-you” cards.

“I’m an old lady now, but it’s still a thrilling thing to know that Jesus really loves us,” Grandma says as she sorts the cards.

Then she smiles, remembering how much she has enjoyed giving things away.

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 Hong, Myung Kwan Adventist World Coordinating Committee Si Young Kim, chair; Yukata Inada; Joel Tompkins; Hong, Myung Kwan; 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, Wilona Karimabadi Editors based in Seoul, Korea Hong, Myung Kwan; Park, Jae Man; Kim, Hyo-Jun Digital Platforms Director 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; Hong, Myung Kwan; 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 © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. 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.® Used by permission.

All rights reserved worldwide.

Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States.

Vol. 16, No. 2

Dick Duerksen, a pastor and storyteller, lives in Portland, Oregon, United States.

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Growing Faith

Fun-filled pages for younger ages

Love What is love?

God is love

Ways to Show Love There are many ways to show love to others, and it can be different depending on whom you show it to. The love your parents or grandparents or married caregivers have for each other is different from the love you have for your best friend. But love still produces wonderful things in all of us—that’s why it is so important to Jesus.

We have a list of ways you can show love to someone you care about. We’ve also included a special coloring page in this issue. You can color the picture, cut it out, and give it to someone you love.

Show Love Today C lean up your room without being asked.

W rite a love note to someone who seems sad.

O ffer to help a neighbor in their garden.

aceTime with your grandF parents and tell them funny jokes.

B e extra kind and patient with younger siblings.

H elp with making a meal.

M ake a simple meal by yourself (if you are old enough) and serve it to your family.

P ick flowers and make a pretty bouquet for someone.

L ook up your favorite verse about love in the Bible and write it on a card to give away.

W rite encouraging e-mails to classmates you don’t see very much these days.

olor the next page and C give it as a present.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. You might come up with something of your own too. The important thing to remember is that showing love to others helps them feel the love of Jesus. So spread that love to as many people as you can!

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Illustration: Xuan Le

BY WILONA KARIMABADI

Bible Treasure And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 John 4:16, NIV

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Read inspired writings.

Learn to pray with power.

Become equipped for witnessing.

Find practical resources for your spiritual life. www.revivalandreformation.org

REVIVALANDREFORMATION.ORG