God's Instructions On Marriage. Sabbath Afternoon. 04/08/2017

The two sacred institutions given in Eden have in recent years, come under increasing attack by the secular forces, moved upon by the enemy of all righteousness, with two specific purposes in mind: [1] To destroy the foundation of society, of which God-ordained marriage forms an integral part. [2] To destroy the foundation of God’s Government upon the earth, through the introduction of false worship, and idolatry.
 
This is the reason why the Sabbath, and Marriage are the main subjects of a well-coordinated frontal assault from foes within and without. But we are called, as Christians, to restore the breaches that were made in God’s will for the human family, and as such, we are cautioned in the Bible not to offer any substitutions, or amendments to God’s word for the sake of incorporating our personal ideas, opinions, and preferences. Let’s read:

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

For this reason, we must let the word of God speak authoritatively, for by so doing, the gold standard for marriages will be set, without interference from human devising. But there are three very important points to consider and understand clearly, if we are to receive God’s word objectively:

[1] The laws of God’s government are given with the best intentions, and purposes for the human family, as well as the unfallen worlds. But in some instances, those laws and instructions may not rub us the right way, because they may appear to go contrary to conventional modes of thought, and action. 

Thus, because logic is often the diabolical enemy of faith, we will find ourselves swimming upstream at times, in order to harmonize with what is written in the Bible, rather than go with the flow downstream, which always leads to perdition. It is vain to expect that everything God instructs us to do will sit well with our opinions, and therefore, the mind of faith will always accept God’s word as the final authority in all matters, whether it seems to make sense, or not. Let’s read:

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

[2] The status of whatsoever God declares to be wrong or right in His word, does not change with the passage of time, nor does His laws ever conform to custom, or culture. Indeed, the validity, and the immutability of God’s law cannot be judged by what popular opinion enjoins, or by how many folks may agree or disagree, for His word stands aloof of all human interference. Let’s read:

Psalms 119:89 Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. 
90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations. 
142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

[3] God does make allowances for those times of ignorance, when spouses may not have known any better, or where sound, scriptural counsel was not available. In such cases, The Lord has the final say in whether a divorce is warranted or not. However, in such cases, His circumstantial will should never be interpreted as being His ideal will, and the various accommodations He may have granted in certain instances should never to be presented as doctrine.

For instance, in Hosea’s case, God gave the prophet clearance to go marry a prostitute, for the specific purpose of demonstrating in real time, His love for His people, who on many occasions, were unfaithful in their relationship with Him, over, and over again. This case however does not give a Christian man the clearance to go by Tootsies looking for a wife, nor is the prophet Hosea to ever declare from the pulpit, that because God had authorized his own marriage, that it can now be used as a precedent for future generations. Absolutely not!

The following four points therefore, are some of the main issues pertaining to marriage relations, which God has already adequately addressed in His word. The deductions made will be supported by the Bible and thus, should resolve any questions or concerns we may have had on these matters.

[1] The urge to merge is a God-ordained desire, but it must only be fulfilled in the context of marriage. If this law is violated for any reason, the foundation of society begins to be chipped away resulting in much more harm than good, not only to those who are thus exercised, but also to the local community, the church and the nation as a whole, for the adverse ripple effects can often reach as far as the federal government, via the social security administration, as well as the judicial system.

In other words having premarital sex is a sin, to put it plainly, even though this statement will never square with the popular, majority opinion. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 
23 And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Without introducing any technicalities, loop holes, Hebrew, and Greek to confuse our understanding, these two passages declare that any sexual relation, outside of the God-ordained institution, is a form of adultery, ranging in scope from being sinful to being an abomination, as is currently the case with same-sex marriages. God’s mercies, and forgiveness never change the definition of either marriage or adultery.

[2] Having sexual, or any intimate physical relations after menopause should be encouraged, wherever possible, because the physical interaction between husbands, and wives is just as much a part of any healthy marriage, as are the other spiritual aspects, such as love, kindness, and courtesy. In addition to this, our church duties should not be permitted to excuse or preclude, anyone from having intimate relationships with his, or her spouse, and this also covers the practice of celibacy. God is abundantly clear on these points. Let’s read: 

1st Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 

Genesis 18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child,  which am old? 
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.

Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and is wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God, 
11 There appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

1st Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior.

[3] If two atheists, or two Hindus get married, that union is considered as one that God has "Joined" together, even if they did not consult Him first. The choices that we make as it pertains to marriage, are ratified in heaven, whether we believe in Christ or not, because it's the institution that is sacred. Those who get married with, or without God's guidance or consent, are recorded, and are considered as being joined together in the sight of God.

However, that does not necessarily mean that He approves of the union, but it is recorded and also considered as such in heaven. To put it plainly, a husband and wife do not have to be Christians, in order for God to recognize their marriage vows as binding in heaven.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

The words “a man” is an unqualified phrase, to which no man-made ideas, and opinions should be added, for the Bible explicitly states that we should not add unto His words. Therefore, a Catholic man, a Hindu man, an Atheist man, a Muslim man, and an Adventist man, are all included in this declaration, for it is all-inclusive, and not to be consigned to only those who believe in Christ.

If a man and a woman of any faith, or of any belief system join hands in matrimony, that marriage is considered as “joined” in God’s sight, and therefore, the same respect, and instructions guarding their marriage will also apply across the board. Two of Lot’s daughters were at least nominal believers, but they got married to men living in Sodom. When the angels asked about their whereabouts, the question posed to Lot shows that their marriages were at that time recognized as such in heaven. Let’s read:

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. 
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.

Matthew 19:4 "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder".... 

Furthermore, if an Adventist and a Catholic were to get married, that marriage, even though it may be ill-advised, is recorded as legally binding in heaven, and therefore, the differences of beliefs supply no ground for divorce whatsoever, except in such cases where the unbelieving one chooses to leave. This is one of the gray areas where God has made ample provision for difficult circumstances, but the divorce proceedings should not be initiated by the believing one, but instead by the unbeliever. Let’s read: 

1st Corinthians 7:12 If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband.
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 

[4] Marriage with unbelievers, or those of any other persuasion, although it is contrary to the instruction and command of God, is something which has taken place throughout the old, and new testament time periods. Very serious problems will most likely arise in such instances, because our actions and decisions are guided for the most part by what we do believe. 

What often takes place in such marriages, is that forbearance may be manifested initially, until the euphoria of the moment gradually passes, and then, in many instances, the spouses will return to their old selves, and their former beliefs. Believe it or not, the older a person gets, it’s the more unlikely they are to change their ways, except through the direct intervention of Christ.

Thus, the following passages cover all those other “causes”, with the exception of adultery, which for some reason two people cannot get along, and then find it necessary to separate. Although this should be the last resort, yet in many instances, problems within the marriage may not be able to be resolved, and wherever that is the case, the husband and wife may opt to part company, but with one caveat. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband. 
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

What is noticeably absent in this last passage is any specific reason, for which parting ways may seem to be warranted. The reason why it is left open-ended, is so that it can cover every other reason why living together may simply become impossible. Although this is a difficult truth to swallow, yet it is what God says, for if He were to once open the floodgates of reasons, opinions, and ideas, then, both men and women will think it quite acceptable to separate for “Every cause”, and the sacred institution, meant for the stability of society, will become an open door by which husbands and wives will go in, and out for the most trivial reasons.

Whatever our situation might be, God wants us to make the best of it by His grace, and wherever it’s possible to avoid divorce. Therefore, the following instructions will go a long way in preserving our marriages, or mending broken hearts, wherever mending may be possible. Let’s read:

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

                        May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 
                                                                    God bless!
 

Why Some Marriages Fail. Sabbath Afternoon. 04/01/2017

The number of marriages failing in the United states calls into question the way in which the institution is entered into by many, for the percentages are a staggering 40>50%, with second marriages failing at 60%, and third marriages ending in divorce at a rate of 73%. And the trickle-down effects also continue to take their toll, with families, and spouses being estranged, and with the very structure, which is the foundation of society, being shaken. In addition to this, there are some very disturbing statistics, and trends we would do well to ponder, as we study the issue.

[1] Here in the United states, one divorce takes place every 36 seconds. That's the equivalent of nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per
week and 876,000 divorces a year.

[2] The rate of divorce for same-sex couples is about half of the figure for straight couples, and the rate is lower among atheists, than with Christians. A very important, but solemn fact to note here is that the stage for trivial divorces in America has been largely set by the celebrity world, for Brittney Spears holds the world record for the shortest marriage, just 55 hours, before her union with Jason Alexander came to an untimely end.

[3] People who wait to get married, until they are over the age of 25 are 24 percent less likely to get divorced, which brings the issue of mature decision into play.

[4] Living together, or cohabiting prior to tying the knot can increase the chance of getting divorced by as much as 40 percent. The longer two people live
together without any formal marriage pledge, the more unlikely that the union will ever take place.

[5] And the carnage continues, because the down-draft effects on children of divorced parents also takes a heavy toll on our society, with forty-three percent of children growing up in America today being raised without fathers. And fifty percent of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent's marriage. 

Obviously, this is not what God had in mind when He performed the first marriage ceremony in Eden, for it was His purpose that society should rest upon a sure foundation, with husbands and wives seeking to cultivate the mutual love, courtesy, kindness, and respect, which will in turn foster longevity within a marriage relation. And thus, the children, having a good example to follow, would also be inclined to be stable within their marriages, so that plan “B”, or the nuclear option could forever be taken off the table. 

But what has unfolded here in the land of the free, and the home of the brave is that very many people enter into marriage with the understanding that if it does not work out the way they expected, they can always leave, and because of this, a deep sense of a lifelong commitment is lacking in many cases. God never intended that problems, which arise within the marriage should trigger separation, but instead should be addressed and resolved in co-partnership with Omnipotence, for there is a solution for almost every problem that may arise.

So it is befitting here that we revisit the marriage vow, as a gentle reminder of what is entailed in the commitment: "I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.

Thus, it is against the backdrop of God’s ideal, and man’s perverseness that we will explore some of the main reasons why marriages fail. We will also turn to the word of God to see how, and where we may be able to stem the tide of dysfunctionalism, so that in our own lives, and families, God may once again be honored, wherever this statement may be warranted. 

The first, and primary reason according to statistics, why failure may occur within the marriage, is that spouses have in some instances, gotten married too soon, without the proper and necessary preparation for the changes they are sure to encounter. When a sacred commitment to another is made for life, it is supposed to cover the unexpected vicissitudes, the challenges, the disappointments, the joys, and the changes that form a part of an ongoing relationship.

Great care should then be taken up front, observing the other person’s character, disposition, and habits as well as spending much time with their immediate family, because, as a general rule of thumb, what is seen in the parents is what will unfold in the child. Apples scarcely ever fall far from the tree, except in cases where conversion takes place, and thus, the time spent with the spouse’s parents, could yield a treasure trove of information, and helpful insights, as to what will almost certainly transpire in the future.

The counsel of God to us, on making hasty, or rash decisions, and commitments, including, but not exclusive to marriage, is that great care and careful thought should be exercised up front, so that we will not renege on that which we have solemnly pledged ourselves to, even if the results may be extremely difficult to deal with. As we study the following text, we should observe the over-arching principles of a deep, steadfast commitment, which should form a part of not only marriage, but of anything we may pledge ourselves to do. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 
3 For a dream cometh, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error.
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

A clear distinction must be made between passion and principle, for passion tends to instability, whilst principle tends to longevity. Infatuation is often the main driver in motivating folks to tie the knot, but it is an element which must be held in subjection to raw commonsense, for when left unbridled, it can cause an otherwise discreet person to go bananas, driving him, or her to make a hasty, and impulsive decision. 

A certain young man found, what he thought was the girl of his dreams, with her having good internal characteristics, as well as comely physical features, all in one unbelievably perfect package. Not long after meeting her, he proposed to get married, for he thought he couldn’t run the risk of losing her to someone else. That said, their marriage was hastily arranged, without either of them doing their due diligence, and the marriage ceremony was so well orchestrated that it seemed to be a match made in heaven.

However, not long after the marriage, a disturbing discovery was made, for the beautiful wife was diagnosed with cancer, which was metastasizing, and so, to avoid a premature death, she decided to have a double mastectomy, which indeed saved her life. But the young man had never catered for such a sudden change of events as this, and thus it was not long before he started behaving very strangely, becoming quite irritable, and restless as the days went by. 

However, because this is a very sensitive issue, we will not disclose the details of the final chapter in their experience, but suffice it to say that they were headed for splits-ville, after only a short stay-cation. The servant of the Lord has very timely counsels on the issue of hasty marriage, that those who are now contemplating taking the plunge, will be well served to study very carefully. Let’s read:

[A.H. pp 79>80] Early marriages are not to be encouraged. A relation so important as marriage, and so far-reaching in its results should not be entered upon hastily without sufficient preparation, and before the mental and physical powers are well developed. 

The young affections should be restrained until the period arrives when sufficient age and experience will make it honorable and safe to unfetter them. Those who will not be restrained will be in danger of dragging out an unhappy existence. A youth not out of his teens is a poor judge of the fitness of a person as young as himself to be his companion for life. 

After their judgment has become more matured, they view themselves bound for life to each other and perhaps not at all calculated to make each other happy. Then, instead of making the best of their lot, recriminations take place, the breach widens, until there is settled indifference, and neglect of each other. To them there is nothing sacred in the word “home.” The very atmosphere is poisoned by unloving words and bitter reproaches. 

The next reason why marriages fail, is that there may be lack of communication. Husbands and wives should find time to speak with each other, even if they may not have much to say, because the mere fact of being in each other’s company, goes a long way in keeping those lines of communication open. Often, the hustle and bustle of life may take its toll, or the problem may be a breakdown of courteous communication. 

In some instances, husbands are guilty of acting like bullies, with the wife being expected to act, and do according to his dictates, without reason. In other instances, the wife may feel at liberty to do as she pleases, regardless of how the husband feels. Then again, a spirit of independence is often woven into he marriage, with each other staking their claim to
certain “rights” and privileges that are never to be called into question by the other spouse.

In addition, some Christians often place a very great emphasis upon what the secular world thinks of us, and not what God esteems us to be, and because of this, many wives and husbands have become virtual slaves of popular opinions, and standards, shaping their ideas, valuations, and morals according to the criteria of the world. Thus, whenever communion with each other takes place, it is often against the backdrop of secular modes of thought and action, and behavioral patterns, and dispositions that are shaped more by those Hollywood soap operas, than by the truths and instructions of God’s word. 

However, the word of God gives pertinent counsels to remedy such issues, and if Jesus is in the heart of each spouse, the road to courteous, intimate, and friendly speech will be paved with the oil of God’s love, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. As we read, let us determine not be hearers only, but doers of the word. Let’s read:

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. 
32 And be ye kind one to another.

1st Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and like-wise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and like-wise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Another major cause of breakups is the frequent mismanagement of financial matters, by which one spouse may be driven to insanity, because of the spending habits of the other, or because of the sheer inability to provide for the necessities of life. In ancient times, fathers would generally not give their daughters in marriage, to one who was not financially stable or secure, for this would cause a problem from the get go.

This is the reason why Jacob chose to work so hard for Rachel, a total of 14 years, because when he had fled from his parent’s home, all he had was the shirt on his back. Now, this is not to say that his love for Rachel was not sincere and genuine, but when he had to go shopping by Publix, they would not accept sincerity as payment. God is very down to earth and practical in His instructions to us, and therefore, it is quite in order, for financial issues to be put on the table, both before, and after marriage, so that both parties may be able to navigate the difficulties that may arise.
 
Spending for necessities and wants should be done in a responsible manner, with great care being taken to keep our outflows in line with our inflows. The habit of impulsive spending, or binge shopping for bling, and our favorite things, is often the culprit that triggers resentment within the marriage. A well thought out plan for the management of bills, and saving, should be put in place, and adhered to by both spouses.

Another cause for dissent is when finances are kept separate, with one spouse not knowing where the other stands. Marriage involves the relinquishing of personal privacy, and therefore everything should be read as an open book between spouses. Now, it is understandable that this could be a sensitive area to deal with, if one person does not exercise proper self-control. However, instead of hiding funds under the mattress, husbands and wives should try to help out each other, because each person has peculiar problems, and the purpose of the commitment is to always lend a helping hand.

Husbands and wives should not become chafed at this counsel, because true love always incurs some level of risk, and therefore, we should be there for each other during the sunny days of our experience, as well as the rainy days. Several good instructions coming from the Bible, and from the servant of the Lord will serve the purpose of staving off, and also rectifying such problems if and when they do occur. Let’s read:

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof.

1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

[C.S pp 249] Very many, have not so educated themselves that they can keep their expenditures within the limit of their income. They do not learn to adapt themselves to circumstances, and they borrow and borrow again and again, and become overwhelmed in debt, and consequently they become discouraged and disheartened or even have overdrawn their account. Thus, they lay the soul open to fierce temptations, and fall into the wiles of Satan.

Last but not least, on the long list of triggering mechanisms for disaster within the marriage is the issue of infidelity, by which many great men, and women have stumbled throughout the course of history. There are several reasons why infidelity takes place, and the wise spouse will do all that he or she can to make intimacy the best that it can be. In a perfect world, the principle of love will be able to keep spouses from straying into forbidden paths.

But now, where there are millions of temptations greeting husbands and wives each day, special care should be taken to do whatever it takes to make the other spouse happy once it does not violate the law of God, and the law of one’s conscience. This will call for self-denial in some instances, and in other circumstances, it will call for real effort on the part of both, but making each other happy and secure in their marriage should be of paramount importance. 

1st Corinthians 7:33 He that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

God is able to keep anyone from falling, but we also must do our part in facilitating His good work in us. In other words, we should never assume that just because a husband or wife may be a good Christian that, the fact will, in and of itself be sufficient to forestall any and every incursion by the enemy of all righteousness, for most of the infidelities recorded in the scriptures were done by Christians, and thus, because God is practical in His instructions, He bids us do our very best to foster cohesiveness, love, and happiness between ourselves, and then trust Him to take up the slack.

We will end our study with words of instruction that will go a long way in preserving both the happiness and the sanctity of marriage, when applied in the most literal sense.

[P&P pp 147] The instruction given to Abraham touching the sacredness of the marriage relation was to be a lesson for all ages. It declares that the rights and happiness of this relation are to be carefully guarded, even at a great sacrifice. Sarah was the only true wife of Abraham. Her rights as a wife and mother no other person was entitled to share. She reverenced her husband, and in this she is presented in the New Testament as a worthy example. But she was unwilling that Abraham's affections should be given to another, and the Lord did not reprove her for requiring the banishment of her rival. Both Abraham and Sarah distrusted the power of God, and it was this error that led to the marriage with Hagar.

                         May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 

                                                                       God bless!

The man In The Mirror. Sabbath afternoon. 03/25/2017

Mirrors are used in most instances to reflect oneself and the closer a person gets to the mirror, the more detail and definition become apparent. Conversely, the further one stays away from the mirror, there is a likelihood that flaws, and imperfections may be overlooked or missed, and if there is no mirror, the person would have very little ability of knowing, or seeing their true appearance. As a result, the proper and necessary assessments, as well as the remedial actions would not be taken, because the individual lives, oblivious of their own defects. 

In the spiritual realm, the gold standard for mirrors is the law of God, as it is exemplified in the life and teaching of Christ, and therefore, if we truly desire to know what our characters look like, we will need
to do analysis against the background of the law of God, as well as the perfect righteousness of Christ. In fact, Christ is the literal embodiment of the letter, and the spirit of the law, and thus, no human being can know their true condition, without first knowing Christ.

In fact, any personal assessment outside of Jesus is certain to produce man-made goodness, which will never pass the searching scrutiny of Omnipotence. which leads us to our first passage for this evening. Let’s read:

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he
was. 
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

One of the reasons why the mirror is important to mortal man is that our eligibility for eternal life will be judged against the backdrop of God’s law, for in the beginning the law was broken, and in order that we be restored to the first dominion, the law of God must be written in our hearts, and practiced on a daily, continual basis, until it becomes permanently embedded in our characters. It’s very important for us to understand this, because over a period of time efforts have been made to amend, change, modify, and alter the mirror, so that it will reflect what we want to see, not what we need to see.

And thus, because an accurate assessment of our lives, characters, and habits, will ultimately call for change, many have chosen to break the mirror and live in an illusion, rather than face the music, and be changed by the grace of God. This is what had taken place as recently as June 2016, when the definition of original, God ordained marriage was altered by the legislature in order to accommodate different and alternate lifestyles, and as a direct result, the many variations and strands which exist today, are no longer identified as sin but are accepted as being the norm.

Wherever the law of God, which gives an accurate reflection of the man in the mirror, is laid aside to accommodate grievous errors, the morality of the nation, and individuals will be put on a very slippery slope, by which righteousness becomes subjective, and the standard of right and wrong becomes just a matter of mere conscience, without absolute truth being the final arbiter. This then opens the gateway for what we are now witnessing with consternation, with fake news, fake truth, and fake persons, being
the order of the day. 

However, the Bible is clear concerning the role that the law of God is to play, in deciding the eternal destiny of earth’s inhabitants, and it will do us well to ponder soberly, where we stand in relation to the righteousness of Christ, who is the embodiment of the law. The following passages therefore outline in the clearest terms, what is now taking place in the heavenly courts, and which will soon culminate in the irrevocable decisions of the judgement, with the man in the mirror being acquitted, or incriminated, as the case might be. Let’s read:

James 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
2nd Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his
commandments for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

A very important commentary is written by the pen of inspiration, pertaining to these issues, and now it behooves us to search our own souls in the light of these solemn truths, instead of being distracted by the issues of the day. We should also be reminded, that over and over again in the scriptures, The Lord  says He will come suddenly, at a time when earth’s inhabitants are not expecting Him to appear, thus, we must watch, lest coming suddenly, He finds us sleeping. Let’s read:

[G.C. pp 483] As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted names rejected.

When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, un-repented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses, “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” [Exodus 32:33.] And says the prophet Ezekiel, “When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, ... all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned.” [Ezekiel 18:24.]

All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of Heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life.

But there are specific truths connected with God’s great mirror that we should be cognizant of, for as was stated before, anyone who stands in the mirror will soon discover very serious flaws, and defects of character, and as stated before, the closer one gets to the mirror, the more disturbing revelations will be seen. 

Conversely, self-righteousness is often manifested by those who do not have the mirror, or are not making use of it, for in case after case, wherever believers were brought up close to God’s great looking glass of righteousness, they recoiled in horror when the beheld, what they thought was their own goodness. Let’s read:

Daniel 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of
his glory. 
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:  
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, 
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

Now, if Daniel, Isaiah, and Joshua, the high priest found themselves coming up short, what about you and me, who are living in the 21st century, at a time when God’s law has been tampered with and where self-righteousness is the order of the day. When we hear of persons declaring that they have no need of forgiveness, and others who have never lied, nor done anything wrong, we may know that the time has come, of which Christ spoke in the 3rd chapter of Revelation. Let’s read:

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

This takes us to our case study for this afternoon, to the house of a man, who had become quite rich by clandestine means and fraud, but who, after looking at the man in the mirror, discovered his errors, and consequently saw his dire need of true repentance.  Zacchaeus lived at a time when imperial Rome had subjugated the Jewish nation, much to the chagrin of its inhabitants. And the tax collectors, who were Jewish, were given tremendous leverage in levying taxes against the people.

As a result, the abuse of this authority became so notorious and widespread, that men like Zacchaeus were generally held in contempt by all the ordinary people, for they had gotten their riches by milking the populace. But Zacchaeus found himself staring at the mirror of God’s great law, in which he saw himself as he truly was in the sight of God. His own conscience was then awakened to the enormity of his sin, and the counsel of God to repent was set in motion. The rest of his life story is history. Let’s
read:

Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. 
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a
sinner. 
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

There are many Zacchaeus’ is still alive today for there are many rich men who have gotten their wealth by grinding the faces of the poor, and who are now held in great contempt by the populace in general. The apostle James alludes to this fact as symptomatic of the days in which we live currently. The same greed, the same extortion, the same overreaching is to be seen in the lives of many, and like Zacchaeus some are in dire need of repentance. Let’s read:

James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 
4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

There are certain actions which can and should be taken, as soon as the man in the mirror is exposed, and some of these actions do not require baptism, before being taken. They are literal actions which pertain to the resolution of errors in action, which can be addressed, prior to one’s conversion. When the conviction of sin rested upon Zacchaeus, he did not wait to see Jesus personally, before he began to retrace his steps, for restitution, can and should be done, even if one has not been baptized as yet.

Similarly, if a drug dealer becomes convicted in his conscience that what he’s doing is wrong, there’s no need to keep selling drugs until he meets Christ. Instead, all of his reserves and supplies should be dispensed with, as soon as he has looked into the mirror, and then, Jesus will do for him, what he cannot do for himself, in giving him a new heart
and mind.

Whatever our individual situation may be, wherever we may have come up short, the word of God to us is for us to take a good look at the mirror, and like Daniel, Zacchaeus, Isaiah, and Joshua, repent, so that the perfect righteousness of Christ can then be imputed, and imparted to us. Thus, we end with an invitation from Christ, pointing us to our present duty, especially since we are living on borrowed time. Let’s read:

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

                                                                      God bless!
 

Laws From The Great Physician. Sabbath Afternoon. 03/18/2017

Every administration that has come upon the stage of action has promised to reduce the national debt, but for some reason, we are left deeper in the red than before. Added to this, there is also a trickle- down effect, by which many families and individuals churches, local and state governments are now also been mired in the snare of increasing debt. 

We are increasingly becoming locked in a chain of circumstances, from which there will be no escape, and the time is coming when the issue will be so out of control, that we will certainly become permanent prisoners of our own devices, if we do not rise to the occasion, and earnestly begin to implement the laws and counsels of the Great physician. In the next passages, we will observe the great, eternal principle of replenishing, which is indispensable for the perpetuation of any system. Let’s read: 

Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Any system which does not incorporate the eternal principle of replenishing is doomed to fail, and this principle also applies to monetary issues, temporal endeavors, spiritual advancement, and every issue pertaining to our health and well-being. Take for instance, our spiritual growth and development, which is necessary for us stay the course with Jesus. No Christian will be able to abide in Christ, without daily prayer, and study of God’s word, for the word of God, as well as His Holy Spirit must be renewed in our hearts daily, if we will withstand the powerful forces of evil from within, and without.

In other words, where there is no regular prayer, or rejuvenation of our spirit through our communion with God, it’s just a matter of time before we will fall, and succumb to temptation. It’s not if, but when! Let’s read:
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 717>718] As soon as Satan can separate the soul from God, the only Source of strength, he will seek to arouse the unholy desires of man's carnal nature. The work of the enemy is not abrupt; it is not, at the outset, sudden and startling; it is a secret undermining of the strongholds of principle. It begins in apparently small things—the neglect to be true to God and to rely upon Him wholly.

The same principle of replenishing also applies to all financial issues, and stability, for if we indulge in the habit of binge-spending from the piggy bank, one day our financial reserves will run out. Whenever satan succeeds in getting nations and individuals trapped in a deadly cycle of recurring debt, he also suggests that the only way out of the difficulty is to borrow more money.

But for some reason, in the overwhelming majority of cases, those who subscribe to his philosophies are sunken deeper in the pit of financial slavery. It’s very, very strange, that the richest nation on the planet finds itself in the unfortunate situation of having to borrow from poorer countries.

This is the reason why God in His wisdom has set in motion the very same principle of replenishing His treasury, with the willing offerings, tithes, and gifts of His people, so that the churches, as well as His people should not be financially embarrassed. As a general rule of thumb, the habit of borrowing must be avoided, and should only be encouraged when it is absolutely necessary. If we were to follow all His wise instructions and principles, then the following verses of scripture may apply to us. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 28:9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. 
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. 
11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods.
12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 
13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

But just as we must replenish ourselves spiritually, we must also replenish physically too, if we would enjoy long life, health, and well-being. What we eat directly impacts the replenishing processes, as does obedience to the other laws of health which govern our being. Any disregard, or ignorance of these laws will produce adverse results, and will certainly set the stage for the onset of various diseases, aches and pains, and ailments which may have otherwise been prevented.

One of the primary drivers of personal and national debt is the issue of increasing health care costs, and because the laws of replenishing are not now being generally implemented, we will find ourselves in a death spiral, by which we would become engulfed in irretrievable ruin of all sorts. Hence the reason why, as the health-care crisis rises to new heights, the counsels coming from The Great Physician will be more blunt, for the messages given represent a wake-up call to an emergency. Thus, the following statistics are the results of studies, and research done by governmental agencies.

In 2015, U.S. health care spending increased 5.8 percent to reach $3.2 trillion, or $9,990 per person. The coverage expansion that began in 2014 as a result of in the Affordable Care Act continued to have an impact on the growth of health care spending in 2015. Additionally, faster growth in total health care spending in 2015 was driven by stronger growth in spending for private health insurance, hospital care, physician, and clinical services, and the continued strong growth in Medicaid and retail prescription drug spending. Hospital Care (32 percent share): Spending for hospital care increased 5.6 percent.

A system such as this is unsustainable, and we will begin to observe that the health message, and the health care crisis will coincide, as we run out of all viable options, and workable solutions to address the problem. It’s very sad to see our congressmen, many of whom may be well-intentioned, suggesting this or that idea, when, if we were to individually follow some of the basic instructions given in God’s word, we would be able to reduce both our national and personal healthcare costs by many hundreds of billions of dollars per year. 

As a matter of fact, because we focus more on the treatment of symptoms rather than causes, we are literally throwing money down the drain, chasing after an elusive dream. Thus, the counsel coming from The Great Physician to us today, is that it all boils down to individual responsibility in most cases, even though there are provisions and exceptions for those who are born with certain disabilities, or who may not be able to do any better.

But, the issue of our personal health and well-being, should not be a matter left for the Feds to settle, but as much as we can, we should take responsibility for our choices, and the accompanying results. The following important points are submitted for our consideration, as we address the issue of health moving forward. God much more prefers His people to be in perfect health, for the tenure of our service can be greatly extended, and The Lord can use us to do much more work in His vineyard, than if we were bogged down with health issues. 

[1] Banning certain junk foods from the market will not remedy the problem, because the core issue is our freedom to choose, not the myriad of products on display at restaurants, and at supermarkets. The feds cannot be expected to ban hot dogs, French fries, sodas, or rare steak, for this will constitute the use of force, which will contrary to God’s kingdom. It is left with us to choose, whether we will follow the dietary laws and principles given in God’s word, or whether we will use our freedom to disobey.

[2] Some special interest groups have taken it upon themselves to demonize the junk food industry, and burgers, hot dogs, and French fries have often been found guilty in the court of public opinion. But, The Great Physician says it all comes down to the issue of freedom of choice, for Mc-Donald’s and KFC do not stand in their doorways with a baseball bat, to force unwilling customers to consume their various products. Furthermore, the same God who created apples, pumpkins, and fruit, also created the swine, the oyster, and the mouse, so the choice is ours.

[3] It is futile to mount a serious campaign against the companies and industries which produce junk food, for our God-given freedom of choice affords us the privilege of choosing either good or evil. In other words, we should be left completely free to choose between shrimp and black beans, between salad or french-fries, when we go out dining, for McDonalds, and Walmart are not the problem, the choice is ours. If by the grace of God, we are taken to heaven, to that perfect world, there we will find several items, and products that should never ever
be eaten. It all boils down to obedience through choice. 

There are some folks who may live in Ghetto land, surrounded by drugs, crime and prostitution of all sorts, and yet those same communities have often produced pastors, bishops, teachers, and decent law-abiding citizens. The choices made by persons is what made all the difference, in most instances. The buck generally stops with the individual, and for this reason, we are largely responsible for the choices we make.

Not long ago, large sugary sodas were banned in New York city, in an effort to address the staggering increases in obesity and diabetes. But all of these sincere efforts would never produce the desired results if we do not choose wisely. In fact, whenever something unhealthy is banned, the product usually just goes underground, in the form of "Moonshine", and human nature will diligently seek out that which has been prohibited. 

Hence the reason why, in the current debate over healthcare, the issues of personal choice, and our responsibility must be brought into the equation, or else, we will be forever spinning our wheels in the proverbial mud. The temperance movement, which sought to ban alcohol in the United States as the nation headed into the 20th century, produced the opposite of the intended result. In the early 1900s, states began to pass different laws, which banned alcohol sales, and consumption. 

Then, in 1920, a nationwide Prohibition went into effect, but instead of eradicating the problem, it produced a great windfall for the moonshiners. Suddenly, there was no legal alcohol available. The demand for moonshine shot up like a rocket, for moonshiners couldn't keep up with the demand, which led to cheaper, sugar-based moonshine, as
well as watered-down moonshine.

Organized crime blossomed as speakeasies opened in every city. In these secret saloons, there were hidden doors, and passwords, and escape routes in case the "Feds" ever showed up to conduct a raid. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the market for moonshine grew thin, and today, very few illegal alcohol cases are heard in the courts. [Excerpts from Science, How Stuff Works].

The reason why the nationwide ban produced the opposite effect, is because, as a general rule of thumb, banned products become more valuable to human nature, and the more they are prohibited, the more they will be sought after. This is just a by-product of fallen human nature. In the garden Eden there were a million and one trees, but the only one on which a prohibition was placed, then became the most sought after. 

Similarly, we can eat by Whole Foods or we may eat at Mcdonald’s, the determining factor is whether or not we will abide by the provisions, and prohibitions given by The Great Physician, because, believe it or not, both outlets do sell fries and salads. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3: 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

[4] Insurance companies are not charities, they exist to do business, and to turn a profit. No one should be deluded about whether our personal health may be of any grave concern to these institutions, from a solely compassionate perspective, for their bottom line is money. As a matter of fact, the ideal situation for an insurance company, is when healthy people enroll, which will ultimately drive down medical costs, and expenses to the institution. But from a purely empathetic perspective, they couldn’t care less whether we live or die.

The aforementioned points bring us to the counsels of The Great Physician, for in His Love-letter to the human family, He has stipulated what should, and shouldn’t be eaten. He has also given counsel on issues such as temperance, exercise, and adequate rest, so that his people may enjoy optimum health. It is then left up to us to obey, or if we so choose, to disregard His instructions, but one thing is certain, He will never employ the use of force to make us live a certain way.

The following therefore, are His counsels pertaining to the causes of the three most prominent diseases, now plaguing, and engulfing our healthcare system, namely diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancers, most of which are preventable, if we would follow His wise counsels preemptively. Let’s read:

Psalms 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Leviticus 3:14 And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 
15 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. 
16 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar, for all the fat is the Lord's. 
17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

Leviticus 7:22 And the Lord spake saying, 
23 Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. 
24 The fat may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 
25 For whosoever eateth the fat of beast, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. 
26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 
27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Proverbs 25:16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

The word “Honey” covers the entire range of sweets and “goodies” in which there is to be found considerable sugar content. This includes your favorite ice-creams, sodas, chocolates, pastries, black cakes, dates, candies, lollipops, apple pies, and fruit juices. Wherever sugar in any form is to be found, it should be used in moderation if the source is good, and if the source is bad, the item should be entirely discarded.

No one should be left ignorant of the laws of cause and effect, which are often left to run their natural course, contrary to what smooth-talking preachers may say. If we follow God’s instructions, He will work within us to will and to do His good pleasure, but if we refuse, our prayers for deliverance after we indulge in deliberate disobedience, may return unanswered. 
 
We end our short discourse with both a promise and a warning coming from The Great Physician, for it is His earnest desire that we prosper, and be in health, even as our souls prosper. The following passages should thus be clearly understood, and applied in the context. Let’s read:

Exodus 15:26 "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded. 
25 But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. 
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. 
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. 
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised
all my reproof. 
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

                                                                   God bless! 
 

Casting The First stone. Sabbath Afternoon. 03/11/2017

The study for this afternoon is based on the counsel given by Christ teaching us not to judge or condemn another, nor make foregone conclusions, for only God can read the secret thoughts, and motives of the heart. The reason for this is that many who may indulge in judgmental behaviors, are themselves often guilty of even greater sins, and thus we would disqualify ourselves from correcting others, if we are found to be actively practicing deliberate sin. It is not to say that one must be perfect to preach the gospel, for that time will never come; however, we should avoid the tendency to judge, and condemn. Let’s read:

During the past election cycle, politicians on both sides of the aisle accused each other of lying and perjury; but lo and behold, the same disturbing trend has again emerged, with blatant falsehoods being spoken, and embraced by some. And thus, it is found that the former accusers, have now become the accused. The same thing occurs all too often in Christian circles, where we too may deliberately, or inadvertently point fingers at others, whereas “The man in the mirror” might be the biggest problem. The instructions of Christ on the matter of judging is therefore relevant to both Christians, and all secular folk alike. Let’s read:

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull
out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

This passage of scripture constitutes a very solemn warning against the tendency to judge each other's actions, and motives, even when there seems to be a weight of evidence in favor doing so. For instance, when Hannah was praying in the temple, pouring out her soul to God for a child, Eli accused her of being drunk. But at the same time, He himself was not restraining his own sons who were having sex with the female church members, on the church premises. In addition to these grave sins, Eli let his sons practice “Stop and frisk” when it came to the offerings allotted to the priests. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 2:15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

1st Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. 
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

Let us just suppose that Hannah was actually drunk; which sin, in reality would be greater in the sight of God and man? Having a few bud lights or having sex on the church premises with the members under his son’s care? Again, a prominent, former televangelist was noted for his public railings against the LGBTQ community, calling them sinners, and even leading a march against them, in protest of their alternative lifestyle. But some time afterward it was discovered that the same preacher was interfering with some of the young men at his mega church, much to the chagrin of his parishioners who had held him up on a pedestal, and the rest is history. 

Now, it is true that Christians need to stand up for God-ordained marriage, but those of us who might advocate for such values should not ourselves be living in violation of the same truths we preach, nor should any similar skeletons be found in our closets. A very solemn, and sacred duty devolves upon the shoulders of those who espouse the name of Christ, and the principles of His kingdom to live in harmony with what we preach, for great damage is done to the cause of Christ, when leaders and preachers are found guilty of the very same sins they condemn. It’s akin to a betrayal of the most sacred duties and trusts. Let’s read: 

1st Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Thus, in both of the previous cases, we observe a scenario in which the accuser was guilty of much graver sins, than the one accused, which brings us to the core of our study for this afternoon. Jesus is teaching the people, when suddenly, the Pharisees, and scribes drag a woman into His presence, demanding redress to a supposed grave offense, which in their minds, warrants the death sentence. 

John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 

Now, at first glance, there seems to be something amiss with this accusation, for although it was true, we know that it takes at least two people to commit adultery, so one person is obviously missing from the equation. In addition, since adultery is, and was considered a grievous crime, it’s most likely that the act did not take place in a public setting, for the two persons would be in hiding, which then raises the question of how did these teachers of the law catch her in the “very act”. 

It’s very strange that the man in question, was able to escape, whilst the woman alone was caught red-handed. Very strange! Christ looks on the spectacle in dismay, He listens to their accusations, and then he begins to write in the dust before Him. Let’s read:

John 8:5 What sayest thou?  
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 

As the eyes of the multitude were drawn towards the ground in curiosity, it was discovered that Christ was writing out much graver sins that were being committed by the woman’s accusers, and as they realized that their personal records were now being searched by the eye of Omnipotence, they began, one by one to recoil in silence. Some of the words Christ wrote, without mentioning particular names were: Tax evasion, corban, wife beater, drunkard, party animal, tithe robbers, liars, unpaid workers, covetousness, etc.

Many of the accusers left in silence, and with their heads bowed down low, fearing that their names might be disclosed. But some of the accusers dared to remain, because the previous categories of sins did not speak to their consciences. And because of this, it was necessary for Jesus to continue writing, even though He still refrained from adding any specific names to the charges. 

God does not take any pleasure in exposing, or embarrassing the sinner, thus Christ will convict the accusers in their consciences, without identifying who they actually were. The very same method was employed with Judas, when Christ said “One of you shall betray me”, then leaving each of His disciples to search their own souls in private, while they kept guessing who it might be. As Christians, we should always seek to shield the sinner from any public embarrassment, as far as this is possible, for this is the law and the prophets. Let’s read:

John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 

Tootsies, porn, gambler, pedophile, extortioner, liar, fraudster, Ponzi scheme, medical malpractice, etc. 

John 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman.

After this second round of writing, it was discovered that the scribes and Pharisees who had accused the woman, had now disappeared mysteriously without a trace, leaving Christ, and the trembling victim all alone. Then the words that will arouse the noblest aspirations in the human spirit, those encouraging words that signal the dawn of a brand new day, are spoken by Christ, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

John 8:10 He said unto her, hath no man condemned thee? 
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

There is a great spiritual lesson in this for us, for at times we may be urged, or prompted by others to judge, condemn, or draw conclusions about others. Let's try by the grace of God to avoid such actions, considering our own selves, lest we also be found guilty. A very important commentary, pertinent to our study, is written by the pen of inspiration, and it will do us well if we were to follow closely in the footsteps of Christ. Let’s read:

[D.A. pp 462] The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,” had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Savior's face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.

This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.

In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. It is not Christ's follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course. 

Those who are forward in accusing others, and zealous in bringing them to justice, are often in their own lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.

We end with a passage of scripture which should be adopted both in theory and in practice, by all who take the name of Jesus. Let’s read: 

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

                       May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 

                                                                  God bless!
 

God's Preventive Healthcare. Sabbath Afternoon. 03/04/2017

The physical, and spiritual well-being of the people mean a whole lot to Him, because, not only does good health promote quality of life, and longevity, but it may also extend the period of time in which we can do service for Christ. Thus, He has given to us a healthcare plan that will facilitate the practice, and benefits of the laws of health, when we follow His instructions diligently. In addition to the many benefits derived in the here and now, there is also the prospect before us that some folks who are now living may never die, but may instead be translated to heaven at the 2nd coming of Christ. Let’s read:

1st Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

So now that Obamacare might be on the chopping- block, it would be a good time for us to consider the alternative God has provided in His word because in very many cases, it may be not necessary to waste precious resources, paying for some of those drugs and medicines which do not address the root cause of disease, but instead only afford temporary relief. For instance, most of the pain relievers available on the market today do not solve the root cause of the pain, but yet they leave deadly traces in their path, which will catch up with the users sooner or later. 

For instance, one of the reasons why diabetics, and those who may suffer from high blood pressure are given a regimen of drugs to follow, is because it is the symptoms that are being treated, not the root cause, and thus, the drug companies are producing millions of decent, law abiding drug addicts. In addition, any continuous dependence on drugs for survival, is not the ideal will of God for His people.

Again, in one advertisement from a prominent drug manufacturer of antacid, the sufferers are depicted as eating those foods which cause the problems of dyspepsia, and indigestion. Then the words “Fight back” are used, and a dose of the medicine is given. Quick relief follows and then the sufferers are again shown at the same table, ready for another adverse cycle of wrong eating, and temporary relief. This is definitely not God’s will, for any habit or pattern of eating or drinking, which will adversely affect the body, must be given up, in order to facilitate good
health.

However, in our study today, we will not focus too much on natural remedies, diets and foods, but will instead observe a few important pointers, which would give us guidance as we move forward. Thus, the overarching laws and principles pervading God’s healthcare system, and other man-made systems of healthcare will be seen stark contrast, but before we begin, there are a few fundamentals we should understand.

[1] God does not enforce His health laws, instead He allows the laws of cause and effect to run their natural course. Although The Lord has stipulated in His word what should, and should not be eaten, any person may freely consume anything, from legumes to snails, from veggies to cockroaches, it all has to do with our freedom to choose which God does not, and will not coerce. Let’s read:

Proverbs 26:2 "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come"... 

This passage of scripture teaches us of the laws of cause and effect, and reiterates the solemn truth, that "The Curse", referring to those adverse results and consequences arising from our bad choices or a wrong course of action, does not occur in a vacuum. Now, it is true, that there are some conditions that are not preventable by the person in question, for one may have been born with such an issue, but in very many cases, other diseases are preventable. 

Our current system of medicine focuses a whole lot on treating the symptoms of diseases, rather than first addressing the root cause of the problems, and because of this, a deadly cycle has emerged that costs trillions of dollars, and millions of preventable deaths. God's plan is prevention, with His miraculous power as a back-up. 

[2] Any healthcare system which focuses primarily on treating symptoms, is a very flawed system, for God’s system involves cutting disease at its roots, which in most cases will call for lifestyle changes. Here is where some of the so-called miracle working preachers today have done tremendous damage, by offering to the multitudes, miraculous healing, with no lifestyle change. 

This manner of working directly contradicts the way in which Jesus healed, for He taught us, by precept and example, that if diseases are brought on, as a result of a wrong course of action, our habits, and practice must be corrected. Thus in very many cases what seems to be the power of God at work in mass assemblies for random healing is really the power of demons being manifested, parading under disguise of Christianity. Let’s read: 

2nd Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

[3] Coverage does not prevent the onset of disease nor the approach of death, for thousands of people die each year, being fully covered. All that coverage does is to afford access to healthcare, when we get sick. That’s all. It’s akin to the gospel of Jesus Christ which covers every person born into this world. But millions of people will be eternally lost, even though full coverage has been provided, because of their own choices. Which leads us to our next point.

[4] Prevention is better than cure. One of the main highlights of Obamacare is preventive medicine, by which insurance companies are required to provide medicines and services that can stave off the onset of disease. Now, that's all well and good however, the main obstacle standing in the way of prevention is our freedom to choose. In other words, Humana, Aetna, and Cigna can provide for all the preventive medicine they like, however, that does not prevent anyone from buying a big mac, and a large order of fries. 

Similarly, Progressive insurance company can grant full comprehensive coverage to an 18yr. old, but that coverage does not prevent him from drag racing on the street. Therefore, in most cases, the preventive medicines and services provided, are only as good as the choices made by those who are thus covered. Which leads us to a very common-sense passage of scripture, which should be applied to every area of our lives. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

[5] Most of the diseases we now suffer with here in America, are the results of what we eat, or how we eat. Believe it or not, the incorrect ingestion of food and drink must be addressed, if we desire to bring down our insurance bills significantly. In the Bible, a direct and undeniable connection is made between what we eat, and the fountain of youth, and thus, we owe it to ourselves to ask the introspect question, “Am I now doing, or eating, and drinking anything that will adversely affect my overall health, and ultimately my wallet? Let’s read:

Psalms 103: 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Many people have become very discouraged in the battle against weight-loss, and they have essentially lost the inner drive to tackle the problem. Indeed, if we were to observe the many times we may have started on weight-loss programs, shed a few pounds, stopped, and started again, we may discover, that over a lifetime, we had lost our entire body weight over, and over again.  The many fad diets, and quick weight-loss programs may produce temporary gains, but many people relapse after a while, because the main goal was to lose weight, not to change lifestyle and habits.

A much better approach would be an entire lifestyle change, by which the causes of weight gain can be addressed, and corrected over the long-term. Thus, a systematic, well thought out plan for sustainable health will produce long-lasting results, especially when coupled together with faith in God, and consistent adherence to the laws, and principles of healthful living.

[6] Two main culprits are identified in the Bible as the root cause of most common diseases, and the pertinent instructions have been given for avoiding their use as articles of food. However, when we read of any dietary prohibitions in the scriptures we should understand that God has given them for our best good, and as such, we should read and practice objectively, even though our favorite foods may be involved. Let’s read: 

Leviticus 7:22 And the Lord spake saying, 
23 Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. 
24 And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. 
25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. 
26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 
27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Some folks claim that these dietary laws were given for the Jewish people only, but that claim is clearly disputed, both in the scripture and by discoveries of modern medicine. If in our day, any orthodox Jew was fed animal fat, and meat with traces of blood, and another ordinary gentile from the Bronx was fed the same diet, the results would be the same for Jew and gentile, because the laws of health given in the Bible are universal in nature, meaning that they apply to every person, with no distinction or bias, based on creed or race. Furthermore, if we desire clarification on this matter, it’s best to ask a Jew. Let’s read:

Acts 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

This leads us to the core of our study, for Christ has made abundantly clear in His word, the way healing takes place under His healthcare plan, and we will need to study the blueprint very, very carefully, so that we may be enabled to distinguish between the true and the false. For every good thing Christ has given the human family, satan has a counterfeit, and just as there is a God-ordained healthcare plan, there is one being orchestrated by the enemy. 

Thus, we should understand that miraculous healing that comes without a call for permanent, concrete change, where it is warranted, is not a production of God, but is the counterfeit on display. Therefore, the following Biblical examples deal primarily with diseases which could have been prevented, and includes the course to be pursued by those who seek healing, which comes from God. Let’s read:

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Mark 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and  the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

We end with a passage of scripture which asks of us an introspect question, and as we contemplate the answers, let us remember that open registration in God’s preventive healthcare plan begins today! Let’s read:

Jeremiah 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 
22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

                                                                         God bless!
 

666. The System Of Numbers. Sabbath Afternoon. 02/25/2017

The system of identifying individuals by numbers began many years ago, and was adopted for good reasons, the primary one being that the system is infinite for we can never run out of numbers. Since  the time when it was first introduced into the major industrial countries, the system has ballooned into a phenomena we now cannot live without, because at every turn, and for almost every transaction, we are hedged in and dependent on numbers of some sort, thus making it quite difficult to exist outside of the numerical system.

The current identification system that’s being used, tethers a person’s face, their fingerprints, and other biometrics to a series of numbers, which must then be used to access almost all goods and services that are “apparently” essential for life. And because of this, almost any transaction we need to engage in, and almost every place we need to go, we will run into the system of numbers. The following are just some of the essential areas of our lives that are difficult to access without the use of numbers.

Health-care: A person falls sick, and needs to see the doctor, or needs to be taken to the hospital if it’s an emergency. But before being admitted, there are certain numbers that will be required, which will include member I.D number, group number, payer I.D number, etc. amongst others. The same is true for filing any insurance claim, because a series of numbers will first be required before the claims can be processed.

Ditto for federal benefits of any kind, for a person’s social security number, together with other forms of numerical identification must be submitted first, before payments of benefits can be received. The same requirements must also be met, in order to access federal buildings, to travel, to do banking, to engage in social networking, to access all types of credit, to receive refunds when purchases are made using plastic, or checks, and in some instances, even to use the county disposal may require a person to produce an identification number of some kind.

Even the lottery is not immune to the numerical system, for if a person purchases a winning mega-millions ticket, he/ she must produce some sort of number in order to access the winning funds. For us to pay bills, close on a mortgage, for us to file taxes, and even to be buried, some sort, or a combination of numbers must be produced. Also, when a person is born, he/she is immediately subjected to a series of numbers, so as it stands currently, our existence is hedged in, and it is almost totally dependent on several branches of the numerical system.

Thus, it is becoming increasingly difficult, and nearly impossible for a person to exist without being tied to the numerical system. As a matter of fact, many undocumented immigrants now living in America, are living outside of the numerical system, and we are beginning to see how extremely difficult it can be. Now, the Bible states that the issue of worship will soon, also be tethered to the numerical system which is what the mark of the beast is all about. 

The number 6 is a number which represents the imperfection of man, for man was created on the sixth day of the week, and therefore, triple (666) is emblematic of a man-made system of existence, which is totally devoid of God. Thus, in its efforts to perpetuate its existence, humanity will realize that worship of some sort is necessary, and thus, in its attempts to enforce worship, a national day of rest will be implemented, to which all must subscribe, if they desire to retain their economic privileges. Let’s read: 

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Thus, a singular and definite decision will have to be made by the followers of Christ in the future, when the mark of the beast begins to be implemented for we will have to decide whether we will live by faith, or by numbers. The Bible says that the just shall live by faith, but the numerical system does not require faith for access. In contrast, the storehouse of God’s blessings, providences, and deliverances can only be unlocked, and accessed with the key of faith. So says the scripture. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

And then the Bible goes on to demonstrate in real time, how faith in God must be interwoven in all of our experiences, giving us a rich, and inexhaustible resource that transcends the limitations of living by numbers. From Abel to Enoch, from Noah to father Abraham, and from Christ, to those who will exist amid the closing scenes of earth’s history, faith in God alone will be the motif by which true believers will live. The importance of this mode of thought, and action cannot be stressed enough, for we will need to exercise it in the most literal sense, in the not too distant future. 

As was stated before on this forum, living by faith in God alone does not happen overnight, but instead is the result of myriad experiences, through which we come to know God, have proven His promises, and have cultivated the habit of trusting in Him for any and everything by obedience to His every word. Now, although we do currently live in the numerical system, yet it is necessary that we cultivate a living faith, by not looking to mortal man for solutions, but instead, looking to Christ as our all in all. 

As we read, and study the lives of the various Bible characters we will see that man-made institutions, limitations, conventional wisdom, and systems were never consulted in their decision to obey God. God gave them instructions, they obeyed, and the rest is history. We will also observe that many challenges they faced are similar to ours, and their difficulties were surmounted by relying wholly upon God, not on man. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. 
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. 
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured not accepting deliverance.

To demonstrate in the most literal sense what living by faith in God alone, and outside of the numerical system translates into, we will take one example of faith, which shows us how we must exist in the not too distant future, when the mark of the beast will be tethered to the numerical system. Paul and his fellows are stranded upon the island of Melita, and because the night is cold, they gather sticks to start a bon-fire. Whilst doing so, a venomous snake sinks its deadly fangs into Paul’s hand, the people look for him to succumb to the poison, but he doesn’t, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

Acts 28:2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 
3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 
4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 
5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 
6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Now, we are not suggesting by any means that any person listening today should pursue the very same course of action, because, we may now engage the numerical system to receive our medical assistance, without violating our consciences. What the Bible is saying however, is that the time is coming when, if we find ourselves in a similar emergency, the use of any medical facility will not be an option, unless we subscribe to the 666, numerical system. 

This is the grim, sobering truth facing all those who will stand firmly for the right, during the darkest days of earth’s history, regardless of consequences. All we would have to lean upon during this fearful time, will be the promises of God, and for us to live in such a radical manner will not occur suddenly, for it takes time to learn how to trust and obey. Thus it is, that the experiences of faith and obedience God may now be granting us, should be used as stepping stones, so that when the big one comes, we would already be accustomed to walking by faith. 

The following passages should be understood, and studied very closely because when they are coupled together with faith and obedience to Christ’s every word, they will form a bulwark against any, and all incursions of the evil one. Living by these promises would be necessary, in order that we be enabled to refuse the numerical system, which will be forced upon all people, and yet survive by God’s grace and power alone. We must begin with the cultivation of a living connection with Christ, without which the promises of God to us are meaningless. Let’s read:

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; 
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Isaiah 4:5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.
6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; 
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone

[E.W pp. 271] My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. 

Their countenances expressed the severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through. Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now shone with the light and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.

We just have to let you know that the big push now being made with the chip program locally is not a coincidence, for it began to take shape here locally during the election season. And thus, it is of critical importance that its advocates and practitioners try to study, and understand the deep import of the following passages and quotations. Let’s read:

Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

[C.D. pp 72] “When the third angel's message is received in its fullness”. Question: What is the third angel’s message? The Bibles gives us the answer: Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation…

When the third angel's message is received in its fullness, health reform will be given its place in the councils of the conference, in the work of the church, in the home, at the table. Then the right arm will serve and protect the body.

Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

It behooves us then to begin to put into practice, the instructions God has given us for so long, for as we are seeing with our own eyes, final movements will be rapid ones. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which we will do well to contemplate often. Let’s read: 

 Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

                         May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 

                                                                         God bless!
 

Giving God A deadline. Sabbath Afternoon. 02/18/2017

Many of us as Christians need to practice patience in real time, for it is one of the main characteristics by which those who live in the last days, will come forth victoriously. Waiting upon God is not so much about specific deadlines, as it is watching for the guiding cloud, to see what He will do, and when He will do it. And because God is a Spirit, our moods do determine, to a large extent, whether we will make ourselves vulnerable to the assaults of the evil one, who often tempts us specifically on deadlines.

As a general rule of thumb, the problem most folks have with God is that we think He takes too long to fulfill His word. And wherever this is the case, the door is swung wide open for us to be tempted to adopt alternative methods, and principles, which
inevitably lead us to sin against God or man. Thus, the mood we harbor whilst waiting, sets the stage for miracles and success, or failure and defeat. Let’s read:

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Thus we will embark upon an extensive observation of several incidents, and occurrences in the Bible, with a specific emphasis on mood, and the results and effect it has on outcomes. It’s important for us to learn our lessons well as we study, because great patience, and a calm assurance must be manifested in our lives as we wait in earnest expectation of the soon return of Christ, in the not too distant future. Our journey begins with Abraham and Sarah, who had been given a specific promise from God that they would have a child, and that against all odds.

The promise was made to Abraham when he was seventy-five years of age, and thus, according to conventional wisdom, they both will have a limited amount of time for the promise to be fulfilled, or so they thought. And so, they waited, and waited, and waited. One year passes, with no results, two years, then three, then four. A decade goes by, and to all appearances, it seems God has forgotten about the promise. 

Two decades, and still no child. Abraham and Sarah are now old, she has long passed menopause, and both of them, being members of AARP, are eligible for benefits for the elderly. They receive retirement funds from the social security administration, and the golden years roll on and on, and still no child, all of which are grim reminders that time is supposedly running out. And because, like Bob Marley, most of us do not like to wait in vain, an alternative plan is suggested, which will ultimately lead them into a serious sin, and in the process, the course of history will be changed forever. 

This past week, the president of the United states met with current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss hopes of a peace deal with the Palestinians. The age-old conflict between the two nations can be traced back to that one, fatal decision that was made when Abraham and Sarah thought that God was taking too long! Let’s read: 

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Next, we go to the Hebrews who are instructed to wait, whilst Moses is called up to the mountain, to commune with God, and to be given the two tables of stone, engraved with the ten commandments. The very nature of the call to Moses suggests it must be open-ended, and thus, The Great God of heaven is not to be held to a specific deadline, to which He must comply. Both the people, and Moses are to wait patiently for God to make the very next move, whenever He thinks is best. Let’s read:

Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. 
13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. 
14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. 
16 And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

A very interesting commentary is written by the pen of inspiration, pertaining to Moses’ wait upon the mount. One day passes, and nothing happens, two days, and still nothing. Three days, four days, and still not a word from God. What is one supposed to do during this time of waiting upon God, and what should be our mood, when His timing seems to be open-ended? Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets. pp 313]  For six days the cloud covered the mountain as a token of God's special presence; yet there was no revelation of Himself or communication of His will. He had been directed, “Come up to Me into the mount, and be there,” and though his patience and obedience were tested, he did not grow weary of watching, or forsake his post. This period of waiting was to him a time of preparation, of close self-examination Six days must be employed in devoting himself to God by searching of heart, meditation and prayer before he could be prepared for direct communication with his Maker.

But at the base of the mount, an entirely different mood has pervaded the restless multitude. One day passes, then two days. One week, and then two weeks, and still no word, or sign from Moses. One month, and still silence, and so, a supposedly viable alternative is suggested, because, as far as they are concerned God is taking too long! Like Abraham and Sarah, the suggested alternative will inevitably lead to sin, because, although many of us may not know it, giving God a deadline is a sin. Let’s read:

Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

[Patriarchs & Prophets. Pp 319>320] During this period of waiting, there was time for them to meditate upon the law of God which they had heard, and to prepare their hearts to receive the further revelations that He might make to them. They had none too much time for this work; and had they been thus seeking a clearer understanding of God's requirements, and humbling their hearts before Him, they would have been shielded from temptation. 

But they did not do this, and they soon became careless, inattentive, and lawless. As they drew near the encampment, they beheld the people shouting and dancing around their idol. It was a scene of heathen riot. 

But the next incident is different, because this time God gives a specific deadline, which comes and goes with no sign of His promise. Here is where many of us as Christians have stumbled, and this is why we need to learn our lessons well, while we can. If God has given a specific time, and it comes and passes, with no apparent sign of His promise, that fact should not change our mood, from being calm and patient, to being restless, and complaining, because waiting upon God puts Him in the driver’s seat, to fulfill His promises at His discretion.

Saul is told to wait for Samuel, for he will show up in seven days, to offer sacrifice and ask God’s blessing, before the army goes into battle. And Saul actually obeys, and waits, and waits, and waits. One day passes, then two. Three days, four days, and still no sign of Samuel. He begins to panic, for his soldiers are beginning to desert him, and many are already M.I. A. Five days, then six days, and then with a firm deadline in mind, he impatiently waits for the entire seventh day, and still no sign of Samuel. 

Finally, in desperation, he does what he hesitates to do, for his conscience is telling him that it is wrong. However, because the deadline has come and gone, he feels that he has no choice but to institute plan B for as far as he is concerned, God is taking too long. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. 
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 
7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. 
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

Remember now, that we are paying close attention to Saul’s mood during the time of waiting; whether it will be with that calm assurance, Psalms spoke of earlier, our whether he will join with the young and the restless. The mood he indulges will ultimately determine whether he will succumb to temptation, or whether he will come forth victoriously. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets. Pp 618] The time for the proving of Saul had come. He was now to show whether or not he would depend on God and patiently wait according to His command, thus revealing himself as one whom God could trust in trying places as the ruler of His people, or whether he would be vacillating and unworthy of the sacred responsibility that had devolved upon him. Would the king whom Israel had chosen, listen to the Ruler of all kings? Would he turn the attention of his fainthearted soldiers to the One in whom is everlasting strength and deliverance?

With growing impatience he awaited the arrival of Samuel and attributed the confusion and distress and desertion of his army to the absence of the prophet. The appointed time came, but the man of God did not immediately appear. God's providence had detained His servant. But Saul's restless, impulsive spirit would no longer be restrained. 

Feeling that something must be done to calm the fears of the people, he determined to summon an assembly for religious service, and by sacrifice entreat the divine aid. God had directed that only those consecrated to the office should present sacrifices before Him. But Saul commanded, “Bring hither a burnt offering;” and, equipped as he was with armor and weapons of war, he approached the altar and offered sacrifice before God.

And we can go on, and on, and on. From the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were instructed to wait for the promise of the father, until they were imbued with power from on high; down to the time of William miller, when those early advent believers looked earnestly for the return of Jesus. And on to our day, where we ourselves have fallen prey to the devices of satan on deadlines, because, as far as we are concerned, God is taking too long! Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

Here in the 21st century, we have apparently been pre-programmed to a mindset of deadlines, for we are constantly subject to specific dates, and times for the fulfillment of various chores, responsibilities, and duties. There is a deadline for our mortgages, a deadline for school fees, a deadline for car notes, a deadline to file taxes, deadlines to complete certain jobs, and deadlines we may have preset for getting married. 

Therefore, we must be very, very careful, lest we attempt to lock the God of heaven into a deadline timeframe, for the fulfillment of His promises to us, for if we do, like Abraham, Sarah, and Saul, we will inevitably be led into sin. The period of trial before us will require a faith that can withstand delay, for the patience of the saints will be severely tried, to see, if for any reason, we will adopt plan B, which is the mark of the beast, 666. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; 
11 And they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

We close our study of the scriptures with some good advice for the times when we may be prone to becoming frustrated with God, if He does not come through in expected ways. Let’s read:

[Steps to Christ pp 121>122] Some are always fearing, and borrowing trouble. Every day they are surrounded with the tokens of God's love; every day they are enjoying the bounties of His providence; but they overlook these present blessings. Their minds are continually dwelling upon something disagreeable which they fear may come; or some difficulty may really exist which, though small, blinds their eyes to the many things that demand gratitude. 

The difficulties they encounter, instead of driving them to God, the only source of their help, separate them from Him because they awaken unrest and repining. Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare. We should not allow the perplexities and worries of everyday life to fret the mind and cloud the brow. If we do we shall always have something to vex and annoy. We should not indulge a solicitude that only frets and wears us, but does not help us to bear trials.

                          May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 

                                                                        God bless!
 

Beware Of The Counterfeit Jesus. Sabbath Afternoon 02/11/2017

The scriptures make plain to us that there is a true Jesus, and there’s a counterfeit, because for every good thing God has provided for humanity, the evil one has produced a counterfeit. For instance, there is a true Sabbath, and a false; there is God-ordained baptism, and then there is sprinkling; there is true repentance, and then there’s counterfeit sorrow for sin, such as Esau’s and Judas’; there is true healing, through the supernatural power of Christ, and then there are counterfeit miracles; there is also a God- given diet, and then there are alternatives which fall short of His ideal for us.

There is true worship, and then there is counterfeit worship that is not acceptable to God. There is the true Holy Ghost, and there is a counterfeit spirit in many churches, who is accepted as the real deal. Then there is speaking in tongues, and there is false speaking in tongues. There is wealth given by God, and then there are riches given by satan. There are true disciples, and there are false disciples. And the list goes on and on and on.

There are true preachers, and then there are many counterfeit preachers who specialize in prophesying smooth things, who can also be identified by their willingness to suppress inconvenient truths that are not palatable to the multitudes, but instead present doctrines, and teachings tailormade for itching ears. The same is also true of Christ, as He is portrayed in the scriptures, for there is a true Jesus, and there is a false Christ brought to view. For every good thing God has given there is a counterfeit. Let us examine several examples of the true and the false. Let’s read:

On repentance:
2nd Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. 
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

On worship:
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Psalms 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

On Wealth and prosperity:
Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments’ and his judgments, and his statutes.
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses;
13 And when thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God. 
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.

Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

On miracles:
John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

On speaking in tongues:
Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

1st Corinthians 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 
11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. 
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

On ministers and televangelists: 
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

2nd Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

This brings us to the core of our study, for it is quite evident that there are counterfeits for every good thing God has given. The same is true with Christ, for very many Christians are now following a Jesus who is not endorsed in the scriptures. Therefore, our narrative begins in the little town of Galilee, by the seaside, where several thousand men, women, and little children, have gathered to hear the words of Christ, as He teaches, and heals the diseases of the people, en-masse. Every known, and unknown type of disease and affliction is brought to Jesus, and He heals them all.

Finally, late in the evening, after hearing the words of Christ, and after witnessing His miracles all day, they are now ready to be dispersed, but Jesus tells them to wait, for they were hungry, and needed to be fed. The multitude is seated in groups of fifty, and before their eyes, a miracle takes place which leaves them dumb-founded, for Jesus takes a few loaves of bread, and two fishes, and now feeds the entire multitude until all are satisfied.

This miracle finally seals the deal in the minds of the multitude, for this is the Jesus they were looking for since He can cure every type of disease, He can also provide unlimited groceries, thus putting Walmart, and Publix out of business, He can cast out demons, He can control the weather bringing global warming to a halt, and He can defeat their foes, such as the Romans, whose rule over them had been deeply resented. In their excitement, they try to seize this Jesus to make a king, but for some unknown reason He refuses. 

Thinking that is was His mild manners which were moving Him to refuse, they presently resort to force to make Jesus their king, but again He refuses, and then, in a demonstration of divine authority He had not exhibited before, He commands the multitude to disperse. From there He departs alone up into a mountain and spends the entire night in prayer and bitter crying, because a great misunderstanding of His primary mission to the human family has taken
deep root in the minds of the people.

This misunderstanding must be signally, and quickly uprooted, lest the Jesus the multitude is expecting, is not the one endorsed in the scriptures. Thus, it is from this point we take up the narrative in the Bible because from here on out, very great changes in the attitudes, commitments, and excitements of many people, are going to disclose their real purpose in desiring the Jesus of their imagination, for it will be discovered that it’s not Jesus, but Santa Claus they were looking for. Let’s read:

John 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 
27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

It’s funny that the people would ask for additional signs, for they had both experienced, and eaten the signs the previous day. But Christ’s request that they believe on Him raises serious questions as to the nature of His kingdom, whether it is spiritual or temporal in nature, and so the discourse continues.

John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

When the multitude finally realized that Christ’s kingdom was spiritual in nature, and that the health wealth gospel was not His primary reason for His visit to our planet, a disturbing change of attitude began to surface, and soon escalated to the point of total rejection of Christ, for if He would not exercise His power to benefit them materially, then they would have nothing to do with Him. Let’s read: 

John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when
they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Now, it is not that The Lord does not take a deep interest in our temporal affairs, but He is gravely concerned with the way in which many Christians have made the physical, and material concerns of life, all-absorbing, to the point where the work of salvation, and our personal relationship with Him, hinges directly on guaranteed, material blessings. Whenever this is the case, our priorities become reversed, and the loaves and the fishes are the main reason for our commitment to Him. This order of priority must then be signally reversed. Let’s read:

Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

A very interesting, and important commentary is written by the servant of the Lord, pertaining to this very incident, and it’s ramifications to the close of time, for very many Christians in our day have been taught to expect, and accept, a Jesus of our own desires, and not the One brought to light in the scriptures. This is the reason why, in many minds, the relationship with Christ is tethered to material blessings primarily, whilst the work of salvation, and cleansing us from all unrighteousness, sits idly by on the back-burner. Let’s read: 

"Christ had spoken a sacred, eternal truth regarding the relation between Himself and His followers. He knew the character of those who claimed to be His disciples, and He declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. The test was too great. The enthusiasm of those who had sought to take Him by force and make Him king grew cold.

In their minds His words were a direct confession that no earthly rewards were to be realized from connection with Him. They had welcomed His miracle-working power; they were eager to be freed from disease and suffering; but they would not come into sympathy with His self-sacrificing life. 

They were greatly displeased, and wishing to wound the Savior, they turned their backs upon Him, and left Him with disdain. They had made their choice,—had taken the form without the spirit, the husk without the kernel. Their decision was never afterward reversed; for they walked no more with Jesus". [D.A pp 391>392].

This brings us to a few soul-searching questions which ought to be addressed by each, and every follower of The Lord Jesus: [1] Is our relationship with Christ primarily based on the material blessings He bestows? And if so, are we too, also in danger of switching sides, if these blessings were removed for any reason? [2] Do we love Jesus because of His character, because of who He is, or because of what we may get from Him? In other words, if the reward of heaven was removed, would it be still worthwhile to follow Christ in the principles displayed in His life. 

If the glories, and riches of heaven were removed, would it then be preferable, and acceptable to lie, steal, and commit adultery? [3] What is our real motivation for accepting Christ as Lord and Savior? To be cleansed and saved, or to be delivered from our financial hardships and diseases? Our answers to these questions, and others like them, determine to a great extent whether we will accept the mark of the beast, or whether we will follow where Christ has led the way.

Thus, in closing there are some passages from the Bible, and from the pen of inspiration, pertaining to these issues, which it will do us well to ponder very seriously, as we look forward to the future. Let’s read: 

Luke 14:25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 
27 Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

[G.C pp 624>626] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. [Revelation 1:13-15.] 

The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody.
 
In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.

By the sifting of temptation, the genuine Christian will be revealed. As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom against commandment-keepers shall withdraw the protection of government, and abandon them to those who desire their destruction, the people of God will flee from the cities and villages, and associate together in companies, dwelling in the most desolate and solitary places. Many will find refuge in the strongholds of the mountains. Like the Christians of the Piedmont valleys, they will make the high places of the earth their sanctuaries, and will thank God for the “munitions of rocks.” [Isaiah 33:16.]

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him ….. The mark of the beast is also 666. Think about it! 

                                                                        God bless! 
 

Our Need Of The Savior. Sabbath Afternoon. 02/04/2017

The following blogs are just a sample, out of very many written in 2016 pertaining to distress that would come upon the land. They are lifted directly from our Facebook page.

Bro Mac
July 8, 2016 · 
A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four corners of the earth. Great distress is coming our way, and because man can only offer external solutions to an internal problem, the Bible predicts a deepening of what we are now seeing, not only nationally, but internationally. We will all like to believe that from here on out, we can live happily ever after, but those who speak and preach along those lines, may not be aware that we are living on the brink of eternity.

Bro Mac
July 8, 2016 · 
A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four corners of the earth. Great distress is coming our way soon. We have exchanged creation for evolution, we have exchanged God for Darwin, we have exchanged Christ for Baal, and many have now erroneously concluded that there is not a Supreme God to whom we will have to answer one day. Here's a gentle reminder: It's not necessary for a person to be a Christian, to fall under God's jurisdiction, for all of us are His by creation, and redemption.

Bro Mac
July 14, 2016 · 
A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four corners of the earth. Great changes are coming our way soon. The remedies and solutions that are being administered are not working, because man does not have the answers for the internal problem of sin.

Bro Mac
July 17, 2016 · 
A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth! Great changes are coming our way soon. Before national healing can occur, national repentance, confession, and a turning away from the evils we know of, must take place.

Bro Mac
October 13, 2016 · 
Short commentary on Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh"... Man's way of dealing with the moral issues plaguing our society, and the political arena, is to offer external solutions to internal problems, and thus man-made systems try to work from the outside in. God's way is exactly the opposite, for He works from the inside out, as is manifested in the above passage. Any permanent solutions to solve our moral barrenness must come from Christ alone, and therefore we conclude that it's not so much a change of political leaders that we need, but rather a change of heart. This leads us to our Bible study for this evening: ....

                                                        Our Need Of The Savior.
                                                            Sabbath Afternoon
                                                                   02/04/2017

The Bible teaches us that after the fall of our first parents, human nature took a natural bias to sin, and ever since that fateful day, all who have ever been born on this planet have had to deal with the issue, which manifests itself in a desire to seek our own interests first. It’s important to note that God does not hold our weaknesses, and frailties against us, but instead shows us the only solution found in, and through Christ. Thus, our need of The Savior is not based upon any particular, or singular act of sin, but rather salvation from our inherent sinful nature.

In other words, as descendants of Adam, we do not have to do anything wrong per se` in order to be in need of Christ, all that’s necessary is to be born. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches us that there isn’t anyone who has ever lived on the earth, without sinning, except Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life from birth to death, and beyond. This statement is confirmed in the Bible, and sets the stage for every individual who accepts him, to become like Him in nature. Several passages thus deal with the issue. Let’s read:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. 

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

One of the main tragedies of popular contemporary Christianity, is that the moral compass God gave to the world has been eroded, and in the process, the absolute truth contained in God’s law has now been made subjective, paving the way for many variable standards of right and wrong which do change from person to person, and from culture to culture, in so much that gay marriage, seems quite repugnant to some, while to others it seems perfectly normal and acceptable. 

Another by-product of the erosion of absolute truth is that the definition of sin has become so blurred that, our need of The Savior is now unwarranted to many minds, for if we believe we have never done anything wrong, then we wouldn’t see our need of God’s forgiveness and salvation. Thus, the stage will be set for our own forms of righteousness to be all– sufficient, and the grace and mercy provided in and through Christ will seem unnecessary.

However, our perceptions of righteousness do not alter the facts in any way, for the Bible states that God only accepts the perfect righteousness found in Christ, which is in turn given as a free gift to every person who believes in Him. But this sacred truth is often disputed in the minds of some, and is specially challenged by the teachings of moral neutrality, in which a person is not designated as a sinner in need of help, until he or she has actually done something wrong. Our need of the savior is not based on doing wrong, but on being born in a state of sin, because of what has been passed down genetically from the father of our race.

Thus, to illustrate this point more clearly, we turn to a chapter in the life of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, who became pregnant with un-indentical twins. As her pregnancy wore on, she became quite puzzled by a phenomena taking place inside her womb, and in sheer desperation, she seeks an answer from God. As we read and observe, we should keep in mind what the scripture says specifically on the issue in question, for it transcends doing right or wrong, but instead confronts the reality of our sinful nature, even without any specific wrong actions. Let’s read: 

Genesis 25:21 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his  wife, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord. 
23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob.

Now it is obvious from the passages above that the two fetuses were fighting continually, over what we do not know, and even when they were being born, the fighting continued. For some reason they could not get along in the womb, and their struggles did not cease at birth, but continued through later life, in so much that they had to be separated, the one from the other. Now, let’s listen to what the Bible says about the period of their struggles, inside the womb. Let’s read:

Romans 9:10 When Rebecca also had conceived by our father Isaac; 
11 The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Question: How is it then, that they had not done anything wrong, but yet were fighting all day long? This brings us to a sobering truth about our need of The Savior, for sin does occur through deliberate or ignorant choice, but sinful nature is what, and who we are at the very core, and thus, it is not necessary to commit any particular sin, in order for us to be in need of God’s salvation through Christ. 

Furthermore, Jesus does not save us only from our particular sinful deeds, but from our nature, which produces the sinful thoughts and actions, even at times when we may be unconscious of doing wrong, like Esau and Jacob in the womb. This brings us to the highlight of the Bible study, because Christ has made ample provision for any, and every one to be saved eternally, through the simplest means.

It is not something we have to pay for, work at, or even receive through anything we may do. It is the free gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness, given to all who believe, and which produces an entirely new nature, thus fitting us for eternity, to live and dwell with perfect beings, in a perfect world. Let’s read:

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith
speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? 
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? 
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This is the good news of what God has done for all humanity through Christ, and it is the privilege of each person to access the free gift, so that we can be changed from the inside out. Let’s read: 

2nd Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

2nd Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In the lives of all who have truly accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, very profound changes for the better will be observed. Those things which once motivated and animated us, lose their sting, and the customs, practices, standards, values, and morals which in times past had guided our decisions, and choices, will be changed, not because we stopped doing wrong and started doing right, but because a new nature has been implanted in us, through the power of Christ dwelling within. Let’s read:

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

[The Desire of Ages. pp 324] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.

In closing, it is our hope and prayer that everyone will see their need of Christ and His righteousness, and make the appropriate response by accepting the simple provision made for each person to live forever. Man-made forms of righteousness are all tainted with self, in one way or another, and thus, if we desire to be changed at the core, it will become necessary to follow the words of wisdom, found in our last passage. Let’s read:

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.

                                                                    God bless!

The "Big Bang" Theory. Sabbath Afternoon. 01/28/2017.

The “Big Bang” theory, which is now taught in most schools, seeks to account for the formation, and the expansion of the universe, beginning with a colossal explosion, which then set in motion, the formation of sub-atomic particles, and later on, simple atoms. Now, according to this theory, large clouds of these original elements later combined through the force of gravity in halos of dark matter, forming the stars and galaxies we see today. This, in a nutshell is the Big bang theory, which as stated before, attempts to account for the formation of our world, and the universe.

The Bible however, gives a quite different account of how the universe, and our planet came to be, and sums it up in one short verse given in the first book of Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. Over the years, many people have sought to explain creation, and the big bang theory using science, but today we will explore the reasoning behind the theory, so that it may be followed to its logical conclusion.

There are certain fundamentals with this school of thought which must be highlighted, for when they are properly observed, will cause us to be gravely concerned, if proven true. [1] According to the big bang theory, the formation of the universe was an accident that just happened, without any intelligent supervision or input. This is the foremost element in the ideology, which scares the daylights out of me, simply because of how it happened, ….. “Bang”. 

Accidents do happen, so if this were true, it is quite possible that another accident could occur at any time, without prior warning, and without planning. The possibility of such an occurrence on this scale makes for a very uncertain and capricious future, because we may wake up one morning, and “Bang” new creatures, or “little green men” can appear out of nowhere, since, as the big bang theory suggests, colossal incidents, which can change the course of history and nature as we know it, can occur without any intelligent input or supervision. 

Thus the idea of an accident is the core concept at the foundation of the big bang theory, and if, as is commonly accepted, we came here by accident, we may die by accident, which leads us to an important second, observation about the theory. 
[2] The absence of intelligence, and intention. If, as is purported, this colossal accident occurred merely by chance, then the conclusion is that there was no intelligent input, or supervision. The idea that there was no intelligence, and intention, is quite contrary to conventional, scientific modes of thought, which always seek a reason for everything. For instance, many parents have told their kids that Santa Claus comes down the chimney at Christmas time, and delivers his gifts in stockings, around the Christmas tree, and then leaves without a trace.

But they will never say, bang the gifts appeared out of nowhere, without intelligent input, or intention. And science will not accept that explanation, for it will conclude that someone must have put the gifts there, intentionally. This issue of a person takes us to our third observation about the big bang theory.

[3] The absence of a Person. The big bang theory, as well as the theory of evolution both stress the non-involvement of a person, but rather the out-working of natural laws without interference from a Person. Now, if we were to go with this line of reasoning it’ll be virtually impossible to account for the intricate working of the human mind, complete with abilities such as critical thinking, judgment, and the ability to differentiate between right, and wrong, as well as the ability to dream. 

It’s very difficult to believe that all of these abilities just happened as a result of an accidental explosion, which was void of intelligence and intention. And in addition to this, we have the recurrence of the four seasons of the year, which run their courses at the scheduled, opportune time, to cause fruit, grain and vegetation to bud in the spring, and produce in the summer. The scripture states unequivocally, that behind all the systematic working of nature, stands a Majestic, Omnipotent, and loving God who orders nature, and the laws of nature intentionally for the good of His people. Let’s read:

Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over all the earth. 
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed. 

Then there is the issue of time which affects every person. Science confirms that our month is a unit of time, based on the revolution of the moon around the earth, a period of about 29.53 days. Science also confirms that our day is a unit of time, based on one complete revolution of the earth around the sun. That’s all well and good!

But where did our seven-day week come from, and how is it that we just “accidentally” ended up with 7? There are no orderly movements in the heavens, or even in the earth which mark off a specific period of seven days, so, if an intelligent Person was never involved, how then did our calendars get to seven days in one week? Why not eight, or twelve, since according to science it’s all by accident? This takes us two investigations on time as narrated by the Bible writers, in which everyone living on the planet at the time, was affected.

Five nations have consulted together, and they have decided to wipe the Hebrew nation off of the map. And Joshua, as Israel’s visible leader is drawn into battle. His army fights against the enemies, but they soon realize that they are running out of daylight hours, and so he petitions the God of heaven to do the unthinkable, by apparently halting the normal rotation of the earth around the sun, so that the daylight hours could be extended, and so that they could take care of unfinished business, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

Joshua 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.

2nd Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out
into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day? 
9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
 

Some estimates have put the equivalent time of ten degrees, as being approximately forty minutes. Now if such an occurrence was to take place in the 20th century it would produce tremendous ripple effects, for bank employees would have to work extra, thus triggering overtime pay the banks had not intended. We ourselves, usually put our Face-book friends on notice, before doing our weekly Bible starting at  5:00 pm est. Now, if after sending out the notice at 4:20 pm, we arrived twenty minutes later, only to find the church clock reading 4:00 pm, we would be gravely concerned. And so, it was no small miracle which then took place, but something major, which pertained to time here on earth, and which did not pass unnoticed by surrounding nations. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 20:11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. 
12 At that time, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

[Prophets & Kings pp.344] In the fertile valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates there dwelt an ancient race which, though at that time subject to Assyria, was destined to rule the world. Among its people were wise men who gave much attention to the study of astronomy; and when they noticed that the shadow on the sundial had been turned back ten degrees, they marveled greatly. Their king, upon learning that this miracle had been wrought as a sign to the king of Judah that the God of heaven had granted him a new lease of life, sent ambassadors to Hezekiah to congratulate him on his recovery and to learn, if possible, more of the God who was able to perform so great a wonder.

Therefore, the choices we have as it pertains to the creation of the universe, our planet, and indeed our own selves are one out of only two: We can believe that an accident produced, and set in motion all the things we accept as normal and recurring, or we can believe that intelligence, intention, supervision, and ongoing control of natural laws, is the work of The Supreme God of the universe. If however, we were to choose the latter, the least we can do is to get to know Him, for which child does not desire to know his/her parents?

We therefore end with a passage of scripture which summarizes the creation of the universe, and our world, teaches us that God is much nearer to us than many people know, and also teaches us the appropriate response to Him, since we are held responsible for our choices and actions. Paul is addressing not only the people of ancient Athens, but rather the inhabitants of the entire world, who need to know that a loving God has done, and is doing everything for our best good, through Jesus Christ. Let’s read:

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 
25 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: 

We sincerely hope and pray, that as we weigh the evidences of creation, versus the mere theory of evolution, that we will respond appropriately, by at least getting to know more of the God of the Bible, for in Him our eternal future, and our well-being are centered.

                                                                  God bless!

The Call Of Abraham. Sabbath Afternoon. 01/21/2017

Some Christians make the mistake that the call from God involves a smooth path with no serious hurdles or difficulties to surmount. This is one of the by-products of the health/ wealth gospel that has now almost saturated modern Christianity. When God called Abraham, things were going good for him, from a financial, and temporal perspective, for he was well established in his hometown of Chaldea, and he had the support of family and friends, so that if any adverse circumstances were to come his way he would have a social structure to lean upon. 

However, the call of God would take him to a land of strangers, to a people who were averse to God and righteousness, and where, to all appearances, he would have no safety net in the likes of kindred, and acquaintances. Yet it was important for him to leave his hometown, if God’s purposes for his life were to be fulfilled, because it is often the case that family, and friends exert influences over Christians, which could have quite a deleterious effect on our relationship with Jesus Christ, and consequently our spiritual development. 

The reason for this is because true Christians live by a mode of thought and action that is based on faith in God, and obedience to His words, even in times when, to all appearances, it makes no sense to trust God. This mode of thought puts us at great odds with the secular mind, which bases its decisions on logical reasoning, and limitations set by science, and by finite minds. 

For instance, if at the next funeral someone was to pray that God would resurrect the dead one, if it’s His will, most of the congregants would be greatly alarmed by such a request, and may conclude that the petitioner has gone of their rockers. 

But with the true Christian, such a request does not appear to be far-fetched, nor outside the realm of possibility, for he believes that nothing is impossible with God, and therefore, where a secular mind may expect death, defeat, and failure, because of the limits of logic and science, the Christian sees total success and tremendous possibility, because of the omnipotent power of God. Let’s read:

Mark 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 
39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Thus it was with Abraham, for if he were to remain amongst family and friends of an unbelieving mind-set, the exercise and the development of his faith would be corrupted, and inhibited by the influences of those who were subject to finite thresholds. As a matter of fact, this is one of the primary reasons why God instructs His people not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for their mode of thought, and action are diametrically opposed to those who believe. Let’s read:

Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Now, the logical, human reasoning would expect, that since it was God who called Abraham to leave the comforts, and securities of his hometown, that everything would be smooth sailing. Here is where many Christians stumble for some have been misled into thinking that God’s call to follow Christ includes a guarantee against all adverse circumstances that may arise. It is true that the promises of God do provide shelter from the storms of life, but they absolutely do not guarantee that there won’t be any storms. Let’s read:

Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. 

In the Christian’s life, there will be times when the logical reasoning of the serpent will be whispered in our ears, and we would have opportunity to doubt, if we are so inclined. But the fact that Jesus Christ has called us to be His followers should be evidence enough to sustain our faith in times of danger, or adversity, for He has made a solemn promise to never leave us, nor forsake us. 

With Abraham, this solemn truth became a living reality, when after leaving financial stability, and social security, in the obedience of faith, a deadly famine came upon the land, and threatened his entire household with starvation. Now here was so-called logical reason to doubt, and turn back, for at this time, the land of the Chaldees, his native home country was brim full with bread, milk, and honey. 

Thus, the serpent begins his diabolical reasoning: [1] If it is God who called you, how is it that your household, and flocks are now facing starvation? Wouldn’t a loving, intelligent God, who knows the end from the beginning, have made prior provision for you? [2] Abraham, are you sure it was God who called you in the first place, or was it a figment of your imagination that you misinterpreted as the voice of God? 

[3] Since things are not turning out the way you’ve expected, isn’t it time to turn back to your native land, instead of “Waiting in vain”, like Bob Marley, the Canaanite once sang? [4] And what about the kids Abraham? Do you really mean to say that it is God’s will that the kids be also threatened with starvation, especially since the department of children and families can fine you for putting them at risk? 

This is the same type of infernal logic which was presented to Christ as starvation took its toll on Him. Would The Father allow His dear Son to suffer such tremendous pangs of hunger? And if so, isn’t it time to reach for plan B, or better yet, alternatives which will involve disobedience? Let’s read:

[The Desire Of Ages. pp118>119] Would God treat His own Son thus? Would He leave Him in the desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions, without comfort? He insinuates that God never meant His Son to be in such a state as this. “If Thou be the Son of God,” show Thy power by relieving Thyself of this pressing hunger. It was Satan's purpose to cause Him to doubt that word. If Christ's confidence in God could be shaken, Satan knew that the victory in the whole controversy would be his. 

He hoped that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger Christ would lose faith in His Father and work a miracle in His own behalf. One of the most powerful of the angels, he says, has been banished from heaven. The appearance of Jesus indicates that He is that fallen angel, forsaken by God, and deserted by man. A divine being would be able to sustain his claim by working a miracle; “if Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” 

Such an act of creative power, urges the tempter, would be conclusive evidence of divinity. Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch-deceiver. But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan, or to explain the reason of His humiliation.

And the reasons, and logic can go on, and on. But the single most important question resting with Abraham, is whether he will stay the course with God, through the good times, and bad, or whether he will serve and obey God, only when he can get a guarantee of uninterrupted material blessings, or at least a reasonable explanation of what in the world is going on. 

This is the burning question which must be settled in the heart of each Christian, as the time of trouble looms large on the horizon, for it is satan’s steadfast purpose, if possible, to starve Christians to death, or at least to force us into disobedience, through our need of food. Thus it was with Abraham. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 128>130] Abraham continued to journey southward, and again his faith was tested. The heavens withheld their rain, the brooks ceased to flow in the valleys, and the grass withered on the plains. The flocks and herds found no pasture, and starvation threatened the whole encampment. Did not the patriarch now question the leadings of Providence? Did he not look back with longing to the plenty of the Chaldean plains?

All were eagerly watching to see what Abraham would do, as trouble after trouble came upon him. So long as his confidence appeared unshaken, they felt that there was hope; they were assured that God was his Friend, and that He was still guiding him. Abraham could not explain the leadings of Providence; he had not realized his expectations; but he held fast the promise, “I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.”

 With earnest prayer he considered how to preserve the life of his people and his flocks, but he would not allow circumstances to shake his faith in God's word. To escape the famine he went down into Egypt. He did not forsake Canaan or in his extremity turn back to the Chaldean land from which he came, where there was no scarcity of bread; but he sought a temporary refuge as near as possible to the Land of Promise, intending shortly to return where God had placed him.

The Lord in His providence had brought this trial upon Abraham to teach him lessons of submission, patience, and faith, lessons that were to be placed on record for the benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure affliction. God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. 

He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there, and his vision was filled with scenes of immortal glory. God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. 

The very trials that task our faith most severely and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange. God has always tried His people in the furnace of affliction. It is in the heat of the furnace that the dross is separated from the true gold of the Christian character. Jesus watches the test; He knows what is needed to purify the precious metal, that it may reflect the radiance of His love. 

It is by close, testing trials that God disciplines His servants. He sees that some have powers which may be used in the advancement of His work, and He puts these persons upon trial; in His providence He brings them into positions that test their character, and reveal defects and weaknesses that have been hidden from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. 

He shows them their own weakness, and teaches them to lean upon Him; for He is their only help and safeguard. Thus His object is attained. They are educated, trained, and disciplined, prepared to fulfill the grand purpose for which their powers were given them. When God calls them to action, they are ready, and heavenly angels can unite with them in the work to be accomplished on the earth.

Soul searching, when done through the Holy Spirit can potentially dig up some dirt in our characters, which in many instances have been unknown to us. As a matter of fact, our real self is often manifested when trials, and unforeseen difficulties arise. Then it is revealed whether we will serve God because of who He is, or whether we may have predetermined thresholds that God is not permitted to cross. 

With some, the threshold point may be material blessings, for there are many who will serve God faithfully, only if the mortgage note, groceries, and other essential bills are taken care of. Then there are others who will follow Christ, only when their marriage, and family remain intact. With others, some pet peeve, or cherished idol is off-limits to The Holy Ghost, and whenever these are interfered with, for any reason, they draw back, and walk no more with Jesus. 

Thus, with many a Christian, the relationship with Christ may be currently tethered to some preset threshold, which if touched, or shaken by trials, causes the relation between themselves and God to crumble like the proverbial “House of cards”. Hence the reason why the following passage of scripture was penned for our sober consideration, as we now face existential threats to our social security, and peace. Let’s read:

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Note well, that the rain, floods and wind came upon both houses, however, the only difference was the foundation upon which each was built. Similarly with our relationship with Christ. If it is built upon a continual, uninterrupted provision of all material blessings, then when our hurricane season begins, and our Katrina start to come ashore, then our faith in God will be signally overturned, because it was tethered to material blessings. It’s because of these realities why a new approach to our commitment to Christ is now warranted. Let’s read:

 I, (Christian), take you, Jesus, to be my lawfully wedded (Savior), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

                     May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.
                                                                     God bless!

The Use Of Force. Sabbath Afternoon. 01/14/2017

The use of force is an issue that will confront every person in the very near future, so while we have the freedom to do so, it is important that we take the time to understand it’s import, especially because it pertains to the implementation of the mark of the beast. Satan’s kingdom is based on the use of force, and when contrasted with Christ’s modus operandi, a very stark difference can be seen. For instance, Christ is pictured in Bible as standing at our heart’s door, knocking, and hoping for entry. But since the door handle is on the inside, the choice is ours, to let Him in, or to keep Him out. 

But under no circumstances will He ever push down the door and force Himself upon an unwilling heart. This manner of working is characterized in His every
interaction with the human family, and there are several passages of scripture which demonstrate clearly, Christ’s respect for the freedom of choice He has given us; not as a right, but as a freedom. Let’s read:

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. 
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak.

1st Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us. 
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 
53 And they did not receive him. 
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

However, in stark contrast to Christ’s manner of working, are satan’s methods, which are based on the use of force. For instance, satanic agencies will not hesitate to kick down the door of the heart, and force themselves upon one who hates them. He will take up residence in the mind of one who deeply resents his presence, and he is perfectly fine with that sort of arrangement. 

Hence the reason why the mark of the beast has as its core principle, “The use of force”, for he is willing to starve to death, anyone who does not worship according to his dictates, and if millions are forced into a false system of worship they deeply resent, he has no problem with that.

In civil matters in which the actions of one person adversely affects the lives of others, enforcement is warranted. For instance, the statutes made against speeding, drinking and driving, taxation, and orderly conduct, etc., are well and good, and Christians are duly instructed in the Bible to obey the laws of the land in which they dwell. But in those matters of conscience, such as one’s religious persuasions, the eating of kosher meats, and what one does in their bedroom, are matters between the individual and God, and although there are set consequences for our actions, yet God has given to each person, the freedom to choose.

Rape, martyrdom, competition, and abortion, each have as their core, operating principle, the use of force. Therefore, it is of critical importance for us as Christians, to abide by the principles, and methods employed by Christ, and never resort to coercing the conscience of any, who are unwilling to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. The methods employed by devils are summed up in precis form, by the servant of The Lord, and since we are on the very brink of the times spoken of in Revelation chapter 13, it will be good if we can understand the issues that are at stake. Let’s read:

[The Desire Of Ages. pp 435>436] The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die. Had Lucifer really desired to be like the Most High, he would never have deserted his appointed place in heaven; for the spirit of the Most High is manifested in unselfish ministry. Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. Thus alienation, discord, and strife will be inevitable. Dominion becomes the prize of the strongest. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a steppingstone on which he himself may climb to a higher place.

One of the reasons why we need to be very careful of the use of force, is because it is often paraded under the guise of achieving something good. But, in matters of conscience, something being good, in and of itself, does not warrant the use of force, for the freedom of choice should always be sacredly guarded by those in high and low places. When king Nebuchadnezzar was finally convinced that Christ is King in the heaven and earth, his acknowledgement of the fact was a good gesture. But then to threaten to cut folks in pieces if they spoke anything against God, was to employ satan’s core principle of force, in trying to achieve good. 

For example, as Christians, we would be overjoyed if there was voluntary prayer in schools, especially if those prayers were being made to Jesus Christ. But to try to force everyone to pray to Jesus is contrary to scriptural methods, even as praying is an upright practice. Similarly with worship, for it is good, and acceptable in the sight of God for created beings to worship Him, but to enforce good worship is just as bad as enforcing bad worship, since the use of force is the underlying, motive principle being employed. Let’s read:

During the last eight years of America’s history, it is a well-documented fact that some tried to force the conscience of Christians on alternative marriages, and gender issues, in so much that laws were made pertaining to “Bathrooms”. Now, on the flip side we need to be careful of going to the other extreme, by mandating our interpretation of righteousness, for satan works on both sides of the fence. To force evil or righteousness upon unwilling minds, is a product
satanic agencies, and it should be shunned like the plague. Let’s read:

Daniel 3: 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king,
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up. 
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 
29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Thus, for our study today, we will delve into what many consider a very sensitive issue, as it pertains to the freedom of choice, and the use of force. It is now legal in several states to have abortions, and millions of people guard jealously, a woman’s right to choose. Now, it is true that God has given to man and to woman, the freedom of choice; however, no person, however miniscule, should be preemptively deprived of his, or her God given freedoms by any other individual, without their prior consent. 

However, we do acknowledge there are some gray areas, such as rape, incest, etc., in which God alone is the final arbiter. But what we must address is the overarching principle which now permits persons to use their own discretion in the taking of life.

This raises an important question in the discussion of a woman’s right to choose: “When does a person begin to exist? At the zygote, embryo, or fetal stage of development? And if the Biblical designation of a person begins at the zygote stage, then the real question to be answered is, “should that miniscule person be deprived preemptively of the freedom of choice? In other words, should the use of force, via abortion, be implemented, and by so doing, prevent the unborn person from ever exercising their God given freedom of choice? 

For answers, we turn to the scriptures, because the very essence of this same issue will soon be played out on the wider world stage, but in the context of religious liberty, as the issue of the enforcement of right or wrong worship takes center stage. In other words, if we were to conclude that a person has the freedom to kill another, based upon their personal assessments, or rationale, then we will also come to the very same conclusions when it pertains to the enforcement of a particular brand of worship. Thus, at main issue in this instance, is the moral law of God which says “Thou shalt not kill. Let’s read:

 
Your developing baby

First trimester (week 1-week 12)
 
Your baby's brain and spinal cord have begun to form.
The heart begins to form.
Arm and leg buds appear.
Your baby is now an embryo and one-twenty-fifth inch long.
At eight weeks:
All major organs and external body structures have begun to form.
Your baby's heart beats with a regular rhythm.
The arms and legs grow longer, and fingers and toes have begun to form.
The sex organs begin to form.
The eyes have moved forward on the face and eyelids have formed.
The umbilical cord is clearly visible.
At the end of eight weeks, your baby is a fetus and looks more like a human. Your baby is nearly 1 inch long and weighs less than one-eighth ounce.

Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women.
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

However, in some states, abortion is the law, and it is left up to the individual’s rationale to determine the application of God’s law which says “Thou shalt not kill”. But in the larger context, the same type of reasoning will be used, when it comes to another of God’s laws which says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”. If our personal or national rationale is made the determining factor in “Thou shalt not kill, then the same mode of thought and action will be implemented with “Remember the Sabbath day”. And thus, the use of force will be employed to enforce our own rationale, as it pertains to worship. Let’s read: 

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

In closing, let us remember that when any person presumes to deny the God given freedoms which pertain to conscience, and one’s relationship with God, that person is thereby attempting to make himself a god, for the usurpation of God’s authority is akin to sitting in the seat of God. Thus, we close with a pertinent scripture against all such actions. Let’s read:
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

                                                                          God bless!

Healing Naaman, The Leper. Sabbath Afternoon 01/07/2017.

In His word, God has outlined a holistic approach to the restoration of mind and body, which must of necessity include our health and wellbeing. And the reason for this is because there is a close sympathy between the physical, and spiritual nature of man, and thus, if one aspect is not in a healthy condition, the other can be adversely affected. This past week, the senate voted to repeal Obamacare, and people have become quite concerned, because for some, accessing healthcare may be a daunting task.

Therefore, because we will be directly affected in one way or another by all the decisions of the new legislature, the time has come for us to investigate more closely the evidences and promises pertaining to healthcare, which God has given us in his word.

The four main concerns we have with any proposed health-care plan are: (1) Affordability, (2) Quality, (3) Accessibility, and (4) Coverage for preexisting conditions. These four concerns have already been addressed under the healthcare plan offered by Christ. The good news is that His plan also covers forgiveness of transgressions, and sins, two of the leading causes of diseases in the first place. Disease in most cases, is the result of violating spiritual and natural law, and since it makes no sense to be lost, whilst being healthy, God in His wisdom, and mercy covers both the renewal of mind, and body. Let’s read:

Psalms 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Our case study will focus on Naaman, the Syrian, who, of all people, was deemed a prime candidate for the manifestation of Christ’s miraculous healing power, much to the chagrin of many Hebrews who were suffering from the same deadly disease. The story begins with a little Hebrew slave, who worked in Naaman’s house, and who observed his constant suffering because of this debilitating disease. Thus, instead of focusing on her own plight, she suggests to Naaman, that there was a God-ordained prophet in Israel who could heal his malady. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 5:1Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. 
2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 
4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

Now, as a preexisting condition, leprosy was always considered as an incurable disease, by the scientific community of the day, but the very designation of “Incurable” put people on a track of disbelief, for nothing is impossible with God. Thus, before we go any further, it’s important for us to at once dismiss the notion of any disease or malady being incurable, for, from the scriptural perspective that statement is simply not true. There is a cure for leprosy, for aids, for cancer, for diabetes, for the flu, and for every known, and every unknown affliction of man.

This leads us to the next chapter in saga of Naaman, for after hearing the incredibly good news of a cure for an incurable disease, the king of Syria sent out a letter to the king of Israel, requesting that his sick servant be healed. But the king of Israel becomes infuriated at the very suggestion, for, in his mind, the king of Syria must be looking to pick a fight with Israel, for as far as he is concerned, the Syrians are requesting something that’s virtually impossible. It all has to do with the designation of “Incurable”, by the scientific community. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 
7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

Thus it was, when Elisha heard of the king’s rant, he sent for Naaman, who came expecting to be healed immediately. But Elisha gave him a remedy that was so simple that Naaman became quite offended by its simplicity. There are several reasons why, to all appearances, and evidences, Naaman should not be a candidate for miraculous healing.

 [1] The Syrians had invaded the land of Israel. [2] Leprosy was designated as incurable. [3] Naaman manifested a bad attitude, when told to go, have a bath in the river Jordan. However, with all of these negatives, he finally obeyed, by dipping in the water seven times, and the rest is history, for his skin became clean and tender as a child’s. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

If Elisha had told Naaman to do 1000 push ups, and 500 burpies, he would have willingly done so, but the simplicity of God’s healing wounded Naaman’s pride. The same is true of many cases in our day, for many people prefer to do extensive surgeries, and invasive procedures, and millions of others prefer to purchase expensive drugs such as the following:
Olysio (simeprevir), Janssen: $44,800…. For two bottles of 28 capsules each.
HP Acthar (corticotropin), Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals: $51,600…. For two vials.
Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir), Gilead Sciences: $79,200. ... for a course of treatment.
Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), Gilead Sciences: $81,000…. For a one year course, or $1,000.00 per pill. Etc. 

In other words, if the prophet bids us do some great thing, many people will acquiesce, but to go with the simple, God-ordained natural remedies, most, like Naaman will become offended, and walk away in a great rage. Let’s read:

[Selected messages pp. 287] There are many ways of practicing the healing art, but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God's remedies are the simple agencies of nature that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use requires work that the people do not appreciate. 

Fresh air, exercise, pure water, are within the reach of all with but little expense but drugs are expensive both in the outlay of means and in the effect produced upon the system.

This leads us to the very core of our study, because Christ gave a commentary on the issue of Naaman, together with the widow of Sidon, who, for some reason, ended up being beneficiaries of miracles of Christ, whilst the Hebrews who claimed to know all about God, were left destitute. Thus, the following passages, should be read very slowly, and soberly, for the words of Christ have very deep implications for our day, when we will need to trust God for any, and everything. Let’s read:

Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

What Christ was implying in His commentary is that the Jews were allowing somebody to eat their lunch whilst they themselves were dying of starvation and hunger, and a host of other “Incurable diseases”. For instance, we read of the devastating effects of the three and a half year drought, which brought the nation of Israel to its knees, and which took a fearful toll on man and beast. But while this is going on, a widow from Sidon is doing three square meals a day, with absolutely nothing to worry about. And thus, Christ’s question to both the Jews back then, and to Christians living today is, “What’s going on?” Let’s read:

[Prophets & Kings. Pp 124>125] Night after night, throughout the doomed land, their cries and entreaties arise. But no clouds appear in the heavens by day to hide the burning rays of the sun. No dew or rain refreshes the thirsty earth. A year passes, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress. 

Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste. The groves dedicated to idol worship are leafless; the forest trees, gaunt skeletons of nature, afford no shade. The air is dry and suffocating; dust storms blind the eyes and nearly stop the breath. Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer. 

But through all of this, an obscure widow is doing lunch every day, and she has enough to spare for her guest, Elijah! And whilst millions of Hebrews are spending their hard-earned money on man-made healthcare systems, in order to deal with cancers, and diabetes, and heart disease, the flu, and other “Incurable diseases”, Naaman from Syria is enjoying good health, by just dipping seven times in water, one of the cheapest natural remedies known to man. Now, something is absolutely wrong with this picture, and that’s what Christ was saying. But the people became quite offended, and took Christ to the brow of a cliff to throw Him over.

Now, it is true that in some cases, Christ may not choose to heal every preexisting condition, and He may instead give grace to deal with the crisis, but this fact should not prevent us from believing that all things are still possible with God. The times that are just ahead will require a radical faith that can withstand the pressures of society to yield to the powers that be. For instance, the implementation of the mark of the beast will essentially bring to an end, all access to any man-made healthcare system, and when that time comes, what will you and I do, if we have not made it a habit to trust in God fully? Let’s read:

[The great Controversy. pp 621>622] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger,—a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. 

All who will lay hold of God's promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of Satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test, they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected, they will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement. We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving his promises.

In closing, we must outline again, in the simplest format, the methods by which God provides for the spiritual, and physical healing of those who trust in Him.
[1] Faith: Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
[2] Obedience: Exodus 15:26 If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
[3] The use of natural remedies: 2nd Kings 20:7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 

John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the
ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

[4] A simple diet of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains: Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. 
2 And on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
[5] Adequate rest: Psalms 127:2 It is vain for you to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Proverbs 3:24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
[6] No eating between meals: 1st Kings 19: 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.  
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights
unto Horeb the mount of God.
[7] Temperance in all things: 1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
[8] Regular exercise: Joshua 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness….

[9] Trusting God to take up the slack in cases of emergencies: Psalms 50:15 Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear…

If these instructions are followed faithfully, we will experience a drastic reduction in healthcare costs, and our strength, and energy will be renewed like the eagle’s. Let’s read:

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

                         May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. 
                                                                   God bless!

Believing Is Never Enough. Sabbath Afternoon. 12/24/2016

Millions of Christians today truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that He came, and died for our sins, and rose the third day, thus conquering sin and the grave. To believe all of these precious truths is good, but is not sufficient to save a soul from eternal ruin. Our belief must be coupled together with Divine power on a daily basis, for it to have any meaning in our lives. But to merely believe truth for what it is, does not change a person.

Some people try to live the Christian life powered by their belief alone, but without the power of God, and because of this their experience lacks vitality, life, and meaning. In the hour of temptation, what we believe will not save us, for in very many cases when a Christian falls, his or her belief has remained intact. What was lacking was essential power, that comes only through a living connection to Christ.

To be charmed by scenes of the nativity, and to be touched by the humble life of Christ, to celebrate His victory in behalf of all humanity are very noble aspirations, but without a vital connection to Divine power, the Christian’s life will remain void. This is the reason why so many Christians have now turned to human agents for solutions to the moral, ethical, and social problems we face, because the nominal Christianity of our day lacks the vital power to live, and to do according to Christ’s perfect will. 

One of the instructions we should always remember is that at every step of advance in our relationship with Christ, the door of free choice remains open, for He does not rule by force, but must instead be invited in continually, so that His power may be exercised in, and through us. This is the real essence of the Christian’s experience, and anything less will fall far short of God’s ideal. 

A lamp that is plugged into an electrical socket can either be turned off or on, but if it is not connected there’s absolutely no way that it will shine. It’s the same with the Christian’s life, because no amount of doctrines, laws, and prophecies will make us to shine, if we are not connected to the socket, even to Christ. This is why all of satan’s effort against us focuses squarely on getting us disconnected, for any and every reason.

It may be through debt, intemperance, excessive labor, presumption, or one of the more common ploys such as the cares of this life. In fact, good temptations are far more responsible for us being disconnected, than any other snare of the devil. The servant of The Lord writes an important exposition on the relationship which Christ seeks to have with His people. It’s not only knowledge and faith based, nor is it only about believing, for, as was stated before, believing is never enough. Let’s read:

[Desire Of Ages. pp 324] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. 

It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin.

We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.

It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that we need Divine power, we must be connected daily to be able to withstand foes from within and without. Hence the reason why the scriptures give us information pertaining to fallen human nature, so that we may not be deceived into thinking that a mere knowledge-based Christianity is sufficient for us to live victoriously. Let’s read:

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The law being spoken of in verse 21 is the law of sin, which is the foundational principle of self-serving in human nature. What’s pretty disturbing about this passage, is that Paul is writing from the perspective of a born-again Christian, not as a mere unbeliever. Some of us may not have previously considered this aspect of life in Christ, and because of this, we may have thought of ourselves as being safe and secure from the assaults of the evil one. 

The fact of the matter is that the real issue which pertains to living victoriously, is not merely being able to distinguish between right and wrong, nor is it the freedom to choose good over evil; the issue of most importance is us remaining connected to the source of power, for if we are disconnected for any reason, all of our choices will inevitably tend to evil, regardless of how much we may know, or what we believe. When David fell into sin with Uriah’s wife, his belief in God had remained intact, but he was disconnected from the Source of power, and that’s why the law of sin in his members, overcame him. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 717>718] Instead of relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to trust to his own wisdom and might. As soon as Satan can separate the soul from God, the only Source of strength, he will seek to arouse the unholy desires of man's carnal nature. The work of the enemy is not abrupt; it is not, at the outset, sudden and startling; it is a secret undermining of the strongholds of principle. It begins in apparently small things—the neglect to be true to God and to rely upon Him wholly, the disposition to follow the customs and practices of the world.

That word “Arouse” is an important word in the context in which it is written, for, if something has to be aroused, it first has to be present. Our dog is aroused anytime someone opens the door, but for any arousing to take place, we must first have a dog. Thus, the following question begs an answer: When a person gives their life to Christ, what then happens to the dog inside? Is it put on a leash, is it spayed, so that it doesn’t breed other dogs, or is it permanently euthanized? 

If we have a correct understanding of the answer to this question, it will shed great light on our constant need of Divine power, so that we may be enabled to continue to live victoriously. The carnal elements in human nature lie dormant inside of every Christian, and are restrained and subdued solely by the power of Christ on an ongoing basis. Whenever that power is removed, or lacking for any reason, those latent tendencies can, and will be fanned into life, when the right set of circumstances are presented. This will occur regardless of what we believe.

Thus it was with David, whose devotional life had been waning for some time. His belief in Christ did not change when he saw Bathsheba. He was full of belief, but the vital power of Christ to restrain those latent tendencies was lacking, and therefore he fell a prey to temptation. And thus it will be with any Christian whose life is powered by belief alone. This is the reason why the following caution was written, especially for those of us who live in the last days of earth’s history, when satan is scheduled to redouble his efforts to cause millions to stumble. Let’s read:

Exodus 14:30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day  out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 
31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

1st Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased. 
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

To live by the faith of The Son of God is to believe in Him, and to depend totally upon Him, both for His Righteousness, and salvation, and His supernatural power to access both. And therefore, the following scriptural instructions are given in plain words, so that we may understand how this is done. 

[1] Believe. The beginning point is belief, for any relationship, whether with God or with man, must have this element at its core. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

But believing is never enough, because the scripture tells us that the devils also believe, and tremble. So it’s imperative that we move on to the next level:

[2] Choose. Joshua 24:15 Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

But even after the right choice is made, we would need raw power through the indwelling Christ, so that our choice can be materialized by His grace. In the gym, we’ve observed that oftentimes, there are those persons who may choose to do heavy lifting, and like the fox, with the three little piggies, they huff, and they puff, to blow your house down, but because their choice was not backed up with raw power, the weights did not even budge. And thus we must conclude that mere choice alone, is never sufficient to take us over the finish line. This takes us to the next level:

[3] Prayer. 
James 4:6 God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

1st Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

[4] Beholding. 
By beholding Christ through the study of His word, we are informed of His life, death, resurrection, His principles, methods, laws, and instructions, and His righteousness. And because we do not have the literal, physical Jesus to study, we will have to gain insights into His character from the Bible. Thus, any Christian who deliberately refuses to read and study the Bible will be overcome by temptation, sooner or later, for the knowledge of Christ is to be found in the scriptures, primarily. 

2nd Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

2nd Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,  for instruction in righteousness: 
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

During the Christmas season, millions of Christians will confess their belief in The Lord Jesus Christ, and some will be adamant about having scenes of the nativity, displayed in public, as a reminder of what He has done for us. This is all well and good, but the question is: Could it be that the vital power of Christ lacking in our experience? 

We will end with a well-known nursery rhyme that is often sung by younger Christians, but which also pertains to those who are older and mature in the truths of God’s word. And we hope and pray that in the coming new year, our energies will focus more on being and staying connected to the source of Power, rather than battling with a list of do’s and don’ts.
“Read your Bible pray every day and you will grow, grow, grow. Forget your Bible, forget to pray, and you will shrink, shrink, shrink! Think about it long and hard, and may God bless our efforts to seek His face, in the new year”. 

                                                                    God bless!

The Rich Rule Over The Poor. Sabbath Afternoon. 12/17/2016

In the book of James, the apostle speaks clearly of a situation that would materialize during the last days of earth’s history, which will affect all peoples living on the planet, of which Christians comprise about one third, out of approximately seven billion. It has to do with the rich ruling over the poor, and the sad effects which will certainly accrue, as his dire words of warning begin to take shape. Now, it is true, that for the most part, the rich have always ruled over the poor, but now, in a very special sense, it seems just about to take place at our front door. 

The Bible gives us some insight as to the gravity of the situation, and the context, for it points in no uncertain terms to the coming of the Son of Man. Let’s read:
James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 
2 Your riches are corrupted.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 
4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Isaiah 59:13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. 
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 
15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Therefore, it now behooves us to position ourselves preemptively, and intelligently, against the snares that are incident to the rich ruling over the poor. It is a fact that satan not only uses spiritual chains of lust, pride, and various other sins to take Christians captive, for he also specializes in financial chains to keep very many of us in bondage, with the intent of cutting a deal with his captives in the future, as we will explain later. Thus, we are cautioned not to be ignorant of his devices, lest we also be taken in the snares that are set for our feet. Let’s read:

[Our High Calling pp. 332] The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly treasure, and who have not cared to understand God's dealings with His people, will be ready victims. 

Question: How many billionaires, and millionaires have already been nominated to take the reins of control in the next administration?
Answer: [Bloomberg News Dec. 15, 2016] The first billionaire U.S. president has appointed two billionaires, and at least nine millionaires, with a combined net worth of about $5.6 billion to run government departments. 
Now, even though Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, yet we are still living on this planet, and thus, we should avoid being shackled with debt whenever and wherever it can be avoided. Godly prudence urges caution against spontaneous spending that is not thoroughly thought out, especially during the holiday season, when reason, and sound judgment are in danger of being tossed out the window. 

Thus, the study for this afternoon will expose three of the more common snares, that are most often employed by the rich, and we will bring the laws, principles, and instructions from the Bible to bear against them. We begin with the passage which contains the title for our study. Let’s read: 

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 

The word “Servant” refers to financial slavery which
infers that the servants must obey whatsoever their master says. But the rich do not hold sway over the poor arbitrarily, because, in our day, several well-laid, deep plots are set in motion, and in most cases it is only because the poorer classes succumb to the snares through choice, or sheer necessity, that they then become monetary slaves. Thus, the following is a list of the three prime suspects utilized by the rich, in bringing Christians, and non-believers alike into financial bondage.

[1] The poor are encouraged to borrow more than they can handle, need, or repay.

In the overwhelming majority of instances, when a person is suddenly given a lot more money than is actually needed, wanton, unnecessary spending is almost certain to take place. This particular snare proved to be both successful, and detrimental at the same time, during the financial meltdown of recent years, for some banking institutions, lenders and hedge-funds, strategically lent money to folks who they knew could not repay the loans. Then they bet against them, knowing that they would default on their mortgages, thus opening the way for evictions and foreclosures to take place. 

Thus, by so doing, the rich were able to pocket the poor’s initial down-payment, together with many months, or years of their mortgage payments, so when the poor defaulted, as was to be expected, the lenders would foreclose, collect the insurance against the home, and then turn around and sell it for a huge profit again. In fact, the situation got so bad that some lenders were actually upset at those who were paying their mortgages on time. Thus, it turned out to be a huge windfall for the rich, but a terrible windstorm for the poor, with many of them being reduced to financial slavery for the rest of their lives. 

The current promise to “Unleash wall-street banks” through deregulation, will again put the rich in the driver’s seat, with little recourse for the poor when they discover all too late that they have been taken captive in financial chains, and therefore must be subservient to the lenders. Let’s read:

[The Wall-Street Journal, Dec, 2007] The subprime-mortgage crisis has been a financial catastrophe for much of Wall Street. At Goldman Sachs Group Inc., thanks to a tiny group of traders, it has generated one of the biggest windfalls the securities industry has seen in years. The group's big bet that securities backed by risky home loans would fall in value generated nearly $4 billion of profits during the year ended Nov. 30, according to people familiar with the firm's finances.

On Tuesday, despite a terrible November and some of the worst market conditions in decades, analysts expect Goldman to report record net annual income of more than $11 billion. Mr. Lloyd Blankfein is set to be paid close to $70 million this year, according to one person familiar with the matter.

The instructions and cautions given in the Bible will serve as an effective bulwark against this snare, for God in His wisdom, has told us how we may avoid these pitfalls, through obedience to His word. Let’s read:

1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

In other words, the attitude of contentment will keep us from getting in over our heads with debt that we may not be able to repay. Before making any purchases, whether it be houses or lands, or gifts or bling, let’s consider carefully whether we will be able to repay in a timely manner. The habit of deliberately spending above our means, and then asking Christ to deliver us, is akin to presumption, and should be avoided like the plague. In addition, we should avoid borrowing just for borrowing sake, for the Bible teaches us to “Owe no man anything” Let’s read:

Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom.
8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 
30 Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.

[2] The poor are induced to indulge in impulsive buying.
This snare is particularly effective when there is a frenzy in the air, or when one-day deals, such as Black Friday, or Cyber Monday, or any of the major holidays are imminent. We should be very careful of succumbing to words, and phrases such as “Hurry”, “This sale won’t last”, “This is your last chance”, “Limited time offer”, “The first ten buyers” or “This sale ends at midnight” etc. Even if we purchased spontaneously, and really got a good deal, but did no prior planning to evaluate whether the item was a need, or something which would be profitable, we would have succumbed to the snare of impulsive buying.

Window shopping often makes covetousness legal, and a constant barrage of glittering advertisements often trigger impulsiveness, which then encourage many poor folk to incur unwarranted debt. If we must borrow to buy a gift, then it’s really not a gift, for it was purchased with someone else’s money, and if we do not repay the funds, then the gift was lent, not given, for we cannot give that which is not ours in the first place. 

For instance, when Christ gave to us eternal life He didn’t borrow it from The Father, to then give life to us. Christ gave us what is inherently His, and thus, we all should follow in His footsteps, whenever the issue of giving becomes warranted. Let’s read:

1st John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

[Evangelism pp.616] Christ shows that, although they might reckon His life to be less than fifty years, yet His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures. Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. “He that hath the Son hath life.” The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life.

[3] Fad, fashion, and insatiable desire to have the latest.
Here is where many Christians fall short, for many of us have become slaves to fashion and gadgets, to the point where our financial resources have been consumed by the rich. We have the latest I-Phone, the latest Jordan’s, the latest Samsung T.V., the latest model year vehicle, while our Bibles are ten years old, and in some instances gathering dust. To buy something just because we can afford to is not a good enough reason to make the purchase. 

God is going to call us to account as stewards, not only of the spiritual gifts he has lent us, but also of the temporal blessing of life He bestows. This scriptural teaching is brought to the light in the parable of the unfaithful steward, and in its context, deals primarily with how we dispense with all of the material goods, given to us by God. Let’s read:

Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Some of us Christians are under the impression that after we have worked, and receive our salaries, 10% belongs to God and the rest is ours to do as we very well pleased. Nothing can be further from the truth, because, after returning 10% plus offerings, the rest in its entirety belongs to Christ, to be used solely in harmony with His revealed will, not to splurge, nor to keep up with the Jones’s. This is one of the ways in which many are brought to financial ruin, since unbridled spending have characterized most of their actions. Let’s read:

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

The servant of the Lord has given us very timely counsel, by which we may avoid, or recuperate from the snare of debt. And if these counsels are faithfully adhered to, God is more than willing and able to enable us in our recovery, but we must be determined, deliberate, and consistent in following the guidance thus given. Let’s read:

[A.H pp 393>394] The world has a right to expect strict integrity in those who profess to be Bible Christians. By one man's indifference in regard to paying his just dues all our people are in danger of being regarded as unreliable. Be determined never to incur another debt. Deny yourself a thousand things rather than run in debt. Avoid it as you would the smallpox. Make a solemn covenant with God that by His blessing you will pay your debts and then owe no man anything.

Take care of the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves. Do not falter, be discouraged, or turn back. Deny your taste, deny the indulgence of appetite, save your pence, and pay your debts. Work them off as fast as possible. When you can stand forth a free man again, owing no man anything, you will have achieved a great victory.

We therefore end with a sobering caution from God who is more practical and down-to-earth in all His instructions than many of us may ever realize. After going to such lengths, to warn us, instruct us, and to make us wise, He expects that we will stand up and take notice, by obeying His word, since that is the only appropriate response that will be accepted. Let’s read:

Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; 
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. 

                                                                God bless!

The Issue Is Obedience. Sabbath Afternoon. 12/10/2016

The Bible teaches us that it’s quite possible for faith to be exercised, without corresponding works, but it would not meet God’s approval. Any, and all claims to be a Christian, without obedience to God’s will is a futile effort in religion, for our relationship with God is premised on our willingness to do whatever He says. There is now a form of Christianity that has been emerging for centuries, and has culminated in a religion that is full of praise, and professed faith in Christ, but permits its subscribers to do whatsoever is right in one’s own eyes. 

This brand of religion has now become so popular with the mainstream, that anyone, doing anything, in anyway at any time can now join the bandwagon. But the Bible teaches us that if God had to choose
praise and obedience, He will undoubtedly choose the latter, since praise minus obedience is equal to flattery. As Christians, we should avoid the snare of flattering God, by telling Him what He likes to hear, without obeying His word, for Christ declares such worship to be utter vanity. Let’s read:

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
In order that genuine faith in God be exercised, it must be followed up by obedience. Even in those mortal struggles against hereditary, and cultivated tendencies to evil, obedience to the word of God is necessary, even if our thoughts and desires conflict with what we know to be right, for at some point in time, Christ will grant us the victory, but we must walk in obedience to His revealed will, until every chain is broken. 

If David, and Samson had steadfastly resisted the unlawful desires of the flesh, they would not have fallen, even though their innermost thoughts were not in harmony with God’s revealed will. In His own time and way, God would have granted to them the complete victory, thus bringing their thoughts and desires into harmony with truth. With our personal experiences, we will find that at times our thoughts and desires are not in sync with “It is written”, but if we continue to obey Christ in spite of those internal conflicts, He will one day grant us complete victory. That is why we conclude that obedience that works by faith, and love, is the final, determining factor, when it comes to our relationship with Christ. But there are some lingering issues in the minds of the multitudes, pertaining to obedience, which need to be addressed, before we take up our case study for this evening.

Issue # [1] There are some who have taken offence to God for Him placing the tree of good, and evil in the midst of the Garden, and thus allowing it to be possible for our first parents to choose to eat from it. They overlook the fact that there may have been thousands upon thousands of other trees, including the tree of life, from which the pair could freely eat. But if God had placed the prohibition on a perfectly good tree, the same result would likely take place, for the issue is not about whether or not the tree was good for food; the issue back then was, and still is obedience.

Issue # [2] There are others who blame God for not revealing much more detailed information about the whereabouts and activities of satan. They argue that if his disguise as a serpent was made known, it would have greatly altered the outcome. However, more information does not always translate into more obedience. The surgeon general has posted the most, dire warnings about the link between so many cancers and cigarette smoking, yet the sale of tobacco continues to go through the roof. 

Indeed, if he were to put a skull, and two crossed bones on every pack, sales might actually increase. Thus, we conclude that obedience is not so much about the information given, but on our willingness to follow that which is good and right. 

Issue # [3] Then there are others who will only obey when it makes logical sense to do so. If science does not view an instruction from God as being feasible, then some may not be willing to step out in faith to
obey. This is especially true in our day where the theory of evolution encourages people to question everything, and believe nothing that cannot be first proved by humanistic theories and research in a lab. This last issue brings us to our case study pertaining to the issue of obedience.

An impotent man has been crippled for thirty-eight years, on account of his own sin, and yet he vainly endeavors to reach the pool at Bethesda, where it is believed that an angel comes down to trouble the waters at certain seasons, so that the first to jump in could be healed. Christ approaches the venue, He sees the man’s plight, and then asks the man a very simple, but straightforward question. Let’s read:

 John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

We observe that no formal introduction is given by Christ, about who He is and the supernatural power He possesses. He does not ask the man about his sin which is the root cause of his illness, nor does Jesus give any rational reason why His command should be obeyed. He does not ask the man to exercise any faith in Him. He just gives a simple instruction, and the result will hinge on whether, or not the crippled man will choose to obey. Now, there is a question pertaining to the issue of obedience which we must address before proceeding. Question: Why should the man obey in this instance?

Answer [1] He has nothing to lose, for he has been crippled for 38 years, so if Someone comes along and gives such an instruction, then, at least, it is
worth a try. Often, when we are at our lowest point the Lord may give us instructions in His word, and we should consider that we have nothing to lose by obeying His word. In many cases, it may not make sense, nor might it be based on scientific research, but if we obey anyway, the good results will accrue. 

Answer [2] It is a good command, in that it does not involve violating any known laws of God, so there is nothing to prevent the crippled man from obeying, with a clear conscience. He does not wait either, for hesitation could squash the blessing, as is often the case when we take too long to obey. He jumps to his feet, reaches for his bed, and in obedience, the strength that he needs is imparted, and the rest is history. But he looks around to thank the One who has healed him, and to his surprise, the Person is gone. Let’s read:

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

The determining factor was, and still is obedience, which leads us to observe carefully the following passage of scripture. 

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

[Patriarchs And Prophets. pp 148>152] In the obedience of faith, Abraham had forsaken his native country—had turned away from the graves of his fathers and the home of his kindred. He had wandered as a stranger in the land of his inheritance. He had waited long for the birth of the promised heir. At the command of God he had sent away his son Ishmael. And now, when the child so long desired was entering upon manhood, and the patriarch seemed able to discern the fruition of his hopes, a trial greater than all others was before him.

The command was expressed in words that must have wrung with anguish that father's heart: “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, ... and offer him there for a burnt offering.” Isaac was the light of his home, the solace of his old age, above all else the inheritor of the promised blessing. The loss of such a son by accident or disease would have been heart rending to the fond father; it would have bowed down his whitened head with grief; but he was commanded to shed the blood of that son with his own hand. 

It seemed to him a fearful impossibility. Satan was at hand to suggest that he must be deceived, for the divine law commands, “Thou shalt not kill,” and God would not require what He had once forbidden. Going outside his tent, Abraham looked up to the calm brightness of the unclouded heavens, and recalled the promise made nearly fifty years before, that his seed should be innumerable as the stars. If this promise was to be fulfilled through Isaac, how could he be put to death? Abraham was tempted to believe that he might be under a delusion. 
In his doubt and anguish he bowed upon the earth, and prayed, as he had never prayed before, for some confirmation of the command if he must perform this terrible duty. Darkness seemed to shut him in; but the command of God was sounding in his ears, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest.” That command must be obeyed, and he dared not delay. Day was approaching, and he must be on his journey.

Returning to his tent, he went to the place where Isaac lay sleeping the deep, untroubled sleep of youth and innocence. For a moment the father looked upon the dear face of his son, then turned tremblingly away. He went to the side of Sarah, who was also sleeping. Should he awaken her, that she might once more embrace her child? Should he tell her of God's requirement? He longed to unburden his heart to her, and share with her this terrible responsibility; but he was restrained by the fear that she might hinder him. 
Isaac was her joy and pride; her life was bound up in him, and the mother's love might refuse the sacrifice. Abraham at last summoned his son, telling him of the command to offer sacrifice upon a distant mountain. Isaac had often gone with his father to worship at some one of the various altars that marked his wanderings, and this summons excited no surprise. The preparations for the journey were quickly completed. The wood was made ready and put upon the ass, and with two menservants they set forth.

Side by side the father and the son journeyed in silence. The patriarch, pondering his heavy secret, had no heart for words. His thoughts were of the proud, fond mother, and the day when he should return to her alone. That day—the longest that Abraham had ever experienced—dragged slowly to its close. While his son and the young men were sleeping, he spent the night in prayer, still hoping that some heavenly messenger might come to say that the trial was enough, that the youth might return unharmed to his mother.

But no relief came to his tortured soul. Another long day, another night of humiliation and prayer, while ever the command that was to leave him childless was ringing in his ears. Satan was near to whisper doubts and unbelief, but Abraham resisted his suggestions. As they were about to begin the journey of the third day, the patriarch, looking northward, saw the promised sign, a cloud of glory hovering over Mount Moriah, and he knew that the voice which had spoken to him was from heaven.

Even now he did not murmur against God, but strengthened his soul by dwelling upon the evidences of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness. This son had been unexpectedly given; and had not He who bestowed the precious gift a right to recall His own? Then faith repeated the promise, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called”—a seed numberless as the grains of sand upon the shore. Isaac was the child of a miracle, and could not the power that gave him life restore it? 

Looking beyond that which was seen, Abraham grasped the divine word, “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.” Hebrews 11:19. Yet none but God could understand how great was the father's sacrifice in yielding up his son to death; Abraham desired that none but God should witness the parting scene. He bade his servants remain behind, saying, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” 

The wood was laid upon Isaac, the one to be offered, the father took the knife and the fire, and together they ascended toward the mountain summit, the young man silently wondering whence, so far from folds and flocks, the offering was to come. At last he spoke, “My father,” “behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Oh, what a test was this! How the endearing words, “my father,” pierced Abraham's heart! Not yet—he could not tell him now. “My son,” he said, “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”

At the appointed place they built the altar and laid the wood upon it. Then, with trembling voice, Abraham unfolded to his son the divine message. It was with terror and amazement that Isaac learned his fate, but he offered no resistance. He could have escaped his doom, had he chosen to do so; the grief-stricken old man, exhausted with the struggle of those three terrible days, could not have opposed the will of the vigorous youth. But Isaac had been trained from childhood to ready, trusting obedience, and as the purpose of God was opened before him, he yielded a willing submission. 

He was a sharer in Abraham's faith, and he felt that he was honored in being called to give his life as an offering to God. He tenderly seeks to lighten the father's grief, and encourages his nerveless hands to bind the cords that confine him to the altar. And now the last words of love are spoken, the last tears are shed, the last embrace is given. The father lifts the knife to slay his son, when suddenly his arm is stayed. An angel of God calls to the patriarch out of heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” He quickly answers, “Here am I,” And again the voice is heard, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.”

Some may be wondering why this story has been penned in the Bible, and why Abraham chose to obey, even if it involved a terrible ordeal. The fact is that in our day we hear a whole lot about praise, thanksgiving, and faith, but the issue of obedience is missing in most of today’s versions of Christianity.  A nominal type of faith, without the corresponding works has taken hold of the majority, and the truth has been watered down, so that hardly any sacrifice on our part is called for. 

The Sabbath of the fourth commandment requires that believers exercise their faith in Christ through obedience to His word, and all His commands, but unlike Abraham, and the impotent man, many folks chose not to obey God, even though the Sabbath commandment starts with the word “Remember”. Let’s read:

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. 
10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. 
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

And like the crippled man, there may be questions in our minds which need to be resolved, questions such as “Why should we obey? The same answers given in the crippled man’s experience of faith and obedience, will also apply to us in our day.

[1] We have nothing to lose.

Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

[2] It is a good command.

Exodus 20:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

A whole lot of stress and turbulence may be headed our way soon, and the developments in the spiritual and political realms may drive us to the very brink. It is in times like these, that God invites His people to rest, from worry and care, and labors and stress. If like Abraham, and the crippled man, our faith in God finds true exercise through obeying His word, then every promise in the Bible will be ours because they were given to those, who like Abraham, obey the voice of God. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages to rest by faith, and obedience to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Let’s read:

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

                       May God add His blessing to the study and practice of his word. 

                                                               God bless!

Confronting Issues Of Excess. Sabbath Afternoon. 12/03/2016

It is important for us to understand God’s will for us as it pertains to avoiding the excesses and extremes of the age. Almost every area of human existence is now tainted or corrupted by excess. From marriage to eating, and drinking, from sports to politics, from working to sleeping, and from seeing to texting. And in some cases even speaking in tongues is carried to excess, so that we find ourselves now living in an era of extremes. In most cases, it is the good things God has given to the human family, that are taken to excess, thus bringing upon ourselves, and on our posterity, untold hardship, and avoidable, adverse consequences. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

[Temperance. pp 138] Excessive indulgence in eating, drinking, sleeping, or seeing, is sin. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful, and to use judiciously that which is healthful. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.

[Mind, Character, Personality pp. 221] There is in itself no sin in eating and drinking or in marrying and giving in marriage. It was lawful to marry in the time of Noah, and it is lawful to marry now, if that which is lawful is properly treated and not carried to sinful excess. In Noah's day it was the inordinate, excessive love of that which in itself was lawful, when properly used, that made marriage sinful before God.

In order to avoid the sins associated with excess we would need to consider the following parameters. 

[1] Something must be lawful, meaning that it must first be approved by the word of God, for man shall live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Excesses are manifested when we presume to take unwarranted liberties in eating or drinking, or in any other activity for that matter. Indeed, the entire spectrum of human words, and actions come under the jurisdiction of temperance, and thus, it is true that a person can be intemperate in eating, as well as in sleeping.

[2] Something must be done in moderation in order for it to harmonize with God’s revealed will. This 2nd parameter also pertains to things which have been approved by the Lord. For instance, drinking pure water to excess is prohibited in the scriptures, even though water is very good for our bodies. Using that which is good in moderation, and avoiding entirely that which is harmful is the motto by which all of us temperance advocates, and practitioners should be guided.

[3] One cannot be temperate in using or doing that which is forbidden in the Bible, for such actions are founded on disobedience. For instance, there is a well-known caution, pertaining to the ingestion of alcoholic beverages which encourages us to “Drink responsibly”. This is nothing but an oxymoron, for we do not know how anyone can drink responsibly, when God has spoken quite decidedly against the practice. Drinking or doing something in moderation does not necessarily equate to license, because one may be tempted to drink cyanide “Responsibly”. In other words, if we do that which is forbidden, “In moderation” it will lead us to sin “In moderation”. Let’s read:

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Proverbs 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink.

In very many cases, that which is taken to excess is actually permitted under different circumstances in the scriptures. Almost all of the products on store shelves, in restaurants, and in nightclubs, have their origins in God, but have been severely perverted to suit man’s carnal desires. As a matter of fact, those products derived from the grape are now used both at Hooters, and the communion table. It all depends on whether the product is being used in harmony with God’s revealed will. Let’s read:

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.

Among some of these "Good gifts", which pertain to diet are sugar, salt, and fat. None of these products were invented by man, for they all have their source and origins in "The Father". Now, some people may ask why are these good things so often demonized by some in the health industry. It all has to do with being temperate in all things that are good, in and of themselves, and using the products in harmony with God's revealed will. For instance, when honey is used in moderation, it can be a blessing. But if it's use is taken to excess, it will cause very much harm. Let's read: 

Proverbs 24:13 "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste"... 
Proverbs 25:16 "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it".

The same is true of the products of the vine, which are rich in antioxidants. The various kinds of grapes which are used in the wine industry can be safely ingested in moderation, without the fermentation. Christ has no problem whatsoever with grapes, and neither should we because it is He who made them. However, He has a problem with the alcohol which is the unscriptural element in wine. The alcohol and fermentation make that which is inherently good to be adverse in it’s effects on the human organism, which is the equivalent of eating from the tree of good and evil. 

If something good gets juxtaposed with something bad, it does not give the bad product credence, but instead, renders the package more dangerous as it is likely to be taken unawares. Pork chops, shrimp, and oysters are often served with salad, but those veggies do not validate the shrimp as an acceptable article of food. Many years ago Tylenol was laced with cyanide, and some folks died as a result. Just because the cyanide was connected to Tylenol did not make it acceptable, as the record clearly shows. 

The same is true of spirituous liquors. Folks will get their antioxidants for sure, but they will also get impaired judgment, slower reaction times, and liver damage because of the fermented alcohol. Yet, if the juice of the grape is ingested along scriptural guidelines, no harm whatsoever will be done. As a matter of fact, even Jesus Christ looked forward to drinking the unfermented juice of the grape, after we have been resettled in heaven. Furthermore, the scriptures plainly state that there is a blessing in the grape. Let’s read:

Matthew 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Isaiah 65:8 Thus saith the Lord, the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it”…

Thus, we owe it to ourselves and our posterity to observe the various ways that the excesses of the day may cause us to violate the laws governing our physical being, with the sole intention of taking the appropriate steps to remedy the situation wherever it may be affecting us adversely. We are going to touch on areas where most people may not think that excesses do occur. The scriptural guidelines will give us the balance we need, so that we can safely partake of, or participate in the following activities.

[1] Excesses in working: The word is clear; working is good, and mandated in the scriptures, for in the New testament, it is written that he who refuses to work, should not eat. However, as with everything good that God has given, our working should not be taken to excess, because the deleterious effects will accrue. Periods of hard work should be followed by periods of sufficient rest in order that God-ordained work may be a blessing, and not a curse. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 

Mark 6:31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 

[2] Excesses in sleeping: Like work, sleep can serve a beneficial purpose, and is absolutely necessary for recuperation and rejuvenation. But like excessive work, too much sleep can rob us of valuable time, which can be spent in productive activities. Even the physical rest, which so many Sabbath-keepers look forward to over the sacred hours, should not be taken to excess, since one of Christ’s busiest days while here on earth, was the Sabbath. Planning to sleep in late on Sabbath morning, to come just in time for divine hour, probably contributed to the untimely demise of Sapphira, who should have been in Sabbath school.

Proverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

[The Youth’s Instructor. March 1879] It is a sad failing with many that they are always behind time on Sabbath morning. They are very particular about their own time, they cannot afford to lose an hour of that; but the Lord's time, the only day out of the seven that the Lord claims as his, and requires us to devote to him, quite a portion of this is squandered away by sleeping late in the morning. In this they are robbing God. It causes them to be behind in everything. Have your preparations all made the day before, and come promptly to the Sabbath-school, and you will thereby not only benefit others, but you will reap rich blessings for yourselves.

[4] Excesses in shopping. It’s Christmas time again folks, and “Santa Claws” is coming to town. Now, while it is true that giving to others is a good thing, at any time, we should also bear in mind that our shopping must not be taken to excess. God does not want us to “shop till we drop” even if it is with the intention of doing good to others. It is a fact that, with the onset of the Yuletide season, the spirit of excess seems to permeate the atmosphere, and the items which we previously classified as mere wants, can suddenly become our most urgent needs.

This is especially true when “window shopping”, for the many items which we did without all year, can suddenly morph into “Must haves”, lest we die. So here are three passages of scripture which contain cautions, admonitions, and instructions, which can keep us from “Scratching” our heads come January, when the bills from inordinate spending may begin to come due. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance  with increase: this is also vanity.

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred rom the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things.

In closing, it is the will of God, that every good and perfect gift given to us, be used with discretion born of an intelligent understanding of the principles and laws of His kingdom, for if we diligently follow the instructions given, our feet may never stumble in the paths of vain regrets. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encapsulates the way in which the excesses of our day may be avoided. Let’s read:

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 
4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
21 Let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

                                                               God bless!

Learning To Walk By Faith. Sabbath afternoon. 11/19/2016

Because of the tectonic shift in the political and secular world, it has now become necessary for true Christians to learn to walk entirely by faith, without the many props society has now made available. In times past it was quite easy to speak of having faith in Christ, because the secular world offered many “safety nets” to God’s promises, and because of this the Biblical concept of walking by faith had become pretty blurred. But now, as the proverbial carpet is being pulled from under our feet, and the various man-made systems we once trusted in now begin to crumble, we will need an experience with God like never before, trusting Him for everything, on a day to day basis, including our most basic needs. 

A person does not wake up one morning and start to walk by faith in God, for as stated before, on this forum, it takes time, and it takes practice. In other words, Christ being the first, and only Resource we turn to in times of dire need and difficulty, does not happen overnight, but is instead a deep, substantive ongoing development of trusting in God in all of our ways. In fact, there is a world of difference between waiting on God in humble confidence and patience, with a cheerful attitude, and waiting on Him in a nervous anticipation; fretting, murmuring, and impatient at any apparent delay. And there’s a valid reason why we need to learn to walk by faith in God alone. Let’s read: 

The Great Controversy. pp 621>622] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger,—a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of Satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test, they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected, they will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.

In the days of Samuel, king Saul, was told to wait on God’s presence, and guidance through His servant, and he did wait, but his attitude whilst doing so did not savor of faith, but rather of resentment. This was made clear, when after waiting for the stated seven days, he immediately instituted plan “B”, a sure sign that he had given himself up to frustration and murmuring. Waiting on Christ with the right attitude will enable us to refuse any semblance of  plan “B”, even if God does not come through at the appointed times, or in stipulated ways. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. 
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 
7 As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

Several questions arise out of this episode with Saul, and the answers have direct application and meaning for us, whenever we may be faced with personal, or national emergencies. There were issues that Saul must deal with in the absence of Samuel, such as the many desertions of his infantry, foreboding premonitions on account of the massive army he was facing, the unexplained delay of the prophet, and the utter discouragement of the army because of fear. 

What then was Saul supposed to do in such a dire situation, and what are we to do when we may be facing a serious crisis, which may have devastating consequences? It all has to do with our freedom to choose, for there are some things God cannot do for us. At times like these, we can choose to dwell on God’s goodness towards us in times past, by recounting the numerous occasions when He came through for us. Or, we can choose to dwell on the crisis of the moment, allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed with what we cannot change, and murmuring in our hearts about God’s ways, the whys and the whens. Let’s read: 

[Last day Events pp 72] We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.

The choice is ours, but one thing is certain, God will never force us to have a cheerful spirit. However, if we choose to extol His goodness, and His blessings towards us, then the stage will be set for a marked deliverance of no ordinary character, and therefore, what once seemed to be a defeat, will instead be a learning curve, where our faith in God will become more firmly established.

Thus, we will read an overview of the experiences of the Hebrews, which is to serve as a template for our own experiences in learning to walk by faith with The Lord. As they leave Egypt, and begin their journey through the desert, several opportunities to learn the all-important process of walking by faith are granted them, but sadly, in the overwhelming majority of instances, they fail to trust in The Lord, instead, looking to a mere mortal man to solve their problems, and to supply their most urgent needs. This past election cycle was too reminiscent of the Hebrew experiences, for many in the Christian, and evangelical world turned to a mortal man with their anxiety, and concerns, instead of trusting in Christ, our invisible Leader.

There were two main areas of grave concern, which provided ample opportunity on several occasions for the Hebrews to learn how to walk by faith.

 [1] Personal, and national security.

Exodus 14:9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. 
11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

[2] Food.
Exodus 16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 
4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

The Hebrews kept reminiscing on their past life in Egyptian bondage, instead of rejoicing over the great deliverance God had wrought for them. When Christ has set us free from the shackles of sin, it is never a good idea to keep referencing our past lives outside of Christ, for the old life pales in comparison with the new life in Jesus. In other words, we should never look backward, but forward, and even though trials may thicken around us, yet the very thought of being made free in Christ, should eclipse any and every challenge which may arise.

Another problem which often arose amongst the Hebrews was their tendency to look to Moses and Aaron, instead of to God. Hence the reason why at every change of fortune, they kept blaming them. If as Christians we become entangled in the snares of looking to mortal man, and secular leaders for the answers to our most pressing problems, then the process of learning to walk by faith will inevitably become severely inhibited. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Learning to walk by faith therefore, involves one of the most fundamental questions pertaining to our survival on this planet in times of national adversity, or extreme personal emergency. And that question is “What do we do when our backs are up against a wall? Do we turn to God with all our hearts and wait patiently, and cheerfully for His deliverance? Or do we take matters into our own hands, looking for man-made solutions, and only turning to God for help when we have no other choice. In other words, is God our first Resource, or our last resort?

Our answers to these questions will make all the difference, and thus, in the following exposition on the wilderness experience of the Hebrews, several pitfalls will be highlighted, which should serve as beacons of warning to us in our own wilderness experiences. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets. pp 292>294] They had not as yet suffered from hunger; their present wants were supplied, but they feared for the future. They could not understand how these vast multitudes were to subsist in their travels through the wilderness, and in imagination they saw their children famishing. The Lord permitted difficulties to surround them, and their supply of food to be cut short, that their hearts might turn to Him who had hitherto been their Deliverer.

If in their want they would call upon Him, He would still grant them manifest tokens of His love and care. He had promised that if they would obey His commandments, no disease should come upon them, and it was sinful unbelief on their part to anticipate that they or their children might die for hunger. God had promised to be their God, to take them to Himself as a people, and to lead them to a large and good land; but they were ready to faint at every obstacle encountered in the way to that land. They were unwilling to trust the Lord any further than they could witness the continual evidences of His power. 

They forgot their bitter service in Egypt. They forgot the goodness and power of God displayed in their behalf in their deliverance from bondage. They forgot how their children had been spared when the destroying angel slew all the first-born of Egypt. They forgot the grand exhibition of divine power at the Red Sea. They forgot that while they had crossed safely in the path that had been opened for them, the armies of their enemies, attempting to follow them, had been overwhelmed by the waters of the sea. 

They saw and felt only their present inconveniences and trials; and instead of saying, “God has done great things for us”, they talked of the hardness of the way and wondered when their weary pilgrimage would end. The history of the wilderness life of Israel was chronicled for the benefit of the Israel of God to the close of time. The record of God's dealings with the wanderers of the desert in all their marchings to and fro, in their exposure to hunger, thirst, and weariness, and in the striking manifestations of His power for their relief, is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in all ages.

The varied experience of the Hebrews was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan. Many look back to the Israelites, and marvel at their unbelief and murmuring, feeling that they themselves would not have been so ungrateful; but when their faith is tested, even by little trials, they manifest no more faith or patience than did ancient Israel. 

When brought into strait places, they murmur at the process by which God has chosen to purify them. Though their present needs are supplied, many are unwilling to trust God for the future, and they are in constant anxiety lest poverty shall come upon them, and their children shall be left to suffer. Some are always anticipating evil or magnifying the difficulties that really exist, so that their eyes are blinded to the many blessings which demand their gratitude. 

The obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God, the only Source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining. Do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we be ungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend; all heaven is interested in our welfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We should not indulge in a solicitude that only frets and wears us, but does not help us to bear trials.

No place should be given to that distrust of God which leads us to make a preparation against future want the chief pursuit of life, as though our happiness consisted in these earthly things. It is not the will of God that His people should be weighed down with care.

We therefore end with a passage of scripture which can enable us to walk by faith, and it is the will of God, that in every situation, or experience that may test us, that we will turn to Christ first, for faith that is not tested cannot be trusted. Let’s read:

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
                                                                 God bless!

Render Unto Caesar. Sabbath Afternoon. 11/12/2016.

Because of the unprecedented upset which took place on Tuesday, it’s in order that we give an explanation of how we came to our analysis, in predicting a potential landslide win for Hillary Clinton. The Bibles teaches us to study patterns in history, since they are often repeated, a fact that is clearly stated in Ecclesiastes 1:9&10. Thus, after observation of several occurrences in the Bible, together with was obviously taking shape in the political realm, we were moved to raise a note of warning, since the agenda of the now defeated Hillary, tended to greatly exacerbate the moral decline we are in. 

This, put together with the Vatican’s favoring of the democratic agenda, increased our concern that we could be on the brink of a tectonic shift to life, as we know it. Thus, as watchdogs on the walls of Zion, it is our duty to bark if we see two wolves coming. A faithful watchdog will bark, even when friend or foe may be approaching, but he will leave the work of telling the difference to the owner. 

Therefore, if we see someone approaching, who has an agenda that could have greatly accelerated the moral decline of the nation, in addition to the many verses which speak about the interaction between Jezebel and Elijah, we would have been moved to say something. However, because the issue was one in the temporal realm, and had no salvific value, then it was in order for us not to make unequivocal statements, and wherever we did, we apologize for the conclusions reached, and any inconveniences caused. 

Thus it is in order for us to review briefly, what was actually said in the Bible study entitled “Women from beginning to end” in which we then treated extensively on the subject in question. Here is the brief excerpt of which we are speaking: Video. From 55:06>57:15.

And speaking of conclusions, there is not one true student of the scriptures who has been 100% in his or her analysis every time. From Abraham to Moses, from Samuel to Jonah, from John the Baptist to the disciples, and on to William miller, not a single person has always been 100% correct in their Biblical conclusions, however, our faith is not based upon conclusions, but rather on a Person, even Jesus Christ, and even though our conclusions may not materialize every time, yet, it is the will of God that we should keep pressing forward in faith. Let’s read:

The Desire Of Ages. pp 215>216] Like the Savior's disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of David; and as time passed, and the Savior made no claim to kingly authority, John became perplexed and troubled. And now from his dungeon he watched for the Lion of the tribe of Judah to cast down the pride of the oppressor, and to deliver the poor and him that cried. But Jesus seemed to content Himself with gathering disciples about Him, and healing and teaching the people. 

He was eating at the tables of the publicans, while every day the Roman yoke rested more heavily upon Israel, while King Herod and his vile paramour worked their will, and the cries of the poor and suffering went up to heaven. To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the long-hoped-for Deliverer had not yet appeared? Then what meant the message that he himself had been impelled to bear?

Having said that, there are now issues of grave concern facing the nation, and we will have much more to think about, as the new policies and laws take effect. Christ has taught us not to worry about tomorrow, but He has also stated in the old and new Testaments, that perilous times will come. In Daniel He speaks of a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, and it may be, that the social unrest we have been witnessing is just the tip of the iceberg. However, we must be able to adapt to changing circumstances, which leads us to the Bible study for this afternoon: “Render unto Caesar”.
                             
The last few days have been quite disturbing on several fronts, and it is in order for us to address the obvious concerns that have been raised with the upset victory of Donald Trump. Even though Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, yet we are still living on this planet, and the developments of the past week will directly affect us, in one way or another. Thus, we have a God-ordained duty to re-examine our relation to “Caesar”, since we all must deal with him sooner or later. And because of this, there are certain fundamentals we must clearly understand as it pertains to our civic duties and responsibilities.

[1] God is the final arbitrator in the setting up, and the dismantling of the kingdoms of this world, and as such, we must abide by the choices He makes, or the permissions He grants. Let’s read:

Daniel 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings.
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

[2] Not because God has chosen a person to rule, means that everything he does will be in harmony with God’s will. There are instances in history, when in order to accomplish His good purposes towards His people, He has allowed tyrants to rule. This is one of the more sensitive aspects of God’s choices, which may often baffle some, but from which the Christian is to take courage, knowing that all things work together for the good of His people. Let’s read:

Exodus 9:13 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 
14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 
16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

1st Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 
5 And said unto him, make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
14 He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

With these two fundamentals in mind, we now turn to address our civic duties, and responsibilities to Caesar, even if he is as stubborn as pharaoh, or as rebellious as Saul. Great changes will be coming our way soon, and we will have to adapt to the varying circumstances as they unfold, whilst still adhering to the instructions of the Bible. We will also discover that obeying the word of God in a less than ideal situation is easier said than done, for it will require great faith as we move forward. Thus, the following is a list, or general overview of what some of those duties will entail. Let’s read:

[1] As Christians, we should pray for those who are in civil authority, who have been duly elected, by the will of God, and by the people. Protesting and rioting will not change the fact, and these activities will also tend to further ignite an already volatile situation. That’s why we should pray for the secular leaders, that God’s will may be done through them, and that they may be restrained from enacting the oppressive laws that will have adverse effects on the nation. Let’s read:
1st Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

[2] Christians should submit to duly elected leaders in obeying the laws of the land, whenever they do not directly conflict with the law of God. This issue will become very sensitive as we have already seen, because, some of the laws passed recently in 2015 have been catalysts in the moral decay of the fabric of society. Yet, if these laws do not force us to do evil, we should abide by them, even if we personally disagree from a scriptural perspective. Let’s read:
Romans 8:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 
6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear
to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Matthew 23: 1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
[3] When the laws of Caesar may attempt to force us into disobeying God’s express command, then we should obey God rather than men, because we must answer to a higher authority than mortal man. For instance, when we are forbidden to preach certain truths, or when false worship is being urged upon us then, civil disobedience, in a meek and quiet spirit is the only option on the table, for God must at all times, have the preeminence in our thoughts and actions. Let’s read:

Acts 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Daniel 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
[Selected messages 3 pp. 424] The Lord of heaven permits the world to choose whom they will have as ruler. Let all read carefully the thirteenth chapter of Revelation for it concerns every human agent, great and small. Every human being must take sides, either for the true and living God, who has given to the world the memorial of Creation in the seventh-day Sabbath, or for a false Sabbath, instituted by men who have exalted themselves above all that is called God or that is worshiped, who have taken upon themselves the attributes of Satan, in oppressing the loyal and true who keep the commandments of God. 

It's very important then for us rise to the occasion, by using the few remaining moments of time to finish the work God has given us to do. We are not to fear, nor falter, for God knows what He is doing, and in the end, after the dust settles, it will be seen that His good purposes together with the fulfillment of those prophecies in Daniel and the Revelation are some of the reasons why He permitted such a stunning upset. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which should encourage us to be faithful, in a time of upheaval and change. Let’s read:

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

                                                                      God bless!