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“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” (Titus 1:4). I pray that you are prospering in the Lord. I am planning a trip to Africa in November or December 2007 to help further the work there. Another minister may travel with me to visit Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Please pray that this trip will be a blessing, and that the Lord will open the doors, and most importantly that many will be blessed.

Prayer Request: Please pray for Allen Stump’s son, Hans. He has just been through surgery, and he needs our prayers. He has had a lot of struggles recently, and is in need of a miracle. Fortunately God is well able to perform one for him.

Seeking the Will of God

by Lynnford Beachy

Jesus, speaking through His prophet, said, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalms 40:7, 8). He also said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38). And again, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34).

Jesus was so dedicated to doing the will of His Father, that He could say, “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:28, 29). Jesus had to have always known the will of His Father to know that He always pleased Him. He knew His Father’s will all the time, because He sought for it. Jesus said, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30).

Jesus knew the will of God so precisely that He could say, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50). “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10).

I have three children. Throughout the day I give them over 100 instructions, in precise detail. I tell them, “Come here,” “Pick up your toys,” “Don’t touch that,” “Don’t do that,” etc. If your friend would give you such detailed instructions, you would soon get annoyed. But God gave Jesus instructions much more detailed than that, so precisely that Jesus said everything He ever did, and everything He ever spoke came from His Father. This did not annoy Jesus at all, in fact it was a pleasure, for He said, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8). His continual attitude was, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42). He always sought His Father’s will instead of His own.

This is the experience that Christ had, while living on this earth, and if He lives in you, this can be your experience today. Paul wrote, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6). Walking as He walked means to live as He lived. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16). Walking in the Spirit means to always do what the Spirit instructs you to do, at every step in your life. This is what Jesus did, and still does, in whomever He lives.

The early church

Notice how precisely the Lord led His early church. The Bible says of Paul, “When they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.” (Acts 16:6-7). The Spirit of God gave specific instructions to these early Christians, telling them where to go and what to do.

“The angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:26-31). After some instruction, this man was baptized.

Here, specific instruction was given to Philip. He didn’t know why he was to go toward the south, but he went. After he arrived, he was told to go to the chariot. Not knowing why, he ran to the eunuch, and found him needing instruction. I am amazed by this, and challenged. If God led His early church in such a precise manner, and His church today is not having this experience, who has changed, God or His church? The answer is obvious. God wants to instruct us in just as precisely a manner, but many of us are too far removed from Him that we do not recognize when He speaks to us. We are too busy doing our own will that we do not know what God’s will is for us. We seek God’s will in big decisions, like selling our house, or moving to another state, but fail to seek Him in the small things. Because we are so out of tune with Him in the small things we often do not know his will in the big things.

Jesus said that He sought the will of His Father, and He did this every moment of every day. We are told, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we are not constantly seeking God’s will, then we cannot possibly do God’s will all the time.

Seeking God’s will is not waiting for it to hit us over the head. Often we think, like the rich young ruler, that if we avoid killing people, stealing from them, etc., then we are doing the will of God. But when Jesus asked the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give to the poor, he refused. (Matthew 19:16-22). This man was not accustomed to seeking and doing the will of God in a detailed manner. He thought that as long as he kept God’s written commandments he was okay. Friends, God wants a much closer relationship with us than that.

When Philip was asked to go to meet the eunuch, if he refused, it would have been sin, even though he was not directly violating any of God’s written commandments. He would have been violating God’s spoken command. Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). That word includes any instruction that God gives you.

Jonah was told to go to Ninevah and preach. He refused, and got on a ship to Tarshish instead. Normally it is not a sin to take a ship to Tarshish, but at this time it was.

Jesus gave a beautiful illustration of our relationship with Him, using a vine and branches. He said, “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 ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:5, 7). Jesus wants His words to abide in us. That is more than just memorizing Bible texts, He also wants to be able to speak to us in a detailed manner to direct our thoughts, words and actions throughout the day. He said if His words abide in us, we can ask what we will and it will be done. Have you ever asked God to heal someone, or do something, and it was not done? I have! If Christ’s words were abiding in you, then His words would come out. If He directly instructs you to say those words then it will be done.

I have often thought about Elijah. He gathered “all Israel” and the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel to demonstrate something. He told them that the God who answers by fire is the true God. After the servants of Baal tried all day to get their god to answer by fire, Elijah built an altar, soaked the offering with water, and prayed to God, saying, “I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” (1 Kings 18:36-38).

That was a bold thing to do. I have often thought how great it would be to have some demonstration like this to help convince people about God, but I have never been bold enough to try it, and if I did, I didn’t know if it would work. Elijah gave the key to His success. He said to God, “I have done all these things at thy word.” If God directly told me to do it, I could be sure that it will work, but if not, I better not try it.

Paul’s confidence

“A vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” (Acts 16:9). Paul and Silas, immediately went to Macedonia, not knowing what would happen. After arriving there Paul and Silas were arrested. “When they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts 16:23-25). Paul and Silas could confidently sing and praise God in this situation because they knew that they were doing the will of God, and that He would work things out. It would have been easy to be discouraged if they had not known that this was the will of God. An amazing thing happened. A “great earthquake” shook the jail and all the doors opened, and all the chains were loosed. The jailor, awakened and, thinking his captives had escaped, prepared to kill himself, but was stopped by Paul, then the jailor and his whole family were baptized that night. Amazing!

When you are doing the will of God, and you know it, you can rejoice in any situation, because you can be certain that God will work it out for good. Even if you are killed, if you know it is the will of God you can go to your death singing, knowing that something good is going to come out of it.

Sometimes we say, “I have faith that this old jalopy car is going to get me to California,” or something like that. But if God did not instruct you to go to California, how can you be so sure the car will make it? However, if you know that it is God’s will that you go to California, then you can be confident that God is going to work things out. Then you can have faith that is vibrant and strong.

Paul wrote, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2). You cannot do this if you do not know what the will of God is.

Paul prayed and desired “that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9). “Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17). God wants you to know what His will is. He wants to speak to you. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27). “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21).

I read a story about some Christians who lived in Russia during the time when communism was starting to really take hold, and Christians were being killed. They were told by the Lord to escape to China, and they were given specific details how they should proceed. It was an amazing story! One man was told to hitch up his wagon with particular cows, instead of horses, and then depart in a certain direction. This farmer could not understand why, but he did it. Later, people mistook him for a gypsy because he had cows instead of horses, and gave him no trouble.

These Christians traveled about 1,000 miles through many perils, and they were told where to turn, and when to travel the whole way. Most of the traveling was done at night. One time they were traveling down a broad road, and they were instructed to turn down this small alley. Some of them wanted to continue on the road, but they all finally turned and went down the alley, just in time to avoid being caught. Things like this happened over and over again until they finally arrived safely in China.

Friends, Jesus warned us about troublous times about to come upon this world, and He specifically said, “Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.” (Matthew 24:20 ). You too, if you are faithful, are going to have to flee persecution, and if you are not doing the will of God, and constantly seeking His will, you may not know how to discern God’s will when that time comes.

My wife told me a story about a time when the Lord impressed her to knock on a particular door and give the resident a card that said, “God has not forgotten you.” But my wife didn’t want to do it, so she fought it for a week. Finally, she was tired of  “kicking against the pricks” and went to this house and knocked. A lady answered the door, and my wife gave her the card telling her that she didn’t understand why, but she felt that God wanted her to put these words on the card. The lady read it and began to cry. Then she told my wife, “Just this morning I was on my knees begging God to give me a sign that He has not forgotten me. Lately so many things have been happening and  it has seemed that He was so far away and that He didn’t care for me anymore. This is the answer to that prayer. Thank you for listening.”

I found this story amazing, because God knew that my wife would not go immediately, and that it would take a week to get her to go, so He started a week early impressing her to go, so that the lady would receive the card just in time. Wouldn’t it have been much better if God didn’t have to deal with that one-week delay, if He could just say go, and she would go? When He told Philip to go to the chariot, he ran immediately to the chariot.

We are called the body of Christ. Suppose that every part of your body had a mind of its own, and you had to work with each member, and sometimes have a week-long delay in parts of your body responding. Just imagine how you would look walking down the street or doing anything. You would be crippled! Friends, Christ has to deal with this every day, and certainly He doesn’t want this to continue.

Serving God from our hearts

God wants us to be “the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” (Ephesians 6:6). The only way this can happen is if we have God’s law in our hearts. And the only way we can have this is to ask God for a new heart. God promised you, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26, 27). We must have this conversion, and allow God to work in us. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).

You cannot please God without faith in Him, enabling Him to work in you. “Without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Hebrews 11:6). After you have this experience, then you must maintain it by continuing to seek Him and His will with all your heart. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). Jesus instructed us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). God’s will is done in heaven perfectly, unquestionably without exception, and it is to be done in you the same way.

Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21).

Not only does God want your actions and your words brought into obedience to His will, but He is able to bring every thought into obedience, if we will only let Him, and seek Him for this. “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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 Corinthians 10:4).

Seek His will every moment of every day, and you will find it. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7:7). When a thought comes into your mind, seek God’s will on that thought. If you recognize it to be out of God’s will, ask God to remove it from you. For our weapons are only mighty “through God.” If you try on your own you will fail. Do this every moment of the day, with every thought, and then every thought will be brought into the obedience of Christ.

Many of us know the will of God much of the time if we will just acknowledge it. But, too often we are not really interested in doing God’s will, but would rather do our own thing. If you are doing something that is not in harmony with God’s will, you probably have at least a faint conviction upon you that you should be doing something else, but you would rather keep that conviction far from your mind, so you don’t even bother seeking for it. You just do your own thing, and maybe use the excuse, “It is not that bad, God does not say, “Thou shalt not watch this TV program,” or whatever it is. Then we rest at ease thinking we are okay, when we are not doing the will of God. If we continue in this complacent state, not actively seeking for the will of God, then Christ will end up saying to us, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23).

To have that glorious experience where God tells us what to do every moment,* we cannot hang on to any known sin. There are two prayers in the Bible that cannot be said by any who hold on to known sin. David prayed, “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.” (Psalms 139:23, 24). Nobody who is knowingly practicing sin would ask God to show Him if there is anything He is doing wrong. This person would know the answer already. Elihu told Job, “Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.” (Job 34:31, 32).

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[*A Note of Caution: Some people have sought to do God’s will every moment, and have blindly followed a voice telling them to do ungodly things. For example, I know of several who have been led to work, buy and sell, and continue their work day activities on the seventh-day of the week. This could only be done by ignoring the written word of God which tells us “thou shalt not do any work” on the Sabbath. The spoken word of God will never contradict His written word. If these people had submitted themselves to the written word of God, they would not have had this problem. The Bible says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1). God’s Spirit can speak to our minds, and so can evil spirits, who can even pretend to be God’s Spirit, so we must be careful and try the spirits to see if they are of God, by comparing them to what the Scriptures say. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20).]

Waggoner on Romans
The Gospel in Paul’s Great Letter   (Part 18)    by Ellet J. Waggoner

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

Chapter 9

Paul’s Love for His Brethren—Romans 9:1-18

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

This is a long portion of Scripture for study, but if it is diligently questioned, to see exactly what it says, it will not be found so difficult as it is usually thought.

Both Jews and Greeks—Although Paul was “the apostle of the Gentiles,” he did not forget his “kinsmen according to the flesh.” Wherever he went he sought out the Jews first, and preached to them. To the elders of Ephesus he said, “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:20, 21. Paul’s solicitude for all classes, even for those who were personally strangers to him, shows, more than anything else, his likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Israel’s Advantage—“What advantage then hath the Jew?” “Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1, 2). So here we read a wondrous list of things that pertain to Israel: the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises. A terrible thing it is indeed to prove unfaithful amid such inestimable privileges!

“Salvation is of the Jews”—Thus said Jesus to the woman of Samaria at the well. (John 4:22). “Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came.” The Bible was written by Jews, and a young Jewess was the mother of our Lord. As man, Christ was a Jew, of the tribe of Judah. When we read that “we are saved by his life,” we know that it is by his life as a Jew. There is no divine gift and blessing for man that was not “to the Jew first,” and for the knowledge of which we are not indebted to the Jews.

Nothing from the Gentiles—The apostle Paul says of the “Gentiles in the flesh,” that they are “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:11, 12). The covenants, the promises, even Christ Himself, all belong to the Jews, and not to the Gentiles. Therefore whoever is saved must be saved as a Jew. “God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name.” (Acts 15:14).

Accursed from Christ—It makes no difference whether we use the word “accursed,” or “anathema,” or “separated.” All mean the same thing, and express the most deplorable condition. To be without Christ is to be without hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12).

It was in that condition that Paul would have been willing to be placed for his brethren according to the flesh, if it would have done them any good. What does that show? Simply this, that Israel according to the flesh was, and is, in just that condition accursed, accursed from Christ, “having no hope, and without God in the world.”

But since all the promises of God are in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20), those who are separate from Christ have no part in the promises; and therefore we learn anew the fact that Israel after the flesh, as a nation of earth, have not and never had any claim upon God above other nations; that God never made any special promises to Israel after the flesh, more than to any other people. [Footnote: Ringed about with Arab enemies, constantly insecure from terrorist attacks and the eternal threat of annihilation, the modern State of Israel is anything but “established.”]

In the wish that Paul expressed, he showed how completely he was given up to the Lord, and how much he shared in His Spirit. Christ gave Himself for men, consenting even to be separated from God, in order that He might reach and save the lost. There is none other name under heaven whereby men can be saved, and consequently Paul’s being accursed would not have saved his brethren, as he very well knew.

But he simply showed how desperate was the case of the Jews, and how great was his solicitude. While no human sacrifice can avail, men are privileged to share Christ’s sufferings for others. Paul says of himself, “who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24).

Circumcision Made Uncircumcision—We have before read the words, “If thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.” (Romans 2:25). This language was addressed to the Jews, who in the same connection were charged with breaking the law. (Romans 2:17-24). In verse 31 of this present chapter we also are told that Israel did not attain to the law of righteousness. And the reason is that they did not accept Christ, through whom alone the righteousness of the law can be obtained.

So again we find that Israel, Paul’s “kinsmen after the flesh,” were not Israelites at all, but Gentiles, separate from Christ, “having no hope, and without God in the world.”

No Failure in the Promise—This is a sad state of things. All the promises belong to Israel, and there is nothing from God for any other nation, and yet the very people known as Israel are accursed from Christ. Nevertheless the word of God has not failed, “for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” The unbelief of some can not make the faith of God without effect. (Romans 3:3). If every literal descendant of Jacob were lost, that would not weaken in the least God’s promises to Israel, since the true Israelites are only those who believe the promises.

The Seed of Abraham—“In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Isaac was the child of promise; therefore those who believe the promises of God are the seed of Abraham. To the Jews who were self-satisfied because of their descent, John the Baptist said, “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9). He could do that as easily as he could make man in the beginning from the dust of the earth.

The Flesh and the Promise—“They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” This text alone should forever set at rest the speculations about the return of the Jews to old Jerusalem, in order that God’s promises may be fulfilled. [Footnote: If he were writing today, Waggoner would doubtless insist that the physical presence of Jews in old Jerusalem and Palestine does not constitute the fulfillment of God’s promise. It is no less true today than in Paul’s day that only spiritual Israel, those who are in Christ, are the true descendants of Abraham.] Still more should it put an end to the absurd notion that any nation, as England or America, constitutes Israel, and is heir to those promises of God.

God’s Foreknowledge—When the children were not yet born, and had done neither good nor evil, it was said of them, “The elder shall serve the younger.” God knows the end from the beginning, and could tell what each one would do. The choice was in accordance with what is said of God, “who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (2 Timothy 1:9).

“Esau Have I Hated”—This was not written until many years after the death of both Jacob and Esau. “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord; yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.” (Malachi 1:2, 3). Of his descendants it is said that they shall be called, “The people against whom the Lord hath indignation forever.” (Vs. 4). And why?

“Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.” (Amos 1:11). Jacob, on the other hand, while no better by nature than Esau, believed the promises of God, and was by them made partaker of the divine nature and thus an heir of God and a joint heir of Jesus Christ.

No Unrighteousness with God—Mark well verses 14-17 for evidence that there is no arbitrariness in God’s choice. It is all of mercy. “He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” So it is all of “God that sheweth mercy.” The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord (Psalm 119:64), and “his mercy endureth forever.”

God’s Purpose for Pharaoh—The case of Pharaoh is cited by the apostle as an illustration of the statement that “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” “For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”

It is immaterial whether this refers to the bringing of Pharaoh to the throne, or to the preserving of him up to that time. One thing is certain: it does not teach us, as is commonly supposed, that God brought Pharaoh to the throne for the purpose of wreaking his vengeance upon him. It is astonishing that any professed Christian could ever have dishonored God by such a charge against him.

The purpose of God in raising Pharaoh up, or causing him to stand, was that he might show to him and in him his power, and that his name might be declared throughout all the earth. This purpose was accomplished in the destruction of Pharaoh because of his stubborn resistance. But it would have been accomplished just as well, and much better for Pharaoh if he had listened to the word of God. Pharaoh saw God’s power, but would not believe. If he had believed, he would have been saved, because the power of God is salvation to every one that believeth.

Pharaoh had an imperious will. His one great characteristic was steadfastness, pertinacity degenerating into stubbornness. But who can estimate the power for good that Pharaoh would have been if his will had been yielded to the Lord? To yield to the Lord would have meant a great sacrifice, as men count sacrifices, but no greater than that which Moses had made. Moses had given up the same throne, to cast in his lot with God’s people.

A wonderful and honorable position was offered to Pharaoh, but he knew not the day of his visitation. It involved humiliation, and he rejected it. As a consequence he lost everything; while Moses, who chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, and to share the reproach of Christ, has a name and a place that will endure throughout eternity. The mercies of God rejected turn into curses. “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressors shall fall therein.” (Hosea 14:19).

We have learned that although God did make choice of certain ones, specially named, who afterwards attained great eminence as children of God, the choice was not arbitrary. Jacob was chosen before he was born, but no more than all others are. God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, “according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good-pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6).

“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” As proof of this, the apostle cited the case of Pharaoh, who was chosen in Christ just as much as Jacob was, and just as much as we are. He was chosen to the praise of the glory of the grace of God, that he might show forth the excellencies of the Lord; but he obstinately refused to submit. But God will be praised even by the wrath of men, if they are not willing to praise him voluntarily, and so God’s name and power were made known through Pharaoh’s stubbornness.

It would have been better if the proud king had yielded himself to the design of God, instead of having that design worked out in spite of him. But the lesson that we are to learn is that every man in every nation under heaven has been chosen, and that this choice is that they should be adopted as sons. In this choice the Jews have no advantage over others, but are on an equality with them, as is further shown by the remainder of the chapter:

(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)

Fundamental Principles of Health

by Curtis Kline

More than a theory on the #1 killer

Hello Friends! This month I would like to speak about what I believe is the true cause of heart disease in connection with hardening of the arteries.

Many think that high Cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease. Although as we will see in the future, Cholesterol although definitely a contributing factor is not the main cause. Some hibernating animals have Cholesterol levels of 400 mg per deciliter and with very rare exception animals don’t have heart attacks.

I believe the main reason animals don’t have heart attacks is due to their high body pool of vitamin C. Unlike humans, the majority of the animal kingdom produce their own Vitamin C, usually anywhere between 1000 - 20000 MG per day. Humans on the other hand do not produce their own vitamin C, to make matters worse, being a water soluble vitamin, we also don’t have the ability to store our own.

Vitamin C is needed for collagen production in the body. Collagen is the main component in the make up of connective tissue. In the 1400 and 1500’s Scurvy was a disease that plagued many sailors around the globe. Scurvy is vitamin C deficiency, one of the early signs of scurvy was bleeding of the gums. The reason the gums bleed is because of week veins and arteries. Today since we all have some vitamin C in our diets we don’t see people dying of Scurvy. However with the US RDA of Vitamin C at only 60 MG per day, and the standard American diet, we find the body pool of vitamin C to be very low in most people.

Now since the arteries closest to the heart have the most wear and tear since the heart is always pumping, the body simply doesn’t have enough Vitamin C to produce the collagen to repair the constant damage. Over a period of time the arteries become compromised with millions of cracks. The body at this point uses cholesterol to try to repair the damage. Well after years and years of wear and tear, the body over compensates and the cholesterol begins to clog the arteries. MSM is also an important supplement as many of your proteins are sulfur binders and without the sulfur you don’t get the flexible bond between protein. This can cause the cells and tissue to become rigid, and loose elasticity.

In conclusion hopefully you can see the importance of Vitamin C and MSM in the fight against heart disease. If we follow the eight laws of health and take a good whole food supplement however, I believe God can keep his people from these problems. Next month we will talk about natural methods that can be applied to try and reverse these problems. This lesson is a very cursory explanation of a very complicated process for more information feel free to contact me at the info below.

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(The above article was provided by Curtis Kline, Director of Bible Health Solutions. For more in-depth information he can be contacted at (661) 392-8153 or curkli@yahoo.com. The above information is for informational purposes only and are the opinions and religious belief’s of the author, they are not intended to treat diagnose or cure any disease.    Editor)

Upcoming Meetings in Your Area

Here is the currently-planned 2007 itinerary for Lynnford Beachy:

Aug. 24, 25    Eureka, Montana, contact Colette Konschuh, 406-889-3242.

Sep. 8    Wenatchee, Washington, contact Eldon Noyes, 509-782-3192.

Sep. 14, 15    Ontario, Oregon (in a prison), contact Lynnford Beachy, 304-633-5411.

Sep. 28-Oct. 1    Rainier, Oregon Camp Meeting, contact Kristen Dreyer, 503-556-4190.

Oct. 6    Riverton, Wyoming, contact Andy Whitehurst, (307) 851-3630.

Oct. 8-13    Evangelistic Series in Riverton, Wyoming, contact Andy Whitehurst, (307) 851-3630.

New Oct. 19-21    Central North Dakota, contact Lynnford Beachy, 304-633-5411.

Between these meetings we will be available to visit people in their homes and to have additional meetings. If you would like to host meetings in your area, please contact Lynnford Beachy at (304) 633-5411.

Many of these meetings will be broadcast live by telephone conference. Often we will be broadcasting at seven o’clock Friday evening, eleven o’clock Sabbath morning, and Sabbath afternoon and evening at three and seven o’clock. (These are local times for wherever I am scheduled to speak. Some meetings will not be broadcast depending upon unavoidable circumstances.) To listen to these sermons in the US call: 605-475-8590, You will be prompted to dial the room number: 5225823. In Austria call: 0820 4000 1574, Belgium: 070 35 9989, Spain: 0902 886 051, Switzerland: 0848 560 195, Ireland: 0818 270 034, Italy: 0848 390 175, France: 0826 100 277, Germany: 01805 00 7649, Australia: 61 283 078 824, UK: 0870 738 0763, Netherlands: 0870 001 932. These sermons will also be broadcast over the Internet via Skype.com. You can dial directly using Skype at: +990008275225823. (When you use Skype, it is a free call from anywhere in the world.)

A New School Opening Soon

by David Sims

Description: “The Waldensian Center” is a one year Agricultural based program with the study of the Scriptures, diligent self government, various industries, life skills, and health sciences affords a practical environment in which to achieve the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It will prepare the individual for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come. Thus we hope that each will be prepared to be self-supporting Gospel and medical missionaries.

Our Great Aim: “The perfection of Christian character”

Date: First Term - October 15, 2007 to December 22, 2007

Application Deadline: September 15.

Location: The starting location will be on 40 acres, in Colorado’s fruit belt, on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, on the ranch of Chuck Clifford, 39146 Highway 92, Crawford, CO  81415, phone: 970-921-5519.

Cost: “It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.” (Job 28:15-18).

We will only accept free-will donations, and willing self-sacrifice to cover our costs.

While there is no fee, each individual should plan to supply or purchase their own clothing, supplies, personal items as well as necessary tools or books for the program.

The program will include a minimum of three and a half hours of work in Agriculture and the various industries per day besides the daily chores.

Attendee Requirements: Applicant must be at least 18 years old and a converted Sabbath keeper, who desires to serve the Lord with all the heart, soul, and strength.

Activities

Agriculture: Composting, green-house construction and growing, soil preparation, planting, harvesting, animal husbandry (horsemanship) etc.

Construction: Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, concrete, drywall, tile, cabinetry, etc.

Mechanics: Basic design & function, trouble diagnosis & repair.

Home Arts: Food preparation and preservation, sewing, home-making, mid-wifery, home-schooling, etc.

Health Science: Anatomy, physiology, hydrotherapy, massage, biology, bio-chemistry, natural remedies

Aviation: Basic meteorology, navigation, aerodynamics, airplane systems etc.

Natural Science: biology, physiology, chemistry, etc.

Computer Science: Computer repair (hardware), software, graphic-design, web-design, etc.

Religion: How to: study, pray, prepare and deliver sermons and bible studies; evangelism and how to deal with varied minds, church government, prophecy, etc. old testament, new testament, life and teachings of Christ, apostolic Christianity, Paul’s letters, literature evangelism.

Language Skills: Basic Greek, Hebrew, and Spanish; public speaking; reading & writing skills, etc.

History: Sacred - Church history, Advent Movement—Secular - Ancient civilizations: China, India, Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece, Rome; USA.

Music: Basic theory; ear & voice training; choir; ensemble.

Business Administration: Book-keeping, etc.

Teachers

The following is partial list of full time and part time teachers. (Note: The teaching staff for the entire year has not been entirely made up yet. Also, the responsibilities of the teachers mentioned below are only a partial list)

Thomas Akens: Music, History, Language.

Chuck Clifford: Agriculture, Aviation.

Lisa Clifford: Home Arts, Interpersonal Communication.

David Sims: Religion, Industrial arts.

Richard Stratton: Soil Lab industry, Hydrotherapy, massage.

Bonnie Stratton: Sewing, Home arts teacher.

Ben Turner: Computer Science, Graphic Arts.

Bethany Turner: Office Administration.

Allen Stump: Church history, Bible, Applied math teacher.

Todd Brown: Business administration, Book-keeping.

Randy Herrman: Natural and Health Sciences - Anatomy, physiology, biology, bio-chemistry, etc.

Operated by: Seventh-day Home Church Fellowships, online at www.7thdayhomechurchfellowships.

For an application and information packet, visit the above website or contact: David Sims, 530-294-1115, david@historyinfo.net, or Chuck Clifford, 970-921-5519.

Questions and Answers

by Lynnford Beachy

Question: What about the secret rapture?

“Why do you say there will be no rapture? When Paul said, in a twinkle of your eyes we will all be lifted up?”

E-mail

Answer:

This is a very good question. The Bible says: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Both the dead in Christ, and those saints who will be alive at Christ’s coming, will all be caught up to be with the Lord at the same time. The word rapture means “caught up,” and it is certain we shall be caught up, but this will not be secret. There is no problem with the rapture, but there is a big problem with the idea of a secret rapture that is supposedly to take place before Christ’s visible coming. This is not only unbiblical, but it gives people a false hope, making them believe that they will have a second chance to give their lives to the Lord if they miss the “secret rapture.” It also makes people believe there is no need to prepare for the “time of trouble” and to face the mark of the beast crisis. This idea was invented by Satan to trick people. It is not taught in the Bible.

Jesus said that if someone tells you that Christ has come secretly, you should “believe it not.” “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:26, 27).

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Question: What happens after death?

“I was told by a friend that when an unbeliever dies, after he is judged by God, his soul will go to hell and his spirit will stay with God. It is my understanding that the spirit will also go to hell.”

E-mail

Answer:

This demonstrates the importance of not trusting in friends to tell you the truth. The Bible says, “Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.” (Micah 7:5). This counsel also applies to me or any other minister. You should not trust us to tell you the truth, but should check everything out in the Bible yourself to see what is truth. Speaking of the Bereans, Paul wrote, “These 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.” (Acts 17:11). We should receive things with an open mind, but always compare them with the Bible to see if they are true.

The Bible says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). This is spoken for all people, whether they are righteous or wicked. When anyone dies, their body returns to the earth, and their spirit goes back to God. The Bible says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalms 146:3, 4). Even though the spirits of all men return to God when they die, they do not return in a conscious state. “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

The words soul and spirit are used interchangeably at times. For example, Jesus said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). Here Jesus used the word “soul” to refer to the spirit of a man that goes back to God at death. He says that when a man kills your body, he has not killed your soul, but there will come a time when God will destroy both the soul and the body of the wicked. Jesus is talking about two deaths. The Bible says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6).

Everyone will die the first death, with the exception of a few saints, such as Enoch, Elijah, and the 144,000. This death is called “sleep.” (Acts 7:60; Daniel 12:2). The righteous will be resurrected, never to die again. God preserves the record of their lives, their “souls,” or “spirits” to be joined with a body in the resurrection. The soul or spirit does not die, or cease to exist, at the first death, but after the thousand years, the wicked will be destroyed, both soul and body. There is no chance of a resurrection from this death.

In respect to a soul going to one place and a spirit going to another after death, this could not be, for they are both the same thing, when spoken of after death.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Question: What do these texts mean?

“Would you be so kind to explain the following texts and what specifically are they relating to: Romans 10:12; Romans 3:9; Acts 26:20-22; Matthew 25: 41, 46; Matthew 18:8; Hebrews 6:2; Jude 6,7.”

E-mail

Answer:

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” (Romans 10:12). “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9).

Being a literal descendent of Abraham does not offer any more benefit in securing eternal life than being a Gentile. We are all accepted as the children of Abraham. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29).

I didn’t understand the confusion about Acts 26:20-22, so I am not going to comment, other than to say that Paul’s teachings are in harmony with Moses.

The following texts speak about, “everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41; 18:8), “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46), “eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:2), “eternal fire.” (Jude 1:6, 7). This last text is an interesting text because it explains what eternal fire is. Jude wrote, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7). Peter wrote, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:6). We see here that suffering the vengeance of eternal fire turns the sufferers into ashes. Therefore we can see that the part of the fire that is eternal is the effect it has rather than the duration of the burning. That is why Jesus said, “eternal punishment” instead of “eternal punishing.” Those who suffer this punishment will suffer eternal consequences, but they will not be punished eternally.

This understanding harmonizes with the rest of the Scriptures on this subject, such as: Malachi 4:1-3; Psalm 37:10, 20; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Matthew 10:28, etc. Isaiah wrote of the complete destruction of the wicked, “Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.” (Isaiah 47:14). So, the eternal fire, after it has burned up all the wicked, will go out, and its results will have eternal consequences.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Question: What do you believe about the Sabbath and feasts?

“I have been perusing the Present Truth website and reading the articles there. I read the one on the Ten Commandments and it raised a question. Do you believe we need to follow all the Old Testament laws, or are you saying we need only follow the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. Usually when I read of those who believe in following the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, they usually also go further by believing in keeping the dietary laws, feast days, etc. Just wondering about your beliefs on this.”

E-mail

Answer:

This is a good question, and I am glad that you brought it up. First of all, the Old Testament Scriptures was the only Scriptures the New Testament writers had. This was constantly referred to as the Scriptures and never spoken of as being done away with. There are, however, certain changes that took place when Jesus died, such as the ending of the sacrificial system (Daniel 9:27), and the Levitical priesthood being done away with (Hebrews 7). Paul also told us that the feast days were a shadow of things to come that were blotted out when Christ died. (Colossians 2:14-20).

Regarding the health laws, those were laws regarding the human body, and our bodies did not change at the cross, and there is nothing to indicate that these laws were changed. An unclean animal, such as a pig, has never been changed into a clean animal, nor have our bodies changed to make them clean to us. A pig is not suitable for human consumption. It is unhealthful, and even the medical world has recognized the dangers of unclean foods.

The Old Testament forbade the eating of blood and fat. (Leviticus 3:17). The New Testament also forbids the eating of blood (Acts 15:29), and there is not the slightest hint that the prohibition against eating fat has been lifted.

Ceremonial laws, concerning the sanctuary, feast days, the sacrificial system, and the Levitical priesthood have been changed by the death of Christ, but laws concerning every-day conduct and relationships between people, and laws regarding how we should take care of our bodies are still in effect.

I hope this helps answer your question.

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