In this issue:
Two, Three or Six meals a day?
Who Raised Jesus From the Dead?
The Judgment Was Set
David Clayton
In the Last issue of Open Face we published the first in a series of articles dealing with the study of Daniel and the Revelation. In this article we showed that the theme of Daniel chapter 7 is judgment, God reveals that He controls the rise and fall of nations allowing each kingdom the opportunity to demonstrate its principles before it is judged. Each kingdom is successively overthrown and removed from the seat of power, but only after it is judged by a heavenly tribunal referred to as “the watchers and the holy ones.” Finally, the kingdom of Christ is given the dominion, with the assurance that it is to last forever. This is because Christ’s kingdom is judged, and in the judgment it is demonstrated that Christ’s principles of government (Christ in you) produces the best, the happiest, the holiest beings on planet earth.
At one time in my experience I was challenged by the thought that God literally establishes and overthrows the great empires of the earth. The question in my mind was, if God literally does this, then why doesn’t He overthrow those regimes which are wicked and oppressive, and sustain those which do the greatest good? But now it makes good sense to me. If these great empires are Satan’s tools by which he is endeavoring to demonstrate that his way will produce better people than God’s principles can, then it is logical that God allows these kingdoms to develop and to function in their own chosen ways without interfering, yet, that He will from time to time overthrow each one after a trial period.
In this, the second article in the series, we move to the book of Revelation. There are dozens of different ideas as to what Revelation is really about and what is the proper approach to take in studying its prophecies. Our approach is very simple: We are neither historicists, futurists nor preterists, we refuse to be locked in a box and constricted by any label and we are simply going to take the book as it reads and apply the supporting information from other parts of the Bible. Whatever direction that leads us into, is the direction we will take.
Revelation may be divided into four basic sections:
1. Chapters 1-3: Introduction and messages to the churches
2. Chapters 4-11: The Judgment of Christ
3. Chapters 12-19: The judgment of the Beast
4. Chapters 20-22: The post-millennial events and the new earth.
You will notice that sections 2 and 3 deal with the judgment of Christ and the Judgment of the beast, the same issue which is the central focus of Daniel 7. In other words, the main issue in the book of Revelation is the unfolding of the judgment described by Daniel. Of course Revelation goes into much greater detail, but the overall issue is the same. Understanding this gives us a good foundation from which to study the book of Revelation. In this article we will look at Revelation chapters 4 and 5 which deal with the opening of the book sealed with seven seals, the introduction to the Judgment of Christ.
First of all, John is taken up into heaven in the spirit:
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1)
As John goes through that open door in heaven he sees an awe-inspiring scene; he sees a sea made of glass on which is gathered a vast multitude, millions of angels surrounding a throne on which God Almighty is seated. Around the throne there are 24 seats on which elders are seated. In front of the throne the complete presence of the holy spirit is represented by seven lamps of fire. Closest to the throne there are four strange-looking creatures. While they are apparently heavenly beings with each of them having six wings, the appearance of their heads is strange; one has the head of a lion, one of a calf, one of a man and the other of an eagle. These creatures are full of eyes all over their bodies, both in front and behind.
It is evident that this is not a normal day in heaven, in other words, this is not a depiction of the way heaven functions on a day to day basis. John has been taken to heaven to view some event, something which was to take place in the future from John’s time because he was told, “I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” So this assembly in heaven is gathered for a special purpose, something of great importance is about to take place and God wants us to know about it, therefore he has taken John into heaven to give him a view of this event so he can relate it to us.
The pre-advent judgment
This event which John has been taken to see, is the same event which was revealed to Daniel in chapter 7 of his book, that is, the pre-advent judgment. Look at the following chart where there is a side by side comparison of Daniel 7 and Revelation chapters 4 and 5. It becomes immediately clear that both passages are focused on the same event. John is taken forward into time and up into heaven at the time when this judgment is about to begin and what we see described here is the setting of this judgment. Everything which we see for the next few chapters has to do with events involving this judgment, and this includes the opening of the seven seals, the sealing of the 144,000 and the seven trumpets. We can only understand these events as we see them from this perspective.
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (Rev 5:1)
As we come to chapter 5, all attention is turned to a book which God holds in His right hand. This book is sealed with seven seals. The main reason for this gathering in heaven is the opening of this book. Whatever is contained in it is of great significance and it is clear that all these beings are gathered together for the purpose of seeing the book opened Now John hears a strong angel asking the question, “who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals?” But there is no immediate answer, there is only silence in answer to the question, nobody is worthy and seeing this, John begins to weep.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5)
Upon hearing this, John looks and he sees a Lamb which looks as if it had been killed. Right at this point it is interesting to note that what John hears, is not what John sees. The voice tells him of a “lion,” but when he looks, instead of a lion, he sees a lamb. This is a method that God uses several places in Revelation. He gives us one perspective by making a statement, and then gives another perspective by showing John something else. In both descriptions, God is referring to the same thing, but the two descriptions seem to be very different on the surface. In a later article we will comment on this in greater depth.
This Lion/Lamb represents Jesus Christ of course. He is represented as a lion, pointing to His qualities of courage, His victory, His kingship, but He is also represented as a lamb pointing to His qualities of meekness, submissiveness, humility and of course, His great sacrifice of giving His life to save humanity. John sees the Lamb step up to the throne and take the book out of God’s hand. What happens next is extraordinary.
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:8-10)
First of all we see Jesus’ qualifications for taking the book: He is “worthy” to open the book. This reveals the reason why no one else can open the book. In order to open the book one has to be worthy. But what is it that qualifies a person, what is it that makes a person “worthy?” It says, “thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood . . . .” This is the qualification necessary to open the book and this is why it is impossible for any other being to open the book. There is nobody else who has fulfilled these conditions.
When we understand that this is the judgment of Christ’s kingdom and that it is humanity that is being judged, then it is easier to understand why only a person with these qualifications can judge humanity. Jesus is one of us, He has experienced out weaknesses, our challenges, our temptations, He knows exactly what humanity goes through. But in addition, He has also emerged from this experience, completely victorious. Because of this, He is qualified to judge humanity and is the only one with these qualifications.
Who are the living creatures?
In the King James Version, it says that the four living creatures, along with the 24 elders declare, “thou …. hast redeemed us to God ….” Because of this, many have concluded that these four living creatures represent persons from earth who have been given a special place in heaven. I believe this is true of the 24 elders, but not of the four living creatures. Most other translations of the Bible give a different rendering of this verse than the King James. In the American Standard Version for example, it says:
And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, (Revelation 5:9)
Notice the difference; it says that Jesus purchased men by His blood. The King James Version says that the living creatures say that Jesus purchased “us.” Normally, I have greater confidence in the King James version than any other Bible, but there are times when it seems evident that it is wisdom to go with another version. I believe this is one such time. The fact is that these same creatures are seen in the book of Ezekiel, hundreds of years before John wrote the Revelation and before Jesus Christ came to earth. Ezekiel describes these creatures which he saw in vision, as follows:
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 10:14)
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. (Ezekiel 10:20-21)
Now the Bible tells us that when Jesus died, there was a resurrection of many of those who had died before (Matt. 27:52,53). Obviously, these people were not resurrected to simply be returned to the graves. They were taken to heaven as a token of the victory which Christ had achieved over death and the grave (see Eph. 4:8). It seems evident that these are represented by the 24 elders sitting around the throne of God. However, at the time when Ezekiel had his vision of the four living creatures, there had been no resurrection yet (apart from Moses). These four living creatures seen in Ezekiel are referred to as “cherubim,” a class of angels. They are not beings from earth, but are of the angelic class. This is why the other versions of the Bible seem more acceptable than the King James, in this case. These four living creatures are not people who were redeemed from the earth.
The description of these living creatures is another indication that we are looking at the judgment scene. These creatures are described as being full of eyes all over. Everything which we see is intended to help us to understand what is happening. God is not saying that in heaven, there are strange looking beings with animal heads and covered all over with eyes. In the same way that we are told that Jesus is a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, we are also told that these living creatures have the heads of animals and eyes all over. But we have to interpret these symbols in order to understand what the message God is sending to us.
The purpose of eyes is to see. When we see Christ with seven eyes it indicates that He is able to see all things. Seven is a symbol of completeness, so this indicates that Christ sees everything. In the same way, the fact that the living creatures are full of eyes is a statement that these creatures represent a group of angels who see a great deal more than the other angels. Their purpose is to “see,” or to gather information. This suggests that these are the guardian/recording angels who are assigned to guard and monitor the activities of human beings here on earth. These four living creatures are also shown standing closest of all to the throne of God and this is in perfect harmony with the words of Jesus:
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matt 18:10)
These four cherubim with their strange faces have a history that goes back all the way to the time when Israel was traveling through the wilderness on the journey from Egypt to Canaan. Sir Isaac Newton gives us the following interesting information about the faces associated with these angelic beings:
“The People of Israel in the wilderness encamped round about the Tabernacle, and on the east side were three tribes under the standard of Judah, on the west were three tribes under the standard of Ephraim, on the south were three tribes under the standard of Reuben, and on the north were three tribes under the standard of Dan.“ The standard of Judah was a Lion, that of Ephraim an Ox, that of Reuben a Man, and that of Dan an Eagle.” (Sir Isaac Newton)
So apparently, each group of three tribes traveled under a flag which carried one of the heads represented by these four beings. A flag, or an ensign, represents the guiding principle, the underlying power which empowers a people. Obviously these flags represented the four groups of angelic beings who are assigned to monitor and protect God’s people, from the days of ancient Israel until the present time. In the judgment these beings are present and right in the middle of the proceedings, along with Jesus and the 24 elders from earth, because they, above all others are most qualified to be involved in a judgment which involves God’s people and the kingdom of Christ.
Perhaps the part of this scene which has been most overlooked and underrated is the part which is really the most significant. Let us remember that John has been taken to heaven specifically to view the opening of this book. This is the key event in the book of Revelation. This sounds like an exaggeration, especially when we think of all the intriguing sections dealing with the mark of the beast, the sealing of the 144,000, the judgment of Babylon etc. But when we examine this passage carefully we see that the opening of the book is tremendously significant. When the book is opened there is a burst of praise and glory to God which involves the entire universe – every creature in heaven and in earth. This is not simply a passing glimpse into how the universe will be at some future time, this is not an irrelevant side-note, this is a revelation of what will result from the opening of the book! Whatever is contained in the book is something which affects the entire universe. It is not just something relating to earth, but all of heaven is intensely interested in it. When the contents of this book are finally unveiled to the universe the end-result is that God and Jesus will be glorified by every living thing.
Recently someone suggested to me that whatever is happening in heaven is of little significance to us and should not be something we get too concerned about. But as we study the books of Daniel and the Revelation, it becomes very clear that there is an intimate connection between the activities of heaven and earth. We discover that earth is not operating in isolation, heavenly beings are intensely interested in what happens here and obviously, we should be equally interested in what is happening there.
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Poetry from Young Christians
A Battle For Freedom
Ellen shafer
Rising up from below I take my stand
Afraid to speak for fear of getting banned
Fearless at heart, but afraid I won’t withstand
I want to be free but some things I don’t understand.
I take His hand and let Him lead
For when I am with Him I’m actually free
And I can sing and dance with glee
Because
being His friend is much more than just
holding a church key.
But all too soon I find myself sinking
Like a crazed fool I start rethinking
Again with the devil I am linking
And I say to myself “what am I thinking?”
I need to take control, I have to take control
But it seems impossible to get out of this hole
He whispers in my ear, “you gotta pay the toll!”
I feel like he’s almost gotten a hold of my soul!
But I see from above a heavenly light
And He takes my hand and holds me tight
His yoke is easy and His burden is light
Now like a soldier I feel like I could fight
And once again, the devil runs in fright.
So if you’ve already gone to seal the deal
I beg you, please hurry and make a repeal
Come join me, and before the throne we will kneel
For let me tell you my friend, Jesus is real!
A Thankful Heart
Malinda Herschberger.
Oh let me always thankful be,
In everything, my Lord, to Thee;
Though trials and troubles come my way,
Let me praise you day by day.
Le me not bring Thy cause to shame,
But always let me praise your name;
In everything that comes to be,
I know you’ll use for good to me.
And when this life on earth is past,
And I have finished up my task,
I know I will not question Thee
For trials that have come to me.
But know that they were for my good,
So let me praise Thee as I should
With thankful heart from day to day,
In everything that comes my way.
Thoughts of Rest
The keeping of the Ten Commandments is only a very small part of the experience of victory over sin. Some fail to grasp this because they limit the definition of sin to “the transgression of the law.” But when a person has obeyed ten rules, is he then qualified for fellowship with God and fit for eternity? Absolutely not!
God wants more than some aspects of our behavior, He wants to be Lord of all of our lives, not just ten aspects of it. Victory over sin goes much deeper than simply what we do, it is far more than the question of how we behave. What God wants of us is the entire heart, and indeed the entire life!
The truth is that man’s real problem lies in a self-oriented life. This is the root of all sin. God wants us to die to self so completely that we have no goals, no purposes, no desires, no possessions, but that in every single aspect of our lives, we live in Christ, an extension of His body, caring only for what pleases Him. Our jobs are not ours, they are His, so are our cars, our houses, our children, our clothes etc. Therefore we have no desires, no fears nor cares. What does it matter how we live or even if we don’t live when we are already dead and simply living Christ’s life?
This is what God wants and it is ONLY when we understand the issues in this way that we can begin to understand the way of true righteousness. The self-oriented life is always wrong, even if it keeps the ten rules. The life itself is out of harmony with God so obeying in ten things is of very little benefit if the entire life is not fully controlled by Christ.
So let us understand the issue, I must die, there is no other way. This is the most challenging, and yet the most beautiful experience of all. This is the way to peace and true freedom. The greatest deliverance is the deliverance from self. None but those who have experienced it can understand, but Jesus explained it very plainly for those who choose to understand and to receive His words. It is for all of us if we will only believe and take that step of utterly renouncing self and embracing Christ as our all in all.
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)
Testimonies
Mario from Italy
30 years ago, I was a convinced atheist. In discussions with all kinds of people, religious or not, I tried to prove that God does not exist. I remember that my argument was, “There can only be the concept of God, but not God in reality.” Of course, the Bible for me was a waste of time and, to be honest, I did not know anything about it.
I had several bad habits such as the smoking habit and I smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day. Since I was an athletic type I could see that the habit of smoking, over time, would destroy my body, so I decided to embark on a fierce struggle against the smoking habit. I would withstand for a few days, but then I would return to smoking. It was one defeat after another. I was tempted to give up this fight, but then I would decide to struggle again.
I remember that at one time I avoided cigarettes for 15 days, that was my maximum, but then I could not resist any longer: I felt like I was in a pit with no possibility of escape. It was at this point that I felt the need of someone to help me from the outside. Finally the time came when I just could not give any more, and it was then that I let myself cry for help, though I did not know who I was crying to.
As soon as I cried for help, I received an energy that was so strong that it allowed me to dominate any bad habit! Right away I knew that I had found God and that I was not alone in the world. The knowledge that we have a Father in heaven gave me great joy. I felt as if a weight had been lifted from me and I cried for days.
The first book I read was the Bible. In Romans 8:1,2 says,
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1-2)
It was this experience that I was living and I quickly realized that the Bible is divine. After just one month I was baptized. Since then 30 years have elapsed and I have remained true to my decision to serve God.
It was my wife who, in an attempt to better understand the thoughts of Bill Pinto, during a whole night, surfing the Internet, who came to your site and read an article about you, Allen Stump and Bill Pinto. From what we have read your thinking is similar to ours.
Two weeks ago I contacted the pastor and I explained why I no longer believe in the Trinity. I explained to him that the pioneers and Ellen White did not believe in the Trinity. The pastor invited me to present these ideas to the church, and so, next Saturday I will speak to the church. I already know that in a very short time we will be removed from the register of the church.
I have been a Colporteur for more than 15 years and have met many people, inside and outside the church, so I have to talk with them about the reasons that led me to believe this way.
I spoke with Bill Pinto twice by phone, but I never talked with Allen personally. I am planning to contact him to talk about the issue of sin. Can you explain why at one time you also believed as Allen and Bill? Where does this belief lead a person?
I salute you
Mario and family
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From Romania
I thank God that He inspired David Clayton to write the book entitled, “Divine Healing”, (The Good News is Better Than you Think – Romanian version) a book which helped me a great deal to come totally and irreversibly close to Him.
The clear and perfectly argued ideas managed to heal within my soul any trace of doubt about the Lord Jesus’ Mission on Earth.
I am an Orthodox Christian by birth, but going to the Church Service, worshipping icons and using the prayer books for over 30 years, didn’t bring the light and the inner Peace that this book and the Bible brought into my life.
May God bless all those that made it possible for the book, “Divine Healing” to get into my hands. The world would be a better place if every man on the planet would have the chance and the openness to read this book.
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From South Africa
We are South Africans in Cape Town, and I knew about this ministry through Nader and Imad from Revelation 1412.
I have followed your ministry for a few weeks now. I have been listening and re -listening to your messages. I have finally the faith to thank you for how you have been used by God to lift a load off my shoulders.
On behalf of my family (2 sons , daughter & my wife) you have restored us back to our Saviour. I have only one question to ask pertaining to temptation, once you have the victory, does victory mean victory over temptation as well?
Thank you for your singing as well, it is so inspiring.
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From Canada
I Listened to lectures, lectures on the law. All my adult life I have tried to obey it in its legal sense. But now the windows of heaven have been opened and I can’t contain it. Where do I start?
October Campmeetings
Roan Mountain and Sacramento 2015
I have been attending the campmeeting in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, for the past six years or so. Each year it has grown in size and interest until it has become one of the major events in the campmeeting calendar, among those who believe in the truth that there is only one God and that Jesus Christ is His true, literally begotten Son. This year however, was exceptional in every way.
First of all there were the people who came: They came from Wisconsin, Oregon, Kentucky, Indiana, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alabama, Texas, Florida, all over Tennessee, and even from as far away as London, England! Many of those who attended were people who were new to the message and we were meeting each other for the first time.
Maybe this influx of new believers was one of the reasons for the beautiful spirit which pervaded the camp. There were always groups of people gathered discussing one subject or another in a spirit of brotherhood eager to learn and to gain the maximum benefit from the things being taught. However, there was more to it; the theme of the campmeeting was, “Grace and Faith in the End-time.” Speaker after speaker expanded on this theme of Grace and Faith, while others such as myself (David Clayton) focused on the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation showing how they pointed to our time and how they had striking relevance for the times in which we live.
Speakers were Brothers Lynnford Beachy and Jim Raymond from Present Truth ministries in Oklahoma, Dr. William Van Grit from Tennessee, Eric Wilson from Tennessee, Ken Corklin from Pennsylvania, Nader Mansour and Imad Awde from Revelation 1412 ministry in Australia, and of course, Howard Williams and David Clayton from Restoration Ministries in Jamaica.
There were approximately 130 people in attendance on the final Sabbath of the campmeeting. Sabbath is usually a high day with many people coming for just that day, but from the first day of the camp there was a large gathering of close to 70 people with the attendance hovering around 90 most days.
This campmeeting is held each year in the Roan Mountain State Park which is one of the more scenic spots in Tennessee. Many people come there each year to view the Autumn landscape where the leaves change color to give a breath-taking display. The fullness of this change usually occurs a couple of weeks after the campmeeting each year so we have never really seen what it is like when the leaves all change, but we are always able to see the first few tinges of orange and red.
Among the highlights of the campmeeting was a baptism on the final Sabbath when 14 people were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. It was a wet evening with a nagging drizzle and much too chilly for my liking. However the candidates did not seem to mind and they joyfully entered the water where Brothers Ken Corklin and Nader Mansour were waiting. As each was immersed beneath the icy water there was a sharp intake of breath, quickly followed by expressions of joy. We all got a little damp from the incessant drizzle, but somehow nobody seemed to mind. Later when we were all dry and back at the meeting hall we welcomed them all into the fellowship of the Father and the Son and prayed that each one might be filled with the spirit of Christ.
It was a great campmeeting. We came to the end with plans for next year. The hope is that we will have the next campmeeting on September 12-17, 2016. These are the planned dates, but the truth is, events are developing so rapidly that there is always that element of “if.” If things continue to escalate at the same rate, next year September may find the world in such a state that campmeetings will no longer be possible. This is a very real possibility. May God help us to make full use of our present opportunities that we may be fortified and prepared for what lies ahead.
Sacramento, California
From Roan Mountain, we moved on to Newcastle, in the Sacramento area of California. Brother Emil Maghiar had organized week-end meetings at his lovely home in the foothills and Howard and I were invited to be speakers.
The meetings were held in Brother Maghiar’s garage which was very spacious and could have comfortably accommodated up to 70 or 80 people. As it was, there was no danger of us running out of space because our gathering was not more than perhaps twenty people. Brother and Sister Maghiar had prepared for more because several persons from the SDA church had promised that they would come to hear, but most did not hold to their word and only a few of them attended. Nevertheless, we had a happy and eager audience with people coming from Oregon, Washington and from other parts of California.
Brother Howard focused on the issue of Christ and His righteousness while my emphasis was the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. Brother Maghiar also gave a message on Sabbath evening which was focused on the truth about the godhead.
One joyful highlight of the meeting was the Sabbath afternoon baptism of Sister Jenelle and her two daughters, Mahli and Lily. They came from the Monterey area with a strong desire to be baptized and were overjoyed when this desire was finally realized. This family is from a Roman Catholic background and they have all been sprinkled (Roman Catholic baptism). However, when they learned the truth about the Sabbath and other related truths, they desired to be baptized in the biblical way. Brother Howard conducted the baptism on Sabbath afternoon with a small group of about 15 witnesses present. There are still many challenges to be faced by this little family because the rest of the family is still Roman Catholic and not happy about the direction being taken by these sisters. We encourage all who can to keep them in prayer.
Though it was a small campmeeting, yet it was a great blessing. It was a close-knit fellowship, especially among those of us who were hosted at the Maghiar’s home. People slept everywhere, in the bedrooms, in the living room, in the garage and even in the passages, but it was wonderful to live like that if only for a few days. Sister Maghiar worked tirelessly along with others of the ladies to provide us with some amazing meals. I don’t think I ever saw a table spread with so much good food so often. At every meal I had to stop in the name of temperance because the food tempted you to go on and on.
Howard and I finally left on Monday evening, the last to leave. It was a little sad when we had to say good-bye, but we have very good memories and perhaps, if the Lord wills, we may still have time for another campmeeting there before the end finally comes.
Thoughts to Ponder
What we need is not a greater conformity to the will of Christ, but a greater receiving of the life of Christ. We need more faith in what is true, not greater effort to change ourselves.
Following Christ, without Christ, is not Christianity. It is only following self in the path of discipline. Such a life has no victory in it. But with Christ, it is Christ who is living in me. It is He and I, it is He working in me. In such a life there is continual victory
Two, Three or Six Meals a Day?
Lenworth Frankson
Are two meals a day ideal or is it three? Some health advocates even suggest that eating six small meals instead of two or three is better. There are many answers to this question so it might be a good idea to look at some of these answers.
Most people believe that we need three square meals a day with snacks in between to maintain stable blood sugar and insulin levels. However, there is compelling evidence that strongly suggests that eating very frequently may be part of the reason why there are so many obese and diabetic individuals today.
A long time ago people did not have easy access to food 24/7, as we do today. If you think about it you will see that there were no refrigerators or coolers for keeping food fresh. What is interesting is that people were still able to cope and function normally with their everyday duties and activities. From this perspective it appears that the human body was designed for intermittent periods of fasting. Science is now showing that there are some beneficial effects that take place when we go for periods of time without eating. I am referring to individuals who are “healthy” not babies, children or adults with health issues.
Eating Multiple Meals a Day
Dr. Valter Longo who is the director of the Longevity Institute, at the University of Southern California, has been studying meal timing and calorie restriction for years. He thinks that eating even three meals a day may be too much.
Based on his research, he is convinced that the fewer meals we eat; the better we will fare overall. He states: “… studies that support a grazing approach tend to be flawed in predictable ways. They often look only at the short-term effects of increasing meal frequency.
While your appetite, metabolism, and blood sugar might at first improve, your system will grow accustomed to your new eating schedule after a month or two. When that happens, your body will start expecting and craving food all day long instead of only around midday or dinnertime.”
In the USA and a few other countries there is so much food available that we become careless and indisciplined in our eating habits and eventually we become gluttons. I believe that limiting our meals to a window of eight to nine hours each day is a better choice than eating three to six meals each day. This approach is called intermittent fasting where we have our meals within an eight to nine hour window and then fast the remaining fifteen to sixteen hours. Keep in mind that 8-10 hours of this fasting you should be sleeping. Some people really struggle with the two-meal plan but this is a suggestion that I believe would be beneficial for good health.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an important strategy for effective weight loss and disease prevention. If you have a physically taxing job, it might be much better to eat a solid breakfast and lunch, and then skip dinner. The important thing is to only eat within a window of about eight consecutive hours each day, and avoid food for about five hours before bedtime. As long as you restrict your eating to this window, you can choose between having breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner. Whatever you choose to do just eat your meals within the eight to nine hour time frame.
If you choose to eat dinner as your last meal, remember that it should be eaten at least five to six hours before going to bed so that your digestive organs can finish their work and rest while you sleep. Eating a heavy meal late in the evening or at night should definitely be avoided! Applying this principle to your life can help optimize your cellular function and prevent cellular damage from occurring. Our bodies use the least amount of calories when sleeping, so having excess fuel at this time will only generate excessive free radicals that will damage your tissues, accelerate aging, produce a foul “dragon breath” in the morning and contributes to chronic diseases.
As I mentioned before, growing teens with normal weight, children and infants do need to eat more than twice a day. They likely need three square meals a day unless they’re overweight. The type of food children eat should be meals that are made up of “real food”, not processed foods. Fast food, and sugary snacks are killers! When you consistently eat every few hours and never miss a meal, your body becomes very inefficient at burning fat as a fuel, and this is where the trouble starts. It is important to recognize that, for the most part, you cannot burn body fat if you have other fuel available, and if you are supplying your body with carbohydrates every few hours, your body has no need to use your fat stores. Eating fewer meals and timing those meals to occur closer together is one of the most effective strategies that can help your body to effectively burn fat for fuel, while normalizing your insulin sensitivity.
Drinking Water Before Meals
For those who are trying to lose weight, recent research suggests drinking about two eight-ounce glasses of water half an hour or so before your meals may help boost weight loss. In the study, those who drank water before each meal lost an average of nearly three pounds over the course of three months. Those who ate three meals a day and drank water prior to each meal lost an average of nearly 9.5 pounds in three months.
The research results also showed that those who only drank water once a day, or not at all, lost just over 1.75 pounds. Thirst is often misinterpreted as hunger when in fact our bodies are telling us that we are dehydrated. Drinking water before settling down to eat will also make you feel fuller, so overall this strategy could result in eating less.
Calorie Restriction
Studies have confirmed the health benefits of calorie restriction (reducing your calorie intake) and it seems clear that eating less is part of the equation if you want to live a longer healthier life. Calorie restriction is associated with a number of health improvements, including reduced fat around your organs, reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, and improved insulin sensitivity. But few people are keen on the idea of cutting their daily calories by about twenty-five percent or more for the rest of their life. Intermittent fasting might just be the answer to this problem. Intermittent fasting has many of the same benefits as calorie restriction even if you don’t place anyrestrictions on the number of calories you consume when you eat.
This was demonstrated in a 2013 review, which found a broad range of therapeutic benefits of intermittent fasting, even when total calorie intake per day did not change, or was only slightly reduced. Research indicates that intermittent fasting could help:
· Limit inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and cellular damage
· Reproduce some of the cardiovascular benefits associated with physical exercise
· Improve metabolic efficiency and body composition, including significant reductions in body weight in obese individuals
· Reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels
· Improve pancreatic function
· Lower triglyceride levels
· Improve circulating glucose
· Protect against cardiovascular disease
· Improve immune function, and shift stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal
· Prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes
· Help eliminate sugar cravings as your body adapts to burning fat instead of carbs
· Improve human growth hormone production (HGH). Fasting can raise HGH by as much as 1,300 percent in women and 2,000 percent in men. HGH plays an important part in health, fitness, and slowing the aging process. It’s also a fat-burning hormone
Intermittent fasting has addedbenefits over strict calorie restriction. It is a lot easier to comply with, and compliance is everything. If we seek to improve just by restricting calories, this is extremely dependent on our getting high quality nutrition and this could be a problem for many who are unfamiliar with nutrition and what actually constitutes a healthy diet.
From what I have seen and learned, counting calories seeking to restrict their intake does not work! Most people fail to appreciate that there are many intricate biochemical dynamics that occur that are unaccounted for when we just count “calories in and calories out”.
In terms of calorie restriction and weight, humans tend to have an innate resistance to excessive weight loss, even in the face of severe calorie restriction. Dr. Ancel Keys demonstrated this fact in the mid-1940s when he designed an experiment to investigate the impact of starvation on human beings.
Thirty-six young healthy male volunteers were placed on a 24-week calorie-restricted diet of about 1,600 calories per day. They also had to walk for about 45 minutes a day. But instead of resulting in continuous weight loss, at 24 weeks their weight had stabilized, and no more weight loss could be elicited even when he reduced calorie intake down to 1,000 or less per day.
The drawbacks were clear. The men became obsessed with food to the exclusion of everything else in their life, and when the calorie restriction ended, they all over-reacted. Within a few weeks, they regained all of the lost weight plus about 10 percent more. Other studies have also come to similar conclusions. Starvation-type diets are bad for the average person. Your body will tend to shut down various processes in order to survive. Calorie restriction however when monitored and applied properly can promote beneficial biological changes that tend to extend life but if it becomes chronic calorie restriction then it will trigger serious health problems.
Practicing daily intermittent fasting and avoiding eating five hours before bedtime is the better choice. If you’re among those who do not struggle with insulin resistance, then try avoiding eating at least five hours before bedtime. This will automatically allows you to “fast” for about ten hours or longer depending on when you eat breakfast.
Also never forget the importance of getting regular exercise. Exercise will not produce significant weight loss without addressing your diet, but when done in combination it can be significantly beneficial.
The following quote from Ellen White sums up and suggests the position we should take regarding the quantity, quality, regularity and number of meals we should eat each day:
Carefully consider your diet. Study from cause to effect. Cultivate self-control. Keep appetite under the control of reason. Never abuse the stomach by overeating, but do not deprive yourself of the wholesome, palatable food that health demands.
Those who understand the laws of health and who are governed by principle will shun the extremes, both of indulgence and of restriction. Their diet is chosen, not for the mere gratification of appetite, but for the up building of the body. They seek to preserve every power in the best condition for highest service to God and man. The appetite is under the control of reason and conscience, and they are rewarded with health of body and mind. While they do not urge their views offensively upon others, their example is a testimony in favor of right principles. These persons have a wide influence for good. -The Ministry of Healing, 310-323
I believe that if we follow these principles we will be blessed with healthier bodies by God’s grace.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
May God help us to choose wisely while practicing temperance!
Who Raised Jesus From The Dead?
1. Acts 5:30:- The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
2. Romans 10:9:- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
3. (Acts 2:24) Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
4. (Acts 2:32) This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
5. (Acts 3:15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
6. (Acts 3:26) Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
7. (Acts 10:40) Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly;
8. (Acts 13:30) But God raised him from the dead:
9. (Acts 13:34) And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
10. (Acts 13:37) But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
11. (1 Cor 6:14) And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
12. (Gal 1:1) Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Open Face
November 2015
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
