In this issue:
Return to Australia
David Clayton
Our journey to Australia began in Nashville Tennessee, because we were in Tennessee attending meetings prior to traveling “down under.” The flight from Los Angeles was 15 hours long, but before this there was a flight of nearly five hours from Nashville to LA, so the whole journey was tiring to say the least. Then after we arrived in Sydney, there was a two hour layover before another long flight of four hours to Perth, where we would meet Wayne Martin, the brother who had initially invited us to Australia, and who would host our first meetings there.
I had met Wayne six years ago on a previous trip to Australia, but to be honest, I had little memory of what he looked like and when somebody walked up beside me and spoke to me at the airport, I looked at him without recognition, but it was Wayne and after a while, as we spoke, bits and pieces of my memory started to come back. Wayne lived two hours away from Perth in an area called Boyanup, so there was still some way to go before we could finally get a bath and get a break from traveling. When we finally got to Wayne’s home it was a wonderful relief to finally relax and to get a good sleep in a proper bed. Wayne and his wife Nadia made us feel right at home and we stayed with them for most of the time that we were in the area, although we did spend a night with another couple who was a part of their little group.
Meeting in Donnybrook
The next day was Sabbath and we had our first meetings in a little town called Donnybrook, a few kilometers away from where Wayne lived. These meetings were held in the hall where Wayne’s little group met each week. This little hall belonged to the Women’s Auxiliary Corps, but it was rented by the brethren for meetings. There were a little more than twenty people present for the morning meetings but some of them were visitors who had come especially for the meetings. About a dozen of them were regular members of the group which met with Wayne and we soon got to know these brethren very well and in short time we bonded together like old friends.
The kangaroo lady
Geoff and Terri, worship with the little group of believers and we soon got to be good friends with them, as with the other members of the group. They live out in the middle of a national forest and have a “neighbour” who lives a couple of miles away from them, also deep in the bush. I refer to this lady as the “kangaroo lady,” because she has befriended all the kangaroos for miles around and turned her home into a place where they come and go freely without fear. Howard had been trying to get a good look at some kangaroos since we arrived, but up to that point all we had seen were glimpses from a distance. Geoff and Terri promised us that if we went to see this lady we would see all the kangaroos that we wanted.
We had to park the car at a distance of about a mile away from this lady’s home because she had blocked the driveway with a stone wall to prevent intruders from coming any further and possibly harming any of her precious kangaroos. After walking for what seemed like a very long time, we were finally met by this lady who cautioned us to be quiet and to walk behind her as we approached her home. As we began to make out the shape of the house among the trees, we also discerned the forms of kangaroos of all shapes and sizes clustered in groups in the yard feeding. At sight of us a few of them started to bound off, but our hostess called out, “it’s alright, it’s alright, nobody’s going to hurt you,” and her voice seemed to reassure the others. They kept their heads up for a while, looking at us suspiciously, but eventually they settled back down to feeding.
One of them was a little old kangaroo which was suffering from an eye infection and this one was as tame as a little dog. It kept following the lady around nudging her and begging for food. We were able to feed and pet this one and it kept very close to us the whole time.
Sauna Treatment
One of the unforgettable moments which I had in this part of Australia was the sauna treatment which I received at Geoff’s and Terri’s home. I had been suffering from a nagging cough and an irritation in my throat and they felt that a sauna treatment would be helpful. This treatment consisted of being in the steam for a period of 20-25 minutes and then moving from there under an ice-cold shower for a minute or two. They said that this would increase the white blood cell count by up to 400 percent. This treatment was to be repeated three or four times.
When I stepped into the sauna it seemed stiflingly hot and I found it difficult to breathe, but after a while I adjusted to it and found I could tolerate it. But in no time I was dripping sweat. After about 20 minutes I had had enough and I was the first to head for the cold shower. When the water hit me I gasped – it was the coldest water I have ever been in. I was only able to endure it because I had heated up so much in the sauna. After a minute I headed back for the sauna and this time, it was easier. So was the cold water at the end. When the treatment was over Terri gave us some warm herb tea and I was treated to some figs and persimmons.
Karri trees
The following day, Rob took us to the south to see the countryside. His main interest was the Karri trees which apparently are among the oldest living things on the planet, and which apparently are famous. These are very big trees which grow very tall and straight and which are great lumber trees. Rob was once a tree “feller” (a modern lumberjack) and was filled with information about these trees and the forest in which they grew. He obviously loved the area and we spent quite a while driving through the woods and looking at these trees.
During this driving about we came upon a little clearing with a few buildings which Rob told us was a camping site. To our amazement the clearing was full of Emus (a bird somewhat like an ostrich, but smaller) and one or two kangaroos. These emus were evidently used to being around people and they fearlessly came up to the car, gawking at us and looking for food.
The only negative thing was that it was a very cold day and after stepping outside of the car for a few moments it was always a relief to step back inside where the temperature was turned up and it felt more like home.
Other Meetings
That evening we had a study where there were ten of us. The subject of our discussion was the baptism of the holy spirit. The focus was on the reality of the experience, on God’s faithfulness and willingness, and on our entitlement in Jesus Christ. Everybody listened attentively and with great interest. The interest indicated that this was a subject which God’s people are desperately in need of understanding and are hungry for, but for lack of which there has been an emptiness among us.
The final meeting which we had in Donnybrook was at the home of Ed and Margaret. This evening there were a few extra visitors as their son and his wife were present. Again it was a blessed time, but at the end, we had to face the unhappy reality that it was time to say goodbye to these brethren. Well, not quite. On the following day we had one final chance to meet with some of them as we shared a lunch together at a Chinese restaurant. Our goodbyes were accompanied by the commitment to meet again as soon as God made it possible. Then we left with Wayne who took us to Perth where we would spend the night with his mother-in-law and have one final meeting at the home of Patrick and Trish, before flying to the other side of Australia the following day.
Victoria
Next day we flew to Melbourne where we were picked up at the airport by Stefan and Andrew Lejcak. These were young men whom I did not recognize, but they told me that they had been only young teenagers the last time I visited and that they had since, both experienced conversion and were immersed in the study of righteousness by faith. As we talked I realized that Andrew and Stefan had listened to many of our sermons on Righteousness by Faith and were strong supporters of the understanding which we were presenting. Andrew gave us an insight into something which had recently happened which, although it was a surprise, was also a blessing.
He said that he had recently received the audio sermon which we had sent out entitled, “A Point of Contact.” Upon listening to it he had been upset and convinced that we at Restoration Ministries had gone too far and that as of that point, he could no longer support what we were teaching. However, they decided to visit our website where they noticed that there were two sermons on the site which preceded “A Point of Contact,” and they decided to listen to those sermons before making any drastic decisions. After listening to those other sermons, “Credible Witnesses,” and “Seeing is Believing,” they understood the message of “A Point of Contact,” much better and found themselves in harmony with what it was teaching. This made me realize that maybe there are other people who have the same reaction and that maybe, it will be best to indicate that people should listen to those sermons as well as the one which we sent out.
It was a wet and gloomy day and it grew progressively darker as we traveled towards Kinglake, the place where we would be staying with a Romanian family, sisters Rosica and her daughter Gabriella. The last few miles of the journey were traveled in dense fog and this prevented us from seeing much of the landscape. Later we could see that most of the trunks of the trees for miles around were black with just a sparse growth of leaves. This was a result of the terrible Victoria fires which had swept through the area two years ago, destroying everything in its path and which had been responsible for the deaths of 170 people. It was only the grace of God which had spared the sisters with whom we stayed, as the fire had burned right up to their house, burned their barn and burned trees very close by the house. Windows had shattered in the terrific heat, but all they had been able to do was sit still and pray as they waited on what seemed to be certain death, but the Lord who hears prayers spared their lives. They told me that the fire had been estimated to be traveling at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. This seemed incredible to me, but they said that it was driven by a wind and the extreme heat caused it to just leap from tree to tree at a terrific speed. This was further helped by the fact that most of the trees were Australian “gum” trees (eucalyptus) which were full of oil and caught fire in an instant. They said that areas which had more English type trees fared better. They said that one moment, there was no sign of a fire and within ten minutes, it was everywhere. It was traveling so swiftly that it caught everyone by surprise. Many people died on the roads trying to get out in their cars.
Sisters Rosica and Gabriella live in a beautiful home. They are hospitable people and they made us feel very much at home. Theirs was the hospitality which is typical of Romanians and they went out of the way to do whatever it took to make us comfortable. Our time with them was blessed and very enjoyable.
We arrived at their home on the second Friday that we were in Australia and the following day we had a meeting near Melbourne in an area called Sunbury. This meeting had been organized by brothers Tony Milekic and Jaro Belicka. Though the meetings had been organized in haste because of the unexpected nature of our trip to Australia, there were 65 persons in attendance during the morning service. Howard took the first meeting where his topic was, “Natural Religion,” while I took the second where I spoke on the subject of “The Broken Curse.” The meetings were very well received. We found out that many of the people here in Australia have studied the subject of Righteousness in Christ for many years and from all the various SDA authorities, both independent and official church sources. However, in almost every case there was deep appreciation for the insights which we had to share. Our meetings were enhanced by the presentation of musical items by Tony’s wife, Ruth, who played the piano, accompanied by his daughter Leah on the violin.
The following day we visited the home of Brother Jaro Belicka where his wife and mother had prepared a lovely meal for us and a few others who were also present. Jaro lives far away from any other human neighbours. It seemed like we had to drive for a long time through heavily forested roads before we finally arrived at his home. He had carved out a nice home from what seems to be wilderness and it was a very beautiful location, but I couldn’t help wondering how I would fare if I had to live so far from other people. In Jamaica we don’t have vast empty areas so everybody lives pretty close by everybody else.
On the following night, Monday, we had a small meeting at Silvan hall. It was a cold and wet night and only a small group attended. I remember it most because there was some amount of controversy concerning the two covenants. As I have presented studies on Righteousness by Faith over the past five years I have come to understand from personal experience what the apostle Paul, as well as Elders Jones and Waggoner faced. The greatest objections to the truth of God’s free unqualified grace in Christ, come from those who see themselves as being most faithful in standing up for God’s law. Amazing! Thankfully, although there was a difference of opinion between a couple of brothers and me, there was no animosity and we parted amicably. I had tried to present the idea that the ten commandments were at the heart of the Old Covenant and used the passage in Exodus 34:27,28 to support my understanding. However, one brother disagreed with me, stating that God had made more than one covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai, and that the Old Covenant was not the one which included the Ten Commandments. Of course, I could not agree with this idea for I cannot find any such idea anywhere in the Bible.
On Tuesday Howard and I took the train to Melbourne where we met with brother Jaro, who took us to visit the market and a few other places in the heart of the city. In all my travels I have not often been in the center of a big city and we were impressed by the masses of people rushing by and the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds changing constantly before our eyes. We stopped to look at a sidewalk artist, then turned to gawk at a beanpole of a man, the tallest man either Howard or I had ever seen. He must have been close to 8 feet tall and Howard followed him for a little distance to get a photo.
Melbourne is a melting pot of different cultures and we saw people from India, Asia, Europe – all over – as plentiful as native Australians. The market was interesting to me as it was somewhat like the markets in Jamaica in the sense that it was laid out similarly and had sections for farmers, meat sellers, haberdashery salesmen and was generally a place where a little of everything was available. There were hawkers everywhere calling to people to come and buy and offering goods at a cheaper rate than their neighbour. In this sense, it was not very different from the Jamaican market although it was much cleaner. After a couple of hours we took the train back home.
On Wednesday morning we said our final goodbyes to Sisters Rosica and Gabriella and flew out of Melbourne for the trip to Brisbane. As always, it was hard to say goodbye for a few days had bound us close to each other. We parted with the hope that God would make it possible for us to meet again soon..
Brisbane.
Brother Blair Andrew met us at the airport in Brisbane. Blair had been our host the first time I had visited Australia and it was good to see him again. After we greeted one another he gave us a thorough rundown of what was happening in Australia. Blair is a person who has his finger on the pulse of Adventism and has more information and materials than anybody else I know. Mention anybody or any event in the SDA environment and Blair is able to give all the details – the whos and the hows and the wheres and the whys.
Blair quickly made us aware of the fact that some people in Australia did not agree with what they perceived us to be teaching. Some believed that we teach original sin, while others had an issue with our teaching that Jesus did not possess inherent omnipotence while He was in the flesh, others objected to our understanding that Jesus did not die the second death. However, he had arranged for us to have meetings in a few places including a week-end campmeeting at a place called “The Log Cabin.”
One of the highlights of our stay in Brisbane was having supper with Bruce and Kitsy Hunter. This was the first time I was meeting them, but I found them to be a delightful older couple who are strong believers in the truth about God. I was happily surprised to discover that the lovely meal, which they provided included Jamaican food (Cassava)! Not something which I expected to find in Australia!
While in Brisbane we stayed at Tamborine Mountain in a motel close by Blair’s home. It is a beautiful area and apparently a favourite place for tourists, but I found it too cold for my liking at this time of the year. Happily the motels where we stayed were well heated and our nights were comfortable.
Our stay in Brisbane included a meeting at Byron Bay at the home of Tony and Cathy, a meeting in the home of Jeff and Gavin up on the Sunshine Coast, meeting with Trevor and Sarah and spending the night in their home, and also a meeting at the home of Michelle and Pete near Tamborine Mountain. However, the main focus of our stay in this area was a week-end camp at a place called “The Log Cabin”. At these meetings we had an opportunity to more fully express our understanding of Righteousness by Faith. People in Australia are generally well-informed on religious questions and particularly on those which have agitated Adventism over the decades. It is interesting to note that several of the most famous dissidents among Adventists have come from Australia – people like the Brinsmead brothers for example. Naturally, people there have a keen interest in righteousness by faith and a good grasp of the issues involved. I think I can safely say though, that not many people had seen the entire plan of salvation as we presented it at these meetings. The message on “The Broken Curse,” was of especial interest and several persons confessed that an entirely new understanding of the plan of salvation had been opened up to their view.
Queensland
We flew from Brisbane to Sydney and were met at the airport by Guy Whitall. We had a little difficulty finding each other for a while, but eventually we made contact and started off on what turned out to be a long trip to the home of our hosts, the Walkoms. Guy had many questions and issues which he wanted to discuss and it was not a boring trip. I discovered that Guy is a tenacious person when he wants to understand something and my mind was kept very busy for the duration of the trip, and also for much of the time that we spent at the home where we stayed.
This last part of our trip took us to the home of Garry, Glenys and Jessica Walkom. I have known this family for the past 10 years. Each time I have been to Australia I have had the pleasure of meeting with them and on occasion staying in their home. In addition to this, they have been to the United States on a couple of occasions and both times I had the opportunity of meeting up with them. It was a pleasure to be with them again. We had a blessed time renewing acquaintances and studying the word of God together.
Our final assignment in Australia was a meeting with the brethren from Restitution Ministries. Our meeting lasted only one and a half hours and we were not able to cover a great deal of ground, but our discussions centered around a few points where we had areas of disagreement. Unfortunately the time was so short that we were not able to make much progress, and our meeting did not go a far way towards solving our disagreements. The disagreements centered mostly around our understanding of whether or not Christ died the second death, our understanding of the nature of sin, and our understanding of the powers possessed by Christ while he was here on earth. As I said, unfortunately we did not make much progress in coming to an agreement on our understanding of these subjects. However I am sure that these brethren, like ourselves separated with a hope that God will give us all a better understanding of his purposes and of his ways that we might understand truths as he wants us to understand it.
We also had discussions with Brother Brendan Knudson before meeting with the Restitution Ministries brethren.
The next day we left for the long ride back home, a journey which took close to 40 hours in all. We arrived home really tired and ready to rest for a few days, but our memories of Australia were pleasant and we felt that our trip had been worthwhile. It is our hope that we will be able to visit again soon.
Christian Committment
“I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I wont look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I wont give up, shut up or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach all I know and work till He stops me.
And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me – my banner will be clear. Amen.”
Why Men Reject Truth
The story of the rejection of Christ is one of the most remarkable in the Bible and perhaps one of the most remarkable in the history of mankind. Consider the facts: From the time He began His public ministry everything which Jesus did was only for the benefit of the people to whom He ministered. The Gospels are full of stories of how He healed whole towns of every sick person, casting out devils, healing lepers restoring sight to the blind, etc. Nobody could say that Jesus had ever done one single thing to harm them. The purpose of His life was to bless and uplift the people around Him.
In addition to the fact that His whole ministry was based on caring love and concern, Jesus gave unmistakable evidence that He was the chosen One of heaven. The marks which accompanied His ministry were impossible to explain in any way other than by the acknowledgement that they were the direct works of God. What mere human being could have walked on water, or dried up a tree with his word, or turned water into wine, or fed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes, or stilled a storm with His word? The evidence that He was God’s Messiah was unmistakable.
Yet, amazingly, the Bible records the fact that the very people to whom He ministered and who were the beneficiaries of His great acts of love were the very ones who finally demanded His death and participated in murdering Him. Why? What perverse element in human nature makes people behave this way? The hatred and malice which the Jews ultimately harboured towards Jesus is strikingly illustrated by their reaction to the miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Let us consider a couple of facts:
1. Lazarus had been dead and in the grave for four days already before Jesus raised him from the dead.
2. Satan cannot create life. Only God has the ability to bring back life to the dead.
Nobody in his right mind could doubt that this act was an act of God, there was no other possible explanation. Though their unreasoning hatred had made them accuse Jesus of doing His miracles by the power of Beelzebub, this miracle silenced such accusations. Even the most blind among them knew that there was no explanation for this raising of a man four days dead, but that it was a direct act of God. Yet, incomprehensibly, here is the Bible record of their response to this great miracle:
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. (47) Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. (48) If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. (49) And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, (50) Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (John 11:46-50)
Notice the reasoning of these religious leaders: Nobody raises the question of how it was possible for Jesus to do this if he were not working by the power of God. The entire consideration is, what is expedient for their own safety and for the preservation of their system. This for them is the critical question, not the question of whether or not Jesus is God’s chosen Messiah. Ignoring the miracle and what it must have meant, they went ahead and made plans to kill Him. What terrible blindness! The full extent of their madness is expressed in the following verses:
But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; (11) Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. (John 12:10-11)
This is amazing! Here is a man who has been miraculously raised from the dead. God has raised him from the dead – there is no other possible explanation for what has happened. Yet, the Jews were encased in a self-imposed madness and so obsessed with their own way that they completely ignored the implications of the miracle which had taken place. They planned to put the man to death whom God had just raised from the dead! Was there no reasoning power among these people? Was there none of them to see the utter madness of what they contemplated? But such is the power of self-imposed blindness that they went ahead full-speed with their insane assault upon God and His work.
What was it that brought the Jews to this place?
This strange blindness did not come upon them suddenly. They did not become immune to the clear evidences of God’s work overnight. Their hardness against truth grew upon them by degrees as they consistently rejected the appeals of God’s spirit to their consciences.
Fallen human nature is a strange thing. If two people get into an argument where they disagree about something, on the first occasion that they disagree, each one may make sincere efforts to present a fair outline of his case. The points which are raised may be a genuine attempt to present the truth of the matter. However, if the disagreement continues, and especially if it takes place in public, after a while, the focus of the discussion may change. Human pride begins to seek to defend itself and the effort changes from an attempt to establish what is true, to an attempt to prove that, “I was right from the beginning.” In other words, the focus is no longer on the truth, but on myself. This is what often happens and more often than not, this is the reason why men reject truth.
When somebody takes a wrong position, it is very difficult to back down afterwards if such a position is publicly expressed. The leaders of the Jews determined that Jesus was not the Messiah because (a) He was not born in the right place (as far as they knew) (b) He did not come from a noble family accompanied by the pomp and glory which their traditions had led them to expect. When Jesus first appeared on the scene they opposed Him from the beginning because He did not fit the expected pattern. From that moment, it was not possible for them to accept Him without losing face. Sign after sign, evidence after evidence piled up that Jesus was who He claimed to be – the Son of God. What did it do for these Jewish leaders? It only made them more desperate to prove that they were right in their first opinion and it only made them more determined to put an end to the ministry of Christ. Each rejection of the overwhelming evidence made them more blind and incapable of discerning what was true.
When they openly declared that the works of Jesus were performed by the power of Satan, this striking evidence of their obdurate blindness led Jesus to say:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. (Mat 12:31)
When men were faced with striking evidences of the work of God, but chose to label it the work of Satan, simply because of their prejudices, they were doing the greatest harm to themselves; they were hardening their hearts against the holy spirit and putting themselves in a position where it was not possible for God to reach them. This rejection of the holy spirit found its ultimate expression in their action of murdering Jesus before hurrying home to keep the Sabbath.
This history of the rejection of Christ by the Jewish leaders has been repeated over and over again in the history of God’s people. Religious men have frequently become so enamoured of their own wisdom, so deeply entrenched in their traditions that they have imagined that God must work only in the ways in which they have outlined for Him to work. Thus human tradition has sought to bind the hands of God and compel Him to work according to the ideas of men. How many times have we been told that we cannot put God into our box? But in spite of this, the cycle is repeated over and over again.
The greatest tragedy of all this is not what happened to these self-deceived religious leaders, but as Jesus mournfully expressed it:
… they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Mat 15:14)
God help us to be students of His word and not followers of men. The spirit of those Jewish leaders is still alive and well today.
Keep at Your Work
The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it, and the Devil’s business to hinder him if he can. So sure as God has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you. He may throw you from it; he may allure you by worldly prospects, he may assault you with slander, torment you by false accusations, set you at work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you , and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Annas and Caiaphas, all combined against you, and Judas standing by to sell you for thirty pieces of silver; and you may wonder why all these things come upon you. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil to draw you off from your work and hinder your obedience to God?
Keep at your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let corporations resolve, let editors publish, let the devil do his worst; but see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work God has given you. He has not sent you to make money. He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood which Satan and his angels may start to peddle. If you do these things, you will do nothing else. You will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.
Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and neglected. You may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being, until at last you can say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.” – H.M.S. Richards
Out of the Comfort Zone
The great sin of Laodicea is that she is neither hot nor cold. Hot and cold are two extremes. Neither of them is a comfortable state but they both suggest a condition of strong committment. The condition of Laodicea on the other hand, suggests a state of great comfort, “lukewarm,” neither hot nor cold, uncommitted. Such a condition may be unacceptable to God, but it is eminently pleasing to carnal human nature. warm enough to have an appearance of committment, but not hot enough so that such a committment causes discomfort. This is the problem with Laodicea and all who exist in her condition; the tepid warmth of lukewarmness deceives such people into thinking that they are committed when in reality, they are just at the place of comfort where their minds are lulled into a false sense of security.
True Christian committment is an uncomfortable thing. Who knows where God will take a person when he unconditionally submits himself to God? Who knows what God will tell him to say or do?
The greatest need of lukewarm Christians is to enter into a relationship with Christ which leads to utter submission to Him and a complete committment to His way. What does this mean? It means simply that we relinquish our own ways, our own preferences, our own ideas, our own concepts and put ourselves entirely at the disposal of the Lord. This is a beautiful, but terrifying prospect. What will God do? Where will He take us? What will He teach us? We cannot know until we actually enter into the experience, but one thing is certain, God will not allow us to remain at the same place where we have been all this time. He is going to take us out of our comfort zone.
I learned a song recently which stirred me with its lyrics. The title of it is, “The Voice of Truth.” It graphically represents the idea which I am trying to share. Here are the words of the first verse:
Oh,what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in, onto the crashing waves;
To step out of my comfort zone, into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is,
And he’s holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again ”Boy, you’ll never win,
No you’ll never win”
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says “do not be afraid!”
and the Voice of truth says “this is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
Everybody wants to be out where Jesus is, but it is a frightening thing to step out of the boat, to move away from our familiar place where everything is just the way we understand it and feel at home with it. This is the problem. Jesus is not going to justify our positions, He is not going to make us more settled in our worship or our present lifestyles. There is no guarantee of what He is going to do! We can be sure of only one thing, He is not going to leave us where we are! How can we be so certain of this? Because where we are does not satisfy us and it is absolutely certain that it does not satisfy God either. Our present position with our present understanding of truth and how to do things has not put us in the kingdom and it certainly has not even begun the work of lightening the world with the glory of God.
Many of us glory in the fact that we know the truth about God and perhaps we blindly flatter ourselves that we are making some meaningful impact on the global situation as we send out our tracts and booklets and sermons. But let us take a realistic look at the true situation. I recently read a report by Samuel Koranteng-Pipim on the recent SDA General Conference session. In this report he revealed the following statistics:
The SDA church (denomination) now possesses 16.3 million members. Over the past year, the church averaged one baptism every thirty seconds, or nearly 3,000 souls per day. Pastor Koranteng-Pipim commented on the fact that this was almost as many as were converted on the day of Pentecost (he perhaps neglected to note that the 3,000 on the day of Pentecost were all in one location and was the result of one sermon). This seems like wondeful news and perhaps it may seem that the message of Seventh-day Adventism is making remarkable progress and perhaps, even that we may be making meaningful inroads into the job of “finishing the work.” But the statistics which Pastor Koranteng-Pipim proceeded to give next, presented a more realistic and sobering picture:
During the same 24-hour day when Adventists baptized nearly 3,000 people, more than 51,000 babies were born in China alone (every day)! Around the world each day 371,000 babies were born! 371,000! Take three thousand out of that and it still leaves 368,000. Suddenly we get a more realistic view of the situation. When a man sits in his box and looks at the four walls, the world appears to be a very small place, but when he steps outside and takes a look at where his box is, then he begins to understand that there is much more to the world than his four walls. Unfortunately, Adventism in all its incarnations has had a problem with looking at the world from inside of its box. We blissfully believe that when we get 16 million Adventists to listen to us we are making some meaningful progress. Don’t we realize that there are 6.5 billion people out there who don’t care about our little strorms-in-a-teacup? Until our message is relevant to the world and empowered to affect the world, we will NEVER ever make any meaningful progress.
So what is the point of all this? What am I really trying to say? Simply this: Nothing can finish the work of God in this world but the power of the holy spirit manifested among God’s people in Pentecostal measure. We all are aware of this, but unfortunately, we are not all willing to step out of our comfort zone in seeking for this greatest of all blessings. No word can so adequately describe our present state of helplessness as the word, “impotence.” We have nothing but arguments – nothing more! Is this the means by which the world is to be lightened with the glory of God?
But who is brave enough to do what has not yet been done? Who has the courage to simply read the Bible and seek to conform his life and practices to what is written there, despite the opinions of others and the obstacles imposed by traditions? Who is willing to step out of the comfort zone simply because Jesus is waiting somewhere out there and calling us to simply believe Him? Who is willing to trust all into the hands of Christ, knowing that there will be criticism and fierce opposition, but caring for nothing but the approval of Christ?
Let us face the facts, our present approach to God and to religion leave us no room and no hope for a revival. We continue to do the same things over and over, day after day, year after year – doctrinal studies upon doctrinal studies, campmeetings, publications, fastings and prayers, NOTHING CHANGES. We charge the church with apostasy, but practically, there is no difference between the level of piety among many in the mother church and many who claim to be reformers. We sit around waiting for God to do something, but it never happens. About the closest it came to happening, according to SDA history, was in 1888 when somehow, God was able to almost get a foot in the door and the focus changed to Christ and faith for a short while.
The facts stare us the face, it seems too obvious for us to miss it. We think we are waiting on God, but it is God who is waiting on us. Waiting on us to do what? Waiting on us to believe the truth. You ask, “believe what? Don’t we all believe.” No, most of us don’t understand what it means to believe. Belief always produces actions (works). When a person believes that he is saved he will live like a saved person – naturally, without pressure or coercion. When a person believes that he is entitled to the baptism of the holy spirit through faith in Christ and that this baptism is accompanied by the gifts of the spirit, he will work in accordance with this faith. We have sat around waiting for tongues of fire and for some extraordinary display before we would believe, but God gave the gifts to His church 2000 years ago and He never took them back. When God speaks,we ought to believe, not to wait on a demonstration before we will believe.
Interestingly Ellen White fully and unmistakably lends her full support to this Bible truth.
Why do we not present our sick and suffering before God in the arms of our faith? Why do we not teach them to believe in the great Healer? Why do we not lay hold of the promises, and bring the sick to God, praying for his healing power to be revealed? Why do we not plead the promise, “These signs shall follow them that believe”? This is the privilege of God’s children, and faith should lay hold of all that it is possible to have as an endorsement of faith . {RH, July 19, 1898 par. 13}
Christ’s promises are just as fresh and strong and trustworthy now as they were in the days of the apostles. Some have carried the matter of faith-healing to an extreme, and this has greatly hurt the subject. But the need of faith in God should be kept before the church. The realization of our privileges has become almost extinct. Let this part of the commission be brought into our practical life. It is of as much importance as the preaching of the word. {RH, July 19, 1898 par. 14}
…. But if the workers neglect to link themselves in divine connection with God, the electric current of reviving, life-giving spiritual energy can not flow in full, rich streams to the people . The church needs to be awakened. When Christ was on this earth, trying to reclaim souls, to restore the moral image of God in man by warnings, entreaties, appeals, by a perfect example of obedience to his Father’s will, he could not do many mighty works in some of the places he visited, because of their unbelief . This is why we do not now see more of the deep moving of the Spirit of God upon human minds, more of his power manifested in healing the sick. Unbelief is the barrier between us and God . {RH, July 19, 1898 par. 15}
How sad it is that God is disappointed and robbed of his glory because those who minister the word do not realize their privilege, and fail to increase in faith and charity. Bring your sick to God in faith. Humble your hearts before him, confessing your sins. Then pray earnestly, trustingly. You will see the practical working of God’s power, and it will be said, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are.” {RH, July 19, 1898 par. 16}
Benefits of Beetroot
Lennworth Frankson
H igh blood pressure, which is also called hypertension, is a dangerous health condition that affects one’s lifestyle and the normal functioning of the heart. High blood pressure can lead to early blood vessel damage in addition to several heart diseases which may ultimately lead to heart failure. In addition to the risk of heart disease, kidney problems and stroke are also greater with high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a life-threatening condition which needs proper medical attention once it is diagnosed in a person.
There are not many symptoms of high blood pressure and that is why we should have our blood pressure tested regularly. For most people who suffer from high blood pressure taking prescribed medications is the only solution they know. However, there are several home remedies that are effective in lowering high blood pressure. Beetroot juice is one such natural cure for hypertension. Beetroot which is also called beet is one of the most popular vegetables used across the globe. The dark red roots of beet are consumed in various forms like raw, boiled, sautéed, stewed, etc. but for me, the most effective way to have it is to extract the pure natural juice from the tuber and then drink it.
The benefits of beet juice are now being researched and it is now highly recommended that we include beet juice in our everyday diet as a cure and preventative of many ailments and illnesses and also to improve the overall health of a person. This vegetable is a good tonic food for health. It contains carbohydrates, mainly in the form of sugar, and it has a little protein and fat.
Beet is taken in a variety of ways. The skin should be removed before use. The leaves, like all green vegetables, should be cooked with a small amount of water and for only a short time. The fresher the beets, the better the flavor and the quicker they cook. The juice of the beet is considered one of the best vegetable juices. It is a rich source of natural sugar. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C
Beets are on the top of the list of the foods used to control and lower high blood pressure. If you drink 250 – 500ml (one to two eight ounce glasses) of beetroot juice every day, it can significantly reduce your blood pressure, according to research done by Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of the William Harvey Research Institute at Barts and The London School of Medicine, and Professor Ben Benjamin of Peninsula Medical School. From the research it was suggested that the nitrate contained within beetroot juice and also in green leafy vegetables reacted with bacteria in the mouth which resulted in blood vessels dilating to increase blood flow which resulted ultimately in decreased blood pressure. When healthy volunteers drank the juice their blood pressure dropped within one hour. The peak drop in blood pressure happened 3 – 4 hours after chewing and swallowing but it went on dropping gradually for up to 24 hours
Beetroot is chewed or the juice drunk and the saliva in the mouth is thoroughly mixed along with the bacteria from the mouth. It is then converted into nitrite. The nitrite food is then swallowed with the saliva and another chemical reaction takes place in the stomach as the stomach’s acid mixes with it. It is believed that the nitrite mixed saliva turns to nitric oxide or re-enters the circulation again as nitrite. It is this nitrate rich compound that helps support a healthy vascular system which includes the dilation of the blood vehicles, allowing more blood to flow. The lowest levels of blood pressure in the subjects used in this research coincided with the time of highest nitrite levels in their blood.
It is important to mention at this point that the method of consuming the juice in order to convert the nitrates to beneficial nitrite may be disturbing to some. It is not practical on a regular basis to do this because to gain the maximum benefit it requires thoroughly mixing the beetroot juice with saliva and swallowing the mixture. After the initial consumption you need to continue producing saliva and swallowing it over the next few hours.
Natural Benefits
Beets are of great therapeutic value. They have properties to clean the kidneys and gall bladder in addition to their great benefit in treating high blood pressure. In fact, generally speaking, the large number of nutrients and minerals present in this vegetable make it a provider and promoter for all-round health.
Anemia : Red beet juice is associated with the formation of good healthy human blood. Due to its higher content of iron, it regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells, supplies fresh oxygen to the body and helps the normal function of breathing. The juice strengthens the body’s powers to resist disease and has proved to be an excellent remedy for anemia.
Digestive Disorders : Beet is used in the treatment of jaundice, hepatitis, nausea and vomiting due to biliousness, diarrhea and dysentery. Adding a teaspoonful of lime juice to beet juice increases its medicinal value. The juice taken with a little honey in the morning is recommended for the treatment of ulcer.
Constipation and Piles : The cellulose content – high fiber – of the beet acts as a bulk residue which increases and supports the movement of the food through the digestive tract.
Circulatory Disorders : Beet juice is known for dissolving inorganic calcium deposits in the body therefore it can be used in the treatment of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart trouble and varicose veins.
Kidney & Gall Bladder : The juice mixed with the juice of carrot and cucumber, is excellent for cleansing our kidneys and gall bladder. It can be used when treating other diseases relating to these organs.
Skin Disorders : The water in which beet roots and tops have been boiled is an excellent application for boils, skin inflammation and out breaks of pimples and pustules. Mixed with a little vinegar it can be used as a skin wash in cases of measles and eruptive fevers. The juice by itself also helps eliminate blemishes and promotes healthy skin and hair growth.
Dandruff : Applying the water from boiled beets mixed with a little vinegar to the scalp is a good way to externally cleanse scurf or dandruff from the head. For dandruff, the beet water should also be massaged into the scalp with the finger tips every night.
Blood Cooling and Purification : A well known benefit of beet juice is its blood cooling and blood purifying ability. This can be attributed to the rich iron content of the juice.
Stress : Beets contain a type of antioxidant that is known to prevent oxidative stress that is common among people of all ages today.
Cholesterol : One of the important health benefits of beet juice is its ability to lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels in the body.
Cancer : Beet juice contains a compound that helps prevent the formation of cancerous tumors and also detoxifies the body of many harmful toxins. It is therefore beneficial in the prevention of cancer including colon cancer.
Birth Defects : Beet juice is known to prevent various birth defects in babies because of the B vitamins and folic acid that it contains.
Stamina : Another health benefit of drinking beet juice is increased stamina. When tested on an exercise bike the rate at which the participant’s muscles used up energy and oxygen was found to be slowed. This is because the nitrate it contains reduces the oxygen uptake which reduces fatigue and increases stamina.
I am not an expert in health but some things are clear and simple enough to be understood and appreciated. Adding beets to one’s diet is one of those things. The benefits of consuming beets whether by chewing or drinking the rosy red juice are astounding. Research on beetroot is continuing and I expect that there are more interesting things to be discovered but while we are waiting let us utilize all the benefits that beetroot has to offer. Hypertension is a serious health condition that affects millions but we now have scientific proof that adding beets to our diet can help.
God has given us plants with their healing properties for our consumption and we owe it to ourselves to be educated in their healing properties. Learning about beets and their benefits is certainly a blessing.
Our Day Foretold
The baptism of the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost will lead to a revival of true religion and to the performance of many wonderful works . Heavenly intelligences will come among us, and men will speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. But should the Lord work upon men as He did on and after the day of Pentecost, many who now claim to believe the truth would know so very little of the operation of the Holy Spirit that they would cry, “Beware of fanaticism .” They would say of those who were filled with the Spirit, “These men are full of new wine” (Acts 2:13).
….Now brethren, be careful and do not go into or try to create human excitement. But while we should be careful not to go into human excitement, we should not be among those who will raise inquiries and cherish doubts in reference to the work of the Spirit of God; for there will be those who will question and criticize when the Spirit of God takes possession of men and women, because their own hearts are not moved, but are cold and unimpressible .–Selected Messages, book 2, p. 57.
NO MIRACLES TODAY?
Here we see that the church–the Lord’s sanctuary–was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus “Peace and safety” is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. {5T 211.2}
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
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