www.thenkomos.

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PRISONERS OF HOPE May 2009

EDITORIAL..BR N. NKOMO
I am sure that many of us read or heard about the tragic earthquake that rocked a section of Italy at the
start of April. I find it very difficult to read about such things and I mainly confine my attention to reading
the headlines and short summaries. The loss of life is never an easy thing for me to stomach, especially
when it is sudden. I find it more palatable to however read about rescue personal braving inclement
weather and putting their lives at risk in order to try and find survivors. It makes one realise, firstly, how
dedicated these people are to their jobs, and secondly how highly they, and other volunteers, value the lives
of those around them. I am sure that the joy they experience when they are able to pull a survivor from the
rubble after a week of digging, is unparalleled, and it gives them a fresh surge of optimism and adrenaline
to keep digging and searching.
It is while I was dwelling on these things, and a news report that I will refer to later that my thoughts
turned to us as Seventh Day Adventists living in the toenails of the statue of Daniel 2. I began to wonder
what goes through our minds when someone to whom we are not related passes away. Do we, when we see
earthquakes and other disasters claiming the lives of scores of people, pause and wonder how many of
them had heard the gospel of salvation? Or is there such a disconnect between us and those people that
thought does not cross our minds?
When we see the rescue personnel and volunteers working through the night and adverse weather condi-
tions in search of survivors from these wreckages, do we ever wonder whether or not the life they are mak-
ing all those attempts to save will be saved for eternity? When we admire their effort, do we compare it with
what we are willing to do in order to rescue the lost sheep and find the lost coin? If so, how does it com-
pare?
Furthermore, when a survivor is found, and there is jubilation all round, do we consider whether or not we
have that same joy when a sinner comes to repentance? After all, there is joy in heaven when the lost sheep
is found. Are we involved in soul-winning, and do the fruits received through the Holy Spirit provide us
with the fresh legs to continue to work in the fields during this harvest time, or are we happy to sit on the
sidelines and do nothing but watch?
What further disturbed me was an article, from which I have quoted: “A powerful earthquake tore through INSIDE THIS ISSUE
central Italy on Monday …The quake hadn't been completely unexpected. Italy muzzled a scientist who
Editorial ......................... ……1
foresaw it. "Vans with loudspeakers had driven around the town a month ago telling locals to evacuate their
Questions....................... .….2
houses after seismologist Gioacchino Giuliani predicted a large quake was on the way, prompting the
Where Do You Stand? ... .….3
mayor's anger," Gavin Jones reports for Reuters.
Lift Up Your Heads ....... ..…6
Jones adds, "Giuliani, who based his forecast on concentrations of radon gas around seismically active ar-
People Judgment .......... .….7
eas, was reported to police for 'spreading alarm' and was forced to remove his findings from the Internet."
John The Baptist ........... …..8
The Telegraph reports he also "posted a video on YouTube in which he said a build-up of radon gas around
My Identity in Christ .... …..9
the seismically active area suggested a major earthquake was imminent."
A New York Times blog report notes, "The Italian version of PC World has an article about Mr. Giuliani’s
warning, featuring an interview with him posted on YouTube, in which he repeated the prediction just a
few days before the quake struck."
I found the above article to be extremely tragic. What made it even worse is that in it I find disturbing par-
allels of what will happen to us as God fearing individuals trying to warn the world about its impending
demise. I could however not help but to admire Giuliani and the efforts to which he went to spread the
word about what he believed in. He believed the earthquake was round the corner and when people would
not listen he drove around with loudspeakers and made videos. It kind of reminds me of Old Testament
prophets. My question for us is this; do we believe that Christ will soon return? If so, what are we doing to
announce it to the world? Giuliani did it to save their temporal lives, how much more important eternal
lives that we are called to save? Closer to home, how many of us are so comfortable in our “L'Aquila, Italy”,
that we are not willing to leave even when we hear Giuliani’s voice as he drives around in his van? How
many of us seek to muzzle Giuliani’s warning and are angered by it like the Mayor when the message
touches on our holy cows? How sad that what has played out in Italy is a parable of what is happening in
our churches all over the world today. Let us pray for each other, and most importantly ourselves as we
dwell on this editorial.
 QUESTIONS FROM CATHOLICS PART1... BY SR T NKOMO
Questions from Catholics part 1
I read very disturbing news recently about a church member
that owns abortion clinics. While others were saying that they
support abortion for certain reasons in certain situations, my
heart was crying for the mother that makes this life changing
decision. Yes, most of the times, those that choose to kill their
unborn child have sinned by fornicating, but as much as pos-
sible, we should do our best to support the repentant mother.
Even before becoming a mother myself, I’d always thought
abortion seemed too easy, that the psychological conse-
quences would only be obvious after the deed was done, when
it would be too late to change one’s mind. I have read before
that some of our hospitals provide abortions and I decided to
do some research to find out if it is really true. From an arti-
cle written in 1988 “A year or so ago, pro-life demonstrators
picketed in front of the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church,
Takoma Park, Maryland, protesting abortions done in
Washington Adventist Hospital. Their protest highlighted a
conundrum the Adventist Church,
which operates some 487 hospitals,
clinics, and dispensaries around the
world, faces: what to do regarding
abortion. During a nine month period
in 1970 and 1971, the church produced
two sets of recommended abortion
guidelines; since then it has made no
official statement on the matter.
"Delegates at a Potomac Conference
constituency meeting in September
1991 voted by an overwhelming ma-
jority to request that two local Advent-
ist hospitals strictly limit the abortions
preformed there."
"Two years earlier, a pro-life protest was launched by an
evangelical (emphasis mine) church against a local Ad-
ventist hospital. It's pastor was quoted as saying, 'we find it
very inconsistent for a hospital run by a Christian church to
be practicing the mutilation and murder of unborn chil-
dren.'”I came across a Catholic forum that was asking us Ad-
ventists some interesting questions. I will reproduce the
questions, with my own comments in bold. Before that, I will
post the guidelines that the posters were referring to-once
again, with my own comments in bold.
“The official Seventh-day Adventist position on abortion is
that it is permissable only in exceptional circumstances that
present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as signifi-
cant threats to the pregnant woman's life, serious jeopardy to
her health, severe congenital defects carefully diagnosed in
the fetus (there are many stories told of women who
are advised to abort because the child has severe
2
congenital defects, only for that woman to go on and
give birth to a totally healthy normal baby), Another
story I’m watching with bated breath is the ongoing
saga of a woman who was advised to abort because
her baby had anencephaly-diagnosed when she was
19 weeks pregnant. This is a condition where the
child is missing a significant part of the brain, and
the top of her skull. These children are usually still-
born, or live a maximum of 5 days, which is what this
young lady was told. She opted to continue carrying
her baby and so far, at the time of the distribution of
this article, her baby has been living for 10 weeks
and still going strong) and pregnancy resulting from rape
or incest. While the general tone toward abortion is negative,
the individual Adventist may take any position on the politi-
cal spectrum. Abortions are performed in Adventist hospi-
tals”
Back to the Catholic forum and the questions that were posed
to Adventists. (The replies, complete
with their spelling errors, were copied
and left the way they are.)
“The first sentence says the Church
should provide moral guidance. In your
post, you claim, the above is just merely
"guidance." Yet, this guidance permits
the killing of unborn children. Permit-
ting abortion violates God`s command-
ment "Thou shall not kill." By permit-
ting abortion, the Adventist Church fails
to teach its members to follow all of
God`s commandments.
Sincerely,
Maria1212”
The Adventist then tries to skirt the issue by stating
that the guidelines do not reflect the position held by
the body corporate. The Catholic’s reply to this… “I
thought the General Conference of SDA was the voice of the
Adventist Church. Are their teachings on Adventism not con-
sidered official? another question-why are SDA’s strict on the
Sabbath, yet aren’t when it comes to taking human life?”
“I recommend you study what your own Church teaches, and
study its structure. Are you saying the website I posted is not
an official Adventist website containing accurrate Adventist
teachings. Or, is the Seventh Day Adventist website, incor-
rect? After all, those guidelines were posted on http://
www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html.”
…...continued on p5
 WHERE DO YOU STAND PART 2…..BY BR H NDWANDWA
We may be sincere in our motives but above all sincerity, let may defend festivals, dancing, lotteries, fairs, and
us choose the things that please God and not those that luxurious feasts, to obtain means for church pur-
please us. Let us be reminded that Cain’s offering was not poses; but let us participate in none of these things;
rejected because he was not sincere but because he did not for if we do, God's displeasure will be upon us. We
do what God had commanded. do not propose to appeal to the lust of the appetite or
resort to carnal amusements as an inducement to
We are not to imitate the churches by instituting ba-
Christ's professed followers to give of the means
zaars and various God-forbidden expedients to
which God has entrusted to them. If they do not give
bring in a little means. We see no direction in the
willingly, for the love of Christ, the offering will in
word for fancy fairs, concerts, and other objection-
no case be acceptable to God.[CS 201.4]
able practises for raising funds to advance His work.
The curse of God is upon all this kind of work. It is Do you see the principle being explained again friends, the
polluting and degrading the work of God, defiling principle of giving willingly?
his holy temple.-- Unpub. Test. [PH048 16.3]
Even if the pulpit may defend these methods but stay true to
All these methods for bringing money into His treas- God, dear friend. Listen to His words. Don’t put your trust in
ury are an abomination to Him. It is a spurious de- preachers and other men, but put your trust in God. To those
votion that prompts all such devis- who wish to entice you with pleasing argu-
ing. O what blindness, what in- ments, speak the words of Peter and the
fatuation, is upon many who claim apostles, “We ought to obey God rather than
to be Christians! Church members men.” Acts 5:29. The Father sent His only
are doing as did the inhabitants of Son to die for you so that you do not end up
the world in the days of Noah, when in ruin with the Devil and his followers but
the imagination of their hearts was be reconciled to Him to perfection, holiness
only evil continually. All who fear and peace. Put not your trust in men’s opin-
God will abhor such practices as a ions but search for yourself to find out what
misrepresentation of the religion of is truth. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you and
Jesus Christ.--R. & H. Dec. 8, 1896. don’t take the opinion of others. Only God
[CS 205.2] can save you so listen to Him as He speaks
in His word and the Spirit of Prophecy. Put
When rebuked by the Lord through
your whole trust in Him and allow Him to
His prophet, Saul stoutly asserted
work in you the great work of sanctification
that he had obeyed the voice of God;
through His Spirit.
but the bleating sheep and lowing
oxen testified that he had not. In the same manner
do many today assert their loyalty to God, but their
I am convinced that concerts, fairs, bazaars etc. do not con-
concerts and other pleasure gatherings, their
form to the principle that our LORD has given us. Our LORD
worldly associations, their glorifying of self, and
gave us these principles to learn and live by so that we may
their eager desire for popularity all testify that they
bring glory and honour to Him. They are there for us to help
have not obeyed His voice. [5T 88.1]
us to keep on the narrow path to paradise. “For whatsoever
Oh friend, will you heed the warning? Will you listen to the things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
voice of God regarding this? Do you understand that if we that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might
participate in these practices we will become wrecks of char- have hope.” Rom. 15:4. Our duty is to help each other along
acter and partake of the curse of God? I ask again, shall we on this path. None of us is perfect but when we see a snare in
take that which is an abomination to God and use it for wor- the path we are to point it out to the brethren that they may
shiping Him and fundraising? see it and be safe if they choose to heed the warning.
Let us stand clear of all these church corruptions, That Seventh Day Adventists should neither attend nor hold
dissipations, and festivals, which have a demoraliz- concerts, fairs, bazaars and all these things is no arbitrary
ing influence upon young and old. We have no right prohibition on the part of God. God is love, His rule is not
to throw over them the cloak of sanctity because the arbitrary but it stems from love; a love that “rejoiceth not in
means is to be used for church purposes. The pulpit iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” 1 Cor. 13:6.
3
Listen to Him when He says through His prophet, “For I
know the thoughts that I think toward you…thoughts of
peace and not of evil.” Jer. 29:11. King Jesus will never
keep anything from us that would be for our good. “For the
LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace
and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.” Ps 84:11. We have received the gospel
freely; the gift of salvation is free. The Saviour says, “Freely
ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8.
The spirit of liberality is the spirit of heaven. This
spirit finds its highest manifestation in Christ's
sacrifice on the cross. In our behalf the Father
gave His only-begotten Son; and Christ, having
given up all that He had, then gave Himself, that
man might be saved. The cross of Calvary should
appeal to the benevolence of every follower of the
Saviour. The principle there illustrated is to give,
give. [AA 339.2]
On the other hand, the spirit of selfishness is the
spirit of Satan. The principle illustrated in the lives
of worldlings is to get, get. Thus they hope to se-
cure happiness and ease, but the fruit of their sow-
ing is misery and death. [AA 339.3]
The reason that the Lord wants all the tithes in the
treasury is that there may not be a scarcity of
funds when His providence opens new fields to be
occupied by the messengers of truth, that souls as
precious in the sight of God as your own may come
into the knowledge of the true God and Jesus
Christ, whom He hath sent, and in their turn be-
come missionaries to the souls of others. [PH 149
61.1]
In the days of Israel the tithe and freewill offerings
were needed to maintain the ordinances of divine
service.... The work of the gospel, as it widens, re-
quires greater provision to sustain it than was
called for anciently; and this makes the law of
tithes and offerings of even more urgent necessity
now than under the Hebrew economy. If His peo-
ple were liberally to sustain His cause by their vol-
untary gifts, instead of resorting to unchristian
and unhallowed methods to fill the treasury, God
would be honored, and many more souls would be
won to Christ. [PP 528.4]
Let us turn and see what promises God has made to us if
we obey Him; if we heed the principle of freewill, sacrificial
offerings for fundraising for His cause:
“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 meas-
ure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
Luke 6:38.
“Them that honour Me I will honour.” 1 Sam. 2:30.
“And every act of self-sacrifice strengthens the spirit of
beneficence in the giver's heart, allying him more closely
to the One who was rich, yet for our sakes became poor,
that we through His poverty might be rich.” [AA 341.3]
“A continual imparting of God's gifts wherever the cause
of God or the needs of humanity demand our aid, does not
tend to poverty. "There is that scattereth, and yet in-
creaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet,
but it tendeth to poverty." Proverbs 11:24. The sower mul-
tiplies his seed by casting it away. So it is with those who
are faithful in distributing God's gifts. By imparting they
increase their blessings.” [AA 345.1]
Have you proved these promises of God in your life dear
friend? Have you seen that they are true? Begin now be-
fore it is too late.
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may
be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith
the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it.” Mal. 3:10.
This is my stand, with God on my side. Unless my brothers
and sisters in Christ will convince me that I am standing on
sinking sand, here will I remain, by the grace of God.
I challenge you to prove God’s promises regarding any
fundraising that you plan to do. See if He will not bless and
multiply your means as you consecrate yourself and use
His method for raising funds. See if the windows of heaven
will not be opened just for you.
4
“While the Adventist Church opposes abortion in some
cases, its guidelines permit it in other cases. The fact that it
is permited in any case, makes the Adventist Church pro-
choice, or pro-abortion, which violates God`s command-
ment Thou shall not kill. In my humble, and personal opin-
ion, it is hypocritcal, and a contradiction, for Adventists to
be so focused on the day of the week one worships on,
while permitting the murder of unborn children.”
"No one can deny that the incidence of breast cancer has
jumped markedly over the past 30 years. In China, for ex-
ample, the breast cancer rates have jumped 40% since the
institution of their one-child policy, which often has lead to
coerced abortion. This is the same percentage increase as
the Roe v Wade generation in the U.S. after the legalization
of abortion there in 1973. Nations which prohibit abortion,
such as Poland and Ireland, have much lower rates of
breast cancer.
In the U.S., a 1994 study by pro-choice physician Janet
Daling, published in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, found that teenagers under the age of 18 who had
an abortion had a 30% chance of developing breast cancer.
Breast surgeon Angela Lanfranchi found repeated links be-
tween her breast cancer patients and prior abortions. Dr.
Joel Brind found that 23 of 28 studies showed a definite
link between prior induced abortion and breast cancer, in a
1996 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health.
This obvious link has lead the state of Texas to pass a law
requiring physicians to inform prospective abortion pa-
tients of the risk between the procedure and future breast
cancer. Not only that, three women (two in Australia and
one in Oregon) have successfully sued their abortionists for
failing to inform them of the risks."
For the rest of the article: http://www.chp.ca/forum/
Kempling/Abortion.htm
This is the response I got from the Adventist Church when
I asked if this was an official statement:
Quote:
In reference to your enquiry, statements and other documents, including
guidelines, are discussed and adopted by appropriate Church bodies,
such as the Executive Committee of the General Conference of the Sev-
enth-day Adventist Church. Between the quinquennial sessions of the
world Church, the Executive Committee is the Church's highest author-
ity to conduct Church business. The referenced document on abortion
comes with the authority of the Church and constitutes the Church's
official approval of these guidelines.
Blessings.
--Rajmund Dabrowski
Communication Director
Seventh-day Adventist Church
World Headquarters
So this is indeed an official statement, and the Adventist
church is therefore officially pro-choice. I would find it dif-
ficult to belong to a church whose beliefs I did not share
I worked with a collegue a few years ago, she was a very
formidable lady. She was qualified in law and was very
good at understanding complex problems. She was Downe.
There was nothing disabled about her
My daughter was told her third child had Downs as it
showed up on the scan. They wanted her to have an abor-
tion. She wanted to go ahead on the basis 'she did not feel
qualified to play God!
Plus the unborn child was still 'the fruit of her womb and
every bit valued!'
It almost cost her, her marriage as the son-in-law did not
want a Down child. Her, my wife and I had a plan drawn up
how we would cope. Alas, it as all in vain, the child was
born absolutely normal. Though she has a slight Downes
look, she is very bright, and far ahead of her older sib-
blings. She is 5-years old but has a reading age and prob-
lem solving age of 11! Just shows that you just do not know.
How many normal children have been mis-diagnosed and
killed by mistake
The Union president politely blew off my first letter as per-
taining to rumors which were not true. I then obtained sta-
tistics on abortions performed in 3 area SDA hospitals. In a
two year period there were approximately 2,000 abortions.
The income from these was well over $1.5 million dollars.
This is a very lucrative business, but not one in which a
Christian church should be involved...especially one that
makes such bold claims "to the Law...".
“I was acquainted with a pro-life OB/GYN who practiced in
Arlington hospital in Virginia. This is a public, secular hos-
pital that adopted the policy of only performing abortions
to save the life of the mother. In the same time period there
were approximately 7 to 14 abortions performed. Quite a
stark difference.
As usual, when confronted with the facts that contradict
cherished beliefs, even the SDA leaders chose to ignore my
correspondence. There are a few others who have tried to
work for changes in SDA church policy. One pastor, who
was on the Columbia Union board resigned because of the
SDA abortion stand.
I ran into a former SDA professor of mine a year or two
ago, and he shared with me his efforts in opposing the SDA
church stand on abortion. He was on television and radio
with his message and the Potomac conference was not very
happy with his work.”
5
 LIFT UP YOUR HEADS...
NEWS: A U.N. body understood by much of Christendom to be a commemora-
has passed a resolution tion of the death of Jesus Christ, that Ratzinger would pur-
condemning posefully quote from Hindu scripture. The length to which
"defamation of religion" he is going to unite the world’s religions knows no bounds.
as a human rights viola-
NEWS: A new nationwide survey of adults’ spiritual be-
tion. The resolution,
liefs, conducted by The Barna Group, suggests that
introduced by Pakistan
Americans who consider themselves to be Christian have a
on behalf of a group of
diverse set of beliefs – but many of those beliefs are contra-
Muslim nations in the
dictory or, at least, inconsistent… Four out of ten Christians
U.N. Human Rights
(40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but
Council, passed Thursday by a vote of 23-11, with 13 ab-
is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians
stentions. Opposition primarily came from Western na-
(19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. A
tions, who say such a resolution would restrict freedom of
minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is
speech. Proponents said they wanted to prevent such things
real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%)
as the defamation of Islam, as in the case of the cartoons of
disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed
the prophet Muhammad, which sparked angry Muslims
somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they be-
protests in Europe three years ago. "Defamation of religion
lieve about the existence of Satan. Although a core teaching
is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction
of the Christian faith is the divinity and perfection of Jesus
on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to reli-
Christ, tens of millions of Christians do not accept that
gious violence," the adopted text said. "Islam is frequently
teaching. More than one-fifth (22%) strongly agreed that
and wrongly associated with human rights violations and
Jesus Christ sinned when He lived on earth, with an addi-
terrorism."
tional 17% agreeing somewhat. Holding the opposing view
COMMENT: If I am not mistaken this bill has finally been were 9% who disagreed somewhat and 46% who disagreed
passed at the third time of asking. When one realizes that strongly. Six percent did not have an opinion on this mat-
resolutions passed at the UN are binding on member coun- ter. Much like their perceptions of Satan, most Christians
tries then one begins to see the significance of the UN in do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a living force, either.
shaping global policy with its various structures. One Overall, 38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat
merely has to look at how the world is currently focusing on that the Holy Spirit is “a symbol of God’s power or presence
WHO and the advice it gives during the current “swine flu” but is not a living entity.” Just one-third of Christians dis-
pandemic. I hope that we are all able to see how such reso- agreed that the Holy Spirit is not a living force (9% dis-
lutions will curtail the distinctive truth of the three angels agreed somewhat, 25% disagreed strongly) while 9% were
messages. not sure.
NEWS: Hindus have applauded Pope Benedict for includ- COMMENT: It never ceases to amaze me how much of a
ing verse from ancient Hindu scripture Upanishads in the march the devil has stolen upon those that claim to believe
Good Friday Meditations and Prayers led by him at Roman in Christ. He has subtly introduced error into ALL the
Colosseum. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a Christian denominations of the world using as his main tool
statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was a re- Higher Critical Thinking/New Theology. The results are
markable gesture from the Pope and invited him to study there for everyone to see, not only in other churches, but
more ancient Hindu scriptures, which were very rich in phi- also, very unfortunately, in our
losophical thought. He or other Hindu scholars would own remnant church. Oh that
gladly provide the help and resources in this regard, if we would ever stick to a plain
asked, Zed added…..Rajan Zed stressed that all religions “thus saith the Lord” and trust
should work together for a just and peaceful world. Dia- implicitly in the Spirit of
logue would bring us mutual enrichment, he added. Pope Prophecy, for in these two pil-
Benedict heads the Roman Catholic Church, which is the lars is found warning of all the
largest of the Christian denominations. Hinduism, oldest sophistries of the devil and in-
and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion struction on how we are to
adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal. overcome them.
COMMENT: How interesting that on a day mistakenly
6
 LAODICEA LAO=PEOPLE DICEA=JUDGMENT PART2 …..BY SR K NARANJO
Parable of the Prodigal Son: all thy heart, and
with all thy soul,
Luke 15:25-32 (You know the story… who is the Father?
and with all thy
Who are the sons? Typically the focus is on the younger son
strength, and with
that runs away but this time lets make the focus the older
all thy mind; and
son.)
thy neighbour as
25: Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and thyself.
drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26:
29: But he, willing to
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these
justify himself, said
things meant. 27: And he said unto him, Thy brother is
unto Jesus, And who
come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he
is my neighbour? (a
hath received him safe and sound. 28: And he was angry,
tough question and
and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and in-
answer… it is so much
treated him. (Angry & selfish… He did everything right..
easier to help out
Can you see the Rich young Ruler here? See how he com-
someone who is a good
pares himself to others? The Older brother was lost at
person but to help someone that has no status and is desti-
home. He is the legalist-- he claims to serve his Father but
tute is hard for us to do)
actually does it for himself that he make work for the re-
ward. He covers up an evil heart by doing plenty of works. 30: And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down
But God judges each work by the motive -- works look good from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which
but a selfish heart renders them no good. Works that come stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and de-
forth by a heart of gold are all good works. The problem parted, leaving him half dead. (Aren’t we all in this condi-
with Laodicea is that they have the truth and they have the tion, haven’t we been beat up and naked and wounded by
works, but the heart is cold. The truth & works can lead to others and left in an awful condition?)
selfish pride. They are all actors – role players. They are
31: And by chance there came down a certain priest that
looking for worldly praise…)
way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
29: And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many
(Priest is the law and it can’t save you)
years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy
commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I 32: And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came
might make merry with my friends: 30: But as soon as and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. (The
this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with Levite represents the ceremonies and feasts and they can’t
harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. save you.)
33: But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where
(sacrifice for sin)
he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
31: And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and (The Samaritan is Jesus and he can save you… he was re-
all that I have is thine. 32: It was meet that we should make jected and scorned but he will have compassion on you)
merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is
34: And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in
alive again; and was lost, and is found. (We are not told the
oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him
ending.)
to an inn, and took care of him. (Jesus is the great Physician
Parable of the Samaritan Luke 10:27, 29, 30, 34, and he will heal your sin sick soul and body)
35,37 (You know the story….. but this time I’m go-
35: And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two
ing to give it a little twist.)
pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take
If you look into the history and maps, you will find that the care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I
road to Jericho was some 19 miles from Jerusalem and it come again, I will repay thee. (Jesus paid the price)
was all downhill. Jericho is mostly east and a little bit north
37: And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said
of Jerusalem. The terrain was steep so the road was a wind-
Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.(Go and do like-
ing mountain road and bands of thieves were always hiding
wise to others as Jesus has done all of this for you…)
out to steal and beat up a poor traveler.
(to capture the context, lets begin here…)27: And he an-
swering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with

7
 JOHN WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.... BY SR EG WHITE
Luke 1:5-15 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a
certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife
[was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elisabeth.
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the com-
mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had
no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were
[now] well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he exe-
cuted the priest's office before God in the order of his course, Ac-
cording to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn in-
cense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole
multitude of the people were praying without at the time of in-
cense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing
on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw
[him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said
unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife
Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his
birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy
Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Even the babe in its mother's arms may dwell as under the shadow
of the Almighty through the faith of the praying
mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy
Spirit from his birth. If we will live in commun-
ion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit
to mold our little ones, even from their earliest
moments. DA, p512
John was the son of their old age, he was a child
of miracle, and the parents might have reasoned
that he had a special work to do for the Lord and
the Lord would take care of him. But the parents
did not thus reason; they moved to a retired
place in the country, where their son would not
be exposed to the temptations of city life, or in-
duced to depart from the counsel and instruction
which they as parents would give him. They acted
their part in developing a character in the child
that would in every way meet the purpose for
which God had designed his life. . . . They sacredly fulfilled their
obligation. CG, p23
John was called to do a special work; he was to prepare the way of
the Lord, to make straight His paths. The Lord did not send him to
the school of the prophets and rabbis. He took him away from the
assemblies of men to the desert, that he might learn of nature and
nature's God. God did not desire him to have the mold of the
priests and rulers. He was called to do a special work. The Lord
gave him his message. Did he go to the priests and rulers and ask if
he might proclaim this message?--No, God put him away from
them that he might not be influenced by their spirit and teaching.
1SM, p410
He studied the revelations of God in nature. Under the guiding of
the Divine Spirit, he studied the scrolls of the prophets. By day and
by night, Christ was his study, his meditation, until mind and heart
and soul were filled with the glorious vision. He looked upon the
King in His beauty, and self was lost sight of. He beheld the maj-
esty of holiness and knew himself to be inefficient and unworthy. It
was God's message that he was to declare. It was in God's power
and His righteousness that he was to stand. He was ready to go
forth as Heaven's messenger, unawed by the human, because he
had looked upon the Divine. 8T, p331/332
In preparing the way for Christ's first advent, he was a representa-
tive of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord's second
coming. DA, p101
John was to go forth as Jehovah's messenger, to bring to men the
light of God. He must give a new direction to their thoughts. He
must impress them with the holiness of God's requirements, and
their need of His perfect righteousness. Such a messenger must be
holy. He must be a temple for the indwelling Spirit of God. DA,
p100
John the Baptist was a man filled with the Holy Ghost from his
birth, and if there was anyone who could remain unaffected by the
corrupting influences of the age in which he lived, it was surely he.
Yet he did not venture to trust his strength; he separated himself
from his friends and relatives, that his natural affections might not
prove a snare to him. He would not place himself unnecessarily in
the way of temptation nor where the luxuries or even the conven-
iences of life would lead him to indulge in ease or to gratify his ap-
petite, and thus lessen his physical and mental strength. By such a
course the important mission upon which he came would have
failed of its accomplishment. 4T, p108
In solitude, by meditation and prayer, he sought to gird up his soul
for the lifework before him. Although in the wil-
derness, he was not exempt from temptation. So
far as possible, he closed every avenue by which
Satan could enter, yet he was still assailed by the
tempter. But his spiritual perceptions were clear;
he had developed strength and decision of char-
acter, and through the aid of the Holy Spirit he
was able to detect Satan's approaches, and to re-
sist his power. DA, p102
In order to fulfill his mission, he must have a
sound physical constitution, and mental and
spiritual strength. Therefore it would be neces-
sary for him to control the appetites and passions.
He must be able so to control all his powers that
he could stand among men as unmoved by sur-
rounding circumstances as the rocks and moun-
tains of the wilderness. In the time of John the
Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury and display had
become widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and drinking,
were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the
spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin. John was
to stand as a reformer. DA, p100
He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins.
He longed to rouse them to a holier life. The message that God had
given him to bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy,
and cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. Be-
fore the seed of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart
must be broken up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus,
they must be awakened to their danger from the wounds of sin.
DA, p103/104
With the spirit and power of Elijah he denounced the national cor-
ruption, and rebuked the prevailing sins. His words were plain,
pointed, and convincing. DA, p104
John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to human-
ity, but the touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in
an atmosphere uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition, and
far above the miasma of jealousy. He manifested no sympathy with
the dissatisfaction of his disciples, but showed how clearly he un-
derstood his relation to the Messiah, and how gladly he welcomed
the One for whom he had prepared the way. DA, p179
8

PRISONERS OF
HOPE
This newsletter is authored by
members of the SDA church
whose desire is to provide a
thought provoking newsletter
for Adventists dwelling on the
banks of Jordan; in the process
appealing to entire fidelity to
the Bible and the Spirit of
Prophecy.
MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST JESUS
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
John 1:12 I am a child of God (part of his family) Rom 8:16
Rom 6:22 I am enslaved to God
Rom 8:14,15 I am a son of God (God is my spiritual father)
1 Cor 3:16 & 6:19 I am a temple of God. His Spirit dwells in me
1 Cor 6:19,20 I have been bought with a price. I am not my own, I belong to God
2 Cor 5:18,19 I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation
Gal 3:26,28 I am a son of God and one in Christ
Gal 4:6,7 I am an heir of God, since I am a child of God
Eph 2:10 I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do His work that He
planned beforehand that I should do
Eph 1:5 I was predestined (determined by God) to be adopted as a son
Eph 2:18 I have direct access to God through the Spirit
Eph 3:12 I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence
Col 3:12 I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved
1 Thes 1:4 I am chosen and dearly loved by God
1 Pet 2:5 I am one of God’s living stones and am being built up (in Christ) as
a spiritual house
1 John 3:1 I am now a child of God.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me
MY STATUS
Rom 5:1 I have been justified
Rom 6:18 I am a slave to righteousness
Rom 8:1 I am free forever from condemnation
1 Cor 2:12 I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the
things freely given to me
2 Cor 5:17 I am a new creation (new person)
Eph 1:1 I am a saint 1 Cor 1:2, Phil 1:1, Col 1:2
Eph 2:19 I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s people in His family
Eph 4:24 I am righteous and holy
Phil 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven
1 Thes 5:5 I am a son of light and not of darkness
Heb 3:1 I am a holy brother, partaker of a heavenly calling
1 Pet 2:9,10 I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for
God’s own possession to proclaim the excellencies of Him
1 Pet 2:11 I am an alien and stranger to this world I temporarily live in
1 Pet 5:8 I am an enemy of the devil
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