Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

October 21, 2018

10/21/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        KNOWING GOD'S WILL

        For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. John 6:38.

    Nine tenths of the difficulty of knowing God's will for our lives is met when we come to the point where we are willing to listen objectively to God's direction. How can this be done? Humanly, it is impossible. Only God can accomplish it for us. It is going to have to be done by His grace and His power.

    And isn't this demonstrated in the life of Jesus? You'll have to admit that it must have been within God's will for Jesus to have a drink of the water at the well of Samaria. But when He had a chance to talk to someone about deeper wells and longer-lasting waters, the disciples were surprised at how quickly He forgot His own needs.

    In John 4:34, Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." He pointed this out as His mission, His purpose in life, again and again. And finally, at the close of His ministry, in the Garden alone, struggling and sweating drops of blood, He said, "Father, if thou by willing, remove this cup from me." He had a preference in the matter, but He immediately surrendered His wishes and His will to His Father. "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He was willing for His own wishes to be submitted to God.

    There is a quotation that some of us carry around, longing for the reality in terms of growth and experience for it to be accomplished in our lives: "Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps."--The Ministry of Healing, p. 479. That was the example that Christ left for us.

    Wouldn't you like to live so close to the Lord that He would be able to flash His plans to you individually for the day? Wouldn't you at least like to be open to His plans so that if He interrupts plans you have made for yourself you do not resist Him? As we grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus, we will be more sensitive to what His plans are, so that the plans we follow will be the plans He has made, instead of simply our own.

October 20, 2018

10/20/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        NO ONE LIVES TO HIMSELF

        But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 1 Cor. 8:9.

    The number one prerequisite for knowing God's will specifically for you in any area is to have an ongoing, vital, personal relationship with Him day by day. The person who suddenly decides he wants to know God's will in a particular area, who has had no time for relationship with God before that point, will find it very difficult to get the signals straight. But once a person does have a vital relationship with God, he will find that there are guidelines given in Scripture to aid in determining what is right and wrong in the gray areas, where specific details for ever situation have not been given.

    Some things that are all right to do if you are alone on a desert island would not be all right to do if you are living in a community. Let's notice it in Scripture. Romans 14:7, "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Verse 10, "Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?" Verses 12-16, "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walketh thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of."

    In those days they had the practice of dedicating foods to idols. This food was then sold in the marketplace. Some of the Christian brothers were having problems when one of the other church members ate of the meat that was offered to idols. It had nothing to do with flesh, necessarily, but rather with food offered to idols. But Paul says, If someone is going to stumble over it, don't cause them to stumble. The issue of influence is a big one by which to determine the Lord's will in a gray or uncertain area. If our actions will hinder the spiritual growth of any of those around us, then we must take this possibility into account when we make our decisions in areas where God's will has not been specifically revealed.

October 19, 2019

10/19/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE DOWNWARD PATH

        There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Prov. 16:25.

    The downward way at times appears to be right. But the Bible principle of how to deal with gray areas is to ask where they lead. Jesus admitted to His disciples that He wasn't taking them out of the world (John 17). But He did pray to His Father that they be kept from the evil.

    Many of the worldly pleasures that have come in recent years don't show up in Scripture as such. There is not always specific chapter and verse to guide us. That's why we have to underscore the fact that the Bible, for the Christian, is going to have to be used in at least two ways--for information and for communication. Which is the primary purpose of the two? Which is more important? Maybe we shouldn't even try to separate them. We tend to separate them because we have often been given the impression that all you have to do is memorize five hundred Bible doctrine texts, and you are secure. But information alone will not be sufficient.

    The primary purpose of God's Word is to lead us to know God, and to come into fellowship and communion with Jesus. But, of course, communication is based on information. You have to have both. If communication wasn't based solidly on information, you would be wide open to error. Your communication with God has to be based on the information He has given through His Word. It cannot be based simply upon your own experience. It cannot be based upon feelings. So let's hang on to communication based solidly on information. But the information given is not always specific, and it in itself is not enough.

    So how do you draw the line between Walter Cronkite and "Charlie's Angels"? How do you decide whether you should even own a TV? Where do you draw the line between playing Frisbee on the front lawn with the kids, and major league competition? There are some who think bowling is a sin, and other who think it's a healthy exercise. The important question is, :What has God told you about it?" The only way you can expect to get clear signals from Heaven on a gray area in your own life is through your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is only through personal communication with Him that you are able to keep an open channel to hear what God wants to tell you regarding His specific will for you.

October 18, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        BLACK, WHITE, OR GRAY?

        Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. 1 John 2:15.

    Have you ever heard that Seventh-day Adventists don't dance, don't go to shows, don't go to worldly places of amusement? Or are the church standards regarding worldly pleasures and love of the world outdated? Are they simply relics of a legalism that we have outgrown? There are other churches that used to believe as we do, but they have "adjusted to modern times." Where do you make the division? And how do you know where the line should be drawn between what is simply custom and what is right and wrong?

    1 John 2 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." That's a rather general statement. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." That's a little more specific. "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

    This doctrine of the church, perhaps more than any other, illustrates the fact that there are some things that appear to be neither black nor white, but are gray. You can't find chapter and verse discussing them specifically, and the devil has done his best to introduce gray areas, because he likes to work with gray. He can get people from white to black through the shades of gray. It's much harder to take people from white straight to black. That's why the deceiver enjoys the gray areas.

    If you study the case histories of people who have gone from white to black, no one ever really makes the transition in one big jump. He always goes in little, tiny steps. Sometimes the only thing wrong with step number one might be that it leads to step number two. There might not be anything that you can put your finger on that is inherently wrong in a particular thing, except where it leads. That's where the gray area comes in. How do you know where to cut it? How do you know where to draw the line? This is where Jesus has to be revealed in the gray. If Jesus doesn't reveal Himself to us in the gray area, we're sunk. But He has promised to be with us, and to reveal Himself to us, even in the gray. "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa. 30:21).

October 17, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

        And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Luke 3:9.

    Mr. Jones had a tree in his front yard that he wanted removed. One summer afternoon he made a decision. The tree really had to go, and it was time for action. He borrowed an extension ladder from a neighbor down the road, and went to work. He began pulling off the leaves, handful by handful. It was a hard job, and took several days. But at last he was done. He returned the ladder, confident that his problem was solved.

    All went well for a few months. Mr. Jones had almost forgotten about the tree until one day the following spring when he noticed that new leaves had sprouted out all over it. It had happened so slowly that he couldn't even pinpoint when it occurred. But there it was. The tree wasn't dead at all, but alive and flourishing.

    Mr. Jones borrowed the ladder again, and again went over the tree carefully, branch by branch, removing all the leaves. But the next spring they grew again, and the next, and the next. Finally his neighbor stopped him as he was setting up the ladder for yet another try and said, "Look--I don't mind your using my ladder. But why don't you just wait till autumn, like the rest of us, and rake up the leaves? Wouldn't that be easier?"

    "But you don't understand," Mr. Jones replied. "I'm not just trying to get rid of the leaves. I'm trying to kill the tree!"

    His neighbor went away shaking his head, but returned a few minutes later carrying an axe. "If you want to kill the tree, here's what you need." he advised. "If you chop the tree down, it will be sure to die."

    Have you ever spent your time picking leaves, trying to kill a tree? You may think you never have. But how often we as Christians try to die to self by working on the fruit, instead of the root. "We may pick the leaves from the tree as often as we please, but this will not cause the tree to die; the next season the leaves will come out again as thick as before. But strike the ax at the root of the tree, and not only will the leaves fall off of themselves, but the tree will die. Those who accept the truth, in the love of it, will die to the world, and will become meek and lowly in heart like their divine Lord. Just as soon as the heart is right, the dress, the conversation, the life, will be in harmony with the Word of God."--My Life Today, p. 265.

October 16, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        JESUS REVEALED BY YOUR DRESS

        Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning....But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1 Peter 3:3, 4.

    Is there anything wrong with washing your face? Is there anything wrong with combing your hair? How about wearing a watchband" Is it OK to wear a necktie? Should Christians wear clothes that are in style? Should they try to look nice? Are scarves or pins acceptable? What about lace, ribbons, or buttons? Is it wrong to dye your hair or wear a wig? Is it wrong to wear makeup? If a wristwatch is all right, then what about a pendant watch? Is there any difference between wearing a colored scarf and a small silver necklace? What about a wedding ring? Is all jewelry to be forbidden?

    While there are differing standards in different parts of the country, different schools, different cultures, there are principles that are given in Scripture that apply everywhere. In Revelation 12 God uses a woman to represent His true church. Notice how she is dressed. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (verse 1).

    Revelation 17:4 describes the false church, also represented by a woman--this time a harlot. Notice what she was wearing: "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet coulour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." Of course, these verses are symbolic. There might be people who don't believe in wearing anything at all who would find comfort in Revelation 12:1! But God has had something to say about nakedness in other places in Scripture. So obviously that isn't the point. The principle is the contrast between natural, simple attire, and extravagance.

    What is the reason for these restrictions? Because the adorning of the outside is simply a symptom of an inward lack. God wants us to have the inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit, not the outward adorning that draws attention to ourselves. The application of these principles will have to be made in the framework of our own personal communion with Him.

October 15, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE

        Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Isa. 58:8.

    Daniel and his three companions refused to be defiled with the delicacies from the king's table. They knew that what they ate and how they lived had a definite affect on spiritual life. Seventh-day Adventists have believed that for a long time. We believe that our bodies are the temples of God (1 Cor. 3:16, 17) and that God wants us to use our bodies and our spirits to glorify Him (chap. 6:19, 20).

    When it comes to health and healing, we have the eight simple, natural remedies. They are not only remedies but also preventatives. "There are many ways of practicing the healing art; but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God's remedies are the simple agencies of nature....Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness [temperance], rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power--these are the true remedies."--Councils on Diet and Foods, p. 301. These are both the means to recovery and the means to prevent becoming sick.

    Have you ever taken a few minutes to check how you are doing in these eight areas? Usually, if there are health problems, there are difficulties in one of these eight areas, if not in several of them. You might want to try checking yourself sometimes. And there is a spiritual counterpart for these remedies as well. Jesus is the "Sun of righteousness." We are invited to drink of the water of life. Jesus has given us the Sabbath for rest, and has invited us to come to Him for rest every day. Prayer is the breath of the soul. Exercise is the Christian witness. The proper diet is to eat the bread of life. These are the ingredients for a healthy spiritual life, as well as for a healthy physical life.

    Four of these eight remedies, in the spiritual realm, are the cause, and four are the result. Pure air, prayer; proper diet, God's Word; water, the Holy Spirit and the water of life; and exercise, witness; all have to do with the relationship with God, and are the cause of a healthy Christian experience. And the result of these are the other four: temperance, rest, the sunlight of God's presence shed abroad, and trust in divine power.

October 14, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE ONLY MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

        Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2.

    What is it you usually think of when you think of health? Many think of Seventh-day Adventists as the people who don't eat meat. But diet is not the major issue in health. Jesus promised His followers that He and His Father would come and dwell with them. He said that He would manifest Himself to us. How does He do this? Well, we could say, By the things of nature; but He does that for everybody, including the skeptic and infidel and agnostic. People who curse God have much of the natural manifestations of God. So His manifestation must be by means of a more direct communication.

    "The brain nerves that connect with the whole system are the medium through which heaven communicates with man and affects the inmost life. Whatever hinders the circulation of the electric current in the nervous system, thus weakening the vital powers and lessening mental susceptibility, makes it more difficult to arouse the moral nature."--Education, p. 209. There are three parts of the brain--and the first that is affected by stimulants is the higher centers, where spiritual communication takes place.

    The body and mind are closely related. "The body is the only medium through which the mind and soul are developed for the upbuilding of character."--The Ministry of Healing, p. 130. So the mind is the only medium of communication with God. And the body is that through which the mind and soul are developed. Whatever affects the body affects the mind. It is through the mind that God manifests Himself to us, so when the body and mind are affected, our communion with Him is affected.

    So what does insufficient sleep do in terms of affecting communion with God? What does lack of exercise do to our communion with God? What does overeating do in terms of communion with God? What do drugs and alcohol and other harmful substances do in terms of communion with God? Are these fair questions? Satan is able to come in and control us when he manages to control our minds. But the clearer our minds become, and the more healthy our bodies, the easier it is for us to let God control us according to His will.

October 13, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE STRONG MAN

        When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger man than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. Luke 11:21, 22.

    Have you ever wondered what these verses meant? There's a similar verse in Mark 3:27: "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house." The mind is the "strong man" of every individual. The enemy who comes trying to destroy us has to first bind the strong man. The big battle in this conflict between good and evil is the battle for your mind.

    The subject of health has always been of great interest to Seventh-day Adventists because there is a definite connection between health and our minds. At the very beginning, when sin first entered, Satan first of all had to bind the strong man. And he succeeded in that. But when Jesus came on His mission of salvation, He bound Satan and Jesus has been the victor ever since. However, when it comes to the battle for each individual, Christ and Satan are in constant conflict, and it isn't just at the beginning but at every stage of the Christian life. It is the battle for our minds.

    Jesus made it clear that it is the mind that counts. It is not the outward actions that are of primary importance. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). God has always looked at the heart. And when we speak of the heart, we are referring to the mind, even though there are other meanings the word heart may have in Scripture. The heart, or mind, is the strong man of each person.

    Before we come into personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we have what is called in Romans 8:7 the carnal mind. But God has made provision through the gospel to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2). Testimonies, volume 3, page 162, says that if men do not keep their bodies holy, they are unfit to be spiritual worshippers. Seventh-day Adventists believe in the harmonious development of the physical, mental, and spiritual powers, and have long emphasized this. There is a close connection between the body and the mind. It is through the mind that we communicate with God and thus become one with Him.

October 12, 2018

10/18/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        YOU CAN'T OUTGIVE GOD

        Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38.

    Have you ever tried to out give God? There are people who have set out deliberately to do that very thing, and have found that it is impossible. Does the idea sound exciting to you or scary? Malachi 3 insists that the person giving does not even have a right motive. It gives a carte blanche promise that those who return to God what is His, in tithes and offerings, are going to receive a blessing. And while it is obvious that the one who gives from the motive of love for God is going to receive the greater blessing, the promise is for anyone who is willing to give.

    Malachi 3:10 is the only place we know where God has said, "Test Me. Try Me out." Have you read about the businessmen who have tried Him out? People have gone into partnership with God, in terms of money, and have discovered that His promise is sure. Some do it for business purposes, others from love for Him. But when you discover that God's promise is sure, even for your lesser motives, it does something to change your motives, doesn't it?

    The statistics show that probably only 50 to 60 percent of Seventh-day Adventists are faithful tithepayers. But those who are not faithful stewards are showing at least a lack of faith, and possibly ignorance and even stupidity! Will you forgive me for that last one? But it is being smart to realize that nine dollars with God's blessing goes much further than ten dollars without His blessing. It's a simple principle. If you have tried it you know it's true, and there is no debate. In fact, eight dollars with God's blessing goes much further than ten dollars without it! The question in Malachi is not regarding simply tithes but tithes and offerings. Some forget that when they have paid their tithe they have simply been honest--they have not yet been generous! It is when we return our tithes to Him because it is His money, and bring our offerings as well, that we find His promise is still good for today. It is impossible to be more giving, more generous, more unselfish, than God is. You can't outgive God. The more we give to Him, the more He blesses.