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2 Peter 1:12


Dear Readers,

June 2013

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7). I pray that you are doing well. The Lord has been good to us despite the tornadoes that have ravaged Oklahoma. Thankfully we are located in a section of Oklahoma that was not affected by the storms this time around. Thank you so much for your prayers and concern. Please pray for all those who were affected.

West Virginia Camp Meeting: Smyrna Gospel Ministries will be hosting their annual camp meeting June 25-29. If you have any questions call 304-732-9204.

Tennessee Camp Meeting: The Roan Mountain camp meeting takes place September 17-21. If you have any questions call Malcolm McCrillis at 423-772-3161.


In This Issue:

Our Examples

Lynnford Beachy

 

Young at Heart

 

Can We Keep the Sabbath? – Part 2

Ellet J. Waggoner

 

 

Our Examples

by Lynnford Beachy

The Bible says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The things of old were written not just to be interesting stories to tell our children, but so that we can learn lessons from them that apply to us today.

We read about the ancient Israelites who “did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:4-13).

These scriptures are loaded with instruction for us. The Israelites were partakers of the life of Christ. Yet, the vast majority were not able to enter the promised land “because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19). The unbelief of the Israelites was manifested in several ways listed above, which are: lust after evil things, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring. The Bible says that these things were written for our admonition so that we would not follow the same course.

Lusting After Evil Things

The Israelites lusted after evil things. One of the things they lusted for was the food of Egypt. Right after they came out of Egypt they complained to Moses and Aaron, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3). God heard their murmuring and gave them quail to eat, and bread from heaven. After a while they got tired of this, “And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes” (Numbers 11:4-6).

God had given them bread from heaven, but they were not satisfied. Surely, they had the best possible food to sustain life and health, but they lusted after other things. An uncontrolled appetite can ruin your life. The Bible says, “And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite” (Proverbs 23:2). God is not literally asking us to commit suicide if we are given to appetite, He just wants us to know how serious of a problem an unrestrained appetite can be. The Bible also commends the practice of eating “in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness” (Ecclesiastes 10:17). We should eat to give the body strength rather than to satisfy a perverted appetite. The Bible warns us against following the evil example of the Israelites in respect to lust and appetite. Keep in mind that this downfall on the part of the Israelites was because of their unbelief. Victory over appetite can be won by exercising faith in the power of God.

Idolatry

The next shortcoming mentioned concerning the Israelites was idolatry. At times the Israelites worshipped idols, some even sacrificed their children to false gods. Yet, there are more subtle forms of idolatry that we may be guilty of today. It is amazing how appetite and idolatry can be connected. The Bible says, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18, 19). Sacrificing health on the altar of appetite is a form of idolatry. Paul wrote, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence [desire for what is forbidden], and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Lusting after things (covetousness) is a form of idolatry. Even pleasure can be idolatry when it comes between you and God. Of the church in the last days, Paul wrote that many will be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2_Timothy 3:4). Anything that comes between you and God is a form of idolatry. Let us not follow the wicked example of the Israelites, but instead let us “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).

Fornication

Another pitfall of the Israelites was fornication. This often accompanied the worship of false gods. This was the main downfall of Sodom and Gomorrha. “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). The word fornication covers a broad range of impure relations outside of the marriage between a man and a woman. Today, fornication is not only considered by many to be normal and acceptable, but it is encouraged by schools, television, movies, the media, etc. Satan is pushing society into mimicking Sodom and Gomorrha. Make no mistake, fornication was the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrha, and it will be the downfall of any nation who follows the same example. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). May God’s people “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

Tempting Christ

The next problem of the Israelites was tempting Christ. The example given for this was when they were destroyed by serpents. Here is what happened: “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:4-6). The Bible explains, “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust” (Psalms 78:18). Complaining demonstrated their lack of faith. The Israelites had every reason to believe that God was with them and taking care of them. It is hard to imagine that those people who saw the Red Sea split with a wall of water on each side so they could walk through on dry ground could possibly think that God was going to abandon them in the wilderness. Yet, how often do we do similar things? Each one of us has unmistakable evidence of amazing things that God has done for us. Yet, Satan tempts us to think that when any small crisis arises God has abandoned us.

Speaking of tempting the Lord, Moses said to the Israelites, “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah” (Deuteronomy 6:16). Moses was referring to the time just after the Israelites left Sinai when “the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?… And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:2, 7). Tempting the Lord was demonstrated when the Israelites asked, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” This was “written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). The Israelites had no business asking this question. God had demonstrated in miraculous ways, time and time again, that He was with them.

Satan does all in his power to convince you that God is not with you, that He has not forgiven you, that He does not love you, etc. But there is no need for you to be discouraged. The Bible says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus said, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). These are promises that we can depend upon! Paul prayed, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…” (Ephesians 3:17). Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. Therefore Christ dwells outside of our hearts by unbelief. If you do not believe Christ is in you, then He will remain outside knocking (Revelation 3:20), longing to come in. To disbelieve that Christ is in you is a form of tempting Christ.

Murmuring

The final problem of the Israelites mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10 is murmuring (complaining). When things go wrong in our lives it is easy to forget about what God has done and let ourselves get caught up in complaining. Problems have the tendency to give us temporary amnesia, just as they did for the Israelites. It does not have to be that way. For every possible reason to complain there are at least ten things to be thankful for. When you are tempted to complain, count your blessings instead. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Some people are daily faced with difficult challenges, yet they always have something positive to say. And there are others who, no matter how good things are, always find something negative to say about it. They are like the old man whose grandchildren played a trick on him by putting limburger cheese in his mustache while he slept. He woke up and said, “This room stinks.” He went to the living room to sit in his recliner only to find that the living room stinks too. He decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air, after which he exclaimed, “The whole world stinks.” Some people have limburger cheese in their attitudes. No matter what happens to them in life, everything comes out a little stinky. This was the problem with the Israelites. They had a multitude of blessings, but they chose to focus on the negative. This is why they wandered in the wilderness for forty years and why most of them died without entering the promised land.

Shortly after leaving Egypt, God brought the Israelites to the border of the promised land. Moses sent twelve spies to look over the land before entering. Ten of the spies came back with an evil report, “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.… And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Numbers 13:30-33; 14:4). Then two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua said, “The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.…” (Numbers 14:7-10). Fortunately, God intervened so they were not stoned. God asked Moses, “How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?” (Numbers 14:11).

The Israelites had been given sign after sign to demonstrate that God was with them and that He is powerful enough to deal with any situation, yet most of them chose to believe the evil report and died in the wilderness because of it. How long will we wait to go up and possess the land? “The Lord is with us.” “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” These words were true for them then, and they are true for us today. What are the trials in your life that seem too big to overcome? Are they too big for God? Certainly not!

Trembling Enemies

The amazing thing about this is that while the Israelites were trembling in fear of the giants in the land, the giants were trembling because of what God had done for the Israelites. Forty years later, when the Israelites returned to the border of Canaan they sent spies again and heard the following from the harlot, Rahab, in Jericho: “I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9-11).

God had a plan to get the Israelites into the promised land, which He performed when they returned forty years later. At that time, “Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.… And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap” (Joshua 3:9-13). Just as God had parted the Red Sea, He parted the Jordan River, which put fear in the hearts of all the inhabitants of the land. “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel” (Joshua 5:1).

Just as the enemies of Israel were weak in the face of God’s mighty power, your enemies are weak in God’s presence. With God on your side, what can man do to you? The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalms 118:6). Paul wrote, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Even the devil and all his angels are powerless in the presence of God. One of God’s angels can put them all to flight. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

God is well able to deal with whatever you are going through. It may be health problems, financial problems, legal problems, moral issues, bad habits, temptations, difficult relationships, etc. God is greater than all of these, and He is able to deliver you and make good come out of it all. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Away with faithless talk and unbelief! God is with us. We can be “confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Walk by Faith

Satan tries to get us to focus on our problems and forget about what God has done for us in the past. The key to victory is allowing faith to take us beyond what we can see and fasten our eyes on God’s power. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Speaking of Moses, Paul wrote, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). It is the privilege of God’s children to live outside of our circumstances. Faith can carry us to “heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Living by faith means we do not have to be deterred when difficulties come our way. We have a God who is “greater than all” (John 10:29). “The just [righteous] shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). To be just we must live by faith. Anything less than living by faith is to be unjust, to be unrighteous.

There is an amazing story in the Bible about Elisha. Elisha had been giving military secrets to the king of Israel about his enemy, the king of Syria, so that whenever the king of Syria tried to trick Israel, his plans were known before they could be implemented. When the king of Syria tried to find out which one of his men was a traitor, “one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2_Kings 6:12). The king of Syria decided to put an end to this, and sent a large army to capture Elisha. Elisha’s servant woke up early one morning to find an entire army surrounding the city. In desperation Elisha’s servant asked Elisha what to do. Elisha replied, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16, 17).

Elisha was living by faith. When a seemingly insurmountable problem faced him, he was not worried because He knew God was on His side. There is no record that Elisha saw the angels in chariots of fire that outnumbered the enemy’s army. Elisha didn’t have to see, but he knew they were there by faith.

No matter what trial you are facing, you can be sure that God’s angels are watching over you, and you do not need to fear. God has brought you safely from your childhood to this day. Time and time again He has delivered you from problems, often in ways that you could not imagine. What do you have to fear? You will face more trials, but God is greater than all of them. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). He also said, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

Faith is the Victory

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. “…this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). The lack of faith will be our downfall if we let it. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:12-14).

By faith we are well able to overcome all inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil. Paul wrote, “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). God wants to work mightily in you. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). God’s work in you is dependant upon faith. Jesus said, “…as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” (Matthew 8:13). Yet, the faith you need is a gift from God. You see, your faith begins the work, and is continually excercised to cling to His faith which completes it.

Let me explain. “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). Yet, it is not this faith alone that saves us. We need a faith greater than our own. We exercise our faith when we ask God to give us His Spirit, which He is more willing to do than any father is willing to give good gifts to his children. Jesus said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). “…ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). After we ask God to give us His Spirit notice what happens: “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23).

When you receive the Spirit of God, you receive “love, joy, peace,… faith.” You get faith by receiving the Spirit of God. It is this faith that you need to overcome the world. It is not your faith, but the faith of Jesus Christ. This is how we receive God’s righteousness. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:22). “…a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). God’s triumphant proclamation over His people who overcome in the end is: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). The only hope we have of overcoming this world is to receive the Spirit of Christ into our hearts “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

Our faith gives us access to His faith which is able to save us. It is “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17). From our faith to His faith; this is what counts in the end. A distraught father pleaded with Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Jesus is able to help our unbelief. Our faith grasps hold of His faith which is what changes our lives, and He is able to work in us mightily. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). It is by the Spirit that we cry “Abba, Father” or “Daddy, Father.” “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). It is Christ in us crying out to His Father. Why does He do this in us? Why not just cry “Abba Father” from heaven? Because He wants to share His close relationship to His Father with us. This makes us “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Praise the Lord!

Conclusion

I pray that you will learn from the examples we have been given in the Bible and have the faith that will carry you through to the end. I pray that you will find the peace and rest in Christ that only He can give. “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 4:11). The examples given in the Bible of unbelief were given so that we can see where they went wrong and not follow their example of unbelief. Their literal journeys through the wilderness represent our spiritual journey in this life. The stories of how they conquered their enemies by faith are to teach us to exercise faith in our striving against sin.

John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). When we ask God for something that is according to His will we can be confident that we will receive it. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God’s will is our sanctification. If we ask God for things that pertain to our sanctification we can be confident that we have them because we are asking according to His will. The key is to believe that we have our petitions. The ABCs of prayer are Ask, Believe, and Claim the promises of God’s Word.

Several years ago I was struggling with something in my life to which I responded by being unkind. I knew this was not the Christian way to deal with things, but I didn’t know how to fix the problem. One night I woke up at about 3 a.m. with three verses in my mind all linked together like a chain. The verses were “Charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4), “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,…” (Galatians 5:22), and “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). I thought to myself, I have the “suffering long” part down pretty good. At the same time I knew that I was not kind. I realized that I did not have this love that suffers long and is kind. I also knew that I needed the Spirit of God so I could receive this love. I was thankful for the promise that if I ask my Father for His Spirit He will gladly give it to me.

I immediately got out of bed and read the verses, then prayed, asking God for His Spirit to give me this love that suffers long and is kind. I went back to bed knowing that God had given me the desire of my heart. I woke up the next morning to find that my outlook on what I was suffering was completely changed. What had been bothering me, no longer bothered me, and I could now be kind about it.

Whatever you are struggling with, God has given us “exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2_Peter 1:4). Believe the word of God, and live your life as if it is true, because it most certainly is true. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16). One psalm to remember is, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11).

I pray that God’s word will do a work in you so completely that you and everyone who sees you will be amazed at what God has done. “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen” (Galatians 6:18).

 

 

Something for the Young at Heart

This month we are beginning a series of studies written by my children. 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. (The KJV is required.)

Forgiveness - by Rebekah Beachy

 

·         “But there is ____ with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Psalms 130:4—3 Down

·         “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of ____.” Acts 5:31— 15_Across

·         “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is ____ unto you the forgiveness of sins.” Acts 13:38—12 Down

·         “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, and ____ among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:18—11 Down

·         “In whom we have ____ through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7—8 Across

·         “If my people, which are called by my name, shall ____ themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2_Chronicles 7:14—21 Across

·         “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to ____; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Psalms 86:5—18 Across

·         “Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive ____ my sins.” Psalms 25:18—5 Across

·         “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will ____ their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34—4 Across

·         “And forgive us our ____, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12—20 Across

·         “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely ____, he shall not die.” Ezekiel 33:15—13 Across

·         “None of his sins that he hath committed shall be ____ unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” Ezekiel 33:16—10 Down

·         “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our ____ from us.” Psalms 103:12—1 Down

·         “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the ____ of the sea.” Micah 7:19—9 Down

·         “For if ye forgive men their ____, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14—7 Down

·         “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, ____ will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15—16 Down

·         “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, ____ me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” Exodus 32:32—6 Across

·         “And hearken thou to the ____ of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.” 1 Kings 8:30— 2_Down

·         “Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the ____ which thou gavest unto their fathers.” 1 Kings 8:34—13 Down

·         “Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou ____ them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.” 1 Kings 8:36—17 Across

·         “Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the ____ of all the children of men;)” 1 Kings 8:39—14 Across

·         “And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have ____ against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” 1_Kings 8:50—1 Across

·         “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they ____ not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Luke 23:34—19 Across

 

 

Can We Keep the Sabbath?

Part 2

by Ellet J. Waggoner

Another quite common objection that people urge against keeping the Sabbath is that it is peculiar, and that very few people observe it. There are two classes of people who make use of this argument. The first class attempts to make capital out of it against the Sabbath, and argue that since the Sabbath is observed by so very few people, it cannot be right, assuming that the majority must be right. The second class believe that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, but have not the courage to live out their convictions of duty. They say, “If everybody else would keep the Sabbath, I would be glad to do so too.”

The first class might easily be convinced if they wished to be. Let us see to what absurdity the theory that the majority must be right will lead us. Less than four hundred years ago it was the universal belief that the earth was flat, and that it was stationary. For hundreds of years no one had thought of questioning this belief; and when, finally, a few bold spirits ventured to advance the idea that the earth is spherical, and that it moves, they were regarded as fanatics and dangerous heretics. But the proof that the earth is round was convincing, and now all enlightened nations hold to that belief. Now if it be true that the majority must be right, we must conclude that several centuries ago the earth was really flat, but that, as people advanced in knowledge it gradually assumed its present shape. Many other conclusions equally absurd must be accepted if we hold to the theory that whatever is popularly believed is right. But the advocates of that theory rarely urge it on any subject except the Sabbath. The truth is that the opinions of men have no effect whatever on facts. Men’s opinions change, but the truth is always the same.

Those who dare not venture out alone to obey the truth, may have their faith strengthened by considering some cases that are on record. Paul says in Romans 15:4, that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews contains a list of notable men. We are referred to Noah, who “walked with God” in an age when the “wickedness of man was great in the earth,” and “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” It must have been no slight effort for Noah to face the world with such an unpopular truth as that the world was to be destroyed by a flood. No doubt he was jeered at in a most unmerciful manner, and considered a fool, but the event proved the wisdom of his course. Had he waited for people enough to accept the truth for that time to make it respectable, before commencing to build the ark, he would have been drowned with the rest.

Abraham is another individual who is held up as an example of faith. I think we do not generally realize the full extent of the sacrifice that he made when he obeyed the command, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, and unto a land that I will show thee.” His father’s family, as we learn from Joshua 24:2, 3, were idolaters. No doubt he had to endure much opposition and ridicule from his relatives, for thus leaving them and going away with apparently no object whatever, without even knowing where he was going. No one who starts out to obey God in these times can have a darker prospect to all outward appearances, than Abraham had. Had he drawn back, instead of becoming the father of all the faithful, his name might never have appeared among them. Other instances might be cited indefinitely.

Who does not honor those moral heroes? and who has not wished that he might be even like them, and be accounted worthy to share in their reward? Well, who is there that cannot? They were men, subject to weaknesses and temptations the same as men are nowadays. They lived in the world, associated with their fellow-men, and transacted business, the same as men do now. How, then, did they become so honored of God?—Simply because they were willing to be regarded as peculiar; they thought more of God’s approval than they did of the applause of men. For this we hold them in high esteem, yet we shrink from doing what we commend in them. We may, however, be like them if we will, for their cases are recorded, as Paul says, simply for our encouragement.

We shall find, if we study carefully, that the Bible says much in favor of peculiar people. The Jews were brought out from Egyptian bondage that they might serve the Lord, and be a peculiar people. Paul says in Titus 2:14 that Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” The apostle here speaks especially to those who are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” It seems, then, that the people of God need not hope to become popular in these days any more than in the past. Christ was very unpopular: “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11). Very few believed on Him, and they were of the most despised class, and at the last even these forsook Him, while he suffered the most bitter persecution. And what does he say to His disciples? If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Those, then, who are waiting for truth to become popular before accepting it, will wait in vain.

One thought in regard to this expression, “peculiar people.” The idea is not meant to be conveyed that people are to strive to make themselves conspicuous by their peculiarity. The people of God are peculiar simply because they are “zealous of good works,” in a time when men (professed Christians) are “lovers of their own selves,” “despisers of those that are good,” etc. (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Christ was peculiar in this respect, yet he was a pattern of humility. This people are to be like him; not despised on account of individual pecularities, but because of their steadfast adherence to truth. “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love His own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18, 19).

One thought more: If we keep the commandments of God, we are God’s servants. If we refuse to obey him, whose servants are we?—We certainly must be the servants of Satan. There is no neutral ground. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.” Now suppose you continue in sin, and sin is nothing else but the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), what is your prospect for living? Here is it: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). You say you cannot live if you keep all God’s commandments; God says you cannot live if you do not keep them. If your statement were true, you would only lose this present life, and many men in times past have lost their lives for the truth of God, and we honor them for it; but if you disobey God, you will lose eternal life. Jesus says: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). Satan may promise well, but he has nothing but the treasures of this world to offer, and they are all forfeited, so that he has really nothing to offer you. How different is the service of God. The apostle says: “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Who is not willing to suffer with Christ? When he endured so much for us, can we not endure a little for him? If it were possible for us to get to heaven without any suffering, would we not feel ashamed to say that we had never suffered for him? We have also this to comfort us, that whenever we suffer for the truth, he suffers with us, and accounts all injury done to his people as done to himself. And to crown all, we are assured that “if we suffer we shall also reign with him,” and that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

 (This article was taken from a pamphlet entitled “Can We Keep the Sabbath?” published November 1, 1890 by the Pacific Press Publishing Company. Editor.)

 


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