testimony

I Was a Mess

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My name is Frank Samuels. I am 84 years old. Twenty years ago, I was out in the world and was a real mess.

When I was about 20, I joined the military and took part in all of the bad things that a lot of young, single soldiers do when they get away from home for the first time. I was drinking regularly and truly “out in the world.” I’m really ashamed of the things I did then.

After I got out of the military, I married and had a family. Later, I separated from my wife and had a girlfriend. I was drinking and doing all sorts of things that no true Christian should ever do. One night I had a dream that I was climbing up a big mountain. Before I got to the top, I slipped off and started falling. I thought I was going to die, but a voice said to me, “No, you’re not. You’ll be okay.” I landed on what felt like a soft pillow. I know now that it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me.

I ended up breaking up with the woman I was going with and told her that we were through. She didn’t believe me at first, but I knew that I was doing wrong and that I needed to stop.

I was going to rent a place in Manhattan, but something told me not to rent there; so I moved to the Bronx instead. After settling in, I started going to the senior center nearby. A lady working in the kitchen asked me if I ever went to church. I told her that when I was a kid, my mother always took me to Sunday school and church, but when I was 18, I stopped going and started drinking and doing all sorts of worldly things. As I said, I was a mess.

This lady then told me that Saturday, the seventh day, was the true Sabbath, not Sunday. I was surprised. I had never heard that before. She told me that she was a Seventh-day Adventist. I told her I had never heard of Seventh-day Adventists, so she gave me a little booklet to read. I don’t remember what it was, but over time, she gave me several other little booklets. I read them all and decided that Saturday really is the true Sabbath.

I stopped drinking and all of my sinful behavior. My family told me that my conversion was only temporary and that within a year, I would be back to doing all the bad things I had given up.

Well, it’s been over 20 years, and I’m still keeping the seventh-day Sabbath and trying to live right.

God is good. If He can take someone as steeped in sin as I was and give me a new heart, He can do it with anyone.

Frank Samuels

Bronx, NY

Testimony – On Hearing His Voice

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It was my fourth…DUI. The officers cancelled my driver’s license on the spot and removed the license plates from my vehicle. I walked to a nearby motel and checked in. I was despondent beyond words. I could not believe what had just happened to me. It seemed I had no control over my urge to drink and would, without a thought, put myself and others at risk in the process of doing so. I could not stop even though I had been through treatment three or four times over the last 20 years.

I had grown up a Seventh-day Adventist. I knew the truth. I had an Adventist education and when I was in my late teens, I had surrendered my life to Christ and been baptized, but somehow through the years I had lost my hold on Jesus and drifted away. I had attempted to return to Him several times, but the devil always had a foothold in my life and sucked me back into his service. Now alcohol had become my “best friend” and master.

While sitting on the bed in the motel and looking at my hopeless and miserable life, I decided I had no reason to live. Death seemed like a welcome release from my pain. I overdosed on some of my medications hoping never to wake up and then made a noose with my belt and cinched it around my neck as hard as I could wondering how I could hang myself in the motel room. Needless to say, I eventually fell asleep and woke up the next morning. How I wished I hadn’t.

That morning I began pacing the room and wondering what to do. My mind was a buzz with dejected thoughts. I was filled with shame and guilt and misery and hopelessness. Finally, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to I half-heartedly asked God for help … not expecting an answer, given my life of sin in the face of knowing better.

Suddenly, somehow through my gloomy wretched thoughts, I heard the voice of God speaking to my heart. I knew it was Him. I had heard that voice before. He told me that He could and would help me, but I had to be willing to give up some things. What did He ask me to give up?  Well, alcohol, of course, but also caffeine and nicotine. I also had to turn over my money to a trusted friend or relative along with my phone and the keys to my vehicle. I needed to move away from the town I was living in and move in with or by family that loved me and were faithful SDA’s.

Just a few moments after I heard God’s proposal, I went to my knees and emphatically and without reservation agreed to His requests and surrendered my life to Jesus. I held nothing back. Jesus was my only hope, and I knew it and I put my all on the altar.

This experience is described in Matthew 18:8, 9 where Jesus says, “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” I felt I was cutting off a hand and plucking out an eye, but I did so with the utmost determination. My present and future life depended on it.

In my surrender to Jesus, I began confessing my many sins and asking for His forgiveness. I had to have a new heart and a new life. “Therefore if any man (any man! including me!) be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things (All Things! all my “things” were as “filthy rags”) are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Here is another description of my experience found in Ezekiel 36:24–29, last part: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 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. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses.”

To this day I can hardly believe the transformation that has taken place in my heart and life from that moment till now. I got up from my knees feeling I was a new man.  My desire for drink and other chemicals left me. I had peace and hope and joy in my heart and felt a cleansing process had begun in my life. Jeremiah 4:14 says, “Wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.” I continue that washing and cleansing daily now. I had a conversion, but I need that conversion experience daily yea, hour by hour. Now my greatest joy is Jesus and by the eye of faith I want to see Him standing over me as I drink in His word, discern His presence as I go about my day. I want His companionship more and more and to be like Him in every way.  I still feel my sinfulness. I still bemoan the contrast of my life with the life of my Savior, but I am on His narrow way headed for a home in heaven.

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). I am so happy I have a complete sin-pardoning Savior who can take away my sin. I don’t want to serve sin and the devil. I’ve done so long enough. Moses chose rather to “suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25) and I want to make that choice too. I am not interested in a gospel that does not take away my sin. I want complete victory, not a partial victory over my sins. “Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Oh how much I want to remain “in Him” and He in me.

How about you dear friend? Do you have a “sin which doth so easily beset” you (Hebrews 12:1)? Are your promises to “quit” like the proverbial “ropes of sand”? I’ve been there. I know what that is like. I have been in the miry pit with a sense of hopelessness crushing me. I stand with Paul feeling I am among the “chief” of sinners. But Paul says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He saved me. He saved even me! He can do the same for you. You may feel like surrender is like cutting off an arm or plucking out an eye, but I tell you it is SO worth it! Heaven is cheap enough! Don’t delay. If you have not done so already, why not make that decision, the decision to place your all on the altar. Let Jesus take away your sin, all of your sin, and begin a new life with Him today! He loves you. He is waiting and longing to embrace you and cleanse and heal your heart and mind so you may “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

I am still leaving my money and phone and keys in the hands of someone I am with daily and trust. I can use them when I need to, of course, but I am with someone when I do. It may be that for me I will need this safeguard till Jesus comes. That is fine with me. These have been stumbling blocks to me. If I have Jesus, I am happy and content and need nothing more.

Timothy Rittenour is a retired ER Physician living in Minnesota. He is the father of five children, two of whom are missionaries in Africa.

Testimony – “Down Under”

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September to November is springtime in New Zealand and I had the privilege of visiting there during part of September and October 2019, through an invitation from Brother Evan Sadler.

My flight landed in Auckland that morning and I was picked up at 11:00 AM by Brother Bretton from Hope International. It was very interesting to see the countryside, all those rolling green hills and the wild sheep and goats. Of course, you know New Zealanders drive on the “wrong” side of the road. The driver side is on our passenger side as well. The trip from the airport took four hours to arrive in a little town called Ohura, where Hope International is situated.

I had always thought that New Zealand was one long island, but it is two separate islands: North Island and South Island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

“New Zealand sits on two tectonic plates – the Pacific and the Australian. Fifteen of these gigantic moving chunks of crust make up the Earth’s surface. The North Island and some parts of the South Island sit on the Australian Plate, while the rest of the South Island sits on the Pacific. Because these plates are constantly shifting and grinding into each other, New Zealand gets a lot of geological action.”

www.newzealand.com/us/feature/new-zealand-geography-and-geology/

I learned a little more of its geology while visiting and it amazed me how those islands just sit there above water and are not overrun by the ocean. Then I have to stop, recalling this verse: “And [the Lord] said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed” (Job 38:11), and realize that God is not only in control of our world, but of the entire universe!

Hope International, New Zealand, now provides health evangelism, not only to the surrounding villagers, but to others outside of that area who want to change their lifestyle and receive help for their medical conditions. While I was visiting, Hope was revising one area of their buildings to accommodate more solid guest rooms and treatment rooms to adequately serve the public. This complex was previously a minimum-security prison and when Ohura’s economy died down and the prison was moved, it was no longer being used for that purpose. By God’s grace, when it became available, Brother Sadler was able to purchase it. The complex is ideally situated where the surrounding hillsides and peaceful neighborhood far from the hustle and bustle of city life, allows patients to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

Along with health lectures, some of the treatments provided by the clinic are massage, sweat baths, detox, and colon cleansing. The faithful staff who provide the lectures are Sala & Akapusi (from Fiji) and Natalie (Great Britain) just to name a few, and there are others who provide meals for the guests, clean the rooms on their departure and look after the comfort of the guests. Just this past week I received a text from Sala who said the team was preparing for about 20 people who were coming to do their program.

Praise God for His faithful workers who are doing their part in the medical missionary field. Let us remember to keep these brothers and sisters in prayer, because the enemy is sure to do his utmost to prevent this health message from being preached even in New Zealand.

God’s Saving Power

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War is a terrible way to settle problems between nations, for it often results in the deaths of millions of innocent people.  World War II was historically the bloodiest war ever. Today, there are more wars than ever.

My name is Gregg Richards. I am a teacher in a small Seventh-day Adventist group in Bishop, California. This is the story about a member of our small group who was a Navy fighter pilot in WW II. His name is Bob Hambley.

Bob is 98 years of age; he lives by himself and still drives. He joined the Navy to do his part in saving our country from the invasion of the Japanese and the Germans. Bob was 20 years old when he joined the military. He had never been exposed to God then, but he now knows that without God‘s intervention, he would have died at the age of 22. The following statements are just some of the dangers he faced as a fighter pilot. He has three fighter planes at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and one he had to bail out of over land. He gives full credit to our great Saviour, because he knows that without God’s intervention he would never have seen tomorrow. Written in his own words, Bob describes just a couple of the difficult situations he had to face.

Pilot Eject

Graduation Day was only two weeks away when we would receive our Gold Wings and Commission as Ensigns in the United States Naval Reserve. Some of us, however, had to make up two hours of night flying in order to fulfill graduation requirements.

Two of us took off about 9:00 pm and flew in formation for the required time and then were preparing to land at the airbase. I wiggled my wings as a sign that I was going to leave the formation and drop down from 3,000 feet to 800 feet and enter the traffic pattern. The other pilot was to stay at his altitude and make a 360-degree turn leaving sufficient space between our two planes so as to eliminate any mid-air collisions.

As I entered the traffic pattern at 800 feet, I was suddenly hit by the pilot who was supposed to have stayed up to prevent such an accident. When he hit my plane, I couldn’t imagine what had happened. I knew I was in a dangerous situation. The other pilot told me sometime later, that he fell sound asleep and when he hit my plane, he said he could see me in the cockpit and could even see my instrument panel. He instantly hit his release button and bailed out. We were the only two aircraft flying in the area at this hour, with the whole sky to ourselves. The odds of having such an accident were astronomical.

Realizing the perilous condition I found myself in, I knew I had to leave the plane instantly, so I released my seat belts and it felt like an arm lifted me right out of the cockpit. I reached for my ripcord but could not find it. After about three grabs, I pulled the ripcord and heard a pop, but I was swinging so far out that I feared all of the air would come out of the parachute and I would drop without it. I pulled on one of the shroud lines to stop the swinging and then I hit the ground. I remember when I hit the ground that I did a tuck and roll which is what we were taught to do in parachute school, but I did this automatically without thinking and wound up lying on my back. Looking at the stars above me I realized that I had been saved from certain death.

I lay there for a moment contemplating what had just happened and realized that God was the only answer to my still being alive. One minute I was safely flying my airplane and getting ready to land and five or six minutes later, I am lying on the ground without a scratch. I hit the ground about as hard as a mother would lay her baby in its crib. I did not land in a cactus patch, on a tree, or on a rooftop or any other hazardous terrain, but just where my Savior wanted me to land. I did not know what the surrounding territory was like because it was so dark, so I knelt and gave a prayer of thanks to God, who at that time I did not know.

In the distance I heard a cry for help. Now I knew that my fellow pilot had survived the collision, so I called and kept calling for him to answer so I could find my way to where he was. When I found him, he was laying on his back and I told him not to move until I could see if he had broken bones or in any way was not able to move. He also had not been injured; so I helped him get up and he asked me, “What are we going to do now?”

In the distance we could see a big search light. It was our airbase. It was about 1:00 in the morning and they were waiting for us to come home. We started walking in that direction and after walking some distance, we heard the barking of a very large dog; so we knew there would be a home nearby. We just hoped that the dog was chained. We went to the house and knocked on the door and the man who answered had heard the collision. I asked if we could use his telephone to call the base. He did not have a telephone, but had a car and was willing to drive us to town where we could find a telephone. By then it was about 2:00 in the morning. After we contacted the base, a jeep was sent to pick us up.

The next morning, we were required to fly for one hour to be sure we were not affected by the collision in any way. We both passed the test and could now look forward to receiving our Gold Wings and Commission and to continue whatever assignment was ahead. We were looking forward to flying real fighter planes, whereas before we were flying advanced trainers. After graduation, I never again saw or heard from the pilot who had crashed into my plane.

Drama in the Storm

One of several other life and death experiences I had was when I was assigned to Melbourne, Florida, after coming back from overseas. I was to train four new ensigns and two instructors in Advanced Combat Training. None of the six had ever flown a real Navy fighter plane and we were going to train on the new Grumman Hellcat. My job was to familiarize them with navigation, gunnery and all the other things that a fighter pilot needed to know before going into combat.

One day, I had my group in the Gulf of Mexico and we were practicing making runs on a target that was towed by an airplane and learning the different approaches in confronting the enemy. My plane began to have engine problems; so I picked up my microphone and told my group to continue practicing the drills and that I would be back as soon as possible. When I landed at the airbase, I told one of the mechanics that I needed another plane and that my group was practicing in the Gulf and I needed to get back to them. He pointed to a Hellcat that was ready to go, so I jumped in and took off heading to the Gulf to join up with my group. Suddenly a terrific storm came up in the Gulf and all planes were to return to the base as soon as possible. This storm was one of the most severe I had ever encountered with lightning, thunder, and tremendously heavy rain and wind. I turned back toward the base and knew that if I flew east, I would hit the coast of Florida and then north to my base.

The Biscayne Highway goes from Maine to Miami and has four lanes traveling north and four lanes travelling south. This highway is located right along the east coast of Florida and my airfield is located on the other side of this highway. At that time, the ceiling of the horrific storm was only 150 feet from the ground, so I could fly no higher than that. After crossing Florida to the ocean, I turned north. The thunder and lightning was so severe that I had to disconnect my headset. There were thousands of cars on the highway that could not move and were stacked up for miles going in both directions because the rain was so heavy that their windshield wipers could not clear enough to drive.

I was flying about 100 feet above the cars and when I glanced at my fuel gauge it showed that I was on empty. Here I was flying a seven-ton Hellcat just above the thousands of cars and my instruments tell me my engine will quit at any second. I moved to the right side of the highway so as not to be flying over the cars. The terrain was like a jungle without any trees and I thought at any second my 2000 horsepower engine would stop. I decided that when it did, I had no option than to roll my plane to the right and dive it into the ground. I did not want to try for a landing because I knew I could be badly injured and would not be rescued for hours. I would rather be killed instantly and not have to suffer. I knew that when the propeller stopped, I was going to die.

Looking to my left, I saw a lake and knew then that I was hopelessly lost because I had flown this area many times and had never seen a lake. My heart sank, but as I looked again I saw a tower in the lake and then noticed some hangars and realized that it was my airbase which was flooded. Now my problem was to get across the eight lanes of parked cars and get over the fence to the airfield. In my mind I thought I could make it without crashing into the cars, even if the engine quit. I dropped my flaps to get more lift and made it over the fence onto the airbase. I dropped my landing gear and landed on a runway. The water was so deep that it was almost like a water landing. The water flew over my plane slowing me down immediately. I made a turn to the right and my engine quit. The plane was out of gas.

Had I gone a little further to my usual parking spot I would not have realized that my Savior had saved me again. My plane did not have a faulty gauge, I was out of gas and Jesus kept that engine running until I was safe. I jumped out of my plane into the driving rain and ran to my room in the Bachelor Officer Quarters (BOQ) and lay on my bed soaking wet, once again praising the Lord for giving me my life back.

In later years, I had a hip replacement which caused a great deal of pain. Physical therapy was not helping until a friend told me about a physical therapist who had helped him a great deal and suggested I make an appointment with him. His name is Gregg Richards, who not only relieved my hip pain, but invited me to attend his Sabbath Day meeting where he is a teacher. I started meeting with this group at the age of 90 and have stayed with them ever since. On September 15th 2012 I was baptized in an outdoor natural hot spring in Bishop, California.

In closing, I want to thank Gregg for all I have learned about the Bible. It has changed my life completely. Thank-you God for saving my life. May my life’s story be a blessing to others.

Bob Hambley.

As told to Gregg Richards, Three Angels Ministry. You can contact us at: richthumper@gmail.com

Winter in Maine

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It is October in Maine and the leaves are falling, reaching their peak color soon in the north. As I go over my list of all the myriad tasks that need to be accomplished before winter, I am still amazed at how much more there is to do before the heavy snows arrive. It seems when one is checked off, more are revealed.

This winterizing process all begins anew when the ground finally thaws in May. However, this particular year was different having taken off the month of May to drive across the country to Steps to Life camp meeting. What an adventure and a blessing it was to meet the staff and hear the wonderful sermons. Relatives and friends that we had not seen in years were visited along the way, making our trip all the more memorable.

Although short a month preparing for the coming winter, we knew God would make up the time we missed if we were diligent workers. The first job on arrival home was the grass that appeared unattended and unloved. Nothing looked like it did when we left.

We got busy, there was lots to do before the first snows in November or December. Wood would be needed. Fortunately, we have a lumber company on a nearby road where remnants of hardwood can be bought in huge quantities at a small cost to be stacked high in the garage. We were thankful for the leftover wood from the previous year for our old wood stove, which would see us through another winter. We then also had to purchase a couple of tons of wood pellets, making room for them too in our small garage. Then there were always the little jobs to do – places to seal, like lower basement windows, as the thawing snows of winter begin to melt, trying to drip inside the basement walls. In August each year, I begin to gather kindling of the many fallen limbs along forest roadsides, collecting only the limbs that break easily and are seasoned. This task takes a number of hours on days when weather permits. I do enjoy this quiet task out in nature, parking here and there along country roads on the fringes of the deep woods. In between all of these tasks, I trimmed rose bushes and mulched them for our neighbors, along with cutting back a very large bush in front of their house, so they could see more of their property. I took out toys and an old bird’s nest at the base and much dead wood and mulched the bush, in anticipation of a beautiful blooming tree in the Spring. Our neighbors emailed stating their appreciation. For busy, working young parents with two small children and one on the way there is not a lot of time left for yard work. This was how we could witness to them in a way that we had been unable to do thus far. Winterizing and waterproofing are huge jobs in these colder climates. While the days become shorter and the cold Fall winds begin to blow in this little town in the woods, there are cracks and holes to be filled and painted with so many other daily tasks to accomplish.

I was reminded during this process of how much more we should be winterizing our souls, taking time out every day, not just to prepare our surroundings, our properties, our car(s) for the coming winter, but for the winter of our souls, for those trying times just ahead. We need to be fortifying our minds and perfecting our characters with the truth of God’s word. We should be always striving to help others to spiritually prepare for what is surely to be soon, our last winter on earth. We are assured by the Scriptures that after the last trying days of earth’s history, eternal Spring will arrive, and we will be in the Kingdom. But are we ready spiritually to withstand the last winter of this world?

For a couple of weeks last winter, we had a big thaw, and although the snowstorms had left very high snows before that, not much of it was left when another blizzard was forecasted to arrive in early March. I went out to check the grounds of our house almost in disbelief that another blizzard was predicted for that night. We had been feeling quite complacent before this weather forecast, believing we would have an early Spring and the sudden mild temperatures we had experienced were a sure sign. But this huge wake-up blizzard came with a fury.

In many parts of the United States and around the world, unpredictable weather is arriving with storms, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes to shake it up. God is trying to get our attention. We are told that “the last movements will be rapid” (Testimonies, vol. 9, 11), and as we live on this planet, with every passing day, we realize what a short time is left for us to bring our lives into line for our own salvation, as well as making every attempt to insure the salvation of others. We should not be fooled by the lulls in current events, or that we have more and more time to get ready for Jesus to come. Life is fragile for all, young and old and none know how much time we have left. Grasp every precious hour, holding on to possibly our last earthly moments with Jesus.

When I was about three years old, we lived in a little house in the woods in Southern Maryland. One day a repair man came to our house and while he was fixing the appliance, my mother began to witness to him. He responded by saying he was young, that he had plenty of time to make up his mind about spiritual matters. A couple of weeks later she heard that he had been killed in an accident. Sometimes lives are cut short in an instant, and I must always ask myself if this should happen – am I ready to meet Jesus at that very moment? This may have been the first, and yet the last chance for this young man to know Jesus.

Are we ready to stand in times of great trial? Very soon now Christians will be tested in courts of law concerning their beliefs.

As the December snows begin anew, I question, am I ready, no matter the adversity, to stand up for Jesus during earth’s last winter? If not now, when? When can I say I am so close to the kingdom that it will be a natural transition from this life to life everlasting? For every great event in life, it seems the only way to meet it is to prepare, prepare, prepare – and although we may never feel good enough, or worthy enough – we can grow more and more like Jesus, every day becoming new in Christ. This is surely how Enoch was able to be like Jesus. By beholding Him, Enoch was changed, and God just took him. Isn’t this the heavenly goal we should hold so dear to our hearts? Are we the person we think we are? Are we careful to take a daily inventory of our hearts, watching, praying, and studying the scriptures to become more like Jesus?

“This earth is the place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here is the Christian’s winter. Here the chilly winds of affliction blow upon us, and the waves of trouble roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ comes, sorrow and sighing will be forever ended. Then will be the Christian’s summer. All trials will be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).” The Upward Look, 311.

Sorrow and sighing forever ended – then will be the Christian’s summer.

Ripples of Influence

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Our mom worked hard to keep us together as a family after our dad passed away while we were still school aged children. We faithfully attended Sunday morning church services and continued this custom as adults with our young families. That was until I heard Dan, a new acquaintance, speak of the seventh day as God’s true Sabbath.

Now I needed to know the truth and I earnestly prayed for it. I had a Bible which I had never really read or studied, but now I began randomly to turn its pages and each time I stopped to read a verse, it spoke to me about the Sabbath. This happened again and again until I realized that God was answering my prayer, and I accepted with joy this wonderful truth. Thus began a change in many lives.

After attending a Seventh-day Adventist Church for a few weeks, I wrote to my sister Jeannie about the Sabbath. At that time I didn’t know that she had asked our mom, who lived with her, to visit some other churches than the one they attended. Mom’s dad had believed that the Lutheran Church was the closest to Bible truth, and our mom also believed that.

Not long after I wrote to my sister, Mom drove the four-hour drive to my brother’s home, which was a short distance from where I lived. While there, Mom called me on a Sabbath afternoon to invite me to go to church with her the next day, Sunday. We had been taught to obey our parents and as I momentarily hesitated to answer her, I heard a voice say, “If you don’t tell her now, you never will.” I knew and understood that was true and quickly replied, “I go to church on Sabbath now.” That ended our conversation and Mom returned home.

My sister wrote to let me know how unhappy Mom was about my going to church on the Sabbath day. When Dan heard this news, he suggested that we fast and pray for my mom and sister, which we then did. I had never fasted before, but I deeply desired that God would help my family to understand this important truth. I felt so near to God as I fasted and prayed for three and a half days without eating any food, but did drink plenty of water.

Meanwhile my sister said to Mom concerning the Sabbath, “But Mom, we need to check it out to see if it is truth.” God was soon answering our prayers as mom and my sister started to attend church on Sabbath. And this was just the beginning of God’s rich blessings to us and to many others.

Shortly after my husband, our children and I were baptized, Dan Collins baptized Mom, my sister and her children in February 1975. And the blessings continued; one year later Mom became a colporteur and Bible worker. She loved the truth and sharing it with others. In 1981, she was selected as the literature evangelist of the year in the North Pacific Conference.

A fellow Bible worker wrote this report about our mom:

“Every one who knew Annabelle would probably describe her with one word—Committed. She was committed to her Lord and His work. She left behind an example of untiring effort and enthusiasm for sharing the Lord through literature and Bible studies. And as the words of God’s people in ages past continue to tell their story, even so Annabelle continues her work of soul saving through the seeds she left behind. The story unfolded at a Bible study a couple of weeks ago.

“Upon arriving at my Wednesday afternoon study with Lisa and her mother Carol, I was pleasantly surprised at what had transpired since our last lesson. Carol told me the story; it went something like this: While at their church’s weekly Bible study, someone in the discussion brought up the state of the dead. And when Carol defended the biblical position, there was quite a disagreement. I was thrilled that Carol stood in defense of Bible truth, not only before this small study group, but even before her pastors.

“I was somewhat puzzled at where she could have gotten her information as we were nowhere near that topic in our studies. Then it was that I noticed the familiar looking family Bible that she was using that week. I asked her, ‘Where did you get that family Bible?’ She replied, ‘A lady sold it to me about 21 years ago.’ Feeling sure that this was Annabelle’s work, I asked, ‘Was this lady in her early sixties at the time and did she have white curly hair?’ ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘And these Bible studies in the back of this Bible is where I get a lot of my information.’

“Now I knew the source of her information; it was the sure result of Annabelle’s service in the Lord’s army. It was the fulfillment of one of her favorite Bible promises, ‘So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void’ (Isaiah 55:11). Even though Annabelle rests, the seeds she planted still continue to bear their harvest. In dying, she has passed the baton on to us. May we, as Annabelle, be faithful to the call. And some day soon when this war is over and the controversy ended, may we all be reunited in the kingdom of heaven.”

Ellen G. White illustrates our influence on others in this way: “Throw a pebble into the lake, and a wave is formed, and another and another; and as they increase, the circle widens, until it reaches the very shore. So with our influence. Beyond our knowledge or control it tells upon others in blessing or in cursing.” Christ’s Object lessons, 340.

Georgia Jacobs went to Wildwood Sanitarium four years after her baptism and was in the nursing program from 1978–1985; then worked at Hope International as an artist for the Our Firm Foundation magazine from 1988–1992. She later resided in South Africa where she did some missionary work.

Jeannie Hogarty also contributed to this article. She worked for Amazing Discoveries for more than seven years packing and shipping orders for all the world except Canada.

The Trip That Changed My Life

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In 1971, I was three years out of college and working as head of the operations department for a major department store in Dallas, Texas. A coworker with whom I had become a good friend who worked in the sporting goods department had acquired a large camping tent. We eventually formulated a plan to use it on a camping trip to the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks that summer.

That was my first ever camping trip and re-ignited within me a love of the natural world that was first kindled when I briefly lived in rural east Texas, shortly after my grandfather’s passing in November, 1955. My grandparents lived on a 40-acre farm in Cass County. After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother didn’t want to leave the farm, but the family didn’t want her to live there by herself. I was chosen to finish the school year down on the farm to keep her company and provide whatever help an eleven-year old could supply (which wasn’t much).

What’s a city boy to do when he suddenly finds himself in the country? I reveled in it! On weekends, my grandmother would pack a sack lunch for me and I would head off through the piney woods and spend the day absorbing nature—and loving it.

That same love lay dormant for over fifteen years until that July camping trip to the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone. That trip began the process that the Lord was using to change my life. He “knows our frame,” and He knew exactly what it would take to pull me out of the world and set me on the straight and narrow path.

The summer following the trip to the Rockies and Yellowstone, I wanted to experience the beauties of another national park—but which one? Being a fifth-generation Texan (and misguidedly proud of it), I thought to myself that there must be a national park in Texas I could visit. Back in 1972, there was no web to surf to answer that question, but somehow I discovered that there was indeed a national park stuck way out in west Texas, in the bend of the Rio Grande, southeast of El Paso. It is aptly named Big Bend National Park.

So in August 1972, I borrowed the tent from my friend that we had used the summer before and packed up my camping gear in the trunk of my Pontiac Grand Prix—not your typical camping vehicle. But I was living the high life in Dallas, occupying a luxury apartment, driving a fancy car, doing all the preppy things a successful corporate executive was supposed to do. By then I was in charge of the receiving department, supervising about 30 employees, with two assistants.

This vacation, however, was indeed the trip that changed my life. I was smitten with the incredibly wide openness of Big Bend, the vistas that stretched for miles in every direction, without a single golden arch to be seen. The nearest town was 108 miles away. The nearest Walmart or McDonald’s was a bit farther. The nearest airport was 225 miles away. It’s about as remote a location as one can find in the United States.

I spent a week camping in The Basin campground, which is nestled in a huge igneous bowl about a mile in diameter in the heart of the Chisos Mountains. The campground occupied the site that was used by a 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Late summer is the rainy season there, and every afternoon there were fascinating thunderstorms that dumped buckets of rain in short order, giving life to the intermittent waterfalls that cascaded off the mountain ridges that surrounded the campground.

That week, I explored remote trails, soaking in the beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the astounding Chisos Mountains—the only mountain range that is wholly contained within the boundaries of a national park, whose highest peak tops out at 7,825 feet.

When I got back to Dallas, I bought every book I could find that had anything to do with Big Bend and read them voraciously. I couldn’t get enough. The memories of that trip haunted me day and night, to the extent that I made plans to leave Dallas and move to Big Bend. The only hitch: to live in a national park, you have to work there, and in the early 1970s the park service was under orders to diversify. Consequently, they were not hiring white Anglo-Saxon males under 40—the only unprotected class under anti-discrimination regulations.

Then I discovered that there was a concessioner in the park that was always eager to hire minimum wage workers. I applied, but never received a job offer, only a letter asking me why I wanted to quit my present job.

I’m sure it seemed a bit odd to them for someone who lived in a big metropolitan area and held a responsible, well-paying position to want to go to work in a very remote location for minimum wage. I responded with what to me was a plausible explanation, but never received a response.

Unable to get my mind off Big Bend, I eventually traded my Grand Prix for a Volkswagen, sold everything I had that wouldn’t fit in it, quit my job, and headed for the park.

When I got there, with great anxiety, I went to the office of the concessioner and introduced myself, asking for the manager by name, which I knew from the last letter I had received from him a few months earlier. He came out immediately, saying that he knew who I was and why I was there. Whew—anxiety relieved a bit!

After a brief interview with him and his assistant, I was offered a job as a desk clerk for the lodge. Because I had a college degree, they agreed to pay me fifteen cents above minimum wage. The job came with free housing and three meals a day for one dollar per meal. What a deal!

So I moved into the men’s dorm with seven or eight other workers, only one of whom spoke English. It was quite a difference from the luxury apartment I had lived in in Dallas, but it was in Big Bend!

I stayed there for a total of thirteen years. I met my wife there. We had three children there. We all still consider Big Bend our special place, although none of us lives there anymore.

As I look back on this wonderful experience, I don’t think I’m stretching it too much to view my years in Big Bend as perhaps similar to Moses’ four decades of tending sheep. The Lord knew that I had too much worldliness in me to walk the narrow way successfully. He lovingly ordered the providences in my life so that I could begin my exit from Babylon.

Because the school at Big Bend only went through the sixth grade, the family had to move as our children grew, first landing in San Diego. Talk about culture shock—moving from a remote residence with about a hundred neighbors to a metropolis of almost six million! We could tolerate that change for only about a year and a half and when I was offered a job in Tucson, Arizona, we gladly accepted and relocated there. And it was in Tucson that the Lord helped me to take the next step in my exit from Babylon.

I was the chief financial officer for a multi-million-dollar non-profit corporation that operated book stores in National Park Service visitor centers. At that time, we had 66 outlets in 11 western states. I got paid to visit some of the most beautiful sites west of the 100th meridian. To this day, I continue to be awed at the gracious manner in which the Lord worked to lead me to His loving and patient side.

After I served several years in that position, the need arose in the organization for a controller, who would report to me. It turned out that one of the individuals who applied, a recent college graduate, asked in my initial contact with him if the job would require that he work on Saturday. I was puzzled by his question, but told him that I had worked there for eight years and had never had to work on Saturday. He responded that if that were the case, he would agree to an on-site interview.

During that interview, he again stressed that he would not want to be considered for the job if it would ever require him to work on Saturday, explaining that he was a Seventh-day Adventist.

I had initially heard of SDAs in 1975 when I spent the summer working in a seafood processing factory in Alaska. One day I saw the plant manager talking to three young men who had entered the plant. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I saw the manager shake his head and the three fellows leave. Later the manager told me that they were Seventh-day Adventists and wouldn’t work on Saturday; so he wouldn’t hire them.

The next time I heard of Seventh-day Adventists was following the siege at Waco in 1993. When we saw the story on the news, my wife wondered what her aunt thought about the incident, as she was a Seventh-day Adventist and the Davidians were considered by some to be an off-shoot of the SDA church.

On a later business trip to Washington, D.C., I stayed with my wife’s aunt, who lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, and with her attended the huge SDA church there on Sabbath. There was nothing particularly memorable about the service, other than that it was on Saturday. So I didn’t make any inquiries about her faith.

Well, we ended up hiring the young college graduate as the controller, admonishing him beforehand that he had to keep his religion to himself and not evangelize in the workplace—a stipulation to which he agreed.

One of the National Park Service outlets we operated was a trading post on the Navajo reservation. At the time it was our largest source of revenue. Since the controller was responsible for the financial accounting for that operation, it was important for him to become familiar with it right away. Because of its remote location, the only way to get there was to drive. So a day or two after he was hired, we began the six-hour trip.

As soon as we got out of town, I asked him about this “seventh day Sabbath thing.” He reminded me that he had agreed not to discuss his religion and didn’t want to violate his agreement. I assured him that since I was the one who brought up the subject, he wouldn’t get in trouble. He cautiously began to explain that the Bible was very clear that the seventh day was the Sabbath and that there was nothing in Scripture to justify worshiping on the first day.

Being a faithful SDA, he had his Bible tucked in his suitcase, brought it out and used it to skillfully address every question I raised — questions that every SDA is asked sooner or later. The two things he said that impressed me the most were that Seventh-day Adventists believe the whole Bible is true, and they believe that God has had His hand over the Scriptures to prevent any material changes from happening to them.

When we reached our destination, I got the Gideon Bible from my motel room and joined him in his. We conversed and read Scripture until 11:00 that night. And at 11:00 that night, I became a Seventh-day Adventist.

I returned to Tucson with the joy of my new-found faith beaming from my countenance. Unfortunately, that joy was not shared by my wife. When my son, who was baptized the following year at the same camp meeting I was, later expressed a desire to become a Bible worker, my wife filed for divorce, declaring that she couldn’t handle two Christians in the same household, admitting that she was a convicted atheist and always had been, a fact that she had concealed from me until I accepted Christ as my Saviour.

As I look back over the journey that brought me to where I am today, I can only praise a loving God who knew exactly what was needed to draw me closer to Him and set me on the path of truth and righteousness, although that path has had a few bumps. I have no doubt that He is equally interested in the salvation of everyone. My prayer is that all will respond to the pleadings and leadings of the Holy Spirit and come out of Babylon.

Epilogue

My ex-wife has since passed away. Two of my children who were baptized into the church have since left the church and returned to the world.

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The Pen of Inspiration – The Living Testimony

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Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” [Malachi 3:16, 17.]

It is not enough to contemplate the glory of Christ; we should speak of His excellences. Isaiah not only beheld His glory, but he also spake of Him. While David mused, the fire burned; then spake he with his tongue. While he mused upon the wondrous love of God, he could not but speak of that which he saw and felt. Who can by faith behold the wonderful plan of redemption, the glory of the only begotten Son of God, and not speak of it? Who can contemplate the unfathomable love that was manifested upon the cross of Calvary in the death of Christ, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, and have no words by which to extol the Saviour’s glory? We cannot become partakers of His love, and give no expression to our reverence and adoration.

As believers behold Christ, they will be led to assemble together and to speak one to another words that will express their fervent love. They will say, “He is the chiefest among ten thousand,” “Yea, He is altogether lovely.” “In His temple doth every one speak of His glory.” [Song of Solomon 5:10, 16; Psalm 29:9.] The sweet singer of Israel praised Him upon the harp, singing, “I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.” “And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts; and I will declare Thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness. . . . They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power; to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” [Psalm 145:5–7, 11, 12.] This will be the character of the conversation of those who fear the Lord and think upon His name. God is represented as listening to their words, and writing them in a book.

God will be Glorified

John, the beloved disciple, bore a living testimony, saying, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This, then, is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” [1 John 1:1–5.]

Surely, those who speak one to another of the goodness of the Lord are highly privileged. Peter exclaims, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” [1 Peter 2:9.] We have rich themes for thought and conversation; and those who are subjects of the grace of God, upon whom the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness are shining, are to be God’s witnesses. Should they hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. God will be glorified.

When the members of the church are one with Christ, there will be union one with another, and this unity will be a living testimony to the world of the power of the gospel. Why can we not see from the lessons of Christ, and especially from His prayer for the unity of believers, that Christians must be perfect in unity in order to represent the glory of their Redeemer? As believers in Christ, we are “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” [Ephesians 2:20–22.]

Cause of Dissension

The believer in Christ should understand that dissension and division in the church are brought about through the working of the powers of darkness, in order that those who profess to be children of God may not present the oneness for which Christ prayed. God’s people greatly dishonour His name, and misrepresent His truth, when they manifest a lack of love one for another. As love for God grows cold, they lose the childlike simplicity that knits heart to heart in loving tenderness. Hard-heartedness comes in, and there is a drawing away one from another. When we fail to love others as Christ has loved us, Jesus can do little for us; for His words and spirit are not permitted to enter into the heart.

Many are in darkness, and know not the cause; they are not at peace with God, they are not one with Christ nor in unity with their brethren. By their words and actions they testify that they do not desire to be in union with those who do not exactly meet their mind, even though they are believers. They seem to think that they are at liberty to act out the natural feelings of the heart. All who entertain evil surmisings and cherish ill feelings to others, need to be converted. They need to learn to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

How to Manifest Love

Love for one another is not to be manifested by praise and flattery, but by true fidelity. The love of Christ will lead us to watch for souls; and if we see one in danger, we shall tell him so plainly and kindly, even at the risk of his displeasure. The religion of Christ is not to be controlled by impulse. We need to pray much, and lean wholly upon God. We need to hold the truth with firmness, and in all righteousness; but while we speak the truth with fidelity, we should speak it in love, as it is in Jesus.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.” How much?—“As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” [John 13:34.] Do we regard this commandment sufficiently? Do we permit it to control mind and heart, and mould the character? “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” [Verse 35.] Thus believers are to bear to the world the credentials which will testify that they are indeed the children of God. Jesus says, “The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” [John 17:22, 23.]

What can I present before my brethren and sisters in Christ, that is more important for their study and practice than the Saviour’s prayer for His disciples? The entire seventeenth chapter of John is full of marrow and fatness. Are there not urgent reasons why we should take heed to these words of Christ? Is it not time we sought for the unity for which the Saviour prayed? Shall we not open our hearts to the melting love of Jesus? May the Lord unite the hearts of all that believe His word, in that oneness for which Christ prayed, that we may be one, even as He and the Father are one.

The Bible Echo, April 23, 1894.

The Pool of Bethesda, Part I

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In this article, I would like to study about the pool of Bethesda with you. Let us refresh our memories of this story recorded in John 5: “After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep [market] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” Verses 1–4.

A Myth

Do you believe that the troubling of the water at this pool of Bethesda, about which the people gathered for healing, was of God? No! It was not God’s ordained method of healing. Something is so essential in one of these verses that lets us know this. A myth had been built around this situation. Notice, in verse 4, that the Bible says, “For an angel.” It does not say, an angel of God.

Let us look a bit closer at verse 4. “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” It says that whosoever was first in entering the troubled water was healed. What do you think about that? Is that God’s method of dealing with His precious souls? No, God is no respecter of persons. God is not about the business of the survival of the fittest.

If a pool such as the one at Bethesda was located near you and everyone in the area knew that at a certain time an angel moved the water, and whatsoever disease an individual had, if he or she just got into the pool first, they could be healed of that infirmity, do you believe the grounds around that pool would be overflowing with people? Oh, yes, most definitely!

Quick Fix

You might not think this is so, but there are hundreds of people who gather at large auditoriums where ministers simply wave their hands over the individual or blow their breath upon the individual and a supposed healing takes place. You have perhaps seen such a service on the television. Many people seek out a quick solution that requires no sacrifice on their part. That is what they want. They want the benefits without the effort.

What do you think would be the response if I could take the eight principles of health—godly trust, open air, daily exercise, sunshine, proper rest, lots of water, always temperate, and nutrition—and capsulate them, put them in a bottle with a brand name on it, and tell people, “Take three godly trust capsules a day, and it will bring you close to Jesus”? This might seem to be humorous to you, but it is not an over-simplification of the truth, because people love quick fixes; they love pills. They are looking for methods that require no sacrifice.

In the Book of Jeremiah 30:12, 13, we read: “For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise [is] incurable, [and] thy wound [is] grievous. [There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.”

Testimony

The apostle Paul always gave his testimony every place he went. He would tell of how, while walking on the road to Damascus, there was a light. (See Acts 9:3.) God has given us each a testimony. It does not have to be a dramatic testimony. It does not have to be, “I almost fell over the cliff, but the angel pulled me back, and I gave my heart to the Lord.” It does not have to be that at all. Many of us, in the quietness of our hearts, have been touched by God. Some of our experiences are dramatic, but whether dramatic or not, we each have a testimony.

Forty-one years ago, when I was clinically dying with arthritis, which lasted for ten years, my career as a professional basketball player was ended. As I look back in retrospect, I thank God for arthritis. Not that I glory in the pain, but I would not be where I am today if it was not for arthritis. That is the only way God got my attention to slow me down, so He could put me in the position where He could fill me with His Spirit. He had to take a basketball out of my hands and put a Bible there. He had to keep me from going up and down a hardwood court. He had to say, “Jackson, I have a job for you going up and down on the court of earth.” I did not premeditate these things. It was the farthest thing in my mind to be doing what I am doing today, but God put a call in to me, as He puts a call in to you.

I remember my junior year in school when one professional basketball team was putting out its feelers. During that time, very few college players were going from college to the pros. It was virtually unheard of for a high school student to go into professional ranks, such as LeBron James, who was the first round draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland, Ohio, in 2003. He instantly became a very wealthy 19-year-old, signing several endorsement deals totaling nearly 100 million dollars. When I was coming up, the highest paid player was Wilt Chamberlain; he made $100,000, which was like a million dollars during that time.

Search for Relief

As I searched for relief from the arthritis, I remember my doctor looking me in the eye and telling me, “Young man, yes, you play pretty good basketball, but unfortunately there is no known cause or cure for your arthritis.”

I stayed on anti-inflammatory drugs for almost ten years, when those drugs lost their effect. This created a condition that led me to take other kinds of drugs that the doctors did not have to prescribe. It was only by God’s grace that I am here today.

“Thou hast no healing medicines.” I am not saying that there is not a place and time for medicine, but I do know that in my situation, medicine was not improving my condition. It was not until God put me flat on my back that I looked up and cried out to the most powerful Person in the universe. I did not cry out to be healed physically; I cried out to be healed spiritually, because I did not know that there was healing physically in His Word. But God is the Chief Physician. He knows how to heal, but if He chooses to not heal, as He chose not to heal Paul, He promises that, “My grace is sufficient.” 11 Corinthians 12:9.

You see, in Jeremiah 46:11, it says, “Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.”

That is what I did for ten years. I tried many medicines, but I was not cured. I was in the pool of human philosophy, seeking man’s method for human dilemma. There is only one solution to the human dilemma—the gospel of Jesus Christ.

House of Mercy

The word Bethesda means, “house of mercy.” Look at the last three letters of that word. God’s people, His true people, should be the balm in Gilead. Is there a balm in your area?

People should be coming to us for the healing of their souls and for the healing of their bodies. We should be the head and not the tail. (Deuteronomy 28:13.) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.” Jeremiah 8:20, 21. Am I black? When God says that He is black, He is not talking about being black in color. It denotes that He feels the pain, the sorrow. The Bible says that He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. (See Hebrews 4:15.) When nobody else understands our pain, there is One who enters into our suffering, and that is God.

Jeremiah 8:22 continues, “[Is there] no balm in Gilead . . .?” A balm is an herb; it is medicinal. God is saying, “My people should be medicinal.” We should have healing in our attitudes, in our dispositions; our very lives should testify of the mercies of God. His mercies should be seen in the way we treat one another and in the way we speak. Even when we are under provocation, we should not retaliate. “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” Proverbs 15:1.

Jeremiah 8:22 goes on to say, “. . . [is there] no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Why is there suffering among God’s people?

People Types

I want to share with you that at the pool of Bethesda there were four types of people. We read in John 5 that there was a multitude of impotent, blind, halt, and withered at the pool. As we have already declared, the troubled water of that pool was not God’s method of healing. It was a myth built up by the leaders of that time. No angel of God stirred up the water, but it was impressed upon the minds of the people that there was something supernatural about that water, and all one had to do was get in to be healed of his or her condition. Such is the propaganda that we find in society today, which is not based on biblical and true scientific facts. We allow our emotions, our destinies, and our circumstances to move us. We grab hold of anything that sounds good, but we do not inquire, “Is this the way of the Lord?”

We may find our marriages are on the rocks, and we go to people who do not know the Word of God to give us counsel as to how to establish our marriages. That is the pool of Bethesda. When we find ourselves in financial crisis, we listen to those who encourage us to take out another loan, and we find ourselves deeper in debt, because we are still at the pool of Bethesda. We find ourselves losing our children, and in churches today we are told that the only way we can hold onto our children is to entertain them, to change the style of worship, to have music that has the beat. We are at the pool of Bethesda. We need to train our children to be servants and to minister, not to be entertained.

There is no healing in that pool, so let us investigate the people by the pool, and let us see where our hope lies. First, consider the following one word definitions: the word impotent means, “powerless”; the word blind means, “sightless”; the word halt means, “motionless”; and the word withered means, “useless.”

Four types of people were found around the pool and are found in God’s church, but do not drop your head in despair. The story has a good end, because there is hope. We need to know, however, where we are. Are we powerless? Are we sightless? Are we motionless? Are we useless? Let us investigate.

Powerless

Read 11 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Recently, several of us were sitting in the cafeteria at M.E.E.T. Ministry, and we were discussing a particular issue. Someone stated that the way to tell whether or not a man is living up to the truth or has the truth is to observe his life and visit in his home. Now, I know the fact is that a life should be in harmony with the truth, but I cannot determine the truth based on a person’s life. A person may be preaching truth but not living the truth. That does not negate the truth.

It is very important to understand this, because many of us judge the truth based on the life of a person, when it is unfortunate that the person is not living up to the truth. Nevertheless, that is truth, if it agrees with the Word of God.

Inspiration warns of many preachers who look to the souls they have baptized, but they were not living according to the truth. In spite of these unconverted ministers, God is moving upon the honest hearts. (See Early Writings, 98–102.)

What is the lesson from this? I can have truth in the intellect, and I can be theologically correct, but if this knowledge does not impact and change my life, I live a lie to that truth. When Jesus spoke the truth, His life testified of the power of the truth. As a body of people, God does not want form; He wants substance.

Impotent

From a medical viewpoint, the word impotent means, for a man, that he does not have the ability to produce. There is no power.

In Genesis 17, we read about Abraham. God came to Abraham, after the birth of Ishmael, and declared that he would give to him a son. “And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall] her name [be]. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother] of nations; kings of people shall be of her.” Verses 15, 16.

What was Abraham’s response? “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!” Verses 17, 18.

But God responded: “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.” Verse 19.

Continuing in Geneses 18:11–14, we read: “Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing 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.” Abraham was past the time of producing.

Notice Romans 4:17: “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Do you understand this principle? That which we do not see, God sees as it is.

Verses 19, 21 say: “And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb . . . And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

God of the Living

Let us continue to see the mighty goodness and wonderful works of God. In Hebrews 11:11, we read: “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.” God can take a dead womb and bring life out if it. God can take a spiritually dead person and bring forth power, if we believe.

I am so glad that God is not God of the dead. He is God of the living. If we have not the power to overcome our inherited or cultivated habits, then we need to realize that God has power to give us victory. The only reason that we are not enjoying the victory is because we do not believe.

Abraham asked, “Lord, how can I produce a child? I am past age. My sperm count is gone.” But God reminded him that He made the womb. God is not bound by biology; He created it.

We do not know the God we serve. There is nothing too hard for Him. From where do the banks get their money? It comes from the resources that God made. The water we drink comes from the very fountains of God. This is why we, as Christians, though we find ourselves challenged and faced with discouragement, must never, never doubt that God is able to keep us. Everything and everyone belongs to God, and He needs people into whom He can put His power.

Castration

You, I am sure, are familiar with the background of Daniel. As teenagers, he and his companions were taken hostage. Daniel, whose name means, “God is my judge,” was from the tribe of Judah. He was in the line to be progenitor of Christ Himself—the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob, and right on down the line.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, “Spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring [certain] of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom [was] no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as [had] ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” Daniel 1:3, 4.

Something very important is stated in verse 3. What is a eunuch? It is a castrated male. God has said that there will be some made eunuchs for the kingdom, born eunuchs. (Matthew 19:12.) That means that such a man does not have the ability to reproduce or procreate.

Read 11 Kings 20:17, 18. This is speaking of the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah showed all of his goodness to the heathen kings, and God was going to deal with that, but in verse 17, the Bible says, “Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.” This is the prophecy of the captivity of Babylon. Verse 18 continues: “And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

So, is Daniel 1:3 telling us that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were made eunuchs? Yes, they were. What a terrible ordeal to experience, especially a male Hebrew! That eliminated all probability of them being the progenitors of the seed of Jesus Christ. The devil was trying to stop God’s plan.

Intimate Relationship

These young men were castrated, but not cast away. The devil is seeking to castrate you and me. He is trying to immobilize us; he is trying to make us impotent. But God is looking for a people that will conceive His character. The Bible says, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3. That word know indicates an intimate relationship.

The Bible says that when Adam knew his wife, they brought forth a child. (See Genesis 4:1, 25.) When we have an intimate relationship with God, we are going to produce character, because God is going to impregnate us with His seed. He is going to put His seed in us through His word. But the devil is seeking to make the Word of non-effect in our lives. He is seeking to castrate us.

Power

Daniel purposed in his heart. The devil thought that impotency would stop God’s plan, but God is not bound by biology. God is not bound by circumstances. God said to Abraham, “You shall have a child.” God said to Peter, “When you are converted,”—not if but when! Luke 22:32. Jesus will put a positive emphasis on our lives. God will give us power.

At the pool of Bethesda, there were impotent, powerless people. They were people controlled by such things as appetite, sensual desire, pornography, and lying. Does that sound similar to today?

There is not one habit, inherited or cultivated, that God’s power cannot break. Whatever our past may be, if we cry to Him and say, “Lord, I want to be freed,” He will free us quicker than He will heal our physical infirmities.

God does not delay when it comes to delivering us from sin. However, if we pray, “Lord, take this tumor out of my body,” He might say, “I give you grace and power to endure it.”

To be continued . . .

Thomas Jackson is a health evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: gods-plan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

Bible Study Guides – Delivering God’s Message

by

October 28, 2007 – November 3, 2007

Key Text

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches.” Revelation 1:10, 11, first part.

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 1, 49–58; Testimonies, vol. 5, 654–660.

Introduction

“The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers.

“It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man’s words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 21.

Ellen White’s experience in receiving and delivering God’s messages was parallel with the prophets of God in past ages. She was another prophet through whom God gave His messages. The following passage illustrates how God spoke through the spirit of prophecy in establishing the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines upon the Bible:

“We are to be established in the faith, in the light of the truth given us in our early experience. At that time one error after another pressed in upon us; ministers and doctors brought in new doctrines. We would search the Scriptures with much prayer, and the Holy Spirit would bring the truth to our minds. Sometimes whole nights would be devoted to searching the Scriptures, and earnestly asking God for guidance. Companies of devoted men and women assembled for this purpose. The power of God would come upon me [Ellen White], and I was enabled clearly to define what is truth and what is error.

“As the points of our faith were thus established, our feet were placed upon a solid foundation. We accepted the truth point by point, under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. I would be taken off in vision, and explanations would be given me. I was given illustrations of heavenly things, and of the sanctuary, so that we were placed where light was shining on us in clear, distinct rays.” Gospel Workers, 302.

1 What command came to the youthful prophet Jeremiah regarding the message God would impart to him? Jeremiah 1:17. See also Ezekiel 11:25.

note: “For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. During the terrible sieges of Jerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful temple built by Solomon. And when imprisoned because of his fearless utterances, he was still to speak plainly against sin in high places.” Prophets and Kings, 408.

2 What was one means by which the prophets delivered the prophetic message to the people? Jeremiah 26:2, 4, first part; Zechariah 1:3. Compare 1 Kings 11:29–40.

note: “Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all the people of Judah who might pass in and out. From the messages given him he must diminish not a word, that sinners in Zion might have the fullest possible opportunity to hearken and to turn from their evil ways.” Prophets and Kings, 412, 413.

“The prophets Haggai and Zechariah were raised up to meet the crisis. In stirring testimonies these appointed messengers revealed to the people the cause of their troubles. The lack of temporal prosperity was the result of a neglect to put God’s interests first, the prophets declared.” Ibid., 573.

3 What were prophets at times bidden to do with the messages they received? Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 36:2; Revelation 21:1, 2, 5.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to commit to writing the messages he desired to bear to those for whose salvation his heart of pity was continually yearning.” Prophets and Kings, 432.

“Early in my public labors I [Ellen White] was bidden by the Lord, ‘Write, write the things that are revealed to you.’ At the time this message came to me, I could not hold my hand steady. My physical condition made it impossible for me to write. But again came the word, ‘Write the things that are revealed to you.’ I obeyed; and as the result it was not long before I could write page after page with comparative ease. Who told me what to write? Who steadied my right hand, and made it possible for me to use a pen?—It was the Lord.” Review and Herald, June 14, 1906.

4 How was a message often conveyed to an individual or church? Colossians 4:16; 11 Thessalonians 3:14, 17. Compare 11 Chronicles 21:12–14.

note: “As Paul’s epistle was opened and read, great joy and consolation was brought to the church by the words . . . .” The Acts of the Apostles, 258.

“Point after point Paul lingered over, in order that those who should read his epistle might fully comprehend the wonderful condescension of the Saviour in their behalf.” Ibid., 333.

“The prophet Elijah had not yet been translated, and he could not remain silent while the kingdom of Judah was pursuing the same course that had brought the northern kingdom to the verge of ruin. The prophet sent to Jehoram of Judah a written communication.” Prophets and Kings, 213.

“In these letters which I [Ellen White] write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 67.

5 At times, what help did the prophets employ? Jeremiah 36:4, 17, 18; Romans 16:22.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to commit to writing the messages he desired to bear to those for whose salvation his heart of pity was continually yearning. ‘Take thee a roll of a book,’ the Lord bade His servant, ‘and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.’ Jeremiah 36:2, 3.

“In obedience to this command, Jeremiah called to his aid a faithful friend, Baruch the scribe, and dictated ‘all the words of the Lord, which He had spoken unto him.’ Verse 4. These were carefully written out on a roll of parchment and constituted a solemn reproof for sin, a warning of the sure result of continual apostasy, and an earnest appeal for the renunciation of all evil.

“When the writing was completed, Jeremiah, who was still a prisoner, sent Baruch to read the roll to the multitudes who were assembling at the temple on the occasion of a national fast day.” Prophets and Kings, 432, 433.

“While my husband [James White] lived, he acted as a helper and counselor in the sending out of the messages that were given to me [Ellen White]. We traveled extensively. Sometimes light would be given to me in the night season, sometimes in the daytime before large congregations. The instruction I received in vision was faithfully written out by me, as I had time and strength for the work. Afterward we examined the matter together, my husband correcting grammatical errors and eliminating needless repetition. Then it was carefully copied for the persons addressed, or for the printer.

“As the work grew, others assisted me in the preparation of matter for publication. After my husband’s death, faithful helpers joined me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testimonies and preparing articles for publication.

“But the reports that are circulated, that any of my helpers are permitted to add matter or change the meaning of the messages I write out, are not true.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 50.

6 What instructions were given to Ezekiel in connection with his vision of the temple? Ezekiel 40:4.

note: “The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all ‘given by inspiration of God’ (11 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human language.

“The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human.” The Great Controversy, v, vi.

“Although I [Ellen White] am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation.” Review and Herald, October 8, 1867.

7 Through which of his senses did the apostle John, while in vision, receive information and instruction? Revelation 1:10, 11.

note: “We have been given a message exceeding in importance any other message ever entrusted to mortals. This message Christ came in person to the Isle of Patmos to present to John. He told him to write down what he saw and heard during his vision, that the churches might know what was to come upon the earth. Do our medical workers realize the importance of the message of Revelation? . . .” Medical Ministry, 37.

“As God has shown me [Ellen White] in holy vision . . . .” The Day Star, January 24, 1846. [Emphasis added.]

“The Spirit fell upon me [Ellen White], and I was taken off in vision. I saw . . . .” The Present Truth, August 1, 1849. [Emphasis added.]

8 What prompted the apostle Paul to write his letter, known as 1 Corinthians, to the church at Corinth? 1 Corinthians 1:11.

note: “Paul was an inspired apostle, yet the Lord did not reveal to him at all times just the condition of His people. Those who were interested in the prosperity of the church, and saw evils creeping in, presented the matter before him, and from the light which he had previously received he was prepared to judge of the true character of these developments. Because the Lord had not given him a new revelation for that special time, those who were really seeking light did not cast his message aside as only a common letter. No, indeed. The Lord had shown him the difficulties and dangers which would arise in the churches, that when they should develop he might know just how to treat them. . . .

“The reproof he sent them was written just as much under the inspiration of the Spirit of God as were any of his epistles.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 66.

9 In what way was God’s message of rebuke delivered to King David? 11 Samuel 12:1–7.

note: “Since the warning and instruction given in testimony for individual cases applied with equal force to many others who had not been specially pointed out in this manner, it seemed to be my [Ellen White] duty to publish the personal testimonies for the benefit of the church. In Testimony 15, speaking of the necessity for doing this, I said: ‘I know of no better way to present my views of general dangers and errors, and the duty of all who love God and keep His commandments, than by giving these testimonies. Perhaps there is no more direct and forcible way of presenting what the Lord has shown me.’ [vol. 2, p. 9 (1868).] . . .

“In rebuking the wrongs of one, He designs to correct many.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 658, 659.

10 In what firm manner did Peter bear testimony to a deceived believer? Acts 8:18–23.

note: “In a view given me [Ellen White] about twenty years ago, ‘I was then directed to bring out general principles, in speaking and in writing, and at the same time specify the dangers, errors, and sins of some individuals, that all might be warned, reproved, and counseled. I saw that all should search their own hearts and lives closely to see if they had not made the same mistakes for which others were corrected and if the warnings given for others did not apply to their own cases. If so, they should feel that the counsel and reproofs were given especially for them and should make as practical an application of them as though they were especially addressed to themselves.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 660.

11 Upon what divine power was the agent of prophecy dependent? 11 Peter 1:20, 21.

note: “After I [Ellen White] come out of vision I do not at once remember all that I have seen, and the matter is not so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises before me as was presented in vision, and I can write with freedom. Sometimes the things which I have seen are hid from me after I come out of vision, and I cannot call them to mind until I am brought before a company where that vision applies, then the things which I have seen come to my mind with force. I am just as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision, as in having the vision. It is impossible for me to call up things which have been shown me unless the Lord brings them before me at the time that he is pleased to have me relate or write them.” Spiritual Gifts (1860), vol. 2, 292, 293.

12 With what solemn words were the prophets at times enjoined to be faithful in delivering God’s messages? Jeremiah 26:2; Ezekiel 2:5–7.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak unto all the people of Judah who came there to worship, those things which He would give him to speak, diminishing not a word, that they might hearken and turn from their evil ways.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 165.

13 Whom did Israel reject when they asked Samuel for a king? 1 Samuel 8:1–10.

note: “Those who despise and reject the faithful servant of God, not merely show contempt for the man, but for the Master who sent him. It is God’s words, his reproofs and counsel, that are set at naught; his authority that is rejected.” Signs of the Times, July 13, 1882.

“I [Ellen White] saw the state of some who stood on present truth, but disregarded the visions—the way God had chosen to teach in some cases, those who erred from Bible truth. I saw that in striking against the visions they did not strike against the worm—the feeble instrument that God spake through—but against the Holy Ghost. I saw it was a small thing to speak against the instrument, but it was dangerous to slight the words of God. I saw if they were in error and God chose to show them their errors through visions, and they disregarded the teachings of God through visions, they would be left to take their own way, and run in the way of error, and think they were right, until they would find it out too late. Then in the time of trouble I heard them cry to God in agony, ‘Why didst Thou not show us our wrong, that we might have got right and been ready for this time?’ Then an angel pointed to them and said, ‘My Father taught, but you would not be taught. He spoke through visions, but you disregarded His voice, and He gave you up to your own ways, to be filled with your own doings.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 40.