The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists
Ju ly 2 01 5
Rendezvous with 19
Malaria:
A Continuing Threat
29
Design in
Nature
42
A Perfect
Reflection
North American Division | n a d
July 2015 The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists
July 2015
C O V E R
24
29 Design in Nature F A I T H
S T O R Y
Rendezvous With God
By Gideon and Pam Petersen The mission experience is one of learning as well as sharing.
Rendezvous with 19
Malaria:
A Continuing Threat
29
Design in
Nature
42
A Perfect
Reflection
S C I E N C E
By Tim Standish
The first lesson: don’t miss the obvious.
NAD FEATURE Christian Creativity in a Secular Society
30
8 Called to Faithfulness W O R L D
A N D
V I S T A
By Hendel Butoy
Who says we can’t preserve our values in difficult situations?
By Ted N. C. Wilson
Being the witnesses God called us to be
38 To See His Face A D V E N T I S T
S E R V I C E
10 The Great Controversy
By Mihai Goran
It’s only natural: we learn, we share.
We don’t always know when we’re in the presence of Someone special.
A D V E N T I S T
L I F E
20
D E V O T I O N A L
40 God’s Messenger: Growing
D I S C O V E R I N G T H E S P I R I T O F P R O P H E C Y
Katrina
By Efraín Velázquez II
Moving along the refugee road
Church, New Challenges
22 At Home With the Lamb F U N D A M E N T A L
By Diana Dyer
B E L I E F S
By Theodore N. Levterov
As Ellen White’s influence increased, so did her travels.
By Judith and Sven Fockner
Jesus promised He would prepare a place for us.
D E PA RT M E N T S 3 W O
3 6 11 14 17 18
R L D
R E P O R T
News Briefs News Feature NAD News NAD Update NAD Perspective NAD Letters
19 W O R L D H E A L T H Malaria: A Continuing Threat
B I 42
B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D
A Perfect Reflection
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I D E A
E X C H A N G E
www.adventistworld.org Available in 10 languages online
The Adventist World® (ISSN 1557-5519), one of the Adventist Review® family of publications, is printed monthly by the Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Copyright © 2015. Send address changes to your local conference membership clerk. Contact information should be available through your local church. For information about advertising, contact Glen Gohlke, 240-329-7250 (glengohlke@msn.com). PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 11, No. 7, July 2015.
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Adventist World - nad | July 2015
WORLD REPORT
Adventists in Hungary
Reconcile After
40 Years
By Andrew McChesney
T E D
“Every Christian needs two conversions: one from the world to Christ, and then one back into the world with Christ.” —John Stott. A wise college professor once observed to our religion class that the journey of Adventist mission is always lived between two crucial verbs—“come” and “go”—both of which are needed to understand the meaning of discipleship. If we emphasize only the “coming” to Jesus, we inevitably move toward a faith focused on our own experience of salvation—our comfort, our hope, our behavior, our viewpoints—with lessened concern for those who don’t yet know Him. If we underline only the “going” on behalf of Jesus, we miss the vital experience of grace received that qualifies us to testify of what Jesus has personally done for us. We end by highlighting prideful metrics of our apparent success as missionaries—thousands baptized, millions served, buildings built, truths proclaimed. Pointing to the often-neglected story in Luke 10 of the mission of the 70 disciples, he reminded us that all true mission is a cycle: coming to Jesus, learning from Him; going out in His name and marveling at His power; returning to Him with stories of deliverance; being sent out again with deeper faith and greater willingness to listen and learn from those we serve. For 10 amazing years this magazine has been telling the story of Adventist mission around the globe. Our international team of writers, editors, translators, designers, and distributors has worked diligently to communicate both the “coming” and the “going” essential to mission in the name of Jesus. In these pages you find stories to build your faith and increase your love for Jesus and His truth. You also find honest, useful articles that remind God’s church of the challenges and trials that often accompany working for the Lord. Beyond all these, we hope you also discover a greater love for a world of distressed, distracted people with whom to share the good news of salvation through Jesus, and your hope in His soon coming.
Tamás Ócsai (right), president of the Hungarian Union Conference, signs the document with KERAK leader János Cserbik.
■■ The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hungary and a breakaway group of hundreds of former Adventists have agreed to put aside past grievances and work toward healing a 40-year schism. The Hungarian church split in 1975 amid a protest by young pastors and other members over local church leaders’ collaboration with the Council of Free Churches, a body formed to represent the common interests of small Protestant denominations that later become a tool of the Communist state. Tamás Ócsai, president of the Hungarian Union Conference, signed a document titled “Joint Declaration on Settling the Past and Building a Common Future” with János Cserbik, leader of KERAK, as the splinter group is known, at a ceremony. “I am very pleased that this 40-year rift is coming to an end for most of the people,” said Benjamin D. Schoun, a general vice president of the Adventist world church, who played a key role in bringing the two sides toward reconciliation. “It is a testimony to the use of biblical methods for reconciliation and the willingness on the part of both sides to step out toward each other,” Schoun said in an interview. “They still have many details to work out, and we should continue to pray for this initiative.” Continued on next page
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U n i o n Z a m b i a n P h o t o s :
The Adventist Church in Hungary has 4,629 members worshipping in 104 churches, while KERAK has 1,500 to 1,800 members. Local church leaders anticipate that about 600 members will return this summer, while 400 do not intend to come back and the rest are open to the idea. The long-waited reconciliation document is seen as a first step toward reuniting the two sides. In reaching the agreement, the Adventist Church acknowledged that it had expelled the dissenting group of 518 believers largely without merit in 1975. “After much turmoil, which rocked the church to the core, the group was disfellowshipped, mostly without a valid biblical reason,” the Adventist Church’s Trans-European Division, which includes Hungary, said in a statement. The disfellowshipped believers first organized as an underground church in the then- Soviet bloc country but later emerged as the official denomination KERAK, or Christian Adventist Community. After the collapse of the Communist regime in 1989, Adventist leaders from all levels of the church sought to reunite the Hungarian church, but to no avail. Serious talks about reunification ceased around 2000. But in 2011 a new generation of KERAK leaders initiated a series of talks. The April 23 accord signals a turning point, said Trans-European Division president Raafat Kamal. “Over the past two years I personally witnessed firsthand genuine expressions of reconciliation by members and leaders alike,” he said. “Christ is coming soon, and He is uniting our Adventist believers in Hungary to be of one mind in focusing on the mission to be the salt and light.”
C o n f e r e n ce
WORLD REPORT
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
Above: Paul Ratsara, president of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, speaks in Lusaka, Zambia, at the celebration marking the 1 millionth member in that country. Right: Zambian President Edgar Lungu attends the celebration as a guest of honor.
Zambia’s President
Celebrates
1 Million Adventists By Andrew McChesney ■■ Zambia’s president joined thousands of Adventist believers in a stadium to celebrate the Adventist Church’s membership topping 1 million in the African country. President Edger Lungu watched a parade of Pathfinders in green-andwhite uniforms and took part in a worship service at the Heroes National Stadium in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, during the Sabbath celebration. “The name of God and His church was uplifted. It was a high moment for
the Seventh-day Church in Zambia and beyond,” said Paul Ratsara, president of the church’s Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, whose territory includes Zambia. “The president of the country and the dignitaries even decided to attend the divine service,” Ratsara said in an interview. “I had the heavy responsibility to break the bread of life.” With the membership milestone, Zambia has more Adventist members than any other country in Africa and
Puerto Rico’s Church Gives Big to Nepal By Libna Stevens, IAD
H o s p i ta l
Other Adventist entities are also raising money for Scheer Memorial Hospital, located outside Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Donations are also sought by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, which has scrambled to assist the general population, and the Adventist Church in Nepal, whose president, Umesh Pokharel, has spent weeks traveling to remote villages to distribute food and tents to Adventists and their neighbors. But no church donor seems quite as generous as the Puerto Rican Adventists. Continued on next page
Me m o r i a l
■■ Shock waves from Nepal’s powerful earthquake reached as far as the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, whose Seventh-day Adventist community has a special connection with the south Asian country. Within days of the April 25 earthquake, Adventist leaders in Puerto Rico responded by calling two news conferences to raise funds for Adventist-operated Scheer Memorial Hospital, whose chief medical officer and administrator, Fernando Cardona, is a Puerto Rican native. Tens of thousands of dollars were quickly collected, and José Alberto Rodriguez, president of the Adventist Church in Puerto Rico, said he expected the amount to top US$200,000. “We have a giving church,” said Rodriguez, who also works as country director for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Puerto Rico. “We also have many friends of the church who believe in our work and the work of ADRA and like to help others.” The amount of money being raised by the relatively small Puerto Rican church, which has a membership of nearly 34,000, is impressive by any measure. Rodriguez also spearheaded a fund-raising drive through ADRA’s Puerto Rico office that collected several hundred thousand dollars after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010.
Sc h ee r
joins just three countries with more than 1 million members: Brazil (1.5 million), India (1.5 million), and the United States (1.2 million). The Philippines is not far behind, with 918,669 members as of December, and Kenya (824,185) and Zimbabwe (803,521) are closing the gap. The Adventist Church has 18.5 million members worldwide. Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the Adventist world church, said he praised God for blessing the Adventist Church in Zambia.“He is blessing His church in extraordinary ways as we plead with Him for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit to carry the gospel message to every corner of this globe,” Wilson said. Evangelism is a way of life and not just an event in Zambia, Ratsara said. He said the local Adventist Church, which has about 6,000 congregations in a country with a population of 15.5 million, was growing rapidly because laypeople and pastors work closely together and newly baptized members are placed in a program called Fishers of Men that seeks to turn them into disciple makers. Many of those in attendance at the Lusaka stadium were young people and members of the Zambian church’s Dorcas Society, two groups whom church leaders credit with driving growth. “Young people have been the dynamos behind the stunning growth. Women from the famed Dorcas Society are another major contributing factor to the surge in membership in recent years,” said G. T. Ng, executive secretary of the Adventist world church. “Perhaps the passion and exuberance of youth and women in the life and ministry of the church in Zambia is something the world church can emulate.”
Doctors perform an outdoor cesarean section at Scheer Memorial Hospital, near Kathmandu.
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WORLD REPORT The Adventist Church in Puerto Rico opened a local bank account for Nepal donations before organizing the April 28 and 29 news conferences in the cities of San Juan and Mayaguez. Reporters from major local newspapers and television stations attended the events. Cardona, a pediatrician who left his post at the church’s Bella Vista Hospital in Mayaguez seven years ago to work in Nepal, spoke by telephone at the Mayaguez news conference. “God has been good to us and has protected us, and He gives us strength to continue helping people,” he said.
Other Ways to Help Nepal n Donate to the Adventist-run Scheer
Memorial Hospital near Kathmandu. The General Conference has set up a site to raise funds at fundly.com (goo.gl/JqV84X). ASI-affiliated Asian Aid USA is also collecting money for the hospital at AsianAid.org. n Donate to the Adventist Church in Nepal
by addressing a check or money order to the “General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists” and writing “Nepal Section relief funds” in the memo line. The envelope should be addressed to: Donation Cashier General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904, United States The money goes toward the needs of Adventist members. n Donate to ADRA by visiting ADRA.org and
clicking the “Donate” tab at the top of the home page. Canadian residents can donate at adra.ca/nepal. The money goes toward general relief efforts.
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Adventist World - nad | July 2015
By Andrew McChesney
The Mission
Lives On
Børge Schantz saw a remarkable 36-year-old mission story result in three baptisms just before he died.
B
ørge Schantz saw his passion for Muslims and mission service unexpectedly converge in Denmark when he was reunited with an Ethiopian man whom he had saved from certain death nearly 40 years earlier. Schantz, one of the Adventist Church’s top theologians in Europe, subsequently baptized the man’s family in a remarkable story that could be viewed as a final testimony to the influence of an Adventist missionary who died suddenly on December 12, 2014, at his home in Bjaeverskov, Denmark. He was 83. Schantz cowrote Biblical Missionaries, the Sabbath school lessons being used by Seventh-day Adventist adults worldwide in the third quarter of 2015. The book, coauthored with retired Newbold College president Steven Wayne Thompson, examines the lives of such missionaries as Abraham, Esther, Jonah, and Paul. Schantz’s own missionary life received prominent coverage in Denmark’s biggest newspaper, the BT, in July 2014 when he was reunited with Hassen Anbesse, who as a small boy was abandoned by his Muslim parents after
a hyena bit off much of his face. Schantz was working on a story about Anbesse with Adventist World when he died. The story began in 1978, when Schantz was invited to present Week of Prayer meetings at Ethiopia Adventist College in Kuyera, Ethiopia. The badly disfigured Anbesse, who lived at a nearby Adventist orphanage, was seated with other children in the front row. “He made a deep impression on me,” Schantz said in a series of e-mails with Adventist World in late 2014. “What kind of future would he have?” A gaping crater marked the spot where Anbesse’s nose once stood. His eyelids were missing, and his mouth sagged. As the boy listened to Schantz speak about Jesus and heaven, a desire welled up inside him for a new face. Without one, he would end up an outcast and die young. The boy approached Schantz after the meeting and blurted out, “When Jesus comes again, I will get a new face from Him.” Schantz said the words stuck in his head for weeks afterward. Anbesse, the son of nomads who wandered Ethiopia’s border with Somalia, had been attacked by a hyena at the age of 4
Sc r ee n g r a b s
f r o m
B T
v i de o
Left: GENERATION TWO: Schantz baptizes Anbesse’s elder son, Natinael, on October 18, 2014, less than two months before Schantz died. Center: REUNITED: Schantz and Anbesse meet to film a video about their reunion for BT last year. Right: FROM THE ARCHIVES: Schantz and Anbesse looking at a BT newspaper from 1978 with the headline, “Help Hassen Get a New Face.” C o u r te s y
o f
B ø r g e
Sc h a n tz
while he slept in a tent. An adult had chased the animal away before it killed the boy, but doctors had been unable to do much to repair the damage. When Schantz returned to Denmark on furlough, he convinced the BT newspaper to ask readers to help bring the boy to Denmark for surgery. The paper published a story with the headline “Help Hassen Get a New Face” on its front page on July 26, 1978. The effort raised a sizable 80,000 Danish crowns. Anbesse underwent a series of free operations from a plastic surgeon. Afterward he stayed in Denmark for a few years, moved to Norway, returned to Ethiopia, and settled back in Denmark. “His life with a very visible scar on his face wasn’t easy,” Schantz said. In Copenhagen, Anbesse met and married a fellow Ethiopian immigrant, Helen, and they had three children. He lost contact with Schantz after the operations and stopped attending church. Schantz, meanwhile, pressed ahead with what would amount to 47 years of church service. He worked as dean of theology at Newbold College and was founding director of the Seventhday Adventist Global Center for Islamic Studies at the British college. For 10 years he taught medical ethics to Muslim nurses on special assign-
ment for Loma Linda University in a strict Muslim country. “He lived a very active life,” said Arne Sandback, a pastor and friend who conducted Schantz’s funeral. “Just to mention a few things, he has been preaching, lecturing at schools, and giving lectures on Islam. He was even scheduled to preach the Sabbath after his death.” Ray Holm, who with his wife, Lynette, hosted Schantz in their home during the Week of Prayer meetings at Ethiopia Adventist College in 1978, called him an inspiration. “Whenever we saw him after that, he was like family, encouraging us in our work and offering counsel,” said Holm, who worked as business manager at the college and is now chief financial officer for Adventistowned Healthcare Resources NW in Portland, Oregon. While Schantz kept busy preaching and teaching in the spring of 2014, Anbesse’s wife, Helen, started taking the family to an Adventist church to worship. She was a faithful Coptic Christian and, knowing her husband’s Adventist background, decided to take a closer look at his neglected faith, Schantz said. “A few months ago I preached at the Holbaek church, and there in the audience I found Hassen and his family,”
Schantz said. “What a reunion!” After receiving a tip from Schantz, the BT reported about the reunion in its popular Sunday edition, circulation 269,000. The report mentioned the Adventist Church several times and filled seven pages. “Although I’ve got a face, it’s still not quite like everyone else’s,” Anbesse told the newspaper. “But I am very happy with the result. I have a new face, a new country, and a wonderful family.” Anbesse worked for years in a factory, and his wife as a cleaner. These days they take odd jobs. In the months after the surprise reunion, Schantz and his wife, Iris, met regularly with the family and gave Bible studies. At the request of Helen and the two older children, Natinael and Meron, Schantz baptized the trio on October 18, less than two months before his death. Hassen’s membership was transferred to Denmark from a church in Ethiopia. “It was a very special experience for me to baptize three people as a result of mission service 36 years ago,” Schantz said in his last communication with Adventist World, on November 13. “I experienced the joy of Ecclesiastes 11:1: ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days’ [KJV].” n
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W O R L D
F
F
aithfulness is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. In the Psalms we read of God’s faithfulness: “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures” (Ps. 119:90, NIV); “O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You” (Ps. 89:8). The prophet Isaiah wrote, “O Lord, You are my God. . . . Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth” (Isa. 25:1). In the New Testament we read that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). In Revelation, Jesus Christ is described as “Faithful and True” (Rev. 3:14; 19:11). The importance of faithfulness is reflected in the words of Jesus: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10); in His commendation “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:23); and in His promise in Revelation 2:10, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Faithfulness is identified as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). The Bible describes many of God’s faithful followers, and today He still has His faithful ones. Ellen White reminds us: “Christ is present at every assembly and at every private interview. He has made His people the depositaries of rare blessings. He has given them gems and treasures richer than gold; and every faithful colaborer with God is to
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By Ted N. C. Wilson
V I S T A
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
Called to
aithfulness Now Is the Time
work the mine of truth and bring the treasures to view. . . . Amid the scorn of men, suffering worldly loss, they have manifested steadfast integrity. . . . They stand true as the needle to the pole, as faithful workers, as standard-bearers for God, in principle firm as a rock.”1 Prophecy Being Fulfilled
As Seventh-day Adventists with a clear prophetic perspective, we can see that the second advent of Christ is fast approaching! We can immediately recognize that Matthew 24 and Revelation 13 are being fulfilled now. The world is in disarray. No one can solve the insurmountable problems facing countries and people groups. Unrest, butchery, and treachery are all around. It isn’t difficult to imagine “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26). Social trends continue to defy biblical truth and heavenly principles. For those who are carefully observant, recent ecumenical trends are astounding, pointing to the fulfillment of Revelation 13:3. Call to Faithfulness
God is calling His remnant people everywhere to be faithful to Him through our connection and communion with Him each day. It is only through connecting to the Vine that
we can be fruitful and faithful in this age of unfaithfulness. We are called to faithfulness— faithfulness to Christ, to His Holy Word; to His church and prophetic movement; to His biblical plan for the family; to His sanctuary message; to public and personal witnessing for Him; to belief in and use of the Spirit of Prophecy; to the proclamation of His three angels’ messages; to Christian stewardship; to living the Christian life; to Christian humanitarian service; and to sharing the promise of Christ’s soon return. He is our role model and our Savior. Through Christ’s righteousness and grace we can be faithful because He is faithful. What a privilege to place ourselves in the hands of One who is faithful, knowing that whatever may happen, God is faithful and just. Whatever we face, we can rely on God’s faithfulness to ultimately bring us home to His eternal kingdom when Christ returns. Your faithfulness is essential to God’s proclamation to the universe. Because of His faithfulness, He has followers who are faithful. Solomon declares that “a faithful ambassador brings health” (Prov. 13:17). Be an ambassador for Christ as you bring physical, mental, social, and spiritual health to others. Share Christ’s righteousness and His comprehensive health ministry as you engage in His
Your faithfulness is essential to God’s proclamation to the universe. plans for mission to the cities and every place on earth. God promises that “a faithful man will abound with blessings” (Prov. 28:20). Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Moreover it is required . . . that one be found faithful.” Nehemiah’s Example
One of the most poignant examples of faithfulness is that of Nehemiah, a faithful man of God serving in the palace of the Persian king. Nehemiah 1:4 records that when Nehemiah heard about the broken-down wall of Jerusalem, he “sat down and wept.” He then turned his pleading heart to the Lord in prayer. As you face challenges, be fervent in prayer. Plead with the Lord for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit so that we can figuratively repair God’s wall today with Holy Spirit power. Nehemiah received permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. Three days after arriving, Nehemiah challenged the Jewish nation: “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach” (Neh. 2:17). Their response was “Let us rise up and build” (verses 18). Beware of Cynics
But beware of the cynics of today, represented by Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, who laughed at and despised Nehemiah. Take courage from God and join with Nehemiah in saying, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (verse 20). The construction
progressed quickly because “the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6). When the enemies of God heard of this progress, they made plans to attack. Nehemiah pleaded with the Lord through prayer and then positioned the people saying, “Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (verse 14). They divided the task of defense and construction so that all participated. “Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon” (verse 17). In your faithfulness to God, with one hand do the work of God, and in the other hold the Word of God, your weapon of heavenly authority. Lean completely on the Lord in your faithful service saying, along with those who worked on the wall of Jerusalem, “Our God will fight for us” (verse 20). Let’s work in that same spirit, with one mind of faithfulness to God’s request that we proclaim the three angels’ messages with Holy Spirit power. A Special Work
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists . . . have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention.”2 Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem
didn’t give up. Beware of those who try to dissuade or distract you from your great task as a Seventh-day Adventist just before Christ’s coming. Ask God to strengthen your hands and do His great work in faithfulness to Him. God will reward your faithfulness as He did Nehemiah’s. “So the wall was finished. . . . And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it . . . they perceived that this work was done by our God” (Neh. 6:15, 16). When God shows His mighty hand in your work of faithfulness, give Him all the glory and people will see that He is working through you. “Like Nehemiah, God’s people are neither to fear nor to despise their enemies. Putting their trust in God, they are to go steadily forward, doing His work with unselfishness, and committing to His providence the cause for which they stand.”3 Stand firm for God’s truth and proclaim His Word, as Nehemiah and a host of others have. You are important and critical to the last proclamation of the three angels’ messages. God is counting on you. n 1 Ellen
G. White, in Review and Herald, Jan. 21, 1890. G. White, Testimonies to the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 9, p. 19. 3 Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1917), p. 645. 2 Ellen
Ted N. C. Wilson is
president of the Seventhday Adventist Church.
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A D V E N T I S T
L I F E
J
esus told His disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; He then invited them to pray for more laborers (Matt. 9:35-38). The following story is an illustration of the many ways the Lord can fulfill that prayer.
Great Controversy the
By Mihai Goran
A fruitful seed The Gift of a Book
Cosmina, a young Orthodox woman, was searching for God. A friend gave her a copy of Ellen G. White’s book The Great Controversy. The book impressed Cosmina, and she read it through twice. But she wanted to know more about the truth. She felt led by the Holy Spirit to visit her local public library, where she found more books written by Ellen White. She borrowed and read them all. Soon Cosmina noticed a health-assessment booth set up in her town at which a literature evangelist was selling books. She was delighted to see Ellen White’s books for sale and decided to buy some. She soon acquired a collection. SELLER OF BOOKS: Cosmina finds great joy in sharing her love for Jesus by selling Ellen G. White books, especially The Great Controversy.
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Becoming Involved
In time, Cosmina became a friend of the literature evangelist and offered to help out at the booth. She took blood pressure measurements for people who stopped by, and also recommended that they purchase and read the books by Ellen White. Seeing her zeal and joy in the Lord, the literature evangelist recommended her as a participant in the local conference-led book evangelism program, called the Waldensian
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
Student Project, being held that summer. Cosmina joined a team of Adventist young people and worked for three weeks selling books in a nearby city. At the end of those three weeks the students were told about a full-year Waldensian Student Project, which involved a team of students doing medical and book ministry throughout the country. Cosmina volunteered for the job. Cosmina joyfully worked together with other youth and literature evangelists selling books house to house and in public institutions in many towns. The book she presented most often was The Great Controversy, and she says she always felt happy when people decided to buy that particular book. As the team visited different Adventist churches on Sabbaths, she often gave her testimony, explaining that she was an Orthodox Christian involved in Adventist mission. But Cosmina was obviously too conscientious for the story to end there. Committing to Jesus
At the close of the mission year, while attending the Congress of Literature Evangelists, Cosmina was baptized, along with another girl who was involved in the Waldensian Student Project. Cosmina’s mother was present for the event, and because of all the positive changes that she had observed in her daughter’s life during the previous year, she began to study the Bible and is now planning to be baptized in the near future. Cosmina is excited about her mother’s interest in studying the Bible, and adds, “I want to serve the Lord for the rest of my life.” By God’s grace, every copy of The Great Controversy that we share with others writes a story. Those to whom you give a book today may become your colleagues in ministry tomorrow. n
Mihai Goran is a literature evangelist in Romania.
P h o t o :
C o u r te s y
o f t h e
a ut h o r
P HO T OS :
L a
S i e r r a
U n i v e r s i t y
NAD NEWS
Left: LINK TO THE PAST: A collection of newsletters dating back to 1844 was recently discovered among the volumes donated to the H. M. S. Richards School of Religion by members of Richards’ family. Right: DELICATE TREATMENT: The volume, originally given to Richards by “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Webb” in 1973, is carefully preserved on the campus of La Sierra University.
Historic Book
Sheds Light on
Adventism’s Roots ■■ When La Sierra University archivist Tony Zbaraschuk first looked inside the large, gray-green book with a worn cover and yellowed pages, he couldn’t quite believe what he saw. The hardcover volume, which he originally thought might be an old accounting ledger, contained nearly three years of weekly newsletters called The Voice of Truth published in Rochester, New York, between October 1844 and June 1847. But it was the date on the first newsletter, October 10, 1844, that captured his attention. “I looked at it, and my jaw dropped,” said Zbaraschuk. “A date early in October 1844? Wow.” The newsletters, part of the 10,000-volume collection at La Sierra’s H.M.S. Richards Library, contain
numerous letters and editorials by individuals involved in the Millerite movement. They served as a primary means of communication for the Christian sect led by Baptist preacher William Miller. The evangelist, along with Samuel Snow and others, predicted the return, or advent, of Jesus Christ on specific days based on their interpretation of prophecy in the book of Daniel. The first newsletter in the aged book Zbaraschuk opened was published just 12 days prior to the most significant of these predicted dates: October 22, 1844. On that day approximately 100,000 Christians waited with hope and expectation for the return of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom on earth, in many cases disposing of all their possessions in preparation.
One notice republished in The Voice of Truth during the days leading up to the anticipated advent reads “I. T. Hough, tailor and draper, Fifth Street, below Market, Philadelphia. Has closed his store, and placed the following inscription on his shutters: “This Shop is closed in honor of the King of kings, who will appear about the 23rd of October. Get ready, friends, to crown Him Lord of all.” October 22, 1844 became known as the Great Disappointment, and is part of Seventh-day Adventist denominational history. While many discouraged individuals left the movement, others eventually formed their own groups, including one that became the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which officially formed in 1863. The Voice of Truth editor and publisher, Joseph Marsh, in a November 7, 1844, issue wrote, “We have been mistaken in a belief to which we thought ourselves conducted by the word and Spirit, and Providence of God. . . . We have an unwavering trust that He will cause our disappointment and trial to Continued on next page
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NAD NEWS work together for our good.” On April 18, 2015, during Homecoming Weekend, the La Sierra University H.M.S. Richards Divinity School held a dedication ceremony in the La Sierra University church, officially opening the library, a division of the school, to historians, pastors, students, and other researchers. The historic newsletter volume, which Zbaraschuk carefully handles while wearing white cotton archivist’s gloves, is now available for other researchers to peruse, once they don the gloves. Richards, a Seventh-day Adventist pioneer radio evangelist, founded the international Christian radio program Voice of Prophecy. During the early 2000s, the Richards family contributed the family patriarch’s 10,000-volume personal library, along with hundreds of letters, sermons, broadcast scripts, and photos to La Sierra University, the alma mater of Richards’ four children. Zbaraschuk and library volunteer Connie Lorenz have been painstakingly sorting, cataloging, and scanning the library’s contents. Richards began his sermon broadcasts on KNX-AM radio in Los Angeles in 1929. By 1942 the program had become one of the first religious radio shows to air nationwide. By 1980 the Voice of Prophecy operated on a $6 million budget and was aired on 700 stations around the world. The program eventually aired on more than 1,000 stations in dozens of languages, and offered Bible courses in some 80 languages through more than 125 correspondence schools. It operates today out of its studio and offices in Loveland, Colorado. Richards, a voracious reader, collected books from various bookstores and dealers on topics that spanned many subjects. He strongly advised
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pastors to broaden their reading repertoire. He was such an avid reader himself he was known to arrange a driver to transport him to speaking engagements and broadcasts so that he could bring stacks of books and read in the back of the car as he traveled. Also stored in the library are hundreds of Richards’ handwritten sermon notes and letters exchanged with denominational leaders, as well as with other high-profile evangelists of the day, including Billy Graham. The Voice of Truth newsletter volume was discovered in early summer 2014. It had been given to Richards in 1973 by “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Webb of Huntington Park in memory of my father, William Treichel, who was elder in the Oswego New York Church,” a handwritten inscription on a title page states. The nineteenth-century letters written to The Voice of Truth by resi-
dents of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and other Northeastern enclaves also open a window into the lifestyle and culture of the day. “It was how people would communicate, especially if they were too poor to travel,” or had to attend a family farm or business, Zbaraschuk said. “People were trying to understand what happened and this is how they carried out their discussions.” Of all the historic artifacts in the Richards library, the newsletter volume is among the most significant because of its insights into the very roots of Seventh-day Adventist history. “This is a physical connection to our pioneers,” Zbaraschuk said. “It gives a sense of connection one does not get from a reprint. There may be things here we haven’t previously known about the Adventist movement.” —Larry Becker, La Sierra University
It Is Written Puts Down Roots in
■■ On May 13, 2015, Christian media ministry It Is Written purchased property at 9342 Four Corner Place in Collegedale, Tennessee. The ministry is relocating from California after nearly 60 years because of the sale of its former location. The ministry will soon begin building a state-of-the-art media headquarters. “We are so excited to make Collegedale, Tennessee, our new home,” John Bradshaw, speaker/director for It Is Written, said. “We quickly felt right at home in Tennessee, and we are thrilled
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
Tennessee
to continue to share the love of Jesus with the world from our new location.” It Is Written is best known around the world for its weekly television series, which has aired every Sunday for 59 years. Today It Is Written can be seen on multiple networks, including TBN, the Discovery Channel, Hope Channel, 3ABN, and LLBN. The weekly programs feature Pastor Bradshaw and provide spiritual guidance and encouragement on a variety of biblical subjects. In 2012 It Is Written began Eyes for India, a humanitarian project that
It
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It Is Written use the latest in technology for evangelism. I hope to build on that momentum to utilize technology to help spread the gospel to the world,” Johnson said. “I see God creating the It Is Written of tomorrow,” said Bradshaw. “Having Jesse as part of our team is a truly exciting development; it will allow It Is Written to be a more dynamic ministry, and it equips us to take on the growth the organization is experiencing.” It Is Written began in March 1956, when founder George Vandeman began a then innovative concept of televising religious programing from southern California. Over the years the ministry has had the opportunity to share the Word of God with many countries, including areas where there are few Christians and great resistance to Christianity. The nonprofit organization is supported by viewer donations. Contact: ItIsWritten.org for more information. —Ellen Metcalf and Annalyse Hasty, It Is Written
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improved operating procedures. Jesse Johnson accepted the invitation to become It Is Written’s first manager, joining speaker/director John Bradshaw and treasurer Charles Reel to form the ministry’s administrative team. Johnson, who holds several degrees in business, education, and technology, is a businessman and entrepreneur with extensive experience in ministry leadership. He has worked with many local conferences, as well as the General Conference, helping them to bring innovation to their technology departments. He is a past-president of ASI Mid-America. “Jesse brings a wealth of talent, experience, leadership ability, and Christian maturity to It Is Written,” said John Bradshaw, It Is Written’s speaker/director. “In the past he has helped It Is Written in enormous ways through his wisdom and his vision for ministry. To actually have him on our staff in such an important role is a new day—a hugely exciting day—for It Is Written. His presence on our team has already been a huge blessing.” “I’m excited about this. I’ve always believed in It Is Written, and I can see the huge potential this ministry has. I’ve been a board member since Mark Finley was director, and have watched
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provides life-changing treatments to people suffering from cataracts and other vision complications in northern India. By partnering with an Indian hospital and gifted ophthalmologist, Dr. Jacob Prabhakar, thousands of people have recovered their sight. To date, Dr. Pradhaker has performed more than 100,000 surgeries. “We are delighted to be able to help the people of India in this way,” Bradshaw said. “We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, helping the world.” In addition to its TV and humanitarian efforts, It Is Written also conducts live events such as its Revelation Today series in both English and Spanish. In the past year Bradshaw has presented major series in Switzerland, Malaysia, and Canada. Evangelistic series are being planned for Zimbabwe and other countries, as well as domestic programs in Chattanooga (October 2015) and Boston (2016). In a historic move, It Is Written’s executive committee voted to appoint a ministry manager for the first time. Until now, a speaker/director has led It Is Written, with other administrative duties being carried out by a manager/ treasurer. Now It Is Written’s organizational structure has upgraded, resulting in increased efficiency and
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HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP: John Bradshaw, speaker/director of It Is Written (left), is welcomed to Collegedale and the campus of Southern Adventist University by Gordon Bietz, university president.
PART OF THE TEAM: Jesse Johnson, pictured with his wife, Nema, joins It Is Written as its first manager, becoming part of the ministry’s administrative team.
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N A D U P D AT E
Exponential
Growth!
The potential provided by reaching refugees By Terri Saelee, director of Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries
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elieve in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (2 Chron. 20:20). This promise is certainly being fulfilled in the work launched in 2009 by the North American Division to reach and nurture refugees and immigrants in North America. Some previously little-known nuggets of inspired counsel have guided the organization and development of the structure and strategy of Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries (ARIM), and has spawned remarkable growth as a result. More than 100 years ago Ellen White wrote: “Great benefits would come to the cause of God in the regions beyond if faithful effort were put forth
in behalf of the foreigners in the cities of our homeland. Among these men and women are some who, upon accepting the truth, could soon be fitted to labor for their own people in this country and in other countries.”1 The insight that men and women who have come from other countries, once they learn the truth, can work to spread the gospel among the various language groups has opened our eyes and helped us recognize the talent we might otherwise have overlooked. Through a series of providences God has put us in touch with some exceptionally gifted individuals from several language groups who not only already know the gospel, but are exceptionally gifted in leadership and in sharing the gospel with their own
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY: Seventhday Adventist Refugee and Immigrant congregations in the North American Division as of June 2015.
people. Because these indigenous workers have been empowered—some as local church planters, and some as church planting consultants for their language groups division-wide—the work has grown rapidly. As of our last annual report, the number of refugee church plants has increased by 14 percent in just one year. There was a 100 percent increase in baptisms, leading to a 45 percent increase in membership over the previous year. In fact, one newly resettled refugee language group, the Karen
Looking for a Home
Upcoming Events
These are some of the refugee language groups currently worshipping in Adventist congregations in North America. ARIM church planting consultants are available to assist local churches and conferences in reaching out to these language groups and helping to plant churches for them.
A refugee round table, sponsored by Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries, will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, July 21-24, 2015. A Karen Adventist centennial reunion, commemorating 100 years since Eric B. Hare began sharing the gospel with the Karen in Burma, will meet July 24-26, 2015, at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. See our Web site, RefugeeMinistries.org, or our Facebook page, for details regarding these two events.
Bhutanese Cambodian Hmong Kahaw Karen
Kinyarwanda Kiswahili/Kikuyu Lao Mizo Montagnard
Nepalese Oromo Vietnamese Zomi
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from Myanmar (Burma), grew from a handful of believers to 45 congregations in just six years. The number of Zomi congregations (also from Myanmar) has grown from zero to 14 congregations in that time. Many Adventist refugees are now arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The total number of refugee church plants has more than doubled within the past four years. Several of our church planting consultants have been invited to visit other countries to help organize and grow the work among their language group, sometimes in their home countries, but also in countries with a diaspora of language groups. Yet other language groups, for whom we have no indigenous church
planters or church planting consultants, are still unreached. If they are to learn the good news of salvation, it must be from someone outside their culture. We cannot wait for them to come to us; we must go to them. Once they learn the truth, they will gladly share it with their friends and relatives. Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees, now numbering more than 80,000 in North America, are the largest, most receptive, yet least reached newly arrived refugee population. Numerous refugee language groups from Myanmar and other countries are still unreached. One of the best ways to impact a refugee community is by providing their children with an Adventist education. In the words of Ellen White: “There
is a great work before us. The world is to be warned. The truth is to be translated into many languages, that all nations may enjoy its pure, life-giving influence. This work calls for the exercise of all the talents that God has entrusted to our keeping—the pen, the press, the voice, the purse, and the sanctified affections of the soul. Christ has made us ambassadors to make known His salvation . . . ; and if we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace. The truth will be poured forth from hearts all aglow with the love of God.”2 n For more information, visit RefugeeMinistries.org. 1 Ellen
G. White, in Review and Herald, Oct. 29, 1914.
2 Ibid.
Is your advertising off target? Call 240.329.7250 to to explore how to best reach your audience with Adventist Review and Adventist World .
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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
The
Loma Linda Report July 2015
MANY STRENGTHS. ONE MISSION.
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U.S. Deputy Surgeon General among speakers at annual Power of Inclusion Conference
oma Linda University Health’s third annual Power of Inclusion conference, themed “United We Stand,” focused this year on the valuable contributions that military veterans have made — not only in their service to the nation, but also in the depth and breadth of talents and abilities they offer. The conference took place March 31 and April 1 at Loma Linda University Health’s Centennial Complex. Administrators, faculty, staff, students and community members heard various national speakers address the unique issues impacting veterans, as well as the opportunities to increase their participation and inclusion in the workplace. United States Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral (Rear Adm.) Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, presented the morning keynote address.
Speaking about health and wellness, Lushniak shared, “Our objectives are only going to be achieved if we really engage our society at the community level.” He added, “Our message today is that we need to include all facets of society in that health and wellness message.” The deputy surgeon general believes it is imperative to incorporate veterans into civilian society. “With regard to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, veterans have an important contribution to make. From a health and wellness perspective, I also know that this is an underserved and vulnerable community.” No stranger to Seventh-day Adventists, Rear Adm. Lushniak recently visited Cooper Hospital in Liberia, which is operated by the Adventist Church. “The Seventhday Adventist community is doing beautiful work out there,” he said.
Rear Adm. Lushniak, U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, provided the keynote address during the annual Power of Incusion conference at Loma Linda University Health.
Research findings link vegetarian diet to lower risk of colorectal cancers
R New findings by a Loma Linda University Health research team, led by Michael Orlich, MD, PhD, suggest that vegetarians have a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
esearchers at Loma Linda University Health have found that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancers compared with non-vegetarians, according to a recent study of Seventh-day Adventist men and women. The findings are described in a Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA) Internal Medicine online article. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Although great attention has been given to screening, primary prevention by lowering risk factors remains an important objective. Michael Orlich, MD, PhD, served as lead investigator and author for the study, which found that, compared with non-
Contributors: Briana Pastorino; Calvin Naito MPP; and Larry Kidder, MA
vegetarians, vegetarians had a 22 percent lower risk for all colorectal cancers, 19 percent lower risk for colon cancer, and a 29 percent lower risk for rectal cancer. Compared to non-vegetarians, vegans had a 16 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer; vegetarians who also consumed milk and eggs (lacto-ovo), 18 percent lower; vegetarians who also ate fish (pescetarians), 43 percent lower; and semi-vegetarians, 8 percent lower. “If such associations are causal,” Orlich suggests, “they may be important for primary prevention of colorectal cancers. Prior studies have linked vegetarian diet with the potential reduced risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and mortality.”
NAD PERSPECTIVE
Who
You?
Are
By Larry Blackmer
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ave you ever really thought about who you are? What would you answer if I asked you who you are? Do you even know yourself well enough to answer the question? Would you describe yourself as a nerd, an artist, an athlete, a musician, a rebel, a loner, a comedian, a gamer, a foodie? Are you a Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian? Do you like music? If so, what kind? Rock, rhythm and blues, hip-hop, jazz, techno, pop, gospel, or classical? Are you a brother, sister, daughter, son, babysitter? Are you Christian, agnostic, Adventist, or Baptist? Are you a surfer, or a boarder? Do you have swagger? Are you cool, outgoing? Are you loved? How would you describe yourself? What makes you unique? Who are you? This is one of the essential questions of life. What is your identity? Is it wrapped up in your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your husband or wife, dad or mom? Is your self-worth contained in your job, your paycheck, or your degree? Who are you?
Are you the same person when you’re with a group, when you’re alone, when you’re in church, or when someone cuts you off while you’re driving? Are you the same inside and out? Are you what people see, or is there a different person inside you? Who are you? You are on the threshold of being able to define who you are. What building blocks will you use to construct your life? You now have a degree. Is that enough? Your parents have attempted to help guide you. Schools, friends, relationships, Southern Adventist University (SAU), and God have all had an influence on who you will be. Now it’s up to you. No excuses, no pointing the finger at your past and saying if only . . . You have to move forward. Yes, things in your past have had an influence in shaping where you are, but today you have the ability to move beyond that. Who are you? The church, through SAU, has attempted to influence your life. I cannot speak for SAU, and how you were treated here. But I have spent the past 36 years in Adventist education, and I know that at times we get the rules before the person; we worry about what it looks like to our
constituents more than how we help you grow in a faith-affirming, loving relationship with Jesus, the Master Teacher. If things or people have hurt you or interfered with that relationship, on behalf of the North American Division I am truly sorry. Come, engage with your church and make it better than it is. Don’t take a back seat or expect the church to serve you or please you. You are the church! Get out there and make a difference. That’s what we in Adventist education must be about, that’s why we exist: to help you answer the question Who am I? First and foremost, you’re a child of the high God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all life. You are loved with an everlasting love. God will love you no matter what you do. Did you hear me? God will love you no matter what you do. Friends, the question is not really Who are you? but Who is He? He is Jesus, the one who loves you and has promised to be with you no matter what. He wants to be your defining image. When asked, people should say they are Christians, like Christ. So who are you? You are loved. Your heavenly Father loves you, and so does your church. You have the ability to build on the foundations laid over the past two decades in your life. Remember, the answer to the question Who are you? is Who is He? May God richly bless you. n
Larry Blackmer is vice
president for education at the North American Division. This is taken from the commencement address he delivered in May at Southern Adventist University.
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NAD Letters The doctors’ concluding paragraph of advice to well-meaning grandparents was a jewel: ‘Avoid giving advice; give love instead.’ How beautiful, and how true! —J. D. Mashburn, Columbia, Maryland
ADHD
I am writing to commend you for publishing the monthly World Health column. Peter N. Landless and Allan R. Handysides’ contributions continue to educate and inform Adventist laypersons and physicians as we all struggle through life’s aches and pains. Their commentary on the very difficult “hyperkinetic disorder” (see “ADHD,” March 2015) was the best I have ever read in current medical literature. The doctors’ concluding paragraph of advice to well-meaning grandparents was a jewel: “Avoid giving advice; give love instead.” How beautiful, and how true! J. D. Mashburn Columbia, Maryland
hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts. . . . He who builds His layers in the sky, and has founded His strata in the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth—the Lord is His name.” There is an obvious parallel between the layers in the sky (stratosphere) and the layers in the earth (as in stratification). It is within these sedimentary layers that we find the fossilized remains of many of the species that prevailed in “the world that then was” (2 Peter 3:6, KJV).
Creation’s Demise
The phrase “creation’s demise” came to mind after I read L. James Gibson’s piece “When Species Change” (March 2015). “Demise,” because this word conveys the “transfer of the sovereignty to a successor.” Adam forfeited his delegated the sovereignty or stewardship of earth to “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4, KJV). Though restrained, Satan has been given significant leeway in injecting disorder throughout the whole of creation. Gibson, in referring the Flood, calls to my mind a text in Amos 9:5, 6, which I believe is best translated in the New King James Version. It describes geological change: “The Lord God of
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righteous through the sacrifice of Christ. . . . As we humbly submit to Christ’s control over our lives, His power than begins to sanctify us. This entire change is the all-encompassing righteousness of Christ.” Yes, glorification, the final stage of that righteousness, happens at the second coming of Jesus. But glorification (the “shining”) also takes place now. The final phase of the “all-encompassing righteousness of Christ” is the reciprocal glorification that identifies God’s people to discerning observers. “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’ ” (Zech. 8:23). Max Hammonds Hendersonville, North Carolina Thankful
The Bible does have something specific to say about the “corruption” of all flesh prior to the Flood. It describes aberrant, adverse, and antagonistic changes in some plants and animals after the entrance of sin (Gen. 3:18; Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25). Kent Knight Hermiston, Oregon Righteousness
In the February 2015 article “Christ’s All-encompassing Righteousness,” Ted N. C. Wilson wrote: “God declares us
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
I am so thankful for Adventist World. It is my favorite church publication. I especially like the appeals contained in the articles by Ted N. C. Wilson and Daniel R. Jackson. A thought came to me (actually, it is both a wish and a prayer): that every delegate to the General Conference session and all the attendees take Psalm 51:10 as their personal guide of speech and action. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (KJV). David Manzano Harriman, Tennessee
W O R L D
H E A L T H
By Peter N. Landless
Malaria a Continuing Threat We hear much about Ebola and HIV and AIDS, but is there anything new related to malaria? Is it as much of a danger and threat as before?
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alaria remains a devastating “killer disease.” The World Health Organization* reveals frightening statistics about this parasitic infection. In 2013 there were approximately 584,000 malaria deaths worldwide. Of these, 90 percent were in Africa, and 78 percent were children under 5. In real numbers, malaria remains responsible for the deaths of approximately 430,000 children in Africa every year. This situation is aggravated by the fact that less than 50 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa has access to an insecticide-treated mosquito net. As inadequate as this number is, it has dramatically increased over the past 15 years, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church—through its Health Ministries Department—had the privilege of being part of the advocacy group that worked toward churches being a key component in the distribution of permethrin-treated mosquito nets. We have much more work to do, however, as we labor for the betterment of health for all! Exciting advances, though, are taking place. Treated nets and mosquito insecticides have helped to bring about an estimated drop in mortality of 47 percent between 2000 and 2013. Another promising breakthrough is the development of a malaria vaccine. This is being pioneered by, among others, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and may be obtainable for general use by October 2015,
P h o t o :
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G at h a n y / C D C
once trial results demonstrating unequivocal safety and benefits are available. Results of tests done to date show that the vaccine was effective in more than one third of children when administered between 5 and 17 months of age. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funded its development. The vaccine has been tested, starting in 2009, on more than 16,000 children in seven sub-Saharan African countries, with very promising results. The efficacy of the vaccine wears off over time, and booster shots will be needed. The development of artemisininresistant Plasmodium falciparum, however, especially in Cambodia, is worrying. Artemisinin is the newest and generally very effective antimalarial medication and is derived from a bush indigenous to China. It has been particularly helpful, but one of the most dangerous forms of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has become resistant to this medication in Cambodia. This same strain of malaria has developed resistance to quinine in other parts of the world, including parts of Africa. Resistance to yet another drug is very concerning since this form of malaria is commonly lethal. This highlights two important points: There needs to be (1) persistent and intentional efforts to eliminate the vector (carrier): mosquitos; and (2) global distribution of insecticidetreated nets (ITN) wherever the threat of malaria exists must increase. Health
education is also key. Laundering curtains and nets with permethrin can further decrease malaria cases. Equipped with the correct information, church congregations can be very positive influences in the areas they serve, thus helping the dream to become a reality: “Every church a community health center, and every member a medical missionary (health promoter).” It is important to take malaria prophylaxis (tablets that help prevent malaria, and hopefully soon a vaccine) as advised by your physician/clinic. Be aware of potential side effects. We no longer recommend mefloquine (Lariam) because of its detrimental effects. Other effective agents have far fewer worrisome consequences. Universal precautions are always helpful. Use mosquito nets and insect repellent in malaria areas. Wear long sleeves and trousers (leg coverings) when outdoors at dawn and dusk. Eradicate stagnant pools where mosquitoes love to breed. Many opportunities exist to help make a difference in our communities. Malaria awareness and control is one. As we embrace comprehensive health ministry and share the healing ministry of Jesus, “let us not become weary in doing good” (Gal. 6:9, NIV). n * www.who.int/malaria/media/world_malaria_report_2014/en/.
Peter N. Landless, a
board-certified nuclear cardiologist, is director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department.
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D E V O T I O N A L
By Efraín Velázquez II
Katrina A story of migrants and God’s grace
A
decade after the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina is perhaps an appropriate time to reflect on one of the untold stories of the worst natural disaster experienced in the history of the United States. The story has been a source of hope and strength for some, especially considering the world we live in, where large-scale tragedies and disasters seem to hit on a daily basis. Katrina was a mega hurricane that left a path of destruction and suffering in 2005. That record year marked the most damage ever registered in a hurricane season: US$160 billion. The death toll of more than 1,800 lives lost in a single storm, and the story of more than 1 million displaced people still haunt North Americans. The stories that are better known are about the loss of life or property, the social unrest in New Orleans, the heroes and villains that emerged in the midst of pain and despair. However, there are stories of people who did not have houses to lose, and were too fearful to seek assistance or look for national attention. I experienced Katrina among them, and have changed their names so I can freely share some of their stories of hope and community in the midst of tragedy and despair.
There I met Andres, a young man who could not move after an accident had left him paralyzed. For 10 years he had been an undocumented alien in the country, seeking his “American dream.” A father of two, he faithfully sent money to his family back home and worked hard, like millions of others in these circumstances. After a fall at a construction site, he had been confined to a bed. Only several weeks later was someone able to let his wife know of his precarious condition. Maria, his wife, could not get a visa to enter the United States legally, so she managed to hire a “coyote”1 to help her cross a desert and finish her perilous journey to Louisiana. Maria was on a mission of love and hope. She did her best to encourage Andres, who wanted to be left to die. I struggled to read Psalm 91 to him, since I also had fresh wounds on my heart, but felt encouraged by Peter’s admonition: “You have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory” (1 Peter 1:6, 7).2 Indeed, major tests were coming—not with fire, but with water.
A Storm Is Coming
We have never experienced a deadly, colossal hurricane in Puerto Rico during my lifetime. In fact, most people were skeptical about any “big one,” an attitude similar to many regarding Christ’s second coming. Peter describes it: “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). I had been trained by the Adventist Medical Cadet Corps to be ready to assist others in disasters. However, my
We arrived in New Orleans as “health migrants” seeking medical treatment. This was not a dramatic journey. A plane trip to the U.S. mainland is not a problem from Puerto Rico. We were full of hope. My mother needed a liver transplant and was scheduled to receive the indispensable organ in New Orleans. At the time we were unaware of the storms coming toward us. At the hospital she was taken into the intensive-care unit (ICU).
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The Storm Arrives
P h o t o :
J e f f
Sc h m a l tz / NASA
training had not prepared me for the aftermath of a storm that packed winds of 280 kph (175 mph) at its peak. My father was dubious about the arrival of Katrina. He had grown up listening to predictions of hurricanes coming that would cause great devastation, but he never experienced something of the scale anticipated in media reports. He concluded that it was just hype, similar to endtime scenarios that have been proven wrong. However, when we were told that we were going to be evacuated to the Louisiana Superdome, and hundreds of thousands were fleeing the city, he realized that this was real. We had no alternative. We were able to take refuge in one of the lobbies of the hospital, sharing space with other people from the Caribbean and Central America. We shared all the supplies that we had purchased as if there were no tomorrow. The words of Peter rang true in our ears: “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart” (1 Peter 3:8). God would provide. The storm howled like a train destined to destroy the building. Winds pounded mercilessly for hours; then water breached the levees, covering large parts of the city. This time the warnings had proved right.
mother’s hand as we said our goodbyes, even though he had been assured that she would arrive by helicopter a few days later, together with Andres and the others left behind. What we saw was a picture of death and hope, a time to cherish the “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). We were the remnant who had to continue the journey through semifunctional roads, where the greatest danger was looting and pillaging. We began our journey as strangers, but finished as family, “a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9, NKJV). We all crowded into two rooms to sleep since lodging was a challenge; but food was always available. Our lives were never in danger; providentially, we did not witness violence. The Lord led our exodus as He has done in the past. In Texas some Seventh-day Adventist families took care of us. Pastors Murillo and Pagán gave us love, care, and lodging, and it felt like the Promised Land. My mother arrived a couple days later, as did Andres and the others. We lost track of some of our travel companions. However, memories are still clear in our minds and hearts, and we hope to see them again. My mom received a new liver and continues to be a source of inspiration. From this powerful experience I learned this lesson: Even though we are a holy nation, citizens of the same country, we are still “strangers and pilgrims” in this world (1 Peter 2:11, KJV). Truly, on this sin-flooded planet we are all illegals. We don’t belong here. We are migrants pursuing a holy dream, pilgrims on our way to the New Jerusalem. n
My training had not prepared me for the aftermath of a storm that packed winds of 280 kph (175 mph) at its peak.
Looking for Higher Ground
The hospital at which we had taken refuge was not inundated. Half of the electrical power was running, and the building had suffered only minor damages. However, after a few days the National Guard warned us that we had to leave the place. In a minivan and a small car we managed to provide transportation to a group of refugees who had a wide range of experiences and stories. Some members of our group had come from South America, while others came from countries closer to the United States. They had a colorful repertoire of narratives on how they had arrived in the country, Maria among them, as we left looking for higher ground. It was very emotional to see my father clutching my
1 A
name given to human smugglers in Latin America. otherwise noted, Scripture quotations have been taken from the The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2 Unless
Efraín Velázquez II serves as academic vice president of the Inter-American Adventist Theological Seminary in Miami, Florida. July 2015 | Adventist World - nad
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ow I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. . . . And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’ ” (Rev. 21:1-5). Whenever we read the last two pages of Revelation, we sense calmness. John describes the out-of-this-world gleam of precious stones, plants, and houses that are incomparable to anything we know. Everything is stunning, pictureperfect! Then, in two climactic verses, John comes to the very core of the new beginning: “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (verses 22, 23). In the midst of all the glory and the splendor, this description shines out. It touches us more deeply than all the crystal-clear rivers and sapphire-colored palaces. He will be there. Jesus. The Lamb. He will always be there, and never go away. And He will be all we need.
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Free From Ourselves
Do you know the feeling of having missed out on something or the worry of coming up too short? “No, I want to have that; no one else should get it.” You can see this play out at the entrance of large retail stores just prior to opening when there are special discounts. People queue outside and wait to clinch a bargain. They may appear calm on the outside, but on the inside they have switched to predator mode. They position themselves strategically and watch the store’s entrance. We call it selfishness and laugh about fistfights over an LCD TV. But ultimately, all of us as sinners care only for ourselves. Recently we were looking for a home. After 10 viewings we finally found something useful and affordable. But suddenly there was this slightly panicky feeling. What if someone would strike before us? We wanted that house—for us. We did not ask if someone else needed it more, or for whom it would be most appropriate. We didn’t care about the other buyers. Have you experienced something like this? It will be no more. Foremost, of course, because the Lamb cares for us all, and we will lack nothing. Second, and this is really the decisive reason, because the Lamb has freed us from ourselves (Rom. 7:24; John 8:36). He showed us by example that true happiness comes from giving instead of receiving (Mark 10:43-45; Acts 20:35). Finally, we can let go and learn that we no longer have to fight for ourselves. What an
At Home
With the
amb L By Judith and Sven Fockner
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Suddenly we no longer have to ridicule others to make ourselves feel better. awesome sense of freedom that will be! How much strength will suddenly be available to pay attention to one another, to reach out to others, and to care for them! Free From Futility
Have you ever felt like this? You experience something beautiful—sunshine on your skin in early spring, a tasty beverage, some meaningful and stirring music—yet it only reminds you of better times. Somehow it cannot make you happy now; instead it makes you sadder still, because you cannot feel it. Others around you live happily ever after (at least it seems like this), but to you all seems so meaningless. It wasn’t always like this. You can’t remember exactly when it started, but life is not like it used to be. You have been deeply disappointed. Someone has left you. Or you have lost someone. Or something failed. Darkness and anxiety seem to be constant companions. You just know that you suffer more than others in your life. You can find no sense or joy in who you are and what you do. Does that sound familiar? Here is the good news: You will never feel this way again, because it is an emotional reflex to the senselessness of suffering, a reaction to our separation from God. However, in the new earth we will never be apart from Him—and never be disappointed again. We will never lose someone, and we will miss nothing. We will live united—strong and secure (John 10:10). Life will have meaning. We’ll know where we come from and where we are going. We will finally be home. Free of Uncertainty
Have you ever taken part in a conversation at school or at work, and you actually had no idea what it was all about, but you did not dare to ask? Lightning-fast processes happen in the brain: Huh? What now? H’mm. Should I say something now? Better not—it may be about something fundamental. I don’t want to embarrass myself. I can always google it. Why is such a situation embarrassing to us? Because we want to make a good impression on others; because we do not want to appear to know less or be able to do less than others. We don’t want to bare it all. We could get hurt. Our self-esteem may suffer. And we are already insecure enough. That’s why we protect ourselves and pretend. When at home, if we hit our head on a door frame, we scream out loud and hold our forehead in pain. Yet at the store, if we happen to run against a glass door, we smile
The New
Earth
On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning in His presence. For here God Himself will dwell with His people, and suffering and death will have passed away. The great controversy will be ended, and sin will be no more. All things, animate and inanimate, will declare that God is love; and He shall reign forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:13; Isa. 35; 65:1-25; Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:1-7; 22:1-5; 11:15.)
and continue as if nothing happened. Responses like this will no longer exist. We won’t have to pretend any longer; we won’t have to hide anything. It will no longer be necessary. We’ll know we are accepted and valuable (Isa. 43:1-5). We’ll know it when we see the Lamb (Rom. 5:8). We can just be who God made us to be, without feelings of inferiority. And suddenly we’ll no longer have to ridicule others to make ourselves feel better. Real intimacy and openness will be possible! The new world will be full of people who accept themselves because they constantly live in the presence of the One who loves them and who died for them. God’s future awaits: Never fear the dark again; never shout angrily at someone; never again be tempted to do something immoral; never feel awkward and lonely; experience a whole new respect for others. This is the life we were created for—forever. And yes, we will be at home with the Lamb. n
Judith and Sven Fockner live and
work in Germany, where Sven serves as director of the Hope Institute of Bible Study, located at the Media Center of the Inter-European Division. They have two sons.
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dventure. Changed lives. Transformed communities. That’s the stuff of “real mission stories.” For us, “real mission stories” spoke of daring and transformed lives. We grew up in South Africa, and hearing mission stories ignited a desire to embrace missions as our life calling. This is the story of our journey into missions. Early Lessons
Our first cross-cultural mission experience was with a group of college friends in the mountains of Lesotho. We gave a mission school a facelift, painting and fixing the buildings. We also conducted a church service. Our first mission lesson: “Adapt to the situation!” Only much later did we fully comprehend the importance of that lesson. Later we went to serve as student missionaries in Lesotho. Pam taught for two years at a village mission school. Gideon assisted with Bible outreach and community development, installing wells and doing construction work. It was while working in the Tsoinyane Valley that we decided to unite our lives for the service of others. In Cape Town, while finishing our university studies, we had a few short-term experiences that kept the mission flame burning. These allowed us to be open when God called us to a cross-cultural church plant among an unreached people group, the Himba, in northwest Namibia. It was a dream come true: We would serve as frontline missionaries.
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PRESSING THE RIGHT BUTTON: Recording stories for evangelism in a portable studio.
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Pa m
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By Gideon and Pam Petersen
Learning And Unlearning
Left: LEARNING CULTURAL LITERACY: Early in the experience, Gideon taught a literacy class. As they spent more time with the Himbas, Gideon and Pam realized that this particular context required different strategies. Below: SING THE GOSPEL: Karonda sings the gospel during the very first recording session.
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS: Kingboy, Tjipapi, and Job are singing a Bible story so that a Himba audience would understand. Tjipapi and Job were the primary storytellers.
In 1995 we loaded our pickup and traveled with our two cats 2,500 kilometers (1,560 miles) north to Opuwo, Namibia. A seasoned missionary had given us valuable counsel: “Take time to be with the people.” With this and other counsel we ventured into a new life, one that would last for 17 years. We arrived in Namibia knowing that we faced an enormous task. Like other missionaries before us, we were convinced that the Himba ways were wrong and that we had to correct them. This assumption, we later learned, was detrimental to our interaction with the people. It implied that we approached the people with answers before taking the time to listen to their questions. In addition, our interactions with the people were based on our worldview. They focused on the fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists in a Western context, not about issues that would matter to someone who was a Himba. We had no idea what it meant to be a Himba, yet we dared to correct their behavior. We did not really understand the counsel we had received: “Take time to be with the people,” suggesting we approach the people as learners, not teachers. As missionaries, we assumed our role was to teach; in reality, it was to be taught. We encountered people with totally different ways of doing things. The Himba are cattle farmers. Being nomadic, they are always in search of grazing and water for their animals. (Gideon was raised in a city, and Pam comes from a rural community.) Ellen White says Jesus took time to be with people for the purpose of
understanding them.1 Taking time to learn and understand people is an essential principle. This can be done through books, but not exclusively. Learning is best done in community. Tom and Betty Brewster call this community the classroom.2 We assumed that because the Himba could not read and write they needed an education. This is just one of the challenges we addressed without understanding. Learning about the people we serve is an essential mission principle. In fact, it’s a basic public speaking principle: know the audience. We learned only later how to apply it in our ministry. The second assumption we made was that once they knew about God, their ways would change. After one year of preaching to 10 families with no resulting baptisms, we realized something was amiss. Either our persuasive skills were lacking or the people were not interested. A missionary friend enquired about our experience. After listening to our frustrations, he asked: “Do you love the people?” That question forever changed our ministry. Our focus had been on disseminating information (“sharing the truth”). But God wanted us to have a relationship with the people. For the first time, we understood why God’s greatest desire is to dwell among His people. We finally understood the implication of the question: “Do you love the people?” We were representing a God who desired to be with His people and have a relationship with them. This is the Advent message: God coming to humanity through willing instruments. We spent our first vacation in the library, where we studied as much as we could about the Himba. We
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We had to use familiar genres to guide returned determined to change the way we did ministry. By taking time to be with the people, loving them became natural. We understood them as they shared with us about themselves and guided us in our understanding of their culture. New Communication Skills
In 1997, while teaching a literacy class, an older woman said: “Help me write my name.” She wanted to see her name by reading it. She struggled for almost five minutes. This experience forced us to ask ourselves: “Do we really expect these people to read the Bible from cover to cover if they can’t write their own names?”
The response was direct and quick. “No!” We were challenged to learn more about their oral culture. This took our journey in a new direction. In the book Christ’s Object Lessons Ellen White wrote about how Jesus used things with which people were familiar to lead people to understand spiritual things.3 When communicating the gospel, we discovered, it’s important to use genre, language, and images familiar to the audience. We determined to understand Himba communication. We packed away our felts and other visual aids, because they were foreign, unfamiliar to our Himba audience. We wanted to
Left: ANOTHER MOTHER: Pam with a friend from Ovinjange whom they called “Mama.”
Right: FAMILY MATTERS: Gideon with his Himba father Tate Job Katundu.
use Himba communication styles to share the gospel. To affirm the value of what we were learning, God guided us to a Web site that promoted an orality conference. In 2003 we attended our first International Orality Network (ION) conference. Here we saw how other missionaries were using oral communication methods. We identified with Elijah when he learned that 7,000 others had not bowed to Baal. God was using other missionaries in a similar way. We returned refreshed and excited about what God was going to do for the Himba. For the next five years we developed oral evangelistic material. Oral
people to understand eternal lessons. evangelism is based on stories. Yet it’s not merely telling the Bible story. It’s placing the Bible story within the worldview of the Himba and challenging that worldview. Oral evangelism isn’t just talking; it’s using genres familiar to the audience. In the case of the Himba it meant using praise songs (ombimbi, omuhiva), poetry (omiimbo), proverbs (omiano), and drama. With Himbas our Western hymns and gospel songs had little relevance. We had to use familiar genres to guide people to understand eternal lessons. It took a long time to develop these lessons. God’s timing, however, is always best. We were challenged to
Missionary
Do’s
Be teachable—willing to unlearn old ways and learn new ways. Be adaptable—your ministry depends on your ability to adapt to different ways of doing things.
Be flexible—it gives the Holy Spirit room to change your plans and routines for good.
Be spontaneous—embrace opportunities as God places them before you. Be approachable—let people know that they are important and that you have time for them.
Be authentic—people can see through pretense. Be human—we’re not superhuman; acknowledge your fears and failings. Be courageous—face your fears and step out of your comfort zone. Laugh at yourself—you’re going to goof up, and that’s OK. Count your blessings—God fills each day with blessings we often ignore.
Three Key Missionary Traits
Above: FIRST FRUIT: Some of the baptismal candidates from 2002, pictured from left to right: Belinya, Pastor Sabyn Ndjamba (current Pastor at Opuwo), Wapahurwa Tjiposa (Himba from Okapawe), Daniel Ndjamba (brother to Pr. Sabyn), Gideon Petersen, and Pastor Mumbonenwa (Namibia Conference President). Left: A NEW BEGINNING: In July 2014, chief Tjihange was the first Himba chief to be baptized by the Global Mission Director of the Namibia conference, Pastor Eben Greeff.
At the heart of mission work is a work in our hearts that takes a lifetime. It calls for molding us day by day into tools that God can use to achieve His purpose where He places us. We need God to transform us to: embrace humility by removing the cord of self-centeredness that binds us in our selfishness, and replace it with a double-stranded cord of steadfastness to the principles, purpose, and greatness of the work before us and a genuine openness to value others for who they are—their ideas, perspectives, and potential as God’s children. practice empathy as we share life-changing ideas with others and create chaos in their safe world: we need to “step into their shoes” as we gently lead and help them negotiate the challenges conversion brings to the very heart of who they are and what they believe. live with integrity so that others can see us walk our talk: don’t aim to be just a good person, but someone transformed from the inside out; someone who lives according to the Christian values and beliefs they hold dear; someone whose greatest desire is to reflect God’s character in every aspect of life.
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SUNSET HOME: Pam and Gideon built these huts with the help of their Himba friends and stayed in them when visiting some families living in remote areas.
share the oral evangelistic material with the people. With the coming of technology (and after attending another ION conference) we learned about the “Godpod,” a solar-powered MP3 player. Unfortunately, these were expensive. God, however, had the answer long before we asked. We were invited to participate in the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thanks to that offering, the world church assisted us in purchasing and distributing Godpods, into which we loaded our oral evangelistic presentations. (Thank you for your mission offerings of August 2012!) Although we are no longer in the area, God has provided workers to
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continue the work. We established a church in the area, with a trained minister who worked with us and understands the value of using oral methods. God’s Heart for Missionaries
These experiences transformed our understanding of mission. For us, mission was about going; it was about giving. Our journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Opuwo, Namibia, was transformational. We realized that our understanding of God was too small. We learned that God is bigger than the little box with which we defined Him. We had to expand our concept of God. This is where we understood the name God
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used to identify Himself to Moses, I AM. He truly is I AM. He is God to the Himba, as well as God to city dwellers. We stand in awe of such an amazing God. We believed ourselves to be agents of change, but God wanted to change us. His purpose was for us to be instruments of His peace, and for us to learn how to experience His peace and love. We learned that mission is indeed a “two-way street,”4 where missionaries enter the presence of the Almighty so He can send them into the world. The most transformational lesson we learned was about ourselves. As missionaries we were called to serve the Himba. We were asked to introduce the Himba to Jesus. The more we engaged the people, the stronger the bond became. And the more we fell in love with the people, the more God transformed us as His children. Mission is transformational when we surrender to the One who sends us daily into the world. Mission begins in worship, and it ends in inviting others to join us in worship. We thank God for the experience of being part of His mission. It was truly our rendezvous with God. n 1 Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn.,1905), p. 143. 2 Tom and Betty Brewster, Community Is My Language Classroom (Pasadena, Calif.: Lingua House Ministries, 1986). 3 Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900), p. 17. 4 Jon Dybdahl, Missions: A Two-way Street (Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1986).
Gideon and Pam Petersen spent 18
years doing church planting in Namibia, and served as training consultants for Adventist Frontier Missions. They now serve at Zurcher Adventist University in Madagascar.
F A I T H
Design in The real question is Who is responsible for the marvelous designs we see brought to life all around us?
I
once stood with a friend next to a gravel pile. Among the crushed rocks we saw an unmistakable stone arrowhead. The arrowhead’s specifications were unlikely to be matched by the randomly broken stones surrounding it. So we both concluded it was designed, not simply a product of chance or natural laws.
Design and Natural Laws
Experience tells us that chance is an unsatisfying explanation for improbable objects that meet certain specifications, such as those of an arrowhead. But if chance is insufficient, why not invoke natural laws to explain the origin of things that use them, such as arrowheads, machines, or living organisms? Machines ranging from molecular motors inside cells to cars exploit natural laws. Cars do not run on miracles; they are machines that convert energy from oil or electricity into kinetic energy to transport us. Like other machines, cars use natural laws to achieve our goals. Operating according to natural laws is not the same as being a product of natural laws. P h o t o : T h o m a s
Ge i e r
A N D
S C I E N C E
By Tim Standish
Nature Cooperation
Within living organisms, as with cars, the parts essential to the processes they perform sometimes come from diverse suppliers. One example can be found in the roots of legumes, plants that make protein-rich beans. In the cooperative process of extracting nitrogen from air to make proteins, the plant provides energy and creates special low oxygen conditions necessary for a bacterium to “fix nitrogen.” To soak up oxygen, which prevents nitrogen fixation, an “oxygen sponge” called leghemoglobin is used. It was once thought that the protein part of leghemoglobin is made by the plant, while the bacterium supplies the heme molecule that holds the oxygen-binding iron. Now it appears that at least sometimes the plant makes the entire leghemoglobin complex.* This process beautifully illustrates the cooperative nature of creation. It is similar to the way well-designed factory departments cooperate together to produce cars or bowling balls, candy or electronic gadgets. If each production step didn’t fit an overarching plan, nothing would be made. The necessity of a plan is true for all organisms, because organisms cannot survive alone. Cooperation does not benefit just the organisms directly involved; in the case of nitrogen fixation, it benefits all life. Rare breakdowns in this cooperation illustrate why it is essential for life; for instance, when non-native organisms are introduced into a new setting, they may
disrupt ecosystems. Even normally benign or helpful bacteria, such as staphylococcus or E. coli, can cause sickness or death. Yet these are exceptions, not the rule. The question should not be whether or not nature appears designed. From the trillions of nonhuman cells that live in our bodies cooperating with us in various ways that keep us healthy and happy, down to the molecular machines that keep each cell running, all the way up to the cooperation between plants and animals that keeps animals fed and plants pollinated, the real question is “Who is responsible for the marvelous designs we see brought to life all around us?” Who came up with the necessary plans? The Bible provides a compelling answer that also accounts for the, thankfully uncommon, exceptions to the beautiful design that pervades creation. Design in nature is far more amazing than a simple stone arrowhead, and has far more profound implications. The Bible liberates us to see it and praise the Designer. n * M. A. Santana, K. Pihakaski-Maunsbach, N. Sandal, K. A. Marcker, and A. G. Smith, “Evidence That the Plant Host Synthesizes the Heme Moiety of Leghemoglobin in Root Nodules,” Plant Physiology 116, no. 4 (1998): 1259-1269. Online at www.plantphysiol.org/content/116/4/1259.
Tim Standish, Ph.D.,
is a senior scientist at the Geoscience Research Institute and lives in southern California, United States.
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MENTOR TO THE YOUNG: After more than two decades working in the entertainment industry, Hendel Butoy teaches animation at Southern Adventist University.
CHRISTIAN
By Hendel Butoy
in A
Secular Society
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re there hidden agendas within the animation industry to implant spiritualism and other dark, subliminal influences into their productions?” This is a common question I am asked by many Adventists when they learn I was an animator at a major studio for nearly 25 years. They are either disturbed by what they’ve seen, have heard of animation’s dark side from someone, or were directed to an Internet video presentation purporting to provide overwhelming evidence that diabolical agencies are at the controls, insinuating signs and symbols to communicate immoral influences. As a director of production I was accountable to the top departmental and corporate executives. I knew and
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What’s true and what’s not about the entertainment industry? worked with many of today’s industry leaders since art college. In our early days we played volleyball and softball together; we went out for dinner, and dreamed of someday becoming good at our craft. A few of my colleagues had Christian leanings; others certainly did not. Many of them knew me as an Adventist, with peculiar habits and observances. Some were curious, others were respectful; many really didn’t seem to care. Here’s what I observed behind the scenes.
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What It’s Really All About
It’s 5:59 a.m. About a dozen lead animators sit in a small screening room ready to view a storyboard sequence from the studio’s next animated feature. There’s a sense of anticipation as we await the arrival of the executive who will either approve the latest installment or send us back to the drawing board. The executive bursts through the door looking as though he’s had the best night’s sleep ever. “Good morning, good morning!” he says as he grabs
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some fruit and pastry and quickly sits down. He has a busy schedule today, and we’re first up. “Let’s roll!” The projector runs, and everyone focuses on the screen. The executive responds with occasional laughs or throws out a brief positive/negative comment, but mostly remains attentive. When the screening ends, he might say, “Great, we’re almost there. But you guys need at least three more gags here and there. It’s a bit heavy. Can we lighten it up?” The rest of the day is spent excitedly discussing and sketching among ourselves to satisfy the meeting’s notes and to make things clearer. Not every meeting happened just this way, but the number one thrust at every gathering was exactly the same: “Is anyone going to want to see this movie? How can we make it so that they do?” There were never closed-door conspiracies or indoctrinations from dark masterminds on the techniques for embedding messages through subversive imagery for morally destructive purposes. No one ever spoke in those terms, nor were we ever instructed to use visual hints or other symbolic gestures with the characters or their environment for dark purposes. Everyone
genuinely wanted to make something of high quality they could proudly show their own families. The company was vitally concerned about its image with the public, because animation, like the rest of the entertainment industry, is first of all a business. The product is consumer discretionary, and the objective is to make a profit. In some instances the studios take the philosophical view that animation has a unifying effect, crossing national and cultural barriers as people enjoy together something of high narrative and aesthetic quality. It was not unusual to hear a speech at a wrap party emphasizing that animators were goodwill ambassadors to society and the world. Consequently, those who run the show look to produce whatever they perceive an audience is willing to watch and pay for. Entertainment is the watchword, and the product becomes as much a reflection of society as it is an influence. Two Opposing Forces
So where do the more overt depictions of spiritualism come from, as well as allusions to disrespect for
parental authority, irreverent humor, sexual innuendo, etc.? Scripture is clear that there are divine and satanic agencies competing for the minds of humanity where various mediums can be employed, including the arts (Ex. 35:30-33; Hosea 13:2), and that Christians should carefully avoid what is inconsistent with new life in Christ. The purpose of this article is not to identify these occurrences in animation, but to give perhaps another perspective than what is commonly presented within many Christian forums today. We have to take care not to give unbelievers, and even some of the faithful, the impression that Christianity’s sense of mission is to find the devil lurking behind every rock, frame, or pixel. Based on the situations I observed, there are two primary sources for disturbing subject matter, not only in animation but within the entertainment industry in general: The first is what might be called a “subconscious guard” against anything having to do with God or religion. The second has to do with the fallen nature and unregenerate hearts in the lives of those who produce the work.
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N A D F E AT U R E
The secular mind-set that dominates much of the animation industry applies an unwritten premise that most things having to do with God or religion are generally considered lame, unpopular, limiting, potentially controversial, and, therefore, bad for business. For example, I recall one meeting in which someone tried to pitch a wellknown biblical story as a possible feature film. Producers adept at recognizing great narratives responded positively that this would make a great movie if there was some way to leave God out of the story. That, according to them, would get more people to see it. One animated feature in particular had a cathedral as its primary location. I recall the artists bemoaning the challenge they faced in trying to tell their story without showing overtly religious symbols in stained-glass windows, architecture, and furniture. Such were the challenges of a secular-minded approach to art and business: notions that God had no place in the creative product. If such perceptions ever did make it into a story, they were usually relegated to a peripheral, nonconsequential presence. It was not so much intolerance
toward God and religion; there were times producers expressed appreciation for the principles they perceived from my faith, and even made extraordinary accommodations for my observance of such practices as keeping the Sabbath. They didn’t mind what you believed or how you lived; they just didn’t want your faith depicted in the work. The perception was that religion and entertainment just don’t mix, and that religion is generally bad for business. Hence the subconscious guard. Right Without God
When fallen, unregenerate human hearts leave God out of anything, they essentially becomes godless, left to rely on humanistic versions of morality that are relative in nature: right and wrong based on feelings. For example, in one of our creative meetings, when a conscientious artist expressed the view that perhaps less emphasis should be given to using trashy humor in our movies, another equally sincere artist responded, “One man’s trash may be another man’s entertainment”—the implication being “Let’s not censor trashy humor
at the expense of entertainment.” Interestingly, everyone in the room knew what trashy humor was; they just had varying opinions about using it. There is a consciousness regarding good and bad, but no absolute standard for determining its proper or improper use, and, much less, no power to perform it. Whatever appeals to secular tastes becomes the standard if it gets applause and is good for business. God and His Word are simply left out of the picture. But when God is left out of anything—as in a vacuum—something else fills the void; and sometimes it may appear to look just as good. So the quest to discover and trust in one’s own deep intrinsic strength to overcome all odds (the theme of many hero stories) takes the place of dependence and faith in God’s wisdom and strength. “Trust or follow your heart, or feelings” (another common theme), becomes as reasonable as trust in divine principles; fate becomes as believable as providence; human opinion as logical as God’s Word; magical powers as acceptable as miracles; and the creature as omnipotent as the Creator.
ANIMATION ART: Students at Southern Adventist University learn how animation is a great communication tool.
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An innovative event YOU can use to win souls! Plan now! Bring Pastor John Bradshaw into your home or church to share with your friends and family insights and applications from Revelation. 1. Get the app 2. Show your friends 3. Invite them to learn with you Be part of the next generation of evangelistic outreach by internet, smart phone, tablet, or television. Plan now to participate through interactive media and by hosting the event! Watch for more details in coming weeks!
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From this reference point, ideas, images, and content that tend directly toward spiritualism, along with their associated values, come quite naturally without the unction of any secret order or diabolical agenda. It is the inevitable result of unregenerate human hearts leaving God out of the picture. Having an Influence
So what is the Christian creative role in secular society? How can we be in the world but not of it? Christian artists entering such an environment should do so prayerfully, because their faith is not likely to be nurtured; it will be challenged in many ways. Nevertheless, if we start with the motivation for why we would want to be anywhere as Christians, we would remember that entertainment is not just about pursuing a career, but about reaching people. Many secular people are unmindful of the blessings available to them in Christ, and hunger for something better. God wants to reach them as much as He wants to reach those in foreign lands. Christians entering this environment can study and look for ways by which God and His Word might be reintroIMAG E S
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duced in unobtrusive ways through casual contact and influence. It calls for conscious effort to maintain one’s own personal connection with God in order to be used as a channel to impart rays of truth that awaken interest toward eternal things. Opportunities are there, and people do sense something from individuals in whom Christ lives. On occasion I had to work side by side with avowed atheists. There were those with varied lifestyles with whom I had opportunity to share my thoughts and convictions. In most cases they were the ones who came up with spiritual questions; it was not the other way around. I don’t know where these people are today, or where their spiritual journeys will take them, but I saw evidence that God was speaking to them in those moments. Christian artists can have the same influences that Joseph, Daniel, Mordecai, and Esther had in their workplaces if they maintain a consecrated effort to remain connected to the Holy Spirit. Like the Waldenses, we may be skilled at a craft and grounded in faith, venturing into the world with truth from the Word hidden away in
our minds, ready to impart it to those ready to hear it. Gaining respect from supervisors and colleagues through common courtesy and good work ethics is another influence. At one commercial company two of our graduates tell how their supervisors passed up a lucrative project when the students expressed concern about the content. In some cases people admire those who stand for something when it is presented respectfully and is in harmony with other values in their lives. Apparently these graduates had gained enough respect from the quality of work and the life exemplified that their employers were willing to change course for their sakes. When Christian artists are placed in leadership positions, there may also be opportunities to convey thoughts into the products themselves. On one occasion I became interested in depicting the principle expressed by Ellen White that “all our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God.”1 At the beginning of this article I observed that the number-one thrust
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N A D F E AT U R E
behind every production meeting was whether the movie being produced would be worth watching. The same is true of the Christian life. If Christian artists earnestly seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, their lives and work will testify of this in the workplace. They may sometimes have to make decisions about what they are working on, while other times they can be the voice of conscience to influence production choices and content. Ellen White wrote: “It requires more grace, more stern discipline of character, to work for God in the capacity of mechanic, merchant, lawyer, or farmer, carrying the precepts of Christianity into the ordinary business of life, than to labor as an acknowledged missionary in the open field. It requires a strong spiritual nerve to bring religion into the workshop and the business office, sanctifying the details of everyday life, and ordering every transaction according to the standard of God’s Word. But this is what the Lord requires. Religion and business are not two separate things; they are one. Bible religion is to be interwoven with all we do or say.
Divine and human agencies are to combine in temporal as well as in spiritual achievements.”2 This is not something inherent in us, and comes only as we deliberately seek to connect with God. Scripture is clear: Divine and satanic agencies strive for the minds of humanity, and various powerful media are employed in this struggle. Christian artists can influence the secular workplace if their motivation is centered on God’s will and they are empowered with His indwelling Spirit. We must be mindful about what we create, and what we allow our senses to absorb. We should remain keenly aware of the secular worldview, but careful about portraying the devil as hiding behind every frame or pixel, because he doesn’t have to. If we are distracted from reading the Bible and meditating on themes of eternity; if we are not praying and contemplating the life of Jesus; if we ignore the regenerate life and walk in the way of our own choosing, we too will end up leaving God out, and something else will fill the void. But this phenomenon works the other way, too. “If anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Apparently the more our tastes, desires, and admiration for things change, the closer we get to Jesus. Maintaining this relationship should therefore be the Christian artist’s top priority. There is a need for consecrated, creative people. By acquainting ourselves with God and His Word, the promise is that we will be continually transformed and guided by the Holy Spirit, receiving both the presence and power of Christ to live a life that testifies of Him in the workplace and in every other place. n 1 Ellen
G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900), p. 160. 2 Ellen G. White, God’s Amazing Grace (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1973), p. 64.
Hendel Butoy is a
professor of animation at the School of Visual Art and Design at Southern Adventist University. He studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts before accepting a position as an animator and director at the Walt Disney Company in 1979.
FACT AND FANCY: Animators have the ability to communicate in ways that are both real and fanciful.
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A D V E N T I S T
S E R V I C E
To See
His
Christ’s love is demonstrated in some unusual situations.
Face
Lord, I long to see Your face, to see the love You have for me. Please, let me see You. How would Jesus answer my prayer? An “urgent” sticky note notified me that Corky would be transferring to my district within 24 hours; she would need intensive home health services. Corky’s brief referral throbbed with words like noncompliant, combative, maladjusted, unmanageable, and terminal. Corky’s new address was in a trailer park nestled into the hillside above lush pastures and the Pacific Ocean. Mike answered the door. I was surprised; the referral papers made no mention of a resident male. “Is this Corky’s place?” “Yeah,” he said. “You the nurse?” He opened the door and motioned me inside. The living room was bare. Brown carpet was covered with a layer of chalky-white dust. “Sorry for the drywall mess,” he said. “I had to get this place fixed up so she could move in. I’ve been workin’ all night. She’ll be here tomorrow.” I took out my pen, hoping to start on the necessary paperwork. Mike kept talking. “I think she’s gonna like this,” he said. “She’s never lived in the country before. Said she always wanted to live by the ocean. I’m giving her this room with the window so she can look out and see it.” He answered a few questions, then continued talking about Corky. “I don’t think she’s gonna live long. She’s hard to manage; she didn’t get the treatment she needed. She’s in a lot of pain, and I think she might have an infection. Can you help me with that?” Arrangements were made for home health aides to come and tidy up. They would do some housekeeping and assist with Corky’s personal care.
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By Diana Dyer
“I’ll be back in the morning to make sure everything is in order,” I said. “Once Corky is here, we can adjust her pain meds and determine what nursing care she needs.”
A Difficult Case
Back in the office I reviewed Corky’s medical history. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer and scheduled for treatment. But she did not take well to the plan and “fired” one doctor after another when the side effects of the treatment made her uncomfortable. Various physicians had treated her with remarkable tolerance, considering her abusive language and failure to cooperate. Finally, only one physician was willing to assume responsibility for her care, and he provided only long-distance service, basing his decisions on reports from the nurse. Corky apparently did not appreciate nurses, either. I arrived for my first visit with Corky filled with dread. Mike greeted me at the door; worry and sleeplessness had deepened the lines on his face. “She got here late last night and hardly slept at all,” he confided. “The pain medicine just doesn’t seem to help. I have to fight to get it down her. I promise her ice cream just so she’ll take it.” Mike led me to the bedroom. The smell of decay challenged my gag reflex. Mike seemed too preoccupied to notice. “Wake up, Corky.” He spoke gently. “The nurse is here to see you.” He tugged on the mound of blanket. Slowly a tousled head emerged, followed by an enormous body. I had expected Corky to be emaciated. I began asking questions. Her grunts were unintelligible. Her right arm was swollen, taut. On the right side of her torso, front and back, the flesh was swollen and hard. “Where’s the sore that needs dressing?” I asked Mike.
Mike carried the lion’s share of the load.
He responded by pointing to Corky’s right arm. “There, under her arm.” The flesh was so tightly swollen that Corky could not raise the arm. When I attempted to help her, she screamed obscenities and rocked in pain. Mike finally talked her into cooperating. A deep, black crater the size of a cantaloupe oozed thick, sticky fluid and an unpleasant odor. Mike appeared calm and unconcerned, confident that we would find a way to make things better. When the job of irrigating the wound and packing it with gauze was finally finished, I drove back to the office exhausted and apprehensive. That same treatment would have to be repeated two or three times a day. She really needs to be in a skilled nursing facility of some kind, I thought. “Absolutely not!” Mike said when I approached him with the idea. “I’ll take care of her here.” Faithful to the End
Twice-daily nursing visits were scheduled, and aides provided bed baths and light housekeeping services. Mike was there 24/7, giving her pain medicine, comforting her tenderly, and urging her to eat and drink. Many times the promise of a spoonful of ice cream cajoled her into cooperating. Though she frequently made remarks about their special relationship, abusive swearing was usually the only reward Mike received for his tenderness. Still Mike refused to consider placing Corky in a nursing home. “They couldn’t put up with her,” he said. “The first thing you know, she’d ‘fire’ them and cause so much trouble that she’d be out on the street again. I understand her. I can take care of her.” So Corky remained in the trailer with Mike. The rest of us involved with her care did what we could to help, following the care plan and providing occasional respite. But
Mike carried the lion’s share of the load. When I stayed with Corky, I discovered 10 minutes was about the maximum amount of time she would rest before calling for Mike. I was exhausted after an hour or two; Mike did it around the clock, day after day. I have seen death many times, and I recognized its approach. “How soon do you think it will be?” Mike asked. I gently walked him through the process, describing the usual scenario. “Within the next day or two you’ll notice long pauses between breaths, with a sort of gasping when she breathes again. Then she’ll just stop breathing; she won’t experience any pain.” We talked a bit more before I carried my bags to the car. Just as I pulled out of the driveway, Mike came running out the door. Gesturing wildly, he shouted, “She’s doing it; she’s doing what you said!” Corky took one last gasping breath. I looked at her still form, totally peaceful at last. Her ordeal was over. I looked at Mike. He stared at her silently, tears running down his cheeks and dripping from his chin. His suffering affected me more deeply than Corky’s death. Choking back sobs, I mumbled some sort of condolence and finished by saying that he had done more than most husbands would have done under the circumstances, that she could not have doubted his love. “Husband?” He looked at me sharply. “I’m not her husband. I hardly knew her.” Seeing my startled look, he went on: “She lived on the street; that’s where I found her. She didn’t have anyone who cared about her. I knew she was dying, and I bought this place so she’d have somewhere to go. If I hadn’t taken care of her, who would have? She had no one else.” Mike was standing there, but I saw the face of Jesus. n
Diana Dyer lives with her husband, Richard, in Adams, Nebraska, United States. She enjoys talking to people about Jesus. July 2015 | Adventist World - nad
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PART 4: 1881–1891
LEGACY of LIGHT
1880s
God’s Mes senger
Growing Church,
A
fter James White’s death in 1881, Ellen White moved to California. Feeling alone and discouraged, and not being able to write much, she immersed herself in attending General Conference sessions, speaking at camp meetings, visiting churches, and dealing with various church enterprises. In the East and Midwest she ministered at camp meetings in Vermont, Maine, New York, Nebraska, Michigan, and Indiana. Back in California, she helped establish Healdsburg Academy.1 Healdsburg also became her permanent residence. She bought a house “with two and one-half acres of land closely set with choice fruit,” finding much pleasure in working in the garden and canning fruits. By July 1882 she had finished writing Testimony 31, exploring Adventist education, parental training, issues related to youth, and others.2 Being constantly engaged, it seemed, was one way she dealt with her grief.
New Challenges
A look at Ellen White’s life and legacy
W h i te
E s t a te
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E l l e n
The early 1880s saw new waves of opposition to Ellen White’s prophetic gift, including the charge of “suppression” (intentional hiding) of parts of her earlier writings. The issues surfaced after a decision to republish her early visions and experiences in a new book called Early Writings (1882). The book’s intended purpose was to silence growing criticisms against Ellen White’s earlier revelations. For some church members the opposite occurred—at least initially.3 Ellen White used the opportunity to point out that biblical inspiration was dynamic, not verbal or dictational. A year later she also supported the decision of the General Conference to revise and reprint her Testimonies in a new and updated four-volume format. “Where the language used is not the
G .
Prophetic Inspiration
The first European camp meeting was held in Moss, Norway in 1887. Tents were used for the living quarters and meetings. Ellen G. White is seated at right center with her back to the tent.
best,” she wrote, “I want it made correct and grammatical, as I believe it should be in every case where it can be without destroying the sense.”4 A few years later she noted that it was “not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired.”5 Going Abroad
From 1885 to 1887 Ellen White, together with her son W. C. White, his family, and Sara McEnterfer, her secre-
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tary, went to Europe on Ellen’s first overseas mission trip. They embarked on the trans-Atlantic journey on July 13, 1885, and stopped first in England, where she visited the mission headquarters in Grimsby and spoke to numerous Adventist congregations. Mrs. White participated in several public “evangelistic” lectures. One Sunday evening she lectured to about 1,000 people in a rented hall in Southampton. Impressed with her message,
PART 5: 1891–1900
PART 6: 1900–1915
The Australian Years
The Elmshaven Years
the public press asked her to write it up for publication, which she did. After two weeks in England she left for Switzerland just in time to meet with European leaders of the church at their annual council in September 1885. She made her home in Basel and, for the next two years, traveled extensively from Italy to Scandinavia, providing guidance for both church leaders and members. At the same time, she became exposed to some issues unique to the European context, such as serving in the army and Sabbath observance, compulsory school attendance of Adventist children on Sabbath, and other administrative issues related to the establishment of conferences for spreading the Adventist message.6 The 1888 Great Controversy
White returned to the United States in 1887. She was trying to finish one of her most significant book manuscripts, the 1888 edition of the Great Controversy.7 Based on her vision from 1858, she had written several other times on the topic.8 Her decision to have an updated and more complete version, however, resulted from her visits to many of the places associated with the Reformation and the history of Christianity in Europe. The enhanced edition would become one of her most renowned volumes. The book’s introduction also became known as one of the best elaborations on the nature of biblical inspiration. In part, this introduction was her response to a new controversy about her prophetic ministry caused by D. M. Canright, a Seventh-day Adventist minister and personal friend who left Adventism in 1887 and became one of its harshest critics. As with the earlier suppression charges, Canright’s doubts of Ellen White’s prophetic gift were based on a “verbal” view of inspiration. Ellen White (and Adventists) reiterated their under-
standing that while God inspired the thoughts of His messengers, He did not dictate their actual words.9
Advent believers. Beginning in Battle Creek, Michigan, they traveled across the country and spoke to church gatherings and camp meetings.
Minneapolis General Conference
The End of the 1880s
In 1888 Ellen White dealt with another theological issue that came to a head during the Minneapolis General Conference session. The old guardians of the movement, Uriah Smith and G. I. Butler, were confronted by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner, younger theologians from California. The points of contention were theological issues related to biblical prophecy and traditional interpretations. While Ellen White was aware of the different theological positions, she became greatly disturbed by the sharp feelings that the two groups began to show toward each other before and during the conference. At the end she had little to say about her theological position (although she endorsed Jones’s and Waggoner’s emphasis on righteousness by faith), but addressed the importance of tolerance, understanding, and manifestation of a Christlike attitude even in the midst of theological disagreements. “My burden during the meeting,” she wrote, “was to present Jesus and His love before my brethren, for I saw marked evidence that many had not the spirit of Christ.”10 It is not an accident, therefore, that her most Christcentered books, such as Steps to Christ (1892), Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings (1896), The Desire of Ages (1898), and Christ’s Object Lessons (1900), were written after Minneapolis. Ellen White did not see righteousness by faith as “new light.” It was rather an “old” but neglected truth that needed to be brought back to the “core” of the third angel’s message. Soon after Minneapolis Ellen White, together with A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner, began a campaign to take the message of righteousness by faith to the
The 1880s concluded with Ellen White publishing two other significant volumes: Patriarchs and Prophets (1890), and Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene (1890), a comprehensive work on health and a precursor of The Ministry of Healing (1905). Although the 1880s were challenging, Ellen White continued working tirelessly. Facing the personal grief of losing her husband, dealing with a variety of church issues, and going abroad as a missionary only added to the wealth of her experience. Now she was ready for new challenges as the growing Adventist denomination was nearing the new century. But before that, she headed to another missionary venture: Australia. n 1 See
Arthur White, Ellen White: Woman of Vision (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 2000), p. 215. of Sister White,” Review and Herald, Sept. 26, 1882, p. 616. 3 For more detailed discussion, see Theodore N. Levterov, The Development of the Seventh-day Adventist Understanding of Ellen G. White’s Prophetic Gift, 1844-1889 (New York: Peter Lang Pub., 2015), pp. 143-146, 155. 4 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1958, 1980), book 3, p. 97. 5 Ibid., book 1, p. 21. 6 Arthur White, pp. 225-244. 7 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan During the Christian Dispensation (Oakland, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1888). 8 The 1884 version of the book, for example, was published by both the Review and Herald and the Pacific Press publishing houses and sold thousands of copies. See Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy: The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan From the Destruction of Jerusalem to the End of the Controversy (Oakland, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., and Battle Creek, Mich.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1884). 9 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (1888), author’s preface, pp. c-h. 10 Ellen G. White, “Looking Back at Minneapolis,” manuscript 24, 1888. In Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases (Silver Spring, Md.: Ellen G. White Estate, 1981-1993), vol. 12, p. 192. 2 W. C. White, “Health
Theodore Levterov is
director of the Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office at Loma Linda University in California, United States.
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B I B L E
Q U E S T I O N S
A N S W E R E D
A Perfect What does Paul mean when he calls Jesus “the image of God”?
Reflection
This is not necessarily a difficult question, but a certain aspect of it is often not emphasized. Although there may be a connection with Genesis 1:27, where we are told that Adam and Eve were created in/as the image of God, there is hardly any question that Jesus is the image of God in a much grander and unique way. Christ is called the image of God in only two passages (2 Cor. 4:4 and Col. 1:15). We will also look at passages in which Christians are called the image of God/Christ. 1. Christ: Image of God. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul discusses why some people reject his gospel. In answering, he contrasts the work of the god of this age and the work of the true God. On one hand, people reject the gospel because the god of this age has blinded them “so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays [i.e., that is] the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (verse 4, NIV). The passage suggests that Christ, being the image of God, has His own glory, and that it is revealed in the gospel. On the other hand, God is the God who created light out of darkness. This light ends human blindness, causing light to shine “in our hearts.” This light illumines our whole being and enables us to see “the light of [that consists in] the knowledge of the glory of God in the face [or person] of Jesus Christ” (verse 6). “The face of Christ” is another way of referring to Him as the image of God. In this case Christ as the image of God reveals the glory of God, i.e., God’s character. In these verses the designation of Christ as the image of God points to both His nature—He is divine—and His function: He reveals the glory of God in a world of sin and in conflict with the god of this age. 2. Christ: Image of God: Colossians 1:15 belongs to what is considered to be two parts of a Christian hymn (Col. 1:15-20). The first is about the cosmic significance of Christ (verses 15-17), and the other about His work of
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redemption (verses 18-20). It is a narrative that depicts cosmic harmony, then moves almost unperceptively to rebellion and its resolution. It is about the cosmic conflict. Often overlooked is the reference to Christ as the image of God placed in the cosmic section of the hymn. In the context of the creation of the cosmos Christ is introduced as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (verse 15). The title “firstborn” indicates His preeminence over creation. The title “image of God” clearly points to His cosmic role as mediator or revealer of the “invisible God” to all creation. In other words, when everything was created, the Son was instituted as the only means of revealing God’s character to the cosmos. Here, the term image does not mean “resemblance” but designates Christ’s nature as the exact manifestation of the invisible God. In Him dwells “all the fullness of the Deity” (Col. 2:9, NIV), and He was in His “very nature God” (Phil. 2:6, NIV). Only God can reveal God. It was as such that “in him all things [the cosmos] hold together” (Col 1:17, NIV). He was the cosmic image of God before sin, and He came to this world of sin as the image of God in human form. 3. Believers Reflect the Image of God: Humans by nature bear the image of Adam (1 Cor. 15:49). By contemplating the glory of Christ they “are being transformed into his image” (2 Cor. 3:18, NIV). Our new self is “being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Col. 3:10, NIV), meaning that the image of God that we almost lost is being restored to us through Christ. This is a present experience, but it is also a future expectation (1 Cor. 15:49). By reflecting the image of Christ now, we become His brothers and sisters (Rom. 8:29), part of the family of God. n
Angel Manuel Rodriguez is retired after a career as a pastor, professor, and theologian.
“Horizontal trust” in others is highly beneficial; “vertical trust” in a loving God is especially powerful.
secrets
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visual media. As impossible as that may seem, much of the world throughout history has survived—and often thrived—on just such a program.
Are you ready for an adventure? One of the most exciting things we Christians can do is to share the wonderful message that God has given us. And one of the simplest ways of doing this is by handing out a piece of literature! Not long ago a man purchased several religious tracts. One of those tracts—which talked about what happens after death—ended up traveling to another country. There the tract was passed from hand to hand, until it ended up with a Baptist pastor who translated it into French and read it to 80 people at a funeral. Another person, a young woman, simply laid one of the tracts on a table. A jail chaplain happened to pick it up and read it. He later ordered more than 2,000 pieces of literature for the 900 inmates in his jail. Another woman timidly handed a tract to her seatmate on a bus one day. To her surprise, the man said, “I was just praying for God to send me a sign if He didn’t want me to commit suicide. I think this is it.” “We know not what may be the results of giving away a leaflet containing present truth.”* So, once again, are you ready for an adventure? In this month’s magazine we’ve included a GLOW tract for you to cut out, fold up, and hand out. As you do this, you will be joining more than 1.5 million Adventists across the globe who are doing the same thing! Take time to pray that God will guide you to a divine appointment or give you a creative idea. Then simply give the tract away or leave it somewhere to be found. Adventist World will print a cutout GLOW tract periodically throughout the year. Each time you give your tract away, send Adventist World the story of your divineled appointment, and how you distributed the tract. E-mail your story to nelson@puconline.org. Be as creative as you can, and your story might be featured in a future edition of Adventist World!
MENTAL HEALTH
* Ellen G. White, Colporteur Ministry (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1953), p. 5.
Quality Time with Family Time invested with electronic media can also weaken the family bond. Excessive time is of great concern because strong family connections are powerful predictors of enhanced emotional health.7 We need to prioritize interactive activities with our families. Go places and do things which are fun, interesting, and fulfilling.
GLOW: Giving Light to Our World
Learning to Trust in God Humans instinctively respond well to honesty and reliability in another person, especially when they sense a genuine interest in their welfare. This occurs by spending time together and undergoing shared experiences. Similarly, we develop trust in God by testing His promises in the Bible and experiencing His faithful leading in our lives. The psalmist captures the importance of entering into an experiential relationship with God: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”10 God Himself invites us:“Come to Me . . . learn from Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls.”11 Why not carve out a little time in your day to read from the Bible, perhaps starting with The Gospel of Mark? You might be surprised to find a God who is far more trustworthy than many humans are—even those who claim to follow Him. And along with that discovery, you may realize your emotions are coming under better control.
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Giving Light to Our World
1
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources referenced in the text, see glowonline. org/mentalhealth.
2
Trust and Emotional Health When we have trusting relationships with one or more individuals, electrical and chemical “trust signals” from the higher brain centers, particularly the frontal lobe, can shut down and even shut off the fear system coursing through our lower brain centers. This trust aids in the control of anxiety and stress.8 Among those chemical messengers of trust is the hormone oxytocin.9 Increased oxytocin levels also improve a host of interpersonal dimensions—all of which tend to bolster our emotional state. Consequently, one strategy to boost emotional health is to develop more trusting relationships.
Stories
In 1944, at the age of 16, Edith Eger was taken by the Nazis from her home in Hungary and sent to the infamous Auschwitz death camp. Although spared the gas chambers used on her parents, the already-thin Edith gradually wasted away as she was transferred from one camp to another. In May 1945, approaching death, Edith fell into an unconscious stupor. The guards assumed she was dead and threw her into a mass grave in the woods behind the Gunskirchen Lager Camp. Miraculously, an American GI saw Edith’s hand moving amidst the corpses. He rescued the then 60-pound girl from certain death.1 If anyone had reason to be controlled by her environment, it was Edith Eger. Despite her horrific experiences, Edith didn’t succumb to emotions of bitterness, hatred or despair. She not only survived; she thrived. She married a Czech Freedom Fighter, raised three children, and earned a PhD in psychology. If you ever met Dr. Edith or heard her speak, you would likely rank her among the most positive, uplifting individuals you ever met. Edith’s message: "Contrary to popular belief, there are no
David DeRose, MD, MPH, and Bernell Baldwin, PhD, neuroscientist
Secrets of Mental Health whole plant foods (fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds) and limits or eliminates animal products and added fat. Avoid Addictive Drugs Alcohol has a short-term effect in promoting anger, rage, and violence. Control cells in the top of the brain are numbed. As a result, the circuits for violence in the lower brain are unrestrained, as millions of abused family members can testify. The long-term effects of alcohol are even more serious. Those control cells are killed by even two ounces of alcohol daily while the far more resilient lower brain cells fare far better. The result: a permanent brain imbalance favoring the lower emotional centers. Other brain drugs also can impair brain control mechanisms. Even marijuana has the capacity, under certain circumstances, to permanently unbalance the brain. Exercise No program for optimizing emotional health should neglect regular physical exercise. We recommend making physical activity part of your daily routine. Research links exercise to decreased stress levels and enhanced emotional health (including less depression and anxiety).5 Studies
victims in this world – only willing participants. You can't always control your circumstances, but you can control how you respond to them."2 Psychology’s New Emphasis Dr. Edith Eger’s life speaks eloquently to a growing realization among mental health professionals: we all have the capacity to cultivate an optimistic attitude even in the midst of setbacks and difficulties.3 Indeed, while many of us believe our emotions are determined by our circumstances, the evidence indicates otherwise. You can control your emotions—in spite of your surroundings! However, our emotions are affected by more than our thoughts. Most notably, our daily lifestyle choices profoundly impact our emotional state. Let’s look at several factors which can help us remain in the driver’s seat in this important realm of mental health. Dietary Practices Animal studies reveal that unhealthful dietary practices impair the brain’s emotional circuitry— during development as well as in maturity. Examples include nutritional deficiencies, excessive salt intake, and high fat diets.4 The bottom line is this: opt for a diet that emphasizes low-sodium, nutrient-dense
Television and Emotional Instability We can be influenced in the direction of unbalanced emotions by our choice of viewing fare (TV, internet, etc.)—as well as by music. One principle of human behavior is this: “we become like what we watch.” Indeed, our minds are molded by what we regularly view. Therefore, if we’re interested in optimal emotional health, we’ll exercise serious restraint in our viewing fare. If you have trouble exercising such restraint, consider a several week (or longer) holiday from TV, internet, DVDs, and other
Choose Your Music Carefully Music has a powerful impact on the emotional brain region known as the limbic system. Depending on the type of music, either positive or negative emotions can be stimulated. Direct measurements of limbic structures reveal that music such as harmonious piano selections can evoke pleasant emotions, while dissonant music can trigger negative emotions.6 For these reasons we should exercise caution in musical selection. Choose only music that helps foster emotional control and balance.
have also shown exercise to markedly increase levels of a powerful emotional, health enhancing hormone called oxytocin.
I D EA E X C H A N G E
Prayerw PRAISE
My family is going through tough times financially. Please pray for us. Rebecca, Kenya
My husband no longer conducts family worship; he used to lead our family in prayer and worship. I am doing it alone. I thank God daily for helping me as I walk this Christian road. Please pray for my husband, children, and me. N ame Withheld, Trinidad and Tobago
Please pray for a friend of mine who went to India for medical treatment; and pray for Adventists there who may be able to help.— I hope my friend can be visited. I’ve also been praying to get books in Punjabi. Silton, Austria
I need spiritual and physical healing, liberation, and transformation. Please pray! Anequis, Brazil
Thank you for your prayers. I am a literature evangelist and desperately needed a car. We got one from our church; it’s like new! Pattie, United States
I finished college almost a year ago and have no job—and not a single coin to pay rent. I went for an interview; pray for a positive outcome. Milka, Kenya
Pray that God will deliver me and that I will not get kicked out of school. Malcolm, Grenada
The Place of Prayer: Send prayer requests and praise (thanks for answered prayer) to prayer@adventistworld.org. Keep entries short and concise, 50-words or less. Items will be edited for space and clarity. Not all submissions will be printed. Please include your name and your country’s name. You may also fax requests to: 1-301-680-6638; or mail them to Adventist World, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Letters
I am Greek, and my wife is Colombian, and we are planning, with the blessings of God, to open a new church in northern Colombia. Please pray for us.
IA D
—Dimitrius Christopoulos, Colombia
Churches Open at Fastest Rate in History
I am writing about Andrew McChesney’s article “Churches Open at Fastest Rate in History” (May 2015). This is good news; may God bless the Seventh-day Adventist Church! I am Greek, and my wife is Colombian, and we are planning, with the blessings of God, to open a new church in northern Colombia. Please pray for us. Dimitris Christopoulos Colombia In regard to the churches opening up at the fastest rate in history, I thank the Lord! By God’s grace I hope to soon hear the same news from where I live. Arnold Nyepetsi Ireland How wonderful that the people of God have been able to share the everlasting gospel, and the message of the third angel, in this way. God has blessed His people. David Roque Usulután, El Salvador Church Leader Prepares Wife for His Death
Thank you for publishing Andrew McChesney’s article “Church Leader Prepares Wife for His Death” (May 2015). This is so amazing: I just lost my dad, after 54 years of marriage to my mom. I e-mailed this story to my other siblings and to my mom as well. Thanks for sharing this story; it is very touching. Truly a keeper! Merril Dennis Trinidad and Tobago
I don’t think I’ve known a kinder, more dedicated couple than Francis and Mary Sue Wernick. Even in old age they have been very faithful to God, His church, and His work. I thank God for the privilege of having been able to fellowship with him and his wife. I can still hear the kind, unhurried, unworried tones in Elder Wernick’s voice. Come soon, Lord Jesus. Christine Amadio-Long United States
17, “that they may be one just as We are one” (verse 22). How is it that we have become so concerned with labels, even as members of the same church? What will it take for us to see each other simply as fellow believers? Could this be at least part of the reason for Christ’s delay? Tina Metaxis Chicago, Illinois, United States
Prostate Cancer Treatment
I always read with interest the excellent health articles by Peter N. Landless and Allan R. Handysides. Their article “Prostate Cancer Surgery” (February 2015) provided a brief overview of surgery and watchful waiting, and did mention the side effects of surgery, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction—two significant lifestyle issues. I would add that Loma Linda Medical Center (a world-class Seventh-day Adventist institution) pioneered proton therapy 25 years ago, and more than 18,500 patients with various types of cancer have been treated with this noninvasive procedure. Nearly 70 percent were prostate cancer, with successful outcomes and without the debilitating side effects of other modalities. J. Lynn Martell B anning, California, United States Jesus’ Unanswered Prayer
I deeply appreciated Gerald A. Klingbeil’s cover story, “Jesus Claims the Center: Between Sadducees and Pharisees” (April 2015). Maybe I shouldn’t, but I can’t help but think about Jesus’ prayer in John
106 Years Ago in Sunan
The item in the September 2014 Idea Exchange titled “106 Years Ago” has a photo with it that I just had to write about, even though the magazine came out months ago. The person to the left of Riley Russell (back row, center) is my grandfather, C. L. Butterfield, who was a missionary in Korea for several years. I also have a book, It Came in Handy, which is the story of Riley Russell, M.D., as told by Stella Parker Peterson. The story tells about my grandfather and others who served in Korea. Edwin Toews New York Mills, Minnesota, United States Letters Policy: Please send to: letters@adventistworld.org. Letters must be clearly written, 100-word maximum. Include the name of the article and the date of publication with your letter. Also include your name, the town/city, state, and country from which you are writing. Letters will be edited for space and clarity. Not all letters submitted will be published.
July 2015 | Adventist World - nad
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I D EA E X C H A N G E “Behold, I come quickly…” Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ, uniting Seventh-day Adventists everywhere in beliefs, mission, life, and hope.
Left: J. F. Huenergardt Right: Early church group in Yugoslavia
100 Years Ago
O
n July 12, 1905, a local church was organized in Kumane, Yugoslavia, following the baptism of eight persons. The elder of this new congregation was Lazar Emeric, a Serbian peasant. An Adventist minister, Petar Todor, with his wife, was sent to pastor the little group, thus fulfilling the government’s stipulation that required 10 members to form a church. Earlier that year in Kumane, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Belgrade, a Jewish merchant was surprised to read in the newspaper that a Christian baker in Germany had joined a peculiar religion and decided to close his shop on Saturdays as a result. When the Jewish merchant showed the news item to Emeric, he said, “That man in Germany is right. According to the Bible, the seventh day is the true Sabbath.” Emeric had his son write several letters to Germany trying to find the Serbian Sabbathkeepers. The British and Foreign Bible Society reported that such people lived in Hamburg. His next letter was addressed to: “The Sabbathkeeping people in Hamburg.” A young pastor, J. F. Huenergardt, received this letter, visited Kumane, and contacted the Serbian Sabbathkeepers there. Because Huenergardt could not communicate to the people in their own language, the village barber was called in to interpret. The barber, in turn, developed such an interest in the Bible that he closed his shop on Saturday—his busiest day of the week—and began keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.
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
Q uote
To get something you never had, you must do something you have never done before. —Beatrice Anebo, Uganda
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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 Publisher and Editor in Chief Bill Knott Associate Publisher Claude Richli International Publishing Manager Chun, Pyung Duk Publishing Board Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Benjamin D. Schoun, vice chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy; Daniel R. Jackson; Robert Lemon; Geoffrey Mbwana; G. T. Ng; Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol; Michael Ryan; Ella Simmons; Mark Thomas; Karnik Doukmetzian, legal advisor Adventist World Coordinating Committee Jairyong Lee, chair; Akeri Suzuki, Kenneth Osborn, Guimo Sung, Pyung Duk Chun, Suk Hee Han Editors based in Silver Spring, Maryland Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil (associate editors), Sandra Blackmer, Stephen Chavez, Wilona Karimabadi, Kimberly Luste Maran, Andrew McChesney Editors based in Seoul, Korea Pyung Duk Chun, Jae Man Park, Hyo Jun Kim Online Editor Carlos Medley Operations Manager Merle Poirier Editors-at-large Mark A. Finley, John M. Fowler Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke Financial Manager Rachel J. Child Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste Management Board Jairyong Lee, chair; Bill Knott, secretary; P. D. Chun, Karnik Doukmetzian, Suk Hee Han, Kenneth Osborn, Juan Prestol, Claude Richli, Akeri Suzuki, Ex-officio: Robert Lemon, G. T. Ng, Ted N. C. Wilson Art Direction and Design Jeff Dever, Brett Meliti Consultants Ted N. C. Wilson, Robert E. Lemon, G. T. Ng, Guillermo E. Biaggi, Lowell C. Cooper, Daniel R. Jackson, Raafat Kamal, Geoffrey Mbwana, Armando Miranda, Pardon K. Mwansa, Michael L. Ryan, Blasious M. Ruguri, Benjamin D. Schoun, Ella S. Simmons, Alberto C. Gulfan, Jr., Erton Köhler, Jairyong Lee, Israel Leito, John Rathinaraj, Paul S. Ratsara, Barry Oliver, Bruno Vertallier, Gilbert Wari
Adventist World - nad | July 2015
E-mail: worldeditor@gc.adventist.org Web site: www.adventistworld.org Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible references are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, and the United States. Vol. 11, No. 7
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