Helping people to find Christ

On a snowy Thursday night the youth group Bible study continued the journey through the Desire of Ages.  Amidst questions, praises for answered prayers and time of praying for others, we had read on the story of first disciples encountering Jesus (Gospel of John 1:37-50), Andrew finding Peter, Philip finding Nathanael, and bringing them to Christ, without arguments, simply with an invitation “Come and See!”

An inspired commentary moved me to share it with you as a reminder of our personal responsibility to lead people to Christ. (Quotations are from the Desire of Ages, p.141)

These examples should teach us the importance of personal effort, of making direct appeals to our kindred, friends, and neighbors. There are those who for a lifetime have professed to be acquainted with Christ, yet who have never made a personal effort to bring even one soul to the Saviour. They leave all the work for the minister. He may be well qualified for his calling, but he cannot do that which God has left for the members of the church.

There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many have gone down to ruin who might have been saved if their neighbors, common men and women, had put forth personal effort for them. Many are waiting to be personally addressed. In the very family, the neighborhood, the town, where we live, there is work for us to do as missionaries for Christ. If we are Christians, this work will be our delight. No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart.

 All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God makes them His agents to communicate to others the riches of His grace. His promise is, "I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26.

Please reflect on this.  Do not leave all the work of evangelism to the minister – I cannot do it alone.  You all are ministers.  We remind that to our church through the bulletin – this is a place where everyone is gifted for service!  If you do not lead people to Christ, they may never hear the Gospel.  If you really met Christ, you cannot help but share Him with others!

Family talk

Many were blessed this week visiting different homes hosting the Week of Prayer.  The desire to start small groups is great!  And I had to assure a few that in the new year our top priority, even if we have to put on hold some programs, is to build community of care.

As the church grows larger in numbers so is the need to come closer together, to connect.  Church growth specialists point out that with growth in size comes the necessity to connect inside even more.  Worldwide Adventist community membership is over 18 million and with unbaptized children, and extended family members it’s over 30 million.  In such a large church there are differences of opinions, and often the disagreements are expressed not in the Spirit of Christ.

Earlier this week the North American Division leaders met for the annual council, and an interesting document was issued: a Statement on Civil Discourse.  In other words, a set of guidelines on how to talk to each other, a reminder of how to keep a conversation in community without rupturing relationships in the Body of Christ.

“1) We resolve to encourage expressions of disagreement that are honest and open based upon a sincere desire to arrive at truth as expressed in Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy;
2) We resolve to first communicate with those with whom we disagree and listen non-judgmentally to their positions so that we can represent those positions accurately before critiquing them;
3) We resolve to avoid the use of sarcasm, cartoons, anecdotes, parody or any other form of insinuation to diminish the reputation or personhood of others;
4) We resolve to refrain from sponsoring or countenancing online or offline dialogue that vilifies or depreciates the good name of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in general or the reputations of its individual members in particular

We, therefore, resolve to avoid participating in, or being party to, all forms of unhealthy and demeaning discourse. Our aim is to govern our communication according to the high standards of Christian conduct found in the guidelines this statement so that God may be glorified in all we say and do.”

North American Church president Dan Jackson asked that we seek “higher ground” during these challenging times.  I invite you to take this reminder to heart, and in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself or herself, and do nothing in selfish ambition or conceit (Philippians 2:3).  Eugene Peterson’s “Message paraphrase puts it this way (verses1-4)  If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Change is the air. What to expect?

Earlier this week, Monday, citizens went to cast their vote for change.  London Free press run an article the very next morning highlighting that 11 out of 14 war councillors are new and 7 out of 15 City Council members are under 40, and the mayor-elect is 41, so far the youngest council among Ontario cities!

That is a sweeping change!  Only three incumbent councillors are returning: Bill Armstrong (Ward 2) Paul Hubert (8) and Harold Usher (12).  A “representative” of old politics, Joe Swan, with 28 years of public service, had only about 4% vote!  He said in the LFP interview that it is evident that Londoneers are dissatisfied with the past politics.  About 93% of voters voted for change! 

Jared Zaifman (Ward 14) is the youngest of the group at 27.  28-year-old Mo Salih is London’s second-ever black Councillor; Harold Usher, who was re-elected on Monday, was the first in 2000.

The new mayor, Matt Brown says that the top priority is unity, for the City Council to be working together.  Fresh ideas are expected, yet the outgoing “old guard” is concerned, that the new generation has no idea, there are fears of not knowing what to expect.

Mississauga got the new mayor in 36 years, also a young person.  So did Windsor, Woodstock, Brampton, Toronto.  Some are concerned that with many newly elected being Liberals it would be move “left” instead of forward.

As we prepare for the Cultural Diversity celebration Sabbath on December 6, together with congratulations, I had sent invitations to the Mayor and Councillors of wards 1, 3, 12, & 14 to join us for service.  It is our spiritual duty to pray for our leaders, to pray for those who agree to serve and lead the community.  Many have young children, and it is our hope that the new attention will be given to family values and parenting, that an added care will be given to children services.  As one journalist said “Swapping grandparents for parents would affect the budget.”

Mo Salih experienced racism while campaigning door to door.  Together with Harold Usher they represent the 16% of black community living in London.  There are expectations for more cultural awareness and appreciation.  As the new City Council will take office on December 1, please pray that God’s will would be done in our city.

Also, consider our congregation, and pray that more young adults and youth would also be passionate about leading, serving, using community resources we have to impact our neighbourhoods and families for God’s Kingdom.  Young adults should not be “missing in action” at our church, and taking responsibilities and lead. And above all, let’s listen to our young people, let’s keep the dialogue open, so we are relevant to their needs, that we may offer mentoring and discipleship they need.  

More Adventist Heritage Stories

October 22 is a memorable date for Adventists – the Great Disappointment day, when 170 years back in 1844 over 250,000 Christians hoped that William Miller was right, and Jesus would come to this earth, to end the pain and suffering forever.  Yet, here we are, 170 years later, still hearing of wars, pestilence, disasters, violence with no end in sight.

This past Wednesday Canadian capital was reeling in chaos, pain, shock, confusion, as violence erupted at the core of our government by a misguided gunman whose misconception of God’s will took lives.  As I teach World Religions class I always bring up the fact that the name “Allah” used by Muslims is the same as used by early Jewish and Syriac Christians, who spoke Aramaic and used Peshita as their Bible.  It is a generic word, same as English term “God” which may mean different things to different cultures.  Hence, what really matters is how we understand Who God Is, not just by what name we call Him. 

There is a significant difference between a god who “collapsed” on himself, is self-centered, is disconnected from life, creation and ongoing experiences, and is a transcendent principle, and God who is involved with and in His Creation at all times, going through each experience with his creatures.  There is a huge difference between god who uses his creation and makes creation do things for him, and the God who does everything for creation, who serves creation, who invests in and even sacrifices Himself, limits Himself for the sake of His Creation.

Our early pioneers emerged from an assortment of religious experiences and denominations, often with different perspectives on Who God is and what is His Will.  Church historians like to point out the fact that most of our pioneers differed with understanding of God.  Through decades of searching the Bible and being guided by the Spirit of Prophecy our church had formulated statements on how we understand God.  The very first doctrine had been set entitled “The Scripture – Holy Word of God” with emphasis that God is interested in us knowing and understanding Him. God invites us to reason together as He reveals Himself through people He chooses, at all times in different places, in different ways.  The Bible is a collection of people’s experience of God Revelation.  God reveals Himself!

The very next statement of our faith asserts that we believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one, of one nature but different functions and wills always working inseparably, as Ellen G. White put it “three living persons of the heavenly trio, three great powers --the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  Creation and Redemption are inseparable and cannot be understood without proper understanding of God as Trinity, eternal Love and eternal Savior.   And our “theology” determines the rest of our “….logies”, guides how we live, how we relate to one another.

On Wednesday night elder Clara Baptiste led the prayer meeting with focus on the primacy of the Word of God.  Read Psalm 119, the ode to God’s Law and Word, and reflect how important it is for our faith identity.

More Adventist Heritage Stories

This past week the Annual Council of the General Conference had met and discussed many urgent matters.  One addenda item was a revision of the statements of beliefs, the 28 fundamentals received aslight “makeover” in wording (more details will be in the November monthly newsletter).  The transparency and openness of or church enable everyone to read via internet the updates, to see the documents as they were amended.  Some were concerned about changes made.  All are welcome to consider the recommendation which will be brought to the General Conference in session at San Antonio in July 2015.  Until then these changes are up for discussion.

This reminded me of a story from 1888.  By the late 1870s and 1880s Ellen White had become convinced that the low spiritual condition of her contemporary Adventists was a result of the failure of their theology!  She was concerned that inadequate understanding of God and His will was resulting in people’s wrong lifestyle of legalism.  The legalistic heritage of the Christian Connexion, from which her husband James came out into Adventism, which suggested that the right to the tree of life is earned by keeping the commandments, had to be corrected.  When Adventist ministers of the day were approached with the message that it is through the righteousness of Christ that we are saved by Grace alone, most objected.  The two young Biblical scholars Jones & Waggoner were teaching justification by faith, but older generation of leaders and pastors were not hearing it.

Ellen White announced that her intention of taking the new message to the grassroots, to the laity “if the ministers will not receive the light, I want to give the people a chance” (letter to Willie White, September 12, 1881).  Her concern was that those who had bound themselves to their “legal religion” would “see the better things proided for them – Christ and His Righteousness.” (Review & Herald, 1889, 66:465-66).  She wrote that people, masses, would read and see the light of truth for themselves, often by-passing the “chain of command” and not communicating first to pastors, and then to people.  I am encouraged to know that our pioneers took seriously words of Apostle John that all have the same anointing from Christ, and there is no need to depend on others for understanding (1^st John 2:27).

I invite you to study the changes proposed to the 28 fundamentals to learn how definitions of our faith have improved in language to communicate clearer Biblical Message to the world.

Adventist Heritage Stories continue

In 1872 Ellen White wrote a small paper “Proper Education” advocating a balance between intellectual effort and manual labor, yet she never got a chance to develop such an ideal in America.  When Battle Creek college was organized not on a sufficient acreage for agricultural work and training she was in tears.  It was not until her founding the Avondale School in Australia, hacking the campus out of the wilderness in Cooranbong, New South Wales, that she experienced the very best school.

When she returned to the United States in 1900 she learned that Adventist school were so poorly managed that the combined debt was about $350,000.  She donated the profits from the sale of Christ’s Object Lessons to diminish the debt, and call for changing the management principles of the school system.

She also found a misuse of her earlier writings regarding the education.  In 1872 she wrote that “small children should be left as free as lambs to run out-of-doors” and that “parents should be the only teachers of their children until they have reached eight or ten years of age.”  As a result of these statements parents were not enrolling their children in church schools and keeping them home until they were ten.

In the Adventist Community surrounding St.Helena sanitarium in Napa Valley, California, the Board of the newly established elementary school was also divided on the matter of the minimum age for school entry.  In 1904 they visited with Ellen White and her home to discuss the subject.  She simply explained that conditions in schools have changed since 1872.  Whereas before the children were tied to their desks and instruction required long time sitting in-doors, the new kindergarten movement had teachers plan a curriculum with plenty of activities.  She simply told that the problem of immobilizing children at their desks had been resolved, and in such circumstances even five-year-old youngsters were educable.  Back in 1888 Ellen White already suggested to an Adventist community in Oakland, California to start a kindergarten.

There is a caution to us too, a “wooden literalism” may pass by the principles and the context of why things were said.  The principle of education that was brought forth by pioneers was parental and community responsibility for spiritual education of young children, as well as health aspect of physical activity to be involved in proper education.  At times when secular education was focused on rote memorization and arresting mobility, the messenger of the Lord was instructed the importance of kinesthetic and visual learning in addition to audible instruction alone, and free-thinking instead of memorization

How are your children educated?  Do you heed the Counsel? 

Adventist Heritage Stories

October has been traditionally Adventist heritage Month.  Ever since the Great Disappointment of 1844, when on October 22 Millerite followers expected Jesus to come, Adventists look back at that date seeking a renewed hope, and knowing that there was god’s hand even in their disappointment (Revelation 10).

I picked up a new book published by a secular Oxford press.  A compilation of articles about Ellen G. White titled “Ellen Harmon White. American prophet.”  As I read through historical research there a lot of interesting details about our heritage.  I will share some that these may serve as an encouragement for us today.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1841 “an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man,” suggesting that people of significance leave a legacy behind, by establishing an institution that will outlast them, and survive in time.  Consider the LEGACY left by Ellen. G. White.  One cannot deny the Divine inspiration through her as a person influencing what is the Seventh-day Adventist world wide movement.  But things were not easy.

A book by George Knight “lest we forget” published as 2009 daily devotional shared 365 unfamiliar stories.  I will share some unfamiliar facts here too.

When in July 1849 James White located a printer who was willing to publish his paper Present Truth on credit, with postage due to recipients, and expecting that people will send money after receiving the paper (how crazy is that?! Imagine London Free Press sending you the paper, and hoping you will send them money for it J!!!).  By September of that year the publication was fully paid.  It was done by faith because Ellen told her husband of the vision that she saw.  But other leaders did not support it.  Joseph Bates, the elder statesman, objected to any publishing, as he feared it would create an institution from the movement.  For 13 month, from December 1849 to January 1851, Bates refused to support the paper, and discouraged James White so much, that James vowed to give up publishing “forever”!  James suffered physical exhaustion trying to build things up while his senior leader was tearing things down.  Just think – 13 month!  Imagine the leading pastor objecting to the first elder for 13 month J  In all this Ellen did not give up, because of visions she had.  And finally her strong words got through to Bates, just as James quit, Bates began to write and became a wholehearted supporter of the Advent Review, becoming a major fundraiser specialist for the press.

Just because leaders disagree it does not mean that god is not in the project.  Some may just need more time to hear from the Holy Spirit.  The conviction and determination of those called, of those who received a mission from God will be the driving force behind God-led projects.