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PRISONERS OF HOPE Dec 2009

EDITORIAL..BR N. NKOMO
It seems like only yesterday that my family and I set out to come to Tanzania after the most difficult time
that I have gone through. Yet, we are now getting ready to return to South Africa from our shortened mis-
sion trip after almost seven months. It would be untrue if I were to tell you that my heart did not struggle
with the question of whether or not to come to Kibidula. This is especially so after the series of calamities
that befell our family. However, there a number of reasons why I am glad that we made the decision to
still partake in a missionary venture, albeit short term rather than long term.
Firstly, I do not believe that one can truly understand what missionary life is like without having lived it. I
do not believe that one can understand what missionaries go through without interacting with them. Life
is often tough for these selfless people. The devil is often working hard to destabilise their families and to
lead them astray in spiritual things. To see and hear the deprivation that many of them go through for the
sake of the Gospel challenges me, especially when I look at my lifestyle and those of other Adventists
whom I am acquainted with. O that we would consider these selfless workers when we spend moneyon
things that are not necessities.
Coming here has helped me to get back to nature. Growing up, the only thing I had ever planted at home
was a carrot garden when I was about 9 years old. Being out here, necessitated that we have our own gar-
den to supply us with fresh vegetables. It is my belief that working the soil has been a blessing to me. I
have had great joy in seeing crops that I have planted grow and provide from their abundance. I have
learnt new spiritual lessons, and been reminded of the parables of Jesus as I have watched the life cycle of
plants. My heart has ached when my tomatoes and cucumbers died because of the over-abundance of rain,
but I have quickly forgotten my pain at the sight of ears of corn miraculously popping up. I understand
now more than ever the counsels of Ellen White about having our own vegetable patches.
Being out here has helped me to re-establish the fact that there are many kind and loving people in the
world. The benevolence that I have seen from people that get by –monthly-on less than what many of us
spend in a day will leave an indelible mark in my mind for all time. What is more, these acts are done with
clean hearts and seemingly no thought of the benevolent individual‟s lack. It struck me forcibly how the
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
poorest people I have seen, seem in general to be content and how they seem to have greater kindness
than those that have no lack. I even had the privilege of seeing what I love to think of as the widow‟s mite, Editorial ......................... ……1

and it allowed me to see the experience of Jesus in the temple in a new light. Don‟t Ask Me To Preach.….2
Hydrotherapy ............... .….3
I have also had opportunity to dwell on the task that is before us in these last days. There are so many peo-
Nothing Seedy ............... ..…5
ple that have not had the truth about the Saviour of the world that came to live and die for them explained
Let‟s Talk About Faith .. …..6
to them. There also many others that have heard about Christ, but are caught up in religions and denomi-
True Missionary Work .. …..7
nations that fail to present the Bible and the Gospel in a right manner. My heart has thrilled as I have seen
Promises To Children ... …..9
and heard news of God opening opportunities for our missionaries to minister in places and churches we
deem to be closed to our message. I have been challenged to ask myself the question, “what am I doing,
with the help of the Holy Spirit and angels that God is willing to send to my aid, to fulfil the gospel com-
mission?”
There are other lessons that I have learnt, which space does not at this present time allow me to touch up-
on, but the greatest lesson I have learnt while out here is to trust in God. It may seem a strange thing for
me to say as I have always believed I trusted in God, but I realise, now more than ever, that my trust in
God was more at a theoretical level than at a practical level. It is one thing to trust God when you have a
guaranteed salary to meet your expenses and another to head out by faith. It is one thing to say you trust
God when you have medical institutions close by to run to should need be, and another to live in a snake
infested area where the nearest place likely to have an antidote is almost two hours away. God has
watched over us, as He has all the other families out here. We have never been in want of food, and alt-
hough our health has failed us on occasion, He has seen us through. We thank you for all the prayers of-
fered on our behalf, and we pray that you will allow God to prove to you that He lives. Truly we serve a
risen Saviour whose eyes are upon us.
 DON‟T ASK ME TO PREACH (I’M NOT A PROPHETESS)... BY SR T NKOMO
And don‟t ask me to teach when and she had fallen into temptation by separating from her compan-
there are men around. Unless the ion, contrary to the divine direction. It was by her solicitation that
Holy Spirit has come upon me Adam sinned, and she was now placed in subjection to her husband.
and I have the gift of prophecy. Had the principles enjoined in the Law of God been cherished by
After all, look at the Fall. A the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of the results of
WOMAN led a man into sin. And sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man‟s abuse of the
ever since then, women have had supremacy thus given him has too often rendered the lot of woman
to be subject to men. And this is very bitter and made her life a burden. Eve had been perfectly hap-
so not only in the home, but in py by her husband‟s side in her Eden home; but, like restless mod-
the church setting too. (Gen ern Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher
3:16) sphere than that which God had assigned her. In attempting to rise
“And Miriam the prophetess, the above her original position, she fell far below it. A SIMILAR RE-
sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in SULT WILL BE REACHED BY ALL WHO ARE UNWILLING TO
her hand; and all the women TAKE UP CHEERFULLY THEIR LIFE DUTIES IN ACCORDANCE
went out after her with timbrels WITH GOD‟S PLAN.” Patriarchs and Prophets 58,5
and with dances. And Miriam
answered them, Sing ye to the But Ellen White said women should preach, teach and evangelise.
LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously.” Exodus 15:20,21 Yes, but notice who the primary audience was.
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel There is a wide field of service for women as well as for men. The
at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between efficient cook, the seamstress,the nurse--the help of all is needed.
Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel Let the members of poor households be taught how to cook, how to
came up to her for judgment.” Judges 4:4,5 make and mend their own clothing, how to nurse the sick, how to
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess….And she was a widow of care properly for the home. Even the children should be taught to
about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the tem- do some little errand of love and mercy for those less fortunate than
ple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Luke themselves. p. 36, Para. 5, [9T].
2:36,37 “We greatly need consecrated women who, as messengers of mercy,
Where God Himself puts His hand upon a woman, and gives her shall visit the mothers and the children in their homes, and help
THE PROPHETIC GIFT – then His people , both men and women, them in the everyday household duties, if need be, before beginning
must listen to the person chosen by God as His special messenger, to talk to them regarding the truth for this time.” Evangelism 459
or prophetess.
Here are some reason why I‟d rather let a man lead the church. “There are women who are especially adapted for the work of giving
Bible readings, and they are very successful in presenting the Word
1Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to of God in its simplicity to others. They become a great blessing in
usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Why? reaching mothers and their daughters. This is a sacred work, and
For Adam was first formed then Eve. And Adam was not those engaged in it should receive encouragement.” Evangelism 469
deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the trans-
gression. V13 Note, the reason was NOT because the women sat “Women, as well as men, are needed in the work that must be done.
separately from the men and therefore they were making a noise, as Those women who give themselves to the service of the Lord, who
some have argued. labour for the salvation of others by doing house-to-house work,
which is as taxing as, and more taxing than, standing before a con-
We find this same principle in 1 Cor 11:3 and Eph 5:22,24 1 Corin- gregation, should receive payment for their labour.” Evangelism
thians 11:3 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is 493,494
the head of every man, and the man is the head of a wom- “Knowledge is not all that we need; we must follow the light. We are
an, and God is the head of Christ. Eph 5 tells me that my not left to choose for ourselves and to obey that which is agreeable
husband is my head, so how can I teach him and other to us, and to disobey when it best suits our convenience. Obedience
men in a congregation? is better than sacrifice.” Testimonies Volume Three 116
Some say Paul‟s injunctions were only for that time and place. The “Have Adventist attitudes to Bible directives changed since the days
servant of the Lord says “United with Christ, who was the greatest of the pioneers? IF WE AGREE TO THE ORDINATION OF WOM-
of all teachers, Paul had been enabled to communicate lessons of EN, WE MUST ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE.” R. W. Taylor – Aus-
divine wisdom, which met the necessities of all classes and condi- tralasian Record February 18 1989
tions of men, AND WHICH WERE TO APPLY TO ALL TIMES, ALL So where does that leave us? Writ-
PLACES, AND ALL PEOPLE.” Sketches from the Life of Paul 15 ing articles, teaching other women
and children, making contribu-
Note how in Isa 3:12 it was a shame that women ruled over the tions during discussions but NOT
men. “s for My people, children are their oppressors, AND WOMEN leading them, singing, praying,
RULE OVER THEM. O My people, they which lead thee cause thee doing welfare work, doing door-to-
to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” Isaiah 3:11,12 door mission work, raising her
“Eve was told of the sorrow and pain that must henceforth be her children to be God-fearing citizens
portion. And the Lord said, „Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and of this earth and of the earth to
he shall rule over thee.‟ In the creation God had made her the equal come. I am satisfied with my role
of Adam. Had they remained obedient to God – in harmony with in life and in God‟s church. Don‟t
His great law of love – they would ever have been in harmony with ask me to preach ever again-unless
each other; but sin had brought discord, and now their union could there are only women present..or
be maintained and harmony preserved only by submission on the unless I have the prophetic gift.
part of the one or the other. Eve had been the first in transgression; God bless. 
2
 INTRODUCTION TO HYDROTHERAPYPART 1 OF 2... BY BR L WELLARD
What is the purpose of Medical Missionary Work?
“It is to save the souls, as well as to cure the bodies, of men
and women, that at much expense our sanitariums are estab-
lished. God designs that by means of these agencies of His
own planting, the rich and the poor, the high and the low,
shall find the bread of heaven and the water of life. He de-
signs that they shall be educated in right habits of living,
spiritual and physical. The salvation of many souls is at
stake. In the providence of God, many of the sick are to be
given the opportunity of separating for a time from harmful
associations and surroundings, and of placing themselves in
institutions where they may receive health-restoring
treatments and wise instruction from Christian nurses
and physicians. The establishment of sanitariums is a provi-
dential arrangement, whereby people from all churches are to
be reached and made acquainted with the truth for this
time.” CH 470
What is the purpose of Hydrotherapy?
God can use hydrotherapy to reveal the Source of
healing.
“And he returned to the man of God...
and stood before him: and he said, Be-
hold, now I know that there is no God in
all the earth, but in Israel:” 2 Kings 5:15.
“The Savior in His miracles revealed the
power that is continually at work in
man's behalf, to sustain and to heal him.
Through the agencies of nature, God is
working, day by day, hour by hour, mo-
ment by moment, to keep us alive, to
build up and restore us. When any part
of the body sustains injury, a healing
process is at once begun; nature's agen-
cies are set at work to restore sound-
ness. But the power working through
these agencies is the power of God. All
life-giving power is from Him. When
one recovers from disease, it is
God who restores him.
„Sickness, suffering, and death are work
of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the
restorer... “The words spoken to Israel are true today of those
who recover health of body or health of soul. "I am the
Lord that healeth thee." Exodus 15:26. MH 112,113
God intends that every treatment be an opportunity
to co-operate with God in our healing.
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jor- dying.” 5T 443.
dan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh
came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean.” 2 Kings 5:14
“Natural means, used in accordance with God‟s will, bring
about supernatural results. Wonderful are the opportunities bring the desired result.” PK 249.
given to the guardians of the sick. In all that is done for the
3
restoration of the sick, let them understand that the physician
is seeking to help them co-operate with God in combating
disease. Lead them to feel that at every step taken in
harmony with the laws of God, they may expect the
aid of divine power.” MH 118
“The physician should teach his patients that they are to
cooperate with God in the work of restoration. The
physician has a continually increasing realization of the fact
that disease is the result of sin. He knows that the laws of na-
ture, as truly as the precepts of the Decalogue, are divine, and
that only in obedience to them can health be recov-
ered or preserved.” MH 113.
“The cure could be wrought only by the power of the Great
Healer, yet Christ made use of the simple agencies of nature.
While He did not give countenance to drug medication, He
sanctioned the use of simple and natural remedies.”
DA 824
“Wash you, make you clean; put away the
evil of your doings from before mine
eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well..”
Isa. 1:16,17 (Change your habits)
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken
to the voice of the LORD thy God, and
wilt do that which is right in his sight,
and wilt give ear to his commandments,
and keep all his statutes, I will put none
of these diseases upon thee, which I have
brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the
LORD that healeth thee.” Ex. 15:26
God is seeking to transform charac-
ter. He knows our need to learn to
submit to His will, and to learn to
obey His directions implicitly.
“Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? may I not wash in them, and be
clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” 2 Kings 5:12.
“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 that will not tax or debilitate
the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and
water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm
trust in God are remedies for the want of which thousands are
“The proud spirit of Naaman rebelled against following the
course outlined by Elisha... but it was only through fol-
lowing the specific directions of the prophet that he
could find healing. Willing obedience alone would
“When Christ healed disease, He warned many of the afflict- with God… And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the
ed ones, "Sin no more, lest worse thing come unto thee." wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men...”
John 5:14. Thus He taught that they had brought disease up- 1Cor. 1:27, 3:19-21.
on themselves by transgressing the laws of God, and that
health could be preserved only by obedience.” MH 113 “Our people should become intelligent in the treatment of
sickness without the aid of poisonous drugs. Many should
Simple remedies teach us patience, to patiently wait seek to obtain the education that will enable them to combat
on Him to work out His will. disease in its varied forms by the most simple methods.
“And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash Thousands have gone down to the grave because of the use of
in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, poisonous drugs, who might have been restored to health by
and thou shalt be clean.” 2 Kings 5:10. the simple methods of treatment. Water treatments, wisely
and skillfully given, may be the means of saving many lives.
Let diligent study be united with faithful ministry.” MM 227
“The use of natural
remedies requires
an amount of care Simple remedies provide us opportunity to point pa-
and effort that many tients away from the therapist to the Source of Heal-
are not willing to ing – ‘Not my wisdom, but God’s.’
give. Nature's process
of healing and upbuild- “...I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As
ing is gradual, and to the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.
the impatient it seems And he urged him to take it; but he refused.” 2 Kings 5:15,16
slow. The surrender of
hurtful indulgences re-
“In accordance with the custom of the times, Naaman now
quires sacrifice. But in
asked Elisha to accept a costly present. But the prophet re-
the end it will be found
fused. It was not for him to take payment for a bless-
that nature, untram-
ing that God had in mercy bestowed. "As the Lord
meled, does her work
liveth," he said, "I will receive none." The Syrian "urged him
wisely and well. Those
to take it; but he refused.” PK 250.
who persevere in obedi-
ence to her laws will
reap the reward in “In treating the sick, the physician will seek God for wis-
health of body and health of mind.” MH 127 dom; then, instead of placing his dependence upon drugs
and expecting that medicine will bring health to his patients,
he will use nature's restoratives, and employ natural means
“Make use of the remedies that God has provided. Pure air,
whereby the sick may be aided to recover. The Lord will hear
sunshine, and the intelligent use of water are beneficial
and answer the prayers of the Christian physician.” HL 247.
agents in the restoration of health. But the use of water is
considered too laborious. It is easier to employ drugs
than to use natural remedies.” HL 247 “I would say to our physicians, Never allow your patients
to think that in the human being is power to heal the
sick. You are to depend much more than you have done on
“Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life,
the cooperation of the Great Physician in the work of healing
and a firm trust in God are remedies for the want of which
disease. Your faith is to lay hold upon the efficacy of Christ to
thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out
make effectual the effort put forth for the recovery of the
of date because their skillful use requires work that
sick.” PC p.2.
the people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure
water, and clean, sweet premises are within the reach of all
with but little expense, but drugs are expensive, both in the “Thus we combined prayer and labor. We used the simple
outlay of means and in the effect produced upon the system.” water treatments, and then tried to fasten the eyes
5T 443 of the patient onto the great Healer. We told them
what He could do for them. If we can inspire the patients
God uses these remedies to teach ‘wise’ man to trust with hope, this is greatly to their advantage. We want all that
the simple principles of His love. have any part to act in our sanitariums to have a firm grasp
“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said,
on the power of the Infinite. We believe in Him and in the
My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,
wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, power of His word. When we do our best for the recovery of
when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” 2 Kings 5:13. the sick, we may then look for Him to be with us, that we
may see of His salvation. We put too little confidence in the
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to con- power of the hand that rules the world. PC p.35 . To Be
found the wise”, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness Continued
4
 NOTHING SEEDY ABOUT THEM!! ... BY SR T NKOMO
LINSEEDS aka FLAXSEEDS yoghurt, backed goods. Anything you like!

Best stored in a cool or even cold, area, like your fridge.

It can last for up to a year.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

It seems the Native Americans were the first to use

pumpkin seeds for their health and medicinal proper-
ties. They used them to get rid of intestinal parasites and
to solve kidney problems.

Apparently, linseeds/flaxseeds, were cultivated in Baby- These contain manganese, magnesium, phosphorus,
lon. Their health benefits were well-known, so much so iron, copper, vitamin K, and zinc, and no, I won‟t tell
that in the 8th century King Charlemagne passed a law you what those do for your body, it‟s been covered be-
that all citizens should eat them. fore.

Why should I have them?  They help relieve bladder, prostate and bladder
problems.
 Linseeds are a good source of fibre. Therefore,  They lower your (bad) cholesterol levels and aid in
you‟ll (hopefully) be more regular. Constipation be preventing hardening of the arteries
gone!  Helps your bones stay healthy
 They‟re a good source of omega 3 fatty acids. As we  Help you prevent depression
discovered last month, these help in the fight  They‟re good for your brain- sometimes given to
against heart disease and high blood pressure. those with learning difficulties
Omega 3 fats can also prevent blood clots and may
halt Alzheimer‟s disease. Flaxseed contains proper- You can roast them and add them to soups and salads,
ties that prevent hardening of the arteries. they have a nutty flavor. But roasting destroys some of
 They help manage menopausal symptoms, espe-
cially when it comes to hot flashes.
 Good when used with charcoal-they make a good
paste for placing on wounds or infections. Grind
them first though!
 Helps you fight various cancers. Not convinced?
How about prostate, breast and colon cancer.
 Eating these small seeds can help you avoid diabe-
tes, obesity and strokes.
 Can help lower inflammation that occurs with
asthma and Parkinson‟s disease.
the fatty acids so it‟s better to eat them raw.
One tablespoon is all you need per day. It‟s best to have And it‟s also best to store them in the fridge.
them ground. You can put them in your cereal, soup, soy
5
 LETS TALK ABOUT FAITH... BY SR K NARANJO
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Neverthe- Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with
less when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? thee. 45: Then said David to
Q: How many of you want to have stronger faith? What are we to the Philistine, Thou comest
do about this? to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a
Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the
shield: but I come to thee
grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
in the name of the LORD
according to the proportion of faith;
of hosts, the God of the ar-
Let us take a common illustration: What this means is that we mies of Israel, whom thou hast
already have the software built into our computer. We have a defied. 46: This day will the
measure of faith in us! LORD deliver thee into
mine hand; and I will smite
The problem is, we need to activate this software. We need a thee, and take thine head from
program to activate it so it will work. Q: What is it that will acti- thee; and I will give the carcas-
vate it? That is the question we will try and answer today. es of the host of the Philistines
Let us look at some biblical examples and see if we can learn this day unto the fowls of the
what this key is that will activate our faith. I would never recom- air, and to the wild beasts of
mend anything that we do not have biblical evidence to show us the earth; that all the earth
examples. may know that there is a God
in Israel.
1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and
drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. This is an Do you see the difference here? King Saul talks doubt and lack of
amazing statement because it had not rained for 3 ½ years! Elijah faith. But David talks strong faith. It is FAITH TALK that makes
said this before there was any rain and not even a cloud in the sky. the difference.
When I was about 7 yrs. old, my grandmother decided to teach For another bible example, turn with me to Numbers 13. We
me how to knit. She showed me how to make the stitches and set just studied this recently in our 4th quarter of last year. So you all
up the large ball of yarn and gave me the directions to follow. I sat know this very well. This is where the 12 spies were sent to seek
there for maybe 4 hours and made the hat for myself out of the out the land of Canaan and to report back to Israel. Aren‟t we also
yarn. I did not know how to finish it so I needed help to finish it. on the edge of the heavenly Canaan? This applies to us also. This
My grandmother came and when she looked at the hat I had made, is what the 10 spies said:
she said nothing but immediately started to unravel all the stitches
Numbers 13: 31-33 But the men that went up with him said, We
I had put in. She unraveled it almost to the very beginning. I wasbe not able to go up against the people; for they are
very hurt and deep inside I thought how this was such a waste of stronger than we. 32: And they brought up an evil report of the
time. I had spent 4 hours on this and now it was all back to the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying,
near beginning. I guess that my stitches were not perfect The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that
enough…. Some were too tight and some were too loose and it did eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we
not look right. But deep inside I told myself that I would never saw in it are men of a great stature. 33: And there we saw
ever again knit anything. And, I did not. the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants:
Q: How many of us have been so discouraged that we did not want and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we
to continue to struggle? I was young then, and now I know better. were in their sight. Contrast this with what Caleb said… 30: And
This is not the way. We must not think of our discouragements. Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at
The book of Laminations has already been written and we need once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
not write it again. Do you see and hear the difference between discouraging talk and
Notice what the bible says in Mark….. Jesus was in his own coun- FAITH TALK?
try and he made this comment…. Now listen carefully to what the Lord says in response. To the 10
Mark 6:5,6 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he says:
he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6: And he Numbers 14: 28: Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the
marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
about the villages, teaching. 29: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that
So, he is saying that because of their lack of faith and their unbe- were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from
lief, he could not do miracles there…. twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
We are still looking for this KEY to unlock our belief system and In other words, God is telling them that…. As you have said it, it
let our faith grow… turn to 1 Samuel 17 … this is the story of David will be unto you!! Now notice what God says about Joshua and
before his fight with Goliath Caleb.
1 Samuel 17: 33: And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to Numbers 14: 30: Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, con-
go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art cerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the
but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Notice what King Saul says to David! He says discouraging words The Lord says, as ye have spoken it, so will I do to you. Wow!
and shows his lack of faith. Now, let us see what David says: This is powerful! We must talk the talk of faith and it will be unto
you! Now let us understand that we must have a close relationship
1 Samuel 17: 37,45,46 David said moreover, The LORD that with the Lord and we cannot be presumptuous. We must know
delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the the will of God by our studies of our bible and prayer with Jesus.
paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this
6
Now if you are feeling a little hopeless right now, do not give
up hope… there is an example for us in the bible for us to not give
up.
In Judges 6 we have the story of Gideon before a mighty battle. No-
tice carefully what Gideon says…
Judges 6: 12: And the Angel of the LORD (Jesus) appeared unto
him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty
man of valour. Now you would think that this would give Gideon
confidence wouldn‟t you? Let‟s see what his response is….13: And
Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us,
why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his mira-
cles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the
LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath
forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midi-
anites.
So do you see Gideon‟s talk of discouragement? Isn‟t this where we
are at times… we know that God has been mighty in the past and
done wonderful miracles and we know that in the future God is go-
ing to work wonders but what about now? Where Is He now?
Where are the miracles the healings the wonders? Don‟t talk dis-
couragement…. Talk faith and know that God worked with Gideon
and in Ch. 7 he says this.Judges 7: 15: And it was so, when Gideon Q: How many of you know now, how to activate your faith? How
heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that many of you will pray and study to know the will of God and use
he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and
said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand
the host of Midian.
The message is simple this morning because if no one remembers it
tomorrow or next week, what is the point? But if you remember it
then by God‟s Grace maybe you will remember to put it into action.
According to His will… you say it and it will happen.
To conclude, an example from my life.
I was at a meeting once and the idea was brought up that there are
many members of the church that no longer attend. As a church,
the GC looks at us and our membership and wonders where all the
tithe money is? We as a church are accountable for this loss. It was
suggested that we go and ask them if they want to continue their
membership with us or go somewhere else. As I listened to this I
thought about the message of FAITH TALK and trying to be posi-
tive and still accomplish our goal. I do believe the Lord impressed
me to speak…. I suggested that we draft a letter to these people
and invite them to come back to our church. I also mentioned that
just maybe one person of that group just might be putting out a
fleece saying that if someone would just invite them, they would
come. And, then it was so interesting how people changed their
mood and got excited about the idea… it was also most like an aro-
ma of wonderful fragrance that filled the room… suggestion after
suggestion followed and all on a positive tone.
this FAITH TALK? 

TRUE MISSIONARY WORK PART 1 OF 2... BY BR J THIEL

Jesus was the greatest mis- Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory
sionary. If we do it different to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that
to him it‟s man‟s ivention. We made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
will now look at missionary
work for this time of earth‟s 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
history. There was a forecast fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the
that Jesus made which is di- wine of the wrath of her fornication.
rectly relating to our mission- The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for
ary call for these last days; a witness. Did you ever think about this? Does it say allot of peo-
ple are going to be brought into the church? It is a witness. What
Matthew 24:11-14 And many are we to witness? His glory because the hour of HIS judgement is
false prophets shall rise, and come. The world in the last days is to learn from Gods children the
shall deceive many. And be- character of God. That is the work of the first, second and third
cause iniquity shall abound, angel‟s message.
the love of many shall wax
cold. But he that shall endure Revelation 14:9-12 And the third angel followed them, saying with a
unto the end, the same shall loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive
be saved. And this gospel of [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture
nations; and then shall the end come. into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the pres-
How close are we to the end? Its just about upon is. How long ence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for
have the end time prophecies been going on? Ever since ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship
1844. That was a long time ago. The three angel‟s messages are a the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his
direct reference to this. We are living in a time when iniquity name. Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep
abounds. The love of many is growing cold but he that shall endure the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
to the end; the same shall be saved. This is our lot. The message of
the three angels is a direct parallel. We will look at the reality of Just at the time of the end, what are we to do? Demonstrate to the
the time we are living in. world, the character of God. To witness to all nations. Fear God
and give him the glory. We are to be witnesses. Jehovah Witnesses
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, believe they are witnessing by going door to door. Are they wit-
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the nessing of the glory of God? You can go around thinking you‟re do-
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ing missionary work in the last days when you can be falling off the
This is the missionary work. This first angel‟s message is preaching correct procedure. Give God the glory. Identify, be a witness of
the everlasting gospel. Gods character. That is the call, to be witnesses.

7
Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the
LORD is risen upon thee.For, behold, the darkness shall cover the
earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise up-
on thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
We read in the three angel‟s messages that the beast and his image
are false prophets. The image of the beast is apostate Protestant-
ism that is called the false prophet. Can you begin to see the true
missionary work that is required here? The one upon whom Gods
glory is seen. That is the missionary work. The whole world needs
to be illuminated with Gods glory. However, not by going to the
people and saying, here, you need to believe in Jesus, here‟s some
information. How are we to give him the glory?
“But I would inquire if our dear friends here seek to respond to the
light that God is letting shine upon them? It is not the amount of
light that comes to us individually that will save us, but it is the use
that we make of this light that is given us from heaven. Light has
been flashed upon our pathway, and we want to know how much
better it makes us. Has it discovered to us our imperfections of
character; and has it perfected us so that we cease to sin?”–Ms 19a,
1886, p. 4. “Lessons from the Life of Abraham,” March 27,
1886.) {6MR 5.3}
What is this stating? It says, Arise,
shine; for thy light is come. What
does the light do? What you do with
it. It will show your imperfection of
character. What is the greatest pow-
erful argument that God exists? The
manifestation that people do not
sin. People can‟t believe that.
When I was working people tried to
get me to do this and that and in the
end, they had to acknowledge I
wouldn‟t do it. When the light of
Jesus comes upon us, it is what we
do with that light. It‟s exactly the
same as child training. You can tell a
child to do as it‟s told. You can pun-
ish them but you as a parent are do-
ing the thing you‟re telling the child it shouldn‟t be doing. It‟s
much harder to train a child than to punish. We are doing a mis-
sionary work that isn‟t just going door to door and passing out leaf-
lets. The literature that is to demonstrate to the world is Gods
character in your life and people reading it. That is missionary
work.
“When the human agent feels his need of the Sun of Righteousness,
when he comes to Jesus saying, Lord, I am sinful, unworthy, hope-
less; save me, or I perish, he is accepted in the beloved, and his
heart is warmed by the rays of divine love. In this sincere coming to
Christ he opens the door to Him who has long been saying,
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me.” He is accepted by faith, and he knows what it
means to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”–Ms 164,
1898, pp. 1, 4. (”Be Ye Therefore Perfect,” typed December 14,
1898.) {6MR 5.1}
The human agent takes hold of Christ and knows its weakness and
sinfulness.
The work of consecration must go forward and upward, elevating
the mind, elevating the speech. Thus we become more and more
heavenly minded, better prepared for translation. “Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Man is to
be perfect in his sphere, as God is perfect in his sphere. How can
we attain so lofty a standard? The required perfection is based on
the perfection of Christ. In Him is our righteousness. He spoke the-
se words, and he was by birth a human being, though allied to di-
8
vinity. Every provision has been made that man should be a par-
taker of the divine nature. God never issues a command without
furnishing the grace essential to carry it out. He says, “Without me
ye can do nothing.” –Ms 157, 1898, pp. 1, 2. (”Be Ye Therefore Per-
fect,” typed December 5, 1898.) {6MR 5.2}
With the gospel of Jesus in our life, we are to stand before the
world as witnesses of that glory. How many do you think God
needs to spread the world with his righteousness?
“Ten members, who were walking in all humbleness of mind,
would have a far greater power upon the world than has the entire
church, with its present numbers and lack of unity. The more there
is of the divided, inharmonious element, the less power will the
church have for good in the world. “ {5T 119.1}
If there were just ten members. How are they going to cover the
world? How many times I‟ve heard this. You heard it some weeks
ago, cut up Perth into its different sections and everyone go and
letter box. The witness to the world is the glory and character of
God who have ceased to sin.
By doing that, we are opening our heart to Jesus to let him in. Its
not just works, works. Come on we have to go out on Sunday morn-
ing to do missionary work. Missionary work is the reflection of
Gods character in our life. The world that is growing in gross dark-
ness will see that. It only needs ten
members.
Our focus of missionary work is to be
that. There is work to be done, but it‟s
a work that is based upon opening the
heart to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Not the amount of labor performed or
its visible results but the spirit in
which the work is done makes it of
value with God. Those who came into
the vineyard at the eleventh hour were
thankful for an opportunity to work.
Their hearts were full of gratitude to
the one who had accepted them; and
when at the close of the day the house-
holder paid them for a full day‟s work,
they were greatly surprised. They
knew they had not earned such wages. And the kindness expressed
in the countenance of their employer filled them with joy. They
never forgot the goodness of the householder or the generous com-
pensation they had received. Thus it is with the sinner who, know-
ing his unworthiness, has entered the Master‟s vineyard at the elev-
enth hour. His time of service seems so short, he feels that he is
undeserving of reward; but he is filled with joy that God has ac-
cepted him at all. He works with a humble, trusting spirit, thankful
for the privilege of being a co-worker with Christ. This spirit God
delights to honor. {COL 397.3}
In fact it‟s probably five minutes before midnight. What is mis-
sionary work? The joy of cooperating with the masterworker. Peo-
ple who are workers to have great results, will be disappoint-
ed. God isn‟t judging the amount of work we do, but the joy we do
it with. It‟s not the amount of work we do.
It is the motive with which they work, not the amount they do, that
makes their offering valuable in the sight of Heaven.–GW 222. {CS
107.1}
It is Gods character that makes the missionary work valuable.
Arise, shine, for thy light is come. What does God mean to you in
the 11th hour workers? We don‟t have to be pushed into it. We are
representing the character of God.
Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on
an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it un-
der a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

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.
PROMISES TO CHILDREN
1What is the first commandment which contains a promise?
"Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise." Eph. 6:2.
What is the promise connected with that commandment?
"Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee." Ex. 20:12.
What promise is made to children if they will hearken to the Lord?
"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Ps. 34:11.
What is the fear of the Lord?
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His
commandments." Ps. 111:10.
How is a wise child, even though poor, regarded by the Lord?
"Better is a poor and a wise child, than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished."
Eccl. 4:13.
What tender words did the Saviour speak in behalf of children?
"Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Matt. 19:14.
What did He do to the children to show that He loved them?
"And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark 10:16.
How may all receive the Lord's blessing now?
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matt. 21:22.
If children do this, and as they grow older, keep all of God's commandments, what is
promised?
"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14.
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