06/2022 Let’s Get Moving! Page 11 He Is Not Here Page 18 The Heavy Black Box Page 28
Beyond Vaccines and Veggie Meat
10 Beyond Vaccines and Veggie Meat Peter N. Landless and Zeno L. Charles-Marcel
11 Let’s Get Moving! Jason Aragon
14 Paybacks of Sleep Roger Seheult Cover image: PeopleImages / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
16 Global View Jesus Is Coming: Get Involved! Ted N. C. Wilson 18 What We Believe He Is Not Here! Kenneth Bergland 20 Faith in Action Today I Will Choose to Forgive Michele Norfolk 23 Millennial Voices From Rush to Rest Beersheba Jacob 24 Looking Back Zijie Hong Bruce W. Lo
26 Bible Questions Answered A Cosmic Moving Company? 27 Health & Wellness Mental Versus Physical Health 28 May I Tell You a Story? The Heavy Black Box 30 Growing Faith Children in Mission for Jesus Linda Mei Lin Koh
The Joy of Flight BY BILL KNOTT
The preacher shaped the long, elegant paper airplane before our eyes with deft, long-practiced moves. He had done this many times before. It rested lightly on his hand as he prepared to launch it over our heads into the meeting hall. “This is how a paper airplane flies when you follow the rules of flight design,” he smiled. And then with one quick flick of his wrist, the white bird floated out over our heads, finding unseen currents of air in our chapel sanctuary. Five seconds, 10 seconds, 15—it soared like none I had ever made until it settled lightly on a student’s head. Once the mirth had died away, the preacher continued. “Now let’s see how this good design works if we alter it a bit.” Again, his hands quickly shaped another piece of paper. “What if,” he asked, “I decide that my airplane doesn’t need a vertical tail?” He bent the tail of his design at a steep right angle. When he launched his second craft, it dropped heavily to the floor, not ten feet from his hand. “And what if I decide it doesn’t need the right wing?” he wanted to know. Predictably, his paper airplane crashed again. “Doesn’t it make more sense to consult the original designer of the human body about how it will best function?” he asked. Even a group of sleepy teenagers knew the answer to this question. “Yes—yes, it does.” That simple moment, many years ago, gave all of us a graphic lesson about why God’s design for human health makes great and lasting sense. We simply perform better: we fly higher; we fly longer; we experience the natural exhilaration of functioning as we were made to function. A kindly Father’s counsel for the health of our bodies is entirely consistent with His plan to save us by His grace. A heart of love launched both initiatives. The message of health and wholeness given in the Scriptures was illustrated by a Lord who lived among us, understanding our bent and broken lives, and healing our diseases. When we accept His grace—when we commit ourselves to letting Jesus save us from our pride and inclinations—we discover joys we never would have known. When we align ourselves with God’s original design, we fly as we were meant to fly, without the drag of self-induced conditions. As you read and share the contents of this special Adventist World edition, allow the Lord who first designed the human body to lead you into greater health and wholeness. Grace saves us and it changes us as we commit ourselves to living by design.
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
More than 2,400 volunteers provide medical, dental, vision, counseling, and other services on the floor of the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on April 18, 2022. The effort was part of a four-day Pathway to Health free mega-clinic that sought to show the love of Jesus in practical ways to more than 4,000 people in need. Photo: Greg Hoover
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News in Brief
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The number of pastors and theology students that attended a special Bible conference in Haiti. The conference was the first held for church workers in several years. It took place on the campus of Haitian Adventist University in Diquini, Carrefour, a residential area of Port-au-Prince. The attendees heard theologians from the university, the Haitian Union, the Inter-American Division (IAD), and the Inter-American Adventist Theological Seminary speak on topics such as pastoral ministry and mission in the twenty-first century; reaching the marginalized; leading in the midst of crisis; fulfillment of prophecy; technology and modern evangelistic methods; cross-cultural mission; and others.
Health Message Church members were asked how they related to the Adventist health message’s emphasis on physical health, mental health, emotional well-being, social support, and relationships as a part of spiritual growth: 59% Strongly agree 33% Agree 6% Not sure 1% Disagree 1% Strongly disagree
2022 General Conference Session Official notice is hereby given that the postponed sixty-first session of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists will be held June 6-11, 2022, in the America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The first meeting will begin at 8:00 am, June 6, 2022. All duly accredited delegates are urged to be present at that time. This Session will also be accessible for delegates remotely by electronic means. Ted N C Wilson, General Conference President Erton C Köhler, General Conference Secretary
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N=56,715 Source: 2017-18 Global Church Member Survey URL: https://bit.ly/3FrAKKX
Adventist Review Ministries Newsletter Do you want to keep up with what is happening in our church? To receive our weekly newsletter featuring news stories, inspirational stories, videos sign up today. www.adventistreview.org/ newsletter-signup
“Let’s never forget that there’s a link between healing and salvation, and God’s Spirit uses healing of people’s hearts to reveal His love and salvation. . . . We have a [health] message; we have a mandate; we have a method; and it’s important that we have a ministry and a mission.” —Peter Landless, Adventist Church Health Ministries director, during a virtual health symposium for more than 2,500 health professionals and health-care workers serving in the network of 14 hospitals and 21 clinics throughout the IAD territory. The IAD-organized event was designed to help health-care professionals understand the philosophy, history, and uniqueness of Adventism’s comprehensive health ministry.
“The question was asked, ‘What do Seventh-day Adventist Canadians need today, and how can we help?’ We need two things: first, a deeper and more personal faith in God, and second, a better understanding on how to lead people to Christ.” —Mark Johnson, president of the Adventist Church in Canada, about what the new Burman Ministry Centre will seek to accomplish. A conversation with leaders at Burman University prompted a drive to construct a new center, located on the campus in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, which seeks to train and support Adventist leaders and young people across Canada and beyond. The new center’s motto is “Shine to Serve.”
News in Brief
“Even though we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Adventist Community Services [ACS] with this convention, we know by its history that humanitarian service in the Adventist Church did not begin 50 years ago. ACS is an extension of Adventist humanitarian service, beginning with our founders.” —Wynelle Stevens, North American Division ACS assistant director, during the ACS convention. More than 200 people attended the convention held in Grapevine, Texas, United States.
Go to www.adventistreview.org for everything about the upcoming General Conference Session, June 6-11, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. See breaking news, videos, and interviews. Read the Session proceedings; watch the “live feed”; listen to podcasts. One place for everything: www.Adventistreview.org
“We have the challenge of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. HIV and TB have not truly disappeared. How do we find a balance on that and the lifestyle diseases that are coming up? We must learn to spend to keep healthy. We look forward to partnering with the church for the cause of our people.” —Kipas Binga, chief executive officer of Morobe Provincial Health Authority, about the “Save 10,000 Toes” campaign. The Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea launched a campaign in a bid to help reduce type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle diseases in the country by 2030. Through their representatives, the New Zealand and Australian governments pledged their support for the campaign.
21,000+ The number of new believers that joined the Adventist Church during a two-week wrap-up evangelistic series that included the Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Crowds gathered in large churches, auditoriums, sport fields, and outdoor stadiums, while some watched online the conclusion of evangelistic efforts across the region. “Don’t Give Up, There Is Still Hope” was the resounding message heard throughout the seven countries by the keynote speaker, Inter-American personal ministries director Melchor Ferreyra, who reminded viewers and listeners every evening that through difficult times, God is near. (->) Photo: Josue Laj, Inter-American Division AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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News in Depth
Bolivian VP Tours Geoscience Research Institute Dinosaur Site
Project helps Adventists to offer alternative explanations, leader says.
By Geoscience Research Institute, and Adventist World
Bolivian vice president David Choquehuanca Céspedes visited the Geoscience Research Institute (GRI) dinosaur research site in Bolivia on March 22, 2022. Raúl Esperante, a senior scientist at GRI, was leading the research group at the site in Carreras Pampa, near the town of Torotoro. This site contains what appears to be a world-record number of dinosaur trackways, along with other mysterious markings interpreted as tail drag impressions made by the animals as they walked. Esperante is working with Loma Linda University graduate students and local researchers as well as investigators from other South American countries. “We gave the vice president and the group accompanying him—including Teodoreo Mamani, Bolivian National Park Service director—a 30-minute field presentation on the tracks and other features,” Esperante reported. “Both gentlemen were particularly interested in how the sites can be best preserved, and we
discussed what has been done in other countries, including the United States, Spain, and Italy. We also offered help in preparing signage and posters with explanations and descriptions for visitors to the site.” Vice President Choquehuanca Céspedes was also interested in the training of Bolivian researchers. The position of GRI is that the best way to do this is through collaboration. GRI scientists are also interested in assisting in the development of new resources that contribute to the economic growth of communities. Likewise, it looks to ensure that Adventist researchers are mentored so that they can professionally investigate the evidence that sites like the one in Bolivia provide about the past. Because of this, the current research group includes two young Adventist Bolivian geologists, Helen Baltazar and Ángela Limachi. As active contributors to the community of researchers at Loma Linda University, GRI reported that
Adventist researchers at the Carreras Pampa dinosaur trackways site with Bolivia’s vice president David Choquehuanca Céspedes (center) and other government officers. Photo: Geoscience Research Institute 6
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its scientists work closely with the university’s Department of Earth and Biological Sciences in teaching classes and mentoring graduate students. One of the students working on this project is Jeremy McLarty, who earned a master’s degree from Andrews University. “Studying dinosaur tracks in Bolivia has been an amazing opportunity for me,” McLarty said. “We have found things here that appear to be unique in the world.” WHY TO INVEST IN DINOSAUR RESEARCH
GRI, whose headquarters are located in Loma Linda, California, United States, is an institute of the Adventist Church dedicated to the study of issues related to science and faith. Studying dinosaur trackways in Bolivia is an example of the institute putting its mission into practice. According to GRI director Ronny Nalin, “there are profoundly different views of what happened in the past, and some interpret the evidence currently available in ways that contradict the record of history found in Scripture. GRI is interested in this research because it teaches us much about the primary evidence from the fossil record and the principles of interpretation that lead to various conclusions.” Nalin explained that by evaluating the evidence and the hermeneutic used, Adventist scientists are in a much better position to understand why those with whom they disagree see things differently. “It also places us and the Adventist Church in a much better position to offer alternative and well-researched explanations,” he said.
News in Depth
Armor of God App Aims to Engage Children
Development is part of a push to get everyone involved in mission.
Maryellen Hacko, for Adventist News Network, and Adventist World
The General Conference (GC) Children’s Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church recently developed a new app called Armor of God. Developed as a resource to be deployed by parents, Sabbath School teachers, and children’s ministry leaders, the app helps children learn and live out the principles taught in Ephesians 6 in the Bible. Announcing the new app at this year’s Spring Meeting on April 13, 2022, GC Children’s Ministries director Linda Koh described the purpose of the app, to “anchor children’s faith in God as they face anxiety, fear, and temptations in their life . . . [and] to put on the whole armor of God so they can stand against the wiles of the devil.” Within the app are six game areas that children can unlock, each focused on a different piece of armor from the Ephesians 6 analogy. In-app games are framed within a story context, with two main characters, Anya and Aidan— Christian children who work with refugees—helping to guide users through gameplay. INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING IN-APP GAMES
In-app games include word searches, jigsaw puzzles, coloring-in activities, memory verses, felts and stickers, and sing-alongs. Specifically the word search highlights keywords within Bible verses, which points children back to reading their Bible. “This is just the beginning. The app will continue to add new features, games, stories, and more to help children learn about God and how we can put on His armor and grow in His grace,” the video presentation read.
Image: courtesy of the General Conference Children’s Ministries Department
Many of the games have been designed to appeal to a broad age group. The app also makes learning Bible verses an enjoyable experience. Children can shake their device or hit a button to make particular words from a Bible verse fall away and then add them back from memory. Original music has also been commissioned specifically for the app, with lyrics on screen allowing individuals and groups to sing along. Finally, the sticker game—based on felt boards from children’s Sabbath schools popular in the 1990s and 2000s—allows children to select a background and then add digital stickers to construct a whole scene. “You can see from the demo that we have actually developed an app within an app,” Koh explained. “The Bible story stickers app can function as a separate app for Bible study teachers or parents who want to tell a Bible story at church.” WEBSITE AND BIBLE STUDIES
Another aspect of the app that will be added soon is Bible study
resources within the sword motif, initially focusing on the armor of God, the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14, and the fruit of the Spirit, but expanding thereafter. “They are designed for upper elementary school students,” Koh said. “There will be thought questions and fun activities beautifully illustrated for this age group.” Besides the in-app Bible studies, the Children’s Ministries Department has also developed a website specifically for children, parents, and children’s ministry leaders at www.faithfinders.com. It contains downloadable books, animations, puzzles, music, and videos. Children can complete interactive puzzle games within the website itself. “And this is just the beginning,” Koh said. “In conjunction with the app, look out for other resources that will be produced—coloring books, reading level books, and many more.” The Armor of God app will soon be available to download on iOS and Android. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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News Focus Trans-European Division (TED)
88,507 Membership of the TransEuropean Division (TED) as of December 31, 2021
“God’s covenant of unfailing love and peace is a relational dynamic one. And the knowledge of God—who God is, who Jesus Christ is to you—is central to our message, mission, and unity of purpose as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.” —Raafat Kamal, TED president, in a recent message entitled “Who Do You Say I Am?” that he delivered at Newbold College of Higher Education in Bracknell, United Kingdom.
“My main objective is to help people think about the simple things that they can do to help children grow spiritually. I want to show them how easy it is to transform children’s lives and help them to fall in love with God forever.” —Karen Holford, TED’s family, women, and children’s ministries director, during a children’s ministry training event in Simisalu, Estonia. Leaders from across the Estonian Conference met together to be inspired and to discover a wholistic understanding of how to help children develop a sustainable faith. (^-)
“Some people think that to keep an Instagram ministry going they will have to post something new every day, and they will be very busy; but I post content only once a week.” —Nemanja Jurišić, a Serbian 25-year-old electrical engineering student, about his Instagram account “Prorocanstva” (Prophecies). Three years ago he started a digital ministry on Instagram and has created a community of nearly 5,000 people. Jurišić partnered with local pastors, who responded by giving Bible studies to his Instagram followers.
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On April 23 the Adventist Church in Albania gathered and celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. Leaders from the Albanian Mission and the Adriatic Union Conference were present, and many international guests joined by video conference as well. Among the guest speakers was Audrey Andersson, TED executive secretary, who thanked the church in Albania for its commitment to mission. Adriatic Union Conference officers also took time to thank church members for their commitment and resilience.
Photo: Kaile Tuvi/ CC BY 4.0 8
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Perspective
Ashley Jankiewicz, Adventist Record, and Adventist World
Photo: Veit Störmer / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
God Speaks Through Introverts, Too In the body of Christ, all are equally needed. My heart rate increased as I tried to suppress my rising panic. Hot tears pricked my eyes as I listened closely to what the preacher was saying. He was getting close, I could tell, to the dreaded call. “Come up to the front if you feel like this is you.” There it was. Other students around me slowly stood up and filtered to the front. I was caught between my desire to answer the call and my fear of going up front. Deep in my heart I screamed for God to understand that I was answering the call on the inside, begging Him to take away the fear of what others thought. I felt as though I was betraying God, that I couldn’t do this one simple thing that others found so easy and uplifting; that I couldn’t do it for God when early Christians walked to the lions in front of stadi-
ums of roaring Romans. This was my thinking for years, until one memorable Sabbath. Back then, my home church consisted of 3,000 members, and the pastor had issued a call. I started getting stressed and fidgeting in my seat. I looked over at my mom in horror, and somehow she understood. “You don’t have to go up,” she whispered. “I don’t?” I said in surprise. This was when I realized that I didn’t have to respond in any other way than in my heart for my faith to be real. THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES
One of my favorite Bible stories is the calling of Moses. Face to face with the presence of God within a burning bush, Moses is hesitant when God calls him to go back to Egypt. He argues that he is “slow of speech and tongue” (Ex. 4:10, NIV). God again assures Moses that He will be with him; however, Moses continues to balk, begging God to send someone else. Remember that Moses had lived in the desert for 40 years. I found it difficult to hold a conversation after just a few months in lockdown, but after 40 years, to storm the palace and accuse the pharaoh? I’d be begging God to change His mind too.
Finally God says, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you. . . . You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do” (verses 14, 15, NIV). God knew He was calling someone who felt inadequate. Because God understood Moses’ strengths and weaknesses, He had already set in place the help Moses needed. A DIFFERENT SET OF SKILLS
Introverts bring a very different set of skills to the church than extroverts do. Both have strengths and weaknesses, and both are equally important. While the extroverts may be the greeters who welcome everyone at the door or the worship leaders who inspire the congregation to sing joyfully, the introverts are working behind the scenes. Introverts may prefer to write rather than to talk, and to play guitar rather than sing. We are all a part of the body of Christ, and while some of us might be the mouth, others might be the ears. All are equally needed. Ashley Jankiewicz is a secondary education student at Avondale Adventist University in Australia. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Focus
Beyond Vaccines and Veggie Meat So much more is involved in healthful living!
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n a collection of essays, The Conduct of Life,1 Ralph Waldo Emerson set out to answer the question of the times: “How shall I live?” In it he wrote the often-repeated adage “The first wealth is health.” Good health is a physical foundation on which to build a life, a family, and a community. God inspired Seventh-day Adventists in the nineteenth century with answers to Emerson’s questions. Simple solutions such as increased access to clean water, personal hygiene, and general sanitation have helped eradicate long-standing ills and promoted better health. Modern economists underscore the role good health plays in an individual’s or household’s ability to rise or stay above the poverty line, but God desires much, much more for His children. The Hebrew term that best captures the fullness and richness of total health and well-being is shalom.2 God desires that we “be in shalom!” Unfortunately, what was given as a grace-filled, beautifully balanced message of wholistic health and wellness has been reduced to “food wars” and “vaccine conflicts.” Among many Adventists, health has been whittled down to vegetarianism. “Total vegetarian (vegan),” “ovo-lacto vegetarian,” “pesco vegetarian”—these categories of diet have been discussed, dissected, and debated throughout decades, and have even divided congregations. “Vaccinated” or “unvaccinated”—we’ve heard and even shuddered at these terms following two and a half grueling years of the pandemic. Interestingly, and sadly, these conversations have often been dripping with hyperbolic hubris and even outright unkindness and disrespect. The various 10
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factions and divisions between members serve as detractors from our mission and also to the acceptance by many of the health message because of our behavior and attitudes to those who may not see things the same way we do. Yet Jesus is and remains the “Prince of shalom.” Amid all the discussions and even disagreements, let’s not lose sight of the wholistic hallmark of the Adventist health message. It’s not just food and drink, and/ or public health interventions. At times we’re strangely less vocal on the other dimensions of health and well-being. So we’ll highlight here two often-underappreciated aspects of our well-being: sleep and exercise. Both are vital to a healthy and well-balanced life of service and love in the times in which we live! We’ve invited two experts in these fields to share their thoughts with our readers. Much more can be written about health and well-being than can be summarized in the following two short articles. In reading these articles, however, if you become more aware or more motivated to make positive changes in your usual routine, we thank God and encourage you not to grow weary in doing well (see Gal. 6:9). Shalom! Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life (Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1860). “The ancient Hebrew concept of peace, rooted in the word ‘shalom,’ meant wholeness, completeness, soundness, health, safety, and prosperity, carrying with it the implication of permanence.” Cf. https://jewsforjesus.org/ publications/inherit/what-is-shalom-the-true-meaning. 1 2
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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Focus
Let’s Get Moving! The benefits of exercise BY JASON ARAGON
Image: PeopleImages / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
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any say they don’t have time to exercise. In Ecclesiastes 3 we’re told that there’s a time for everything, which, of course, would also include a time for work and a time for rest. Sedentary behavior and a lack of exercise are often associated with laziness; yet we need to remember that “true rest”—both physical and emotional—is just as important as the amount of physical activity. In His infinite wisdom God created movement and rest as counterparts to protect our bodies. Muscles need stored energy to create more and new muscle tissue. Sleep and rest are not only sweet after hard physical labor; both are also necessary for energy storage and repair. Adequate sleep, water, and nutrition ensure adequate energy production and storage; and then appropriate movement and muscle load produce and maintain strength and endurance. Scientific reports of escalating rates of diseases linked to sedentary lifestyles and behaviors abound. Sadly, today’s accelerated way of life leaves little room for scheduled movement. Ironically, we may be so busy at “work” that we don’t “work out” enough! Motorized transport means not enough walking; escalators and elevators mean less stair climbing. Urban environments were designed for vehicular traffic and not for pedestrian access. People typically don’t get enough daily manual work because most of us don’t grow our own food anymore. And yet, we don’t have enough time for leisure activity because our career jobs are so demanding. Then when many engage in leisure activity, they often do so as spectators rather than active participants. This has led to a global explosion of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Every time you exercise, you’re “medicating” your body with a dose against diabetes, several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, dementia, osteoporosis, and premature aging! According to Edward Stanley: “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” Sedentary lives have a real cost. Physical inactivity costs enormous sums of healthcare-related expenses and puts more than 1 billion people at risk of developing chronic diseases. Worldwide estimates associated with physical inactivity indicate that as many as 3 to 5 million lives are lost per year (about as many as those killed by tobacco).1 In the 1950s the increasing rates of heart disease in the United Kingdom ignited a concern among the scientific/medical community. Was life becoming so sedentary that it was affecting heart health? Jeremy Morris, a British epidemiologist, proposed a study called the “exercise hypothesis,”2 which focused on studying the relationship between physical activity at work and heart attacks. He collected data from bus drivers and bus conductors—those who climbed to the upper-level of Britain’s famous double-decker buses—and noticed that conductors climbed about 600 steps per shift while their coworkers, bus drivers, sat about 90 percent of the time. The findings were startling: conductors had half the number of heart attacks and deaths compared to their sedentary colleagues who drove the buses. Subsequent studies focusing on postal workers and office employees showed similar results. Almost 75 years 12
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have passed since these findings were published, but heart disease still causes about 18 million deaths worldwide per year.3 So will you take this information sitting down? IN THE HEAVENS AND ON EARTH
Zero-gravity environments in space and sedentary living here on earth both result in weakened bodies. Astronauts use impressive exercise equipment called advanced resistance exercise devices (ARED) on the International Space Station. They’re required to exercise at least 2.5 hours per day, six days per week, to prevent loss of muscle strength.4 On earth, gravity loads our bodies with weight, requiring strength to lift objects. Our muscles normally adapt to the circumstances. Many people struggle to lift objects or even their own body weight to get up from a chair or the floor. We all need focused muscle-strengthening activity as part of our daily routine. Test yourself with this simple fitness test: sit and stand as many times as possible for more than 30 seconds. Managing fewer than 15 repetitions suggests an elevated risk of sarcopenia (muscle wasting), a dangerous, sometimes deadly, condition among older adults. The accelerated loss of muscle mass decreases functional capacity and the ability to perform basic independent activities of daily living such as walking. Higher walking speed and greater distance
have been linked to longevity and risk reduction of all-cause mortality. Men who walk less than 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) per second, or 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) an hour, are at a higher risk of death (lower life expectancy) compared to those who walk more than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) an hour. In a recent study,5 it was found that excessive time spent sitting or lying in bed was associated with a faster “natural” deterioration of muscle strength and accelerated aging, when compared to living in a zero-gravity environment, as experienced by astronauts. This means that individuals on earth age and weaken faster from bed rest and sitting than even astronauts during space flight. This is not “rocket science”! EXERCISE IS GOOD MEDICINE
In 2019 Fiona Godlee, former editor of The British Medical Journal, described “the miracle cure.” “As miracle cures are hard to come by, any claims that a treatment is 100 percent safe and effective must always be viewed with intense skepticism. There is perhaps one exception. Physical activity has been called a miracle cure by no less a body than the Academy of Medical Sciences.”6 There’s evidence that up to 35 chronic diseases and conditions in their management and reversal
process include exercise as a therapy. Imagine the concept of applying a daily dose of medication to protect us against diseases. Every time you exercise, you’re “medicating” your body with a dose against diabetes, several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, dementia, osteoporosis, and premature aging! In the last 20 years we’ve seen prolific growth of published papers researching the effects of exercise on our brains. Physical exercise increases the production and release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that promotes nerve cell (neurons) survival growth, maturation, and maintenance.7 BDNF appears to influence mental abilities, mood, and overall brain health, counteracting some of the effects of aging. With adequate exercise our brains stay younger and stronger, grow, and have a better cognitive function. Our memory is improved; our ability to read and remember, to solve math problems, and focus our attention are all better with exercise. Activity helps to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, lowers stress levels, helps normalize blood pressure, and improves immune responses to invading microbes and cancer. Exercise helps control blood sugar and makes our bodies more sensitive to insulin. It even improves sleep
quality and sexual health while slowing down the aging process. Recently Robert Sallis, a family and sports medicine physician with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, encouraged that exercise be a clinical vital sign for every doctor-patient visit, stating, “It doesn’t matter whether you study men or women, various ethnic groups, diverse nations, children or the aged, the results are always the same: people who are active and fit live longer, healthier lives. This is no longer news.”8 You’ve now heard the exciting “news” about daily movement. “God designed that the living machinery should be in daily activity; for in this activity or motion is its preserving power.”9 So how do you put this knowledge to work? Follow this easy, general prescription: PRESCRIPTION
Start where you’re comfortable, and with your doctor’s consent if you’re more than 40 years old or have special needs. Stand and stretch, high-step in place, walk, or do a few squats every hour you’re sitting. Strive for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day, or 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. z Walk 5 to 10 minutes a day and increase by 5 to 10 minutes
Image: Uwe Moser / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
every week (be conscious of safety issues in your environment). z Consider moderate-intensity sports, such as swimming, stair climbing, or tennis. z Do household chores and gardening, such as floor mopping and yardwork. Join a class or get an accountability partner at church, work, school, or at home; or use an app. Unable to perform moderate-intensity exercise? Even light activity can make a difference in your health. Fitness—to freely move with flexibility and strength—is satisfying and enjoyable. A well-rested, wisely exercised body and mind make each day more pleasant and enjoyable. Who would argue with this? See https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS01406736(12)61031-9/fulltext; also see https://tinyurl.com/2p8mjjx7. 2 J. N. Morris et al., “Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work,” The Lancet 265, no. 6795 (Nov. 21, 1953): 1053-1057. 3 https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases 4 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/mathandscience/ exploration/Prob_ARED_detail.html 5 Experimental Gerontology 124 (2019): 1106-1143. 6 Fiona Godlee, “The Miracle Cure,” The British Medical Journal 366, no. 15605 (Sept. 19, 2019): 19. 7 J. J. Walsh and M. E. Tschakovsky, “Exercise and Circulating BDNF,” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 43, no. 11 (November 2018): 1095-1104. 8 Robert Sallis, “Developing Healthcare Systems to Support Exercise,” British Journal of Sports Medicine 45, no. 6 (Feb. 3, 2011): 473, 474. 9 Ellen G. White, Healthful Living (Battle Creek, Mich.: Medical Missionary Board, 1897), p. 131. 1
Jason Aragon, a public health and biokinetics expert, spends a great deal of time talking to people about the dangers of sedentary behavior and helping them to achieve physical fitness. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Paybacks of Sleep B Y R O G E R S E H E U LT
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f you want your brand-new automobile to last more than 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers), you need to fill it with the right kind of fuel. You can learn about the best gasoline to use for your car—as well as accurate information on other maintenance protocols, such as oil changes, rotating the tires, and brake replacements—by consulting the owner’s manual. Our bodies are far more complex than a car, and they also require care in many more ways than just what food we put into them—as important as that is. And who knows better what’s best for our health than the One who created us, who has shared the instructions, and who empowers us? TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGES
Because of technological advances of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, research studies are revealing that sleep is more important to our health than many people previously thought. Let’s explore why adequate sleep is imperative to taking care of our bodies. Sleep is not simply an “off switch” that causes us to stop what we normally do. Instead, sleep allows the body at the cellular level to complete tasks required to maintain our day-to-day, round-the-clock activity. I had a friend who worked at Disneyland. He was part of the crew that went in after the park closed each night to get it ready for the next day. In some respects, nighttime was busier than during the day. Maintenance, trash collecting, general cleaning, inspecting rides, weeding—just about everything you would expect to be done to keep the park safe, clean, and operational occurred at night in preparation for the next day. The body also has processes that occur at night, such as memory consolidation and the clearing of thoughts, the repair of muscles and organs, the repair of immune cells, and much more. All these mechanisms are very carefully orchestrated by a master clock in the brain (called the suprachiasmatic nucleus [SCN]), which makes sure that each process occurs at the right time. “Since the work of building up the body takes place during the hours of 14
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rest, it is essential, especially in youth, that sleep should be regular and abundant.”1 Imagine if my friend decided to start doing his job before the park closed. Then imagine if all his colleagues decided to do the same thing. After a while the park wouldn’t run efficiently or productively. This is exactly what happens in the human body when we’re chronically or even acutely sleep-deprived or when the clock is shifted. Let’s look at the research. THE MASTER CLOCK
The timing of everything from when we metabolize food to the best time to sleep and wake is regulated by the master clock (SCN). That master clock takes cues from the environment to make sure that it’s timed correctly during the 24-hour period. Light is one of the major stimuli of the SCN, and light exposure in the evening (after 9:00 p.m.) tends to delay the clock later and later. In fact, even dim light entering the eye will not only disrupt the daily (circadian) rhythm but also
Image: LightFieldStudios / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
inhibit the secretion of melatonin, an essential hormone, from the brain into the bloodstream. The effect is that the body won’t be ready for sleep until later in the night (i.e., it produces insomnia), and the body will not be ready for waking until later in the morning, producing grogginess. Unfortunately, this is exactly what’s happening more and more in modern societies. The typical scenario is someone who has a 30-to-60-minute commute early in the morning and then gets home at 6:00 p.m. They relax and watch TV or crack open their laptop computer to finish their work or to get on social media into the late hours of the night. This behavior causes circadian rhythm disruption, and sleep doesn’t come until about 11:00 p.m. or midnight. The typical length of sleep should be at least seven hours for an adult, but because of work, the person rises at 5:30 a.m. and gets only 5.5 hours of sleep—far less than their body needs. Catching up on sleep on the weekend can’t compensate for this; and worse, the sleep-deprived person loses out on the early-morning anchoring sunlight needed to shift back the SCN to the desired place. In addition, the lack of melatonin—a result of late-evening light—is linked to cancer,2 including breast cancer;3 neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease; chronic pain; cardiovascular diseases; and type 2 diabetes.4 Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant, more effective than vitamin E,5 b-carotene,6 vitamin C,7 and even garlic oil.8 Its effects on the human body involve signaling sleep and mopping up dangerous reactive oxygen species from the byproducts of metabolism. So why not just take a supplement? Supplements are not regulated; therefore, it’s difficult to know whether you’re actually
Even dim light entering the eye at night will not only disrupt the daily (circadian) rhythm but also inhibit the secretion of melatonin, an essential hormone, from the brain into the bloodstream. getting what’s on the label. And while a small amount of melatonin at night may be beneficial for some people (usually only one to three milligrams), larger doses often are counterproductive and can cause rebound insomnia. The best advice is to dim the lights in your house and go to bed soon after 9:00 p.m., avoid screens at night (even E-readers), and expose your eyes to bright light early in the morning. It’s also important to note that this advice isn’t new. “Make it [a] habit not to sit up after nine o’clock. Every light should be extinguished. This turning night into day is a wretched, health-destroying habit.”9 “How prevalent is the habit of turning day into night, and night into day. Many . . . sleep soundly in the morning, when they should be up with the early singing birds and be stirring when all nature is awake.”10 If you live where nature “gets up late” and there’s no bright light available, consider purchasing a
Benefits of Adequate Sleep Reduced:
Stress levels Diabetes risk Inflammation load Alzheimer’s risk Errors/accidents
light box (10,000 lux) and sitting at a distance of 11 to 15 inches in front of it for 20 minutes. This type of therapy will help keep your circadian rhythm in synchrony with reality and allow you to get the seven-plus hours of sleep needed every night (for an adult) before you leave for work. And don’t forget to change the oil! Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1903), p. 205. 2 British Journal of Cancer, March 2004, https://doi.org/10.1038/ sj.bjc.6601626. 3 Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, February 2009, 11:e5, doi:10.1017/S1462399409000982. 4 Aging and Disease 3, no. 2 (April 2012): 194-225. 5 Journal of Pineal Research 32 (2002): 225-230. 6 Free Radical Biology and Medicine 28 (2000): 636-642. 7 Archives of Toxicology 75 (2001): 88-96. 8 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology 135 (2003): 539-547. 9 Ellen G. White, Daughters of God (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1998), p. 177. 10 Ellen G. White, Child Guidance (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1954), p. 111. 1
An internationally known physician/ intensivist and board-certified sleep specialist, Roger Seheult is passionate about sharing the good news about sleep and encouraging people to incorporate adequate sleep into their healthful lifestyle!
Better:
Mood/mental health Memory Immune system Skin/healing
Improved:
Weight management Heart health Ability to concentrate/focus Energy/productivity
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Global View
Jesus Is Coming Get Involved!
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his month the Seventh-day Adventist world church family gathers together in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, for its sixty-first General Conference Session, scheduled for June 6-11, 2022. Originally planned to be held in 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the session had to be postponed twice because of extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This session is unique in that it is the first time the more than 2,000 delegates representing more than 20 million Seventh-day Adventists from around the world will meet in a hybrid session. This means that while the majority of the delegates will be on-site in St. Louis, those delegates unable to attend on-site will participate virtually through electronic means. Those attending virtually will have all of the same rights and privileges of 16
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those who are on-site, including the possibility to speak and to vote. General Conference (GC) Sessions are important business meetings, and decisions taken there affect the world church. Some of the business conducted at a General Conference Session includes the election of General Conference officers, departmental directors, and associates, and officers of the General Conference’s world divisions. Delegates at the session Image: Pexels / Lagos Food Bank Initiative
also discuss and vote on items such as the church’s constitution and bylaws, our Fundamental Beliefs, the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, and any other business referred by the GC Executive Committee’s Annual Council. In addition to these regular business items, other elements of the session include inspiring music and spiritual devotionals, and wonderful reports showing how God is working through His church around the world. Of course, it is also a special time for fellowship as a worldwide family of believers, and everyone is welcome to attend. Because of financial considerations, however, this year’s GC Session is scheduled for six days rather than the usual 10 days of past GC Sessions. JESUS IS COMING! GET INVOLVED!
The theme for this year’s General Conference Session could not be more timely: “Jesus Is Coming! Get Involved!” We are living at the end of time. The worldwide signs are ominous, and God is calling us to get involved in proclaiming our God-given message and reaching the world for Him. Let’s not get caught up in the devil’s trap questioning the Lord’s soon coming and thereby participate in the age-old complaint recorded in 2 Peter 3:3-9: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ . . . The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
The fact is, Jesus is coming soon! He Himself said three times in Revelation 22, “I am coming quickly.” CHALLENGES AND DEFINING MOMENTS
Ahead of us lie a wave of challenges and defining moments as we face the reopening of the postpandemic world, armed conflicts, political and natural crises, and much more. We must be clear in what we believe, for our beliefs define our mission and practice. It is therefore vital that we renew our commitment to following God’s Word and counsels from the Spirit of Prophecy, and to truly seek the converting and reviving presence of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to do in and through us a work that only He can accomplish. We need to plead with God for a deeper consecration, and a heart in tune with His will— for our personal lives, our families, and for our worldwide church. And we must plead for the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, because it is only through His power that we will be able to fulfill our calling. Brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming soon! What a day that will be when Jesus returns! Christ’s second coming will be the culmination of God’s finished work. One day soon we will see in the eastern sky a small, dark cloud about half the size of a man’s fist. It will get larger and larger and brighter and brighter—all of heaven will be poured out for this climax of earth’s history. Everyone will see Him at the same time through a miracle of heaven. And there seated in the middle of millions of angels will be the One we have been waiting for—not the humble broken Lamb, not the High Priest, but the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ our Redeemer! We will look up and say, “This is the God we have
We must be clear in what we believe, for our beliefs define our mission and practice. waited for.” Christ will look down and say, “Well done, good and faithful servants; enter into the joy of your Lord,” and we will rise to meet the Lord in the air to go home to be with Him forever! Let’s dedicate our lives, energies, talents, resources, and time to finishing God’s work so we can go home! God has promised to give you His power to finish His work—He will pour out the latter rain to proclaim the three angels’ messages and finish His work as a united church. Are you ready for mission? Are you ready to do whatever it takes to proclaim God’s last-day message to the millions and millions of searching souls? Are you ready to participate in practical ways such as through comprehensive health ministry—helping people to live life to the fullest here and for eternity? Are you ready to plead with the Lord for revival, reformation, and the latter rain of the Holy Spirit as we proclaim Bible truth? Are you ready to march forward in God’s mission? Will you commit yourself to this great task as we look forward to Christ’s soon coming? If so, I invite you to pray to the Lord just now and make that commitment to Him. Ted N. C. Wilson is president of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additional articles and commentaries are available from the president’s office on Twitter: @ pastortedwilson and on Facebook: @Pastor Ted Wilson. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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hy do I feel timid, even somewhat embarrassed, about pronouncing these words? It feels like a taboo to state them in Christian circles. The idea of God being present has become so ingrained in our thinking, through sermons, testimonies, and songs, that we appear to have problems also acknowledging that He can be hidden and silent. Still, I speak regularly with believers who find truth in also saying, “He is not here.” I see youth leaving the church because they are told they should experience God’s presence in their lives. But as they struggle to meet expectations, they find only the opposite, His absence. His silence and hiddenness are experienced as a personal and spiritual defeat. If God’s presence is a sign of His favor, but you experience only His absence, why then continue in faith if He has turned His back on you? GOD’S HIDDENNESS IN SCRIPTURE
What We Believe
The Second Coming of Christ
He Is Not Here! Ready to join the community of those who long for what they still lack?
As I read the prophets, I find that they struggled with similar questions. In fact, they could be frank about the silence and hiddenness of God. If you haven’t noticed, take a look at such examples as Isaiah 45:15; 59:1, 2; Ezekiel 39:21-24, 27-29; Daniel 8:13; Habakkuk 1:2; or Zechariah 7:11-14. Yes, the reasons for His silence and hiddenness are complex. Deuteronomy 31:17, 18 states that God may hide His face because of human sins. But the sons of Korah protest and claim that they have not sinned to deserve God’s silence and hiddenness (Ps. 44:18-20, 24, 25). On the cross, Jesus Himself borrowed these painful words of David: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; cf. Ps. 22:2).* The thrice-documented angelic assertion, “He is not here,” Image: Pexels / Elifskies
at the empty tomb (Matt. 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5) sums up Christ’s victory over death. This we can celebrate. But what about the first part of the angelic assertion at the ascension, that He is taken up from us (Acts 1:11)? Jesus Himself said that “if you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). And then we have the conundrum in John 16:7: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Is there an advantage that Christ goes away? What room is there in our faith for also confessing “He is not here” and “He is taken away”? What room do we have for stating that God is silent and hidden? HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WAIT
The promise that Jesus will return just as concretely as He left when He ascended to heaven is still an unfulfilled promise. After 2,000 years it’s reasonable to ask how long we need to wait (cf. Isa. 6:11; Dan. 8:13; 12:6; Hab. 1:2; Zech. 1:12; Rev. 6:10). Christians have related differently to this unfulfilled promise throughout history. The early Christian movement arose in the vacuum following Jesus’ ascension. Its explosive growth was driven by an intense longing for Christ’s second coming. But as decades and centuries passed, the church settled into this world. The focus shifted. The church had to provide an experience of God’s presence. Some claimed that Jesus had already returned invisibly, and that the millennium had begun. People were told that Christ’s body and blood were actually present in the bread and wine. God was omnipresent. Spiritual exercises would give
a sensation of His presence. The Second Coming was explained as the encounter everyone has upon death—through the immortality of the soul. The clergy and other spiritual leaders could substitute the role of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. But awe-inspiring rituals, cherished traditions, sophisticated literature, exquisite architecture, art, and music—they all cannot meet the deepest longing of our hearts. STILL WAITING
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was born in a time when the intense longing for Christ’s return was in the forefront of ideas and currents. And yes, we too may and have also been enticed by the satisfaction of being established in this world, through buildings, institutions, the numbers of members, or the truth we confess. But there is power in confessing that “He is not here,” but will come soon. Again and again in history, we have seen a major force in the love and longing for the One who is to come. The opposite of presence is absence. But to me the Bible appears to prefer to speak of God being “with” and Christ being “in” us. The biblical authors never saw a contradiction between speaking of God being hidden and silent and Him being “with” and “in” us. There is no inherent inconsistency between the two. That God is “with” and “in” us is not necessarily synonymous with how we have accustomed ourselves to talk about His presence. That God is hiding does not mean He is absent. That God is silent does not mean He doesn’t exist. And to confess that God is at times hidden and silent does not exclude that He also answers prayers, acts, communicates, and is with us. We are grateful for these
That God is hiding does not mean He is absent. That God is silent does not mean He doesn’t exist. signs from Him, as shining stars in the immense spaces, as we long for the rise of the sun. The hope of Christ’s return is not born out of dissatisfaction, a wish, or a need, but out of the promises given to us by God. It’s the promises of His return that define our hope. Rather than a community embarrassed about His silence and hiddenness, should we not instead openly confess it? Instead of creating problems for and driving seekers away from us, should we not welcome them into the community of those who long for what they still lack? Should we proclaim that “He is not here” and “He is taken away” more freely to be more fully grasped by the longing and hope that He will indeed return? Should we not freely recognize that we still miss the most essential in life, that we still live in exile? We will never quiet our hearts until we can share direct communion with Him, converse with Him in the cool of the day, and see Him face to face. Then on that day we can finally say: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isa. 25:9). * Scripture quotations have been taken from the NRSV.
Kenneth Bergland pastors the Vesterålen and Harstad congregations in northern Norway, where he lives with his wife, Marianne, and daughter Åsne. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Faith in Action
Today I Will Choose to Forgive
(Well, maybe.)
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BY MICHELE NORFOLK
’ve struggled with forgiveness—or the lack thereof—for many years. I’m not referring to the everyday little things: someone cuts me off in traffic; the slow text response to an urgent question; the neighbor kid practicing his trumpet at odd hours on his back porch. No, I mean the really big ones. The hurts that were inflicted without an apology, without acknowledgment, and without accountability. I struggled to choose to forgive the pain that changed the course of my life forever. My pastor said that the bitterness I held on to was like drinking poison and waiting for my offenders to die—but I just couldn’t let it go. The Bible tells us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:31, 32).* How is this possible when the pains from the past still hurt so intensely? BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN
I was taught about forgiveness from a very early age by my family and in Sabbath School. In turn, I teach this important value throughout my day working with toddlers at my daycare center. One child might take a toy from another, and then the offended child will cry loudly and then dramatically collapse, mortally wounded at this insult. The culprit is quickly made aware of their wrong choices and is led to repent and apologize and return the toy with a hug. The scene of hysteria ends as quickly as it began, and both children toddle away, usually leaving the toy on the floor and laughing and playing together as if nothing had happened. How do we become like these little children in our grown-up world? How can forgiveness be this simple? Jesus explains it this way, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). On some level everyone can empathize with being hurt, and I’m certainly no exception. When I was one of these innocent children, some things happened to turn my perception of love upside down. Always taught to forgive, I struggled to understand why I couldn’t let the pain go. For many years I beat myself up. Image: OC Gonzalez
I was angry. I was very angry. In my situation there would be no apology, no explanation, no restitution or amends. I was left with this ugly bitterness and the guilt of not being able to let it go. So it continued to hurt. Along with my anger I also experienced depression, and this hardened my heart. It changed me into a person I didn’t like. It kept me from being able to serve God in the way He created me to serve. Some people might say, “Well, if you had handed it to Jesus, He could have healed your pain.” That wasn’t my experience. Being “told” to forgive isn’t comforting and sometimes makes the pain even worse. Those words can make you feel condemned for having unprocessed emotions. I did, in fact, pray to God and handed my pain to Him, but nothing happened. I took it back and sulked and pouted. After a while I would give it to Him again, and I begged God to take the bitterness and despair away. But every time I threw my suffering to heaven, it boomeranged back to me, darker and more hopeless. Something had to change. LESSONS FROM THE LORD’S PRAYER
Several years ago I heard a sermon about the Lord’s Prayer. The pastor gently and clearly explained the mystery of forgiveness. God forgives my sins as I open myself to forgiveness—and also to those who are in need of my forgiveness. If I choose not to forgive, I’m choosing to not be forgiven (see Matt. 6:14, 15). And my sins are not judged on a scale different from anyone else’s. It was clear that I had to figure this forgiveness thing out. Jesus also said to love your enemies and to pray for those who hurt you (see Matt. 5:44). Pray for the bad guys? These people hurt me, but now I’m wondering how they became so emotionally damaged, and I’m thinking that maybe they don’t even realize the damage they’ve done. Praying for them was changing my heart, and my healing began. Possibly their hearts would be healed as well. I had prayed in the past for those who had hurt me (not very nice prayers), but now I began earnestly asking God to heal them, to open their eyes and their hearts, to take away the infection of sinful generations, and to give them a new life. And as I prayed for them, my AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Every time I threw my suffering to heaven, it boomeranged back to me, darker and more hopeless. Something had to change. own heart began to slowly soften. Instead of asking God to take away the pain, I asked Him to help me to forgive the people who’d hurt me. To help me understand, learn, and grow.
how could I compare my moments of suffering to His? So I gave up my desire for retribution. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:17-19). I’m not letting anyone off the moral or legal hook. Everyone is accountable to God and to our laws for their choices. And I encourage those who have been abused to seek professional counseling. This isn’t about letting criminals remain in a position to harm another innocent victim. Three times the Bible tells us God’s thoughts on people who hurt children, repeating that it would be “better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt. 18:6; see also Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2).
ACKNOWLEDGING THE PAIN
A CHANGED LIFE
We can’t forgive what we don’t acknowledge. When Joseph recognized his brothers, who had been so cruel to him in his youth, he asked his attendants to leave before he made himself known to them. “And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it” (Gen. 45:2). Then he revealed his identity to his brothers. He faced the pain they had caused and chose to forgive them. This experience of Joseph permitted me to feel the full extent of sadness that I’d tried so hard to handle for so many years. Like Joseph, I wept uncontrollably as I replayed the scenes in my memories. I sifted through them with more honesty and less hysteria. The truth is, bad things happened, life got messy. It was hard to go back to those dark places, but as I examined the memories more closely, I slowly began to see that my monsters were actually just broken people living in a sinful world. I began to think about why they had made the choices they had, and how their own lives had taken a terrible turn that caused such anguish. I changed from feeling terribly hurt and angry to feeling pity and compassion. My earlier vengeful prayers changed into sympathetic prayers. When I thought of how Jesus loved and prayed for forgiveness, for the very people who were nailing Him to the cross,
So you might be asking, “Did your life change? Are you completely healed from your anger and bitterness? Did you choose to completely forgive?” The short answer is yes. I still have bad memories that surface from time to time, and I’m reminded to pray for healing and understanding. But every day I can choose to forgive. This is about my freedom. Forgiveness provides tremendously empowering freedom. Forgiveness is not justice; it’s not reconciliation; nor is it a happily-ever-after guarantee. I’m simply handing over my heart to God. I trust that He knows every tiny detail involving all of humanity and will sort it all out with incredible love and decisive judgment. I’ve been reminded that God has given me a beautiful gift throughout this long process. It’s my honor to help those who are lonely and scared, those who have been in very difficult situations. I can tell them how God helped me choose freedom and peace. “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).
Image: OC Gonzalez
* All Bible texts are from the New International Version.
Michele Norfolk is a pseudonym.
Millennial Voices
From Rush to Rest
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abbath is one day I particularly look forward to. After a week of work and activities, the sound of rest soothes the soul. But being involved in church ministry, I find that Sabbath can be the busiest day of the week. From choir practices to visitations, potlucks, Bible studies, and Pathfinders, there is a never-ending list of things to attend to. The Sabbath, often buried beneath a clutter of activities, can result in restlessness. One Sabbath, at the verge of burnout, Sabbath is a I just paused and asked myself, “What wholesome does the Sabbath really mean to me?” It surely wasn’t supposed to be all-conexperience of suming or tiresome. After crossing out reconnecting all the possible definitions of Sabbath, I realized, again, that Sabbath is a date with the Maker, with God. God had set this day apart reconnecting since the beginning of time, since Creation. He knew what humanity and with our identity, their busy schedules would look like, purpose and and created the Sabbath. “Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27), Jesus said— the hope we for you and me! The highlight of a date is not only what hold on to. we wear or where we go to or the elaborate plans made for it. It’s simply the time spent with one another. God demonstrated His love by setting an entire day aside to spend quality time with us. He uses this day to express His love, and in turn we can do the same when we intentionally spend time focused on Him alone.
During quality time I am not distracted with the notifications on my electronic gadgets, or with church gossip, or the happenings of this world. Quality time is intentional; it’s time set apart. As I spend time with Jesus, I get a chance to reflect on Him and see His will and purpose more clearly. As I imagine holding on to His nail-scarred hands, I accept His sacrifice. As I begin to thank Him, He calls me His child. And as I share what troubles me, He shows me a whole new future awaiting for me with Him in His place. Sabbath is a wholesome experience of reconnecting with the Maker, reconnecting with our identity, purpose, and the hope we hold on to. Sabbath is truly a delight (cf. Isa. 58:13, 14). The experience of Sabbath is moving from rush to rest. Jewish theologian and thinker Abraham Heschel aptly states that the Sabbath is “an ascent to the summit.” Just as God pronounced the six days of Creation as good, but the seventh day holy, “one can move from good to holy by observing the Sabbath.”* An invitation for the Sabbath is sent out to all. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Rest for our wandering hearts and a foretaste of the rest that we will ultimately experience in heaven, where there won’t be any barriers, boundaries, or sin to separate us from God. Sabbath is a foretaste of the bond we will share with God in heaven. You could be a churchgoer and still not have figured out what the Sabbath means to you. One thing you can learn from me is that it’s better late than never. You wouldn’t want to miss out on this blessing. * Abraham J. Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Young, 1951), p. 75.
Beersheba Jacob serves as the human resources coordinator and assistant to the vice president at Lowry Memorial College, Bangalore, India. She is married to Andrew.
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Pastor Hong Zijie and his wife, c. 1915, probably taken in Shantao.
Looking Back
Zijie Hong Generous Adventist Pioneer
The following article is drawn from two entries by the same author in the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Visit encyclopedia.adventist.org to read the original stories on Ang Tau Kiet and J. N. Anderson.—Editors.
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ijie Hong (洪子杰), also known as Ang Tau Kiet, was the second indigenous Chinese Seventh-day Adventist minister ordained in China. He pioneered Adventism in the southeastern Chinese regions of Guangdong and Fujian. Hong was born in 1864 in Baita district, Liaoyang City, China. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was 24
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a county official near Shantou, Guangdong province. When he joined the Baptist Church, he became an ordained elder in charge of an independent congregation in the town of Chiao-on in eastern Guangdong.1 One day Hong met a man named Guo Ziying and through their conversation became interested in the Adventist message. According to Hong’s family,2 Guo had learned about the Sabbath from Timothy Zheng, an Adventist from Singapore. Wanting to understand more about the Sabbath, Guo traveled by boat to consult with Jacob Nelson Anderson, an Adventist missionary. Photo: Adventism in China Digital Image Repository Background: Preto_perola / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
A BRIEF BACKGROUND
When J. N. Andrews left for Europe in 1874, the Seventh-day Adventist Church began actively calling for those willing to leave the familiarity and comforts of home to serve abroad. Anderson and his wife, Emma, responded to that appeal. In April 1901, after an interview with the Foreign Mission Board, the General Conference appointed the Andersons as the first commissioned missionaries to China. Early in 1903, the Andersons were invited to visit Eric Pilquist in Henan, central China. Pilquist was a worker at the British and Foreign Bible Society. He had accepted the Adventist message in India and actively promoted his faith in Henan. As a result, on February 14, 1903, Anderson conducted the first baptism of six Chinese converts to the Adventist faith. The next day these six were organized into the first Seventh-day Adventist church in mainland China. During this trip Anderson was so moved by China’s great need that he wrote a letter of appeal to the Adventist Mission Board. The letter was read to the delegates by the secretary of the General Conference, W. A. Spicer, at the 1903 General Conference Session. Consequently, four doctors and two nurses arrived late in 1903 to join the Pilquists in central China. By the end of that year, there were 12 foreign missionaries working in different parts of China, and the Adventist Church became well established. ACCEPTING THE TRUTH
When his boat stopped at Shantou, Guo went ashore to have a look around. It was there he met Hong, and they began discussing the Sabbath. Hong was not interested initially. As a Baptist, he had been taught that Sunday was the Sabbath and believed he could prove it from the Bible. To his surprise, he could not find any biblical reference to Sunday being the Sabbath, nor could his Baptist mentor. After some research, Hong accepted that Saturday is indeed the Sabbath mentioned in the Bible. Resigning from his county post, he began observing the Sabbath. It was not an easy decision to give up a good income, and only three of his six children followed him from their Baptist faith. When he announced his decision to his Baptist congregation, many of them joined Hong in accepting the Sabbath. Interestingly, the day on which they made that decision fell on Chinese New Year, which happened to be a Saturday that year.3 Their church building became the first property owned by the Shantou Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.4
Hong sold many of his properties, distributing part of the proceeds to the poor and using the remainder to build a school.
In addition to giving up his lucrative county position, Hong also sold many of his properties, distributing part of the proceeds to the poor and using the remainder to build a school. An enthusiastic leader, he began to spread the Adventist message in that part of Guangdong province. Friendly, sincere, and generous, he won many to Christ. He opened new mission stations, distributed printed literature, and even employed others to preach the gospel at his own expense before the Seventh-day Adventist mission provided financial aid for his work. For about 25 years he opened schools and established churches in seven of the 12 districts in the Shantou Mission. Hong and Gou labored together to start a new mission station at Kityang.5 In 1915 Hong was ordained into the Seventh-day Adventist ministry, becoming the second Chinese national to be ordained, after Gou.6 In addition to being an evangelist, Hong also served as the treasurer in the Shantou Mission of Seventh-day Adventists for a number of years.7 In 1928 Hong’s health began to fail, and he became paralyzed on his right side. Hong died in 1936 and was buried in his native village of Baita.8 “Ang, Tau Kiet,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, second rev. ed. (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1996), vol. 10, p. 83. 2 “Ang Tau Kiet,” in Chinese SDA History, ed. Samuel Young (Hong Kong: Chinese Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, 2002), p. 513; oral testimonies from Chen Hong Zhengqing and Ni Chen Lelian, Hong Jizie’s daughter and granddaughter, respectively. 3 Bruce Lo, “Ang Tau Kiet,” in Adventism in China, www.adventisminchina.org/individual-name/nationals/ angtaukiet, accessed June 15, 2016. 4 “Ang, Tau Kiet,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. 5 K. T. Khng, “The Spirit of the Pioneers,” The China Division Reporter, Mar. 1, 1931. 6 “Ang, Tau Kiet,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. 7 “Ang Tau Kiet,”in Chinese SDA History. 8 “Ang, Tau Kiet,” Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. 1
Bruce W. Lo serves as the Encyclopedia of Seventhday Adventists (ESDA) assistant editor for the Chinese Union Mission. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Bible Questions Answered
A Cosmic Moving Company?
Q
Was there a heavenly sanctuary before sin?
A
I assume that your question is about the heavenly sanctuary itself, its nature and purpose, before the entrance of sin in the cosmos. Biblical revelation provides information that sheds some light on your question and focuses on God Himself. GOD IS THE CREATOR
The doctrine of creation is foundational for a theology of the heavenly sanctuary. Here I will mention three elements about God and creation. First, every member of the Godhead was directly involved in creation—the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2), the Son (John 1:1-3), and the Father (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3). This one God created the totality of the cosmos—the cosmos itself and everything in it—and consequently He does not belong to the realm of creation. Second, creating through the word presupposes a distance between the Creator and what came into existence at His command. He was not trapped within creation. Third, God existed by Himself outside the cosmos He created. Since the Creator is far beyond His creation—He is the transcendent God—creation is not large enough to encompass the fullness of the divine, as noted in 1 Kings 8:27: “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you” (NIV). GOD IS THE ONLY COSMIC RESIDENT DEITY
The Godhead, who is, by nature, even essentially different from His creation, chose to enter into creation to dwell among His creatures (cf. 2 Chron. 30:27). This was divine condescension; a glorious display of divine love toward all creatures. God localized Himself within our created space to be near and accessible to His cosmic 26
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children. It is therefore at the moment of creation that God condescended to set His dwelling within creation. The psalmist takes us back to creation and indicates that the earth was firmly established then, and adds, “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting” (Ps. 93:2). God’s ruling presence from His sanctuary is from of old—from the beginning—but God Himself is everlasting. Jeremiah is more explicit: “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary” (Jer. 17:12; cf. Gen. 1:1). The throne is a metonym for His sanctuary and His ruling power (Ps. 11:4; 103:19). This sanctuary was not built by human hands, but by God (Heb. 9:11). In that unique space heavenly beings worshipped and served the Resident Deity (Ps. 103:19-22). Once sin entered the cosmos, God decided to deal with it from His heavenly dwelling (cf. 1 Kings 8:30, 32, 38, 39). The redemptive work of the Son on the cross and in the heavenly temple would bring to a final resolution the cosmic conflict. The earthly tabernacle with its regulations was a type of Christ’s work (Heb. 10:1). BACK TO THE BEGINNING: THE RESIDENT DEITY
What happens after the cosmic problem is resolved? God will continue to be the cosmic resident deity. His nearness is indispensable for the sustenance of creation; otherwise, creation left to itself would collapse. But there is a new chapter in the cosmic history of the heavenly dwelling of God. God will move His dwelling to a small planet, located almost at the edges of the Milky Way, called Earth. John the revelator saw the heavenly dwelling of God descending from heaven to the new earth and commented, “He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21:3). Why is God moving here? Perhaps because His Son is an earthling, for He is our brother!
Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired after a career serving as pastor, professor, and theologian.
Health & Wellness
Mental Versus Physical Health Does the church value them equally? My mother, age 60, has depression and anxiety, and a family history of heart disease. Will exercise benefit her mental as well as her physical health? Does the Adventist Church value mental health as much as it does physical health?
Y
es—supervised exercise prescribed by your mother’s physician will certainly help your mother. All individuals who exercise regularly improve their cardiovascular health. The really good news is that individuals with anxiety or depression who engage in physical activity achieve even greater cardiovascular benefits, as exercise lowers the increased stress-associated neurobiological activity (SNA) that accompanies anxiety and depression disorders.1 At the beginning of the twenty-first century, it was predicted that mental health disorders would become the leading cause of disability. This did happen, and it’s been exaggerated by the COVID-19 pandemic during the past two years as a result of lockdowns, isolation, death, economic woes, increased addictive behaviors, and the struggle to find the “new normal.” Yes, the Adventist Church prioritizes mental health issues and places emphasis on these. Jesus is the Master Physician and our pattern. The healing that Jesus performed addressed body, mind, and spirit. He healed physical maladies, freely forgave sin, and brought relief from guilt. Jesus recognized the vital interaction of body, mind, and spirit. Through the Bible and the writings of Ellen White the Adventist Church has been blessed with an understanding of wholistic, multidimensional health and well-being. This includes physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, and relational health—none of which is in isolation. As we work through depression, anxiety, and health inequities and disparities, we try always to apply the best lifestyle practices. In 2020 United Nations secretary-general António Guterres called for global action on mental health, reminding us that it’s one of the most neglected areas of health.2 Good mental health facilitates wholistic healthy behavior that helps keep us safe and well. During the pandemic, the mental health and well-being of whole societies have been severely affected and are a priority to be addressed urgently. A long-term upsurge in mental health problems is taking place, and we need to respond. The Adventist Church acted in 2011 with the first global Adventist conference on mental health. The efforts continue with the COVID-19 Image: imtmphoto / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Mental Health Initiative3 and the imminent launch of the mental health wellness program ReMindEd.4 We intentionally destigmatize mental health issues with thoughtful wording and open conversations on the topic. Support groups help combat isolation and encourage social connectedness, especially for the marginalized. Younger adults reach out to isolated older adults to reduce loneliness. We do tend to focus on the measurable aspects of health: what we eat and drink. Let’s remember, however, there is no health without mental health! Adventists have long known this. Empowered by His Spirit, we should now live and teach it, wholistically making the difference, including in the areas of rest, exercise, trust in God, and an intentional approach to mental health and emotional well-being! Hadil Zureigat, Shady Abohashem, Simran Grewal, et al., “Cardiovascular Benefit of Exercise Is Greater in Those With Anxiety and Depression” (American College of Cardiology, 2022, Session 1007-05). 2 United Nations secretary-general António Guterres on COVID-19 and the need for action on mental health, 2020, https://youtu.be/XLJlqcFYfeM. 3 https://youthaliveportal.org/mentalhealth 4 https://www.healthministries.com/gchealthresources/ 1
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 Heavy Black Box W “May I Tell You a Story?” BY DICK DUERKSEN
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hat’s in the box?” It’s a question every international traveler fears, especially when it comes from a customs officer who is pointing at your most treasured possession. You listen, rehearse your carefully planned answer, and speak with a smile. “This, sir, is a portable dental clinic that we’ll be using to deliver free dental care in remote communities around your country.” “A what?” That’s the usual response. No one believes that their aching tooth can be cared for by whatever is in this black box. “Open it.” You’re ready for the request, and you carefully move the box to “right side up,” insert the key into the lock, twist to the right, lift the lid, and wait for words of amazement. “Really? All the instruments are here? And a dental chair, too? Free dental care? How can this be? Why would you do this?” It’s a conversation Randy and Marta Meyer have had with customs officials
in Madagascar, Zambia, Mongolia, Peru, Micronesia, and now in Argentina. It’s a conversation they enjoy and pray about often. The men and women who work at the airport customs offices are serious about protecting their country, about keeping bad things out, and charging the right taxes on the good things people bring with them. *** With the pandemic settling down a bit, this year Randy and Marta chose to go on a vacation to visit their son in Argentina. Manfred moved there several years ago, planning to complete his business degree at River Plate Adventist University. “He fell in love with the people and decided to stay forever!” Marta laughs. “After completing his degree, he got some experience working as general manager in a store. Later he decided to set up his own store, and he’s been very successful.” Manfred is much more than a successful store owner. He’s also an evangelist who has learned how to use free dental clinics to share the gospel of God’s love. When his parents decided to come visit him in Argentina, he told them to be sure to bring one of the heavy black boxes, “like the ones we used in Africa.” “Manfred has gone with us to Africa to serve people in Zambia and Malawi, so he’s familiar with our mission work,” says Randy. “What’s happening there is quite amazing. The clinic in Zambia now has three full-time dentists. One is from France, and the other two are from the Philippines. They have two of the heavy black boxes and are operating for six hours a day under mango trees in Images: Dick Duerksen
remote villages. One of the best things about it is the new power supply that comes from their Land Rover’s battery!” The Zambian dental clinics are operated by the Riverside Farm Institute. Now that the Land Rover is designed to power their dental equipment, the dentists have been able to see several thousand patients under mango trees, even in the most remote regions of the country. “We don’t do just dentistry,” adds Randy. “We’re also holding evangelistic meetings. We come here because our walk with God calls us to serve Him by serving others. Each of our providers— the dentists, assistants, drivers, everyone—must be able to love unconditionally and genuinely enjoy serving others. We’re not just pulling and filling teeth; we’re praying with the people, giving them Bibles, and introducing them to Jesus. It also means we must come with humility, where we can joyfully receive the love that they give us, whether it be in their gifts of fruit, vegetables from their garden, or just an appreciative hug.” *** Talking with Randy and Marta is like going on a worldwide missionary adventure. They have dental clinic stories from Madagascar, tales from Mongolia, new friends in the Philippines, miracles in the South Pacific, cured cavities in Peru, and much more. “Here’s the story from Argentina,” say Marta and Randy together. “Manfred plays soccer with a surgeon, and one day they got to talking about our heavy black boxes. Turns out that the doctor is interested in missions and wants to help us
start free clinics in Misiones, a province in the northeast corner of Argentina.” “River Plate Adventist University teaches dentistry,” Marta jumps into the story, “and they’re eager to team up with us and take the black boxes to Misiones!” That’s the way God writes stories. One person accepts His challenge to minister in a special way, then He connects that person with another, and another, and another, and soon the mayor of a tiny village is welcoming dentists to serve his people. “I don’t know why I am still surprised,” says Randy, “but it always surprises me how God is able to make these miracles happen. He’s done it for us in Peru. He’s done it in Mongolia and Africa. And now He’s doing it in Argentina. God is really going to have to work hard on this one. The province of Misiones is a 12-hour drive from the dentists at River Plate Adventist University. We’ll need to make a lot of new friends in the villages, and the team is going to need more heavy black boxes filled with portable dental equipment. But it’s a huge help that Manfred is there, eager to help make it happen.” “I’ve never seen a box like this,” says the customs officer at the airport in Argentina. “And I’ve never met people who are willing to give free dental care to our people.” He smiles, closes the box, and writes a very small amount on the custom tax form. “Welcome to Argentina,” he says with a big smile. “God bless you and your work.” “God hasn’t failed me yet,” smiles Randy. “We’ll get more materials and more units in so that the people here will be able to continue the work. You see, this isn’t about us coming and doing a two-week mission trip. It’s about us coming and establishing something that can be run locally and continued for years to come, even if we are never able to come back.”
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; Joel Tompkins; Richard Sabuin; Hong, Myung Kwan; SeongJun Byun; 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, Wilona Karimabadi, Enno Müller 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; SeongJun Byun; Gerald A. Klingbeil; Richard Sabuin; Joel Tompkins; Ray Wahlen; Ex-officio: Paul H. Douglas; Erton Köhler; 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. 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. Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States. Vol. 18, No. 6
Dick Duerksen, a pastor and storyteller, lives in Portland, Oregon, United States. AdventistWorld.org June 2022
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Growing Faith
Fun-filled pages for younger ages
Children in Mission for Jesus
H
ave you ever been told you can’t do something because you are too young or too little? Sometimes being told that is for your own good—to protect you from hurting yourself or getting involved in something that you might not be ready for. In time you will grow and learn and be able to do those things (provided they are good things) without anyone telling you anything different. But did you know that children are just as capable as grown-ups of doing amazing things for Jesus? In fact, Jesus has a special place in His heart for kids. If you have a special desire in your heart to tell others about Jesus and be part of His mission for us, you certainly 30
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don’t have to wait until you are a grown-up! Need some ideas and inspiration? Look no further than this roundup of kids from around the world who are doing big things for Jesus right now. Joatham Tigley, age 8, is from the Philippines, and he is passionate about preaching. Whenever he gets a chance, he joins an evangelistic meeting. When the pandemic started in 2020, the Philippines was under lockdown too, with no large meetings or events taking place. However, when the Southern Asia-Pacific Division organized the first digital evangelism, Joatham was eager to participate in doing what he loves—preaching! In his
spare time he has been doing his own personal ministry with his sister, with the support of their mother. Joatham loves to preach the Word of God to his friends and neighbors! Joie Mattias is 9 years old and also from the Philippines. She is a dynamite at speaking and sharing messages of hope with many who watch her on YouTube. In 2021 Joie helped the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s Children’s Ministries Department by participating in video programs to promote such important initiatives as Enditnow, Stop Child Abuse, Global Children’s Day, and Prayer for At-Risk Children. She also raises funds to help lower-income families with school Illustration: Xuan Le
BY LINDA MEI LIN KOH
Joatham Tigley
Bible Treasure Joie Mattias
Rhoda Pau
Mia Allysandra
supplies for their children. Look at Joie’s personal ministry Facebook page when you visit: https://www. facebook.com/dearjoie. Rhoda Pau, age 13, is from Myanmar. She is using her talents in singing and preaching in evangelistic meetings and small-group meetings. You can learn more about Rhoda through her personal ministry Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/RhodaPau/. Mia Allysandra, 8 years old, is from Malaysia and loves to tell Bible stories. She conducts Sabbath School storytimes every Sabbath with her family through their online ministry called Double Blessing Home Ministry. Look at Mia’s YouTube
channel and see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5S3GRE-YJHI.
“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” Mark 10:13-16, ESV*
LET’S MAKE SOME PLANS!
Get a sheet of paper and pen or use a computer or iPad to create this list. List the talents/gifts you think you have. Singing, storytelling, art, preaching, service, etc. Think of places in the community where your talents could be used. Can you sing at a home for elderly people? Are there neighborhood kids you can tell stories to? Are there community art shows you can participate in? With Jesus as your focus, how can you use your gifts to tell others about Him?
With your parents’ help, come up with a plan for what you will do. With your parents as account managers, perhaps you can set up your own YouTube channel or pages on other social media platforms to share what you are doing. This is the way that your unique message about Jesus can go throughout all the world, faster than you could imagine. * 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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