“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5) I pray that you are doing well. God has been very gracious to us in the last few months. We finally purchased a new Heidelberg printing press, which was very much needed. Last month’s issue of Present Truth was the first to be run on this press. Plans are underway for myself and another pastor to visit several locations in Brazil during the month of April 2006. There are several brethren there who are very active in spreading the good news about God’s love. We are going to help strengthen the churches and hold outreach meetings in several cities. If you know anyone in Brazil who may be benefitted by these meetings, please let us know.

Waggoner on Romans (Part 3)
The Gospel in Paul’s Great Letter

by Ellet J. Waggoner

(We are continuing a series of articles commenting on Paul’s epistle to the Romans. We pray that you will be blessed by these articles.    Editor)

The Gospel Defined

Romans 1:16, 17

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. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

“Not Ashamed”—There is no reason why any man should be ashamed of the gospel; nevertheless, many men have been and are ashamed of it. Many people are so ashamed of it that they could not think of lowering themselves so much as to make a profession of it; and many who do make a profession of it are ashamed to let it be known. What is the cause of all this shame? It is that they do not know what the gospel is. No man who really knows what the gospel is, will be ashamed of it, or of any part of it.

Desire for Power—There is nothing that men desire so much as power. It is a desire that God himself has planted in man. Unfortunately, the devil has deceived most of mankind, so that they seek for power in the wrong way. They think that it can be found in the possession of wealth or political position, and so they rush to secure those things. But these do not supply the power for which God has created the desire. This is shown by the fact that they do not satisfy.

No man was ever yet satisfied with the power that he obtained by wealth or position. However much they have, they desire more. No man finds in them just what he thought he would; and so he grasps after more, thinking that he will find his heart’s desire farther on; but all in vain. Christ is “the desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7), the only Source of complete satisfaction, because he is the embodiment of all the real power there is in the universe, the power of God. “Christ the power of God.” (l Corinthians 1:24)

Power and Knowledge—It is commonly said that knowledge is power. That depends. If we take the statement of the poet, that “the proper study of mankind is man,” then certainly knowledge is anything but power. Man is nothing but weakness and sin. All men know that they are sinners, that they do things that are not right, but that knowledge gives them no power to change their course. You may tell a man all his faults, and if you tell him nothing more, you have weakened rather that strengthened him.

But he who with the apostle Paul determines to know nothing “save Jesus Christ and him crucified,” has knowledge that is power. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) To know Christ is to know the power of his endless life. It is for lack of this knowledge that men are destroyed. (Hosea 4:6) But since Christ is the power of God, it is quite correct to say that power is the one thing that men need; and the only real power, the power of God, is revealed in the gospel.

The Glory of Power—All men honor power. Wherever power is manifested, there will always be found men to admire. There is no one who does not admire and applaud power in some form. Powerful muscles are admired and boasted of, whether they be those of man or of beast. A mighty engine that moves vast weights with ease always attracts attention, and men honor the one who constructed it. The man of wealth, whose money can command the service of thousands, always has admirers, no matter how his money is obtained. The man of noble birth and position, or the monarch of a great nation, has multitudes of followers who applaud his power. Men desire to be connected with such an one, because they derive a certain dignity from the connection, although the power is not transferable.

But all the power of earth is frail and but for a moment, while the power of God is eternal. The gospel is the power, and if men would but recognize it for what it is, there would not be any who would be ashamed of it. Paul said, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14) The reason for this was that the cross is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) The power of God, in whatever form manifested, is glory, and not for shame.

Christ not Ashamed—Concerning Christ we read, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Hebrews 2:11) “God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:16) Surely if the Lord is not ashamed to be called the brother of poor, weak, sinful mortals, man has no reason to be ashamed of him. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (1 John 3:1) Ashamed of the gospel of Christ! Could there possibly be a worse case of the exaltation of self above God? For to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God, is an evidence that the man who feels thus ashamed really thinks himself superior to God, and that it is a lowering of his dignity to be associated with the Lord.

“Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star;
He sheds the beams of light divine
O’er this benighted soul of mine.

“Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon;
‘Twas midnight with my soul till he,
Bright Morning Star, bade darkness flee.”

Saved by Faith—The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16) “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12) “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” (Romans 10:10) “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29) Faith works!

Time would fail to tell of those “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,… out of weakness were made strong,” etc. (Hebrews 11:33, 34) Men may say, “I can not see how it is possible for one to be made righteous simply by believing.” It makes no difference what you can see; you are not saved by sight, but by faith. You do not need to see how it is done, because it is the Lord who does the work of saving. Christ dwells in the heart by faith (Ephesians 3:17), and because he is our righteousness, “he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) We shall have salvation by faith illustrated more fully as we proceed in our study, because the book of Romans is devoted wholly to this one thing.

“To the Jew First”—When Peter, at the request of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and the command of the Lord, went to Caesarea to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, his first words when he heard the story of Cornelius were, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10:34, 35)

This was the first time Peter had ever perceived that truth, but it was not the first time that that thing was true. It had been a truth as long as God had existed. God never chose anybody to the exclusion of anybody else. The wisdom that comes from above is “without partiality.” (James 3:17) It is true that the Jews, as a nation, were wonderfully favored by the Lord: but they lost all their privileges simply because they assumed that God loved them better than he did anybody else, and were exclusive. All through their history God was trying to make them see that what he offered them was for the whole world, and that they were to pass on to others the light and privileges which they shared.

The cases of Naaman, the Syrian, and of the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, are among the many instances by which God sought to show the Jews that he was no respecter of persons.

Then why was the gospel preached “to the Jew first”? Simply because the Jews were nearest. Christ was crucified at Jerusalem. It was from there that he commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel. At his ascension he said, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) It was most natural that they should begin to preach the gospel in the place and to the people nearest them. This is the secret of all missionary work. He who does not labor in the gospel in his home, will not do any gospel work although he goes to a foreign country.

The Righteousness of God—The Lord says: “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.” (Isaiah 51:6, 7) “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” (Psalm 119:172)

The righteousness of God, therefore, is his law. Let this not be forgotten. The term “the righteousness of God” occurs frequently in the book of Romans, and much confusion has resulted from giving it arbitrary and varying definitions. If we accept the definition given in the Bible, and do not abandon it in any instance, it will simplify matters very much. The righteousness of God is his perfect law.

Righteousness and Life—But the Ten Commandments, whether engraved on tables of stone or written in a book, are only the statement of the righteousness of God. Righteousness means right doing. It is active. The righteousness of God is God’s right doing, his way. And since all his ways are right, it follows that the righteousness of God is nothing less than the life of God. The written law is not action, but is only a description of the action. It is a picture of the character of God.

The very life and character of God are seen in Jesus Christ, in whose heart was the law of God. There can be no righteousness without action. And as there is none good but God, it follows that there is no righteousness except in the life of God. Righteousness and the life of God are one and the same thing.

Righteousness in the Gospel—“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” (Romans 1:17) Wherein? In the gospel! Bear in mind that the righteousness of God is his perfect law, a statement of which is found in the Ten Commandments. There is no such thing as a conflict between the law and the gospel. Indeed, there are not in reality two such things as the law and the gospel. The true law of God is the gospel; for the law is the life of God, which was in Christ (John 14:10), and we are “saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10) The gospel reveals the righteous law of God, because the gospel has the law in itself. There can be no gospel without law. Whoever ignores or rejects the law of God, has no knowledge whatever of the gospel.

The First View—Jesus said that the Holy Spirit should convince the world of sin and of righteousness. (John 16:8) This is the revelation of the righteousness of God in the gospel. “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” (Romans 4:15) Sin cannot be known except by the law. (Romans 7:7) Therefore it follows that the Spirit convicts of sin by making known the law of God. The first view of the righteousness of God has the effect of making a man feel his sinfulness, just as we feel our littleness when gazing upon a lofty mountain. And as the grandeur of the great mountains grows upon us, so God’s righteousness which is “like the great mountains” (Psalm 36:6) appears greater the more we look at it. Therefore he who looks continually at the righteousness of God, must continually acknowledge his own sinfulness.

The Second, Deeper View—Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. And “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17) God does not reveal his righteousness in the gospel in order to cause us to cower before him because of our unrighteousness, but that we may take it and live by it. We are unrighteous, and God wishes us to realize it, in order that we may be willing to receive his perfect righteousness. It is a revelation of love; for his righteousness is his law, and his law is love. (1 John 5:3)

So “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just [righteous] to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If when the preaching of the gospel reveals to us the law of God, we reject it and find fault with it because it condemns our course, we are simply saying that we do not desire that God should put his own righteousness upon us.

Living by Faith—“As it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Christ is “our life.” (Colossians 3:4) We are “saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10) It is by faith that we receive Christ Jesus, for he dwells in our hearts by faith. (Ephesians 3:17) Dwelling in our hearts, he is life, for out of the heart are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Now the word comes, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith.” (Colossians 2:6, 7) As we receive him by faith, and we walk in him as we have received him, we shall “walk by faith, and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

“From Faith to Faith”—This seemingly difficult expression, which has been the subject of so much controversy, is very simple when we allow the Scripture to explain itself. In the gospel “the righteousness of God” is “revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Note that “from faith to faith” is said to be parallel with “the just shall live by faith.” Just means righteous.

The reader has noticed that some versions have “righteous” in 1 John 1:9 where the KJV has “just.” Both are the same. God’s life is righteousness; he desires that our lives shall be righteousness also, and therefore he offers to us his own life. This life becomes ours by faith. That is, just as we live naturally by breathing, so we are to live spiritually by faith, and our whole life is to be spiritual. Faith is the breath of life to the Christian. So just as we naturally live from breath to breath, we are to live spiritually from faith to faith.

We can live but one breath at a time; so we cannot live spiritually except by present faith. If we live a life of conscious dependence upon God, his righteousness will be ours, for we shall breathe it in continually. Faith gives us strength, for those who have exercised it “out of weakness were made strong.” (Hebrews 11:34)

So of those who accept the revelation of God’s righteousness “from faith to faith,” it is said, “They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” (Psalm 84:7)

Let us not forget that it is from the very words of the Bible that one is to learn. All the real help that any teacher can be to any one in the study of the Bible is to show him how to fix his mind more clearly upon the exact words of the sacred text. Therefore, first of all, read the text over many times. Do not do this hastily, but carefully, paying particular attention to every statement. Do not waste one moment in speculating as to the possible meaning of the text. There is nothing worse than guessing the meaning of a text of Scripture, unless it is the acceptance of somebody else’s guess. Nobody can know any more of the Bible than the Bible itself tells; and the Bible is just as ready to tell its story to one person as to another.

Question the text closely—Probe it again and again, always in a reverent, prayerful spirit, to make it reveal itself. Do not be discouraged if you do not at once see all that there is in the text. Remember that it is the word of God, and that it is infinite in its depth, and that you can never exhaust it. When you come across a difficult statement, go back and consider it in connection with what precedes. Do not think that you can ever get at the full meaning of any text apart from its connection. By constant application to the words of the text, in order to be sure that you know exactly what it says, you will soon have them constantly in your mind; and it is then that you will begin to reap some of the rich fruits of Bible study; for at unexpected times new light will flash from them, and through them from other scriptures as you read.

(To be continued)

(This article was taken from a series of articles printed in The Signs of the Times from October, 1895 through September, 1896. Some editing has been done for this publication.    Editor)

Challenges on the Radio

by Willis Smith

(God’s Word—God’s Way, a ministry in Cleveland, Ohio, has a radio program that covers much of the eastern United States. Pastor Willis Smith presents the gospel message, including, among other topics, the truth about God, the Sabbath, and the Biblical view of death and hell. You can hear this program on 1220 AM and 1440 AM, Saturday evenings, from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST, and again on Sunday evenings, from 9:00-9:30 p.m. EST. The following article explains some of what is going on with this program. Your prayers for this outreach are very much appreciated.    Editor)

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8, 9)

The Bible has clearly warned us of an enemy on the prowl to destroy all of mankind. We are admonished to be spiritually alert and to watch for any of his attacks. This enemy wants you more than he wants those who are in the world.

As many of you already know, we are on a radio station that reaches parts of thirty-eight states and has almost all of today’s most popular ministers from the Baptist organization. Some of the leading Pentecostal ministries are on this station as well. So you can see what our little ministry is up against, and believe me, it is no picnic.

We have already sent out a sample tape of what they are doing to us, about how they are lying about what we teach, telling listeners that we are a cult, and falsely saying that we have said Jesus was a sinner. Yet, we have not attacked them back in a vicious way. The Lord said we are to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” We have worked very hard at doing just that. And for the most part, it has paid off.

We know of at least three well-listened-to ministries that are viciously attacking us and calling out my name personally, as well as the name of our ministry and church.

At first, we thought this was really damaging to the work that we are doing for the Lord, but then we started getting phone calls from all kinds of people who were getting real blessings from the studies. Many first-time listeners heard truth that they had never heard before. We have gotten calls from other Baptist ministers who agree with what they heard, but at this time will not teach it for fear of being put out of their pastoral positions. These men need our prayers.

We have had Catholic priests call to let us know that they are in agreement with much of what they heard and are praying earnestly for our safety. They say that there are many ministers out there who violently disagree with what we teach about “Eternal Security versus Can a Saved Person Choose to be Lost?”, the “State of the Dead,” “Sunday Sacredness versus the Sabbath,” and “The Trinity versus the Truth About God.”

All of these teachings have been causing a big stir over the air. Everything that we teach on Sabbath or Sunday is what sets the topic of study for almost every other ministry on that station and two other stations. God’s Word is causing a stir in the camps of many churches.

Many churchgoers are asking their pastors questions that they cannot answer from the Bible, and this is causing frustration and anger that, in turn, causes the pastors to strike out at us. But at the same time many of the sincere believers are listening to us for true Bible answers. Please keep us in your prayers, that we will not back down from the truth nor mislead anyone.

A Blessing Over the Air

A few weeks ago, after going off the air, we received a call from one of our listeners who had been baptized into the Baptist faith and was taught, “Once you are saved, you cannot lose salvation.” Well, this brother went out, after years of being a Christian and believing that doctrine, and turned to a life of drugs and Satan worship. He lost his wife, and everything was going downhill for him. He heard us teaching about saved people who have lost it, and saved people who will yet choose to lose it also. He thanked God for that study, and came over fifty miles to our church one Sabbath to thank us personally. Four weeks later, he returned to tell us that he had left Satan worship, gotten off drugs, was making progress with getting back with his wife, and he was looking so much better and healthier than he did the first time he came. Praise God!

A Friend in the Faith

It is always a blessing when we get a caller who hears the message and agrees with it. It makes you feel like all the pain and hurt that you’re going through is really worth it. It gives you hope that there are seven thousand more out there who have not bowed the knee to Baal or to the trinity of gods.

This particular listener did not call us at the station; he called me at my home. We had a wonderful talk about the things of God and of His Son. He is also a Sabbath-keeper who does not believe in the trinity. We set up a date to meet and compare notes, and man-o-man, was he excited about what he was shown concerning the Godhead truth. We met for about an hour-and-a-half before he had to go to another meeting. I left him with some good reading material from us, from Smyrna Gospel Ministries, as well as from Restoration Ministries. I know that he will be greatly blessed. Pray for our next meeting. He gave me some reading material as well, which we will discuss at our next meeting. Please keep that in prayer as well.

The Lord has His faithful ones all over the world and in all denominations. God is no respecter of persons, and He will use whomever He wills; and whomever desires to truly be used.

The Station Meeting

Well, I guess you may have been wondering how things were going with us since all the other ministries were, so to speak, “out to get us.” We received a call from Bruce who has a friend who is in contact with Ernie Sanders, a militant, Nicolaitan Baptist. We were told that he said they were working to get us off the air.

The very next week I received a phone call from the station manager asking for a time to meet with me concerning the on-going war over the air. So a time was set for Friday at 10:00 a.m.

After much agonizing in prayer, we (my associate James and I) met with two of the station managers. First, we were told, “Your program has gained a very large listening audience.” We have become (for the most part) well received. Many, we believe, because it is different from what they hear every day. We had many calls come in about our teachings being controversial, but there was very little room for argument because of the many texts given in support of the teachings. However, the station managers received four calls from pastors who claimed that we were attacking them. The truth is this: their false doctrines were being torn down by the true Word of God. Their strongholds have become potholes and they can’t hold water any more. So, in order to stir up management against us they have to accuse us of the very thing that they are guilty of, and have now become slanderers, and liars, just like their father the devil. (John 8:44 says, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”)

 We were asked to bring in two or three of our latest broadcasts to be sent to the owner in some other state. He is to review the tapes and make some kind of decision about them, and our being on the air. Our trust is in the Lord. We solicit your prayers that the good will of God be done and that His Word be allowed to continue to go out to the people who need to hear it.

James and I were given a sheet of paper to read concerning their stand on the doctrine of the “trinity.” However, in handing it to us, I don’t remember either of them telling us that we could not teach our views contrary to their stand. They did say that they wanted harmony over the air, and not war. However, according to the Bible, we are in a war. Whenever one teaches against the strongholds of Satan, you can only expect a great war. We realize that this war is raging, and these ministers are afraid of losing their captives to the freedom of knowing the truth. The Bible says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:3)

Brothers and sisters, it is our sole (as well as our soul) intention to teach the truth that will set the captives free. We have no intentions of backing out of this war even though we are peace-loving children of the Most High God. Our dependence is resting in the power of the Lord our God and in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, the Christ of God.

We really appreciate your prayers concerning this matter. And if you could find the time to call the station, or E-mail them, and give us a good report, it would really help. Also, donations are more than welcome. The toll-free number is: 1-888-677-9673. May God bless you and keep you.

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(You may contact Elder Willis Smith at God’s Word—God’s Way, PO Box 94054, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. You may call Willis at: (216) 271-9045.    Editor)

Something for the Young at Heart

This month we are continuing a series of crossword Bible studies that are based on the “These Last Days” Bible Lessons. In order to maintain the flow of the study, this crossword puzzle is not split into Across and Down sections—Across or Down is indicated at the end of each line.

A Day to Remember

• The evening and the ____ were the first day. Genesis 1:5—20 Across

• The ____ and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:8—8 Across

• The ____ should be celebrated from even unto even. Leviticus 23:32—5 Down

• At even is when the sun did ____. Mark 1:32—13 Down

• The gates of Jerusalem were to be shut when it ____ to be dark before the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13:19—3 Down

Note:    “Began to be dark,” is likely to be when they had a shadow come over them, as in sunset.

• It is ____ to do good on the Sabbath days. Matthew 12:12—18 Across

• God requires us to cease from doing our own ____ on His holy day. Isaiah 58:13—15 Across

• The Sabbath, God’s holy day, is called a delight, the holy of the LORD, and ____. Isaiah 58:13—4 Across

• We honour God on the Sabbath by not doing our own ways, our own pleasure, or speaking our own ____. Isaiah 58:13—9 Down

• Thou shalt ____ in the Lord, who will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth. Isaiah 58:14—17 Down

• The gate of the inner court, shall be shut the six ____ days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened. Ezekiel 46:1—1 Down

• On Sabbath we, or anyone in our gates, are not to do any ____. Exodus 20:10—10 Down

Note:    The rest of the verse indicates that we are not to employ others to do secular work for us on the Sabbath either.

• On the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time in ____ thou shalt rest. Exodus 34:21—4 Down

Note:    Earing time and harvest are the two most urgent times for agriculture, so even with really urgent work to do, we are to rest on the Sabbath.

• The day before Sabbath is called the ____ day. Luke 23:54; Mark 15:42—21 Across

• When foreign merchants sold goods on the Sabbath day, Nehemiah rebuked the Jewish nobles for ____ the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13:16, 17—2 Down

• Not forsaking the ____ of ourselves together. Hebrews 10:25—11 Down

• The seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, an holy ____. Leviticus 23:3—7 Down

Note:    The Hebrew word used here means, “A public meeting… assembly, calling, reading.” (Strong’s Concordance)

• Jesus said that where two or three are ____ in His name, He is present. Matthew 18:20—22 Across

• The ruler of the synagogue was indignant, because Jesus had ____ on the Sabbath day. Luke 13:14—19 Down

• Ought not this woman whom Satan hath bound be ____ on the Sabbath day? Luke 13:16—18 Down

Note:    In following our Lord’s example, we may find many ways on the Sabbath day to loose others from Satan’s bonds, bringing encouragement to the lonely, and hope to those in need of comfort and cheer. Some suggestions may be found in Matthew 25:35-40.

• God ____ on the seventh day, after His work of creating the heavens and the earth. Genesis 2:1, 2—23 Across

Note:    Through nature, we may be brought closer to our Creator on the Sabbath day. As a weekly memorial of God’s perfect creation, the Sabbath hours may be appropriately spent in a contemplation of His handiwork, as well as in communion with Him through Bible study and prayer.

• Of those who say, When will the Sabbath be over so we can sell wheat, the Lord hath ____ He will never forget. Amos 8:5, 7—16 Down

• We will be ____ and rejoice in this day, for the Lord has made it. Psalm 118:24—6 Across

• Blessed is the man who does not ____ the Sabbath or do any evil. Isaiah 56:2—14 Down

• From Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to ____ before the Lord. Isaiah 66:22—12 Across

Answers

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

by George McDaniel

Vitamin C

Some recent news articles have brought out the information that vitamin C can be harmful to your health. Among other things, it is said that vitamin C can cause an increase in the thickness of the walls of arteries, and that it can cause damage to DNA. This is in dosages of five hundred to a thousand milligrams per day.

Opposed to this are more than 24,000 studies and articles about the benefits and effective dosages of vitamin C. It is one of the most researched subjects in all of science. Some of the evidence goes back more than fifty years.

About fifty years ago, Linus Pauling found that high doses of vitamin C could cure the common cold, fight cancer and heart disease, and even help people live longer. It was in 1954 that Dr. Pauling won the Nobel Prize in chemistry and in 1962 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was not unfamiliar with meticulous research.

Dr. Pauling himself took large doses of vitamin C daily for many years. He died in 1994 at the age of ninety-three. After all the time that has passed since Dr. Pauling began his work with vitamin C, most of the research done is still proving him right, no matter what some today are saying.

The benefits of vitamin C fall into three major categories: antioxidant, antitoxin, and anti-aging benefits. A listing of some of these benefits is as follows:

A. Antioxidant benefits

1.    Prevents cholesterol from oxidizing in arteries.

2.    Fights free radical damage.

3.    Benefits people with angina, heart failure, diabetes, high homocysteine levels, and hypertension.

4.    Helps prevent malignant tumors from forming.

B. Antitoxin Benefits

1.    Helps combat viral diseases such as measles, mumps, chicken pox, herpes, and viral pneumonia.

2.    Shortens intensity and duration of colds and flu.

3.    Antidote to chronic and acute toxicity in the forms of poisons, excessive alcohol and drugs, pesticides, radiation, carbon monoxide, mercury, and lead.

4.    Prevents and cures non-viral infections like tetanus, tuberculosis, strep, and staph.

C. Anti-aging Benefits

1.    Maintains integrity of cells, connective tissue, and capillaries.

2.    Maintains brain health and functioning.

3.    Topical forms can reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

4.    Slows shortening of telomeres, slowing the genetic clock for aging.

So vitamin C can do a lot more than prevent colds. There are some problems that might interfere: studies have shown that stressful lifestyles and polluted environment cause increased need for vitamin C, aspirin triples the excretion rate from the body, and smoking one cigarette destroys about twenty-five milligrams of it.

Most animals make their own vitamin C internally from glucose, but humans can’t do it. We need to get vitamin C from our diet. The best sources are fresh fruits and vegetables. The highest sources include citrus fruits, apricots, blackberries, and cherries. Other good sources are: onions, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, pineapple, melons, papaya, kiwi fruit, broccoli, asparagus, and most greens.

Light, oxygen, and heat can destroy vitamin C, so fresh raw fruits and vegetables are the best source. Another option is supplements, but consider that vitamin C, by official definition, is ascorbic acid, which is only a part of the natural vitamin C complex. One possible problem with today’s research is that it used highly purified manufactured ascorbic acid, which was not available fifty years ago when Linus Pauling did his studies.

The current recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is sixty milligrams a day. This dose is the bare minimum needed to prevent scurvy. This amount is not enough to slow aging, reduce risk of viral illness, or prevent chronic degeneration. According to some advocates of vitamin C therapy, five hundred milligrams daily is the minimum dose needed.

Linus Pauling took twelve thousand to eighteen thousand milligrams daily for decades. Very high doses taken orally can cause diarrhea, so most people wouldn’t be able to take that much, and it probably isn’t necessary to take so much regularly. Five hundred to fifteen hundred milligrams once or twice a day would be enough for most people. Higher amounts would be used only if needed because of an acute illness.

Winter is coming on with its increase in colds and flu, making this a good time to try out this therapy, both as a preventive and a cure if you become ill anyway. One doctor recommends taking one thousand milligrams of vitamin C every two hours, with twelve ounces of water, until the symptoms go away. You can use this in addition to whatever else you use, such as garlic or Echinacea, or whatever.

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(George McDaniel is my father-in-law, and has been a registered nurse for many years, which, along with much research, has taught him many useful health principles. While we believe these principles to be helpful, we are not responsible for any negative effects resulting from the use of remedies or recommendations in this article. Use them at your own risk.    Editor)

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