As I thought about nature and how I connect to God, or at least try to, through nature, I couldn’t help, but draw an entirely strange picture. Though nature tells me about the God of this universe, I kept seeing my life being played out in nature.

It’s starting to get hot now. In a few months, the leaves will fall and then the snow will stick. Trees look dead and the flowers are no more. Green grass becomes a little browner. Then comes Spring. The grass gets green, the trees grow leaves, the sun shines and the skies are clearer. Then the cycle starts all over again. Year after year after year for the last 22 years of my life. Seasons come and seasons go, but they always return.

Sounds a lot like my life. Seasons. My life goes through them. Does yours go through seasons? Why does my life sometimes seem like a cycle? But instead of one season lasting a few months, it lasts a few days. Friday and Saturday are like Spring. I’m rejuvenated. I’m connecting to the Giver of Life again on Sabbath. Then comes Sunday and it’s still good, but I’m definitely forgetting to water the plants that were just sown. Then comes Monday! The beginning of the work week and things begin to fall apart. The leaves that were once green, begin to dry until they fall all together come Tuesday. By the time Wednesday and Thursday roll around, I forgot any seeds were sown in my heart a few days ago. I didn’t water, I didn’t put Miracle Grow. Nothing. Even worse, there are weeds now! Where there once was healthy grass are weeds! Insects have eaten up the beautiful flowers from Saturday. And the garden that was planted is nowhere to be found. Guess it’s time to replant.

How long can we go on like this? This is not the type of Christian, the type of child our Father wants us to be. A Christian with a cycle of seasons in a matter of days. A Christian is not borne out of Church. He or she is borne out of a constant, ever-deepening relationship with the Master Designer, the Skilled Gardener. I am not suggesting we will not fall ever again. But a true cycle of cherished sin or a continual neglect of time spent with God is not a true Christian. That’s just going through the motions. There is no real heart transformation. It’s just an outward show of flowers in a vase that dies in a few days. No soil, no nutrients. It’s a planned death. Everyone knows flowers in a vase will not last you a very long time. Sure, you can have plastic flowers, but they don’t provide any fragrance. Real flowers will provide a fragrance for a few only days. That’s how it is with our spiritual lives. We need to plant our spiritual lives in soil. Pour Living Water on it. Give it some Son. Feed it with the proper nutrients like the Bread of Life. Not just once, but continually.

We must ask the Lord to free us from our seasons of communion with Him. Let it be Spring in our lives, God! Don’t forget another lesson from the seasons. It may be winter in your life right now. Life is gloomy and cold. God can provide us with resurrection! The long, cold death that the winter brings is forgotten by the resurrection of spring! The only One that can bring life from death is Jesus.

If you have seasons in your life like I do, go to Jesus. Go to Him EVERY DAY and “taste and see that the Lord is good!” Will you join me on a 30 day Journey as we make Spring the only season in our lives? I challenge you to join me on this 30 day Journey. Wake up 20 minutes earlier than you normally do to have worship by yourself or with your spouse. Every day for the next 30 days, until June 5. That’s it. For those of you that already do this, may God continue to bless you. I ask that you pray for those that will join this challenge. As we study about nature, let us partake of the Divine Nature every day. Amen.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?… So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

- Matthew 6:26-27, 31-32

As we go through life’s troubles, you can’t but wonder what tomorrow will bring. It’s hard to be at peace. Some question whether they will ever find the one. Others question whether they will make it into a certain school. Wile still other question whether they will ever find a job. Definitely, all valid concerns, right?

Remember, as we go through this study, I am not saying we should not plan for the future. We are to be responsible. We are to work diligently in school and at work. It costs money to put our children in Adventist schools. You have to plan on how you will pay for it. That’s all a given. The problem is we become so consumed with the future that we forget our God is in control. So please do not take what is said out of context. I am in NO way saying we should not work hard. As a Christian, we must always give our best in any task we have.

I know I’ve been there when I discounted the fact that God could take care of me even though I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. When looking for a job this past year, it was difficult. Coming out of a good business school with a great GPA, I thought, “Who wouldn’t want me?!” I am a shoe in for a job, right? My future was somewhat set 6 months before graduating. Government job, good salary, awesome benefits, and an FBI badge! My path was set or so I thought. Two weeks before graduation, I got a letter rescinding my offer.

The one thing I set the rest of my future on was taken from me. With the job, I could get a car, a house, pay for graduate school, maybe even support a family. Now that future was not mine. I was not at peace.

Things eventually worked out after more than 6 months, but we need to begin thinking upside down. What I mean by that is this. I thought a job would give me security and happiness. I quickly learned that only God can. Rather than placing my hope, my future on a job, or any thing, I should have my hope and future in God’s hands. In the end, the all important question is, “Am I going to be with Jesus in heaven?” It has nothing to do with position, power, prestige, degree, or career.

We mustn’t think like the rest of the world. They continually worry about this job or that. They worry about getting into that one school or attaining that one job. I am not saying we shouldn’t have ambition. I am saying to always remember that if you’re doing God’s will, you are right where you need to be! Young people around the world commit suicide if they fail an exam because they think that by failing that exam they have failed in life. Their future was based on a test. Thank God we know this life is about more than just one exam. Why do we worry ourselves with the things the world stresses about? That’s the question Jesus asked the Jews. He’s asking the same question to us. Don’t you remember the God of the fiery furnace, of the manna of the wilderness, of the divided Red Sea, of the calmed storm? Friend, that same God who holds the world in His arms is holding you! Place your trust in God. Exchange your worry for His peace, His rest. Always seek His Kingdom first because that’s what matters and He will take care of you. And remember, this world is not your home. You are just passing through.

Still worried? Don’t be. He’s holding you. He always has been. Friend, don’t just rest on Sabbath. Rest in Jesus’ arms everyday. His arms are wide open!

Focus Text: Luke 18:10-14

In America, we are taught to do things ourselves. Children are taught to be independent. They are taught to take care of themselves, support themselves, buy themselves clothes, pay for their education, and are to be self-supporting. In our culture, someone that can do these things is respected because they can do all of this on their own. In America, we are taught to be a lot more individualistic in our thinking. We are taught self-esteem, self-love, and self-sufficiency. And some things are not inherently bad, but for some ridiculous reason we have, at times, infused these concepts into our spiritual lives. That is where it really begins to hurt us.

In the parable that Jesus told, the Pharisee believed that he was worthy of God’s mercy and grace because he fasted and gave tithe. Not only that but he also judges others based upon his own self-praised deeds and standards.

On the other hand, the tax collector realizes his sin and unworthiness. He calls himself a sinner and asks God to have mercy on him. He does not praise himself for anything because he knows he is in need of a God that can forgive him.

Too often we fall into the category of the Pharisee. We think we are so good and that we do not need the mercy of God because we do the right things by “keeping the commandments”. Some of us come to church with exalted hearts. We think so highly of ourselves that when a known “sinner” walks into church, we think the same thoughts as the Pharisee. We do not even think we are in need of the words of the pastor because we are such godly people already.

Then there are those of us that have neither exalted hearts nor humbled hearts. We just don’t care much about God or anything that has to do with Him. We come to church just to come to church. In our hearts we do not believe that we really need Him. We believe that we do not need his forgiveness or grace and we continue living lives that are against His will. Although we live unholy lives, we are not convicted of our sins. We just wallow and sink further into it. We cannot and should not be like either of these types of people.

When we feel no conviction of sin, the Holy Spirit cannot work within us. Christ tells us that we must be like the publican. We have to realize our true, helpless condition. Our standard mustn’t be ourselves. Our standard must be Christ. When we see his purity and holiness, we will not be able to help but feel weak and in need of strength. When we see and behold Christ, then we can see our defects.

We must give up self-sufficiency for our sufficiency can only be found in Christ. We must give up self-glorification for we should only give glory to the Lord. We must give up self-righteousness for our righteousness is only visible through Christ. We must give up self! That is Christianity.

There is no person on this earth that is not in need of forgiveness. It does not matter how far from God you are or how close you are. All of us are in need of his mercy and grace everyday! When we become complacent and believe that we are good to go, that is when Satan begins to gain a foothold on us. We cannot keep the law without God. That is how the law leads us to Christ! Ellen White tells us in Christ’s Object Lessons that “…there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him,HiHHHd d” (160).

Friend, you and I, are in dire need of a Saviour because we cannot save ourselves. We must realize our sins, be convicted of them, repent to the Lord, and seek His forgiveness! If you think you are sin-free, you must not be thinking. And if you do not care that you are sin-sick, you must be really ill. Friend, we are all on the same boat and are infected with the same sickness. But glory be to God, for He came to heal the sick! He came for us! No matter how strong you are, no matter what degree you may have, no matter your wealth, you and I are weak, helpless, and sick.

God is there to strengthen us in our weakness. As Christians we are to live for Him in everything. We are not great by ourselves. It is He that makes us great. All glory, honor, and praise belong to Him. When we are in communion with Christ, our self-esteem comes from Him, our self-worth comes from Him, our self-love comes from Him, and everything comes from Him for He alone can make us whole!

I know that it is cliché but it is true. We are nothing without God. Nothing. No matter how great and cool we think we are. We are nothing without Him. When that will really dawn on us, I do not know. But the day that we truly understand it will be the day that we will learn to depend totally on Him. That day when we kiss self goodbye will be the day we learn what true Christianity is all about!

Sin. It is a disease that no one is exempt from and it plagues mankind. It is a disease and some of us unaware that we are infected. What I mean by that is this. In a society of moral relativism where nothing is black and white and everything is gray, some of God’s people have found themselves unable to see the ugliness, the hideousness of sin. The sinfulness of sin. Don’t worry, my friend, I’ve been there, and God forbid I fall to that place again, along with many others in the community of faith. Some of us are in a state of “what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do,” (Rom. 7:15). While others do not even consider what they are doing a sin. And if they do, they don’t really care.

I believe this moral confusion is hurting our young people. There are many struggles our young people face today. We live in a world that glorifies drunkenness and debauchery, encourages sexual impurity, selfishness, and pride, and continually blurs the line between right and wrong. A problem some youths face is pornography. It is an industry that makes million, if not billions, of dollars annually. Don’t think for one second that it does not affect people in our church. It does. In a society that jokes about masturbation, fornication, and adultery, it is easy to see why people, even in the church, struggle with it. Some fail to see the sinfulness of these sins. Some of our young people our bound by Satan to a certain sin and they are unable to break free! Dear friend! Christ can set you free!

Carefully read this passage from Steps to Christ, “Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.”

What if you’re at a place where you are sinning against God, but are unable to see the magnitude of that sin? Mrs. White counsels us that, “The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross…It was because there was no other way in which man could be saved…it was because of this that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinner’s stead.” Yeah, that’s right. He suffered because and instead of us. Because of your sins and my sins. Our King took the lashes, the nails, and the thorns so that terrible sinners, like you and me, wouldn’t have to. In fact, He did so that you and I could have crown of gold!

I don’t know what sin you are struggling with. It could be a number of things that don’t even include an outright action. It could be selfishness, an unforgiving spirit, envy, and the like. Or it could be pornography, fornication, drunkenness and the list goes on and on. I am not demanding that we become perfect by not committing a sin ever again. But I am exhorting us to truly repent. Yes, we may slip. Probably more than once. But look to the cross, my friend. Look at what heaven had to give up because of your sins.

We, yes we, need to wake up and realize how much our sins hurt our Father and Friend. You may be thinking, “Regie, I’ve tried to give up this sin, but it keeps getting me. I’ve even genuinely repented of my sin just to find myself in the same place some time later.” To you I quote from the Word, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick… For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.” “And having being set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

God is bigger than your sin. Don’t give up. Realize this. There is nothing you can do. You cannot beat Satan! But Christ can and has! When you feel like you are being tempted, read the word, say a prayer, sing a song, call a friend. Guard the portals of your mind and fill them with the things of the Spirit. Make God smile not Satan. I know you love God. And you know what? He loves you with an everlasting love. Contemplate the cross and comprehend the sinfulness of sin. Then you will truly see, YOU NEED HIM!

This week we studied about Passover and the Lord’s Supper or what we often call, Communion. What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the word “Communion”? Unfortunately, some begin thinking, “Oh, we need to go to a different church this week because there is Communion.” After talking to an elder, I found that it is the time of the year when the church is most empty. People decided to church-hop on the day of Communion. One time I told someone that I was going to a certain church on Sabbath. They replied, “You know they have Communion at that church this week, right?” What’s the difference? Is the fact that they will have Communion affect my decision as to which church to attend? Unfortunately for some of us, it does. And we are missing out on a great blessing when we do.

Let study some truths when it comes to Communion. Jesus did many things when He was on this earth. He gave sight to the blind, brought the dead to life, and made the cripple walk. Many of which we have not done. But of all things that Jesus did do on this earth, we can do what He told us to do. We can take part in the same service that Jesus did 2,000 years ago! Jesus commanded, “…do this in remembrance of Me.” As Jesus was about to give His life for his loved ones, He never wanted them to forget! Communion brings us back to Jesus. Don’t you want to remember Him and His sacrifice? That’s what we should be contemplating when we take part in Communion. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 11:26, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” So it not only brings us back to the cross, but it also takes us to the future of His return! The Gospel is wrapped in this ceremony we can be a part of.

Secondly, communion is a time of coming together as a community of faith. As brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a time when we must humble ourselves, forgive those who have wronged us, and apologize to those we have wronged. It is a time to be of service to one another and to come together as the body of Christ. In biblical times when you supped with someone it was a sign that you accepted that person. That you got along. That’s why the Pharisees were outraged that Jesus would go to the Zacchaeus’ home.

That is also why Paul, in 1 Cor. 11, exhorts the believers not to just come to eat. Some of them were eating the emblems before the church came together to eat. Because it wasn’t about individuality. It was about coming together, not in “factions” but united. So Communion is also a time to rebuild strained relationships and to be an actual family of God. Brothers and sisters. Friends. Believers of one mind and purpose.

Thirdly, Matthew 26:27 says, “Drink from it, all of you.” It’s interesting that Jesus says “all”. Yes, even Judas was to take part in this ceremony. Some people avoid Communion because they believe that they are not good enough to take part in such a holy service. They feel they’re sins are too great and their lives too far from God. Friend, that is the perfect time to take part in Communion. Paul does advise the Corinthians not to eat in an “unworthy manner”, but he is not talking about having to clean yourselves up. He’s telling us to come knowing why we’re doing what we’re doing and to humble yourself. Friend, are you a sinner in need of a Savior? Then this is the perfect time to remember WHO did what for YOU! This is the perfect time to sup with your family and your God. This is the time to remember the Savior who hung on a cross to save you from your sins and to remember that He promised to come back for you! Communion is more than just a bunch of symbols. It’s a time to renew your faith and trust your God! So do it! In this life, we can easily forget the essentials of Christianity. Communion bids us, “Remember”.

Why do we have a Seventh-day Adventist denomination? What is it that we offer that other denominations of Christianity do not have? Church membership has not been growing like it used to. The youth seem to be more excited about evangelical Christianity as opposed to anything “Adventist”. Many youth have fallen into the, “What does it matter?” mindset. Is there any longer a real need to be an Adventist as opposed to just Christian?

The modern-day idea of relativism has sucked many Adventists in, especially younger ones, to believe that it’s nice to be Adventist but it’s not much different from the beliefs of other Christians. Is that true? Do the only differences between us and other denominations have to do with the state of the dead and the Sabbath? If that’s the case, we might as well not have a denomination! There are others who already know these things.

In the beginnings of the Adventist church, which came out of the Millerite movement, people were in deep Bible study before and after the Great Disappointment. Soon they realized that they had a message to give to the world – a unique message. A message for the last days! They were preaching this newfound truth everywhere. Prophecy was being taught in ways that were not known previously. God unlocked the book of Daniel and Revelation and revealed it to man. The end-time message of Jesus’ soon return was preached and taught by young and old. There was a fire, a passion.

We have lost some, if not most, of that fire and passion. We have gone astray from the true teachings of the Bible. We are so afraid of sounding legalistic and arrogant that we just preach the same sermons the Evangelical world preaches and teaches. We are so afraid of saying words like, “judgment”, “investigative”, “Sabbath”, “last days” that we have become another common denomination who just wants to be separate for the sake of being separate. I am not saying that preaching and teaching the world about the love of Jesus is useless. Far be it from the TRUTH. But we have convinced ourselves that that’s all that matters. We fail to realize that the love of Jesus is in judgment, the Sabbath and prophecy! It is not, and never should be, separate.

Unfortunately, society has made it so. You see the modern world is trying to paint God into Santa Claus when He’s not. He is the Almighty who is to be feared and revered. He is not just the Mediator, He is also the Judge. He builds up and He takes down. The same God that showed mercy to Nineveh is the same God that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The same God, who died on the cross for our sins, will destroy those who choose not to be on His side when Judgment Day comes. That’s the facts. You see, He is the Lion of Judah, but also the Lamb of God that was slaughtered. He is merciful, but He is just. We cannot give the world half a Gospel. The Gospel is not just the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Good News is found in the entire Bible! The Sabbath is Good News, prophecy is Good News, and judgment is Good News. Why? It is because Jesus is the center of all those things and more. He is the center of the entire Bible! He is not contained in just the first four books of the New Testament.

Now, there is a danger of becoming so “Adventist” that we are no longer Christians. You know what I mean? We get so engulfed in the doctrine of the Adventist church that we don’t show the love of Jesus. We become Bible-thumpers instead of Bible-revealers. Some people become so engulfed in Judgment that they walk around telling everyone they are going to Hell. All of our Adventist teaching must be connected to the root, which is Jesus. The center of all of our teachings must be Jesus. However, we must not shy away from teaching others the truths that have been revealed to our church for this day! We have a message no one else has and we must share it with the love of Jesus in our hearts!

Friend, why are you an Adventist? Do you truly know what that means or have you just accepted it since childhood? Some truths in the books of Daniel and Revelation were sealed up for time, but they have been unsealed. Do you know these truths? I’ll be the first to admit that the Adventist church is not perfect nor are its members. However, the Biblical truths that the Adventist church has cannot be refuted when thoroughly studied. I encourage you to learn them so that you may draw closer to Jesus. You will be astonished. The best thing the Devil could have done is to make us believe that we are not a Church with a message to be preached. That way no message would be given to the world and he would destroy more souls.

Let us not let that happen! Study the prophecies – 2300 day prophecy, 1260 day/42 month prophecy. Study the investigative judgment and the 3 Angels’ Message. Study it all not to be “more” Adventist, but to learn more about Jesus. Keep Him at the center of your study and you will see that this is not separate from the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is part of it. Learn what this last day message is all about. Then don’t just sit and study, spread it. Don’t be scared to be a Seventh-day Adventist!

*For more on this topic read “The Apocalyptic Vision and the Neutering of Adventism” by George Knight

Of all the oxymorons I know, this one takes the cake – “a loveless Christian”. That has got to be the biggest oxymoron of all. Yet, many of us fall into this category every so often if not all the time. We have been so sucked into this world of revenge, payback, anger, malice, and hatred that we have slipped into the gray area again. We have been influenced by the world so much so that we do not even know what loving our brother or sister in Christ even means or entails.

I believe that in order to forgive we must first learn to love. A Christian that does not have love is no Christian at all. Christ gave us the two greatest commandments and they both had to do with LOVE! Love for God and love for man. How can we claim to be followers of Christ and not obey His commands? Also, 1 John 4 tells us that God is love. This means that if we do not love we do not know God.

Do you love God? If so, that automatically means you must love your brothers and sisters. But, how are we supposed to love others? First, we must throw away the world’s definition of how to love others. The world tells us to be “nice.” The world tells us to be polite. So we walk around with this mask, this façade. We do not care for the other person. We are just nice to them when they are around us. Essentially, we act like we love them. THIS IS NOT WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO! This shows that there is no real change or transformation of the heart. We are not a new creation. We still harbor anger and hatred for that person. We have simply sugar-coated ourselves to seem sweet on the outside, but on the inside we are still the same loveless person.

The world tells us to simply forget about that person that we don’t like and to move on with our lives. Christ tells us to forgive that person if they have wronged us. If we do not forgive, our Father will not forgive us. Christ also tells us that we should be reconciled to our brother before we even bring an offering to Him! We need to have love in our hearts in order to forgive.

So how do we love? We love others just as Christ has loved us. Ellen White tells us in Christ’s Object Lessons that if “you are in communion with Christ, you will place His estimate upon every human being. You will feel for others the same deep love that Christ has felt for you,” (197). That is a high calling, isn’t it? But that’s what it means to be a real Christian. We are to love others with the kind of love that this world knows nothing about. This means loving a person even when the hurt us, loving others when they don’t love us and loving when they don’t seem worthy of our love. That is what we are called to do.

First, we must realize that we are not worthy of God’s love for we are sinners. Yet, we seem to forget this fact. We count ourselves better than others when, in fact, we are all the same. We are all sinners.

Another question you may have is why we should love others if we simply don’t like them? If you’re thinking, “Well Regie, I don’t hate them I just don’t like them very much.” Mrs. White also says something very profound and hard-hitting concerning this. Please read it carefully. She says, “The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect on our association with every member of the human family…The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those whom Christ died. He does not love others because they love and please him, but because they areChrist’s purchased possession,” (102). That is why we ought to love others. Because they too are Christ’s purchased possession just like you! If we could only see all our enemies, friends and family like this, we would truly know what God means when he told us to love one another.

Now, let’s be real. We have trouble loving our own family and friends let alone our enemies. So start with the basics. Begin by loving your close family and friends as we are to do. Let’s stop being fake Christians. Let’s stop living in the gray area and begin living a life of love. Let’s stop being Christians who preach love but practice hate. Let’s stop being Christians who seek to be forgiven but never seek to forgive!

Friend, Christ is coming soon to take His chosen to heaven. Who is to say that the person whom you do not love or forgive won’t be in heaven? Are you really going to be avoiding them there too? How can we think to be in heaven when we are unable to obey God’s command to love others here?! 1 John 3:15 says, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” 1 John 4:21 tells us that we MUST love others. We must love not tolerate. We must love not avoid. We must love not ignore. We must love, period!

If there is a problem with you and someone else, try to make things right now. God has given you the time now to make things right. You do not know if they will be here tomorrow. You do not know if you will be here tomorrow. God has given you time now so do it now! You must do your part as a child of God, as a Christian. Don’t stay in that gray area between love and hate. Don’t take on the world’s definition of love. Learn about it from the Bible. If we are to be one with Christ, the love He has showed us must be shown to others through us. Love and forgive others JUST AS GOD LOVES AND FORGIVES YOU! Don’t be a loveless Christian for there is no such thing. Love and forgive! This is God’s command to EVERY Christian! And yes, that means you!

Fortunately, the royal family was not harmed in the overthrow as they fled. They moved to another land, where they were safe. No citizen was allowed to leave Warad’s land. The land was in great strife. Famine, hunger, disease, and death plagued the city. Warad lived a lavish lifestyle but he did not care for his citizens.

Meanwhile the former King, Abba’el, learned of all that was taking place in Warad’s kingdom from local traders. His heart was crushed. People that he had had dinner with were dying from hunger. Young girls whom he cared for were being taking advantage of and their innocence was stolen from them. His extended families whom he loved so much were in a land of slavery. He had to regain the city. Warad needed to be dethroned. The King told his family of his plan. He was going to enter the city as a local trader the next time his trader friends came through. The mother of Abba’el was in tears as was his son. She knew that Warad would kill him as soon as he found out that he was there. She begged him not to go but Abba’el could only think about his people.

Abba’el set out as a trader wearing sandals and dirty clothes. A man, who was once king, now wore torn sandals and dirty clothes. As soon as he entered the city after many years, tears began to fill his eyes. His friend told him to hold himself together before the guards noticed him. He saw his aunt’s children feeding the pigs in a sty with barely any clothes on. Trash filled the streets. Abba’el could not even recognize some friends because of their condition. At times, he didn’t even want to open his eyes.

To make a long story short, Abba’el secretly met with his friends and told them of his plan. His former guards agreed to help. They had weapons stored away in various secret places. Again, Abba’el began to cry as he embraced his friends. Thinking of his family in this city, he set out to regain his throne. Death was imminent but his love for the people of Mesopotamia kept him going. Even his mother could not stop him.

He only had a few soldiers with him compared to Warad’s vast army but he raided the palace anyway. He fought and battled. A sword pierced his back and blood flowed from his body. He turned and saw it was Warad. Warad looked him in the eyes and stabbed him again. He cried aloud, screaming from the pain, but he was not going to give up. His soldiers heard his cry and came to where he was and they together took down Warad. But Abba’el wasn’t going to make it. He was losing too much blood. He gasped for air and said, “Tell the people that they are no longer in slavery. They are free. They no longer need to live in the way Warad had them living. Also, tell my whole family that I love them.” With that said, he died in the arms of his soldiers. (His son succeeded him.)

“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, by Abraham’s descendants” – Hebrews 2:14-16

Abba’el gave his life in order to give his people freedom from Warad-Sin. Not for his own gain but because of love. I must confess to you. That story you read is not real. I made it up. Sorry for misleading you. You think Abba’el loved his people and you think he did a lot for them? Christ does that and SO MUCH MORE and He lives! But what emotions did you feel when you read that story? What emotions do you feel when you read about the story of Jesus Christ? Any difference? The story of Christ should shake us every time!

Jesus Christ came down to this earth to free you from the devil, from Satan, the author of sin, but we take this so lightly. We take Christ’s sacrifice so lightly. Why are we unable to truly appreciate the sacrifice he made? Why are we unable to understand that He, the King, really loves us? The King robed in all his glory and honor came down to this dirty earth wearing sandals. Becoming one of us. His own creation. The Creator made himself to be one of the creations! Leaving the glory, security, wealth, and power of heaven, he came to earth. Doesn’t that amaze you? Doesn’t that make you want to get to know Him?! If we really appreciated what God did for us, we would spend every moment we could with Him and be a true disciple? Isn’t that ridiculous? That we don’t truly appreciate Him and His sacrifice?!

I created that story to try to show a tiny glimpse of what Christ did to free us! He feels every hurt you do. Every tear that you cry, He cries. He came to free us. And because He really paid the ultimate price, we can have FREEDOM! What a God! What a Savior! What a Friend! Will you spend time with Abba, your Heavenly Father? Will you be a disciple for Him? Will you be a soldier for this King? He loves you so much. Why not see for yourself? You will not be disappointed. Appreciation for Christ’s propitiation for our sins will lead us to realize our transgression, which will lead us to confession, which will lead us to compassion for God and others, which will ultimately lead us to salvation. So, do you truly appreciate Christ? Who is He to you? Just another story or the REAL and LIVING Son of God? Need a job? He’s hiring. Be a disciple.

I wonder what the disciples’ parents thought when they decided to follow Jesus. When they decided to leave all they had and follow this Teacher. Matthew was a tax collector. He was making good money. A few of the others were fishermen, at least they had a living. Now, they were just going to be vagabonds. Traveling from one place to another as their Teacher preached, taught, and healed. Did the disciples’ parents ever think, “Wow. What happened to my child? He was supposed to be successful. He was at least supposed to have a family and an actual job because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

            If Jesus were living on earth today and this was His first coming, would you be willing to follow Him when He called? Are you willing to follow Him now when He calls? I wonder if we have gotten so inundated with the daily grind, that we just assume life is supposed to be a certain way. Have we declared that the life we want is God’s will? We hear pastors, even secular teachers say, “It’s not about the money, or the car, or the house. It’s about being happy.” Do we really believe that? Are we really willing to forgo a $90,000 job to be a missionary in the poorest places on earth? Are our families willing to let us go down that road? It’s something to think about. We often talk about people who gave their lives for Christ. We respect them. We even talk about them in church. But are we willing to ever do that if we were called to?

            So who is blessed? Often, we think that blessings only come in material form. If we see someone “successful” meaning they have a good job, seemingly happy family, nice car, and a beautiful house, we say, “God has really blessed them.” Granted, that may surely be the blessings of God pouring down on them, but the absence of those things does not mean God is not blessing. What about the person who hasn’t found a job for 3 months and is been rejected time after time? Do we automatically assume God is not blessing them because they don’t have a job?! Absolutely not! Is not salvation the most important possession? If that is yours, everything else pales in comparison. If that person has an intimate relationship with Jesus, they are better off than one who is wealthy and not intimate with Jesus.

            Friend, I don’t know where you are in your life. However, it’s important for everyone to truly commune with God daily. Sure, we can fashion, mold, and plan our lives, but are we going where God wants us to go? It’s a difficult question. I want you to think about what you are willing to give up if God were to call you into a job such as missionary work. The answer should be ‘all’.

 I leave you with this question. Were the disciples blessed? While Jesus was on earth they lived from day to day. When He left, they were not much better off. They were tortured, exiled, even killed! Yet, we sit in our pews and learn about these men without ever thinking that what was asked of them is asked of us. “Give your all to God.” Should we not think the same way? We live and breathe for our Creator. We live and breathe for His glory. The beatitudes never called blessed one who had the things we now attribute to the “blessed”. Read them over in Matthew 5. What Jesus calls blessed is a far cry from what we often call blessed. Then ask yourself this question, “Are you blessed?” If you have Jesus, my friend, YOU ARE BLESSED!

Amen.

            Healthful living is definitely about what we eat, but it is also about being active. Getting exercise to strengthen our muscles, boost our immune system, and a host of other benefits. Exercise was not mentioned in the lesson and it is an oft forgotten aspect in our health message. In a day of e-mailing, text messaging, iPod listening, and TV watching, people are not as active as they once were. We have many vegetarian and even vegan Adventists who eat the right foods but don’t couple it with exercise. And some of them are just as overweight and unhealthy as the non-believing meat eating person.

            Beyond exercise, we must look to the condition of our heart – spiritually. There are some “great” Adventists who live by the health principles but don’t know how to smile when they are at church. The do not know how to extend a helping hand to someone in need. They do not know how to look at someone without being judgmental. They create rifts in the church and walk around with a sense of pride and arrogance because they can quote the most from Mrs. White and they follow the health principles. My friend, this type of person may be worse off than all the rest!

            Please do not misunderstand me. I believe the health principles laid out by Mrs. White are important. I have read many of her books and she is, by far, my favorite author and I believe that she was a prophetess. However, our folly as church is that we sometimes put health before love. We put Testimonies to the Church before The Holy Bible. We put Mrs. White before Christ. That is what we must be careful of. Mrs. White amplified what was said previously but she by no means overrode the things of God’s Holy Word. She repeated that time after time in her writings.

            In Mark 7, the Pharisees brought a charge against Christ’s disciples because they did not wash their hands in a special way before eating. To the Pharisees, the disciples were unclean because their hands were unclean which made the food unclean which made them unclean. To this Christ said, “Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:18-23).

            I must note that when Christ said “purifying all foods” He was not saying all foods are now clean for us to eat. If you look at the context, you will notice that He is saying that the body cleanses these foods by excreting it from our bodies. Essentially he is saying, “Even if my disciples don’t wash their hands in your special way, whatever dirt enters their bodies because they did not wash their hands will be excreted from the body. ‘Thus purifying all foods.’ But that which comes from a man’s heart is not excreted.”