In this issue:
Here We Stand
David Clayton
Introduction
People have accused us at Restoration Ministries, of abandoning Adventism, and it is true that in some things, we no longer teach what the mainline Adventist Church teaches. This is especially true with regards to the doctrine of God. While the SDA church teaches that God is a Trinity, we do not believe this is the truth.
Some people have suggested to me, that I should stop having any association with the name. But I’m not a Pentecostal, I’m not a Baptist, I’m not a Catholic, I’m not a Jehovah’s Witness. When I look at the things I believe, I still identify more closely with Adventism than anything else. I still believe in an end-time day of atonement, I still believe in the Sabbath, I still believe in a pre-advent judgment, I still believe in healthful principles. In most of my beliefs, Adventism is what I identify with most closely. But my authority is the Bible and on that basis, I can’t agree with Adventism in everything.
I can discern four outstanding truths which have taken us to where we are today. I want to point out why these four things are tied together, and how they bring us to where we are today.
1. The first foundational truth is the truth about the godhead.
2. The second foundational truth is the truth of the two Adams.
3. The third is the truth about the nature of salvation.
4. The fourth is the truth about the kingdom of God.
I believe these four truths are like a ladder, and if we start at the first one and we get it right, we can’t help going through to the others. In these four truths there is encapsulated all the gospel; all the truths for the end of time.
The Godhead
The majority of the Christian world believes in the Trinity. I myself believed in the Trinity for the first half of my life. I grew up with that thinking, that’s what I learned, and that’s what I believed until I started to study the Bible, personally. The popular belief is that God is a single Being who is made up of three parts, consisting of three persons within that one Being. One of the persons is the Father, one is the Son, and the other person in this Trinity is the Holy Spirit.
There are also other concepts which view God as a three-in-one being. Some hold to the idea that God is made up of three independent divine Beings. One of them is the Father, one is the Son and the other is the Holy Spirit. In this concept they are three different Beings, but it is said that they agree in everything and in this sense, they are “one.” They all possess the same power, and they are all the same age, but one of them is acting as the Father, one is acting as the Son, one is acting as the Holy Spirit, and they all three work together as one God. This is really what is called “tritheism.” It’s really a belief in three gods.
Then there is a third concept which is, that, there is one God, but this one God has three faces. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Old Testament times He was the Father, in New Testament times between 3 BC and AD 31 He was the Son, and since AD 31 onwards, He is now the Holy Spirit. This particular belief is referred to as Modalism, or the, “Jesus only” teaching. This belief holds that there is only one God but he has three different faces, or three different portfolios. It’s like a man who, when he’s at home is the Father, when he’s at work he is the manager, but when he goes to play football he is the goal keeper. It is the same man but he has three different jobs.
These are the three most popular ideas concerning the three-in-one God but none of these is the correct biblical picture of God.
The Bible teaches that there is only one God.
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:6)
The one God of the Bible is the Father. The Bible teaches that sometime before time began, this one God, brought forth out of himself another person who is his Son. The Father is of course, greater than His Son, but His son is equal to Him in that they have the same nature. The Bible refers to this Son as God’s, “only begotten Son.”
When the Bible refers to Jesus as the begotten Son of God, it uses the Greek word “monogenes.” In John 3:16, 1 John 4:9, and several other places it uses this word in teaching that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. This word, “monogenes” means, “only begotten.” Those who promote the Trinity, insist that the word actually means “unique.” However, the translators of the King James Version translated it as “only begotten,” and this is what the word really means.
This word monogenes is a compound word and it comes from two Greek words, “monos” – which means, “one, single, only,” and “genos” which means “born.” Look at the word genos. It is easy to think of the words that are related to it such as genes, genetics, genealogy, generation. They all have to do with birth and reproduction. So when God chose the word, “monogenes” He meant, “only begotten.”
Monogenes, is used nine times in the New Testament. Five times it refers to Jesus Christ. In seeking to understand what it means, it is helpful if we look at how it is used the other four times.
1. Luke 8:42:- Jairus had a daughter who was sick and who actually died. He came and asked Jesus to come and heal her. His words to Jesus were, “Please help her, she is my monogenes.” Did he mean, “she is my unique daughter?” Of course not! He meant, “she’s my only daughter, the only child who came from my loins.”
2. Luke 7:12:- The next use of it was when Jesus was coming to the city of Nain. As He arrived at the entrance to the city, He met a funeral procession on the way to bury a young man. This dead man was the son of a widow, and the Bible says, he was her monogenes. Is the Bible saying that this child was the unique child of the woman? No, the obvious meaning is that he was the only child ever born to this woman.
3. Luke 9:38:- The third time is when the father of the devil-possessed boy came to Jesus. The man said, “have mercy on him, because he is my monogenes.” In every case we see that the idea that is being brought across, is that this is the only child born to the parent.
4. Heb. 11:17:- The fourth time the word is used, is when it says that Abraham offered up Isaac, his monogenes. Trinitarians jump at this reference and they say, “Ah, see, Abraham had another son, Ishmael!” But let us ask the question, was Isaac born from Abraham? Was he the son of Abraham’s loins? Of course! He was his begotten son! So in every case we can see that it was talking about a child literally begotten from the parent, so why take that away when the word is used with reference to Jesus?
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son (John 3:16).” This is the measure by which we may discern how much God loves the world. Did He give His son? Yes He did, but more than that, He gave His only begotten Son. Take any part of that out of the formula, and we kill the message. We can’t measure God’s love unless we understand that Jesus Christ is literally God’s Son.
When we started to understand the truth about the godhead more than twenty years ago, one of the things that I noticed was that many people were just interested in arguing the point. The truth about God was just a doctrine to them. They could trace Scripture, and give an explanation of what it meant, but a lot of them didn’t understand why it was important. The truth is, if we only believe what we believe, because the Bible says so, and we don’t know why the Bible says so, or what it implies, we are going to end up being legalists. This means we’re going to be people who obey blindly without understanding.
When we worship in this mindless way, our worship becomes boring and meaningless. The first important reason why we need to understand the truth about the godhead is that it is the truth which reveals how much God loves the human race. God revealed His love for humanity supremely in giving the gift of His son. This is something that we can appreciate if we will accept and believe it. God is trying to help us to understand how he feels about us and He says, “I love you so much, I gave my only begotten Son for you.” When we accept this truth, then we begin to understand how God feels about us. We begin to understand that there is no barrier which is strong enough and big enough to separate us from that love of God. We no longer are afraid because of the sins we committed.
The Spirit of God
The other aspect of the godhead truth, is this: Everybody knows that God has a spirit because the Bible says so. But we don’t all understand it the same way. The Bible says, over and over, that the spirit is, the spirit of God. The spirit has an owner, it belongs to somebody. It is a part of God, an aspect of God. Where did the idea come from, that the spirit is a separate person from God – A third person? It never originated in the Bible.
Every time the Bible talks about the Holy Spirit, it makes the connection between God and the spirit, or Jesus and the spirit. Jesus said, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me.” It was not a third person, it was the power and the mind of God which was upon him. God says, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” David says, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me.” This spirit belongs to somebody. As we understand this truth we come to recognize that the Holy Spirit is the very life of God. This is vitally important. Most people don’t recognize the importance of it, but everything, our very salvation, Christianity itself, is built on that reality, even though most Christians don’t acknowledge it, nor even recognize it.
The Two Adams
The second foundational truth is the truth of the two Adams. I began to understand the truth of the two Adams ten years ago. I listened to some tapes which gave me some insights on the subject which I had not understood before. We have all read about the two Adams in the Bible, but somehow it never made much of an impression on my mind until that time. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 it says,
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)
Here is the doctrine of the two Adams in a nutshell: Of course Adam number one is the first man who lived on this earth. Adam number two is Jesus Christ. The word Adam, really means “mankind,” so Adam was the first mankind, the first humanity. Jesus, the last Adam, is the second or the last humanity. Adam represents the first human race. Adam number two represents the second, or the last human race. Everybody who belongs to the first human race came from the first Adam. Everybody who belongs to the last human race comes from the second Adam.
Adam number one, put us in a place where we were lost, we were carnal, we were alienated from God, we were sinners, we were enemies of God. Ephesians 2:11,12 tells us what our true condition was.
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:11-12)
That’s what we were, and we inherited this condition from Adam number one. We were born sinners and it was not our fault. Adam caused it. We became what we are by birth, by being born. So what God did was to create a different human race in one person – another human race in one man. The same principle applies that if we’re born into that second human race, then we inherit whatever exists in the head of that second race, the second Adam. So just as we were lost in the first Adam, now we are saved in the last Adam. As we were carnal we are now spiritual, as we were without God we are now with God. Instead of being enemies, we are reconciled to God, so everything is changed. This change did not come about by what we did, but by what the last Adam did.
This truth teaches us that our way of experiencing change is not to struggle to produce that change. We can’t change ourselves but we all experience change by being born again. When we are born again by faith, we receive the life of the second Adam, and so we become a part of the second human race – the race that is saved. So the real question for everybody is this; are you born into the new life?
The Nature of Salvation
The third foundational truth relates to the nature of salvation. This is very important. Most people believe that salvation has to do with the law, and legal issues. Most of the structures and systems in the world are based on some sort of legal framework. The whole world thinks legally, and the whole world believes that God operates on these legal principles. So most of the world believes that salvation has to do with our relationship to legal rules and in particular, to the ten commandments. It’s about obedience and if you can obey you will be saved. If you don’t obey you will be lost. But what is really the basis of salvation? When we understand the truth of the two Adams we see that salvation is actually based on inheritance. We don’t work for salvation, we actually inherit salvation. The Bible says, it is a gift of God.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We are saved by inheritance. What Christ does is he gives us his life just as Adam did originally. Life is passed on by birth and this is how Adam’s life has been propagated on this planet. In the same way Christ passes on his life to us if we will receive Him. So there are two sources of life. One is the first Adam, and when we obtained life from the first Adam, then it meant that the life which we possessed was the lost life. But when we obtain life from the second Adam then we are in the saved life. So salvation is not about our relationship to rules, it’s about our relationship to one of these two Adams. Many Christians and most of the world, believe it’s about how we relate to the rules. This idea is deeply imbedded in the minds of people. It’s an idea that was carried over from the time when God was dealing with the Israelites, and put them under a legal system. It is not the truth about salvation. When God gave the system of the law to Israel, he was illustrating a greater truth. The real issue is this, do we possess the life of Christ? If we have the life of Christ, the Bible says, “He that is born of God does not commit sin (1 John 3:9).” We don’t have to worry about the law, what we have to worry about is whether or not we possess the life (the spirit) of Jesus Christ. If we have Christ, if we are born of Christ we will not commit sin, we will walk in harmony with the law.
Yes, as the Bible says, we will be judged by the law of liberty, but does this mean that the path to victory lies in a relationship with the law? The answer is no. A person may use a ruler to measure his height, or use a scale to measure his weight, but these cannot assist him to grow. They have absolutely nothing to do with how he develops. It is the same with the law, it may measure a person’s spiritual state to some extent, but it cannot contribute to the person’s spiritual growth. In order to become what God wants him to be he must feed on Christ, not on the law, even though the law will be used to measure him in the judgment.
So there are two paths, two concepts of the way to salvation, the way of the law and the way of inheritance. The legal way says, “you must constantly struggle to bring about a change in yourself,” but the way of inheritance says, “believe and you will be changed.” The legal way says, “we must work for salvation.” The way of inheritance says “we are saved when we have found rest.” The legal way says, “we earn our salvation.” The way of inheritance says “it is a free gift.”
So this is the nature of salvation. Salvation is not based on a legal transaction, salvation is based on natural inheritance. It’s about the transference of life. There is such a thing as natural inheritance. Natural inheritance is something that you can’t will to another person. My father could have adopted a child and made him one of his children along with the other ten of us who were his children by birth. That child may have obtained a legal share in whatever inheritance there was when my father died. However, this legal inheritance would not have made this child resemble my father, it would not have given this child his complexion or his hair or his ears. Such aspects of inheritance are only possible by natural inheritance, that which is passed on by the process of genetics in birth.
Natural inheritance is how life works. Legal inheritance is about paperwork. Salvation is not God’s way of settling legal issues, it is His way of reversing the natural consequences of sin, those things which are passed on by nature. God passed on life to us through his Son. That’s the true nature of salvation, and when we understand this, things begin to become much clearer. You’re no longer scared of the law or of the judgment. You recognize that when you have the life of Christ in you, you’re everything God wants you to be. You’re already at the place where God wants you to be. You don’t need to be afraid of legal paperwork.
Let us just assume for a moment that the legal framework is the is the correct understanding. Let us also assume that there are three individuals in the godhead, the Father, the Son and the holy spirit, three different entities. In the legal framework what we understand is this: God sent Jesus to earth. Jesus came here, lived, died, went back to heaven. After he went back to heaven, God then sent a different person called the Holy Spirit. This person was never a man, this person was never tempted, this person never faced our trials, this person was not a human being. Yet this is the person who comes now to live in the human being and give him victory, and salvation. Yet this person who knows nothing about humanity by personal experience. So what did Jesus come and die for? What did he come and live for, in this picture? In this picture, he only came here to live and die to fulfill a legal obligation. This picture says that Jesus’ death was to satisfy God’s legal demand. God says, “you sinned, somebody has to die. If you don’t die my son has to die.” Jesus has to die to satisfy a legal claim. So God says, “let me send him to fulfill the legal obligations, and then afterwards the Holy Spirit will provide the actual experience of salvation.” This is how the legal picture explains it, and this creates a confused idea of the plan of salvation. But this is the popular understanding.
But here is the true picture which appears when we recognize that salvation has to do with inheritance, rather than legal substitution. The truth is that God the Father sends His almighty spirit to unite with the spirit of His Son, and then the spirit of God working through the Son, comes to us bringing the presence of both the Father and the Son, into us. Jesus spoke of this experience in John 17:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)
Paul says in Ephesians 2:18,
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
Salvation comes through this one spirit. The spirit is the life of Christ, so if we have the Holy Spirit we possess Christ Himself. Now we’re not dealing with legality, we are dealing with transference of life. God’s life in his son, and then that life in us. What we obtain is life itself, not just legal acceptance, not just theoretical salvation.
What God did was to send Jesus Christ his son to become a man. When Jesus became a man He faced Satan, He conquered Satan, He faced my sins, He took them, He defeated them. He lived my life, As a man he lived my life! And when it was over, God said, “For the first time I have a man, who lives as humanity should live. I’ll put him at my right hand and give him all power! For the first time a human being sits on the throne of the universe! It’s a human being thank God, because the life of an angel could not save man, even the life of God could not save man! It had to take a human being to save humanity! That is why God made his son into a human being, because he had to live my life, stand in my place, suffer my sufferings. When he went back to heaven, He went back as a man with a victorious experience.
Now here is the important thing. Adam gives us life. Jesus gives us life. But there is something important about the life we inherit which we need to understand. It was not just life that we got, no, it was more than that. What we were given was, life with a history! And what does this mean? It means that in this life which we received some things already existed and these things were passed on to us. We got life with a history. When Adam sinned we inherited that life, but we also inherited what was involved with that life. When Adam rebelled against God we inherited rebellion. It was not merely life which we received from Adam, no, we received Adam’s life with the history that went with it.
In the same way when Christ died on the cross, what happened? Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).” When Christ died I died, when he was resurrected, I was resurrected, When he conquered Satan, I conquered him. As a younger Christian some years ago, I desired to fast for forty days. I thought the more I did these things, the more holy I would become. But then I began to think more closely about the things which Jesus did. Why did He fast for forty days? I began to realize that if I had to do what it takes to please God, I would never make it. But somebody did it for me.
Elijah was a man of power and he fasted for forty days. Moses talked to God face to face and the Bible says that he fasted forty days on two different occasions, without food or water! Wow! Who would want to have to repeat such a thing? In the past, in the Old Testament, when they wanted to obtain a benefit from God it took great effort on the part of the one making the request. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and said. “Oh God, you know how I have served you, how I have kept your law …” and he mentioned all the good things he had done. This is how they had to approach God and it was hard.
But now, Jesus tells us that He came to make it much simpler and much easier for us. The reality is, Jesus already did what is necessary to obtain God’s approval. HE did it for us. We inherit Jesus’ status with God when we receive Him, whatever it takes, He already did it for us!
When Elisha saw Elijah taken away in a chariot of fire, he picked up Elijah’s cloak and returned to the Jordan River. He raised the cloak above his head with the words, “where now is the Lord God of Elijah?” Then he hit the water with the cloak and the water parted in two just as it had done for Elijah. How wonderful it would be to have the power that Elijah had! But Jesus says we have something more wonderful, our authority is not Elijah’s name, we do not use the name of Elijah when calling on the Lord God. Jesus says,
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)
We’re not supposed to come and say, “Where is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob? Where’s the God of Elijah?” No! We have something far better! Our authority is Jesus Christ, our question is, “where now is the Lord God of my Savior Jesus Christ?” We have a better name. We have a name that has conquered on our behalf. Moses and Elijah conquered for themselves but Jesus did it for us. We inherited life with a history. Our salvation and everything we need, is already there, fully accomplished, fully satisfied, and just waiting for us to believe.
It is time that we should believe and understand that he has given us his life, and in him we have a right. When we come to God we have a right. I come in Christ and Christ is the perfect man. I could not come in myself and expect to be received. I will never be qualified. But Christ is eminently qualified, forever qualified! He ever lives to be my representative. My mediator between God and man. Nothing can ever come between me and God anymore, as long as I come in Christ. I have a right to come and put my head on his shoulder, and lie down and relax, and say, “my Daddy,” because I am a part of Jesus Christ. That’s what happened when I received the life of Jesus Christ! It’s life that we got, not just a legal statement! Not just a certificate! We got life! And that’s the point. God gave me life through his son. So I belong.
The Kingdom of God
The fourth truth is the truth about the kingdom. In the beginning God gave the kingdom of planet earth to Adam. Adam sold it out to Satan, and the world became Satan’s kingdom. For a time, God set up a physical kingdom within Satan’s kingdom, and it was called the kingdom of Israel. But this kingdom was built on elements of the world. What do I mean by that? The Bible says that the people were put under the elements of the world (Gal. 4:3), the principles that governed them were principles of worldly government, not principles of spiritual government.
This kingdom that God set up first of all, within Satan’s kingdom, was eventually called the “kingdom of David.” It was based on the elements of the world. It was based on external rules rather than the changes of nature brought about by the holy spirit. This kingdom was governed by 613 rules. At every step it was, “Don’t do this, don’t do that.” It was external government. Did it work? No, they never obeyed the rules. God had to keep on bringing punishment on them, bringing chastisement, and it never worked; it never brought what God wanted. It was based on the elements of the world.
When Jesus arrived the first thing he began to preach was that the kingdom of heaven had arrived! Yes praise the Lord! Adam sold it out to Satan, and Satan controlled it. For a time God established a worldly kingdom which operated on the same principles of external law and government which is the principle on which all worldly kingdoms operate. However, God made it clear that this kingdom was only a temporary thing, a stop-gap, a representational system which pointed forward to the coming of a greater and more perfect kingdom which would be based on the principles of true righteousness. When Jesus arrived he said, “this is the time, the kingdom of God has arrived.” And he went around casting out Satan, kicking him out on his own territory.
What God did, was to establish a kingdom, within Satan’s kingdom, of a different nature. Not based anymore on the principles of the world, but based on spiritual principles. Not based on legality, but based on spiritual inheritance. Based on life, the transference of life. This is the principle of this new kingdom, and this is Christ’s kingdom. This kingdom has not yet taken over Satan’s kingdom completely, but Jesus has defeated Satan and crushed his head. From as far back as the Garden of Eden, God had promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. This is what Jesus has done, he has overcome the principle of Satan’s government and taken power from him within his very kingdom. In Jesus, God has started something here on planet earth which does not operate on the principles of this world. He carved out a kingdom inside Satan’s kingdom, and He says, “swell and grow, and dominate, and push back Satan’s kingdom, and let the world know that God sent his son. Let the world know that God has a son, and he lives inside of you.” These are the principles of the kingdom.
Conclusion
These four truths have changed our perspective dramatically over the past twenty years. The common link between these four doctrines is the life of Christ, or, the Holy Spirit. If we don’t understand the truth about the identity of the Holy Spirit, then of course, we will find it difficult, if not impossible to understand, to appreciate and to experience the blessings inherent in knowing these truths.
1. The holy spirit is the actual life, the very presence of Christ Himself.
2. Therefore, we can understand that in the doctrine of the two Adams, Jesus is the last Adam, not just in the sense that He legally is the head of the new creation, but more importantly, in the sense that He literally is the Father of this new race because when He gives us the holy spirit in the new birth, it is literally true that we actually partake of His personal life, His very existence, so we are literally, (not just legally or figuratively), a part of the body of Christ.
3. The Nature of Salvation:- So we gain a different understanding of what salvation really means. God accepts me, not simply because of what Christ did two thousand years ago on the cross, but rather because I have become a part of the existence of Christ Himself. In other words, it is Christ alone who is worthy to be saved and it is Christ alone who will be saved, but I will be saved in Him, because I have become a part of the very life of Christ.
So it is not about my works, my commandment-keeping, my ability to do good. These are only the by-products of the life of Christ manifesting itself in and through me. It is all about receiving the life of Christ. This is what salvation is – period. There is nothing else. When we understand this our emphasis will be Christ Himself, maintaining the connection with Him will be everything in our religious experience. The legalistic emphasis which always results in attempts to work our way to salvation, will disappear.
4. The kingdom of God:- So we are able to see the reality that the essence of the kingdom of God is Christ living His own life through His people, manifesting His power and His character through them. So if it is Christ Himself living in them indeed, then how is it possible that this life is lived any differently than when He lived it two thousand years ago? So we yield ourselves completely to Him so He can demonstrate the same holy living and the extraordinary power in doing mighty works, as He did when He Himself walked on earth. This is the essence of what the kingdom of God is. It is Christ revealing the lifestyle and power of heaven through His people on earth.
So God has led us in a perfectly consistent way. At different points along the journey some have strongly opposed one or more of these truths. Strangely, many of those who opposed were people who embrace the truth about God as we believe it. Yet, a failure to follow on consistently in the way of truth has led to them progressing no further. It is clear that many have become entrenched in legalistic practices which are totally out of harmony with the truth that Christ Himself lives His own life in His people.
May Christ in His mercy open our eyes and our hearts to see and to understand these truths. The entire planet, the whole creation eagerly awaits the day when God’s people fully believe these things and the universe sees the glorious revelation of the sons of God.
The time is at hand!
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Jamaica Campmeeting Report
This year, for the first time, the Jamaican campmeeting was held at our own campsite. It was a blessed relief to finally be on our own campground and to not have the usual hassle of finding an available campsite, which we have had to go through every year for the past fifteen years. The fact that we did not have our own campground has resulted in some significant disadvantages over the years. For example, we have had to focus on having our campmeetings during the Easter holidays each year because this was the most likely time to find a campground which was not already booked. This is not an ideal time of the year because not only is it the rainy season in Jamaica, but also it is one of the more expensive times of year to fly for those who wanted to visit from overseas.
We have had experiences where we have had our bookings canceled at the last moment because the owners needed the grounds and in addition the cost of our campmeetings have been quite expensive each year. We were able to finally begin constructing our own campsite when a piece of land was donated for this purpose. We worked hard to bring it to the place where we could have our campmeeting there this year and although conditions were still fairly primitive, we got it done.
This campsite is out in the bush on a small piece of land, but there are two acres of land surrounding it which are available for camping. It is very quiet and the nearest human habitation is a home about half a mile away. It is situated on the side of a mountain With trees all around. It required a lot of work to get it cleared in time for the meeting, but we got it done and were pleased with the results of our effort. Our main focus was on getting bathrooms and restrooms ready and in the end we had four of each ready for the camp.
Most people brought tents and set up camp, a few slept in their vehicles and a few even slept in the meeting area.
We will look back on this campmeeting with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was a new experience. The events will be indelibly etched into our memories because of this. Everybody enjoyed the surroundings with the mountain at the back and the view in front of the parish of St. Elizabeth lying below. It was wonderful to spend time together again with brethren from the various parishes and with Brother Ken Corklin who joined us from the USA. However, the other side was that it rained most days and rained very hard. The rain was accompanied by strong winds which threatened the tents constantly and in fact, a couple of the weaker tents did not stand up to the harrassment and had parts broken off. Not a few of the campers had some of their belongings soaked! The rain also saturated the dirt road leading to the campsite and at times it deteriorated into pools of mud which were very difficult to navigate. four-wheel drive vehicles managed these road without too much difficulty, but some of the others had to park about a half mile away while the occupants navigated the mud on foot in getting to the meetings. As may be imagined this condition resulted in mud being constantly trekked into the the meeting room. It was challenging, but it was an adventure that none of us would have missed for the world.
The prevailing conditions also did not contribute to the best atmosphere for the meetings. At times the rain was drumming on the tin roof creating competition with the speaker. On one occasion we had to just stop the meeting and turn it into a song-service because the rain was coming down so heavily that it was impossible for the speaker to be heard. However, everyone lustily and gave the rain good competition!
There were many children of all sizes present at the campmeeting and under such conditions it was difficult to keep them still so they added to the distractions.
The theme of the campmeeting was, “Grace, Faith and the End-time.” Most of the presentations had some emphasis on the signs of the times and the reality that we are living in the very last moments of time. Of course, as has been the case for the past ten years, there was also a strong emphasis on the grace of God manifested in the gift of Christ and the place of faith in the Christian’s experience.
There was a lot of singing of course and on the final afternoon of the camp a couple of hours were dedicated entirely to singing.
When the campmeeting came to an end on the Monday morning, we separated with regret. I think most of us will agree that despite the challenges it was a great experience and we look forward to the next time when we will be better prepared for the challenges which we might have to face.
Thoughts of a Liberated Man
David Oliver
The cross shows us how much we are worth period. But the life lived by Christ shows us our destiny.
What Christ revealed in the life He lived, pleased the Father. Now the Father sends the spirit of His Son into the believers heart making us one with Christ. This presence of Christ transforms the nature into something higher than the nature which Adam had when he was first created. We receive the life that God had planned to give to Adam after a period of trial.
This new creation is the combination of the divine and human, the highest order of all creation, begotten children of God. We are no longer under bondage to external rules and principles. Being rooted and grounded in love (agape) we have escaped the corruption that is in the world. We keep our minds in heavenly places where we live with Christ and in this state, we are commissioned to destroy the works of the Devil. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils,” and, let us not forget, love our enemies.
These are not things we try to do but rather, because we believe in Him and see those around us through His eyes, He works through us in bringing all men to be reconciled to the hope of His calling, “Christ in you!”
Our warfare is not against our brothers and sisters, our warfare is against the imagined past failures, our past selfish “touchy selves,” it is against the journals we have kept of others’ wrongs toward us. Our goal is the total annihilation of self-pity and the whispers of our neighbor’s faults.
The Ten Commandments while holy, just and good are not able to bring an accurate revelation of our true potential. The Life of Christ – now there is our true potential! His living life calls us higher than any commandment written with the finger of God, because in Christ is seen not only the finger, but the entire body!
Let us enter into this rest. There is a day set aside to bring this experience to a higher level. The Seventh day is the day set apart for us to rejoice because Christ has come and His blood speaks louder than the blood of Adam’s son, Abel. Abel’s blood spoke of our failure and doom but the blood of Jesus speaks righteousness everlasting! We can finally live the life of Christ on Earth now! Glory Hallelujah!!!!!
Another Sad Good-bye
There has been another painful moment for us here at Restoration Ministries. Brother Howard Williams lost his mother, Rachel Williams under sudden and unexpected circumstances.
Sister Rachel Williams was not a part of the immediate church family at Restoration Ministries, but she was a jovial person with a happy personality and she was loved by all of us who knew her. We all feel the loss deeply.
She was born in Cuba on July 22, 1942, and died on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, so she was only 72 years old at the moment of death. On April 13 she suffered a Massive stroke and only lived until the following day. We are comforted to know that she died a Christian and we hope to meet her again in a better place, but it is always painful to suddenly lose the fellowship of those we love and especially when we don’t have the opportunity to say good-bye. Our prayers and sympathies are with our Brother Howard Williams and his family at this time.
The funeral is scheduled to take place at the Palm Seventh-day Adventist church in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on Sunday, April 26, 2015.
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Avocados
Lenworth Frankson
Avocado is a green, pear-shaped fruit often called an “alligator pear.” Why an alligator pear, I don’t know but in Jamaica where I grew up it is commonly called “pear”. They are unique in that they consist mainly of healthy fats while most fruits consist mainly of carbohydrates. Avocados are also high in fiber and other very important nutrients.
Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy, while being low in fructose. Although high in fat it is remarkably helpful for improving weight management, which happens to be one of the health benefits of consuming the fruit. The high-fat, low-sugar content is likely a key factor contributing to this effect. Avocados are added to all sorts of dishes due to its good flavor and rich texture and it happens to be the main ingredient in guacamole. These days, the avocado has become an incredibly popular food among health conscious individuals so it is often referred to as a super food, which is not surprising given its health properties. There are many kinds of avocados, and the shape and color can vary between them. They can also weigh anywhere from 8 ounces (220 grams) to about 3 pounds (1.4 kg).
Research has now shown that avocados are helpful for regulating your blood sugar levels. This is an important benefit for most people, considering that today so many people are either diabetic or pre-diabetic.
According to the California Avocado Commission, a medium Hass avocado (one of the many varieties) contains about 22.5 grams of fat, two-thirds of which is monounsaturated. (Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats mostly found in plants) They also provide essential health-boosting nutrients.
Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5-ounce (100 gram) serving:
Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA.
Folate: 20% of the RDA.
Vitamin C: 17% of the RDA.
Potassium: 14% of the RDA.
Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA.
Vitamin B6: 13% of the RDA.
Vitamin E: 10% of the RDA.
It also contains small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin) and potassium. The potassium is more than twice the amount found in a banana.
This serving also comes with 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats. Although it contains 9 grams of carbs, 7 of those are fiber so there are only 2 “net” carbs, making this a low-carb friendly plant food. Due to its beneficial raw fat content, avocado enables your body to more efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients in other foods eaten in conjunction.
In 2005 a study found that adding avocado to salad allowed the volunteers to absorb three to five times more carotenoids antioxidant molecules, which help protect your body against free radical damage. (Carotenoids are the colorful plant pigments some of which the body can turn into vitamin A. They are powerful antioxidants that can help prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, and act to enhance your immune response to infections)
Lowering Bad Cholesterol
Research has suggested that avocados might help healthy individuals as well as those with mild elevated cholesterol levels.
In one such study, healthy individuals saw a 16 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol level following a one-week long diet high in monounsaturated fat from avocados.
In those with elevated cholesterol levels, the avocado diet resulted in a 17 percent decrease of serum total cholesterol, and a 22 percent decrease of both LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, along with an 11 percent increase of the so-called “good” HDL cholesterol.
More recently, researchers at Pennsylvania State University tested three different cholesterol-reducing diets, to assess and compare their effectiveness. Forty-five overweight participants were enrolled in the study, and were assigned to follow one of the three diets:
. Low-fat diet, where saturated fats were substituted for more carbohydrates, including plenty of fruit and whole grains
. Moderate-fat diet (without avocado),where saturated fats were substituted with monounsaturated fats in the form of canola and sunflower oil.
. Moderate-fat diet (with avocado) Aside from including one whole Hass avocado per day, this diet was identical to the other moderate-fat diet, and the overall fat ratio was the same
The results were surprising:
“At the end of the study, the researchers found that the avocado diet led to significant reductions in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), compared with the other two diets. To put the difference in perspective, the avocado diet decreased LDL cholesterol about 14 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Compare that with a decrease of about 7 mg/dl for the low-fat diet, and about a 8 mg/dl drop from the moderate-fat diet”
The results showed that the diet with the avocado reduced the bad cholesterol significantly when compared to the other two diets. Amazing!
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Again, avocado is a high fat food because 77% of the calories in it are from fat, making it one of the plant foods with the most fat. They don’t just contain any fat however. The majority of the fat in avocado is oleic acid. This is a monounsaturated fatty acid that is also the major component in olive oil and believed to be responsible for some of its beneficial effects. Oleic acid has been linked to reduced inflammation and been shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer. The fats in avocado are also resistant to heat-induced oxidation, making avocado oil a healthy and safe choice for cooking also.
Nutrient Absorption
When it comes to nutrients, the total amount of them is not the only thing that matters. We also need to be able to absorb them and also move them from the digestive tract and into the body, where they can be used. Some nutrients are “fat soluble,” meaning that they need to be combined with fat in order to be utilized. This includes vitamins A, D, E and K… along with antioxidants like carotenoids.
One study showed that adding avocado or avocado oil to either salad or salsa can increase antioxidant absorption by 2.6 to 15 fold.
Avocados are not only highly in nutrients, but they can significantly increase the nutrient value of other plant foods that you are eating. This is an excellent reason to always include a healthy fat source when you eat vegetables. Without it, a lot of the beneficial plant nutrients will go to waste.
Protecting Your Eyes
Not only do avocados increase antioxidant absorption from other foods, they are also high in antioxidants themselves.
This includes nutrients called Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are incredibly important for eye health.
Studies now show that these nutrients are linked to a drastically reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which are common in the elderly. Therefore, eating avocados should have benefits for eye health over the long term.
Helping in Weight-loss
There is some evidence that avocados are a weight loss friendly food.
In one study, people were split into groups. One group was instructed to eat a meal that contained avocado, the other a similar meal without avocado. They were then asked a series of questions related to hunger, gratification and fullness. The people who ate the avocado felt 23% more satisfied and had a 28% lower desire to eat over the next 5 hours.
If this holds true in the long-term, then including avocados in your diet could help you naturally eat fewer calories and have an easier time sticking to a healthy diet. As mentioned earlier avocados are also high in fiber, and very low in carbohydrates; two attributes that should help promote weight loss when eating a “real food” based diet.
Benefits Heart and Brain
Besides its beneficial influence on your cholesterol, avocados have also been found to provide other heart-healthy benefits. For example, one interesting 2012 study found out that eating one-half of a fresh medium Hass avocado with a hamburger significantly reduced the production of an inflammatory compound, when compared to eating a burger without fresh avocado. Also the avocado did not increase triglyceride levels beyond what was observed when eating the burger alone, despite the avocado supplying extra fat and calories. This seems to be a strong indicator of avocado’s ability to benefit vascular function and heart health.
Healthy fats are also vital for optimal brain function, and for the prevention of degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s.
In a recent issue of Scientific American the following quote helps to support the fact that healthy fats are crucial for ideal brain function:
“Mayo Clinic researchers showed that individuals favoring carbohydrates in their diets had a remarkable 89 percent increased risk for developing dementia as contrasted to those whose diets contained the most fat.
Having the highest levels of fat consumption was actually found to be associated with an incredible 44 percent reduction in risk for developing dementia.”…‘Good’ fats include monounsaturated fats, found abundantly in olive oil, peanut oil, hazelnuts, avocados and pumpkin seeds, and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 and omega 6), which are found in flaxseed oil, chia seeds, marine algae oil and walnuts.”
This is a significant finding and one that should not be ignored. I think that it is time for us to look more seriously at our diet with the idea of adjusting or making changes to the ratio of carbohydrates and healthy fats that we consume in our daily diet.
Getting more into your Diet
Not only are avocados healthy, they’re also tasty and go well with all sorts of foods. They can be added to almost any dish or recipe. Some folks simply scoop them out with a spoon and eat them plain. Others use them in smoothies and other healthy drinks. They have a creamy, rich, fatty texture and blend well with various other ingredients. Lots of folks use them to make guacamole, which might just be the most famous use of avocados.
Avocados can be used:
• As a fat replacement in baking; simply replace the fat called for (e.g. oil, butter, or shortening) with an equal amount of avocado
• As a first food for babies, rather than processed baby food.
• In soups; e.g. Raw Creamy Carrot Soup
• As a banana substitute in smoothies or your protein shake.
I believe that avocados should be placed with the most beneficial super foods. They may be particularly valuable to individuals struggling with insulin resistance, diabetes, or any other risk factors for heart disease. Avocados have been rated as one of the safest commercial crops in terms of pesticide application because their thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticide.
An avocado often takes some time to ripen and it should feel slightly soft when ripe. The nutrients in avocado can oxidize soon after peeling, but if lemon juice is added to the flesh then oxidization should not happen as quickly.
My wife love avocados and eats them on a weekly and in some cases on a daily basis. Most times she will add a whole avocado or two to her salad, having consumed one or two, of the smaller type, for breakfast. This helps to increase her healthy fat and calorie intake without seriously increasing protein or carbohydrate intake. I must say she has a serious passion for avocados but be careful that you do not eat too many at any one time because it often causes excess flatulence.
At the end of the day, avocados are an awesome food. They’re loaded with nutrients, many of which are lacking in the modern diet.They are weight loss friendly, heart healthy, support healthy eyes and our good cholesterol as well as having a pleasant taste. What more could we ask for in a food?
Open Face is dedicated to the promotion and the restoration of apostolic Christianity. In particular to the restoration of those truths which have been cast down to the ground and trampled underfoot by the papacy, and adopted by her daughters.
Our purpose is to motivate our readers to commit themselves wholly to the task of personal preparation for the coming of the Lord, and to the taking of the final warning message to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
Open Face is published bi-monthly, and is sent free of cost to all who desire to receive it.
Editor: David Clayton
Publishing committee: Howard Williams
Karleen Williams
Jennifer Clayton
David Clayton
P.O. Box 23, Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (304) 932-4543
Jamaica: (876) 603-0821
email: vidclay@gmail.com
Website: http://www.restorationministry.com
