SAH Issue 2 Web

SECOND ADVENT
Elder
General Conference President 1966-1978
Herald
Issue No. 2
Robert H. Pierson
His last will and testament to Gods faithful remnant people
Farewell Address
Immutable Law of God Righteousness by Faith Seventh-day Sabbath Victory over Sin Sanctuary Types and Antitypes Three Angels Messages Non-Immortality of the Soul Health Reform Christs Fallen Human Nature Ellen White - Gift of Prophecy
T h e Vo i c e o f Tr u t h i n Pe r i l o u s T i m e s
Table of Contents
SECOND ADVENT
Herald
www.SecondAdventHerald.org
office@SecondAdventHerald.org
SAH Issue No. 2 In this issue:
1978 Farewell Address

Appeal delivered by Robert H. Pierson in 1978 to the Annual Council of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Robert H. Pierson
4 7 12 16 20 23 26 29 30
Board of Directors
Ron Spear, Jean Handwerk, Paul Williams
Freedoms Test & Freedoms Sign

Just as the Sabbath is a sign of our loyalty to our Creator, it is also a sign of the freedom that He provides for us.
Magazine Staff
Executive Editor: Ron Spear ron@secondadventherald.org Managing Editor: Jean Handwerk editor@secondadventherald.org Secretary: Joyce Brown Layout/Design: Paul Williams Newsletter: Corla Rankin
Ralph Larson
It is Now That We Must Act

The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land.
Ellen G. White
SECOND ADVENT Herald features presenttruth articles concerning historic Seventhday Adventist prophetic understandings and doctrinal beliefs, current issues and events of consequence to Adventism, religious liberty issues, Seventh-day Adventist history, and health. Our website has more information, and soon will have additional articles that are too long for the magazine, but will be of interest to many.
Good Digestion Leads to Good Health

The benefit you derive from your food does not depend so much on the quantity eaten as on its thorough digestion ...
Jean Handwerk
Justification & Sanctification

The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes both pardon for sin and reclamation from sin.
Colin Standish
E-MAIL NOTIFICATION: If you wish to be notified via e-mail when each new issue is posted, and/or if you wish to receive print versions of the magazine when available, you may write to us or sign up on our website. CORRESPONDENCE: Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@secondadventherald.org or to the magazine address noted above. DONATIONS: As events all around us portend prophetic fulfillment, we are trusting in the Lords providence to enable SECOND ADVENT Herald to establish Gods present truth in hearts and minds so firmly that we cannot be moved. This ministry exists to serve those who read its pages. Your feedback through cards and letters confirms us in our purpose. We charge nothing for our work, yet we do rely on reader support. All communications, as well as contributions, should be sent to the appropriate addresses listed above or on our website.
The Crisis of the Laodicean Church

Ron Spear
Without abiding in Christ, there is no recovery from the Laodicean condition. Neither is there character development, nor justification, nor sanctification.
Do We Need the Church Manual?

In 1883 the General Conference voted not to have a church manual ...
Compiled from TitheTruth.com
Letters to the Editor

Read what others are saying about Second Advent Herald magazine.
Reader Submissions
Health Alert
Current health-related news.
Jean Handwerk
SECOND ADVENT Herald
From the Editors Desk

he portentious developments nationally and internationally are multiplying both in number and frequency. One can hardly ignore daily news reports of calamities, political maneuverings, changes in the religious landscape, health threats, the unchecked decline in social and moral standards, the dire financial situation around the world, and more. But have we also noted the many times our God has stayed the hand of the destroyer? The H1N1 pandemic has not developed into the global or even national scourge that was anticipated. Although President Obama had declared a national emergency, fortunately hes had no need to implement the next step of martial law, and vaccinations remain voluntary. Also, a terrorists underwear bomb malfunctioned, preventing death in the air over Detroit and death on the ground from falling wreckage. The recent earthquake off the West Coast caused relatively little damage, compared to Haitis devastation. The financial reckoning that must come to the United States and other countries has been forestalled, to give us time to prepare spiritually and physically, to get out of the cities. Our heavenly Father is holding back the winds in mercy, for which we give Him praise, but we know that eventuallymaybe very soonHe will release them, to bring about the final scenes. It is now we must put aside all selfish interests and press together, press together. Let us work unitedly to prepare ye the way of the Lord. Let us work while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4. To that end, we would like to explain SECOND ADVENT Heralds purpose. This magazine is an independently-produced publication. It is neither aligned with nor supported by any particular ministry or church for a reason. We do our best to include in each issue present-truth, doctrinally sound articles and information that will edify and exhort Gods end-time church. Any ministry or church supporting present truth, upon approval (visit our website for details), may print and distribute this magazine to its own mailing list or membership to further promote the three angels messages. This can be done on a regular basis or for special occasions such as camp meetwww.SecondAdventHerald.org ings or convocations, in which case any issue may be selected. To the back page of the magazine, SECOND ADVENT Herald will add the approved ministrys or churchs return address and other contact information. There will be some limited space for its schedules, announcements, and/or advertising, as well. SECOND ADVENT Herald will then send a print quality pdf, which can be given to the printer. None of the content of the magazine will be or is to be altered. There is no fee for this service, lest any ministry or church be excluded, but free-will donations are understandably needed to sustain the monthly publication of the magazine. In this way we hope to provide a continuing supply of inexpensive, quality reading material to as many organizations as we can, who in turn have the same desire to distribute publications that edify and exhort Gods remnant church. We believe the magazine may increase interest in the ministries and churches that distribute it to others. Those who do not receive a print version of the magazine from any ministry or church may still access each issue at secondadventherald.org. On the website one will find two different versions of each issue. One is the full-color version used for online viewing. The home-print LITE version is for individuals or small groups who prefer to have the magazine in hand, who want to print out a copy, but who realize it would take a lot of printer ink! This LITE version is designed to use as little ink as possible yet still have a readable, enjoyable magazine. Dark backgrounds have been grayed and bright colors have been dimmed to use less ink. We hope many are blessed by the magazines messages of hope and its exhortations to holy living through our Saviors enabling grace. Be faithful, my brother, soon Jesus will come, for Whom we have waited so long.
Jean Handwerk, a former teacher and colporteur, researches and writes from Delaware on Biblical and natural health topics. She serves as managing editor of SECOND ADVENT Herald.
Farewell Address of
19 78
Robert H. Pierson
The following heroic appeal was delivered in 1978 by Robert H. Pierson, retiring president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to the Annual Council of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
born into the movement do not have to make personal decisions to join it. They do not necessarily know what they believe. They do not need to hammer out their own positions. These have been worked out for them. Preachers arise more by selection and by apprenticeship to older workers than by direct inner compulsion. In the third generation, organization develops and institutions are established. The need is seen for schools to pass on the faith of the fathers. Colleges are established. Members have to be exhorted to live up to the standards, while at the same time the standards of membership are being lowered. The group becomes lax about disfellowshiping non-practicing members. Missionary zeal cools off. There is more concern over public relations. Leaders study methods of propagating their faith, sometimes employing extrinsic rewards as motivation for service by the members. Youth question why they are different from others, and intermarry with those not of their faith. In the fourth generation there is much machinery; the number of administrators increases while the number of workers at the grass-roots level becomes proportionately less. SECOND ADVENT Herald
his will be the last time that in my present role I shall stand before the world leaders of my church, your church, our church, and I have a few words to leave with you. I take my thoughts from something that Elder and Mrs. Ralph Neall have written describing how typically a sect evolves into a church. They say a sect is often begun by a charismatic leader with tremendous drive and commitment and that it arises as a protest against worldliness and formalism in a church. It is generally embraced by the poor. The rich would lose too much by joining it, since it is unpopular, despised, and persecuted by society in general. It has definite beliefs firmly held by zealous members. Each member makes a personal decision to join it and knows what he believes. There is little organization or property, and there are few buildings. The group has strict standards and controls on behavior. Preachers, often without education, arise by inner compulsion. There is little concern about public relations. And then it passes on to the second generation. With growth there comes a need for organization and buildings. As a result of industry and frugality, members become prosperous. As prosperity increases, persecution begins to wane. Children
Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com
Great church councils are held to define doctrine. More schools, universities, and seminaries are established. These go to the world for accreditation and tend to become secularized. There is a reexamination of positions and modernizing of methods. Attention is given to contemporary culture, with an interest in the arts: music, architecture, literature. The movement seeks to become relevant to contemporary society by becoming involved with popular causes. Services become formal. The group enjoys complete acceptance by the world. The sect has become a church! Brethren and sisters, this must never happen to the Seventh-day Adventist Church! This will not happen to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is not just another churchit is Gods church! You are the men and women sitting in this sanctuary this morning on whom God is counting to assure that it does not happen.
Study, know what is ahead, then with Gods help prepare your people to meet it!
Already, brethren and sisters, there are subtle forces that are beginning to stir. Regrettably there are those in the church who belittle the inspiration of the total Bible, who scorn the first 11 chapters of Genesis, who question the Spirit of Prophecys short chronology of the age of the earth, and who subtly and not so subtly attack the Spirit of Prophecy. There are some who point to the reformers and contemporary theologians as a source and the norm for Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. There are those who allegedly are tired of the hackneyed phrases of Adventism. There are those who wish to forget the standards of the church we love. There are those who covet and would court the favor of the evangelicals; those who would throw off the mantle of a peculiar people; and those who would go the way of the secular, materialistic world. Fellow leaders, beloved brethren and sisters dont let it happen! I appeal to you as earnestly as I know how this morningdont let it happen! I appeal to Andrews University, to the Seminary, to Loma Linda Universitydont let it happen! We are not Seventh-day Anglicans, not Seventh-day Lutheranswe are Seventh-day Adventists! This is Gods last church with Gods last message! You are the men and women, the leaders, whom God is counting on to keep the Seventh-day Adventist Church Gods remnant church, the church God has destined to triumph! The servant of the Lord says, Fearful perils are before those who bear responsibilities in the Lords workperils the thought of which makes me tremble. Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 391. And in Ezekiel 22:30 we read, I looked for a man among them who could build up a barricade, who could stand before me in the breach to defend the land from ruin (N.E.B.).
for men and women, intrepid leaders, men and women who love Gods church and Gods truth more than they love their lives, to see that this church under God goes through to the kingdom. The task ahead of us is not going to be easy. If I understand the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy aright this morning, ahead lies a time of trouble, a time of challenge such as this church and this world have never before known. The servant of the Lord tells us the enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists,and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless (Selected Messages, vol. 1, pp. 204, 205). The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its alpha years ago. You and I are the leaders who will face the omega that will be of the same subtle, devilish origin. Its effect will be more devastating than the alpha. Brethren, I beg of you, study, know what is ahead, then with Gods help prepare your people to meet it! God calls for men who are prepared to meet emergencies, men who in a crisis will not be found standing on the wrong side (Ellen G. White, the Review and Herald, November 5, 1903). We are pressing on to the final conflict, and this is no time
This is Gods last church with Gods last message!

I believe this morning, fellow leaders, that God is looking www.SecondAdventHerald.org
1978 Farewell Address - Continued

to compromise. It is no time to hide your colors. When the battle wages sore, Let no one turn traitor. It is no time to lay down or conceal our weapons, and give Satan the advantage in the warfare (Ibid., December 6, 1892). Fellow leaders, it may be that in the not-too-distant future you will have to meet it. I pray God will give you grace and courage and wisdom. Finally, what a wonderful thought it is that the great controversy is nearing its end! In the closing work we shall meet with perils that we know not how to deal with; but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass. He will gather from the world a people who will serve Him in righteousness (Ibid., vol. 2, p. 391). What a wonderful assurance we have this morning, brethren and sisters, that you and I are in Gods work. This work is not dependent on any man; it is dependent on our relationship with Him. There is only one way for us to face the future, and that is at the foot of the cross. A church with its eyes upon the Man of Calvary will never walk into apostasy. Thank you, brethren and sisters, for giving me the privilege of serving you for the past 45 years, and may God bless every one of you.
Let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass.
And then I call attention to a vision the Lords servant had, in which she saw a ship heading toward an iceberg. She said, There, towering high above the ship, was a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, Meet it! There was not a moments hesitation. It was a time for instant action. The engineer put on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the iceberg. With a crash she struck the ice. There was a fearful shock, and the iceberg broke into many pieces, falling with a noise like thunder to the deck. The passengers were violently shaken by the force of the collision, but no lives were lost. The vessel was injured, but not beyond repair. She rebounded from the contact, trembling from stem to stern, like a living creature. Then she moved forward on her way. Well I knew the meaning of this representation. I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our Captain, Meet it! I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the command, Meet it! (Selected Messages, vol. 1, pp. 205, 206).
Robert H. Pierson
Robert Pierson spent a great portion of his life in the mission field --in India, as well as in Africa. He also served in America as president of the KentuckyTennessee Conference and then as president of the General Conference. http://www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/rar/pier-final.php
MEET IT!
6
Freedoms
Test Sign
Ralph Larson
and
Freedoms
Just as the Sabbath is a sign of our loyalty to our Creator, it is also a sign of the freedom that He provides for us.
Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com
e who attacks the sanctuary attacks the Sabbath. We need to remember this truth as we have increasing contact with Seventh-day Adventist Church members, and even ministers who either ignore the sanctuary doctrine or sneer at it. We will not weary you with statistical evidence, since contacts of this type are part of the experience of most of us today. Let us consider the meaning and significance of this trend. We read in Revelation 11:19: And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. We know that the ark was a chest beneath the mercy seat with overshadowing angels, and that this chest was the place wherein rested the two tables of the law written with the finger of God. The full significance of this fact was made clear to Gods messenger in a vision presented to her on April 2, 1847, in Topsham, Maine, and reported in Early Writings, 32-33. Ellen White describes how she was shown the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, containing the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, and the candlestick with its seven lamps. Then her attention was directed to the second apartment, the Most Holy Place, where she saw the ark and the two tables of the law. She writes: The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of Gods holy name. The holy Sabbath looked gloriousa halo of glory was all around it. . . . I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of Gods dear, waiting saints.
great appreciation for the sanctuary truth, and the reason for their opponents great lack of appreciation for it. In The Great Controversy, 435, Ellen White writes: None could fail to see thatan acceptance of the truth concerning the heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowledgment of the claims of Gods law and the obligation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Here was the secret of the bitter and determined opposition to the harmonious exposition of the Scriptures that revealed the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. It was not that they intensely hated the sanctuary. They could have endured that doctrine. The object of their bitter hatred was the Sabbath commandment. And their hatred was so intense that they were willing to destroy the heavenly sanctuary, if necessary, in order to get rid of the Sabbath. The battle lines were thus drawn, and there has been no change in those battle lines since then. The relation between the sanctuary and the Sabbath may not have been entirely clear to all of us, but it has been unmistakably clear to our opponents, as to the devil himself. In Testimonies to Ministers, 472, Ellen White quotes Satan as saying to his angels:
Sabbath Coupled with Sanctuary Ministrations

The same light which reveals the true Sabbath reveals also the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Historically, theologically, and experientially, the Sabbath and the sanctuary are therefore firmly bonded, one to another. He who cherishes one of these two truths cherishes the other, and he who is scornful of the one will, sooner or later, become scornful of the other. Thus Uriah Smith wrote in the Review and Herald, August 5, 1875: As is perhaps natural, the enemy of truth seems most persistent in trying to trouble and unsettle minds in regard to
A Reason That Divided

This understanding was at once the reason for our pioneers www.SecondAdventHerald.org
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. And hallow my sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Tests and signs are a part of our daily lives. Signs are often associated with, or follow, tests. While we are sitting in the waiting room of the doctors office, we read with interest the signs on the walls which tell us the doctor has passed certain tests and is therefore qualified to practice his medical specialty. Many of the things that we use are tested, from bolts, nuts, and screws to boats, cars, ships, and planes. People are tested, too. The purpose of all of this testing is prediction and the reduction of risk. Experience teaches us that it is easier to test things than to test people. Our penitentiary parole boards have been struggling with this problem for years, without great success. It is their responsibility to try to predict human behavior in order to decide which prisoners can safely be returned to society. They often make mistakes, not because of insincerity, or even incompetence, on their part. Surely they are as concerned about the security of their families as we are. Their problem is simply that they do not have a perfect system for testing. The Sabbath meets the need of a test for predicting Our Lord is in a similar situation. human behavior. If we faithfully comply with the Sabbath He is planning to parole, as it were, commandment, we are demonstrating what we will do when prisoners from this earth and release them into the society of other worlds the reason for Gods commandment is not altogether clear to us. where there has never been any sin, and where we may be sure that the inhabitants do not ever want to have any sin. He therefore needs a test for the purpose of We had better prepare our minds, then, for the probability predicting human behavior. What kind of test would meet His that those Seventh-day Adventist ministers and members requirements? There would be at least five essential elements: who have made it their first goal to lead us into the false doctrines of Calvinism, rejecting the sanctuary truth, and 1. It would have to be applicable to all people in all have made it their second goal to lead us into the false worship places on earth. of Pentecostalism, will make it their next goal to lead us into 2. It would have to be applicable to people of all ages. exalting the false sabbath. 3. It would have to be applicable to people in all Let us then spend a few moments reflecting about our conditions of ability, education, talent, and wealth. precious heritage, the true Sabbath. What is the Sabbath really 4. It would have to be reasonable and fair. all about? What is its real significance in the plan of salvation 5. It would have to be unique, so that motivation and to us personally? The title of our study, remember, is would be clear. Freedoms Test and Freedoms Sign.
the sanctuary, for that is the citadel of our strength. That statement was true in 1875, and it is true today. Attacks on the sanctuary have been increasingly bitter and unrelenting in recent years. Kenneth Sample, an evangelical scholar and the successor to Walter Martin, conducted a survey among ministers of the Southeastern California Conference. In his questionnaire he included a statement by Desmond Ford that our sanctuary doctrine had no biblical warrant, and was only accepted because of Ellen White. He asked these Adventist ministers whether they agreed or disagreed with Fords statement. Of the 56 ministers who responded to his questionnaire, only 29 stated that they disagreed. Others either agreed with Ford or answered evasively. It is readily apparent that this decreasing respect for the sanctuary truth is accompanied by a decreasing respect for the Sabbath. We are forcibly reminded of Ellen Whites prediction in The Seventhday Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 985: After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, . . . there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath.
The Test of the Sabbath

Let us begin with two familiar and cherished scriptures, Ezekiel 20: 12 and 20:
Test Based on Time

There is only one thing that is available to people of all ages and all conditions in all parts of the earth, and that is time. SECOND ADVENT Herald
Everyones day has twenty-four hours; everyones week has seven days, and so on. This fact is true of nothing but time. The use of time for a test is therefore strongly indicated. But how? To have a test involving time spent in work, or study, or even in recreation would be unfair. Not all persons can do these things, even should they so desire. What then is left? Time spent in rest. This test could be fair. Not everyone can work, or study, or even play, hut everyone can rest. But what about the question of motivation? People rest for different reasons. Some even rest so they can be more efficient in doing evil. Time spent in rest, then, falls a little short of meeting the need for a universal test.
A Very Specific Rest
Planet Earth and to allow him access to your planet. You would be concerned, and rightly so. You might express your concern by asking, Are you sure, Lord, that he is all right? The Lord could say in reply, You listen while we test him, and see what you think. Then the Lord, in your presence, questions this earthling in regard to all of the other commandments except the fourth, the Sabbath commandment. To each commandment the earthling makes the same response, Yes. That makes sense. That is clear and reasonable, and I understand it. I will gladly obey that commandment. I do not think you would be content. I think you might say, Lord, that doesnt satisfy me at all. He is not obeying you; he is agreeing with you. He keeps saying that he will obey the
But suppose the Creator should set Total freedom must include both the absence of restraint forth a requirement that one specific and the absence of constraint--both the ability to say I and particular period of time be spent will, and the ability to say, I will not. in rest? Let us reflect about this test for a moment. People rest for different commandments because they make sense to him. But what reasons, even bad reasons, but they do not restrict themselves will happen if at some future time there is a commandment to a particular time for resting. If we see persons doing so, we that is not altogether clear to him? What will he do then? may be sure that the reason is their desire to do the will of Given his limited intelligence and his limited experience, that their Creator. Motivation would be clear. could easily happen. Now we are beginning to understand what the Sabbath is The Lord could answer, We have a principle in the law all about. It is indeed a sign, just as we read in Ezekiel 20. It specifically for the purpose of dealing with that question. provides a time for rest, for fellowship, and for worship. But He then questions the candidate from earth in regard to the more than this, it meets the need of a test for predicting Sabbath commandment. Please notice that there could be two human behavior. If we faithfully comply with the Sabbath different responses. The candidate from earth might say, I commandment, we are demonstrating what we will do when understand the need for rest. I will faithfully rest. But I see no the reason for Gods commandment is not altogether clear to us. reason why the resting should be done on any particular day. I Human reason can recognize the need for rest, but not for will rest when I need to rest. I can choose the time that is best rest on a particular day. As far as human reason is concerned, for me. I feel very sure that you would say, Lord, we dont resting could be done on any day, or even on portions of days. want him here. Send him to some other planet, please. The command to rest upon the seventh day is not based on Or the candidate from earth might answer like this: I human reason and, unlike the other commandments, makes understand the need for rest. I dont understand why it needs no appeal to human reason. It is founded upon the revealed to be on a particular day, but I dont need to understand that. will of God, and nothing else. It therefore provides a very If that is what You want, that settles it for me. I think you clear and satisfactory answer to the question, What will this would say, I think he is all right; let him come. person do when he does not fully understand the reason for Gods commandment? It is an effective test for predicting human behavior and for deciding who is safe to save.
Obey Even If Not Clear

Suppose that you had been fortunate enough to live on a planet where there had never been any sin. Then suppose that you learned that God is planning to parole a prisoner from www.SecondAdventHerald.org
Obey Even When We Dont Understand the Reason
What will we do when there is a requirement of God that we do not understand? This is the real test for the quality of our relationship with God. This is the test that Eve met in Eden and failed. This is the test that Abraham met on Mt. Moriah
If we put this question to young people, they are likely to tell us that freedom is the absence of restraint, the full ability to say, I will. But if we put the same question to the soldier in the trenches or to prisoners in chain gangs, they are likely to tell us that freedom is the absence of constraint, the full ability to say, I will not. The command to rest upon the seventh day is not Then which definition is correct? Actually both are correct, but both based on human reason and makes no appeal to are only partial definitions. Total human reason. It is founded [only] upon the revealed freedom must include both the absence of restraint and the absence will of God. of constraint--both the ability to say I will, and the ability to say, I will not. To be able to stop actions but not to initiate them would mean that we could only respond to the Surely there is confusion here. To argue that there is a moral actions of others. To have the power to initiate action but not principle involved in something that may be done for selfish to stop it would be even worse. or even immoral reasons, but that there is no moral principle It is pleasant to be able to extend the hand and shake it, involved in something that is done in careful regard for the if we so desire, but if the shaking cannot be stopped, that is expressed will of the Creator, is strange indeed. To people who not very pleasant. Ask the victim of Parkinsons disease. It is think in this way, the Sabbath is no sign, but to us it truly is a nice to be able to sneeze when we need to, in order to clear the most meaningful sign. respiratory tract of some irritation, but if the sneezing cannot be stopped, a trip to the emergency room of the hospital may be required. When our body sustains an injury, it is wonderful to Let us now consider one other important element in the see how the body cells can reproduce themselves and grow meaning of the Sabbath, remembering still that the title to until the wound is healed. But what if the reproduction this study is Freedoms Test and Freedoms Sign. of body cells cannot be stopped? We have a word for Just as the Sabbath is a sign of our loyalty to our Creator, thata dreaded word for a dreaded conditioncancer. it is also a sign of the freedom that He provides for us. Let us read John 8:31-36: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Pagan literature is replete with stories about pagan gods They answered him, We be Abrahams seed, and were never in who created something and then were not able to control it. bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? The Swiss theologian Karl Barth points out that in the first Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever chapter of Genesis, where our God is introduced to us, it is committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth made clear that He has no such problem. He is impressively not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son able to say I will, and is equally able to say, I will not. Barth therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. writes: We are looking at a picture of obvious confusion. These A being is free only when it can determine and limit its
and passed. This is the test that our Lord met in Gethsemane, and the fate of the whole universe trembled in the balance while He prayed three times, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Matthew 26:39. And the whole universe won its reprieve when He finally said, Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42. This test we all must pass in order to be safe to save. The holy Sabbath is truly a sign between ourselves and our Lord. I am astonished at the thinking of those theologians who say that there is a moral principle involved in resting, but that there is no moral principle involved in resting on Gods appointed day.
men were even then under the bondage of Rome and were far from being free. How could they misunderstand the meaning of freedom? This fact causes us to feel the need of a definition. What is the definition of freedom, anyway?
Defining Freedom
A Sign of True Freedom
God Reveals Freedom
10
activity, and only the works of a being like this are acts. God is a being like this. His creative activity has its limits in the rest from His works, determined by Himself, i.e., the rest of the seventh day. His freedom, revealed in this rest, is a first criterion of the true deity of the Creator in the biblical saga. Church Dogmatics, Volume III, Book I. In the creation story the Bible presents to us a God who has the ultimate power of creation, perfectly balanced by an equal power of control. He never loses control of what he has created. He is always in charge, in no way threatened by what He has created. For six days He demonstrates His ability to say, I will; then on the seventh day He demonstrates the fullness of His freedom by saying, I will not, and celebrates His Sabbath, the symbol of His freedom. He graciously invites man to join Him in His celebration of freedom by sharing the Sabbath with Him. How much man needs this rest, because man is not like God! Man has demonstrated an impressive ability to say, I will. He can say, I will plant a garden: I will build a house; I will fly to the moon. But he has a pathetic ability to say, I will not.
He is in control. Only those who truly believe this fact can understand and experience true freedom. Some, like the Jews to whom Christ spoke, give evidence of being confused about freedom. They will boast of their freedom, then exhibit their shackles. They may insist that Sabbathbreaking is freedom, but then admit that the real reason for their Sabbathbreaking is fear of financial loss. They are living in fear, not freedom. To such persons the Lord of all is still saying, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36.
Some Freely, Willingly Rest

There are people in the world who are not confused, and who know what freedom is. They celebrate their freedom every Sabbath in fellowship with their Creator God. They also know that the Sabbath is a sign between themselves and their Creator God, a precious emblem of their special relationship. They are living witnesses that God is alive and that He is in control. He is not afraid of anything or anybody, and that becomes true of His followers, as well. They are the kind of people who will walk calmly and steadfastly with their God through the perils of earths last days. They will be unmoved by the clever arguments and cunning sophistries of the apostates about them. They will gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason. Testimonies, vol. 5, 136. I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of Gods dear, waiting saints. Early Writings, 33. Ralph Larson served as professor of theology for Atlantic Union College, head of the theology department at Philippine Union College, evangelist for many years in Hawaii, and pastor of many churches.
In Bondage to Possessions
Man plants a crop, and then is afraid to take a Sabbath rest for fear that he will lose the crop. Thus the crop becomes his master. Man builds a house, and then is afraid to keep the Sabbath for fear of losing his house. Thus the house becomes his master. He is in a worse condition than were the Jews to whom Christ spoke. They were in bondage to other men, but modern man is in bondage to things, surely the most pathetic of all conditions of human bondage. God had foreseen this problem and moved to prevent it. He instructed man in Exodus 34:21: Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing [plowing] time and in harvest thou shalt rest. Man might cry out in alarm, But what of the weather? The answer is Yes, God does understand about the weather. He understands it perfectly, but He is in control. Modern man may cry out, But what about my financial obligations? Does not God know what will happen if I do not make my payments? The answer is Yes, God understands these things perfectly, but
11
It Is N O
The seal of God will be placed upon
Ellen G. White
he nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies. The choicest of heavens blessings have been given them, but increased pride, covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them.
Contaminated by Iniquity
But that which causes me to tremble is the fact that those who have had the greatest light and privileges have become contaminated by the prevailing iniquity. Influenced by the unrighteous around them, many, even of those who profess the truth, have grown cold and are borne down by the strong current of evil. The universal scorn thrown upon true piety and holiness leads those who do not connect closely with God to lose their reverence for His law. As the disrespect for Gods law becomes more manifest, the line of demarcation between its observers and the world becomes more distinct. Love for the divine precepts increases with one class according as contempt for them increases with another class.
Sigh, Cryand Work

The crisis is fast approaching. Those who walk in the light are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of the ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others, looking with strong faith to God for help. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world. The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in vain. When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world.
12
W That We Must Act

the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land.
The command is: Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking. In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for Gods honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. 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 Gods people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together. The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions. But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide. No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ringleaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of Gods mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer.
Dumb Dogs; Faithful Criers

The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God. Those who have a zeal for Gods honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. The churchthe Lords sanctuarywas 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 Gods power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen www.SecondAdventHerald.org
Seal or Plagues? Our Choice

It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure. The day of Gods vengeance is just upon us. The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13
Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons. When the seven last plagues shall be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, then it will be forever too late to repent and find shelter. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. When this time of trouble comes, every case is decided; there is no longer probation, no longer mercy for the impenitent. The seal of the living God is upon His people. This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the dragon host, make God their defense. The decree has been passed by the highest earthly authority that they shall worship the beast and receive his mark under pain of persecution and death. May God help His people now, for what can they then do in such a fearful conflict without His assistance!
their souls. Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.
Defects in Character
Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. We are too easily satisfied with our attainments. We feel rich and increased with goods and know not that we are wretched,
Those Whove Gone Before

Courage, fortitude, faith, and implicit trust in Gods power to save do not come in a moment[but] by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God were sealing their destiny. Beset with temptations without number, they knew they must resist firmly or be conquered. They felt that they had a great work to do, and at any hour they might be called to lay off their armor; and should they come to the close of life with their work undone, it would be an eternal loss. They eagerly accepted the light from heaven, as did the first disciples from the lips of Jesus. When those early Christians were exiled to mountains and deserts, when left in dungeons to die with hunger, cold, and torture, when martyrdom seemed the only way out of their distress, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ, who was crucified for them. Their worthy example will be a comfort and encouragement to the people of God who will be brought into the time of trouble such as never was.
The darkness that will then rest upon our path [in the day of trial] must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings.
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True Witness: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Follow Jesus Example

Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed, even among those who teach the truth to others. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a wellordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart. By their lack of devotion and piety, and their failure to reach a high religious standard, they make other souls contented with their position. Men of finite judgment cannot see that in patterning after these men who have so often opened to them the treasures of Gods word, they will surely endanger
Deny Self, not Gratify Self

In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little suffering for Christs sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial, our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming, for SECOND ADVENT Herald
14
they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when anguish will be upon every soul, for everyone must deliver his soul by his own righteousness.
No One Hopeless or Helpless

No one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a Christian. Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul. Jesus is our ever-present help in time of need. Only call upon Him in faith, and He has promised to hear and answer your petitions. Oh, for a living, active faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings. We should know this by our past experience. In that day when God has a controversy with His people, this experience will be a source of comfort and hope.
waiting, longing soul. What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour. Testimonies, Vol. 5, 208216.
Now, NowBefore Too Late

It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lords appearing. The world is in darkness. But ye, brethren, says Paul, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. It is ever Gods purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness for the
The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that when the tests of a true prophet are applied to Ellen G. White, they confirm beyond doubt that God bestowed upon her the promised gift of prophecy. That gift is one of two prominent characteristics of His church in the last days (Rev. 12:17; Rev. 19:10), and indeed, her prophetic gift was instrumental in the formation of Seventh-day Adventism. Her inspired writings continue to clarify and uplift the Word of God.
15
Good Digestion leads to
Jean Handwerk
Good Health
W
The benefit you derive from your food does not depend so much on the quantity eaten as on its thorough digestion, nor the gratification of the taste so much on the amount of food swallowed as on the length of time it remains in the mouth.
Digestionand thus, to a great extent, our healthbegins in the mouth. Food should be eaten slowly and should be thoroughly masticated. This is necessary in order that the saliva may be properly mixed with the food and the digestive fluids be called into action. Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107. The entire digestive process is so fundamental to health that when we eat, we should chew soft foods long enough to get salivary enzymes flowing, and chew our solid foods till juicy for the same reason. The digestive fluids of the mouth are as important to digestion and assimilation as those of the stomach. They are designed by God to work in tandem. That principle is also why a diet of mostly soft foods (soups, stews, well-cooked, mashed) is not as good for us as one which includes foods which we must chew thoroughly. So much porridge [cooked grains and beans] eating is a mistake. The dry food that requires mastication is far preferable. Ibid., 108. Solid foods requiring mastication will be far better than mush or liquid foods. I dwell upon this as essential. . . . Be Like Jesus, 294. When soft foods are eaten, something dry should be eaten with themsomething suitable that requires chewing. If health or teeth issues prevent one from eating foods which require biting and chewing, time and care must still be taken to chew thoroughly whatever is taken into the mouth. For all of us, in addition to digestive enzymes, saliva contains epidermal growth factor, which stimulates growth and repair of the intestinal lining. This is critical care to keep our immune systems functioning as ideally as possible. e often take our good health for granted until we get sick, but as in all things, prevention is a lot easier, cheaper, and more pleasant than recovery. Its widely known that food plays a large role in our physical decline or restoration. Yet although much emphasis is put on foods we should or should not eat, when and how we eat is every bit as important as what we eat. Eating the freshest organic food, prepared in the most natural, delicious way, can actually be harmful if its not eaten in an intelligent way at an intelligent time! And conversely, if we eat intelligently, health will follow. The Bible counsels us regarding what to eat or not eat. Only rarely does it mention or allude to the why of it. One instance is Pauls advice for Timothy: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities. 1 Tim 5:23. Apparently, Timothys healthin this case, his stomachwas problematic.
At Least 80% of Our Immune System

Its possible Timothys stomach was the primary cause of his often infirmities. Did you know that at least 80% of a persons immune system originates in the digestive system? That high percentage should certainly get our attention. Optimal digestion is so often the key to our health. It is a frequent focus in the inspired health writings of Ellen White. By following the divine counsel for the when and how of proper eating, and understanding the why while not neglecting the what, we can be greatly benefited.
Chew, Chew, Chew

Basically, food must be properly masticated (chewed) and digested by multiple digestive enzymes in order to make food nutrients available for assimilation through intestinal walls.
Eat, but Dont Drink

Nor should liquids be drunk with the meal, as they negatively impact digestion. Many make a mistake in drinking cold water with their meals. Taken with meals, water diminSECOND ADVENT Herald
16
ishes the flow of the salivary glands; and the colder the water, the greater the injury to the stomach. Ice water or ice lemonade, drunk with meals, will arrest digestion until the system has imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it to take up its work again. Hot drinks are debilitating. . . . Eat slowly, and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. The more liquid there is taken into the stomach with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid must first be absorbed. . . . But if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water, drunk some little time before or after the meal, is all that nature requires. . . . Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues. Review and Herald, July 29, 1884.
An Attitude of Gratitude Yields Peace and Health

The psalmist wrote, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones, a proverb that clearly links ones mental state to ones health. Our state of mind affects our bodies in many ways, one of which is our bodies ability to utilize the food we eat. Our mental/emotional state permits or prohibits the release of digestive enzymes from the various organs, which therefore makes digestion and assimilation of nutrients possible or impossible. Physical science bears out that statement. In one experiment on digestion, a tube was run from a cats stomach to a
service to God, will do well to remember this. If your time to eat is limited, do not bolt your food, but eat less, and eat slowly. The benefit you derive from your food does not depend so much on the quantity eaten as on its thorough digestion, nor the gratification of the taste so much on the amount of food swallowed as on the length of time it remains in the mouth. Those who are excited, anxious, or in a great hurry, would do well not to eat until they have found rest or relief; for the vital powers, already severely taxed, cannot supply the necessary gastric juice. Ibid., emphasis added. Fear, worry, hurry, anger, frustration, resentmentall the negative emotions that war against the peace that passeth understandingliterally stop the digestive juices from flowing. Emotional stress at meal time can cause the sphincter muscles of organs like the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder to contract, stopping the release of necessary enzymatic fluids into the digestive tract and thus preventing the digestion of the food so it can be assimilated through the walls of the small intestine. It is a clear-cut example of the minds direct influence on the health of the body. The body is then burdened as it attempts to deal with undigested food, an effort that depletes vital energy. And if the food remains in the system too long, fermentation and putrefaction follow, which poison the body. (It takes about an hour after the emotion or attitude is rectified for the sphincters to react as they should.) Continued on next Page >>>
Our mental/emotional state makes digestion, and therefore assimilation of nutrients, possible or impossible.
bottle. When food was placed before the hungry cat, gastric juices started flowing into the bottle. When a dog was brought too near the cats cage, the flow of digestive juices ceased. Once the dog was removed, it took an hour before digestive juices could flow again. The Holy Spirits counsel on that topic is this: In order to have healthy digestion, food should be eaten slowly. Those who wish to avoid dyspepsia [indigestion], and those who realize their obligation to keep all their powers in the condition which will enable them to render the best
17
There should be a specified time for each meal. At this time let everyone eat what the system requires and then take nothing more until the next meal. . . . Ministry of Healing, 303, emphasis added. . . . At least five or six hours should intervene between the meals, and most persons who give the plan a trial will find that two meals a day are better than three. Ibid., 304.
Eating for the Wrong Reasons

The positive or negative interplay of food, family and friends is a potent one. Some of us, when stressed or depressed, tend to eat too much, even though we see the results in unwanted weight gain, sluggishness of mind and body, and even negative mood changes. Many of us happily indulge at family holiday feasts, social get-togethers, all-you-can-eat buffets, Sabbath potlucks, and the like. Yet the stomach suffers when so many kinds of food are placed in it at one meal. Counsels on Diet, 275. What influence does overeating have upon the stomach? It becomes debilitated, the digestive organs are weakened, and disease, with all its train of evils, is brought on as the result. If persons were diseased before, they thus increase the difficulties upon them, and lessen their vitality every day they live.
When we eat greatly affects our bodies ability to benefit from what we eat.
The practice of eating but two meals a day is generally found a benefit to health; yet under some circumstances, persons may require a third meal. This should, however, if taken at all, be very light, and of food most easily digested. Crackersthe English biscuitor zwieback, and fruit, or cereal coffee, are the foods best suited for the evening meal. Counsels on Diet and Foods, 176. The digestive organs need as much intelligent consideration as any other organ. The stomach, when we lie down to rest, should have its work all done, that it may enjoy rest, as well as other portions of the body. The work of digestion should not be carried on through any period of the sleeping hours. After the stomach, which has been overtaxed, has performed its task, it becomes exhausted, which causes faintness. Here many are deceived, and think that it is the want of food
Digestionand thus, to a great extent, our healthbegins in the mouth.

They call their vital powers into unnecessary action to take care of the food that they place in their stomachs. Ibid., 112. Furthermore, the system receives less nourishment from too great a quantity of food, even of the right quality, than from a moderate quantity taken at regular periods. Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 2, 412. . . . Many, even among Seventh-day Adventists, eat too freely. Their health would be much better if they ate less. When too much food is eaten, the stomach is overburdened, and is unable to perform its proper functions. The result is that the digestive organs are disordered. If those who have brought themselves to this condition would eat proper food, and only about half as much as they have been in the habit of eating, their digestive organs would recover. Manuscript Releases 3:326. Nor is a careless attitude toward what, when, how and how much we eat merely a physical matter. The controlling power of appetite will prove the ruin of thousands, when, if they had conquered on this point, they would have had moral power to gain the victory over every other temptation of Satan. But those who are slaves to appetite will fail in perfecting Christian character. Counsels on Diet, 59. which produces such feelings, and without giving the stomach time to rest, they take more food, which for the time removes the faintness. And the more the appetite is indulged, the more will be its clamors for gratification. This faintness is generally the result of meat eating, and eating frequently, and too much. The stomach becomes weary by being kept constantly at work, disposing of food not the most healthful. Having no time for rest, the digestive organs become enfeebled, hence the sense of goneness, and desire for frequent eating. The remedy such require is to eat less frequently and less liberally, and be satisfied with plain, simple food, eating twice, or, at most, three times a day. The stomach must have its regular periods for labor and rest; hence eating irregularly and between meals, is a most pernicious violation of the laws of health. With regular habits, and proper food, the stomach will gradually recover. Ibid. From that last sentence we learn another benefit of eating wisely: If natures laws have not been too long abused, she will carry on her restoring process, although it may not be immediately realized. But some have so long abused nature that she cannot recover entirely. . . . An Appeal to Mothers, 22. All praise to our Creator, in that obedience to His health counsel will allow us to recover our health to a greater or lesser degree!
Photo Copyright: Hemera.com
Timing our Tasting

When we eat greatly affects our bodies ability to benefit from what we eat. Regularity in eating is of vital importance.
Breakfast the Largest Meal

At breakfast time the stomach is in a better condition to SECOND ADVENT Herald
18
take care of more food than at the second or third meal of the day. The habit of eating a sparing breakfast and a large dinner is wrong. Make your breakfast correspond more nearly to the heartiest meal of the day. Child Guidance, 390.
more beneficial healthwise. Review and Herald, Nov. 1, 1880.
Easier Said Than Done?

Fortunately, right habits dont take long to establish. On the other hand, few present-day work situations or family schedules are conducive to good digestive habits. However, when youve lost your health, not much else matters except getting it back. Now that you know how and when to eat for healthand whydont let any circumstance or person discourage you from protecting one of your most valuable earthly possessionsor from getting it back. There are conditions to be observed by all who would preserve health. All should learn what these conditions are. Counsels on Diet, 121. If you are truly committed to making necessary changes, the Lord will give you wisdom and understanding as to how to overcome obstacles to healthy digestion. Let your heart say with confidence, The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7. Jean Handwerk, a former teacher, now researches and writes on Biblical and natural health topics. She also tries her hand at organic gardening.
That Mid-Morning or Bedtime Snack

Inspired counsel about snacking provides the digestive reasoning behind it: Regularity in eating should be carefully observed. Nothing should be eaten between meals, no confectionery [sweets], nuts, fruits, or food of any kind. Irregularities in eating destroy the healthful tone of the digestive organs, to the detriment of health and cheerfulness. . . . Counsels on Diet, 180. Giving up tasty between-meal snacks is a hard one for many, but as we begin to pay the price for poor eating habits of earlier years, we hopefully will ensure our future years are not made worse by our failure to correct our current eating patterns. Younger people not yet suffering the cumulative effects of poor eating habits can learn from the mistakes and good examples of others.
After the Meal

Exercise . . . [gives] the digestive organs a healthy tone. To engage in deep study or violent exercise immediately after eating, hinders the digestive process; for the vitality of the system, which is needed to carry on the work of digestion, is called away to other parts. But a short walk after a meal, with the head erect and the shoulders back, exercising moderately, is a great benefit. Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 101. Exercise gives a healthful stimulus to the appetite, renders the digestion of food more perfect. . . . Ibid., 104. It will work off the waste matter which accumulates in the system. Pastoral Ministry, 71. Sometimes we cant walk right after meals, yet we would benefit from walking at any time. Especially should those in sedentary occupations, weather permitting, walk out in the open air every day, summer and winter. . . . Walking is often more beneficial to health than all the medicine that can be prescribed. Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 100. Ellen White wrote of her own experience, We have crossed the plains fifteen times, and we would recommend to those contemplating such a journey strict temperance in all things. Take your lunch-baskets with you, well filled with fruits and plainly cooked bread. Eat at regular hours, and nothing between meals; and whenever the train stops for any length of time, improve the opportunity by taking a brisk walk in the open air. By so doing, the journey will not only be more enjoyable, but far www.SecondAdventHerald.org
Appl d e es Delic s R iou
19
Colin Standish
and
n o i t a c i f i t s u J
Sanc tifica tion
everal years ago I was alarmed when I heard a fellow minister proclaim from the pulpit that to put justification and sanctification together in the gospel is to commit spiritual adultery. My immediate impulse was to challenge such error right then and there in the church service. And perhaps I should have. I cannot deny that there must have been many people in that congregation that day who took this perverse error at face value. After the service I did challenge the preacher: What you said today would have been true, given your false understanding of sanctification. What do you think I believe? You believe that justification is Gods perfect work for man through His Son Jesus Christ. What do you believe justification to be? I too believe that justification is Gods perfect work for man through His Son, Jesus Christ. But it is your false concept of sanctification with which I have a serious problem. What do I believe sanctification to be? You believe sanctification to be mans imperfect works to God. Without either confirming or denying what I had said, he asked for my definition of sanctification. I replied: Like justification, I believe that sanctification is Gods perfect work for man through His Son, Jesus Christ. Somehow over the centuries large segments of Christians
The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes both pardon for sin and reclamation from sin.
have been led to believe that justification is the free gift of grace, but that sanctification embodies merit from the
Unless we understand true sanctification, we cannot understand the gospel message.

works of man. Nothing could be further from the truth. Both justification and sanctification are free gifts from God through Christ. A true understanding of sanctification underlies a true understanding of the gospel. It is the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Galatians 5:6; Acts 15:9.
Photo Copyright: HigherClips CD
Concerning Good Works

Those who believe in the fullness of the gospel believe it encompasses the total salvation acts of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Such believers have often been accused of being perfectionists and legalists, of having been oriented to a worksSECOND ADVENT Herald
20
based salvation. This belief is due to the false presuppositions concerning sanctification of the accusers. As Ellen White has so wonderfully explained it: While good works will not save even once soul, yet it is impossible for even one soul to be saved without good works. Selected Messages, book 1, 377. I was talking some years ago to a friend who was deeply involved in the New Theology. When I explained to him the biblical concept of sanctification by faith (Acts 26:18), his immediate response was: Well, thats not the definition that modern theologians use today.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [justification] and of the Spirit [sanctification], he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5. In the Bible, the water clearly encompasses justification (Acts 19:4; Matthew 3:11), whereas being born of the Spirit encompasses sanctification (Acts 5:32; 1 Peter 1:22).
Pardoned for and Reclaimed from Sin

Of paramount importance is the fact that justification and sanctification are characteristics of the final generation who will be redeemed into the kingdom of God: And he that is righteous [justified], let him be righteous still: and he that is holy [sanctified], let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11. When we clearly recognize that the gospel of Jesus Christ includes both pardon for sin and reclamation from sin, we understand the fullness of the gospel. Indeed, nothing that Christ did, is doing, or will do, is directed to anything else but the salvation of Gods people. The whole energy of Heaven is concentrated upon the restoration of harmony within the universe in the redemption of all who will accept the wonderful gift of God through Jesus. The gospel that teaches justification by faith alone sees salvation only in the light of forgiveness. But such is not scripturally valid. Those holding to this narrow concept of the gospel see the cross alone as the essential element in the salvation of man, rather than central to mans salvation. But if Christ had not been born a babe in Bethlehem, we could not
Justification and sanctification are characteristics of the final generation.

I urged him to come back to the only valid source of definition, that of the inspired Bible writers. Unless we have a true understanding of the nature of sanctification, we cannot understand the gospel message. Paul referred not only to the forgiveness of the gospel, but also to the power of the gospel: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16.
Sanctification Pervades New Testament

On one occasion, I talked to a prominent Adventist theologian, who quickly denied my affirmation that sanctification was indeed an integral part of the gospel. He said, Sanctification is a very good principle, but it is not part of the gospel. It was difficult to understand how this learned scholar could be unaware that the New Testament is replete with statement after statement linking justification and sanctification in a perfect whole: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [justification], and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [sanctification]. 1 John 1:9. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus [justification], who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit [sanctification]. Romans 8:1. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins [justification], and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me [sanctification]. Acts 26:18. Even in the Lords prayer, the two are placed together. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors [justification]. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [sanctification]. Matthew 6:12-13. Within the great challenge of Christ to Nicodemus, there is clearly implied the unity of justification and sanctification: www.SecondAdventHerald.org
21
be saved. If He had not lived a sinless life upon earth, we could not be saved. If He had not died on Calvary, we could not be saved. If He had not been resurrected, we could not be saved. If He had not ascended into the presence of His Father, we could not be saved. If He were not now ministering in the sanctuary above, we could not be saved. If He does not come with power and great glory to redeem His saints, we will not be saved. There is no biblical basis for misunderstanding the totality of the ministry of Christ for the salvation of mankind. Indeed, Paul made these points very clear by frequently indicating that we are saved because of His resurrection: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:10. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.... And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17.
When that unity is achieved through a sanctifying truth, then the Lord will entrust His people with the Holy Spirit. Then the Loud Cry will be given in every corner of the earth, and Jesus will return. Preaching and practicing the full gospel of Jesus Christ is essential to the disposition of sin and the heralding of the age of eternal peace. Jesus is the center of every aspect of our salvation. Colin Standish is the foundational and current president of Hartland Institute in Virginia. A staunch defender of Bible-based Adventism, he has coauthored over sixty books with his twin brother Russell.
The Cross not Full Atonement

When the gospel is understood in the fullness of its biblical representation, there is no need to infer that the gospel does not include sanctification with justification. Nor can it be said that to place sanctification with justification in the gospel is to put our salvation partly in the area of human works. A
The gospel makes it clear that there is no human merit in our sanctification.
full understanding of the gospel makes it clear that there is no human merit in our sanctification. Like justification, sanctification is the work of Christ through His sacrifice and ministry. The word sanctification in both the Hebrew and the Greek is from the same root word as holiness. God will have a sanctified, holy people to take with Him into the kingdom. When the biblical concepts of the gospel are rightly understood, they will bring rejoicing to the hearts of men and women who know that they do not need to remain in the bondage of continual, repetitive sin. They have faith that through the power of the sacrificed and risen One they may gain victory over every temptation of Satan. Their good works will in turn glorify their Father in heaven. The understanding of the breadth and the spirit of the gospel is essential to the salvation of Gods people. Not only, however, must we know the gospel, we must also ask the Holy Spirit to translate it into the fabric of our lives. Until we experience the fullness of Gods power in our life, Gods people will not be united. Jesus said in His prayer for unity, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17.
22
THE CRISIS OF THE

Ron Spear
N A E C I D LAO
CHURCH
Without abiding in Christ, there is no recovery from the Laodicean condition. Neither is there character development, nor justification, nor sanctification.
ear Reader, as you prepare your mind to read this article, give diligent prayer. These two Bible texts will help you: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. . . and Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.(2 Cor 13:5 and Ps 139:24) If you do this, dear reader, one day our loving Savior will hand you the key to the city of God. Revelation 3:14-21 tells us, And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
many of these are in the Laodicean state? Those in Laodicea are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked, but the tragedy of this condition is that they dont understand their condition. They dont know that they have this disease called Laodicea. The next question is then asked, Can anyone in the Laodicean state be saved? The answer is No, because Laodicea will be spewed out of the mouth of God, as described in this inspired statement by Ellen White: To those who are indifferent at this time Christs warning is: Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth Revelation 3:16. The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you. 6T 408.
Is It I, Lord?
How can anyone understand their experience to find out if they are Laodicean? A Laodicean is a churchgoer. He is faithful in his attendance at Sabbath School and church. He listens to a preparation given by one who has studied, but he does not participate, for he has been too busy during the week to study his Sabbath School lesson or to have time to study the Bible. He moves into the sanctuary service. He has been able to visit with friends who relate their happenings of the last week and plans for the new week. Then he listens complacently to a sermon that puts many of the listeners to sleep. He goes home and eats a good dinner and heads for the bed to sleep the afternoon away. This is the picture that I see of a large proportion of the 16 million people in the SDA church. Yes,
Photo Copyright: Hemera.com
16 Million in Laodicea
There are 16 million SDAs in the world. Many of our leaders boast of this great number, but the question is asked, How www.SecondAdventHerald.org
23
they dont know. They dont know they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.
The Cure
What is the cure for the disease of Laodicea that is terminal in the lake of fire if one does not seek God for the cure? Scripture says Jesus is knocking at the door of the heart. He wants to come in, but the Laodicean believes he is okay. However, he is all wrong. We find that the Laodicean state began when the Seventhday Adventist member lost his or her first love for Christ. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Rev 2:4. How does the Laodicean receive again that love he once had for Christ and His sacrifice? He must yield his mind and soul completely in full surrender of the Holy Spirit, in full obedience to all known truth, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10:5. Next comes the Bible study and prayer. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2:15. We have the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: These [the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. The Bereans were not Laodicean, but evidently some in Thessalonica were. Another approach to the recovery of the Laodicean disease is found in Jer. 29:13: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. We are told that there will only be a very few Seventhday Adventists who will buy of Jesus gold tried in the fire and be relieved of the death decree which hovers over the Laodicean state. Lets remember that the only way we will be an overcomer as Jesus was an overcomer, and sit with Jesus in His throne, is not by what we do, but what God will do in us. It is our responsibility to let Him do it. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5:17. Gods work of refining and purifying must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that, when called into active service, their eye will be single to His glory. 4T 86
love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. Let us remember that, concerning the Seventh-day Adventist who is delivered of his Laodicean state, his painful condition will become a powerful witness in his new experience with Jesus Christ. He is recovering his first love experience and now he wants to tell everyone what God is doing in his heart and mind. He no longer sits before television shows every night being entertained by the devils music and drama. He now goes to bed early so he can get up early in the morning to meet again his lovely Jesus. Day by dayyes, moment by moment, justification is at work. Sanctification is now taking charge. He is now in a school where the Holy Spirit can reach and teach him, and he rejoices in his newfound faith in Christ.
Removal of the Dross

Gods work of refining and purifying must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that, when called into active service, their eye will be single to His glory. He will then accept their efforts; they will not move rashly, from impulse; they will not rush on and imperil the Lords cause, being slaves to temptations and passions and followers of their own carnal minds set on fire by Satan. Oh, how fearfully is the cause of God marred by mans perverse will and unsubdued temper! How much suffering he brings upon himself by following his own headstrong passions! God brings men over the ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility and a transformation of character bring them into harmony with Christ and the spirit of heaven, and they are victors over themselves. 4T 86. The Laodicean condition has made the believer satisfied that he can be saved sinning, but the recovering Laodicean has victory over every thought word and action in his daily life. The promise is to those who are recovering from the Laodicean condition, those who have enjoyed coming into that experience of full victory. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. We can overcome. Yes, fully, entirely. Jesus died to make a way of escape for us, that we might overcome every evil temper, every sin, every temptation, and sit down at last with Him. 1T 144. None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christs character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through cooperation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is Gods assurance to us that SECOND ADVENT Herald
Recovering That First Love

Also, in Desire of Ages, 173, we see a picture of a Seventh-day Adventist who has been healed of his Laodicean state. While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced;
24
we, too, may obtain complete victory. AA 531. Laodiceans are easily irritated with lifes situations. When you are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, you meet those annoyances with peace. I was basically a peaceful person, but irritations cropped up frequently. When I asked the Lord to change my heart, He did, and the irritations went away. None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. AA 531
Yes, you can sin, but you have to come out of the experience of abiding in Christ before you can sin. So, holding the key to the pearly gates, the Laodicean has now become a saint, preparing the character for eternal life. He is now ready to stand the test that God has prepared for him.
Time to Stand is Now

Already the judgments of God are abroad in the land, as seen in storms, in floods, in tempests, in earthquakes, in peril by land and by sea. The great I AM is speaking to those who make void His law. When Gods wrath is poured out upon the earth, who will then be able to stand? Now is the time for Gods people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason. The nation will be on the side of the great rebel leader. 5T 136. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are fewthis will be our test. 5T 136 Justified, sanctified, walking with our Lord day by day and moment by moment, will be the experience of the Laodicean restored to Christlikeness. Walk continually in the light of God. Meditate day and night upon His character. Then you will see His beauty and rejoice in His goodness. Your heart will glow with a sense of His love. You will be uplifted as if borne by everlasting arms. With the power and light that God imparts, you can comprehend more and accomplish more than you ever before deemed possible. MH 514
Justification and Sanctification

So we understand through the inspired statements of our prophet that God demands that we overcome, that we receive not only the justification but the sanctification in our experience, moment by moment. And justification and sanctification will lead us to this experience of abiding in Christ, which is the key to the pearly gates. Without that key, no one can enter. Earnest workers have no time for dwelling upon the faults of others. We cannot afford to live on the husks of others faults or failings. Evilspeaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon the speaker than upon the hearer. He who scatters the seeds of dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the deadly fruits. The very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look. By dwelling upon the faults of others, we are changed into the same image. But by beholding Jesus, talking of His love and perfection of character, we become changed into His image. By contemplating the lofty ideal He has placed before us, we shall be uplifted into a pure and holy atmosphere, even the presence of God. When we abide here, there goes forth from us a light that irradiates all who are connected with us. MH 492.
Abiding in Christ
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:4-7. Without abiding in Christ, there is no recovery from the Laodicean condition. Neither is there character development, nor justification, nor sanctification. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 1 John 3:6-7. So when you are abiding in Christ, you have the full protection of the Holy Spirit and the angels, and you do not sin. www.SecondAdventHerald.org
Urgent Appeal to Jesus

You cannot walk with Jesus and be a Laodicean, for the two cannot exist together. They are at opposite purposes and directions. Come to Jesus as you are. Ask Him to show you your Laodicean heart and make it new. Ask Him to teach you how to abide in Him and yield to His purpose for your life. Ask Him to place on you His robe of righteousness and give you the keys to the pearly gates of Heaven. There is still a bit of time to become justified and sanctified, but you must not delay another minute! Ron Spear hails from the state of Washington, where he continues his lifework for the Lord. He still travels to preach, and once again is executive editor of a present-truth magazine.
25
Church Manual Do we need the
Review and Herald, November 27, 1883

It would gradually shape and mold the whole body, and those who did not follow it would be considered out of harmony with established principles of church order. Our Counsel:
In the commission to His disciples, Christ not only outlined their work, but gave them their message. Teach the people, He said, to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. The disciples were to teach what Christ had taught. That which He had spoken, not only in person, but through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament, is here included. Human teaching is shut out. There is no place for tradition, for mans theories and conclusions, or for church legislation. No laws ordained by ecclesiastical authority are included in the commission. None of these are Christs servants to teach. The law and the prophets, with the record of His own words and deeds, are the treasure committed to the disciples to be given to the world. Christs name is their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the authority for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing that does not bear His superscription is to be recognized in His kingdom. Desire of Ages, 826.
It is the unanimous opinion of the committee appointed to consider the matter of the Church Manual that it would not be advisable to have a Church Manual. We consider it unnecessary because we have already surmounted the greatest difficulties connected with church organization without one; and perfect harmony exists among us on this subject. It would seem to many like a step toward the formation of a creed or a discipline, other than the Bible, something we have always been opposed to as a denomination. If we had one, we fear many, especially those commencing to preach, would study it to obtain guidance in religious matters, rather than to seek for it in the Bible, and from the leading of the Spirit of God, which would tend to their hindrance in genuine religious experience, and in knowledge of the mind of the Spirit. It was in taking similar steps that other bodies of Christians first began to lose their simplicity and become formal and spiritually lifeless. Why should we imitate them? The committee feels, in short, that our tendency should be in the direction of the policy and close conformity of the Bible, rather than to elaborately defining every point in church management and church ordinances. On motion, this report with reference to Church Manual was accepted. It was then also Voted, That the President of the General Conference be requested to write an article for the Review, explaining the action of the Conference on the subject of the manual. -- Review and Herald, November 20, 1883; Year Book for 1883, pp. 33-36.
Elder Butlers article, a copy of which follows, was printed in the Review of November 27, 1883.
No Church Manual
The writer was requested by the recent General Conference to make a brief statement through the Review of the action taken in reference to the proposed manual. Four or five years past, there has been with some of our brethren a desire to have some manual of directions for the use of young ministers and church officers, etc. It was thought that this would lead to uniformity in all parts of the field, and afford a means of instruction to those who are inexperienced, and be very convenient in many respects. Steps were taken several years ago to prepare a manual, but for a time it was left unfinished. Last year at the Rome Conference the matter came up for consideration, and three brethren were appointed a committee to prepare a manual, and submit it to the Conference this year for its approval or rejection. During the past summer the matter they have prepared has appeared in the Review, and had doubtless been well considered by its readers.
Background of the Vote:

Back in the early 1880s some of the leaders felt a need for a church manual. At the General Conference of 1882, a committee was appointed to prepare a manuscript for a manual which was to be presented at the General Conference the following year. The Year Book for 1883 and the Review and Herald of November 9, 1883, tell what took place regarding the question of putting out a manual. Some of the key portions of the minutes of the meetings dealing with the question are contained in the following extracts:
Seventh Meeting of the GC of 1884:

The committee appointed to consider the matter of the Church Manual made in substance the following report:
Broad Issues Involved

At the recent Conference a committee of thirteen leading brethren were appointed to consider the whole subject, and SECOND ADVENT Herald
26
report. They did so, and unanimously recommended to the Conference that it was not advisable to have a Church Manual. Their reasons were briefly given in the report of Conference proceedings given in last weeks Review. The conference acted upon this recommendation, and quite unanimously decided against having any manual. In doing this they did not intend any disrespect to the worthy brethren who had labored diligently to prepare such a work. They had presented much excellent matter, and gave many valuable directions concerning church ordinances, holding business meetings and many other important questions, and had done as well, no doubt, as any others would have done in their place. The reasons underlying this action of the Conference were of a broader character. They relate to the desirability of any manual whatsoever.
Do We Need One?
A Perception of Authority
make some mistakes and learn profitable lessons thereby, than to have our way marked out for us by others, and the judgment have a small field in which to reason and consider.
Bible Needs No Supplementation

The Bible contains our creed and discipline. It thoroughly furnishes the man of God unto all good works. What it has not revealed relative to church organizations and management, the duties of officers and ministers, and kindred subjects, should not be strictly defined and drawn out into minute specifications for the sake of uniformity, but rather be left to individual judgment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Had it been best to have a book of directions of this sort, the Spirit would doubtless have gone further, and left one on record with the stamp of inspiration upon it. Man cannot safely supplement this matter with his weak judgment. All attempts to do this in the past have proven lamentable failures. A variation of circumstances requires variation in acting. God requires us to study important principles which He reveals in His word, but the minutiae in carrying them out, he leaves to individual judgment, promising heavenly wisdom in times of need. His ministers are constantly placed where they must feel their helplessness and their seeking God for light, rather than go to any church manual for specific directions placed therein by other uninspired men. Minute specific directions tend to weakness rather than power. They lead to dependence rather than self-reliance. Better to www.SecondAdventHerald.org
When brethren who have favored a manual have even contended that such a work was not to be anything like a creed or a discipline, or to have any authority to settle disputed points, but was only to be considered as a book containing hints for the help of those of little experience, yet it must be evident that such a work, issued under the auspices of the General Conference, would at once carry with it much weight of authority, and would be consulted by most of our young ministers. It would gradually shape and mold the whole body, and those who did not follow it would be considered out of harmony with established principles of church order. And really, is not this the object of a manual? And what would be the use of one, if not to accomplish such a result? But would this result, on a whole, be a benefit? Would our ministers be broader, more original, more self-reliant men? Could they be better depended on in great emergencies? Would their spiritual experience likely be deeper and their judgment more reliable? We think the tendency all the other way. The religious movement in which we are engaged has the same influence to meet which all genuine reformations have had to cope with. After reaching a certain magnitude, they have seen the need of uniformity, and to attain it, they have tried to prepare directions to guide the inexperienced. These have grown in number and authority till, accepted by all, they really become authoritative. There seems to be no logical stopping place, when once started upon this road, till this result is reached. The history is before us; we have no desire to follow it. Hence we stop without a church manual before we get started. Our brethren who have favored such a work, we presume, never anticipated such a conclusion as we have indicated. Very likely, those in other denominations did not at first. The Conference thought best not to give the appearance of such a thing.
27
Thus far we have got along well with our simple organization without a manual. Union prevails throughout the body. The difficulties before us, so far as organization is concerned, are far less than those we have had in the past. We have preserved simplicity, and have prospered in so doing. It is best to let well enough alone. For these and other reasons, the church manual was rejected. It is probable it will never be brought forward again.
Church Manual
There are reasons why we should not put our trust in men who are placed in positions of large responsibility. It is often difficult for them to maintain a humble and teachable spirit. They suppose that their position gives them the power to control their fellows, and they flatter themselves, as did Peter, that they will not fall under temptation. Spalding and Magan Unpublished Testimonies, 417. Let our churches be guarded. Let our people work intelligently, not under the rule of any man, but under the rule of God. Let them stand where they can follow the will of God. Their service belongs to Him. Their capabilities and talents are to be refined, purified, ennobled. Ibid., 308. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I beseech the people of God to depend upon the Lord for strength. Beware how you place men where God should be. We are not safe in taking men as our authority or our guide, for they will surely disappoint us. Individually, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Special Testimonies Series A, Number 9, p. 50. Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of God, will work under Satans dictation to bring men under the control of men; and fraud and guile will bear the semblance of zeal for truth, and for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Whatever in our practice is not as open as day, belongs to the methods of the prince of evil. His methods are practiced even among Seventh-day Adventists, who claim to have advanced truth. Ibid., p. 26. But strange fire has been offered in the use of harsh words, in self-importance, in self-exaltation, in self-righteousness, in arbitrary authority, in domineering, in oppression, in restricting the liberty of Gods people, binding them about by your plans and rules, which God has not framed, neither have they come into His mind. All these things are strange fire, unacknowledged by God, and are a continual misrepresentation of His character. TM 357.
Written and submitted by G. I. Butler, General Conference President, 1883. (Bolding added.) This article was compiled using information from www.TitheTruth.org/ii_thechurchmanual.htm.
Note:
It was not until 1932 that a church manual was finally introduced into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, contrary to the earlier decision of the General Conference in 1883. It should be very obvious to the careful student of church history that the predictions made in 1883, regarding the effects of adopting a Church Manual, have indeed come to pass. The Church Manual has been updated and revised by men over and over and has in reality become more of a rule book than just a simple guide book. Human teaching is shut out. There is no place for tradition, for mans theories and conclusions, or for church legislation. No laws ordained by ecclesiastical authority are included in the commission. None of these are Christs servants to teach. Desire of Ages, 826. Isn t it a much better plan that the people of God should return to the Word of God and put away the teachings of men?
Important counsel from the Holy Spirit through Ellen G. White:

The exercise of authority has been carried to such extremes that it is now time to call a halt; for church members are receiving a false education. A mistake has been made that should be corrected before it is too late. Those who dare to accept responsibilities that are contrary to the gospel plan are in a dangerous place. They need to see its course of action in its true light. Their permissions and their forbiddings have fostered wrong ideas regarding the responsibility that individuals should carry, and have led believers to look to man instead of looking to God. Brethren, the Lord will bless you in an effort to break up this wrong influence. Ministers will become weak and unchristlike if they continue to encourage this kind of work. God is to be the strength and wisdom of His people. Man power is not to rule the church of Christ. Loma Linda Messages, 220, 221.
28
a g t n e r S Fire
Letters to the Editor
have just completed reading the Second Advent Herald, Vol.1, No. 1, which Mom forwarded to me a week ago. I praise the Lord, as many other honest people who have read it may do, also. How the Ahimaaz story is expounded by elder Larson! Thats very inspiring. While I find the magazine very reviving and inspiring, I got much impressed by the article on the GMOs (the Genetically Modified Food). While our country is a third world country by economic rating, we have been receiving maize which we were hearing the government official arguing that it was not feed for human consumption because it belonged to the GMO foods. Many of us did not know what this actually meant. But after reading your article, my eyes are opened. I have even brought this magazine to our students at our Medical School and taught about GMOs with courage and much confidence. I shall be repeating to teach the GMOs lesson tomorrow at church where all the . . . churches will be together. I wholeheartedly praise the Lord for the article. Keep on writing and opening many peoples eyes on such health hazards as these. I will be translating this article for many of our people to read for themselves on this subject and the many others you may write and send us in the future. God bless the Second Advent Herald staff. Your loving brother and coworker in the Lords service, Pastor MK, Malawi, Africa our work is an excellent and needed project. Please dont give up, even if it has to be a less timeconsuming layout (although it is lovely). The words are the important thing. HA, United Kingdom
T A
his is great! Have you been holding out on me? Where do I sign up for a subscription? DL, Pennsylvania, USA
friend forwarded me the premier issue of your publication and I am excited to spend some time reading it this weekend. Can you add me to your list for future issues? CH, via email
We are not able to offer subscriptions yet, as we do not have sufficient funding for a print version yet. While we look forward to bimonthly in-hand issues, we are constrained for the moment to be an internet-only publication staffed entirely by volunteers. All donations go toward the preparation and ultimate printing of SECOND ADVENT Herald. Editor
e have just returned from a Gazeley Sabbath with Ray DeCarlo preaching. M__ had sent me the new magazine which I had printed out and had taken with me to the meetings to pass around and show people. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST with most of the people asking how do we get this magazine? I am e-mailing to a couple today and e-mailed to 3 others yesterday. We all want to know how to get the magazine on a regular basis. It LOOKS VERY GOOD. I am sure people are going to be very excited to know they can receive a Present Truth magazine. SB, United Kingdom thoroughly enjoyed your first issue and am sharing the e-mag with everyone. JJ, Texas, USA
I K
indly add our email address to your list of contacts for subscriptions and notices concerning Second Advent Herald magazine.It will be received with joy and expectation. AG, via email
29
Health Alert
U.S. health
advisers recommended Tuesday to lower the maximum dose of overthe-counter acetaminophenthe key ingredient in Tylenol, Excedrin and many other pain-killing medications . . . [following an FDA report that] found severe liver damage and even death can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen which is easier on the stomach than painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen can cause such injury. . . . Many people may take more than the recommended dose of acetaminophenbased, over-the-counter pain relievers, thinking there are no health risks in doing so. And consumers may not know that acetaminophen is present in many over-the-counter [and prescription] products . . . for colds, headaches and fevers, making it possible to exceed the recommended acetaminophen dose, the report said. 1 Common names include Actifed, AlkaSeltzer Plus, Benadryl, Butalbital, Co-Gesic, Contac, Darvocet, Excedrin, Fioricet, Lortab, Midrin, Norco, Percocet, Robitussin, Sedapap, Sinutab, Sudafed, TheraFlu, Unisom With Pain, Vicks Nyquil and DayQuil, Vicodin, Wygesic, and Zydone.2 The maximum single dose of acetaminophen is now 650 milligrams, but patients often mix the cold medications with pure acetaminophen drugs, like Tylenol, leaving them vulnerable to dangerously high levels of acetaminophen. . . . Unintentional and intentional overdoses leading to severe hepatotoxicity [liver damage] continue to occur. . . .3
Dr. John McDougall added critical dimensions and information in his newsletters Swine Flu Alert: Do Not Take Aspirin or Other NSAIDs: 4 Two letters to the editor in the . . . British Medical Journal [June 17, 09 issue] warned of an increased risk of death with influenza from taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin (Bufferin, Bayer, Excedrin), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis), and naproxen (Aleve). Death from influenza is from multi-organ failure (liver and kidney failure) and brain involvement (encephalopathy). . . NSAIDs are well known to aggravate organ failure . . . evidence that the restriction of use of these medications is associated with a reduction of death from the flu. . . . (Italics added.) During the 18 months of the 1918-9 influenza pandemic, 27 million people died worldwide. When treated with a homoeopathic medicine (without aspirin), mortality was 1% or less, but 5-30% of patients treated with aspirin in hospitals or in the armed forces died. Until further information indicates otherwise, Dr. McDougall advises, Do Not Use NSAIDs (including aspirin) with influenza infections. For three decades doctors have known that when aspirin is given to children with viral infections, they have an increased chance of developing an often-fatal condition of multi-organ failure called Reyes Syndrome. . . . With the restriction of aspirin use in children, Reyes Syndrome has become very rare. If one gets the flu, wrote McDougall, The safest advice would be to suffer through the flu rather than risk the medica-
30
tions. Antibiotics do not fight off viruses and should not be given unless there are bacteriacaused complications. Antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, are of limited value because resistance has developed to them. The body has many ways of fighting off the invading viruses and repairing damage on its own. Fluids and food as needed is my conservative advice. Your thirst drive and appetite will take proper care of your needs. [Rest is also essential for recovery.] If you become very ill, you will need medical care. . . . The benefits of hydrotherapy on flu sufferers must be mentioned, too. For example, a hot foot bath is effective in relieving headaches. Immersing the feet to a couple of inches above the ankles in 104-110o F water for about 20 minutes is sufficient. Maintain that temperature. (Caution MUST be taken with diabetics!) Two final comments are these: If the damage is severe, a liver transplant may be necessary in order to save a life. The antidote to acetaminophen overdose is [amino acid] N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). It is most effective when given within 8 hours of ingesting acetaminophen. Indeed, NAC can prevent liver failure if given early enough. . . .5 As a preventative, many sources advocate taking NAC whenever acetaminophen is taken. Consider, though, that our counsel from heaven is this: It is true that [drugs] sometimes afford present relief, and the patient appears to recover as the result of their use; this is because nature has sufficient vital force to expel the poison and to correct the conditions that caused the disease. Health is recovered in spite of the drug. CH 89. Also, a poor diet with insufficient fresh fruit and veggies, alcohol intake, and any kind of stress, when coupled with Tylenol, increases ones risk
of liver failure or damage. Because your liver is the brain of your body, such injury is not a trivial matter. At this point, we issue the disclaimer that we are not medical doctors and do not presume to offer medical advice for readers. We refer you to physicians for medical counsel. Endnotes
Steve Reinberg, HealthDay, U.S. News and World Report online, July 21, 2009 , italics added 2 www.emedicinehealth.com/acetaminophen_tylenol_poisoning/ article_em.htm 3 Reinberg. 4 drmcdougall.com, June 2009: Swine Flu Alert. Italics added. 5 www.emedicinehealth.com/acetaminophen_tylenol_poisoning/ article_em.htm 6 www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/tylenol_causes_650_ cases_of_liver_failure_in_2007, July 16, 2008. (Those 650 instances are only the documented cases. It is unknown how many have died prematurely, especially the elderly, from liver failure attributed to other causes.) 1
If one person is unkind to an animal, it is considered to be cruelty, but when a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people.
Ruth Harrison, Animal Machines
31
office@SecondAdventHerald.org
Ps a l m 2 5
1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy names sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

SAH Issue 2 Web

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SAH Issue 2 Web

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SECOND ADVENT

His last will and testament to Gods faithful remnant people

SAH Issue No. 2 In this issue:

1978 Farewell Address

Freedoms Test & Freedoms Sign

It is Now That We Must Act

Good Digestion Leads to Good Health

Justification & Sanctification

The Crisis of the Laodicean Church

Do We Need the Church Manual?

Compiled from TitheTruth.com

Letters to the Editor

SECOND ADVENT Herald

From the Editors Desk

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

This is Gods last church with Gods last message!

1978 Farewell Address - Continued

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

SECOND ADVENT Herald

Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com

Sabbath Coupled with Sanctuary Ministrations

A Reason That Divided

Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com

The Test of the Sabbath

Test Based on Time

A Very Specific Rest

Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com

Obey Even If Not Clear

Obey Even When We Dont Understand the Reason

A Sign of True Freedom

God Reveals Freedom

Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com

SECOND ADVENT Herald

Some Freely, Willingly Rest

Photo Copyright: PaulBWilliams.com

Sigh, Cryand Work

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

SECOND ADVENT Herald

W That We Must Act

Dumb Dogs; Faithful Criers

Seal or Plagues? Our Choice

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

Those Whove Gone Before

Follow Jesus Example

Deny Self, not Gratify Self

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

No One Hopeless or Helpless

Now, NowBefore Too Late

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

Good Digestion leads to

At Least 80% of Our Immune System

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

Chew, Chew, Chew

Eat, but Dont Drink

An Attitude of Gratitude Yields Peace and Health

Photo Copyright: iStockPhoto.com

Eating for the Wrong Reasons

Digestionand thus, to a great extent, our healthbegins in the mouth.

Photo Copyright: Hemera.com

Timing our Tasting

Breakfast the Largest Meal

more beneficial healthwise. Review and Herald, Nov. 1, 1880.

Easier Said Than Done?