Sabbath

WATCH MANOfficial Organ of the Seventh-day Adventist Reformed Church, American Union

Vol. 46, No. 3June 1971

7 ROSE early.I started to read my Bible.

The morning paper thumpedthe front porch just then.

I scanned the headlines andsettled on the comic page.

I must read my Bible.Oh, oh, seven-thirty, and time for

the news broadcast.Breakfast to get—John must have

his meals on time.Schooltime. “There, there, Mary,

run along now, or you’ll beate.

Dishwashirig. Oh, dear, sweepingand cleaning; always so muchto do.

Sewing, darning. These children—how careless they are!

The mailman. Home Journal, anda continued story.

My, My! Got so interested Imissed that radio program.

Lunch time, and here comes Mary.‘‘DeaE child, Mother’s been sobusy this morning. Can you eata cold lunch today?”

“Yes, dear, meet Mother at theMajestic and after the picturewe’ll come home with Daddy.”

“Y’know, John, I promised theSmiths we’d be over a whileafter supper.”

Oh, hum; eleven o’clock. Didn’tthink we’d stay so late.

Must get to bed.Oh, here’s my Bible.I’m just dead for sleep.G’night.

—Glenn H. Hazelrigg

Rev. 18:1

on

AMERICAN UNION CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT -See page 3

‘lit‘ubbatl Watrtmau

IN THIS ISSUE

A Call to Service

Announcement— American Union

Conference

The Remnant in Prophecy.

Wooing the World in Poland

The Problem of Suffering .

Blind Date for Eternity? .

Youth for Truth

Is Your Life on Course?Trans-A-Word Puzzle.Admonition according to

2 Peter 1:3-8

Courtesy

News from Home and Abroad

Missionary Report from S. Africa.

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

In the February issue of The Sabbath Watchman I addressed myself to all

of you with a general report on the state of the work and the various plans

that have been made to advance it. We praise the Lord for His marvelous

blessings in the past. We see His hand guiding us, for in the past few months

we have met three groups of people to whom we could effectively witness for

the present truth. We have good hopes that with God’s help actual results

will be seen from these contacts.

In my last letter, I implied that there would be ways in which you, the lay

member, could actively help us in the work of saving souls. I will now lay

some of these plans before you in this issue of The Sabbath Watchman.

In the wonderful book, Christian Service, I came upon a statement on p. 61,

which says: “Those who have the spiritual oversight of the church should

devise ways and means by which an opportunity may be given to every member

of the church to act some part in God’s work. Too often in the past this has

not been done. Plans have not been clearly laid and fully carried out, where

by the talents of all might be employed in active service. There are but few

who realize how much has been lost because of this.”

“Church members must work; they must educate themselves, striving to

reach the high standard set before them. This the Lord will help them to

i’each if they will cooperate with Him.” —Testimonies, Vol.9, p. 140.

These statements are very clear. The mission of the church does not rest

upon ministers and Bible workers alone. Every member should take an active

part in the work. We will not be able to claim the reward of a faithful servant

if we have not committed ourselves in a personal way to the cause of God on

earth. Therefore, at the last session of the Union Conference Committee, we

devised some ways and means by which every lay member can take part in

spreading the last message. At this time I want to present two plans to you;

you may choose one or both for your personal program.

I. OPERATION BLANKET

1. The first step is to secure a supply of free enrollment cards for the

Know Your Bible Correspondence Course. They may be obtained from the

American Union Office in Denver. (See the Order Form inserted in this

issue. 1hhen ordering, please state about how many cards you wish.)

2. Take your local telephone directory and, beginning at Page 1 of the

2 listings, send a card to each address listed there. The telephone company

will usually provide directories for other areas as well upon request.

3. Coordinate your work with others in the same church, so that you will

8not overlap.

10 4. Inquire at the Post Office as to how many identical pieces of mail are

13 required to qualify for reduced rates.5. If you cannot handle this large a number by yourself, join with others

in your area to achieve the required number.

6. A reasonable minimum goal might be set at one page per person per

17month.

19In this way we will be able systematically to blanket cities and towns

with offers to enroll in the Correspondence Course. Perhaps this will be the

20 To page 20

A Call to ServiceTHE SABBATH WATCHMAN, the official

organ of the Seventh-day Adventist ReformMovement, American IJnion, has been published continuously since 1926. Its aim is toproclaim the straight truth and elevate thestandard of the threefold angel’s message.

World War I saw responsible men of theSeventh-day Adventist Church publicly declaring it to be the duty of all Adventist mento defend their respective countries withweapons in hand and even on the Sabbath.Hundreds of staunch believers protested thisstand, but their protest was not heeded andthey were disfellowshipped against theirwishes. All attempts to reunite on the oldplatform of truth have failed. This was thebirth of the Reform Movement, which today isrepresented in all major countries.

*

Editor: 0. KramerSpecial Contributors: M. P. Ringelberg,

H. H. Kramer

*

Address correspondence intended for theAmerican Union and remittances coveringtithes and offerings (bank draft or moneyorder) to: International Missionary Society,S.D. A. Reform Movement, 3905 East 16thAvenue, Denver, Colorado 80206.

*

Subscriptions: $3.50 per year in advance.Orders and remittances for literature shouldbe sent to: Religious Liberty PublishingAssn., 5420 San Francisco Boulevard,Sacramento, California 95820.

*

Foreign Offices:Canada: P.O. Box 401, Hamilton, Ontario.Australia: 121 Toongabbie Road, Toongabbie,

N.S.W. 2146.England: 2 Stanle.igh Road, Overseal, Nr.

Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.Philippines: Box 1642, Manila, Philippines.South Africa: 98 Bertha Street, Turfiontein,

Johannesburg, Transvaal.Other Offices: Argentina, Austria, Bolivia,Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark,El Salvador, Equador, Finland, Germany,Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Italy, Mexico,Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Sweden,Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugo slavia.

The spirit of unselfish labor forothers gives depth, stability, andChristlike loveliness to thecharacter, and brings peace andhappiness to its possessor.

1517

2 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

ANNOUNCEMENT

AMERICAN UNION CONFERENCETo be held Tuesday, June 15 to Sunday, June 20, 1971

At PONDEROSA BAPTIST ASSEMBLY CAMP, Larkspur, Colorado

“And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, 0 Lord:Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord?who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto theLord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of thesaints, and to be had in reverence of all them that areabout Him.” Psalm 89:5-7.

AS TIME ticks on toward eternity, we are now abouttwo years closer to the coming of Jesus than we were

at our last Union Conference. Oh, how fast these daysfly! But inevitably one day it will be our last conferenceon earth before the final, soul-stirring struggle will breakupon us. But what should we be doing in the meantime?Shall we like so many others lose our heavenly visionand drop by the wayside lust before the goal is reached,and have our vacancies filled by others? God forbid!Let us determine that by God’s grace and the imputed andimparted righteousness of our precious Redeemer we willgo through to the kingdom. But it takes all to buy thefield, we are told. All? Yes, all—body, soul, and spirit!Let us invest our whole being in the cause of God. TheLord has graciously promised food, shelter, and clothingduring our solourn here. And in spite of the struggle forexistence, Jesus asks us today, ‘‘Lacked ye any thing?”Luke 22:35. “And having food and raiment let us betherewith cOntent. But godliness with contentment isgreat gain.” 1 Tim. 6:8,6.

Now once again,the call comes to you to cicrifice yourtime arid means for a happy reunion with those of likepreclou faith at the 1971 Americcin Union Conference.Yet, beyond this, the most important oblect is to refreshyOur soul with the divine blessings of His Word arid befortified again for the battles ahead.

Is If worth it? Most certainly it is! No better investment can be made. It will ay dividends in your soul’ssalvation. Only eternity will fully reveal the inestimablevalue of conference sessions. If you have been richlyblessed in the past, you may believe with assurance thatfhi time you will receive even greater blessings. Haveyou ever regretted the efforts spent to come to a pastconference? Nor will you this time. You are cordiallyinvited, not only by your brethren but by the OmnipotentHimself, who wishes to meet with His people on thisoccasion. He has told us through His delegated Servant:

‘‘Brethren and sisters, it would be far better for you tolet your business suffer than to neglect the opportunityof hearing the message God has for you. Make no excusethat will keep you from gaining every spiritual advantagepossible. You need every ray of light. You need tobecome qualified to give a reason of the hope that is inyou with meekness and fear. You cannot afford to loseone such privilege.” —Testimonies, Vol.6, p. 39.

“The ob1ect of a camp meeting is to lead all to separate from business cares and burdens, and devote a fewdays exclusively to seeking the Lord. We should occupythe time in self-examination, close searching of heart,penitential confession of sins, and renewing our vows to

June 1971 3

the Most High. If any come to these meetings for lessworthy objects, we hope the character of the meeting willbe such as to bring their minds to the proper ob1ects.

‘‘Let all who possibly can, attend these. . . gatherings.All should feel that God requires this of them. If they donot avail themselves of the privileges which He has provided for them to become strong in Him and in the powerof His grace, they will grow weaker and weaker, and haveless and less desire to consecrate all to Him. Come,brethren and sisters, to these sacred convocation meetings, to find Jesus. He will come up to the feast; He willbe present, and will do for you that which you need mostto have done....

‘‘You must make efforts if you have salvation at last.Come to these meetings prepared to work. Leave yourhome cares, and come to find Jesus, and He will befound of you. Come with your offerings as God hasblessed you. Show your gratitude to your Creator, theGiver of all your benefits, by a freewill offering. Letnone who are able to give come empty-handed.

“All the treasures you possess, be they ever so valuable, would not be rich enough to buy you peace and hope,which would be infinite gain at the cost of all you haveand the toils and sufferings of a lifetime. A strong,clear sense of eternal things, and a heart willing toyield all to Christ, are blessings of more value than allthe riches and pleasures and glories of this world.”—Testimonies, Vol. 2, pp. 601, 600.

TIME AND PLACEThis year we have secured a lovely campground in

Colorado, not far from Denver, called the “PonderosaBaptist Assembly Camp,” near the town of Larkspur, f orremoved from the city noise and confusion. Here we wishto spend our time from Tuesday evening, June 15, toSunday noon, June 20, in study, meditation, thanksgiving,visiting, counselling, and planning for the furtherance ofGod’s cause in America. Plan to arrive in the earlyafternoon; supper will be served Tuesday evening. Let

.t our prayers now arise to the Throne of Mercy for a specialinfilling of the Holy Spirit on this solemn occasion.

OUR SPECIAL GUESTIt is a special privilege to announce that our dear

Elder S. Gutknecht, President of the General Conference,is scheduled to be our distinguished guest during theseconference days. He will serve us with the Word andand with his personal, experienced counsel.

RESERVATIONSMail the attached reservation card iMMEDIATELY to

inform the Union Office of your coming and of how manywill be in your party so that necessary arrangements forfood and lodging can be made. It would be well if youcould also advise the Union Office if you will be arrivingin Denver by plane; we will then arrange transportationfor you to the conference grounds.

DELEGATES

We request each Church Secretory to report immediatelyto the Union Office in Denver the names of your church’selected delegates. The first Delegates’ Session will beat 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 15, at the campground. Eachdelegate should plan to arrive early at the camp.

COST

The complete cost for the 5 days’ lodging and mealsis $23.50 per person (adult). Children up to 8 years arehalf price. Infants are free.

WHAT TO BRINGBring with you, first of all, the sunshine of heaven.

For your study bring your Bibles, Sabbath School Lessons, Hymnals, and your special song books. For specialsongs and music bring your instruments and sheet music.To take notes, bring paper or writing pads. And do not

4 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

forget your cameras for those extra pictures you mightwant later.

For your physical comfort, bring your own sheets,pillowcases, and blankets or sleeping bags, to keepwarm even on cool nights, and perhaps a spore towel.Beds and pillows are furnished. All your meals will beprovided.

The sanitary facilities of the camp are excellent, withhot and cold showers and splendid outdoor recreation tomake your stay enjoyable and pleasant.

DIRECTIONS

The Ponderosa Baptist Assembly Camp is locatedabout midway between Denver ond Colorado Springs.

From Denver: Travel on Interstate 25 south to Exit 74,as indicated on the map below; then follow County LineRoad east. There is a wooden sign at the Furrow Roodintersection pointing north. Go one-half mile to the camp.

From Colorado Springs: Travel north on Interstate 25,leaving the freeway at Exit 74 and going east on CountyLine Road; then follow the signs (see map).

Those coming by bus should go to Colorado Springs.Then they may call the Camp at 481-2482 and ask to bepicked up.

We pray that God will give all of you — believers andfriends — a safe journey. We look forward to seeing youand to partaking of a wonderful spiritual feast.

THE BRETHREN

LIGHT SHINING OUT OF DARKNESS

Thus far the Lord hath led us on—in darkness and in day,

Through all the varied stages of the narrow homeward way.

Long since, He took that journey, He trod that path alone;

Its trials and its dangers full well Himself bath known.

Thus far the Lord hath led us—the promise has not failed,

The enemy encountered oft has never quite prevailed;

The shield of faith has turned aside or quenched each

fiery dart;

The Spirit’s sword in weakest hands has forced him to

depart.

Thus far the Lord hath led us—the waters have been high,

But yet in passing through them we felt that He was nigh.

A very present helper in trouble we have found,

His comforts most abounded when our sorrows did abound.

Thus far the Lord bath led us—our need has been supplied,

And mercy has encompassed us about on every side;

Still falls the daily manna, the pure rock-fountains flow,

And many flowers of love and hope along the wayside grow.

Calmly we look behind us, on joys and sorrows past;

We know that all is mercy now, and shall be well at last.

Calmly we look before us—we fear no future ill;

Enough for safety and for peace, if Thou art with us still.

Yes, “they that know Thy name, 0 Lord, shall put their

trust in Thee,”

While nothing in themselves but sin and helplessness

they see.

The race Thou hast appointed us with patience we can run;

Thou wilt perform unto the end the work Thou hast begun.

—Jane Borthwick

June 1971 5

THETHE term “remnant” has played a significant role in

the history of the church of God all through the ages.Often it has been an identification mark synonymous withfaithfulness in the face of apostasy and resultant persecution. Thus we find this term applied to the faithfulpeople of God in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, Isaiahand Jeremiah, as well as the minor prophets. In the NewTestament dispensation the apostle Paul speaks withgreat conviction about the remnant that existed in histime (Rom. 11:5). Seventh-day Adventists have alsoused this term frequently in their literature and thespoken word. We find it used often in the Testimoniesfor the Church in reference to God’s faithful people inthe last days. Although this term is very common andmany may take it for granted that it can mean only onething, some may be startled to discover that “the remnant” can only apply to a certain class of people inthese last days; it does not automatically include all ofan organization, membership or church.

One of the most outstanding New Testament texts thatuses this phrase—”the remnant” —is Revelation 12:17.

Instead of going through Revelation 12 verse by verse,let us simply summarize in brief strokes the history ofGod’s church in the Christian era. The pure womanstanding on the moon, clothed in the glory of the sun,and having a crown with twelve stars on her head, represents the church of Christ as it emerges from the olddispensation into the new Christian era. As the moonreflects the light of the sun, so the Old Testamenthistory of the chosen people of God is now illuminatedthrough the advent of the Messiah. The church iscrowned with a new organizational concept — the twelveapostles. To make certain that the reader understandsthe transitional period from the old to the new era, thecircumstances of the birth of Christ are explained. Thewoman obviously stands first of all for the people ofGod at that very time, the Jewish nation, since Christwas born among the Jews. Then we are shown how Herodattempts to take His life and how Christ escapes, ascends to His Father, and sits on His throne.

When this brief introduction is over and we are certainthat we have the Christian church before us, the prophetJohn takes a big leap over the early centuries and plunges directly into one of the most fascinating and mostclearly documented periods of church history. This isthe dark Middle Ages of papal supremacy. There is noquestion about the proper identification of this period,since no other period is so well described by the prophetic word. This period of trial is mentioned no less thanseven times, each time in different words, and alwaysapplies to the very same events; namely, the persecutionand oppression of the church.

REMNANTOne significant point should not be overlooked when

we seek for identification of Christ’s faithful followersduring this period. Who were these people whom Godrecognized as His own? History tells us that they embraced the light of the Scriptures and defended them withtheir lives and property even though under the severestoppression. The early Walderises and Albigenses, theHuguenots, the Anabaptists, later the great Reformers

and their followers, such as Hussand Jerome, Luther, Calvin,

Wycliffe, Zwingli, Wesley andmany other illustrious

stars in the religiousfirmament, were in their

turn the torchbearers ofGod’s truth.

Today we recognize asthe descendants of these

faithful Protestants thevarious Protestant de

nominations still inexistence. To illustrate

the variety of denominationalbackgrounds of people who will

ingly embraced the light whenthe time for revival came, welook at the people who accepted

the message of William Millerin the 1800’s. Among these

early Adventists we count9 Baptists, of whom Millerwas one, 11 Methodists,2 Presbyterian-Congrega

I

6 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

IN PROPHECYBy M. P. RINGELBERG

tionalists, 3 Congregationalists, 5 of the ChristianConnection, 1 Episcopalian, 1 Methodist- Protestant,3 Freewill Baptists, 1 Protestant Episcopalian, and 2Christians. In addition to these direct co-workers ofMiller, we know of Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, andSeventh-day Baptist ministers.

These, then, were all denominations that were open tothe truth of God as it came to them. The time had notcome, in this great revival of the Advent Movement, tocrystallize the present truth as we know it now; all thesechurches, each holding a portion of revealed truth, wereregarded as God’s people. The woman fled into thewilderness. This symbol embraces all these variousgroups and denominations at large.

As an interlude, the prophet John gives us a briefglimpse behind the curtains to see what has happened inheaven; he reveals the origin of the great adversary, thedevil, now cast down to this earth. Then he takes upthe thread of the vision in verse 13, when he states thatwhen the dragon saw that he was cast onto the earth, hepersecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.In the next verse we are again placed exactly in thesame position as in verse 6. Again the time and theevent are reiterated; namely, the 1,260 years of papalpersecution during the Dark Ages.

The church period of Thyatira of Revelation 2 corresponds with this same period of apostasy. It is clearlydefined by the rise of the bishop of Rome to the rulershipof Christendom in A.D. 538 and then the fall of that samepapal system when the ruling pope was taken captive bythe French General Berthier in 1798.

During its reign, the papal Power had so inflamed thepopulation and the governing bodies of the time againstthe true Christians that prophecy describes it as a floodthat was cast out of the motith of the dragon to swallowup the saints. The civilian governments of the countriesof Europe were so completely subjected to the church ofRome that they willingly used theft authority to driveout, massacre, or otherwise harass the Protestant believers in God’s Word. It is no wonder, then, that the discovery and rise in importance of America was seen as adivine intervehtion to provide a place of refuge for thepersecuted saiflts This mOmentous phase is indicatedin the prophecy by verse 16, in which it is stated thatthe eatth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood.The flood of Waters, according to Rev. 17:15, representspeople, masses of people; the earth, the exact oppositeof water, obviously referred to the vast, endless Wastesof America, a new world with very few people. The earthhelped the woman, and it was a very real assistance,indeed,

The church’s theatre of operations has now movedacross the ocean to a new continent, America. It is tobe expected, then, that God would continue His people’shistory in this country. The descendants of the Protestants came to these shores and settled with their ideasand understanding of the truth. But here they were to beseverely tested. Of theft condition it was stated, “Iknow thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest,and art dead.” Rev. 3:1.

In this condition they could not remain God’s chosenpeople, His representative church; a revival and reformation was necessary. This opportunity and test came tothem in the great Advent Movement of 1833-1844. Weknow the results of this test. After the bitter disappointment of 1843 and again in 1844, these churches rejectedand repudiated their acceptance of the light.

The message “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” was nowjustly applied to the various denominations of Protestantism. They reverted back to the doctrines that came fromapostasy and Rome, and thus by rejecting the light theyceased to be God’s people as a church. We do, of course,recognize that today there are still many sincere childrenof God in these fallen churches and that they will taketheir stand when the final issues are brought to them.

But it is important to note that the “woman” in ourprophecy denoted at this stage the various Protestantchurches that were to make room for the next phase ofhistory; namely, God’s chosen people for the latter days,the faithful who believe in His second coming, theAdventists. In 1844, when the Advent Movement waslargely rejected by the popular churches of that day,those who nevertheless held fast and continued in theirfaith in God’s revelation were the ones who formed thecOntinuation of God’s church. The prophecy recognizesthem as the “seed of the woman.”

Often Seventh-day Adventists stop and rest here,secure in the knowledge that they are the people of Godand nothing can happen to them. This is a dangerousposition. In the prophecy there is room for one morestep. The prophet states very clearly that the dragon ismaking war not with the seed of the woman, but in thefinal stages the conflict is confined to the remnant of herseed.

It is apparent, then, that it is not the seed that keepsthe commandments of God and has the faith of Jesus, butrather the remnant of her seed.

In the history of the Advent Movement, which is contemporary to us, we have witnessed just such a development. The large Seventh-day Adventist Church, havinggrown rich and increased with goods, having need ofnothing, fostering a spirit of pride and self-complacency,is perfectly described in the letter to the Laodiceans.

June 1971 7

The true characteristics of the Remnant Church are nolonger found in the large Seventh-day Adventist Church.Therefore the appellation, “the remnant,” cannot rightfully be applied to this church in its present conditiOn.It has adopted a different foundation, while using the oldterminology; and it is guided by different principles,while claiming to be the commandment-keeping people.It is earmarked by the prophet asthe seed of the woman--once a pure and holy church, but not shown to be goingthrough to the end.

It is the remnant that is denoted as the final repairerof the breach at the time when the great test will cometo every believer. It is this remnant that lifts up thebanner of truth, even though advised to lower it in viewof opposition and in order to safeguard the denomination’s institutions and property. Therefore, when thefinal test of the Sunday law comes and is forced upon thepopulation of the world, the lukewarm Adventists willnot really be affected, since now in times of peace andprosperity they have already compromised their positionon the commandments of God with the various governments of the world. As long as the Adventist Churchremains in this abominable, lukewarm condition, it issimply inconceivable that it ever will be asked to bearthe brunt of displeasure from the nations. It is diligentlyweaving a shield of goodwill and popularity around itselfat the expense of faithful adherence to the light andresponsibility that was granted to it in grace.

Often Adventist leaders argue in refutation that thechurch is so small in comparison with the world; theyindicate that 2 million Adventists means nothing againstthe several billion total population of the earth. But thisis taking the prophetic term completely out of context.The prophet John is not speaking about the world in

Revelation 12; he is speaking of God’s church. He portrays the outcome of Christ’s church, and he pictures afaithful remnant both keeping the commandments of Godand having the faith of Jesus.

In proper awe and humble acknowledgment, we recognize that God has guided and led this Reform Movementto take its place in the very last phase of God’s plan.The mission is great; the responsibility is awe inspiring;but we still believe the message of inspiration recordedin Patriarchs and Prophets, pp.621,622:

“There is no safety except in strict obedience to theword of God. All His promises are made upon conditionof faith and obedience, and a failure to comply with Hiscommands cuts off the fulfillment to us of the rich provisions of the Scriptures.”

These rich provisions, of course, include primarilybeing recognized as God’s people, the remnant in thiscase.

With the apostle Paul, we say, then: “Hath God castaway His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite,of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Godhath not cast away His people which He foreknew. Wotye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he makethintercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, theyhave killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars;and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But whatsaith the answer of God unto him? I jiave reserved tomyself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the kneeto the image of Baal. Even so then at this present timealso there is a remnant according to the election ofgrace.” Rom. 11:1-5.

Dear Reader, it is our sincere wish that if you havenot yet taken your stand with this prophetic remnant youmay do so now before the time of mercy runs out and thestorms of fury break loose over this earth. AMEN!

WOOING THE WORLD IN POLAND

—From the Polish SIGNS OF THE TIMES—

THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

CHURCH ON THE

25th ANNIVERSARY OF THB ND

OF WORLD WAR II

ON May 17 of this year, the CentralAcademy at Breslau conducted a

meeting. It was arranged by theSeventh-day Adventists in Poland tohonor the 25th Anniversary of the

end of World War II and the return ofthe western arid northern territoriesto the motherland. Taking part in themeeting of the Academy were members of the Ecclesiastical Council,the management of the conferencerepresentatives of all Polish Adventist churches, pastors, numerousbelievers, and guests from abroad.

The National Council of the City ofBreslau was represented by the

president of the Department forReligious Affairs, Dr. A. Michalek.After words of welcome were spokenby the We stern Conference President,Pastor L. Malarka, Pastor S. Dabrofski, chairman of the AdventistChurch, took over the meeting. Inhis words of introduction, he outlined the significance of this National Anniversary commemorating25 years of peace.

8 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

The next speech, called “25 Yearsof Victory and Peace,” was presented by Paster Z. Lyko, who is bothSecretary of the church and ChiefEditor of the periodical Znaki Czacu(Polish Signs of the Times). Thespeaker reminded the audience ofthe memorable day marking the endof World War II and noted that in theperiod of 25 years since then gigantic progress has been made in allareas of life. The Adventist Church,as a small section of the Polishpeople, also desires to participateactively in the further united reconstruction of the fatherland. PastorB. B. Beach, representative of theNorth European Union of Seventh-dayAdventists in England, congratulatedthe Polish people on their 25th Anniversary. In conjunction with thisanniversary, the Treasurer of thechurch, K. Lisek, read the followingresolution:

“Those assembled on May 17, 1970,at the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of peace and freedom and thereturn of the western and northernterritories to the motherland, asorganized by the Adventist Church atBreslau, declare:

“We, the representatives of allPolish Adventist Churches, pastors,the young people, and the leadershipof the church, solemnly and joyfullycelebrate with all the Polish peoplethe 25th Anniversary of peace andthe blossoming of our old homelandwithin the old borders of the Piasts.We thank God for the favorable intervention of fate and the numerousblessings which He has presented toour homeland and to our people during the last 25 years. We send ourexpressions of appreciation to thosewho have worked to restore Polandduring the postwar period, to thePeople’s Republic of Poland, theworking class, the social workers,the peace agents, the creators of thenational culture, the leadership ofthe state apparatus, ecclesiasticalleaders, and secular authorities, aswell as to all those who by theirdaily effort have not only rebuilt ourhomeland but by their ambitiousdevotion have also safeguarded allthe progress by their maintenance ofthis order of society and by theirpolitical action in the world arena.

“Peace is essential for spiritualand material prosperity, for the powerto develop a positive social life,for the establishment of the nationaleconomy, and is the decisive factorfor developing the greatness of thepeople. In an atmosphere of peace,temporal goods develop and blossomand progress is made in the spreading of the gospel. We regard theannexation of the northern and western territories as an historicallyrighteous act and as an indemnityfor the material and moral injusticewhich our people and land had toexperience during World War II. Weunderstand that to achieve universalpeace and general security is notsimple; and considering the words ofJesus, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ we express our appreciation toall those of our state and states whoinitiate and love peace.

“We send congratulations to thepowers conducting disarmament talks.Our continent would in a large measure be relieved of tension if manyWestern states would acknowledgethe Oder-Neisse border. With regretwe think about Indo-China and theNear East. Only by a united efforton the part of the nations and peopleof goodwill can the greatest problems of the world be met; theseproblems include the danger of war,famine, and moral and ethical healthproblems. We express special thankfulness to the political governmentfor its confessions policy, whichgrants to all citizens equal rightsand full liberty of faith and conscience.

“In the daily pastoral work of thegospel in the church and our society,we long to contribute to the olderspiritual values and material nationaltreasury of culture and state policyand to increase the new ones. Alongwith all of the Polish people, wewould make use of the gifts of Godand men and would rebuild our common paternal home in the name of theprogressive motto: ‘Freedom andpeace among men and nations.’”

The resolution was unanimouslyendorsed. Then the representativeof the local authorities took thepodium and underlined the patrioticengagement of the Polish Adventmovement within the life of thePolish nation.

The closing speech was given bythe chairman of the Central Academy.He emphasized the point that onlyunder peaceful conditions will it bepossible to develop further our homeland and our church in the next 25years that we are entering with hope.

As the meeting of the Academyended, Maria Kanopnicka’s “Weshall not cast the land from whenceour people. . .“ was played by Prof.W. Nabego on the electric accordion,the whole assembly sang the hymn,“God to the Poles,” and Pastor P.Cieslara, Department Secretary ofthe church offered a prayer of thanks.

During the festivities, the choirs ofthe Western Conference, under theleadership of M. Paluszkiwicz, andthe religious seminary of the Seventh-day Adventists, under the directionof S. Polok, performed.

The Academy concluded a two-dayevangelization congress in the framework of the anniversary festivities.Festive moments were spent together, and the best of memories stilllinger from the Breslau congress.

—Zacharias Lyko

—Znaki Czacu (Polish Signs of theTimes).

What the TESTIMONIES say:“41 any of the Protestant churches

are following Rome’s example ofiniquitous connection with ‘thekings of the earth’ —the state churches, by their relation to seculargovernments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of theworld.

“It was by departure from the Lord,and alliance with the heathen, thatthe Jewish church became a harlot.”—Great Controversy, pp. 383, 382.

“Who can truthfully say: ‘Our(S.D.A.) gold is tried in the fire; ourgarments are unspotted by theworld’?.. . Then He said to me:‘Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character?‘How is the faithful city become anharlot!’” —Testimonies, Vol. 8,p. 250.

“We are to enter into no confederacy with the world, supposing thatby so doing we could accomplishmore.” —Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 17.

June 1971 9

THE PROBLEM

OF SUFFERING

By A. RINGELBERG

IN THOUSANDS of forms, suffering rests on humanitylike a dark, misty fog. It darkens the rays of the sun

of happiness for millions of people. Teeming masses ofmen, women, and children cry daily for the barest essentials; they suffer under extreme heat and cold, for theyhave neither shelter nor clothing nor enough food to eat.Who can measure the suffering that strikes in a few seconds when millions of people are made homeless and justas many children are orphaned, as happened recently inPeru? Every robber, murderer, or other individual who isdangerous to society leaves behind bitter suffering. Thenif we add the events in Vietnam, Cambodia, and theMiddle East to the new unrest in Pakistan, a wholeocean of suffering, death, pain, bloodshed, and injusticeopens before our eyes.

Never-ending sickness is punishing our race; even thelargest hospitals are overcrowded. And medical scienceconstantly faces new problems of suffering and death.

Still there is another side to the sufferings of theworld. This is the soul suffering under which millions ofpeople, even Christians, stagger. Even for the believingfollowers of Christ, life is not all sunshine. There aretimes when the mind and soul become overcast and itappears as if God is far, very far, away. And althoughthe reason for such mental depression is often unexplainable, since we know of nothing that might be a validcause, yet joy and happiness seem gone.

This was the experience of Elijah. He had experiencedthe wonderful power of the Holy Spirit and the nearnessof his God on Mount Carmel. But then, all at once, hewas overcome by such depression, discouragement, andspiritual darkness that he had no desire but to die.

Such moments of deep spiritual soul anguish come intothe lives of those whom God takes into His school. Yetin the minds of many Christians the question arises, Whymust such experiences be? Why isn’t every day full ofundimmed joy and undisturbed happiness since we are

walking in God’s commandments? Should not the Christian especially be forever free from suffering and trial,from hours of discouragement and soul anguish, in orderto serve God where the light shines without shadows ordreary clouds?

Many a Christian does not find the right answer tothese problems. He is tempted to think that God has lefthim, or that the sad, painful experiences are a proof thatGod’s approbation has left him.

He does not understand that dark and cloudy days arejust as necessary as days full of sunshine, and that notrue growth in Christ can be seen without these alternateexperiences. This knowledge is expressed by Peter asfollows: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning thefiery trial which is to try you, as though some strangething happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as yeare partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His gloryshall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceedingjoy.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13.

Every human being who wants to inherit God’s kingdommust pass through the experiences of suffering and trial.

The path to salvation and redemption from sin goes pastGolgotha. As long as man is mortal, trouble, worry, andsuffering are his lot.

If trials, tribulation and dark hours come upon us,if our souls suffer under depression and discouragement,if we become disappointed, or if our bodies must sufferunder sickness, we need not think that the Lord hasforsaken us or that his love and mercy have dimini shedtoward us. Instead, we should be happy in the faith withPaul, “That I may know Him, arid the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being madeconformable unto His death.” Phil. 3:10. “Who nowrejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which isbehind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for Hisbody’s sake, which is the church.” Col. 1:24. And yetfor many believers, especially young people, the problem

10 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

of suffering is hard to understand. It would not be sucha hard problem to solve if we could conclude that allsuffering was the fruit of certain sins. This would meanthat everyone who has been hit by some kind of sufferingis a special sinner who must now endure punishment forthe transgression of God’s commandments, so that hemight repent. But this cannot always be assumed.Starting with the very beginning of things, it is of coursetrue that sin is the cause of all the suffering that strikesman. But this does not solve the problem, because thereare cases in which men living in absolute obedience toGod and living under His blessings are neverthelessstruck by some kind of suffering.

A study of this problem in the light of the Bible furnishes us with the conviction that suffering has a certainpurpose in the plan of God for men since they fell intosin. Even though sickness and sin are closely relatedto one another, not every sickness is to be considered aresult of direct transgression of God’s will.

Job’s suffering an example

Throughout the centuries, men have considered suffering and difficulties as something coming from God, as arevelation of His displeasure. The healthy and prosperous were looked upon as the blessed of God, while otherswho were visited by suffering and misfortune were regarded as sinners. Even though such an opinion is not always expressed in words, it is the background for anystudy of the problem of suffering.

The friends of Job also held this opinion, throughwhich they only aggravated his sufferings. They werefirmly convinced that some kind of sin was the reasonfor Job’s suffering. They therefore tried to influence himto confess his sin. Only then, they believed, wouldhealing be possible.

Even for Job himself the suffering that came upon himwas an unsolved problem. He could not explain it, andhis upright soul was famished at the torturing question,“Why?” But finally the darkness that surrounded hissoul was penetrated when his faith and confidence inGod made him cry out, “Though He slay me, yet will Itrust in Him.” Job 13:15. It was his complete confidencein the wisdom of God which penetrated the darkness.“For I know that my Redeemer liveth.” Job 19:25. Jobdid not know what was behind the sad, terrible things hehad to endure, as we know it from the Bible. How washe to explain his losing all his property, his children,and everything else? Was this God’s reward for all thathe had done for the poor, the oppressed, the widows andorphans?

We would probably say this if the Holy Scriptures hadnot told us that Job’s sufferings had a very specialpurpose. In this, higher objectives were at stake. Satanhad accused God of injustice for having blessed Job soabundantly; and he accused Job of having served Godonly because of the blessings. “Hast not Thou made anhedge about him, and about his house, and about all thathe hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work ofhis hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”job 1:10. This was what Satan said to God, and he

added, “But put forth Thine hand now, and touch allthat he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.” Job 1:11.

So that the assertion of the devil might be revealed asfalse, the Lord permitted Job to be severely tested.Satan did all he could to lead the servant of God intothe deepest misery and suffering; so Job finally had toexclaim, “Naked caine I out of my mother’s womb, andnaked shall I return thither.” And yet all this did notdestroy his faith in God, for he added, “The Lord gave,and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of theLord.” Job 1:21. God was not disappointed. Satan suffered the defeat. The Lord said to him, “Hast thouconsidered my servant Job, . . . and still he holdeth fasthis integrity, although thou movedst Me against him, todestroy him without cause.” Job 2:3.

Job himself was completely ignorant of these goingson. He did not know that God was testing him. He didnot know what was at stake and what a great task he hadto fulfill by enduring suffering and pain.

The story of Job shows us that not every suffering canbe regarded as a punishment for sin, as many peoplethink. Job had not done anything to cause this sufferingto come upon him. This does not mean that Job waswithout sin; but there was no direct, certain sin thatbrought on this catastrophe.

From this we gather that there may be suffering andcalamity in the life of God’s children that are not aresult of direct sin.

New Testament examples

At one time Jesus gave His followers a lesson tocorrect their false conception of suffering. In Luke 13:2, 3 it is reported that a number of Galileans were murdered by Pilate while they were offering their sacrifices.Right then the people were ready to conclude that thosewho perished in such a horrible manner must have beenevil men. But the Saviour said, “Suppose ye that theseGalileans were sinners above all the Galileans, becausethey suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, exceptye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Then the Saviour mentioned another case, “Or thoseeighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slewthem, think ye that they were sinners above all men thatdwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay:. . .“ Luke 13:4, 5.

How quick we are to Jump to conclusions when we seeother people harassed by sickness, poverty, or any kindof suffering, not thinking at the same time that it is onlyby the mercy of God that we have not been similarlyafflicted. We are not always able to explain the purposeor background of suffering. There are difficulties andsuffering by which man is overcome that are not a resultof sin. Let us take the report of John 9:1-7. It is thestory of the man who was born blind. The disciplesasked Jesus, “Master, who did sin, this man, or hisparents, that he was born blind?” The answer Jesusgave perhaps shook them up, for they believed that somehow it must have been a punishment. But the Saviour’sanswer showed again that such thoughts and conclusionsare not right. “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man

June 1971 11

sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God shouldbe made manifest in him.” John 9:2,3.

Neither the blind man nor his parents were responsiblefor his pitiful lot. The works of God were to be manifested in him when the Saviour performed the miracle ofhealing.

Another example, which again shows a further meaningof suffering, is the experience of the apostle Paul. It iswritten of him that he had “a thorn in the flesh.” We arenot positive what this “thorn” was. Many assume thatit was an eye defect. They believe this because of thefact that he himself did not write his letter, and becausehe wrote furthermore to the believers in Galatia, “Whereis then the blessedness ye speak of? for I bear yourecord, that, if it had been possible, ye would haveplucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.”Gal. 4:15.

One thing we do know; namely, the great Apostlesensed this thorn in the flesh as an impeding suffering,of which he would like to have been freed. Three timeshe asked the Lord to free him from it. The answer hereceived was, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cor.12:9. It may have been for Paul in the beginning anunexplainable problem, and the question, “Why?” mighthave often kept him from sleeping at night. But later on,by the grace of God, he learned to understand the purposeof this cross that was laid upon hini. “And lest I shouldbe exalted above measure through the abundance of therevelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh.”2 Cor, 12:7. Paul recognized that the suffering laid uponhim was for his good. From this experience we maybegin to understand why God’s faithful children mustsometimes endure suffering and sickness in order to keepthem away from something worse. This again throwsmore light on the problem of suffering.

There are moments when the great Reader of heartsperceives that His child, to whom He wishes to giveeternal life, needs a special experience to safeguardhim from pride, self-sufficiency, and apostasy. Thereforeevery follower of Christ, if he has to pass through somekind of difficulty, sickness, suffering, or distress,should ask himself, What purpose does this sufferinghave for me; what lesson must I glean from it?

Confidence in the wisdom, love, and goodness of Godshould be so strong in us that we may feel sheltered inHis hands during both good and evil days. If we arewilling to cooperate with God, everything will turn outwell in the end. He is providing for us the medicinewhich our sick souls and our deformed characters need,and the believer should be willing and ready to acceptthis medicine. It may be bitter and run against our grain;but if it is taken patiently, with confidence in the greatPhysician, it will heal us. We will understand the coin-fort and depth of the words that the Lord gave Paul, “Mygrace is sufficient for thee.”

Representative suffering

The ways and wisdom of God are fathomless. Theproblems that we meet here in this life cannot always besolved. The problem of suffering is one of these prob

lems, and we will learn the true, farreaching meaning ofit in eternity. One of the most wonderful phases of suffering is representative suffering — enduring suffering forothers. The trials of our Saviour Jesus Christ were sucha suffering. His suffering and dying were for the good ofothers, for us. Everything He went through He took uponHimself to help others. We are accustomed to thinkingof Christ’s sufferings as being for humanity. But weraise the question, Is there such a suffering also for usas mortals?

A study of the Scriptures teaches us that it is possiblefor people to suffer so as to help others. There arecertain things which we can do for others; there aremoments when we can take upon ourselves self-denial,difficulties, and suffering through which others may behelped. And here again we must free ourselves from thethought that every suffering is the result of sin and arevelation of God’s displeasure.

The apostle Paul speaks of representative sufferingin his letter to the Colossians. “Who now rejoice in mysufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of theafflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake,which is the church.” Col. 1:24. “If we are afflicted, itis your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, itis for your comfort, which you experience when youpatiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.”2 Cor. 1:6, R.S.\?.

These words, inspired by God’s Spirit, throw a speciallight on the tribulation and suffering which often besetthe faithful, believing children of God. It comes so that

we might be able to understand, help and comfort others.This is the purpose of representative suffering. It shouldbe a means to save lost souls for eternity.

If we consider the suffering of the believers from thisstandpoint, then we can understand the words of Paul andthe other apostles when they said in many places that weshould have joy in suffering and tribulation. “For untoyou it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believeon Him, but also to suffer for His sake; having the sameconflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”Phil. 1:29, 30. (To be continued)

GIVE ME A GENTLE HEART

Give me a gentle heart, that I may doNaught but the gentle thing my whole life through.Give me a heart as kind as hearts can be,That I may give before ‘tis asked of me.Give me a watchful heart that shall divineThe need of those whose hearts are dear to mine.Cive me a heart where oy and sorrow waitTo know what joy or sorrow is at my gate.

Give rae a song, but not one to be knownFor loveliness, for loveliness alone.Give me a humble song whose sweetest strainShall be for those whose hearts are mute in pain.Give me a prayer, but save me lest I kneelFor that which ministers to my own weal.Let me forget the highest gift I crave;Let me forget the deepest need I have.Grant, Lord, that every thought of self may beLost in the selfless light of Calvary.

Percy Thomas

12 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

THE concept of eternity is onewhich the human, finite mind can

hardly comprehend. And yet it isimportant f or us to think hard aboutsuch things that relate to our eternalsalvation. For example, if you knewyou were going to live forever withone person and you could choosewho that would be, would you merelyleave the choice to chance or tosome other acquaintance? hould youlike to have a blind date for eternity?The Bible very clearly states thatanyone who wants to have a blinddate for eternity will not obtaineternal life at all. “And this is lifeeternal, that they might know Theethe only true God, and Jesus Christ,whom Thou liast sent.” John 17:3.“And they shall teach no more everyman his neighbour, and every manhis brother, saying, Know the Lord:for they shall all know Me, . .

Jer. 31:34.“Shortsighted mortals do not com

prehend the ways and works of God.Their eyes are not directed upwardto Him as they should be. They donot have exalted views of eterualthings. They only look at thesethings with a clouded vision. Theytake no special delight in contem

plating the love of God, the gloryand splendor of heaven, the exaltedcharacter of the holy angels, themaje sty and inexpressible lovelinessof Jesus, our Redeemer. They haveso long kept earthly things beforetheir vision that eternal scenes arevague and indistinct to them. Theyhave limited views of God, heaven,and eternity.” — Testimonies, Vol.2, p.258.

So as to broaden our views of Godsomewhat and thus make sure thatwe do not have a blind date foreternity, let us study a little bitmore deeply than we usually do intothe character of God.

What is God’

“But the Lord is the true God, Heis the living God, and an everlastingKing: at His wrath the earth shalltremble, and the nations shall notbe able to abide His indignation.”Jer. 10:10.

The Bible is full of God. This isonly natural, for “In the plan ofredemption Christ is the Alpha andthe Omega—the First and the Last.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, P.267.Never in our lives here on earth will

we be able to comprehend who andwhat God is. Nevertheless, it isour privilege at least to give thismonumental endeavor at comprehension a good try.

Taking Jer. 10:10 as one description of God, let us see if we canbroaden our views just a little bit.

The true GodThe Hebrew renders this phrase

as “the God of truth.” When wethink of Him in these terms, weimmediately think of the great contrast between our true God and themultiplicity of false gods that manhas invented. The Greeks wereespecially great at this. When theapostle Paul was in Athens, heattempted to show the Athenianshow narrow their thinking was. Itseems they wanted to cover everything in nature by having a god foreach part of nature, from Neptune ofthe sea to Zeus of the skies. Thenbeing afraid they might have forgotten one, they erected a shrine to theUnknown God. Paul declared tothem that there was truly a Godwhom they had forgotten — the Creator of heaven and earth. They hadnot seen the forest for the trees.Seeing many unexplained phenomenain nature, they had stereotyped themand pictured a god over each. Withnature so fractionated they couldnot see the God of nature and worshipped the creature in His place.

Tradition was their religion, and itis no different today. That whichtheir fathers had decided was truewas accepted without deciding orproving for themselves that it wastrue. Many accept the experiencesof past generations as their ownwithout deciding or proving for themselves that it was true. Many acceptthe experiences of past generationsas their own without making a personal experience with God themselves. Their religious servicebecomes an end in itself rather thana means to an end, and the worshipper loses sight of Him who orderedall things.

But when we seek to understandour true God for ourselves, we findthe whole universe opened to us —

from the minutest electron to thewhole expanse of space. In nature

BLIND DATE FOR ETERNITY?

By L. WATTS

June 1971 13

and the Word of God we can delightin discovering the Supreme Beingwho controls flawlessly the physical arid spiritual forces He has setin motion. We owe our existence toHim, and yet He does not considerus mere toys with which to play.Rather He delights in calling us Hischildren. Unlike the mythologicalgods created by man, He deals fairlyand righteously and mercifully withHis creation.

It is true that God is revealed inHis creation and His Word. And yetwe still must see Him through theeye of faith — in fact, the greater ourfaith develops, the more we will beable to see God. He is a subjectthat can be studied eternally withoutever reaching full knowledge. AsSister White writes, “Divine inspiration asks many questions which themost profound scholar cannot answer.These questions were not askedthat we might answer them, but tocall our attention to the deep mysteries of God and to teach us thatour wisdom is limited; that in thesurroundings of our daily life thereare many things beyond the comprehension of finite minds; that thejudgment and purposes of God arepast finding out...

“Skeptics refuse to believe in Godbecause with their finite minds theycannot comprehend the infinite powerby which He reveals Himself to men.But God is to be acknowledged morefrom what He does not reveal ofHimself than from that which is opento our limited comprehension. Bothin divine revelation and in nature,God has given to men mysteries tocommand their faith. This must beso. We may be ever searching, everinquiring, ever learning, and yetthere is an infinity beyond.” —Testimonies, Vol.8, p.261.

The living GodThere are some people who believe

that once God created the earth andeverything else He was powerless tocontrol it. This supposes that Godprovided all matter with self-perpetuating qualities so that once set inmotion neither He nor anything elsecould stop it. God Himself saysthis is not so when He talks to Jobabout His creative and maintaining

power: “Canst thou bind the sweetinfluences of Pleiades, or loose thebands of Orion?” Job 38:31.

God’s people today, having accessto the knowledge that has been accumulated over the last 6,000 years,can have the deepest insight intothe nature of the living God. All thediscoveries of modern science proveHis existence. “For I know that myRedeemer liveth, and that He shallstand at the latter day upon theearth.” Job 19:25. Within the last100 years, man’s technology hasliterally ruined a world which stoodin unpolluted balance for 5,900 years.By playing god, thinking he knew away of life so much better than thenatural way, man has placed thehuman being on the brink of annihilation. There is hardly a piece ofearth or a drop of water that does notcarry some form of side effect pollution as the result of man’s technology. Now it is time for God to intervene before man destroys himself.What a blessing it is to know that Hewill do this. But He will not comemerely to destroy the wicked andtheir works; He will come to givelife to the righteous.

As we study more and more intothe prophecies concerning the endtime, and as we individually see ourpart in their fulfillment, our love anddevotion to our God increase. Asour souls delight in Him, we willfind that He is our Source of light.Thus we can obtain the perfectionof which the Scriptures speak. Thusalso our minds can grow until weare ready to receive the Holy Spiritin the latter rain. These last phasesof the earth’s history have beenpromised by our living God. He willfulfill them, for He desires to set upilis everlasting kingdom.

The everlasting KingWhose kingdom is an everlast

ing kingdom, . . .“ It is a great joyto know that we can pledge honorand obedience to a King who doesnot change. Unlike earthly kings,our King is “the same yesterday,and today, and forever.”

In thinking of the everlasting kingdom and the various parts composingit—King, city, people, and territory—we understand that it is not yet corn-

plete. Christ as our King has beencrowned; He has also received thecity; but He has yet to receive Hispeople and His territory before Hiskingdom is complete.

The apostle Paul described Christas “the blessed and only Potentate,the King of kings, arid Lord oflords.” Have you ever compared theEverlasting King to earthly kings —

those who actually carried the titleof “king”? The earthly kings seekto provide some way for their memoryto be retained in men’s minds. Hereis a story about such an attempt onthe part of one king.

“Ptolemy Philadelphus, who ruledEgypt during the third century B.C.,desired to leave behind a memorialthat would be a constant reminder ofhis greatness. After much consideration, he decided to build a greatlighthouse at the mouth of Egypt’smost important harbor. To insurethat the job would be done well,Ptolemy employed Sostratus, themost famous architect of the day, toplan and supervise the work. Whenit was completed, the lighthouse ofPharos won acclaim as one of theseven wonders of the ancient world.

“Ptolemy ordered his name inscribed in great letters upon thebase of the lighthouse, and Sostratusdutifully carried out the orders. Butthe king’s name was inscribed onlyin the plaster which overlaid thegranite base, and before many yearsthe wind and the waves had washedthe plaster away. Beneath, for allto see, was the name of Sostratus,the real builder of the tower, carvedfor centuries to come in the time-defying granite.” —Ins piring Ilinstrations, by John W. Wade, pp. 44,45.

In a physical sense, Ptolemy wasrepresentative of most of the kingsof this earth, who are more concerned about their own image thanthey are about the welfare of theirsubjects. Such kings are rememberedabout as long as did King Ptolemy’sname on the Jighthouse. Oppositehim, Sostratus worked quietly tobuild an enduring structure. Christdid likewise when He was on earth;He was so concerned about thewelfare of His people that He putaside His kingly role and became aservant. As the result, He is remem

To page 18

14 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

THE illustration shows the cockpitof a jet airliner. The reliability

of its instruments, as well as theability and experience of the pilot,determines whether the machine willreach its destination.

In 1966, a jet airliner crashed intoMont Blanc. The pilot apparentlyhad read the altimeter wrong andtherefore smashed into the massiverock. All the passengers were killed.

Just think what it would be like ifthe pilot of a jet had to say to hispassengers, “I have to give you agood and a bad message. We aremaking good headway, but I am offcourse and have lost my bearing.”

Just such a thing happens to manypeople, especially the youth. Theylose their course, their purpose inlife. A pilot must know where hestarted, where he is now, and wherehe is going. Do you know where youcame from, where you are now, andwhere you are going?

What is the purpose and aim in yourlife, dear friend? Does selfish ambition just to achieve a position in theworld lead your will? Do you havethoughts of one day adding yourname to the list of men consideredto be great intellectuals, of activelyleading in influential organizations,or of helping to decide the destinyof the nation? Such thoughts are notunusual. You ought to have a goalbefore you. Mediocre knowledgeshould not satisfy you. Strive upward, and venture all to reach a highlife standard. (According to E. 0.White.)

Is life KNOWLEDGE and PROSPERITY?

If so, then there should be nothingbut happy people around today; butexactly the opposite is true.

Luke 12:16-21 had everything inmaterial goods, and yet he had to betold, “You fool!” WHY? Now, hewas not a fool because he wasindustrious, but rather because hewanted to live only from his goodsand because he said, “Soul,. . . takethine ease!” This is a treacherouserror. The man who thinks he hasthe say-so in all things loses Godand loses reality from under his feet.The man who relies on the transitorythings becomes the victim of temporal things.

By 11. FLESCHUTZ

Often Tatjana stood despondent atthe brink of the Saizach. Only herchild kept her from the last step.She related her life story: “At 14 Iwas seduced; at 15 I became amother; at 16 I fell a victim to narcotics; and at 17 I was at the end.”

Youth for TruthIs Your Life on Course?

The rich farmer in the parable of Is life SEX?

Is this life?—TO THROW ONESELFAWAY?

Love is the most sacred, mostsublime, and the happiest of riches.But unfaithfulness is not progressbut a pitiful betrayal — of oneself.

June 1971

The world around us has lost itsorientation. Man needs a hold! It isnot the quicksand of changing opinions concerning morals that can givethis hold. Rock bottom is needed.This rocky material is found whenGod’s will takes hold of us! “Andthis is life eternal, that they mightknow Thee the only true God, andJesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”John 17:3.

No religion —Evangelical, Catholic,Jewish, Greek Orthodox, Coptic,Mohammedan, Buddhist, Confucian,or any other — can save your soul.ONLY Christ can save.

The motto of the Hippies is:* Tune in on the same

wave length

This is just what Jesus wants.TUNE TO HIS WAVE LENGTH.Through sin one is separated fromGod. He must return, right himself,and change his course and direction,just as the prodigal son left theswinehusks of the sensual world toreturn to his father. Simply ACKNOWLEDGE the wrong, return, andleave it alone.

STOP! No one can lead a Christianlife alone. You must accept Christas your personal Saviour.

BE DIFFERENT! Do not go alongwith the crowd, do not be like theothers, do not conform to this worldintellectually or physically. Surrender your body to Christ as a livingsacrifice; lead a disciplined life.You say you cannot do it? You areright! But God can do it if you putyour trust in HIM.

A pilot gets his bearing by usinghis instruments. The Christian getshis orientation from his LORD andGod’s word. If your life is to getback on the right course, and stayon it, then you must orient yourselfto Christ and act according to Hiscommandments.

A new crime has arisen: Air piracy.At gunpoint the pilot of an airliner isforced to change his course and landat another airport. One incidentafter another is occurring around theworld. The concept of good and evilis undergoing a change; morals andusages have become blurred andbeen turned into a morass. Satan,

your opponent, does not want you toreach your goal. He sneaks in, deceives, and tempts you to CHANGEYOUR COURSE. He wants to takeyou captive, rob you of your freedom,and ruin your life.

Young men and women, keep oncourse toward Christ, orient yourselfaccording to His word, and do notpermit any pirate to change yourcourse.

Remember Daniel, who in spite ofthe lions’ den could not be persuadedto change his course. His threefriends could not be intimidated bythe fiery oven to change their course.Joseph could not be deceived intocommitting sin. He adhered to thecourse and set his eye on the goal.

Jesus went straight to Jerusalem;He held His course toward the cross,even though Peter wanted to hinderHim, Judas betrayed Him, the highpriest and elders vehemently accusedHim, Pilate pronounced the deathdecree, and all the people cried,“Crucify Him!” And later, He heard,Come down from the cross if You areGod’s Son! But HE did not let thesepirates change His course. He remained faithful unto death and thusaccomplished man’s redemption. Theapostles and all of Jesus’ followerslearned from His faithfulness andsteadfastness. Just like the Master,they could not be made to changetheir course. In spite of threats,martyrdom, and death they remainedsolid and immovable, holding theright course.

Paul was able to say, “Neither...height, nor depth, nor any othercreature, shall be able to separateus from the love of God”—or, canchange me from my right course. Atthe end of his life he could jubilantly exclaim, “I HAVE FOUGHT AGOOD FIGHT,. ..I HAVE KEPTTHE FAITH.” 2 Tim. 4:7. In otherwords, I have maintained the rightcourse and nothing has diverted mefrom it. He counsels you, “Be notdeceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Cor. 15:33.

“Know ye not that the unrigh.teous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived;neither fornicators, nor idolaters,nor adulterers, nor effeminate,nor abusers of themselves with

mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,nor extortioners, shall inherit thekingdom of God.” 1 Cor. 6:9, 10.

“Hearken unto Me nowtherefore,O ye children, and attend to thewords of My mouth. Let not thineheart decline to her ways, go notastray in her paths. For she hathcast down many wounded: yea,many strong men have been slainby her.” Prov. 7:24-26.

“Wherewithal shall a young mancleanse his way? by taking heedthereto according to Thy word.”Psalm 119:9.

Is YOUR life on the right course?If not, orient yourself to Christ andHis word. Change your course,EVEN TODAY. Switch to His wavelength, stop, and turn around. If youare on the right course, stay on it,and don’t let any pirate make youstray away from it through threats orenticements.

But WATCH OUT! On your life’s

you clearly whether or not your lifeis on course.

An airplane carries Jews to theirhomeland. A son carries his oldfather from the plane. As his feettouch the home soil, he bursts intotears, falls to the ground, kissesthe soil of his homeland for whichhe has longed such a long time, anddies.

Yet what will it be like when weenter tile eternal homeland after allthe hardship and pain? Then youmay step into the Garden of Edenwhich was lost through sin; you maykiss the soil and be home with theFather of all the blessed; you maylive eternally and be happy with allredeemed forever. It pays to fightthe good fight, undisturbed, and tostay on the right path. Let no onedivert you from it.

* Stop* Be different

journey you cannot find your wayalone. Take your bodyguard withyou. Pray for God’s assistance andguidance, for the companionship ofholy angels. Be fully oriented, orelse you will lose your course andmiss the goal. The word of God, theBible, is the navigator and shows

“JESUS, SAVIOUR, PILOT ME”

16 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

Trans-A-Word Puzzle ADMONITIONaccordingtoAS you fill in the words in the top section of the puzzle, notice

that each numbered letter becomes a part of the quotation in the low- 2 Peter 1:3—8er section. A letter over a given number is placed above its corresponding number in the lower area. By EUGEN JOCH

Work down the list of definitions, filling in the words of whichyou are sure and transferring the letters to their places in the lower * For sanctificationsection. When you have finished, you will have a quotation from * For faithfulness in living the“Messages to Young People.” truth

* For endurance

1. To contend against; to resist. .-

* For progress in the seven steps4 3 24 6 6 7 for developing faitn so as to be

accepted into God’s kingdom2. The devil’s; belonging to Lucifer N

23 53 50 58 34 65 JESUS CHRIST’S divine power hasgiven to you and to tue all those

3. Exerted energy; might; force (plural) -- R-- things that are necessary for a full

621926 81574life and manners pleasing to God.

4. Men employed in labor. - .

- E - Our Saviour has called us to walk29 25 28 9 17 11 37 in His knowledge, His glory, and

His virtue. In the virtue of Christ,5. Tax deducted from wages at source moral efficiency and spiritual power,

41 1 57 1021 30 12202248 18with their attendant benefits, are

6. Short in duration (adverb). — —-- k. coupled.45 31 33 27 243 This most precious power of

7. Striking; rising, then falling, as a fish just .—

N Christ.caught. 1444 39 63 6936 52 35 * protects you from false, sensual

indulgence and the prevailing8. Having projections on the surface; uneven. ----- —- corruption in the world.

4651 54956* makes you a partaker of divine

9. The persona’ pronoun, second person. ----power.

38 61 40 For this reason you will, by being

10. Red cosmetic used on the cheeks. G zealous in your faith, receive...73 64 54 55 72

VIRTUE11. Hair manufactured to cover the head. --

71 42 68 Virtue is the foundation for theintense striving of a united, undi

12. Crankcase lubricant for automobiles. —-

— vided heart for the goal ahead, which704759

is purity, glory, honor, and eternal

13. Single ring or divlsion of a ch&n. .. N life. Virtue will lead you to.60 66 67 32

KNOWLEDGE

How can this be? By gaining inmoral stamina, the ennobling andpurification of the heart, you will

make

experiences. And the sum of1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 1213 14151617 181920 21 2223 such experiences, making you exper

— ienced, is knowledge itself. Fol2425262728 293031 32333435 3637 383940 41424344 4546474849 lowing knowledge is...

5051 525354555657 585960 6162636465666768 697071 727374 SELF-DISCIPLINE

This includes, among other things:ANSWERS on page 23 * being able to be quiet at the right

moment and to endure everything;

June 1971 17

* not losing your temper whenothers attack you;

* bringing the passions undercontrol;

* being temperate in all things —

yes, even abstaining if the occasion requires it.

Self-discipline leads to..

PATIENCE (STEADFASTNESS)

Patience means...* not being moody, even once —

not even in your thinking andbehavior;

* not letting feelings master youbut making this power a part ofyour constant development;

.* using the trait to practice the

teachings of Christ, so that nothoughts of false doctrine evenenter your mind;

* finally, being content in the useof the present precious time ofmercy for our salvation.

The result of patience is...

GODLINESSThis means leading a life pleasing

to God. By the grace of Christ youwill be cleansed from your own weaknesses and be enabled to fulfillGod’s will. From godliness develops...

BROTHERLY KINDNESSIn the love of God you will learn to

be kind to your brethren in the faith

as in a family of one heart and spirit.This provides the assurance thatone day you will stand unitedly before the Throne of Mercy. Brotherlykindness leads to...

LOVE FOR ALLIn thankfulness to your Saviour

you will work for the salvation ofyour neighbor. This is a high commission to which your whole life isdedicated.

If these characteristics are presentin you, and if they constantly increase by conscious effort, they willnot leave you inactive or withoutfruit in the knowledge of Christ. Onthe contrary, you will certainly carryout His commission.

BLIND DATE FOR ETERNITY?From page 14

bered today, almost 2,000 yearssince He left this earth.

In a spiritual sense, the lighthousemight be said to represent Christ’strue church. His name and characterare everlasting, just as the graniteof the lighthouse lasted for centuries. The plaster and engravingover the granite are like the thingsman has tried to add to Christ’soriginal teachings. These errors,which bear the names of men and areplaced on the foundation to glorifymen, will be washed away and destroyed when Christ comes.

Our King will come soon; and whata glorious King He is! He is interested solely in the welfare of Hissubjects and thus is deserving ofall our efforts to aid his cause, allour praise, all our obedience, allour love, and our entire lives, nowand forever.

Since our everlasting King willsoon be here, let us watch ourselvesclosely. Let us not take things intoour hands and steal from Him Hisglory. Let us, instead, strive lawfully; then we will know the powerand wisdom of Him who knows allthings, and we will also be members of His kingdom.

The Judge

Many people in the world today —

perhaps even most of the people —

do not see God as one who will bringevery work into judgment. Our textin Jer. 10:10 says, “At His wraththe earth shall tremble, and thenations shall not be able to abideHis indignation.” Why is it thatsuch a vast majority of the world donot believe this text or any of theothers that warn of God’s judgments?These texts are very clear; forinstance, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,and keep His commandments: for thisis the whole duty of man. For Godshall bring every work into judgment,with every secret thing, whether itbe good, or whether it be evil.”Eccl. 12:13,14.

Because man denies the moral lawof God and declares that it is notbinding upon him, he also deniesthat God will judge him. Unfortunately for such people, they do nothave an ounce of influence over God.Regardless of what they believe,God will do just as He says. Godwill destroy all the works of darkness, and the Only people He willredeem as 1-us subjects are thosewho humble themselves and acknowledge God’s law and His judgment.

God is perfect, and everythingassociated with Him must also beperfect—His law, His subjects, Hiscreation. Soon the last work of judgment will be finished, and all that isimperfect will be wiped from theuniverse. Never again will a stain

come upon God’s created works, forsin will be destroyed, never again torise. Let us each do his part tospread the gospel. Let us workindividually to achieve that perfection under the Holy Spirit that willwork the cleansing of God’s people.Time is so short! If our lives arenot cleansed now, we will be castout by God right along with all theother imperfect works.

But how can we be changed? Wecertainly cannot change ourselves.This brings us back to our Saviour.“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of theLord, are changed into the sameimage from glory to glory, even asby the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18.

Some people are willing to admitthat there was a Creator. Some willeven acknowledge that there is aforce now present. Eveli fewer arewilling to make Christ their King,and fewer still believe that He willrecompense evil for evil. Let us goall the v,a1 by fearing the Lord andgiving glory to Him who tnade heavenand earth, for He shall bring everywork into judgment. Then we willnot have a blind date for eternity.Instead of God saying, “I neverknew you: depart from Me, ye thatwork iniquity,” He will say to us,‘Come, ye blessed of My Father,inherit the kingdom prepared for youfrom the foundation of the world.”

18 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

By BETTY KRAMER

THE other day I read an inspiringarticle written many years ago.

Although the paper on which it waswritten is yellow with age, the principles set forth are still appropriatefor our day and might well be incorporated into our daily lives.

The article began by bringing Outthe thought that many people attacha great deal of importance to “service;” but while service is a wonderful thing, taught and exemplified byJesus Himself, yet our greatestservice, the author felt, is in being—not in doing. “That is true of thoseof us who have responsibility to theyoung. Every homemaker has dozensof demands upon her time andstrength every day. The hours ofdaylight are not enough to crowd inall that she feels she must do forthe well-being of’ her dear ones. Yet1 maintain that the greatest serviceshe can do her husband and her children is to develop within herself anoble, superbly poised Christiancharacter....

“Courtesy is one of the elementswe are to rebuild into our homes;but it will never appear as the resultof fretful, nagging commands andexhortations. Courtesy and consideration for others are never born inan atmosphere of Give your littlebrother some, can’t you?’ ‘Take offyour hat to the lady, Tom!’ ‘Howmany times have I told you you mustwait till the older persons are served,Susan?’ ‘Johnny, don’t you knowyou must let the others pass first?’”

The author went on to say that themain reason why our efforts at teaching courtesy fail is that we are notpersuaded ourselves that cOurtesyis the best way. At heart we areextremely selfish; and if the worldwere not looking, we would stormthrough life pushing people to rightand left, getting in first, taking thebest of everything — apples andprivileges alike. “What you are

thunders so ]oudly in my ears that Icannot hear what you say.” This isan old saying, but it is still quitetrue.

“There is strength and assurancein an undivided heart. When onetakes the Saviour as Lord and Masterof his life, His presence in the heartby His Holy Spirit softens and refines the nature and makes us gladto be helpful and thoughtful. ‘Truecharacter is not shaped from without,and put on; it radiates from within.’Every effort to put on decorum asone puts on a garment, and then takeit off and lay it away until anotherspecial occasion, schools us in hypocrisy and insincerity. Every effortto instill the principles of consideration for others as taught by Jesus isan effort to let His gentleness, Histhought for others, be expressed inour lives. Such efforts are blessedof God, and will, if continued, blossom into a courtesy warmer and truerthan any mere following of any setrules of good conduct. ‘Christianitywill make a man a gentleman. Christwas courteous, and His true followers will manifest the samespirit.’ “ —.4’Iinistry of Healing, p.489.

“Many persons excuse themselvesfor rudeness and ill temper on theground that they are overweary andnervous. It is true that nearly everyone suffers from the high tensionthat governs our modern life. Butwe can control these situations tosome extent. If we avoid surroundings that bring confusion and coinmotion, we save ourselves the emotional strain. Even when we do findourselves in an unharmonious atrnosphere, the mind of Christ may beours to endure this test under provocation. ‘By contemplating the loftyideal He has placed before us, weshall be uplifted into a pure andholy atmosphere.’”

In line with these thoughts regarding the importance of genuinecourtesy, Sister White has given usthis wise counsel in Education,p.240: “The value of courtesy istoo little appreciated. Many who arekind at heart lack kindliness ofmanner. Many who command respectby their sincerity and uprightnessare sadly deficient in geniality. Thislack mars their own happiness anddetracts from their service to others.Many of life’s sweetest and mosthelpful experiences are, often formere want of thought, sacrificed bythe uncourteous. Cheerfulness andcourtesy should be cultivated byparents and teachers. All maypossess a cheerful countenance, agentle voice, a courteous manner,and these are elements of power.Children are attracted by a cheerful,sunny demeanor. Show them kindness and courtesy, and they willmanifest the same spirit towardyou and toward one another.” Howtrue this is!

As a closing thought, here is a gemof thought to consider carefully andconscientiously carry out in our dailylives: “Above all things else, letparents surround their children withan atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy, and love. A home where lovedwells, and where it is expressed inlooks, in words, and in acts, is aplace where angels delight to mariifest their presence.” —[Winistry ofHealing, pp. 386, 387.

—Article referred to and quotedfrom is “Bringing Courtesy Back toOur Homes,” by Agnes Lewis Caviness, Signs of the Times, April 16,1940.

Courtesy

June 197119

A CALL TO SERVICEFrom j)U( 2

only opportunity some people may get to learn about the truth. Of course the

same program can be followed with the Health Correspondence Course which

we hope to put into circulation soon. In this way you will be actively en

gaged in missionary work of the highest rank. This plan will cost you some

time and some money. If young people who like to do something for the Lord

would spend some of their pocket money in this way, they would receive a

great blessing and satisfaction.

II. PROGRAM SEARCH

The next plan involves no expense—only time. It appears sometimes,

however, that time is the most expensive commothty in our hurried age. Yet

it is my sincere conviction that if our members would take themselves away

from their daily course of duty and pleasure and would spend some of their

spare time in dedication to the cause of God, they would be richly rewarded

iii both body and soul.“The gospel commission is the great missionary charter of Christ’s king

dom. The disciples were to work earnestly for souls, giving to all the invita

tion of mercy. They were not to wait for the people to come to them; they

were to go to the people with their message.” —Acts of the Apostles, p. 28.

This still holds true in our age. It is our duty to go to the people with our

message. In this plan, which we have named PROGRAM SEARCH, we recom

mend the following procedure:1. Order from the Union Office a Program Search STARTER KIT contain

ing Know Your Bible Correspondence Course lessons and questionnaires.

2. Take a number of Correspondence Course Lessons No. 1 with ques

tionnaires and ring the bells on any street in your neighborhood.

3. Introduce yourself by name and mention either your church, the Dial

Truth Program, or the International Missionary Society.

4. Ask the people politely if they would like to study the Bible with your

lessons, Make sure they understand that the lessons are absolutely free.

5. If they consent, leave them the first lesson and tell them to have the

questionnaire filled out by a certain day when you will come back to collect

it.

6. Be sure to go back when you said you would, and give them Lesson

No. 2. Obtain the questionnaire to Lesson No. 1 and correct it or go over it

with them right there. Otherwise, bring it back to them the next time you

return.We believe that this kind of personal involvement will bring you rich

spiritual rewards. When personal Bible studies develop from such a contact,

you will be astounded how well you will be able to do in answering questions,

etc., if you study your lessons for yourself tnoroughly. Of course if you

need some assistance, a minister or Bible worker will be glad to help you.

These, then, are two ways in which you can be a missionary right at home.

Pray about it, and ask the Lord to give you courage and a burden for souls.

Without this, we shall not be able to enter the gates of the Heavenly Jerusa

lem. Vie will not be permitted to come with empty hands but there should be

stars in our crowns.May the Lord bless each one of you, and we look forward to hearing from

you soon. We do not know how much time of liberty is left for us.

With Christian love, I remain —

Your brother in Christ,

NEWS

MISSIONARY

from

REPORT FROMSOUTH AFRICA

“Exalt the Lord our God, and wor

ship at His holy hill for the Lord

our God is holy.” Psalm 99:9.

M Y dear Brethren Sisters and Friends:

After a long time we are sending you

a sign of life from faraway Africa. Praise

the Lord for health and life The dangers

are many, but the Lord cares for His

children. Time is fleeting. Today we

are very near the end of the world;

Jesus, our dear Saviour, is coming soon,

very soon. The signs of the times speak

eloquently. There has never been such

a confusion in all areas of life as we

see in our day. Believers as well as

unbelievers admit that this world cannot

last much longer.We are glad that the day of our redemp

tion is drawing nigh. Let us praise the

Lord for His wonderful truth. Patriarchs

and prophets, as well as the pioneers of

this last message, looked longingly for

this day, and we will be privileged to

witness for ourselves the dawn of eter

nity, if we remain faithful to the end.

Camp meetings in Rhodesia andZambia

We praise our Master for holding back

the winds of strife in order for us to give

the last message of warning. In spite of

various difficulties, we were able to

visit Rhodesia and Zambia several times

during 1970. On March 4, we began a

journey in the direction of Rhodesia.

The Sabbath following, we were deep in

the bush of Sanyati. We have a small

group and a worker here now. In the

bush the work for souls is also quite

difficult because most of the people are

entangled in the snares of heathenism.

The Lord has been gracious to help the

seed of truth to be scattered here, and

the souls were again strengthened in the

Lord.From here the journey went to Gatooma,

and we had the great privilege of con

ducting meetings here also. Five souls

could be baptized. We went into thewater with eerie feelings, for we had

been told that there were crocodiles inthese rivers. One has to be very careful

of them, as well as of insects and

20 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

HOME and ABROADsnakes. The Lord was gracious; and webelieve that in Heaven, also, there wasgreat joy as these souls surrendered toour Master in the present truth.

We then continued our journey in thedirection of Bulawayo. This is wherewe have, for the most part, our largermeetings. Our dear believers and friendscame from different directions, and wewere together for several days studyingthe word and being strengthened in thetruth. On Sabbath about 70 souls werepresent, and by the Lord’s grace themessage could be presented. Here, too,two souls could be left in the Lord’scare. This is, indeed, the greatest joy,when in this present, wicked time peopleare still willing to follow the Lord. Thistime we did not continue our trip toZambia but returned to South Africa.

In the beginning of June we went byplane to Malawi. This is a new countryfor the present truth. After toilsome tripsI was able to visit a brother from the bigchurch, He is very interested in thetruth, and we hope that in this countrythe truth will soon get a foothold. Afterseveral visits, we continued to Zambia.At Mu-jika (Monse), Central Zambia, weconducted a camp meeting. The believersand friends were joyful in the truth. OnSunday I baptized an old brother. Thiswas a particular joy, since this brotherwanted to be baptized years ago. Nowthe time came when he could surrenderhis life to the Lord. We pray that theLord will help him to remain faithfuluntil the Saviour comes. From here thetrip continued to Kenya. I will tell youabout this a little later.

With God’s help we could again visitRhodesia, Zambia, and Malawi in Augustand September. On this particular trip,we were at a new place deep in thejungle on the first Sabbath. The traveling through the bush with almost notrail, but added sand and rocks, wasexhausting. Yet the Lord was merciful,and here, also, we could scatter theseed. May the Lord help that one daywe will find souls in His kingdom. Ourlarge conference was again in Bulawayo.On Sabbath nearly 80 souls were present.The Lord stood by to proclaim His truth.After Sabbath we could show someslides. Some miniSters from otherchurches were alSo present. Theyshowed great interest in the truth andadmitted that this Reformation is thetruth. May the Lord help them to see thelight.

From Rhodesia our trip continued in thedirection of Zambia. We did not knowif we would be able to get through. With

confidence in our Master we advanced,and He opened the way. After a long,long journey we arrived at our BethelMission. The believers awaited us, andsince they did not know either whetherwe Would make it through, the joy wasso much the greater. Out there deep inthe bush they had everything prepared forour camp meeting. Many caine from nearand far, and the Lord gave us His Spiritto proclaim His word. At all our conferences we lay special stress on thebelievers’ knowing practical Christianity.The prophetic Word, also, is very important. In our days, especially, when somany false movements exist, everyonemust be fortified to stand securely in thetruth. On Sabbath nearly 300 souls werepresent. We pray that the seed sown mayalso bear fruit for life eternal. At thisconference, 8 souls were added to God’schurch. Praise be to the Lord’

From here our trip continued towardMalawi. These are enormous stretchesof country. We traveled and traveled,and we praised the Lord for His protection. Finally, after a long journey, wereached our destination. We have greatinterest in seeing this message established in this country. Pray earnestlyfor it, dear ones, for we desire the lightto shine in many places in this mammothcontinent. All beginnings are wearisome,but our Lord and Master is opening theways. After completing our missionaryendeavor in Malawi, we again traveledtoward Zambia. On this Sabbath wecould proclaim the message in the borderterritory (Zambia-Malawi). On Sunday wehad a special experience. We had no

translator. We stood as a trio on thepulpit, and the Lord helped us. Withoutmany words, while I gave the Bibletexts, we had a precious study about thelove of God, complete obedience to all ofGod’s commandments in the presenttruth, and the soon return of our Lord.We left this place in the deep bush ofAfrica with the glorious hope of one dayseeing these souls on the earth madenew. Then our journey continued towardLusaka. After a long trip we arrivedsafely at our destination. We conductedstill another conference in Zambia in thedirection of Angola. This was also anew location. With God’s help we wereable to stay here for several days. Frommorning to evening we studied the wordof God. On Sabbath about 150 soulswere there. The Lord also helped us toshow the solid foundation of this one andonly predicted Reformation through theBible and Testimonies. We are prayingthat the souls who are upright in heartwill accept the truth.

After this camp meeting we began ourlong trip home to South Africa. Somewhatweary, but healthy, we arrived at ourdesination. In spite of problems,dangers, etc., we could look backthankfully to this long trip, and we implore the Lord to help us so that we willsee souls in His kingdom.

Conferences in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica

By God’s help we could conduct conferences twice in Johannesburg in 1970.Here we have special reason to praise

Conference in South Africa

June 1971 21

the Lord. He has done really greatthings for His cause. By God’s gracewe have in Johannesburg and its vicinity40 members. They are joyful in the Lord.

We conducted a larger conference fromMarch 31 to April 5. Delegates fromdifferent directions (and countries) couldbe present. All matters pertaining to thecause as well as to organization couldbe settled in a wonderful spirit of love.Believers and friends could be strengthened by God’s word. The time was completely taken up in the study of theBible and Testimonies. The climax waswhen 7 souls surrendered their lives tothe Lord and were baptized. For this wepraise the Master. On Sabbath nearly

140 souls were there, This conferencewas also beautified by songs to God’sglory. We parted from one another withnew courage. May the Lord bless theseed sown.

With strength from the Lord we conducted another meeting in Johannesburg inOctober 1970. Again the believers camejoyfully from different directions to thisfeast. We thank the Lord that we couldassemble for several days to receivespiritual food. We are living in an earnest, but also treacherous, time; therefore we must seize all opportunities to bestrengthened in the inner man. God’sSpirit dwelled among us richly. We hadspecial reason for joy when 8 dear soulscould be joined with God’s people duringthis conference. This is the most important task—to win souls for heaven.Time hastens on, and these days ofgathering also came to an end; but weparted from one another in the blessedhope of the Saviour’s coming soon, verysoon.

Dedication of the new missionstation in Johannesburg, South Africa

We have every reason to thank the Lordfrom the bottom of our hearts for all thespiritual as well as temporal blessingsHe has bestowed on us. For a longtime, we had pleaded with the Lord togive His cause here a piece of propertyas a center where everything (church,publishing house, and dwelling) could beunder one roof. The Lord led everythingin a marvelous way, and we have beenable to see His guiding hand in the transactions. Not all of the experiences canbe related in this short report, but wethank and praise the Lord for all that Hehas done. This has been accomplishedthrough God’s merciful care, for humanlyspeaking, it was not possible. But Hedid it, and for this we thank Him with allour hearts.

The Mission Home is 18 years old, butit is built of good material and also is ingood repair. It was an apartment (withfour complete dwellings). One lowerflat serves as the publishing department,office, guest room, etc. The two upperapartments are living quarters for themissionary workers. In our days every-

4

thing is expensive, and this is why weare especially thankful that we haveapartments for the workers in the samebuilding. The situation is very convenient—about 21/i miles from the city center,good bus connections, close to the postoffice, etc., and yet in a quiet location(the street has little traffic). It is alsonot very far from the native residences,so that we may do the work for the Lordconveniently. This mission home is forthe cause here like a gift from God, sothat we may freely do His work. Wepraise the Master for His precious provision. With the Lord’s help, this buildingwas dedicated to the Divine Commissioner on May 23, 1970. Twenty-fivesouls were present at this solemn worship. It is our sincere desire that fromhere rays of light from the precious truthmay shine into many territories of Africa,so that souls may be made ready for thereturn of our Redeemer. This is our oneand only heartfelt desire. (After thehouse is fully prepared, we will publisha picture of it.)

The light of truth on the Equator

God’s ways are marvelous. He hasopened the way to this part of Africaalso. As we already related in our lastreport, we were in East Africa (Kenya)some time ago. With the Lord’s help Ivisited Kenya twice in 1970 and workedthere for some time. Deep in the bush inthe vicinity of Lake Victoria (threecountry corner of Kenya, Uganda, andTanzania, and in the western directionthe Congo), the Lord opened the way.There are many difficulties connectedwith this work. Slowly, but persistently,the rays of the truth’s light forge theirway in this territory. One great difficultyis the production of tea and coffee. tJnfortunately, the large denomination hasalmost totally failed in this respect. Butthe upright souls love the Lord more

than all earthly things. Individuals haveseen to some extent the depths of theglorious truth and have taken hold of it;and we are praying that they will wrestlethrough with the Power from on High.

Loved ones, we as the retormed church(t.he faithful remnant of Laodicea) havea great work to do. To us has been giventhe precious truth of the threefold angel’s message. More and more we arebeginning to realize and understand thegreat task. Most of the Adventists inthis part of Africa, as in the other areas,know very little of the truth and must beinstructed in and taught nearly all of theprinciples of this last message. We dothis work all in love. At one place inthe bush, we have a large hut preparedfor a church. Here we conduct our worship. During heat and rain, and in spiteof many other varied problems, we trystep by step to bring the people closerto the Lord. Pray every day for the workhere, and continue to assist us to carrythe message in the future. The Lord willreward you in eternity. We know that themasses do not accept the truth, butindividuals here and there are seized bythe message and accept it. When I wasthere last December (1970), we were ableto scatter precious seeds in many places.We have encouraging reports from different parts of the continent, and we praythat the Lord will help those who areupright. He will do it. We praise ourheavenly Master that in this part ofAfrica also, right below the equator,the rays Of light from the precious truthare finding their way into the humanheart. As soon as it is possible, I willgo back again. My dear ones, pray earnestly for the work of God here.

Missionary journeys in South Africa,Lesotho, and Swaziland

From Central and East Africa wereturned to the South. During the last

Interested souls on the Equator in Kenya, East Africa

22 THE SABBATH WATCHMAN

year here many souls could be visited.We thank the Lord that He has openedthe way to new places. At the beginningof last year we visited a place in thevicinity of the Kalahari Desert. TheLord worked marvelously, and todaythere is one soul in this district who isa good lightbearer. And way down on theIndian Ocean, as well as in East SouthAfrica (Transkei) the light of the truth isshining. We also visited Swaziland andLesotho several times. The believersand friends there are joyful in the Lord.The harvest is great, but the workers arefew. Yet we will travel our road withjoyfulness through bush and sand andheat with the glorious hope: The Masteris coming soon!

Fulfilled prophecies in Africa

My dear ones: Never before have I

seen so vividly and understood so well

as I do today the words, “And the nations were angry,.. .“ Rev. ii: 18. “Beatyour plowshares into swords, and yourpruninghooks into spears: let the weaksay, lam strong.” Joel 4:10. Ezekiel 38and 39, as well as Joel and the Revelation, are being fulfilled literally beforeour eyes. Prophecy has never spokensuch eloquent language as it does rightnow. The nations are angry. An unbelievable confusion exists in all realms.Revolution, religious confusion, murder,and other criminal assaults—this is thelanguage of the 20th century. For usalso here in Africa it is becoming increasingly difficult. We do not knowhow much longer freedom will exist. Thewhole continent is seething. Everyonewants to be important, to rearm, etc.;the marching destination can visibly beseen—the Valley of Jehoshaphat.—Armageddon.

Jesus is coming soon, very soon

“And when these things begin to cometo pass, then look up, and lift up yourheads; for your redemption draweth nigh.And then shall they see the Son of mancoming in a cloud with power and greatglory.” Luke 21:28, 27. This is theglorious day which we have alwaysanticipated, The night of sin is comingto an end; the redemption of God’s children is standing at the door. The timehas come when the Lord will do a mightywork in the latter rain. For this reasonthe shaking time is continuing. It mustbe clearly revealed who will really servethe Lord with his whole heart by livingup to all the truth in his daily life. Mydear ones, remain joyful in the Lord andpious in His truth. We cannot look atnumbers. The Lord does not look for themajority, but “. . . the eyes of the Lordrun to and fro throughout the whole earth,to shew Himself strong in the behalf ofthem whose heart is perfect toward Him.”2 Chron. 16:9. As in the time of Gideon,so in the last days the Lord will do amarvelous work through a few, but sanctified, human beings.

Since 1844, the Lord has been proclaiming the last warning message to thisworld. The Bible and the Spirit ofprophecy teach us distinctly that only asmall remnant from the Laodicean churchwill remain faithful to all the commandinents of God until the end. This remnantis the Reform Movement. In our daythere are many false religious movements,even among Sabbath keepers. But theseso-called reformations lead not from errorto the light, but from the light to error.This genuine, prophesied Reformationstands on the platform of eternal truth,and Jesus our Saviour is the cornerstone.My dear fellow believers and friends,whoever may read these lines, we callupon you from faraway Africa, remainjoyfully in this truth and endure, for soonwe shall be home forever.

Also, we will not forget to thank theGeneral Conference and all our dearbelievers and friends in Europe and

ANSWERS to Trans-A-Word Puzzle

Rouge11. Wig12. Oil13. Link

“If you seek help from God, Hispower working in you will bring tonaught all opposing powers.” —Messages to Young People, p. 23.

America for all your help in the pastyear. We cannot write to you all asindividuals, but we wish to thank allour loved ones in this manner. With yourfinancial support it has been possiblefor us to proclaim the truth in this vastcontinent. Your means have helped usto support the workers; your gifts andused clothing have enabled us to helpmany of the poor. Do not become wearyof doing good, for the Lord will richlyreward you. How precious it will bewhen soon you will see souls in God’skingdom who, because of your assistance,have heard the message and been saved.All the believers here send you theircordial greetings. Pray for us, as wedo for you. My dear ones everywhere,the Saviour is returning very, very soon.With the most cordial greetings fromfaraway Africa,

Your brother and fellow pilgrim in theLord, S. SCHMIDT.

Four workers in Rhodesia with their new bicycles to be used in the missionarywork. For these we thank you, the contributors. Next to them, the LandRover stands, loaded with a mission tent on top, and ready to deliver themessage.

1. Oppose2. Satans3. Powers4. Workmen5. Withholding6. Briefly7. Flopping

8. Rough9. You

10.

ENOUGH!

He that is down needs fear no fall,He that is low, no pride;

He that is humble ever shallHave God to be his guide.

I am content with that I have,Little be it or much;

And Lord, contentment still I crave,Because Thou savest such.

Fullness to such a burden isThat go on pilgrimage;

Here little, and hereafter bliss,Is best from age to age.

—John Bunyan

June 1971 23

SeeThe Sabbath Watchman

GROWWE HERE at Religious Liberty Publishing Association take great

joy and pride in our official church paper, The Sabbath Watchman.We are sure you have noticed its improvement over thelast few year.s. The paper’s appearance, quality, andworkmanship, as well as the caliber and variety ofarticles and general content make it something we areproud to give any unexpected visitor.

For these blessings we are truly thankful, and onlyGod is to be glorified. However, we want to do evenbetter, and your help is needed. Yourloyalty to your church and its officialvoice is now on the line. To gain alarger circulation, which will lead to aneven better Sabbath Watchman, we nowmake it possible for every church member to receive The Sabbath Watchmanfree for one year. What -- -- -.

must you do to qualify?Simply go through yourlist of friends—Adventists and religious friendswith whom you talk andwork, and those in thechurch who ‘:..

do not get VThe Sabbath Watchman. Getthem to subscribe to the

SobbthWATCHMAN4.’

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5’bbaIhWATCHMAN

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paper, and when.-> you send us 3

new subscrip! tions for one

year, you willç> L-:r receive a sub

scription absolutely free ot cnarge.

In this way you will notonly benefit yourself butwill give your church papera substantial boost.

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WE COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT!

24