September 2007 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

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September 2007 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues of Signs and These Times.

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A child was given a New Testament by her teacher. She at once set about spelling a part of Luke 23. Her unsaved father was sitting near, reading. Coming to the text we are considering, she spelled out “F-a-t-h-e-r.”

“Why father,” she cried, “this is you!”

“Nonsense,” he said, “it means God. Go on reading, but not so loud.”

Again she spelled “f-o-r-g-i-v-e h-i-m, Father forgive him,” and he listened in spite of himself.

“No, child, that is wrong. It does not mean me, for it is ‘forgive them,’ not ‘forgive him.’ “

But she persisted in reading it, “Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he does.”

He dropped his paper, went out alone, and cried, “Lord, it is I! I now surrender my heart for my child’s sake.”

It will not be hard to forgive everyone, every time, and for everything, if we look away from self and up to our dying, forgiving, Lord. Therefore, like Him, may we live by prayer and pray as long as life shall last!—By Charles G. Bellah, Signs of the Times, April 18, 1950.

Quote: “Even in the life that is ordinary, the part that is done for God is enormous.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, April 8, 1913.

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Don't miss the October 2007 issue of Signs of the Times: “Has Science Found God?” “Fears and Phobias,” “Hurt by the Church,” “Tackling Childhood Obesity,” “The Meaning of Stewardship” and other important articles. To order Signs, call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at http://www.AdventistBookCenter.com

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There is a story told of Alexander the Great of Greece. A general in the army, being a great favorite with him, was told to draw anything from the treasury that he wanted. The general accordingly presented a draft to Alexander’s treasurer. It was for such an enormous amount that the treasurer was astonished, and refused to allow it.

The general went rushing back to Alexander and told him what had happened. The emperor thereupon summoned his treasurer and said to him, “Didn’t I tell you to honor the draft of the general?”

“Yes,” replied the treasurer, “but do you understand its amount?”

“Never mind what it is,” replied Alexander. “He honors me and my empire by making such a great draft.”

So we honor God by asking for grace in abundance. But what a pity it is that there are so many half-starved, mean Christians around when God says, “Come, and get all you want.”—By Kenneth Holland, These Times, June 1964.

Quote: “I WAS HUNGRY; you set going a humanistic association, and you discussed my hunger. Thank you. I WAS IN PRISON; you sneaked quietly to your chapel, in the quiet neighborhood, and prayed for my liberation. I WAS NAKED; you wondered wasn’t that perhaps immoral? I WAS ILL; and you went on your knees and praised God for your health. I WAS HOMELESS; you preached to me—about God’s loving care. I WAS LONESOME; and you left me alone—to pray for me. You seem so holy, so close to God. But I am still hungry and lonesome, and I’m freezing.”—Unknown, These Times, October 1974.

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NEW from Pacific Press—“My Enemy, My Brother” by Helen Heavirland. This is the gripping, true story of a young German Adventist who was drafted into Hitler’s army. Georg Grellmann finds himself in a miserable situation on the Russian Front fighting a battle he didn’t choose, but God had other plans for his life. “My Enemy, My Brother” is the remarkable telling of Grellmann’s journey from life as a depressed soldier in service to the state, to a new life as a joyful Christian in service for God.

Read the first chapter of this book online at http://www.AdventistBookCenter.com Order online or from your local Adventist Book Center--1-800-765-6955.

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A Christian woman came to me some time ago in great distress of mind, and said: “I have been a professed Christian for a number of years, but do not have the assurance in my heart that I am a child of God, and belong to Him. If I could have this assurance, I would be so happy.”

I asked her why she did not know that she belonged to the Lord. “Oh,” she said, “I do not feel as though I do.”

“I asked her if she knew just how she should feel. “No,” she said, “I do not.”

“Well,” I remarked, “how could you settle the matter by feeling, seeing you do not know how you should feel?”

The trouble with this poor woman was that she was trusting to feeling instead of the promises of God. Many make this same mistake. I told her to read 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20:

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

I asked her, “Do you belong to yourself?”

“No,” she said.

“Do you belong to the devil?”

“No, surely I am not his property.”

Then I asked, “To whom do you belong?”

She looked earnestly at the text. A smile of joy came over her face. “Why I belong to God. He says so.” A heavenly peace, never known before, took possession of her heart.

Our evidence of acceptance with God is not feeling but faith. We are bought with a price. Our duty is to yield to God that which He has bought.—By George B. Thompson, Signs of the Times, February 7, 1922.

Quote: “Little do we know how we wrong ourselves by shutting out of our prayers the praises of God, or allowing them so narrow a room as we usually do, while we are copious enough in our confessions and petitions.”—By Richard Baxter, Signs of the Times, April 8, 1913.

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Place this in your church bulletin or newsletter: Researchers tell us that millions of people battle addiction every day. That’s why the September Signs deals with this issue and many others that concern Americans. Join the thousands who have discovered that the NEW Signs is an easy way to reach someone for Jesus. Stretch your evangelism dollar and send it to a friend today! To order call: 1-800-765-6955 or online at: http://www.AdventistBookCenter.com

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Mark Twain, in his story “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven,” shared a tale that was obviously intended to be completely absurd. Captain Stormfield, the story goes, had died and was on his way to heaven, but was unable to resist the temptation to race with a comet. He ended up way off course in a sort of heavenly “missing persons bureau.” An angel, wanting to help, went up in a balloon alongside a huge map of the universe, hoping to locate our solar system. The map was about the size of the whole state of Rhode Island. Three days later the angel came back down to report that he might have found our solar system, but he couldn’t be sure. It might have been just flyspecks!

Just an absurd piece of exaggeration. Never intended to be taken seriously. But we know now that Mark Twain may not have been so far off. We are like a tiny cinder on the edge of the universe. Could the Creator ever be concerned with us? Does He even know that we are here?

It was David who wrote, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:3, 4—By George Vandeman, Signs of the Times, January 1985.

Quote: “Faith means surrender to the claims of Jesus. Faith means trust in the merits of Jesus. Faith means reliance upon the power of Jesus. Faith means union with Jesus. Faith means the acceptance of Jesus for all that He has revealed Himself to be. Putting it in the form of an acrostic, it stands thus:

F orsaking

A ll

I

T ake

H im.”—By W. W. Prescott, Signs of the Times, July 15, 1924.

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“We Believe” is a new 36-page special issue of Signs of the Times. For a free sample copy, send your mailing address to becbin@pacificpress.com before September 15, 2007. (Offer good for addresses in the United States and Canada.)

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Once upon a time a hog drank from a trough into which a barrel of beer had been emptied. He became very much intoxicated. When he came to himself, he was very much ashamed of his conduct. He was truly penitent and said to his friends, “I have always been a beast until this unlucky slip, and I promise you I’ll never make a man of myself again.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, January 1, 1885.

Quote: “In point of character we are only as strong as our weakest point. How necessary then that we have a living connection, a vital union with Him who has no weak points; that through him we may become strong.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, January 8, 1885.

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Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others. If this FREE newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to receive it directly on a monthly basis, email: join-signsnews@lyra.pacificpress.com