Here are the sermon notes from Pastor Roger Walter’s sermon from 8 November 2014. I will put the mp3 file at the bottom of the post.

Personal Holiness in Times of Temptation Part 2

Ten Temptations

1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Bible Tells Us:
Can’t Fall ? Danger !
Want to Overtake You
Not Unique
God Is Faithful
Won’t Give More Than You Are Able
Always a Way of Escape

Matthew 6:13
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

James 1:13-17
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The Look
Lust
Lure
Conception
Gives Birth to Sin
The Growth
Leads to Death

Temptation is a downward spiral.

Hardest thing for a Christian to do is to follow Jesus as Satan will attack. Keep our focus on Jesus. Spend time on our relationship with Jesus. Read page 57 from Ellen White’s Book Education.

James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The woman caught in adultery almost cost her life. Jesus wrote in the sand and all the accusers left.

Jesus writes His Love in Stone. Jesus writes our Sins in Sand. Go and Sin No More ! Jesus breaks the chains of sin. Satan wants to take control of our brain to kill, steal and destroy. Be on Guard !

Pastor Walter’s Sermon

Here are the sermon notes from Pastor Roger Walter’s sermon from 1 November 2014. I will put the mp3 file at the bottom of the post.

Personal Holiness in Times of Temptation Part 1

Holy – Devoted to the Service of God – Set Apart
Secular – Not Concerned with Religious or Spiritual Matters

An example in the Bible of Holiness is Moses being told to take off his shoes at the burning bush as he was in God’s Presence.

1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

The transformation that happens when Jesus takes over a person’s heart is like the change of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

2 Timothy 2:19-22
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Practical Process of Personal Holiness

Jesus Christ Changes Us.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1. Accept the Call of God to a Life of Personal Holiness
2. Read Your Bible Each Day for the Next 30 Days
3. Find An Accountability Partner, Prayer Partner, and a Small Group

Read Herbert Douglass Message “Are We Saved”? Here is a story Mr. Douglass wrote about Living in These Tough Times.

A few weeks ago, Norma and I toured the aircraft carrier, Lexington, now moored in the Corpus Christi harbor. It is the fifth ship in U.S. history to have that brave name. The fourth was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942) after a brilliant and surprising effort that stopped the advance of the Japanese toward Australia. As soon as this news hit America, the next aircraft carrier being built was named the Lexington, which also soon saw heroic action in the Pacific.

On December 4, 1943, this new Lexington was disabled by a Japanese bomber on a moonlit night off Tarawa. The skipper, Captain Felix Stump went to the ship speaker system so that all aboard could her him: “This is the captain speaking. We have taken a torpedo hit in our stern and the rudder seems badly damaged. Each man must do his job calmly and efficiently. Don’t worry. That’s my job. I got you here and I’ll get you out .and home.” And so he did. Marvelous story in how they did it.

But there’s more to that story. More than 95% of those on board had never been in the open sea before. They were not seasoned sailors and pilots. Citizen sailors and pilots they were. Recently assembled, trained but unsure of themselves. On that moonlit night, they were an easy target but the captain kept maneuvering the ship into the moonlight so that the Lexington would not give the bomber or submarine a silhouette. All the time changing his speed and direction.

On the way back to Pearl Harbor with that disabled rudder, the Admiral of the fleet radioed to Captain Stump, “That was wonderful seamanship, Captain.” The Captain replied, “Thank you, sir, my crew was magnificent!”

Those words swept through the crew. “They were magnificent in the eyes of their captain.” The sailors wrote home about their captain. When they limped back to Pearl, they did not need the serenade of the Navy Band to make them feel like they were heroes. They had already heard the commendation of their captain. Knowing their captain for what he was, kept them unafraid, kept them doing their duty. They could trust their captain, because he got them there and he would get them home.

One of these days, a wonderful group of people will, in a way, limp into the harbor after the worst time of trouble ever to hit people on this earth And they will hear their Captain say: “Well done, good and faithful servants . . . Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matt 25:21. And then He will turn to the unfallen worlds, to the unfallen angels, and wave His hand over the veterans from earth, and say, “My crew was magnificent!”

Quietly, I want each of you to tell yourself, that by the grace of God, you will be there to hear your Captain. You are already on the ship’s manifest, you know. Your name is already in His book. Will you promise Him, right now, by His grace that you will not disappoint Him?

Pastor Walter Sermon

Here are some sermon notes I took from Pastor Roger Walter’s message given during the Prophecies Decoded seminar series at the Vancouver Community Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Three Appeals to Self

1. Lust of the Flesh ( Instant Gratification )
2. Lust of the Eyes ( Desire for What Looks Good )
3. Pride of Life

Selfishness goes all the way back to the Serpent’s Lie in the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 3:3-10
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Jesus dealt with temptations on a regular basis. Jesus was tempted by appetite, power & glory.

The Bible records Jesus spent 40 days fasting one time. Another time Jesus stood with Satan on a small mountain and looked out over a large region of the known area of the world. Satan offered Jesus Kingship over these lands if Jesus would just bow down to Satan. Jesus always replied by stating: “It Is Written” and would quote a verse from the Old Testament scrolls.

The lesson for us is that we must be in the world as respectful citizens but do not have to be of the world. Spend time in prayer each day to connect with our Heavenly Father.

My own personal faith story is that I am not as selfish as I was in the past. It takes work and the steps are listed below. There is a free online book you can read that will help you also. Just click the image above to go to the Great Hope website.

Galatians 5:16-21

Walking in the Spirit
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Steps to Holiness

1. Recognize Your Problem – Pride
2. Lay It Aside by Denying Self
3. Get Into Your Bible Daily
4. Cultivate a Prayer Life
5. Get Accountability ( Family Member or Friend in the Church )
6. Keep Looking to Jesus

What are we doing with our time?
Love God and Do What He Wants, Not What We Want

Eggplant is a very healthy food that grows on vines. There are many health benefits from eating eggplant. There are minerals, phytonutrients and vitamins in the purple skin plants.

You can serve eggplant in a number of ways. I eat eggplant baked, raw or steamed lightly. Enjoy the recipe below to try eggplant with some healthy spices.

Here is an Indian recipe that makes an excellent eggplant dish. The recipe is from Mayri Cruz and was published in the August 2014 Three Angels Broadcasting Network’s World Magazine .

Ingredients

1 Eggplant

1/2 Clove Garlic, Crushed

1 Onion, Chopped

1 Tomato, Chopped

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne or Chili Powder

1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Turmeric

Salt to Taste

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 500 F

2. Wrap eggplant in aluminum foil & bake for 30 minutes ( until soft )

3. While eggplant is baking, crush garlic & chop onion, tomato, & cilantro.

4. Fry onions until brown, then add garlic. Lower heat & c0ver.

5. Take eggplant out of the oven, unwrap & cut into pieces. Add eggplant to onions & garlic.

6. Mix in tomato, cilantro, & remaining ingredients; then cover & cook mixture over low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice & enjoy!

Are you feeling stress in your life? Are you experiencing burnout? There is hope for you and me. Below are the Bible texts  from Pastor Roger Walter’s message titled Stress & Burnout. I put a link to the Bible Gateway website so you can easily look up the scriptures yourself. Just click on the Andrews Study Bible. This sermon was given at Vancouver Adventist church on Sabbath, 6 September 2014. The audio recording is here:

Stress and Burnout

John 14:1

Psalms 119:143

Job 22:21

Acts 10:36

1 Corinthians 14:33

Philippians 4:9

Isaiah 40:28-31

Matthew 11:28-30

Jude 20

Oswald Chambers reading for 21 October from his book: My Utmost for His Highest

“Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he followed Him afar off on the land. We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.”

Ever notice how people have favorite athletes, movie stars, musicians or artists? This comes from the divine nature placed in every single human being. The reason God put it there was for His children ( every one of us ) to worship Him. I admit when I was growing up, I was much more interested in famous golfers as I was a golf fanatic. I still enjoy golf but separate it as just a hobby.

Today when we were singing hymns at Adventist Community Church of Vancouver,  I was moved by the songs of praise and the message given by Dr Ron Clouzet on Sabbath, 30 August 2014.

Albert Schweitzer was a Physician, Medical Missionary, Musician, and a Theologian. Mr. Schweitzer noticed a black woman with large pieces of luggage struggling to get off a train that has arrived in the station.

Mr. Schweitzer was in a crowd that had been welcoming him to the city. He noticed that no one was helping the struggling woman. Mr. Schweitzer stopped what he was doing and went to help the woman with her suitcases.

There are four types of people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

People who cop out or opt out
People who think it out
People who burn out 20/80 rule 20 percent of the members do 80 percent of the work
People who reach out – These people want to be a blessing to other people.

Paul writes to the church at Corinth at a time that the church was a mess.

2 Corinthians 6:1-11

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:

In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy
11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.

Paul worked tirelessly for the early Christian church. Paul loved his brother & sister Christians. He traveled extensively and wrote a large portion of the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 5:13-15

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Why Such Joy ? The Love of Christ compels us to share the Good News of the Gospel with other people.

The last revival in Wales began when Evan Roberts prayed for God to use him to share the Gospel message. Revival began in 1905 and went all over the world. Satan stopped the revival with World War I.

Ellen White wrote in her book Testimonies Volume 7 that saving souls has to be our first priority. The Christian should have no desire to live for self. Here is a short prayer to use: God, give me a desire to serve. Help me spend more time thinking more about Jesus and less about me. Our natural inclination is to be focused on ourselves.

The Legend of Johnny Lingo brings out the point that we serve with a smile when we know we are loved.

Paul reflected about how he used to be a persecutor of Christians and how he was changed by God when he was converted.

2 Corinthians 5:16-20

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Once again, we serve with a smile when we know we are loved. Albert Schweitzer knew about God’s love as his life was all about service to mankind.

Worshiping God each Sabbath Day is such a moving experience for me and I am excited about being ‘teachable’.

Bible Truth

The following video is Ted Wilson’s Sermon at the Annual Council of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on 30 October 2013.

Communicate God’s Truth

Our Unique Mission as Seventh-day Adventists

1. Christ Is Ministering as High Priest
2. Christ Is Coming Soon
3. Preparing the World for Judgment
4. Sharing the Good News of His Righteousness
5. Accepting His Authority as Creator
6. Accepting the Seventh-Day Sabbath

For thousands of years, people that were in debt to someone were slaves until the debt was paid. In Israel, the maximum time allowed to hold someone as a slave for an unpaid debt was six years. After six years, the slaves were free to go.

These two verses in Deuteronomy 23:15-16 explain the proper way to treat a slave.

“You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you.  He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.”

Philemon lived in Colosse. He was a man of God. Onesimus was in debt to Philemon. Here is the entire book of Philemon. It is the shortest book in the Bible.

Greeting
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

The Plea for Onesimus
8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Philemon’s Obedience Encouraged
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. 20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

Farewell
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul reminds Philemon to accept his slave Onesimus as a brother of the Lord.

The above Bible study was given as the sermon by Pastor John Wesslen at Orchards Seventh-day Adventist church on Sabbath, 26 July 2014 in Vancouver, Washington.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior, you also have been set free. For many years, I was a slave to sin. I sought out the Lord and asked Him to come into my heart. My life is radically different now and I give thanks every single day of my life.

Vegan  Casserole

Serves 6-8

16 oz whole wheat penne pasta
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
8 oz fresh green beans, cut into pieces
16 oz cooked cannellini ( white kidney ) beans
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shelled or frozen peas

Sauce

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup dry parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
5 cups vegetable broth

If you cannot get fresh green beans, rinse a can of beans about 3 times to get most of the sodium out of the beans. I do not add any salt to the recipe as the vegetable broth is fairly high in sodium.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water about 7 minutes until just underdone. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots and celery in 2-3 Tablespoons of water.

Cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, cannellini beans and peas.

Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Combine the vegetables and pasta and spread in a deep 9 x 13 casserole dish.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and quickly whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth.

Add the parsley, thyme, paprika and 5 cups of vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring until thickened.

Pour the sauce over the noodle-vegetable mixture, and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle panko evenly on the top.

Return to the oven and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes, until panko is nicely browned. Serve hot.

Note: I used a different bread crumb product and it did not turn brown. Still tastes great even though I don’t add any salt as the sodium in the vegetable broth is enough for me.

Recipe Source: Hope for Health USA

Are You Ready?

Sermon Notes from Ed Reid’s message given on 26 June 2014 at Washington Camp Meeting.

Seven Ways to Be Ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

2 Peter 3:11-14

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

2 Peter 3:17-18

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;  18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Our Objective Is to Grow in Grace

1. Spend Time Every Day in God’s Word ( Bible )
2. Set Aside Time Every Day for Prayer
3. Be Financially Faithful with God ( Returning Tithe )
4. Share Your Faith ( Witness )
5. Seek the Will of God & Follow It
6. Support God’s Church ( Warts & All ) Jesus Loves His Church
7. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s Power In Your Life
a. To Transform Us & Fit Us for the Kingdom
b. To Equip Us to Better Share the Gospel
c. To Prepare Us for the Days Ahead

Permanent Weight Loss

Much of my success in maintaining a healthy weight is attributed to an exercise program.

I have studied, researched and read much about the benefits of an exercise program. In 1998, I began a daily exercise routine and have stayed active all these years by having a simple program to follow.

Did  you know that if you just walk for 30 minutes a day, you will be healthier and help your body in a number of ways?

Studies show that an early morning workout that includes a 30 minute walk increases your metabolism rate. The rest of the day you can be sitting at a desk and the rate that your body burns calories will be higher because of the exercise. Walking also helps your cardiovascular system as well as your digestive health. Getting fresh air into the blood and lungs invigorates you. After a week of exercise, your body will be learning the new healthy behavior and walking becomes second nature to you as it makes you feel better also.

Besides walking, I also enjoy:

1. Exercise Ball

2. Inversion Table for 10 to 13 Minutes

3. Push Ups

4. Sit Ups

5. Stretching & Yoga Stretches

I spend anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes everyday except the Sabbath Day ( Saturday ) doing various physical activities. My body has responded well to the exercise.

I feel much more energy than I did when I was young and out of shape.

People have commented that I look great and have tone muscles. I never miss a workout as that is how much I value fitness now.

What do I do for those cold, rainy or snowy mornings? I have cold weather gear and head out into the elements to do a workout. I even have ice hockey skates if a local pond or small lake should freeze.

Want to feel better naturally?

Put healthy food into the body and have a solid exercise program that you can safely manage. The results are guaranteed.