Medical Missionary work is the journey that I am on in 2016. Medical missionary work involves using the skills God gives you to help people improve their health & well-being & quality of life. Please click on the NewStart video below.

In Medical Missionary Work, there are paid assignments & then just the person that shares their knowledge for free ( that is my case ). I let God take care of the finances and HE comes through all the time.

Only reason I share this info is I ended up doing what I do now through a series of events that were out of my control ( like I was ever in control in the first place….haha ).

Hospitalized in 1994 due to serious medical problems.

Graduated from Washington State University in 2005.

Invested in a small farm in 2005.

Career was outsourced in 2005. What now ?

A neighbor asked me if I wanted to do a Bible Study. Was open to this request as I had started the Read the Bible in One Year Plan in 2004.

Started attending Seventh-day Adventist Church & never went back to the Episcopal church where our mother took us ( sometimes ).

Noticed the Adventists spend an hour in worship service on the seventh-day Sabbath ( Saturday ) turning pages in the Bible to learn about God & how to apply the Bible to your life.

Was asked to agree to 28 fundamental principles that included allowing Jesus Christ into my heart to be my personal Savior. ( NO PROBLEM ) I had 34 years of self-will run riot experience so I was ready for God to take over.

Baptized by Immersion in September 2007.

The Adventists eat healthy meals as the fellowship dinners after worship are always a treat. I had already made the move to improving diet when I lost 70 pounds in 2000 by removing animal products from my diet ( recommend gradual change, not sudden ).

God somehow kept the mortgage paid on the small farm & for 5 years was able to harvest fresh organic fruits and vegetables to feed myself. There was so much as far as yield that I canned 150 quarts of green beans & kept Yukon gold potatoes most of the year to bring to fellowship dinner every Sabbath.

Chronic health problem required more education, reading, research so I decided to go full-time into Medical Missionary work. I share the way that God has kept me around through a lifestyle that includes the Newstart Principles. Notice the acronym NEWSTART.

Nutrition – My diet consists of mostly raw food ( 2 smoothies a day fruit in the morning & vegetables at dinner time) and a light supper like an oat patty or black bean burger with a green vegetable.

Exercise – My physical activity includes weight bearing exercises 6 days a week, 30 minutes on the maximum level of an elliptical trainer and ice skating or golf in season.

Water – I make a gallon of distilled water each day for drinking & cooking. I add a half teaspoon of pink Himalayan sea salt into the 3 liters that I drink. I use the Nutribullet to break the salt down.

Sunshine – I make it a priority of mine to get at least 30 minutes a day of walking outside in the sunshine. Because I live in the northern hemisphere, in the months where the sun is high in the sky, I walk towards the south ( front side gets exposure ) and turn around and walk towards the north ( back side gets exposure ). Between October and April, I will go for an hour or more as the sun angle is much lower.

Temperance – This is the principle of using good things moderately and avoiding bad things like alcohol, caffeine, drugs, gambling and tobacco.

Air – Living in the Pacific Northwest is a blessing as for the most part the air is healthy. I do my best to avoid getting around old vehicles that pollute the air in my immediate area. This principle also includes learning how to do some deep breathing which helps your body in many ways.

Rest – I have had times where insomnia has been an issue. We all have had a night that we did not get enough rest. The next day it is hard to function at your best. I use a few things to supplement what my body is no longer making as a result of ageing but none are prescription medications. I use all natural means like kava root, melatonin, and valerian root. I also have a small tincture bottle with half grapeseed oil and half lavender oil. Rub this mixture into the balls of your feet or on your shoulder to relax.

Faith and Wellness

Trust – Trust in God or Divine Power is easy for me. I have been blessed to meet probably tens of thousands of people in my life. Most of the people who I associate with believe in God and many are recovering from something even if it is just wanting to stop being a gossip. I believe to the very core of my being that God saw me in my affliction in 1994 and reached out to heal me. The help came from people at that time and it continues to this day. I am very active in Medical Missionary work and took the direction that God made clear to me after my job was outsourced in 2005. I am always at church on the Sabbath day, pray throughout each day, start my communication with God when I first wake up by saying thank you for another day and give thanks each night for the blessings of that day.

If I can help you in your life journey, please contact me from my Contact Page and send an email, send a Skype connection request or just phone me if you have my number.

Humanism is very popular in today’s world.

Humanism

Self-Help programs, books and philosophies are all around you. Humanism is all about making your self better. Make more money, have better relationships, self, self, self, etc. Guess who gets left out of the picture? The Gospel Message and turning from sin. Many people do not want to give God control over their lives because then they would have to make radical changes in their lives. What they spend their time on, what they read, etc.

I used Humanism myself but ultimately found the Truth of Jesus Christ. Humanism opened the door for me to understand what the Bible & Jesus teach. Read these scriptures after praying that the Holy Spirit would guide your understanding of His Holy Word.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 8:1-12
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Many people heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount but few accepted the message.

Humanism teaches that if I can do enough good deeds, I will gain entrance to eternal life. Jesus teaches us that if you have ever had anger in your heart, you have broken the Law about not committing murder.

Every single one of us is guilty. We need a bridge back to God and the Bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the Light of the World. No one comes to the Father, accept through Jesus.

John 8:1-4
Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Guess who the Leper is? It is me and anyone that sins. There is good news. The great Paradox in Life is that when you give your Life to Jesus Christ, you will have an Abundant Life Full of Joy and Peace. God Blesses the People Who Follow the Lamb of God.

If you need spiritual help, send me an email or Skype connect request.

My Way to Jesus

Writing this out of a spirit of Love and Concern as every business has had all kinds of ads for Easter candies, bunnies, etc.

Do a search in your Bible. You will NOT find the word Easter.
Easter is a pagan celebration of the fertility goddess Esther.
Pagan celebrations have crept into the Christian church for hundreds of years.

Easter

At this time of the year, many in the Christian world celebrate all kinds of special days & events in what is known as the Catholic Holy Week.  Before you call me a radical or out of my mind, I am so grateful that Jesus did die on the Cross for my sins on Good Friday. I am also eternally grateful He rose on the first day of the week which is Sunday.

In the Bible there is no direct scripture that instructs us to observe Lent, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and even Good Friday or Palm Sunday.

Jesus was greeted by palm fronds in John 12:13 but there is no mention of the first day of the week or worship.

There are passages in the four Gospels about the Last Supper.

The Bible calls Friday preparation day. It is the sixth day of the week. Guess what day gets left out of the conversation? Sabbath, the Seventh-day of the Week which is the only day that God Sanctified & Made Holy.

Below is a list of what is in the Bible as far as the Last Supper, Good Friday, Jesus resting in the tomb on the Seventh-day Sabbath ( Jesus kept the Fourth Commandment even in death ) and Jesus’s Resurrection on the first day of the week ( Sunday ).

Read Matthew 26 through 28

Read Luke 22 through 24

This Friday is a special day for followers of Jesus Christ because without Jesus’s death on the Cross, I am eternally lost.

When the sunsets on Friday night, God’s Seventh-day Sabbath will be here once again. It is a weekly rest given by God to all mankind right after God created Adam. It is not just for the Jewish people.

On Sunday morning, I will be in Bible study remembering that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ gives me hope for today and a future void of fear.

Christian Rock or Rap is not from God according to the Bible.

Christian Rock

In the 1980’s, a new style of music emerged. Christian Rock is popular in the secular world we live in today and has been popular for over 30 years. I am not going to mention any names or bands because my religion is the Holy Bible which teaches me not to be the Judge of someone’s behavior. All of these people could be sincere Christians. It is not up to me to decide as to their Salvation.

Just because something or someone calls themselves Christian does not mean that the thing or person is a Disciple of Jesus Christ. I called myself a Christian for many years but if you looked at my life, I was self absorbed and did not reflect the character of Jesus Christ. A good guide for Jesus’s Character is found in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 through 7.

Christian Berdahl has a seminar that does an excellent job explaining the contemporary Christian music environment. His website is below:

Shepherd’s Call Ministry

Derrol Sawyer was born in New York City and is a man that worked in the entertainment industry. Derrol also has a ministry that teaches about reverent Christian music. Here is one of his popular hymns. Notice how the melody & lyrics follow what the Bible teaches.

Does the Bible guide us in how we should worship God?

Psalm 98:5 “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody.”
Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”

Christian Rock or Rap music has violent musical instruments Including full drum sets and lyrics that absolutely are NOT melodious. I have never heard, sang or read a Christian Hymn from the Church Hymnal at my Church that is ‘rock’ or ‘rap’ music. Our Hymnal Book has songs of Praise. Here are some of my Favorites.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Fairest Lord Jesus
How Great Thou Art

A couple of days during the week I attend functions at one of these non denominational churches. In the center of the stage of this church is a full set of drums.

When I go to church, I don’t want to feel like I am walking into a night club or bar.

As we grow as Christians, we are to leave worldly things behind and become more like Jesus. We are taught about the Sanctification Process in the Bible. The old me that came to the foot of the Cross and repented would not be allowed to go to be with the Lord Jesus on Judgment Day. We need to become Holy People and I cannot see that happening with Christian Rock or Rap.

There are 150 places in the Bible where ‘sanctuary’ is mentioned.

Hebrews 8:2 “A minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.”
Hebrews 9:1 “Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.”

I sense the growth of all these non denominational worship places is that the secular world is attracted to so called new age practices & styles of worship. Praise God if souls are won to Jesus Christ through these places.

Just be on guard as Satan is very clever in his deceptive ways of infiltrating ‘church’. The way to be prepared is to study our Bibles daily. Ask God to show you His Church.

I look forward to heaven where there will be no more death, violence, or suffering. We will be able to sit at Jesus feet and hear wonderful melodies. There will be cellos, flutes, harps, organs, pianos, and violins playing wonderful music Praising Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

State of the Dead

State of the Dead is a major Bible Topic that many people do not understand due to lack of Bible Study. Are you reading your Bible ? What really happens when someone dies?

When I see people making comments like their loved one that has passed away is up in heaven looking down on them, it makes me think I must have missed the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. No one will miss that as according to the Bible, a loud trumpet blast signals the soon coming of Jesus Christ.

Recently Nancy Reagan passed away to her sleep and the very highly educated minister performing her funeral service kept inferring that she was in heaven. I know that he is believing unbiblical myths versus what is in the Bible.

That minister has had many years of advanced religious training. I am an average human being with a Business Degree. I do not have advanced religious training but I study my Bible since 2004.

In Revelation 20, we learn that there are four categories that all mankind fall into. There is the redeemed dead, the redeemed that are living, there is the wicked dead, and the wicked living.

The MYTH that people go to heaven when they die is fallacy that came about from ancient Greek philosophy & to some extent Buddhism.

It is tragic that many Christian faiths teach that the dead are ‘up’ in heaven right now. If that is the case, then there is no need for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As I have been studying my Bible for many years now, I read that Moses, Elijah, and Enoch plus some other believers that were resurrected are currently in heaven. That is the only mention in my Bible of people that are in heaven. Here are some texts to look up about the state of the dead. I trust what my Bible says over what any man says and that includes my Pastor, Conference President, and our lead Elder Ted Wilson in the Washington, DC area.

God is the only One who has immortality. 1 Timothy 6:l6 is even more clear. “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” Only God has this power of immortal existence. Man is described as being mortal, or subject to death.

What About Lazarus?
If you just stop for a moment and think about this wonderful truth. You will realize that our loved ones who have preceded us in death, are not being tormented now in hell, nor are they in heaven either where they would be looking down upon the terrible scenes taking place on this earth. They are all sleeping the sleep of death until resurrection morning. The Bible calls death a sleep. Jesus said his friend Lazarus was asleep when he referred to Lazarus’ death.

“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth” John 11:11.

Lazarus Is Dead
Then in John 11:14 Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead.” Christ called Lazarus forth from his tomb where he had been dead for four days. When Lazarus stepped forth from his tomb, he did not say that he had been to heaven. If Lazarus had been in heaven, don’t you think that he would have protested about being brought back to this sinful earth. He would not have wanted to stay here for even one minute. He would have told those around him of the glorious scenes of heaven. But Lazarus did not speak of heaven. Lazarus had been sleeping in the dust of the earth since the breath of life had left him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.

Many sincere Christian believers think, say and write that their deceased loved one is in heaven. If that is so, there would not be a need for Jesus to come back to this earth.

There are 145 verses in the Bible about Jesus coming again. Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 22:12 are key verses. This is the Second Resurrection.

25 of these Second Resurrection verses are in the New Testament. When I study my Bible, believers in Jesus Christ that have died are sleeping now just as Lazarus was for 4 days. The righteous dead in Christ next conscious moment will be the Trumpet blast that all will hear. 1 Thessalonians 4
This will be the beginning of the Second Resurrection and that is when the dead come up and meet the Lord in the Air and those righteous believers still here on earth will meet with the Lord in the Air. This will be a Super Natural event to say the least.

The myth that when a believer dies they go straight to heaven is comfort for the grieving person that has lost a loved one. It is myth and not Biblical.

Promises

Promises you can live by are found in the Holy Bible. Elder Joe McWilliam asked the congregation to come forward and read favorite Bible promises at church this past Sabbath, 27 February 2016 at Whipple Creek Seventh-day Adventist Christian church. The Bible study was very informative as the word of God is powerful and impacts peoples’ lives.

Here is the list of what the congregation read. I am reading the New American Standard Bible. If one of the scriptures is long like the whole chapter, I am including a link to that chapter.

Isaiah 48:14-16
“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

“Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
And now the Lord God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

Matthew 5

Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Psalms 137:3-4
For there our captors demanded of us songs,
And our tormentors mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4
How can we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

1 Chronicles 28:20
Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

Jeremiah 29:11
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope’.

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.

7
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

Colossians 1:16-21
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

Romans 8:28
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 43:1-3
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.

3
“For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.

Isaiah 26:1-4
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

2
“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.

3
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.

4
“Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.

29
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

30
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Psalms 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

Hebrews 1:1-3
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

1 John 5

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

Isaiah 49:25
Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued;
For I will contend with the one who contends with you,
And I will save your sons.

1 John 2:1
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.

Psalms 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”

Matthew 10:15
Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

These are the Bible promises that Joe had the young adults read during worship service:

Genesis 17:7-8

Exodus 29:45-46

Leviticus 26:11-12

Jeremiah 24:6-7

Jeremiah 32:38-41

Ezekiel 11:19-20

Ezekiel 36:28-29

Ezekiel 37:26-27

Zechariah 8:5-8

Zechariah 13:8-9

Hosea 2:19-23

Hebrews 8:8-12

2 Corinthians 6:11-18

Revelation 21:1-7

I am so grateful that I was able to study God’s Word on God’s Holy Day. The promises in the Bible are a solid foundation for faith. If you are interested in free online Bible study guides, please check out this site as all the major Bible topics are covered.

Voice of Prophecy

Rebellion

Rebellion is defined by Dictionary.com as resistance to or defiance of any authority or tradition. As a teen-ager in 1972, I experienced rebellion in my life. Unfortunately, I had to suffer the consequences of that rebellion. I still have visible scars from my resistance to authority. I am lucky & grateful though that God is Love & HE came to rescue me when I was at a low point in my life. Praise God !

I write & share this message I heard this morning from a Christian woman that holds 2 Doctorate Degrees. I needed to hear it just as much as anyone. I have learned that Judging myself & extending mercy to others is reflecting Jesus’s Character. A very large segment of society will be mesmerized by a football game on Sunday. When I was a child, football was not that big of a deal and everyone I knew went to church and were good neighbors. Now our world has shifted to a self-seeking society and idols of all kinds abound. Some people make politics or football their God. ( end of my thoughts )

“The current Sabbath School quarterly deals with Rebellion & Redemption. The Great Controversy is the battle between God & Satan. Satan wants worship and that narcissistic self-centeredness caused the original sin & is the root of all death, pain, sickness, suffering and sin today.

Satan has one mission: Kill, Steal & Destroy as many of God’s children as possible. Satan misrepresented God to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden and that distortion is rampant today. Satan makes God out to be a vengeful and cruel God that punishes. Satan wants man to doubt God.

Satan uses the following idols to separate man from God:

1. Alcoholism
2. Drug Addiction
3. Food
4. Football & Violent Sports
5. Gambling
6. Sex
7. Television
8. Tobacco

Jesus came to reveal God’s true character which is LOVE.
Jesus came to save us from all of our idols.
Narcissism is about worship of self and a self-centered life which is of Satan.
Altruism is about worship of God and being other centered which is of God.

Three Bible lessons that Jesus taught have critical bearing.

Matthew 7:21-23 teaches that not everyone will be saved.
Luke 17:11-19 teaches that just one of the ten cleansed lepers came to give thanks to Jesus for being made clean.
Matthew 25:1-13 teaches that only half of the virgins had oil ( Holy Spirit ) to illuminate their lamps.

We are in serious times. I pray that the Lord Jesus will help me get through my temptations and difficulties each day.”

My closing thoughts:

I believe that many kinds of sports have immense value. I myself enjoy amateur golfing, ice skating, mountain hikes, long walks and being physically active. You only live once so take care of your body.

Unmistakable Signs of the End

Unmistakable Signs of the End is a powerful message given by Attorney and Pastor Ed Reid. There are seven signs that Jesus is preparing to return to take His believers to the new heaven and the new earth that is described in the Book of Revelation.

Seven Signs of the End

1. Signs in the Political World
2. Signs in the Natural World
3. Signs in the Social World
4. Signs in the Financial World
5. Decline of Morality
6. Pope Francis and the Sunday Agenda
7. Gospel Is Going to All the World

In the Political World, tens of millions of people are refugees or have fled from persecution. Wars have been the bloodiest ever. Deranged people take prisoners and decapitate the head of the prisoner while someone records a live video of the event. Hundreds of millions of people have lost their lives in war ever since Cain killed Abel.

In the Natural World, disasters have grown stronger and more violent. A 9.0 earthquake struck Japan recently. Tornados, floods, tsunamis, fires and other disasters are reported each week and almost on a daily basis.

In the Social World, many people have become self-centered. In the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:17 reveals:

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. ² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. ⁶ For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

In the Financial World, nations are on the brink of financial disaster. Greece, Puerto Rico, Portugal and many other nations have missed debt payments and have serious financial issues. The United States went through a serious economic crisis from 2007 to 2012. Wall Street bankers and former SEC chairman Bernie Madoff have served prison time for corruption. The Public Debt in the USA is a staggering $18 Trillion and grows by $3.8 Billion per day.

Decline of Morality is evident with the kinds of movies and television programs society now accepts. The secular world now has total disregard for God and the Bible. Franklin Graham, the son of Evangelist Billy Graham states that Sin Reigns and Is Celebrated Now. The 280 million people that live in the fifty states voted no on gay marriage but one Federal Supreme Court Judge cast a deciding vote in a 5-4 ruling that made gay marriage legal at the federal level.

Pope Francis and the Sunday Agenda of the Roman Catholic system believe that doctrines of man are more important than the Word of God in the Holy Bible. Rowan County Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was jailed because of her beliefs about marriage being between one man and one woman after the Supreme Court had decided gay marriage to be legal at the federal government level. Seventh-day Adventists realize that probation closes when the Sunday Law is imposed on the public. Government has slowly taken away our liberties and imposing Sunday Laws is a top priority of the Catholic system.

Gospel Is Going to All the World as we see in the explosion of the amount of people downloading Bible Lessons from the Adventist World Radio website. The 2 top language requests are Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Notice that in the Gospel commission of Matthew 28 that there is no question about the spread of the Gospel Message to the World. There are over 25,000 new people coming to the Seventh-day Adventist church each Sabbath ( Saturday, the Seventh-day of the Week ) established by God at Creation for all mankind, not just Jewish people.

It is clear from the Bible that Jesus answered His Disciples about Unmistakable Signs of the End in three different dialogues. Studying our Bibles is the certainty that we can be ready for Jesus Second Coming.

Table Talk

Gutenberg Files

People have done incredible things in the world. The following message is from Pastor Greg Middlestetter’s sermon at the Eugene, Oregon Seventh-day Adventist church on Sabbath, 26 December 2015.

A Cast of Nobodies

God does things differently. We are one year closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God’s thoughts & thinking are beyond our comprehension.

Pastor Greg shared about how he felt overwhelmed one Sabbath when four of the Arise Pastors were all sitting in the sanctuary listening to his sermon. Jesus birth in Bethlehem is an example of God using ‘Nobodies’ to accomplish miraculous events.

Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

When the King of the Universe appeared, don’t you think that event should have made big news? God sent Jesus to this world through an average young woman named Mary. Mary was no one special.

Luke 1:30
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

Joseph was an unknown person. He was not wealthy or top 10. God comes to us when our heart is willing.

This is how God uses people in the world. God picks people, gifts them with skills and uses the people’s talents for His work.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Joseph depended on God. He followed God’s call.

The shepherds were also considered nobodies and were picked by God to welcome Jesus. The wise men were different. Their customs, language, and religion were wrong but God used them to fund Jesus’ parents.

Elizabeth and Zechariah were the ordinary parents of John the Baptist who was Jesus’ cousin. God picks ordinary people to do big things in the world. God looks for faithful hearts.

The good news of Christmas is that God Loves Us & Can Use Us to do big things where you are in the world.

Just pray & open a conversation with God. All you have to say is: God Use me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

God communicates with us through these three channels:

1. His Word in the Holy Bible
2. Through Prayer
3. Through Nature

The Four Gifts of the Magi is a powerful message that Pastor Mike Bauler gave at the Historic Message Bible Church in Portland, Oregon on Sabbath 19 December 2015.

Scripture Reading is Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth.”

Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Magi

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

There is order to everything in the Bible. Everything is ordered by God.

The Wise Men brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Let us look at the spiritual meaning of these gifts.

A. Gold
Revelation 3:18
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Spiritual Meaning of Gold is found in the following verses:

James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Love is the engine for Faith. Faith & Love leads us to Obedience. God is Faith & Love working together.

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love.

Jesus abided in God His Father.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

B. Frankincense
Let us quickly review the earthly sanctuary.

Exodus 25:23
The Table of Showbread

23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.

and Exodus 25:30
You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

So the Table of Showbread had the Presence of God.

Leviticus 24:5-9
“Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

Frankincense was placed on loaves for memorial.

Exodus 30:1
The Altar of Incense

“Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

and Exodus 30:34
The Incense

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.”

and Exodus 30:6
“You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.”

and Revelation 8:3
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

When we pray, our prayers are like incense to God. We meet with God through prayer. Frankincense is white

John 6:48
I am the bread of life.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Hebrews 6:19-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Just remember that the Bread ( God ) is always on the Table. Jesus priestly ministry on behalf of man is to save.

C. Myrrh
Exodus 30:23
“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty.”

Holy Anointing Oil
When Jesus was suffering on the cross, Roman soldiers offered Him wine mixed with myrrh.

Mark 15:23
“They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.”

Myrrh is very bitter. Jesus refused it on the cross.

After Jesus had died the physical death on the cross, Nicodemus came to embalm Him.

John 19:39
“Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.”

Myrrh was an embalming oil.

In Matthew 2:11 the Wise Men or Magi worshipped Jesus.

D. Worship Is the Fourth Gift
In Scriptures, when people fell down, they were rendering extreme respect.

In the Book: “Desire of Ages” by Ellen White, the wise men recognized the presence of Divinity. The wise men gave their hearts to the Savior.

Page 63
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should “raise up the tribes of Jacob,” and “restore the preserved of Israel;” that He should be “a light to the Gentiles,” and for “salvation unto the end of the earth”? Isaiah 49:6.

“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.” Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts,—“gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” What a faith was theirs!

The greatest gift we can give is to give Jesus our heart.

Alaska Airlines launched daily nonstop service between Seattle and Nashville on 23 September 2015. Alaska is flying its brand new Boeing 737 – 900 Extended Range on the route as demand is strong. Here is a photo from Nashville Aviation’s Instagram account.

Alaska 734 from Seattle slowing down on Nashville’s runway 20R. #AlaskaAirlines #AlaskaAir #ASA #Boeing #737 #Aviation #Flying #Taxi #Takeoff #Landing #Planes #Airplanes #Aircraft #AvGeek #PlaneSpotting #NashvilleTN #Nashville #Tennessee #NashvilleAirport #BNA #KBNA

A photo posted by Dylan (@nashvilleaviation) on Dec 13, 2015 at 12:56pm PST

2 Cups is 1 Pound of Dry Baby Lima Beans Soaked Overnight or 8 Hours Then Rinsed Thoroughly

3 teaspoons Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard

1 Tablespoon Molasses

1/2 Cup Soy, Coconut, Omega 3 or Other Butter Substitute

3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

You can prepare this a couple of ways.

Pyrex Dish In Oven Directions

Once your butter substitute is melted, I have put all ingredients in a pyrex dish and baked for 90 minutes.

Crock Pot Directions

Recently I put the melted butter substitute in my crock pot, then added all the other ingredients and just cooked on high for about 2.5 hours. You can set the crock pot on low overnight and should get the same result.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
• ½ cup of lima beans counts as 1 ounce in the MyPlate.gov Protein Foods Group or as ½ cup in the Vegetable Group. For a 2,000-calorie diet, the daily recommendation is about 5 ½ ounces.

• ½ cup of baby lima beans are fat and cholesterol free and provide 20% of the daily recommended amount of fiber.

Beans will also help your body lower your blood sugar so add beans to your diet !