In this issue:
The Reality of the Ministry of Christ
The Reality of the Ministry of Christ
David Clayton
“And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought
and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any
more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was
cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for
the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night.” (Revelation 12:7-10)
I have always found this to be one of the fascinating passages in the
Bible, perhaps because it brings so many questions to mind. For example,
what kind of war was there in heaven? What were the weapons which they
used? Michael fought and His angels fought. The question is, could Satan
resist the power of Michael, the Son of God for even one moment? What
about God Himself? Why didn’t He also fight? How could the devil dare to
think that he could, by force of conflict gain control of heaven? God
has the power to wipe out Satan in an instant if He so chooses, but the
Bible says there was war. There was a battle and Satan was cast out.
Immediately this tells us that there are issues involved in the conflict
between God and Satan which are more than simply the issue of who is
stronger.
Let us notice the name that Satan was called; he was called, “the
accuser of our brethren.” The Bible says he was accusing them before God
“day and night,” and when he was finally cast out of heaven, there was
great rejoicing there.
What time are we considering here, when Satan was cast out? Is this
talking about in the very beginning when Satan first sinned and lost his
place in heaven? No, this was after Christ died and returned to heaven.
We know, because it says,
“the accuser of our brethren which accused them before our God day and night.”
Before this world was created Satan had nobody to accuse. It was after
the world was created and man sinned that he went before God, night and
day, accusing the people of God continually. When Jesus was resurrected
and went back to heaven, he was finally and permanently cast out of
heaven, and there was great rejoicing among the heavenly host because
they no longer had to listen to his nagging, accusing voice.
Let us consider something; Satan is called the accuser of our
brethren. He apparently was in the habit of going before God, picking
out every sin that God’s people on earth were committing, and accusing
them before God. If Satan had not believed that his accusations carried
some weight, would he have wasted so much time? The truth is that his
accusations had a point. Let us see just how strong Satan’s accusations
were.
JOB
The story of Job is a good illustration of how Satan accuses God’s people and seeks to destroy them.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.” (Job 1:6)
There are times in heaven when there are great assemblies, when all
the inhabitants of the heavens gather together before God. What do they
do at this time? Do they just sit down and look at Him? No, at times
they assemble to worship and praise God, but at other times their
purpose is to discuss and examine certain issues.
So on this occasion they gathered together before God, and Satan came
to present himself among them. As they were having this discussion, God
said to Satan: “What are you doing here and where are you coming from?”
Satan’s answer was full of meaning. He said, “from roaming about on
the earth, and from walking about on it!” Satan was really saying, “down
on earth they serve me. You think that these people in heaven serve you
because your way is good, but let me tell you, those who are really
free are the people on earth and you know what? Every one of them is
serving me! They have all chosen my way. They have all chosen the way
that you call the way of sin and evil, and every one of them is serving
me! Everyone of them is showing you that my way is better and more
desirable. These angels in heaven have to serve You, and if they don’t
serve You, You will kick them out and destroy them, but down there on
earth where they are really free they are serving me!”
So Satan accused God. The Bible doesn’t give all the details, but when
we look at the arguments we can see that that is what it was all about.
So the Lord answered Satan:
“ … hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him
in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and
escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8)
God was saying to Satan: “What you are saying is not true. There is
still somebody on earth who willingly, of his own free will, is serving
Me, and this man, Job, is saying to you, Satan, that my way is the
better way.”
Did God have a point? Did Satan have a point?
“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about
all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands,
and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand
now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And
the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power;
only upon himself put not forth thine hand…”(Job 1:9-12)
Did God know whether Job really loved Him or not? Did Satan know
whether Job really loved God or not? Of course he did! But Satan is a
liar. He is a liar, and an accuser of the brethren. Satan knew in his
heart that God’s way is better. But he is a liar and he was trying to
move God against Job. The question is, why did God have to prove
anything to Satan anyway? Was it that God needed to be certain about
Job? Was He in doubt? Was it for Satan’s sake? Why would God have to
prove anything to Satan? Satan could not be saved. At this point he was
long past the point of no return. His probation had closed hundreds of
years before Job’s time. Who was God really proving something to?
Obviously it must have been to the sons of God who were there from all
the other planets, and to the angels. THEY don’t know everything, as God
knows everything. God had to demonstrate to these unfallen beings that
Job really had chosen His way out of love for God and an appreciation of
what is just and true and right.. He had to show it and there was only
one way that God could show it.
Terrible affliction came upon Job. In one day his ten children died.
In one day everything he had was gone! Did God have to respond to Satan
like that? We must understand that, it was more than just responding to
Satan. There were great issues involved in Job’s life and in what was
happening to him. In actual fact, The whole universe was watching Job!
Shortly afterwards on another occasion there was another great
assembly in heaven. We read about it in Job chapter 2. As on the
previous occasion, Satan presented himself.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that
there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one
that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movest me against him, to destroy him without
cause.” (Job 2:3)
“Without a cause?” Why was God afflicting Job, “without a cause?” God
knew there was no cause; Satan knew there was no cause, and yet Satan
was able to move God to act against Job – without a cause! On God’s part
there was no cause; on Satan’s part there was no cause, because you
see, Satan knew the truth. But there were some who did not know. The
unfallen beings did not know, and for their sakes God had to have this
demonstration. Satan hoped to destroy Job, he hoped that he would be
able to afflict and persecute Job and so torment him that he might get
him to rebel against God and against God’s way. He did know indeed that
Job was serving God from right motives, but he hoped to turn Job from
his loyalty to God by his severe afflictions.
This is the same way Satan will try to destroy the 144,000. He will
say of the 144,000, “give them to me for a few moments and I will show
you that these people do not really love you.” And it takes real
confidence in His people for God to say, “do your best with them.” God
does not say that of the common Christian. God says that only of
somebody whom He knows can really be trusted.
ABRAHAM
It is interesting as we read the story of Abraham in the book,
‘Patriarchs and Prophets’, for Ellen White makes the point that all of
heaven was watching Abraham. When God promised Abraham that he would
have a son and then delayed for so many years, Abraham lost faith and
tried to fulfill God’s promise by human effort. He went in to Hagar and
had a son by her. Ellen White makes the point that Satan accused Abraham
of not being fit for God to use because he had no faith in God; he had
done something that was based on lack of faith. This is why God had to
put him to this greater test with Isaac. God brought him to the place
where the whole universe could now see clearly whether or not this man
loved and trusted God supremely. As Abraham was about to plunge the
knife into his son’s bosom God said, ‘lay not thine hand upon the lad’.
Then take note of the next words which He spoke: ‘NOW I KNOW THAT THOU
FEAREST GOD’! Did not God know before? Of course God knew, but the
beings for whom God was making this demonstration had not known. Now
they could see for themselves. Now they could know.
AHAB
Let us now examine this unseen conflict as it related to the soul of
Ahab. Was Ahab a good person or an evil person? Ahab was an extremely
wicked man. He was one of the wickedest kings in Israel, yet as we
examine the history of this man, we see great mercy manifested towards
him by God.
When Elijah confronted the false prophets on mount Carmel, four
hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, along with four hundred prophets of
the groves, Ahab was there watching the conflict. He saw eight hundred
and fifty false prophets on the mountain cutting themselves, dancing and
leaping, calling upon the name of their false, impotent god for one
whole day while there was no response, he saw God send fire from heaven
when Elijah prayed, and witnessed the destruction of these false
prophets by the brook Kishon. He witnessed with his own eyes the hand of
God and proved that Jehovah is the one true God.
God did something special for Ahab that night? as best as I can figure
from the map, it was approximately twenty miles from Mount Carmel to
Jezreel and God put His Spirit upon Elijah, and made Elijah run in front
of Ahab’s chariot for the full twenty miles back to Jezreel. The rain
came down in such a furious torrent that it was impossible to even make
out the roadway, so God made Elijah run ahead of the chariot to guide
Ahab all the way back to Jezreel. God was manifesting the regard of a
Father for wicked king Ahab. It is probable that in heaven, Satan was
saying, “give me Ahab! He is one of mine. Let me have him that I may
destroy him!” But God responded, “he has not had his fair chance yet.”
As we continue to trace the working of God in the life of Ahab, the
next thing we come upon is an incident in the life of Ahab where
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria is seeking to make war with Ahab. And
although Ahab does not want any trouble, the demands of the Syrian king
are so unreasonable that he has no choice but to fight with him. We can
read this story in 1 Kings 20. The wonderful thing is that two times God
sent a prophet to direct Ahab how to defeat the Syrians. The second
time it says that the Syrians filled the whole country, but the
Israelites were camped before them like two little flocks of kids. God
sent a prophet to tell AHAB (!) that he would defeat the Syrians, and as
Ahab followed God’s instructions the enemy was totally defeated (1
Kings 20:26-30)
Again we can remember the time when Ahab and Jezebel killed Naboth
because Ahab coveted his vineyard. God sent the prophet Elijah to tell
him, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there the dogs
shall lick your blood also.” So what did Ahab do? He put on sackcloth
and ashes and fasted, and went about softly. And the Lord said to
Elijah,
“Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth
himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his
son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.” (1 Kings 21:29).
Ahab’s soul was trembling in the balance; his destiny was on the line,
and God was working for Ahab, extending every mercy possible in an
attempt to deliver him from the clutches of the enemy.
But finally, we come to the decisive moment. We find the story in 1
Kings chapter 22. Ahab, along with Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, came
together to once more do battle with the Syrians. As they were laying
their plans, Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “before we undertake this
venture, let us first of all inquire of the Lord.” So Ahab sent and
called for his prophets.
Remember that twice before God had delivered him out of the hands of
these same Syrians and given him significant victories over them. But
who does Ahab send for now? Four hundred and fifty prophets of the
groves! The margin of my Bible tells me that they were prophets of the
groves, Jezebel’s hirelings! But didn’t Elijah kill them all on Mount
Carmel? Now here were four hundred more! What does that tell us? In
spite of what he had seen on mount Carmel and God’s subsequent mercy
towards him, Ahab had gone and replaced the false prophets whom God had
destroyed! Was there any good in this man’s heart towards Jehovah? Ahab
was saying to Jehovah, “I have no respect for You, no matter what You do
for me!”
So those false prophets said, “go forward. You shall triumph in the
battle today.” But Jehoshaphat was uneasy. He did not like the looks of
these prophets. He said, “isn’t there a prophet of Jehovah here of whom
we may inquire?” Ahab answered, “yes, there is one man, Micaiah, the son
of Imlah, but I don’t like him because he never says anything good
about me.” Jehoshaphat replied, “let not the king say so.” So they sent
for Micaiah.
When Micaiah came, he said, “I saw all Israel scattered like sheep
upon the mountains, and the Lord said, these have no master. Let each
return to his house.” Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “didn’t I tell you that
he wouldn’t speak good about me?” But Micaiah continued,
“…hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on
his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand
and on his left. And the Lord said, who shall persuade Ahab, that he
may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And one said on this manner, and
another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood
before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto
him, wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, thou shalt
persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.” (1 Kings 22:19-22)
At that point the dividing line for Ahab had been crossed. In heaven
now, there was no longer any discussion about how to save Ahab’s soul;
the discussion now concerned how he should perish! Notice how it
happens. God gathers the host of heaven together. They are gathered
together and they begin to discuss it. One says one thing and one says
another, and they discuss the matter. God asks the question and
everybody gives his opinion, and finally, here comes an agent of Satan, a
fallen angel (remember that in those days they still had access to
heaven to go back and forth), who says, “I will go and be a lying spirit
in the mouth of his prophets.” If Ahab had retained any connection with
God could that lying spirit have gone there to deceive him? No! But
when you pass a certain line, when you set your mind in a certain
direction, then God has no choice but to give Satan permission to do
what he wants, and that’s what happened in this case. It happened with
Saul, it happens with Ahab now. God says, “Go, you have my permission to
work your way with him.” That’s what Satan had tried to do with Job,
but it didn’t work because you see, Job had not placed himself on the
side of Satan. Satan was not permitted to destroy him, though he did
afflict him grievously. But now, in the case of Ahab, God says, “you may
have your way with him.” And that is what happened. Ahab died in the
battle that day, a lost man, firmly settled on the side of Satan, his
destiny forever sealed, awaiting the day of judgment.
SIMON PETER
Again we see this conflict being played out in the case of Simon Peter.
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not ….” (Luke 22:31,32)
Let us look at that picture. Let us think of what it means. Satan came
before God and said, “God, you have a man down there named Simon Peter
walking around with your Son Jesus. Do you think that man is fit to be
saved? Listen, that man is no better than me! If you save him then you
will have to save me too!” He accused Peter like he accuses us in most
intemperate terms, “God, do you think this man cares for you? Give him
to me for a moment and I will show you what he is really like!” Does God
know the answer? Of course He does! But the angelic beings do not know
the answer, and that is always why things have to be done openly,
publicly when God contends with Satan for the souls of men.
But here is something to consider: The Son of God, Jesus, has the same
mind as the Father, he has the same attitude towards us, yet He says,
“I have prayed for you.” Jesus went down on His knees and said to His
Father in heaven, “My Father, Satan is seeking to destroy Peter. Father,
I am asking You to give him special help so that his faith may not
fail.” Why does He need to pray like that when He and the Father have
the same attitude towards Peter? Why does He need to talk to the Father?
You might ask the same question, “how does He intercede for you and me
today?” This is a picture that God is giving us to show us how Christ
intercedes for us today. He literally speaks up on our behalf, When
Satan literally says, “give me this one”
Think of the things which we have done today. Think of the deeds we
have done, the thoughts we have been thinking, the words we have spoken,
the little subtle glances we have cast at others which nobody might
have noticed, but which the angels noticed and recorded and which Satan
has undoubtedly seen. He says to God, “Do You think he is a Christian?
Look at the things he did this morning. Are You going to save him? Then
You had better save me! God, this one is mine for certain. He is not fit
to be called one of Yours!” But Jesus prays. He steps into the breach.
Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you so that your faith may not
fail,” and so when he prayed, Peter received special help from God.
WHY JESUS INTERCEDES PUBLICLY
Something interesting happened in John chapter 11. It is something
which took place as He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Before
he called Lazarus back to life, Jesus paused to pray, thanking His
Father for hearing Him. But at the end of the prayer He added something
which is very enlightening. He said,
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people
which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
(John 11:42)
Why was He bothering to make a big thing of it since God always heard
Him? It was for the sake of those who were standing by. Not for Jesus’
sake, not for God’s sake and not even for Lazarus’ sake. It was for the
sake of those who were standing there who could not understand nor
discern the complete and perfect union between the heart of Jesus and
the heart of God. Do you see a principle revealed here? Can we see from
this the reason why Christ prays to the Father for us?
Do I need to ask you anything if you already know what is in my mind?
The only reason why I may then need to speak to you is because there are
others around who cannot read our minds and I want them to understand
what is happening in our minds, so I speak to you for their benefit.
That’s what Jesus said He was doing. In heaven, the same situation
prevails. The only persons in heaven who know everything, are God and
His son Jesus. What about the angels? They are constantly studying the
plan of salvation (1 Peter 1:12).
The heavenly beings are intensely interested in the things which we do
down here on earth, and all our actions are the subject of their
examination and careful scrutiny. Do you remember what Jesus said? He
said there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7,10). At
one time I used to think of that as just being a figurative way of
speaking. But let us picture the following scene in our minds:
Here is a person who today, finally falls on his knees and says,
“Lord, I am sorry for my sins. O Lord, I want you to give me a new
beginning and a new life. I truly do give myself to you now Lord, to be
yours to do with as you will, now and always.” With a thrill of joy his
guardian angel carries the news back to heaven. As soon as he enters the
great assembly hall he shouts out the tidings, “Listen! listen! I have
wonderful news! David has made up his mind today to serve our Lord and
King!” Then what happens? All the angels leave their business for a
little while. There is laughter and singing and rejoicing as they all
join in the celebration. All join in. There is no one who is not
concerned. Every single angel in heaven begins to rejoice. Does that
really happen, or is that just a figurative way of speaking? The truth
is that if we don’t have an idea of what heaven is like and of what is
really happening there, we can never lay hold by faith on the work which
is being done for us there.
CHRIST’S MINISTRATION IN THE SANCTUARY
In the Old Testament Sanctuary ritual, Christ tried to teach the
principle, by the work of the priests, that there is a real work being
carried out for His people in heaven in the sanctuary there. All year
long, as the people brought their sacrifices and confessed their sins on
these animals the sanctuary became symbolically polluted with the sins
of the congregation. This, of course, was symbolic of the fact that it
is through the death of Christ that the converted sinner is privileged
to have his sins dealt with in the heavenly sanctuary.
The blood taken into the sanctuary represents the fact that there is
now an acceptable offering made to God, in heaven, on our behalf. An
offering that satisfies all the claims of justice which demand our death
and separation from God because of the sins which we have committed.
The law says, we must die. Why? Because we have broken it and are
sinners. But Jesus says, “I paid the price for them. My blood was shed
for them. Father, receive them as your own children as they come to you
in my name.” Jesus now offers His own blood in the heavenly sanctuary
(Hebrews 8:3), speaking up on our behalf, claiming for us the gifts and
blessings of God.
As the blood of Christ is applied on my behalf in heaven, the Holy
Spirit becomes available to me; the graces administered through prayer,
represented by the altar of incense, become available to me; the word of
God, understanding, strength from that word, represented by the
shewbread, become available to me. But how do these things become
available to me? It is through the blood of Christ. The blood taken into
the Sanctuary.
What is the real meaning of the blood being sprinkled in heaven? What
in a practical sense is the meaning of the offering of the blood of
Christ on my behalf? I cannot come to grips with the concept of Christ
just sitting down on a throne doing nothing, or repeating the same thing
over and over all day, “Father, my blood, my blood!” What is He doing
really? Is heaven a real, practical place, or does nothing happen there?
The passages we have been looking at show us clearly that Jesus
actually, literally, speaks up on our behalf! That He actually presents
evidence and facts and reasons in the presence of the assembled hosts of
heaven, on our behalf.
In Volume 7 of the Bible Commentary on page 931, Ellen white says,
“Christ is watching. He knows all about our burdens, our dangers, and
our difficulties; and He fills His mouth with arguments in our behalf.
He fits His intercessions to the needs of each soul, as He did in the
case of Peter …. Our Advocate fills His mouth with arguments to teach
His tried, tempted ones to brace against Satan’s temptations. He
interprets every movement of the enemy. He orders events. “ (7BC, p.931)
Let us consider the meaning of this phrase: “He fills his mouth with
arguments on our behalf.” We have already seen that in heaven there are
from time to time, vast assemblies. But as those heavenly beings gather
together for these meetings, what do they do? One of the important
things which they do, is examine the lives of individuals down here on
earth. We saw this in the cases of Job, Ahab and even Peter. They look
at the lives of people. They are examining your life and my life. Now,
as my life is examined, every deed which I have committed is weighed in
the balance. As these heavenly intelligences look at our lives, do they
have discussions? I think they do. They talk about our deeds. They say,
“look at David. Here are the things which he did today. Do these deeds
demonstrate that he really loves our Lord?” Satan is involved in the
issue as well, for he still seeks every opportunity to accuse the
children of God, to point out their failings, and to claim them as his
own.
But what does Jesus do? As far as the guilt of sin is concerned, Satan
no longer has a convincing argument, for the blood of Jesus has taken
care of sin. He says, “look. I have done it for them. I died for their
sins.” And heaven does not need to be reminded of that. They know that
already, but you know what is the real question? The real question is,
Have I accepted it? Have I accepted what Christ did for me? How can they
in heaven know for certain that I have accepted what Christ did? How
can they know? The only way is through my life and my behaviour!
Showing Our Loyalty
When this thought came home to me, I was ashamed. I thought of the
angel going back to heaven with a record of my day’s activities, and
wondered what kind of report he would carry. What kind of reaction would
there be in heaven tonight, when they receive the report of my actions
today? It’s one thing to say, “all of us are being examined.” Oh we can
hide under that! If I say we are all sinful, I may receive some
consolation in the fact that I have company. I am not the only one, it’s
all of us! But when I know that the name “David Clayton” is being
called in heaven as Job’s name was called, and Satan is saying, “look at
him! Look at this man!” And when I know that the angels are looking
into my life, (because they have things to learn too) and when I know
that Jesus is trying to find a way to swing the balances in my behalf, I
wonder how many reasons have I given Jesus to rejoice today, on my
behalf. When I think of this, I am anxious that the angels should know
that I love the Lord. I want them to know that I am on His side, that I
do not in any way desire the ways of Satan and of sin. I don’t want
Satan to have the slightest grounds on which to accuse me before the
Lord, to reproach His name, and to gain a foothold in my life.
This has also encouraged me to pray aloud. I want them to hear, I want
Satan to know where my loyalty is. When I commit a sin, I want them to
know quickly that I am sorry. When we commit a sin, it is there on the
records. They look at the records and they say, “look, see what he has
been doing. He has shown no regret for these actions, he has not
repented of them. This shows that his loyalty is with Satan. He is still
clinging to these things. He is not sorry for them!” They don’t know
our hearts! They can only see our loyalty from the way we behave and
from the things which we say in prayer.
So I can see that repentance for sin is very important. We need to
make it plain to these heavenly beings that we regret the wrong we do.
We need to make them know that we hate sin and want to put it away, so
that they can see that we are on Jehovah’s side. We might fall at times
(heaven forbid), but we might fall and do the deeds of Satan. Let them
know that it is an accident; let them know that this is not the way our
heart is. Let them know, because they are examining our lives, and this
investigation is going on all the time. Satan is asking for us that he
might sift us like wheat, but Jesus is there interceding.
One morning I went to pray. Nowadays, I usually go into the car to
pray. The mornings are sometimes cold and it is the warmest place that I
can find outside of the house. As I got up to pray this particular
morning, the spring was not in my step as usual. I had to fight to get
to the bathroom to wash my face and to get myself awake. It was only the
knowledge that the Lord was waiting and that the angels were watching,
and wanting to see if my love for God was real, which gave me a little
spur. As I came to the car, I was thinking, “boy, they must be thinking
that your love is really dying, because one time you used to go out into
the bushes to pray, but now you have gone into a more comfortable place
and still you find it so hard to get up.” As I was thinking about it,
do you know what thought came to my mind?
“It’s a good thing that you have somebody who knows what humanity is, to
represent you. One who can be touched with the feelings of your
infirmities.” Because, the angels cannot fully understand what it is
like when you are not feeling as strong, and you’re getting a little
older and you don’t have the drive like when you were younger. But, you
see, Jesus is my flesh and blood! He understands, He is touched with the
feelings of my infirmities, and when the angels are thinking, “David
doesn’t love the Father as much anymore. His appreciation of God is
growing less,” then Jesus can explain, because He knows what it is to be
a human being. That is why one like me is before the throne of God to
intercede on my behalf.
We know that the Father understands, but you see, the issue does not
concern God, and Jesus only, the issue also involves the unfallen
beings. Everything God does has to be demonstrated before them, they
have to see the justice of it. If it was God only who needed to settle
the issue, then how long would Satan’s rebellion have lasted? From the
moment he rebelled, God knew everything that would happen, God knew He
was fit to die, but still God let him live. Why? It was because God is
not dealing with Himself alone. All that He does must be clearly
demonstrated to be fair and just before the whole watching universe.
Another Glimpse
Let us look at another place in the Bible where we get another glimpse
of this ministration: We are told that Jesus had to GO to heaven,
before the Holy Spirit could be poured out. He says in John chapter
16:7,
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if
I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)
Why did Jesus have to go back to heaven?” Could He not have asked God
for the gift while He was on earth, just as well as when He was in
heaven? Could not God hear Him just as well from here as from there?
The fact is that He had to go back to heaven to the heavenly
sanctuary, to minister in the Holy Place. There He sprinkled His blood
before the Father, meaning that He presented strong arguments on the
basis of the sacrifice He had made. He said, “Father, everything that
you have for them, I ask on their behalf. I have paid the price with my
own life. It is right for you to give them Father, for I paid the
price.” And He made His request in the presence of the whole watching
universe.
On the morning of the resurrection Mary Magdalene came to Him and fell
at His feet with the cry, “Rabboni! Master!” And Jesus said, “don’t
touch Me.” Why? “I have not yet ascended to my Father. I’m on the way to
heaven, but don’t delay me.” He had to go back to heaven for some
reason, and yet, God and Christ have one mind. He is in heaven, Jesus on
earth, but surely they are thinking the same kinds of thoughts, they
each know what is in the other’s mind. Why does He have to go back to
heaven immediately? Why is it so important that he should APPEAR in His
presence? He had to appear before His Father, and in the presence of the
assembled host. He had to receive the assurance, publicly, that His
sacrifice had been accepted.
Grounds for Accusation?
Now the question might perhaps be asked: Does Satan still have grounds
on which to accuse the people of God? Didn’t Jesus remove all grounds
on which he could accuse the people of God when He paid the price for
every single sin committed by the human race? Does Satan still accuse
God’s people on this side of Calvary?
Jude 9 tells us that when Michael the Archangel contended with the
devil about the body of Moses, He dared not bring against him a railing
accusation. Of course, we know that Satan was not interested in the
flesh-and-blood body of Moses. This contention was for the soul of
Moses. You see, Jesus had come to raise Moses back to life and take him
to heaven, so Satan came to oppose him and said, “Look here, you cannot
raise this man back to life. You cannot give him eternal life. This man
died having sins against his record. He is mine!” The Bible says that
Jesus could not bring against him a railing accusation. He could not say
to Satan, “My blood paid the price, so you back off Satan.” He was not
yet crucified, so He could not say it. His only way of opposing the
devil’s claims was to say, “the Lord rebuke you O Satan.”
The same thing happened in Zechariah chapter 3, when Joshua the high
priest was seen standing before the Lord with Satan standing at his
right hand to resist him. The Lord turned to Satan and said, “Jehovah
rebuke you Satan.” Again, he could not yet say, “my blood paid the price
for him.”
But in Revelation when it talks about the dragon being cast out of
heaven, it says that God’s people overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.
The blood is shed; we have that to claim; Christ has that to argue on
our behalf. Satan cannot now claim that we have no right to salvation,
but he has other grounds on which to accuse us, and that is what I
really want to point out. The question now is, are you really a
Christian? Have you really accepted Christ? That’s the question! The
question is not whether or not God has a right to save man. That issue
is done with and settled. Anybody who truly accepts Christ has victory
over Satan. The blood of Christ has paid the price and made all things
possible for us. We Christians shall never die. But the question is, are
you really a Christian? That’s the question and this is where Satan
finds grounds to accuse the people of God. How often does he find
reasons to say, “Is this a Christian? This?!! Look at what he just did a
while ago….”
THE IMPLICATIONS OF SIN
The Bible says whosoever is born of God does not commit sin. (1 John
3:9) He that committeth sin is of the devil. This is how we know the
children of the devil: By the fact that they commit sin! Can we say that
Satan does not have grounds on which to accuse God’s professed people?
And when my life is examined in heaven, what a terrible thought that
the sins which I committed today, will become the public knowledge of
all the heavenly host! And all the things I do today will demonstrate
whether I love God, or whether I prefer Satan’s way. Whether I really am
God’s representative; will determine whether or not Jesus will be able
to hold up His head at the mention of my name. Because, Christ died for
my sins, yes! That is His part, and He paid the price, thank God for
that. But what about me, what about my response, what have I done for
Christ? What am I showing to the universe about Christ?
Are our lives saying, “I think Satan’s way is better than yours,
Jesus, and actually, I prefer that really! You died for me and you paid
the price and you gave me the Holy Spirit and everything that I need,
but I am still going to give myself to Satan now and then, because his
way is really more pleasing.” That’s what our actions say, and Satan
must triumph over God with the words, “You say your way is better. See
the people whom you say you have saved. Look and see who they are
serving!” And I am sure that he flaunts our behaviour in the face of our
Saviour and in the face of our Father.
There is a secret place where God and I may meet. There is a level of
communication between us that not even the angels may enter into. But
you see, there is also a public place, where, before God can intervene
in our lives to act on our behalf, it must be clearly seen that we have
chosen to place ourselves on God’s side of the controversy. This is why
it is so vital that we make it absolutely plain by the way we behave and
also by repenting of our sins and asking God’s forgiveness, that we do
not belong to Satan. The whole story of Job, and how he was assaulted by
Satan, shows you that there are other characters involved. It’s not
just a matter of, I ask God, and if God feels like it, He will answer.
It is very clear that, first of all, it must be demonstrated to the
unfallen sons of God, that we are on God’s side, that we have chosen His
way, before He can intervene in our lives. Because If I commit sin,
then I show that I prefer the way of the devil.
If we demonstrate by our actions that we are on Satan’s side, if we
commit sin, and then come to make a request of Him while our idle
jesting and irritable temper show that we really enjoy Satan’s way, do
we expect God to be justified before heaven in answering our prayer?
Jesus said, “if two or three of you shall agree on anything which you
desire, it shall be done for you of my Father.” Why is it that two or
three are more effective than one? Isn’t God just as willing to listen
to one as to two? Doesn’t God care for us as individuals, or is it only
as we come to Him in groups? The truth is that in some cases, there are
stumbling blocks in the lives of some Christians. It may be that some do
not clearly demonstrate that their loyalty is with God, and therefore,
there are blockages in the lives of those persons which make it
impossible for God to act. When Christians unite in praying for a cause,
then it is far more likely that in that group there will be some whose
loyalty may be clearly seen, thus enabling God to act in answering their
prayers.
God’s Pain
Finally, let us examine a quotation from the book, “Education,” on page 263.
“Those why think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel
think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of its
relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering sin has caused our
Creator…” (Ed. 263)
Well, I want to hasten the work because I want to go to heaven. I want
to reach people with the gospel because, people are being lost!….
What about because God is suffering? What about that? And we think,
“suffering? How could God really be suffering? Can God feel pain? Isn’t
God, omnipotent? Surely, God doesn’t really feel pain! He is too great
and untouchable to really be deeply concerned about these things.”
But God does feel pain. He is deeply hurt by our unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel 16 gives us a view of the way God sees our unfaithfulness and
shows us that His pain may be compared to the pain felt by a man whose
wife is unfaithful to him. I have never known what it is to have my wife
be unfaithful to me. I don’t expect that I will ever have the
experience. But the very thought is painful. I can feel, just by
thinking about it, a little of the hurt that a man must feel whose wife
gives herself to another man. This is the kind of pain which God says
that He feels, when we choose the way of Satan. God is greater than we
are, yes. But consider this: Inasmuch as God is greater than we are, so
are His feelings deeper, more sensitive than ours, and so is His pain
much deeper than ours could ever be.
Yes, we may not see the tears of God. On His throne in heaven, the
tears of God may not be visible, but Jesus came to earth to show us what
God is really like, and here, when He was in human form, Jesus wept
more than once because of the sorrow caused Him by the sinfulness of His
people. How He wept over Jerusalem when they rejected Him! Does God
feel pain still? He does!
It says here:
“… All heaven suffered in Christ’s agony; but that suffering did not
begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a
revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception,
sin has brought to the heart of God.” (Ed. 263)
So the cross is not just the
place where God’s Son died, but it also reveals to us the suffering of
God. Can we fathom that? We think of Jesus dying on that cross and
crying, “My God, why have You forsaken Me?” We think of the physical
pain, but as we stop to think of the mental and spiritual agony He went
through, we understand, the cross is just a revelation, (given to us
because our senses are dull), of what sin has been doing to God.
Today, we have caused Him to suffer in just the same way. We have
caused pain and shame to our Father and to our Lord. You know what kind
of pain? It’s the kind of pain I would feel if my son, were to become a
criminal. It’s the kind of pain I would feel if my son were to start
using cocaine. Or if he were to go mad and start eating from the garbage
and walk around naked. That’s the kind of pain God is feeling. How
painful to think that even though we say we are redeemed, yet we still
partake of sin. We still give the enemy grounds to bring an accusation
against God.
“… Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every
failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. (Ed. 263)”
There is a text in Zechariah which is relevant in connection with this. It is found in Zechariah 12:10.
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look
upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
Have you ever read this text and wondered about it? I hope that today
it will be permanently fixed in your mind. It says that the Lord will
pour out upon His people the spirit of grace and supplications. Right
now, today, that spirit is not upon us. I dare say God wants us to have
it, but we don’t have that spirit of grieving for God’s pain. And what
does he say we are going to do when He pours that spirit upon us? What
shall we do? “You shall look upon Me whom YOU have pierced.” Let me tell
you, it was not cruel Roman hands that nailed Christ to the cross. It
was not blasphemous Jewish leaders who sentenced Him to death. It was
your sins and my sins. And day by day, by our indulgence in sin we
continue to crucify the son of God and to hurt Him and to pain his
heart.
Words cannot express this thing, but it is true! My words cannot
express this truth, my heart does not feel about this the way it should,
but I hope that your heart is touched and that you are feeling about
this, the way God wants you to feel. The Lord says, when this comes
before you in the way that it should, you will look upon the one whom
you have pierced and you will mourn for HIM! Oh yes, we mourn about our
sins; We weep over our relatives who are not yet saved and who are
enslaved by sin, and so we should. But have we mourned for the Lord? For
what we are doing to Him? The Lord says when we see things from the
right perspective, we will mourn for the one that we have pierced. Let
me tell you, that this is the way that we are going to finally overcome
sin. When we love the Lord best of all and He is more important than any
other person and we look at Him and understand what we are doing to
Him, then we will MOURN for Him. Let us never forget what the Lord goes
through each time that we commit sin.
A sampling of our mail
The gospel has never been so
sweet. Never in my study life have I found such joy and never has the
BIBLE made such sense until now with the study of the godhead.
I have finally managed to log on to your website. I was able to open a
few of the articles there but some could not be opened. It was giving
error messages as if someone was servicing it or otherwise, It was
unfortunate that I only managed to print maybe a quarter of the articles
on “the Godhead/Trinity.”
I would appreciate it if I and in turn we (my study-group friends)
receive some materials on this “ WONDERFUL SUBJECT.” Maybe I should tell
you that back at the turn of this century we were studying Hebrews and
encountered problems indentifying who Jesus really was. Coming from the
dogmatic background of the Trinity it was so very difficult to
understand the very nature of Jesus as written in chapter 1. For
instance, what name did He inherit? Now it makes perfect sense.
I might not be able to say it in a way that expresses my sincerity,
but the truth is that I’m thrilled to be in communion with your ministry
and my prayer is that the LORD bless you richly and that we who have
caught the fire be sanctified and purified by it.
Please, BLESS us with materials (anything and everything that the Lord enables you to), DO send us.
Harare, Zimbabwe
Please send me 5 copies of The Mystery Demystified. I am sending a donation in the mail for these books.
Just last week, I was forced to resign as the Youth Sabbath School
teacher at our church for not believing in the doctrine of the
trinity. I have never made that issue a topic of discussion in my class
nor have I ever used my position as the teacher to try to push my
beliefs on my students. The 27 Fundamental Beliefs seems to hold more
weight than the Bible.
Our pastor has twice preached from the pulpit that we have 2
mediators; Christ and the Holy Spirit. It seems the pastor can say
whatever he wants and not get into trouble.
One of our members, who was leading the service, actually addressed
his prayer to the Holy Spirit instead of to the Father. Nobody blinks an
eye when these heresies are taught from the pulpit, but when some
people dare to speak up and say that it is un-biblical, they are treated
as heretics.
USA
Just want to thank you for your ministry. I have been richly blessed
by your fearless and insightful presentation of present truth. I am a
third generation Seventh-Day Adventist. In fact, I attended West Indies
College Primary School in Mandeville as a child of 9 back in 1970 while
my parents taught at the college.
However, my life has been turbulent and fraught with spiritual choas
and contradictions. In a fit of frustration at age 16, while I was
canvassing in Ontario and Quebec, I even had a brief span where I tossed
the books and began to study Jehovah Witness doctrine. Fortunately, the
Lord rescued me from that a week later.
Sometime this year I came to a crossroad in the my life. One day after
considering my sins, failed marriage, and many wasted years of playing
christian, I knelt down and repented from all my sins, and since have
been walking with the Lord. In the past, I have slept through alarm
clocks and even fire alarms, but now the Lord wakes me up at 4:30 every
morning to walk and worship Him. I read the Spirit of Prophecy daily and
am memorizing whole chapters of the Bible with perfect recall.
However, currently I have developed an insatiable thirst for present
truth. I have hungrily devoured all of your sermons regarding the
Trinity doctrine and other sermons as archived on your website.
How can I get further tapes from you? Is there a catalog of tapes that
I may order? Please let me know, as the churches here in Mt. Dora,
Florida are leaving me with a very uncomfortable feeling. In fact, one
of the ministers of the main church here has even started supporting a
new church for the community that meets on Sundays. He ignores doctrine
and preaches a message heavily centered on prosperity and faith prayers,
and bristles with the mere mention of the Spirit of Prophecy.
Please excuse the lengthiness of this e-mail, but I would appreciate
hearing back from you, and of course for your prayers as well. May God
continue to richly bless you, your family, and your ministry.
Florida
Hello. I would like to know how I could receive a copy of your newsletter. Thank you.
Philippines
There is such a lot happening in this world right now isn’t there.
Praise God that he has shown us His truths, we have a Saviour to cling
to in these times. Oh, the pity for people who have no such Rock. To
know that this is not the way the world will be for much longer, Praise
God.
Australia
I am a “new” believer in the sense that I have just seen the reality
of what the organized Seventh-day Adventist church has become. I am a
third generation SDA, formerly a hospital administrator and still
presently denominationally employed. I grew up with the writings of
Morris Venden, Jack Sequeira, George Knight and the rest of the “new
theology” teachers of the church. About 3 weeks ago I discovered the
flaw in what I was being taught when I came upon the website of a
friend’s father. I have been reassessing my personal theology since and
am actively looking and searching for information on the “real
unadulterated” truth. I saw your website via “Google”.
Is there a way I can receive your Open Face newsletter here in the
Philippines? Do you know of similar minded people here in the
Philippines?
Thank you and the Lord bless you in your ministry.
Philippines
I wish you well in rejecting the Trinity. I feel that perhaps the tide is turning on this false doctrine.
A Mormon (!) USA
I would like to know about James White’s views regarding Christ and
when he gave up his arian views concerning Christ. I am SDA but I have a
Catholic friend who says the reason James White did not accept the
doctrine of the trinity was because of his arian views. It has been my
understanding that Mary as the Mediatrix figured into the doctrine of
the Trinity and that is why Adventists did not expound it.
My Catholic friend tells me the church ( SDA Church) accepted the
doctrine of the Trinity in 1930. I have heard Adventists talk about The
Trinity but they do not seem to realize there is a difference between
believing in the Godhead and believing in the Trinity. The Catholics do
not see the Trinity as we do. We think we are just talking about the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but they include Mary (she usurps Christ’s
position).
Would someone who knows the church history be willing to communicate
with me? My personal email address is erinarts@hotmail.com Thanks,
Erin Carey
Please would you send me the tapes you offered “the Omega of Deadly
Heresies,” the things which are revealed, the spirit of anti-christ, God
on trial, the Measure of God’s love. I appreciate this very much.
Would you please tell me where I can find an article that deals with
the difference between the trinity as taught by the Catholic church and
the trinity as taught by the SDA church? Also, would you please tell me
where I can find an article dealing with the confusing “3 persons in the
heavenly trio” type quotes written by Ellen White. Were these quotes
published posthumously?
I am finding that these “three” type statements difficult, especially
when trying to share with others about the evils of the trinity
doctrine.
Thank you very much for your material on your website. What I have found so far has been a huge blessing.
May God continue to bless your ministry
Australia
I have begun reading your leading article in the last edition of Old
Paths, and you mentioned that there was a time when everyone in the
universe knew of God’s love and mercy. I know you meant well, but at
that time no one in the universe knew anything at all about God’s
mercy, because there was nothing to call forth this attribute of God’s
character until sin entered the universe.
We are so aware of it now, that we just automatically think it was
always manifested, even when there was no need of it, but not so. This
was one aspect of character that was known only to God and His Son,
until the need arose for its revelation to the universe. This was a new
revelation of God even to the angels.
With brotherly love in Jesus,
Alabama USA
I would like to have all 48 Cassette Tapes. Please write me (and say), how much the production will cost.
Thank you, God bless you,
Germany
Thank you for sending the latest issue of Open Face. I just loaned
your video,” The Spirit of Antichrist” to a fellow church member who has
decided to take up the issue of the trinity and study it for himself.
There has been a great uproar in our church over this and he wants to
“settle it once and for all”. I pray he will come the true Biblical
conclusion about God but I don’t think it will settle the issue for
anyone else in the church.
USA
I must admit, that I have been having some difficulty with the Trinity
messages. My thinking has been so molded during the course of my life,
that it is really hard thinking of the Godhead in the true perspective. I
have made at least four attempts to get various people to listen to the
tapes on this subject. However, I have been met with silence, stony
rejection, and denials.
Hopefully, I will find at least one person who will pay attention to
this message. What does puzzle me, however, are some of the seemingly
contradictory statements by E.G. White, such as “the Holy Spirit is a
person who walks among us”, and others.
Well, once again, I would appreciate any light on these matters. Also,
would you please include me in your mailing list for your newsletter,
and a catalog pertaining to other tapes which I may order. Thank you
very much and God bless.
Florida
I would like to sign up for your Open Face. Thank you, and God bless you always.
Kentucky, USA
I am trying to express to people within the Adventist church today
that the trinity was not taught or believed by our pioneers or Ellen
White. I have used statements from all the pioneers – including Ellen
White. How ever they still insist on something similar to what J S
washburn had written. They do not argue (with the fact) that he or the
other pioneers were anti-trinitarian but they insist that Ellen White
definitely was not. Any info on this would be appreciated. Also (say) if
you are Seventh-day Adventist or not as they claim that sites such as
www.smyrna.org are not Adventist at all. Granted they do not have the
name Adventist in their church but their beliefs are definitely
Adventist.
USA
I find your web page enlightening! I am not an SDA, but have a
brother-in-law who is. The major disagreement we have in doctrine is his
belief in the Trinity. Now I find that his early church beliefs did not
include trinity. I am Church of God 7th day, and knew our churches had
roots in the same movement, but didn’t know this was not an early wedge.
Our Church is moving toward Trinitarianism, and I don’t understand it. I
appreciate what you are preaching.
USA
Wow! And I thought I was the only person in the world who found the truth!
Way to Go….Keep preaching the truth Brother! Please pray for me as
well…as I am facing much persecution because of my stand for Christ
andHis God!
Texas, USA
Christian greetings to you all. I always read your Open Face
newsletter when I visit my grandparents in Kingston. I find them very
interesting and I would love to read more and to know what your ministry
is doing worldwide. People are in need of the knowledge of these words.
May God continue blessing your ministry.
Kingston, Jamaica
When I think of all the ways God has blessed me, I am thankful for the
blessings I have received listening to your tapes, and watching your
videos.
Recently Sister Ann at Smyrna sent me your recent video, “The Roots of
The Trinity.” As always the message was presented in a clear and
understanding way. God has definitely given you the gift of teaching.
God is so good. I am thankful that He has blessed so many people through
your ministry.
I remember you and your ministry in my prayers. Please pray for me and
my family. May we all vindicate God’s character in teh way we live so
the world can see how wonderful He is nad the love He has for each of us
in giving His Son.
North Carolina, USA
The “Roots of The Trinity,” video is clear and informative, like all
your presentations. I wish everyone could receive its message.
Kansas, USA
Convention 2002 Report
On Sabbath, November 30, believers from several different parts of the
island of Jamaica assembled in Albion, Manchester. The occasion was a
convention of all who believe in the truth about God. There were
believers from Kingston, St. James, Clarendon, Westmoreland, St.
Elizabeth, Trelawny, St. Catherine and of course, from Manchester where
the Convention was held.
The day was filled with encouragement for the believers and at the end
of it, all were persuaded that the Lord is indeed blessing people on
all sides with a knowledge of His truth for these last days. We were
drawn closer to the Lord, more motivated to do His work and also drawn
closer to each other.
One special highlight of the day was the musical items which were
provided by the young people’s singing group, trained by brother Ayon
Baxter. All were delighted by the lovely harmony of the music but were
also blessed by the messages in the words of the songs themselves.
Especially delightful was a rendition of “The Great Physician Now is
Near,” by brother Ayon Baxter and sister Kaydeen Wright.
The morning message was given by brother David Clayton who spoke on
the topic, “The Empty House.” He spoke from the parable of Jesus
concerning the unclean spirit who leaves and then returns with seven
spirits more wicked than himself if the house is left unoccupied. The
emphasis was that we need to ensure that Jesus is dwelling within our
“houses,” (our hearts) at all times, or else Satan will occupy the
space.
In the morning brother Peter Barnz from Kingston, led out in a session
in which representatives of each group gave a brief report on their
experience in the truth and the developments which were taking place
with the work in their area. Of special interest were the reports from
the two newest groups, those from Westmoreland and Trelawny. Later,
brother Neville Morris led out in a session where representatives of the
various groups gave an outline of the plans which they had for
promoting the spread of the truth in their area.
Some of the projects were a tract drive by the Kingston group
(Philadelphia Fellowship). They also announced that next year their
place of worship would be moved from the Priory school to Jamaica
College on Old Hope road. The main need of the Clarendon group is
assistance in extending their worship area (Sister Bev Walter’s
verandah) so that more people could be invited out to worship. At the
present the space is severely limited. The Manchester group through
brother Conard Howard, told of its plans to hold evangelistic meetings
in upper Clarendon in a few weeks time. The groundwork for these
meetings has already been done by brothers C. Howard and Neville Morris,
and the people are now ready for the public meetings. The St. Elizabeth
group stated that there were significant plans afoot for the coming
year, but would not say at this time what those plans were. The
Westmoreland group is small, consisting of just two ladies with their
families of four children. These ladies are, however, full of courage
and it is plain to see that their determination and faith are strong.
Their plan is to keep on visiting and helping their neighbours in a
physical way, sharing the truth with them whenever possible. The
material need in their area is very great and they requested help
whenever it was possible for believers from other areas to come to
physically assist them in the work. The St. James brethren have been
visiting people in Hanover and Trelawny as well as in their own parish
and have plans to intensify this visitation program in the new year. The
Trelawny group is a brand new fellowship. The six persons in this group
have just learned the truth about God and are still going through the
pains of rejection by their church brethren and are deciding what
direction they are going to take. This is their main concern at the
moment, but in the meantime they are doing what they can to make others
aware of the truth which they have found.
We came to the end of a well-spent Sabbath with a Bible study on the
subject of the godhead, mostly for the benefit of some undecided people
among us who had come to visit for the day and wanted to know more about
the topic. This study was conducted by P.D. Clayton. By the time it
came to an end it was time to say good-bye with much regret. But we
rejoiced that it had been a well-spent day and looked forward to our
next convention, next year.
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
David Clayton: Editor and Publisher
P. O. Box 23 Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 904-7392
email: david@restorationministry.com
