PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND

FOREVERMORE

VERSE 1: Open these eyes, that they might see…Open these eyes, that they might see

Open these eyes, that they might see Thy face, and I will see Thy face, Forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will see Thy face, forevermore!

VERSE 2: Open these ears, that they might hear…Open these ears, that they might hear

Open these ears, that they might hear Thy Word, and I will hear Thy Word, Forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will hear Thy Word, forevermore!

VERSE 3: And fold these hands, that they might pray, And fold these hands, that they might pray,

And fold these hands, that they might pray to Thee, And I will pray to Thee, forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will pray to Thee, forevermore!

VERSE 4: Turn these feet, that they might follow. Turn these feet, that they might follow.

Turn these feet, that they might follow Thee, and I will follow Thee forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will follow Thee, forevermore!

 

(PAUSE TO SPEAK OF THE NEW HEART EXPERIENCE)

 

VERSE 5: O, give a new heart, that truly loves Thee. O, give a new heart, that truly loves Thee.

O, give a new heart, that truly loves Thee Lord. And I will love Thee Lord, forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will love Thee Lord, forevermore!

VERSE 6: O save this lost soul, to live forever. O save this lost soul, to live forever.

O save this lost soul, to live forevermore. And I will live for forevermore!

Forevermore, forevermore, I will live forevermore!

SING HALLELUJAH TO THE LORD

In Everything Giving Thanks! Lemonade Drinkers for Jesus!

Life can be pretty frustrating at times, wouldn’t you agree? Quite often, we humans suffer from the little thorns and thistles which God foretold of way back in Genesis 17, 18…”Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,“

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Now obviously, the Lord was not merely speaking of literal thorns and thistles, but of all the many problems of life, both little and large, which sin would bring with it! And certainly, it’s not difficult at all to observe the fulfillment of this prophecy from Genesis 3:17, 18! No matter where we look, we easily see the countless thorns and thistles of life springing up in every direction!

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Take for just one little example, going into a fast-food restaurant, and waiting and waiting to order, as if we are invisible to the busy employees who studiously avoid looking at us! Oh yes, it’s a small inconvenience, but it often tempts us to eventually shout for some help. Or maybe when the employee does get around to take our order, we get treated rudely in some way. By now we are ready to storm out in disgust.

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Well, this is just one tiny example. And no doubt, there are an endless list of examples we could give concerning life’s little lemons which come our way each day. Maybe some family situation. Maybe some work-related issue. There is literally no end to life’s sharp little thorns and thistles which poke us on a daily basis.

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But the gist of this article is how we might turn the proverbial “lemon into lemonade”. 

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And so, just how might we turn these negative experiences into beneficial experiences? Yes, how can we turn “lemons into lemonade”?

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Listen to James 1:3, 4…”Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

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Praise God! Here is the solution to the many little thorns and thistles which can and will sting us in this “Thorn & Thistle World”! 

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Yes, God is purposely allowing problems, both big and little, to come our way as a means of squaring and hewing us into perfectly-cut-and-polished gemstones! And so, instead of allowing all the little disappointments of life to get to us, we can rather determine to learn patience during such tiny tribulations…

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For example, when we are in a long line waiting and waiting, instead of fuming or complaining, we might rather use the time to pray…or to look up a Bible verse, or merely to be good “Ambassadors for Christ”, treating all who are present with Christlike patience and loving-kindness! (see 2nd Corinthians 5:20 for “Ambassadors” quote)

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And of course, this same principle can and should be carried into all our dealings, in the home, in the workplace, and in every situation of life! Whether in a potential conflict, discouraging set-back, or any injustice, we can turn these “life’s little lemons into lemonade”!

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Thus, by so-doing, we will daily grow closer and closer into the likeness of our Lord!

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And so, this Part 11 of the “In Every Thing Giving Thanks” series, these “little lemons of life” should also be given thanks for, as we allow them to turn us into “Lemonade Drinkers for Jesus!”

this harold camping bible study concerning levite and concubine

Harold Camping Family Bible Study #2 – YouTube

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You have now arrived at the 1st chapter of the e-book, “Judgment Day-RX7″. If you are just arriving at this web site, you are invited to start here at the beginning of the trail (Chapter 1).

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The Scream of Nature – Wikipedia – public domain – by edvard munch c.1893…

“I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

Edvard Munch explains the inspiration for this his famous painting, “The Scream of Nature”

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CHAPTER 1:

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“Beginning Of The Trail”

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THE LOVE OF GOD

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VERSE 1.

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“The love of God is greater far

than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

and reaches to the lowest Hell…

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VERSE 3.

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“…Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above,

would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

though stretched from sky to sky.”

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Verse 3 was penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin.

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Summertime, 1980

In a few seconds I will plunge to almost certain death!

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Anything to rid myself of this insane voice that keeps plaguing me! Even as I’m standing here at death’s door, he’s still mocking me… Talking, talking…always talking…”Ohhh Chu-u-u-ck! I’m gonna miss you, boo hoo! Sob sob. sniffle sniffle.” 

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This…uh… “familiar friend” is a great mocker. And I’m at the end of my rope with this unwanted companion! “Ohh Chuck, don’t leave me! I’m gonna be sooo lonely! Sob, sniffle.” See!? See what a mocker he is!? Death will be a welcomed release from all this! And from him!

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At this point, I’m no longer talking with him. I’m just putting up with him. He talks! He mocks! And I just tolerate. But I can only barely tolerate him! What else can I do? He’s invisible! It’s not like I can just shoo him away!

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The Scream of Nature – Wikipedia – public domain – by edvard munch c.1893

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ONE WAY OUT!

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But now, I’ve found a way out!  And who can blame me for ending it all? Who can disagree that taking this plunge is the only way out? Not to mention the terror of this situation which I’ve suffered for so long…

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So, what would you do if you were in my shoes?

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Well, if you think you’d do different, let me just tell you my story. Then you make up your own mind.

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Okay?

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Fair enough?

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Good! Then we’ll turn back the pages of time from this moment (late summer of 1980), to about 16 months earlier. Back to spring, 1979.

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That’s a good place to begin my story, or should I rather say, my true account of how, “All Hell broke loose!”

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The Scream of Nature – Wikipedia – public domain – by edvard munch c.1893

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Spring, 1979

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“Singin’ to the world, it’s time we let the spirit come in, (Let it come on in).

“I’m singin’ to the world, everybody’s caught in a spin. (Look at where we’ve been).

“We’ve been runnin’ around… year after year…blinded by pride…blinded by fear—

“Cause it’s daybreak. If ya only believe,

“it can be daybreak, ain’t no time to grieve,

“said it’s daybreak, if ya only believe,

“and let it shine, shine, shine….all around the world”…….

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“Far out, man!” That was my last song for a whole month!  As I made my way out of the auditorium to my car, I noticed my hands were starting to tremble again. “Maybe a month’s vacation will stop this shaking.”, I told myself. I probably shook my head, as if to shake away these thoughts outa my head, so I wouldn’t think about it. But frankly… it worried me. I didn’t want to believe I was having some sort of a breakdown, or whatever. I didn’t want to acknowledge that I was losing control.

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Keane1 – Yamaha Electric Grand – courtesy Wikipedia & Yummifruitbat – Picture of very talented person and not of Chuck

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AN INTRODUCTION IS IN ORDER

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This is me. My name is Chuck. I’m your typical 28 year old. Typical for back in 1979, that is. Do I look a little clueless? Well, I am. I mean I was. But all that was about to change.

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“Oh, and how do you like my little metallic cobalt/black sports car? It’s an RX-7. Just got it, not too long ago. Pretty cool huh?”

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Mazda rx7-1st Generation – wikipedia – GNU-free-user-license

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NEXT DAY…

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“GET YER MOTOR RUNNIN’…HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY…”

(Opening lyrics of the 1968 Steppenwolf song, “Born To Be Wild”) 

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Anyway, I was ready for a much-needed vacation. I was all packed. The motor-home was ready to roll. A whole month off! From work. From the club. From this local beauty pageant that I was asked to perform a song at.

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Oh well, it was just a one-song gig… and not to mention alotta pretty ladies there! 

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And now this last commitment was done with, and there was nothing  between me and a trip through the Southwest: Disneyland, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and finally Lake Tahoe. A real 30-day “dream vacation”!

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So I climbed up into the cab of the rented motor-home. Ready to roll.

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But something caught my eye. Something in the ash tray. Someone left something there in the ashtray. “Wow! A Neil Diamond cassette! I wonder who left it here? Hey, there’s no note attached! Oh well. Beautiful weather! Great music! Great day!”

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So it was time to start up the engine. Put in this new cassette, turn the music way up… and roll out…onto the awaiting highway! Neil Diamond belting out his tunes, with his raw, one-of-a-kind style! “Goodbye schedules! Goodbye gigs! Goodbye restaurant!

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HELL-O HIGHWAY!!”

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Picture of motor-home courtesy – wikipedia Public Domain.

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THE GRAND CANYON

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ABOUT TEN DAYS LATER… We were just walking down into the canyon. This was great!  Weather was just right. Hikers were just practically skipping down the trail. Like a walk in the park. Better! The force of gravity just kinda carried the people down, down, down (as we descended, I noticed it getting gradually hotter).

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TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA…NONE FOR ME!!!

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After about three hours, I reached the bottom. Walking down along the river trail at the bottom, I began to get worried about the journey back up to the top of the canyon, the next day. Man…that’s a long way back up that steep trail! If it took three hours to walk down, then how long will it take to get back up…uh-h…Maybe I could rent a pack mule at the visitor center here at the bottom.

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Maybe I’ll find Sister Sara. (You know, like that old Clint Eastwood movie, “Two Mules For Sister Sara”.) She’ll have an extra mule! One for her, and one for me! Ha ha…Uh Hmm-m.

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So I walked through the crowded restaurant/tavern, asking about a mule. No such luck though! Oh well… I don’t have to make that climb till tomorrow! And tomorrow’s tomorrow! And that’s a long time from now! Right?

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Juancito pack mule – wikipedia – public domain

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BLIND MAN AT BOTTOM…

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I decided to buy an ice cream bar at the open-air food stand at the little community on the canyon floor.

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There were a number of people ahead of me in line. And as I waited in line, I noticed the young man who worked at the window was wearing extremely thick glasses, which also had a magnifying glass attached to his already super-thick glasses. “Man, that poor guy is almost blind!”, I thought to myself while I stood there in line. And even with those thick lenses, this nearly blind clerk still had to hold each coin right up close to his attached magnifying glasses in order to tell what each denomination of each coin and each bill was! It was impossible to not feel bad for this poor guy as he, no doubt, had to struggle through life!

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Yeah, even a brash young arrogant schmuck like myself could feel sorry for this guy!

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THAT EVENING…

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WHAT’S A BROTHER FOR?… That evening there were hikers spread out all over the canyon floor, about 50 or 100 feet apart with their sleeping bags. And so I went for my bag. Actually it wasn’t exactly MY bag. I kind-of just borrowed it from my brother. It was such a nice compact little bag. And it was just hanging there on the wall, begging to be borrowed. “What are brothers for!?” So I grabbed it on the way out the door, as I left for my vacation.

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Constellation Orion from Grand Canyon – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

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“WHAT’S THIS!?”

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But upon opening it, I was shocked to discover, it wasn’t a sleeping bag at all!

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“IT’S A PARKA! A LITTLE… NYLON… PARKA!!!“

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 No wonder it was so compact! “What am I gonna do!?” I was down here at the bottom of the Grand Canyon! Not too many options! And so, I laid down on the hard ground, and tried to pull this lightweight parka over my feet and legs. And so began an all-night wrestling match with this little parka. Needless to say, the parka won the wrestling match!

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MORNING AT BOTTOM OF CANYON

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After tossing and turning most of the night, finally the light of dawn arrived. All the campers began to roll up their sleeping bags. I rolled up my little parka and put it back in its little nylon bag.

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ARTIST’S VIEWPOINT…

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I looked up at the steep canyon walls, as I was instructed to do.

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I took a long look at these massive rocks of the canyon walls. A customer of our restaurant, a really great artist named Don, a very well-known nature painter back in Klamath Falls, suggested I take special note of the canyon walls in the early morning light.

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And so I looked. And they were beautiful! And very soon, the sun began to peak over the rim of the canyon. And the light began to spread itself over the walls, as if it was a coat of paint running down the walls of this ancient canyon.

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A paint of light. Spreading itself evenly over this ancient work of art. Wasn’t sure that’s what Don was talking about…but couldn’t notice much else.

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Canyon Walls, Courtesy USPS & Wikipedia. Pub. Dom.

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MULE-FREE ME…

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And in a few minutes after breakfast we began our ascent back out of this amazing work of nature. There must have been about several hundred people or so, who spent the night in the canyon.

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It wasn’t too long in the ascent, when I probably began to surmise, that it was becoming easier to tell the smart people from the stupid ones.

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The smart ones, of course, were on pack mules!

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I was still tired from a pretty much sleepless night. But on the other hand, I had been jogging back home in Klamath for the past several years now, and was in pretty decent physical condition. However, I had just resumed smoking several weeks earlier, but had not begun to suffer the results yet.

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The first part of the climb was fairly gentle, for an hour or so. But before long, I had to take a rest. The trail steepened into what is known as “switch-backs”. They went for some distance, and then switched back in the opposite direction. So there seemed to be an endless number of these “switchbacks”.

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Time passed. Finally one hour…and then two hours…three. We just could not tell how far it was to the top. These sheer walls made that impossible. Another hiker began to swoon. I became really worried that she might faint, and fall off these narrow trails, down into the canyon below.

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Those who were smart enough to have a mule, were passing us hikers by. We had to stop and hug the canyon walls each time, to let them by, and wish that we were on one!

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Actually, it was amazing how sure-footed those mules were! On the other hand, I trusted my own feet more than I trusted those mules. They looked pretty scary as their big rear-ends made a wide swing around each sharp turn of those sharp switch-back corners!

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Grand Canyon National Park – Bright Angel Trial, Mule Trip – Flicker

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ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS HELL-HOLE…JUST KEEP WALKING UPWARD!

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Four or five hours into this, the hikers began to stretch our necks to get a glimpse of the trail’s end. But in our disappointment, there was just another switch-back. Switch-back after switch-back. It was getting really monotonous!

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But there is no other alternative. If you want to get out of this HELL-HOLE alive, you just have to keep walking upward, along the narrow pathway!

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Five hours finally turned into six. No end in sight. Six turned into seven. Still only one switch-back after another. But then I considered how tedious it must have been for those who originally carved out these switch-backs.

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The pack-mules kept passing. I kept taking endless breaks. More and more I looked…hoping to see the words, “TRAILS END“.

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But just another switch-back.

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Now it was about eight hours of hiking this seemingly endless trail.

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Seemingly, a thousand times, I thought to myself…“When will this tedious upward trek ever end!?”

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Photo of the “Bright Angel Trail” courtesy of USPS.

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TRAIL’S END…

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It just ended!

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Yeah, suddenly, without a hint, the trail just ended!

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Our journey was over! Done! Finished! We reached the top!

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And needless to say, I just collapsed on a soft green grass provided by the Park Service!

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And so did the others! And it felt like Heaven!

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We made it! Yeah! We did it! “Mules? Who needs em!”

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In my short walk back to the motor-home I stopped to talk to a park employee. This person informed me that some cross-country runners had just run down to the bottom and back up to the top in about 3 hours.

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“Three hours!?”, I exclaimed incredulously…“Both ways!?”

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This information took the air out of my now-rapidly-growing-ego-bubble. But at least I made it! And was I ever glad it was over!

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Looking back on this, of course I’m happy I experienced this unforgettable upward journey. And now it’s just a memory…an experience to remember for all time!

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But would I do it over again? I’ll let you figure that one out!

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Courtesy USPS & Wikipedia. Pub. Dom. 

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“SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE A SIGN…”

(Title of the 1971 song by The 5 Man Electrical Band)

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Later that evening, when I was back in my motor-home, I turned on the TV. It was my favorite new comedian. He was doing some skit, in which he supposedly had lost everything in life. There he was, living in a dumpster.

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But just then, his friends came and pulled him out of the dumpster. They had found some pennies he had invested years earlier. And to this comedian’s delight, they showed how his pennies had accrued while he was in this disheveled condition. So he wasn’t broke after all. Well, this comedy sketch was really funny at the time. I actually can’t remember why. Well, this comedian was just plain funny! And so I laid there on the motor-home couch and laughed so hard, I almost fell onto the floor.

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Little did I know, that in just a few months, I was about to lose all my earthly wealth. And little was I aware, that I would likewise be scrounging like a beggar. And nobody could’ve convinced me that I was gonna be cast into an abyss much deeper and wider than this Grand Canyon which was just outside my motor-home door!

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

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UPWARD TO ZION!

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After the Grand Canyon, it was northward and upward to Zion National Park. The motor-home was rolling along the highway just fine. As I approached the state border, I noticed the beautiful red rocks of the desert. And every so often there were little stands with Navajo blankets and jewelry for sale. It was really beautiful in its own way out there in the desert. I wouldn’t want to live there. But I’m sure those who do live there, love it there!

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As I said, the motor-home was tooling along just fine; just fine that is, until the wind began to blow. And soon it began to blow harder! And finally, it was blowing so hard I feared the motor-home might blow completely over! I tried to go really slow, but the wind just kept getting stronger it seemed. 

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Finally I pulled over into some service station, rest-stop. Should I wait out the wind-storm? Although I was an atheist, I vaguely recall that I sensed that there was a greater power preventing me from going forward. Or maybe I didn’t. I can’t exactly recall. But it adds to the intrigue of this story, to think that I did!

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Finally I decided not to wait. I turned the motor-home around and back-tracked to California. And the further we back-tracked, the more the wind died down. I guess it was the right decision to turn around.

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Beautiful, beautiful Zion would have to wait until perhaps…another day.

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NAVAJO WOMEN WEAVE A RUG AT TRADING POST ON THE NAVAJO RESERVATION wikipedia public domain

Photo of dust storm courtesy Wing-Chi Poon wikipedia share alike license. Click here for link.

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UNSEEN SPEECH-WRITER!?!

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In September, I went to our 10-year high-school reunion in Salem. Yeah, I was looking buff! working out alot. Also had arrived in my sleek little black sports-car!

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I was all geared up to impress!

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But then, something really strange occurred!

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You see, as I sat there talking, I heard a non-descript voice in my mind, coaching me on just what I should say, in attempt to impress them. 

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Needless to mention, this was unnerving! But his advice sounded pretty good, so I followed it. And quickly just shrugged it off.

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And that was the last of that…for now! The first night, there was a large gathering at some ballroom in Salem…maybe at the Marion Hotel.

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Anyway, an ex girlfriend came up and asked if I would do the introductions. And so, feeling pretty good about myself, I agreed. And just as I was up at the microphone, feeling like I was getting on a roll, (saying something like, “We’re gonna have a big night tonight, and a bigger weekend!”), to which an old buddy standing in the large crowd, made some sarcastic quip, chortling something to the effect, “Not as big as your ego, Whittemore!” I suppose his rude barb got a pretty good laugh. But hey, in the clubs, you either just ignore, or you throw some clever retort back at the heckler.

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And since I couldn’t think of any clever come-back, I pretty much just ignored him and kept on speaking.

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“BAD MOON RISING”

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(FOUR PROPHETS OF DOOM)
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It was now October 1979. Five months after my vacation in the Southwest. I was back to work at the restaurant. And my singing partner and I began a new gig at a local steak-house three nights a week.

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One afternoon, while rehearsing down at the club, we decided to play a few hands of poker. Five-Card-Draw. After dealing the cards, my partner went to the restroom. While she did, I looked at my cards. She had dealt me FOUR KINGS!! My eyes bugged out.

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In a few minutes she returned, and we resumed our game. I asked for no cards. When I laid down my hand and she saw those four kings, she accused me of cheating. I can’t say I blame her since she had left the room, leaving me there alone with my cards.  Well, she got angry and needless to say, this brought our card game to a swift end.

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But looking back, I have to say, this was a soothsaying, prophetic moment!

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Because in a few weeks I was soon to encounter the King of the Universe! And the time had come for that King to pronounce Judgment on this unsuspecting night club musician (me!) And looking back, I can say…these four kings dealt to me that day were just “four prophets of doom”

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… MY DOOM!

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

King playing cards wikimedia GNU Free Documentation License
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“HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?”…

(Lyrics from the 1963 Chubby Checker song, “The Limbo Rock”)

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I was on my break during a packed-house night. A man who was crippled happened to walk through the bar. In order to make some ladies laugh, I mimicked the odd way this crippled man walked. One of the ladies laughed. The other said, “That wasn’t nice!” I suppose the one who laughed probably didn’t think it was funny either. I didn’t usually make such a low-grade jest.

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However, there was one time back at high school that I also made fun of a crippled girl in front of others. And in 15 years since that thoughtless high school prank, I still hadn’t learned my lesson.

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But I was gonna learn my lesson! 

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Soon!

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REAL SOON!!!

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

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“HOW DOES IT FEEL, TO BE ON YER OWN…LIKE A ROLLING STONE!”

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This particular night was Halloween, as I recall. And as I said, it was standing-room-only there at the Stockman’s Social Club!

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Among the many patrons dressed in costumes, there was one guy in particular whose costume really reminded me of Bob Dylan. I noticed him, because he kept dancing with my very hot girlfriend! But since I was performing and couldn’t interject myself between them, I chose instead to make a few slightly humorous jests over my microphone through the night, about him being, “Bob Dylan’s ghost”.

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Well, as the night wore on, I began stretching my neck to see where Mr. Dylan’s “ghost” and my girlfriend were, but neither of them seemed to be around any longer.

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They just seemed to disappear!

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Well, that’s what ghosts do! Right? Disappear?

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And, well, so much for me having a girlfriend.

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Bob Dylan – 1984 – cropped and colored image – Wikipedia – share-alike license by Chris Hakkens

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“ONE EYE IS TAKEN FOR AN EYE”…

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Little did I know, that in just a few weeks, I myself would become the object of pity and possibly the object of mimicry as well! Yeah, my bad karma was gonna come back around to bite me, and bite my hard! REALLY HARD! 

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And I suppose at some point in time, I could’ve been talking with customers in some bar somewhere. And a certain song was playing. And as I drank down my bourbon, or whatever, I never dreamed that this certain song (“Bad Moon Rising”) and those four kings dealt to me, were gonna be the only harbingers and forebodings I was gonna get, for what lay in store for me, in just a few short days! 

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Yeah, this song was exactly telling it like it is!

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And I just thought it was a good dance song! 

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

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BAD MOON RISING

(Title of the mega-hit song by Creedence Clearwater Revival)

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“I see the bad moon arising. I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightning. I see bad times today.”

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CHORUS: “Don’t go around tonight,

Well, it’s bound to take your life,

There’s a bad moon on the rise.”

SECOND VERSE:

“I hear hurricanes a-blowin’.

I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers over flowin’.

I hear the voice of rage and ruin.”

CHORUS:

“Don’t go around tonight,

Well, it’s bound to take your life,

There’s a bad moon on the rise”

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THIRD VERSE:

“Hope you got your things together.

Hope you are quite prepared to die.

Looks like we’re in for nasty weather.

One eye is taken for an eye.”

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Jukebox – Wikimedia – cropped image – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Global license

Bad Moon Rising – by Makelessnoise – for Wikipedia – Share-alike License

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Go to Chapter 2,  just click this link…

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Ch. 2: “Atheist-2-Believer In 1 Second Flat!”  

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So this happy atheist, Chuck, was going to become a believer in just a week or so. And this conversion just might set the land-speed record for conversions! Or should I rather say, it might set the HELL’S speed-record for conversions!

                      
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TO THE READER:

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THIS SITE HAS APPARENTLY BEEN TARGETED BY THE MAJOR SEARCH ENGINE, POSSIBLY FOR OCCASIONALLY TEACHING BIBLE TRUTHS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY DEEMED TO BE “POLITICALLY INCORRECT”. 

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THIS, OF COURSE, MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE PUBLIC TO FIND MANY CHRISTIAN SITES VIA TODAY’S INTERNET GIANTS, WHICH SEEM TO BE SECRETLY SHADOW-BANNING THEM.

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TRUTH-SEEKERS CAN MORE EASILY ACCESS FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN WEBSITES, BY USING LESS INTRUSIVE/OBSTRUCTIVE SEARCH ENGINES, SUCH AS www.bing.com, OR www.duckduckgo.com

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AND, BY ALL MEANS, LET’S PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TODAY’S CLANDESTINE CENSORSHIP, THAT THEIR HEARTS MIGHT BE SOFTENED, AND THEIR EYES OPENED TO THE TRUTH THAT WILL SET THEM FREE.

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To read more on this subject, click here…Today’s Devotional, Year 4 – May 20 (Mark Now Given, Part 7: “Masters of the Universe or Just Useful Pawns of Satan?”)

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Censored rubber stamp.svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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If the one tried for murder were proved guilty, no atonement or ransom could rescue him. “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Genesis 9:6. “Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.” “Thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die,” was the command of God; “the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.” Numbers 35:31, 33; Exodus 21:14. The safety and purity of the nation demanded that the sin of murder be severely punished. Human life, which God alone could give, must be sacredly guarded. PP 516.2

HE WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR- discuss the messages to the 7 churches and what it means to have ears to hear

UCSB Oral History Project Homepage > Research and Teaching Homepage > Pro-Seminar Papers > Seventh Day Adventists

Seventh Day Adventists
by Corrie Schroder

Nazi Germany was a horrible place for small denominational churches because there was no religious liberty. One small denomination that survived was the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the German Seventh-day Adventist denomination (hereafter referred to as Adventists) believed it was time for a strong leader in Germany. Hitler seemed to be the best candidate because of “his personal dedication and his abstinence from tea, coffee, alcohol and meat, practices shared by the Adventists, [therefore] he was welcomed as a savior.”[1]  I hope to point out, because of the willingness to compromise the decent of the German Adventist denomination from the moral issues listed below, to where they ended at the end of World War II.  They ended in compromise, loss of personal integrity, and denominational integrity, splitting of the denomination and were racially damaged as a Christian organization because they were unable to hold fast to the tenets of their beliefs.  They tied the denomination to the German State giving up their religious freedom in attempt to survive through compromises.  This position of compromise brought shame upon the German denomination as well as the worldwide denomination after the end of World War II.

The Seventh-day Adventists evolved doctrinally from the interfaith Millerite movement of 1831. Adventists believe in religious liberty, to such a point that church and state are to remain separate. They are also conscientious objectors. When Adventists are required to join the military they apply for positions where they do not have to bear arms, for example the medical corps. There are 27 fundamental beliefs that the Seventh-day Adventists believe. The following four fundamental beliefs listed are the ones that pertain to my topic:

1. The “Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God.”^[2]
2. The God Head or Trinity: “there is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons.”[3]
3. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries, “God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity.”[4]
4. Christian Behavior, “We are called to be godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven.”[5]

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination was not officially organized until May 21, 1863, even though the name had been chosen in 1860. At that time, the movement included 125 churches and 3,500 members.^[6]  The Adventist church spread first throughout North America. After 1874, the denomination spread throughout Europe. In 1888, L.R. Conradi became the founder of the German Adventist church. He established headquarters for the Adventist Church in Hamburg, Germany in 1889.^[7]  Conradi also established the first Adventist school in Germany near Magdeburg, called Friedensau Missionary Seminary.

A Seventh-day Adventist – in Germany – had many difficulties. The two main difficulties were their children had to attend school on Saturday, which is considered the Sabbath by Adventists. The second difficulty was the mandatory military service.^[8] Refusing to send their children to school and not joining the military were punishable by imprisonment. The problem with the schools was solved by a compromise. The government authorities allowed Adventist children to study their bibles while in school on the Sabbath.^[9] Military service posed two problems, working on the Sabbath and bearing arms. These problems were never truly solved, but “army medical examiners began to find all manner of excuses for rejecting Seventh-day Adventist recruits.”^[10] This rejection of Seventh-day Adventist men ended with the start of World War I. This caused a problem within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in Germany.

The Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement

The Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement came about because of the controversy over military service. During World War I, the German Seventh-day Adventists churches belonged to different Unions, North, South, East, and West, but all were under the guidance and control of the European Division. The European Division’s headquarters was located in Hamburg, Germany. The main problem was that most of the members serving as Division leaders lived outside of Germany and because of the war, travel and communication were difficult.^[11]

With the outbreak of the war and the mobilization of troops in Germany, the German Adventist leaders decided, “Adventist men could enter the military and serve as combatants and even ignore traditional Sabbath observance.”^[12] This caused major problems within the Adventist community, because they had always served in the military as non-combatants. The rank and file members believed that actively participating in war broke the fourth and sixth biblical commandments.^[13] The fourth commandment is “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” When entering military service, keeping the fourth commandment is no longer a priority, because the warring sides do not take into account what day it is. The sixth commandment is “You shall not murder.” If you take a combatant role in war it is nearly impossible not to kill someone.

During the American Civil War in 1864, the Seventh-day Adventists declared,

 The denomination of Christians calling themselves Seventh-day Adventists, taking the Bible as their rule of faith and practice, are unanimous in their views that its teaching are contrary to the spirit and practice of war; hence, they have ever been conscientiously opposed to bearing arms.^[14]

But during World War I, the German Seventh-day Adventist denomination went against the General Conference and decided to become combatant instead of remaining non-combatant. This caused a small group of Seventh-day Adventists to split from the main body of the German Seventh-day Adventist Church. This small sect called itself the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement (hereafter referred to as the Reformers). The Reformers believed they were remaining “faithful to the law of God, upholding the original position, as taught and practiced up to that time.”^[15] They were remaining faithful, because they refused to be combatants during WWI. It was acceptable to the Reformers to join the military as non-combatant, but to join as combatants was against God’s law and the doctrines of the Adventist Church.

After the World War I, the German Adventist leaders admitted that they had been wrong when they said it was not against God’s law to join the military in a combatant role. During the European Division meeting at Gland, Switzerland, on January 2, 1923, the German Adventist leaders, to show that they believed in a non-combatant role, stated that,

they were in complete ‘harmony with the general teachings of their brethren of that denomination throughout the world.’ But this declaration was weakened by the additional pronouncement which read: ‘We grant to each of our church members absolute liberty to serve his country, at all times and in all places, in accord with the dictates of his personal conscientious conviction.^[16]

The leaders of the German Adventist denomination told the General Conference they were wrong in their policies during World War I. They had realized their mistake and were once again in “harmony” with the teachings and doctrines of the Adventist denomination. But they believed their members had a right to choose their own path. What this meant was the German leaders believed that Adventists should remain in non-combatant roles, but they believed their  members could decided on their own whether or not to be combatant. This statement would cause problems in the future.

There was still the breach between the Seventh-day Adventists and the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement after this meeting, which needed to be healed. L.R. Conradi, the president of the European Division, tried to justify the actions of the German Adventist leaders by explaining that the General Conference had “given German Adventists tacit approval.”^[17] This tacit approval was to allow German Adventists to work on the Sabbath and bear arms. This explanation only made matters worse between the Adventists and the Reformers. Soon after World War I, the General Conference sent a delegation led by A.G. Daniells to try and heal the growing breach between the Adventists and the Reformers. A.G. Daniells stated that the “German [Adventist] leaders of the church have been wrong, but he also criticized the Reformers for setting up a separate organization and using misleading tactics to promote their views.”^[18] In the end, the Reformers were disfellowedshiped from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.^[19] The Reformers decided to create their own church where they “refused all military service and insisted on a rigid Sabbath observance”^[20] and they would “continue with original teachings and practices of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”^[21] The Reformers no longer believed it was acceptable to be non-combatant during times of war. They believed the Seventh-day Adventists were no longer following the original teachings of the Church. In Gotha, Germany, July 14-20, 1925, “the SDA Reform Movement was first organized, officially, as a General Conference, when the ‘Principles of Faith and Church Order’ were drawn up and the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement’ was adopted.” ^[22]

Support for Hitler

In the Adventist town of Friedensau, Germany 99.9% voted for the Nazi parliamentary state. Even though the Adventists wanted a strong Fuhrer and supported Hitler, that support varied. The reason was because of Hitler’s contradictions about religious liberty. The departmental secretary of the South German Union Conference, M. Busch, was in support of Hitler and “approvingly quoted Hitler’s statement in Mein Kampf  that ‘for the political Fuhrer all religious teachings and arrangements are untouchable.’”[23] The Adventists believed that Hitler was for religious freedom, while the Nazi Party was against it. “Still, point 24 of the Nazi party program stated that the Party supported positive Christianity, without tying itself to any particular confession.”[24] This was a debatable problem among Christian groups because no one knew what “positive” Christianity was. This problem was never clarified and the contradiction remained. When Hitler became dictator of Germany the discussion on the contradiction ended and very soon Christian groups would know what Hitler meant by “positive” Christianity.

On November 26, 1933, the Nazi state banned the small denominational churches. Among those prohibited were the Seventh-day Adventists. The Seventh-day Adventists decided to seek legal advice on what to do about the ban and within two weeks, the ban was lifted on the Adventist denomination.[25] After this, it was decided within the denomination that “positive” Christianity meant support for the Nazi state. To show their support for the Nazi state, the Adventists sent a letter to the “Nazi Ministry of Interior an official memorandum on Adventist teachings, church organizations, social activities and attitude to the government.”[26] The Adventists also informed the Interior that there church “members hold ‘German attitudes.’”[27] Pointing out that the government’s suspicion and concern should be to a “rival schismatic group, the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement, whose attitudes, the Adventists insisted, were far from ‘German.’”[28] It seems that the Adventists were more concerned with holding German attitudes then holding Adventists attitudes.

It was because of this letter that the Nazi government noticed the Reform Adventist denomination. In trying to distance themselves from the Reformers, the Adventists led the Nazi government to them. The government investigated the Reformers and decided that they held different views from the acceptable Seventh-day Adventist denomination.[29] The Reformers were then banned on April 29, 1936.[30] The Seventh-day Adventists believe in religious liberty, but instead of voicing their outrage over the persecution of the Reformers and the Jews, the Adventist leaders decided to take action against these two groups. The Adventist leaders “issued directives to prevent the Reformers from joining the Adventist Church.”[31]  And they expelled Adventists who had a Jewish background from the Church.[32] The Adventists were unwilling to even protect their own members if they thought the Nazi government would disapprove. The state was able to control the Church because there was no religious liberty. This is not to say that individual Adventists did not help Jews or other undesirables. The Adventists were notable,

for the private and individual help they gave to Jews, for not only were Jewish converts cared for and hidden, as they were in some other sectarian and church circles, but help was also given to unbaptised Jews with whom Adventists happened to come in contact.[33]

In 1935, the privileges enjoyed by Adventists, such as keeping the Sabbath, selling religious literature, money transfers that were necessary for missionary work, and certain publications were forbidden.[34] This made the German Adventists reconsider their position on religious liberty of keeping church and state separated. They knew Nazi Germany was receiving a bad public image abroad because of its treatment of small denominational churches whose home base was in the United States. If the smaller denominations were willing to help improve the Nazi image abroad, the Nazi government was willing to allow those denominations some leniency. This was the starting point of the German Seventh-day Adventist denomination sacrificing integrity and basic denominational principles. The denomination “worked with German authorities to cultivate a better image for Nazi Germany in America in order to get better treatment at home.”[35] This was accomplished through the Adventist welfare program.

The Seventh-day Adventist welfare system was considered the best in Germany. Their organization in welfare made the Adventists stand out. Through their welfare system, the Adventist Church was able to show their “Christian principles and [their] patriotic loyalty to the state.”[36]  The Nazi government was satisfied with the work the Adventists were doing but not with the language. Instead of using “Christian” it was renamed “heroic.”[37] The Adventists welfare program was incorporated into the state’s National Socialist People’s Welfare Department. The incorporation went against their belief that church and state are to remain separate. The German Adventists welcomed the incorporation of their welfare program. They believed they could accomplish greater things and help more people. But with the incorporation, the Adventists had to obey the state’s laws, which were, no Jews, anti-socials or undesirables were to be given welfare.[38] The Adventists – on their own – added that no Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement members were to receive help.[39] The Adventists were not helping more people, in fact they were discriminating against the people who needed their help the most. Along with the welfare programs of the Adventist, the health reforms and racial hygiene became important.

The Adventists believed that along with their welfare program, their health ideals were leading the way for a new Germany. Adolf Minck, soon to be president of the German Adventist Church, said, “We are not unprepared for the new order. After all, we have helped prepare the way for it, and helped to bring it about.”[40] The problem with supporting the Nazi government in their health program was the government’s belief in the principles of Darwinism. The Adventists denominational stance was against Darwin’s principles. The German Adventists sacrificed this principle for the Nazi government. In order to gain favor with the Nazi government, the Adventists changed what was written in their publications and reformed their health message. The Adventists “frequently print[ed] negative comments about the Jews.”[41] They also tried to show that even though the Adventists teachings about the Sabbath seemed Jewish, they were not Jewish.[42] The Adventists also believed in the sterilization program. Direct statements and the reprinting of non-Adventist articles showed their support for sterilization.[43]

The mentally weak, schizophrenics, epileptics, blind, deaf, crippled, alcoholics, drug addicts – all were to be sterilized. ‘This law,’ an article in the Seventh-day Adventist paper Jugend-Leitstern said, was ‘a great advance in the uplifting of our people. [44]

The position of the German Adventists changed from “caritas, the caring for the less fortunate and weak, to elimination of the weak, as the work of God. Their strong right arm had led German Adventists to a volkisch position.”[45] The Adventists had built a “well organized, efficient welfare system that seemed particularly well suited to work with state authorities.”[46] This system allowed Hulda Jost to be recognized by the Nazi regime.

Hulda Jost was the director of Adventist welfare and the leader of the Adventist Nurses Association. The Adventist Nurses Association operated several nursing homes and provided staff for numerous hospitals within Germany.[47] In this position, she was able to establish contacts within the Nazi government and outside Europe. She was also a big supporter of Hitler and his regime. Because of her contacts, she was able to help the Adventist denomination survive during the early years. This also made her the best candidate to travel to the United States and speak on behalf of the Nazi government.

Hulda Jost’s trip to the United States was planned for 1936 because the General Conference quadrennial session was going to be held in San Francisco. An invitation was sent to Hulda Jost from the Adventist Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Between the Adventist Headquarters and the German Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Jost’s itinerary for her trip was planned. Jost arrived several months earlier to travel throughout the United States to speak on the German welfare services.[48]

Once in the United States Jost met with the General Conference vice president J.L. McElhany and her interpreter Louise C. Kleuser. Jost also had a meeting at German Embassy where she was told to avoid political controversy by speaking only on the achievements in the social service sector.[49] Jost spoke on the achievements of Germany under Hitler’s control to Adventist and other various organizations. It was not until April, that problems arose over Jost’s lectures. The problems started over a meeting with a pro-Nazi organization called Friends of the New Germany, which the German consul had set-up. The Chicago Daily News ran a story about Jost under the headline “Hitler Doesn’t want War, says Woman Leader.”[50] In the article she is quoted as having said that Hitler did not want war and the Germans were rearming because they feared Russia. When asked about the Jews, Jost said, “Hitler has merely wanted to take leadership away from the Jews but he doesn’t want to hurt them.” [51] This was the beginning of the General Conference problems with Jost.

The problems increased while in Denver, for Jost had alienated many of her listeners at a lecture by speaking so much about Hitler and the Jewish question.[52]  It seemed to the Adventist leaders that Jost was giving propaganda speeches about Hitler and his regime. She was no longer focusing on the Adventists or the welfare system in Germany. While still in Denver, Jost was pulled aside and asked by the Boulder sanitarium administrator to keep her lecture to the gospel because they did not want to hear any Hitler propaganda.[53] After her lectures in Denver, the General Conference decided it would be a good idea to keep a close rein on Jost. They gave warnings to each person Jost was to contact for her lectures. Even though the General Conference felt that Jost had become a liability towards the end of her lectures in the United States, the purpose of her mission had been accomplished. That mission was to “correct the distorted image of Germany.”[54]

Jost and the German Adventist leaders believed they had done their duty in the United States and hoped the Nazi government would be more lenient towards the Adventist denomination. But while they were in the United States, the German government passed a new decree requiring all school children to attend school on Saturday and the Adventist children were no longer allowed to study their bibles in class[55] There were also soldiers who were having difficulties in keeping the Sabbath.[56] Jost wrote a letter complaining to the high officials she knew about this new decree. She stated how the Adventists had been supporting the Nazi government and the work she was doing in the United States to improve their image. Joseph Goebbels even wrote a letter of his own to the Reich Church Ministry, but the decree was not revoked.[57] This was one case where Hulda’s connections and the trip to the United States did not help the Adventists. Yet there are other cases that show that having a powerful ally was useful.

One such case was about the investigation, by the Gestapo, of nurses belonging to the Adventist nurses association who had been dismissed because they were considered politically unreliable.[58] Jost became upset over their dismissal and did not believe the Gestapo’s report was correct, so she asked her friends in the Propaganda Ministry to look into it. The Propaganda Ministry’s report found the nurses to be “politically cleared.” Another example of Jost’s connections occurred in 1937, when a friend in the Church Ministry – who had a connection with the Gestapo – warned her about plans to dissolve the Adventist denomination.[59] With the help of her friends, Jost was able to contact higher officials in the Gestapo and stop the effort to dissolve the Adventist denomination.[60]

In March 1938, Hulda Jost passed away. Jost believed she helped the Adventist denomination survive the early years of Hitler’s regime. Jost knew she was lying while in the United States, when she said that the “Nazi authorities respected liberty of conscience as a matter of principle, and that [her] church enjoyed complete religious freedom.”[61] But she believed all her efforts and compromises to the Nazi regime would make her denomination free from the harassment of the Gestapo. The Adventist denomination was no longer separate from the state, because of Jost’s connections and actions. The Adventists believe in  the separation between church and state, but Jost went against this principle. Even with all of the compromises made in the early years, the Adventists had no security from the Nazi government. They sacrificed a main principle, separation of church and state, for nothing. Without security from the Nazi regime, the Adventists continued to make compromises with the regime.

World War II

The Second World War began when Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.  The previous year the Adventists began to remove “Jewish words” from their denomination. The word Sabbath School was no longer allowed and was replaced by the word Bible School.[62] Another word no longer allowed was the word Sabbath; this was changed within the denomination to Rest Day.[63]  With the outbreak of WWII, the government issued an ordinance preventing pastors from taking an offering in church or house-to-house.[64] There was a loophole to this ordinance, which said pastors were allowed to “levy fees on their members.”[65] This allowed small denominational pastors and churches to survive during the beginning of the war.

The Adventists in Germany continued to believe in Hitler and his regime. The publications in the late 1930s were about how Hitler was strengthening Germany and taking back the lands that had once belonged to Germany. They believed that God, himself, was leading this war and the readers of the Adventist journals could take comfort in that.[66] The East German Union president, Michael Budnick, informed the other conference presidents that Adolf Minck had been taken in by the Gestapo and informed that it was unacceptable conduct not to work on the Sabbath.[67]

The Church leaders believed that in order for the Adventist denomination to survive they needed to give instructions on April 30, 1940 to their pastors in a circular stating that “‘in total war there can only be total commitment and sacrifice.’”[68]  The problem with total war was the Church leaders did not want another split in the denomination that had occurred during WWI. In order to prevent this, the circular also told the pastors to instruct their members of the duties owed according to the Scriptures.[69] One of the Adventists’ fundamental beliefs is that the Holy Scriptures is the word of God.  The document stated that on Biblical grounds the church members should submit themselves to armed forces, because “God had commanded: ‘Submit yourselves, for the Lord’s sake, to every authority,”[70] which was quoted from 2 Peter. Along with 2 Peter, the German Adventists used Romans 13 to justify their continued support for Hitler and his regime. Romans 13 deals with the issue of submitting oneself to government authorities. The president of the East German Conference, W. Mueller, has been quoted as saying:

Under no circumstances did any Adventist have the right to resist the government, even if the government prevented him from exercising his faith. Resistance would be unfortunate because it would mark Adventists as opponents of the new state, a situation that should be prevented.[71]

This shows that German leaders did not want to resist the Nazi government. They did not want to be seen as opponents to the Nazi government. It was important to the leaders not to cause trouble in the Nazi regime. Even if the Nazi polices went against the denominational beliefs. The German Adventists leaders ignored or forgot the fact that they were supposed to submit first to God and His authority before submitting to a worldly authority.

This circular seemed to have worked, for in 1940 the government sent out a report naming the religious sects that would be allowed to continue to work in peace because they had limited themselves to religious teachings. The Seventh-day Adventists were one of the sects named.[72] Still this did not make the Adventists feel safe and they continued to compromise with the Nazi regime.

In 1941, the German government once again banned the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, but only in certain districts in the east.[73] These districts were Silesia, Danzig, and Lower Silesia. This caused some alarm within the Adventist communities, but there was nothing to be done to rescind the ban. In order to still have meetings, the Adventists met privately in members homes.[74] The S.D. noted that the Adventists in these districts were ignoring the ban, but little action was taken against the Adventists.[75]

The German Adventists continued to support Hitler and his regime until the end of World War II. The Adventists served loyally in the armed services, but most served in combatant positions and rose within the ranks.[76] This went against the denomination belief that if Adventists participate in war it must be in a non-combatant position. The Church leaders claimed, “the pastors and members of our Church stand loyally by their Volk and fatherland as well at its leadership, ready to sacrifice life and possessions.”[77] They were willing to sacrifice their life and possessions for the fatherland, but they were unwilling to do the same for their religious beliefs. The racial policies of the Nazi regime went against what Adventists believe, but the Adventists did not voice their concern. They also did not voice their objections about not having religious liberty in Nazi Germany. The German Adventists may have served their fatherland loyally, but they did not serve the Seventh-day Adventist denomination loyally.

After the War

The German Adventists continued to believe they had done the correct thing by compromising with the Nazi government. The survival of the church was what was important to the German Adventist leaders, and in order to survive they needed to compromise. Only in May 1948, did the General Conference take a closer look at the German Adventists’ actions during the Nazi regime. The reason why the General Conference took interest was because of a letter written by Major J.C. Thompson, chief of the Religious Affairs Section of the American Military Government in Berlin.[78] The letter wanted to know why the Adventists had not removed all the Nazis from their leadership positions within the denomination.[79] It also compared the Adventists to the Catholics, saying that the Catholics did not have to remove many people because of their strong opposition during the Nazi regime. There was no opposition from the Seventh-day Adventists.

The German Adventist leaders were upset with the General Conference for ordering members to step down from their positions because they had joined a Nazi organization. In order to survive in Nazi Germany, they argued, people had to join Nazi organizations. The German leaders believed the General Conference had no right to make judgments about them because of their actions during the Nazi regime. They were especially upset because the General Conference had “adopted and enforced a policy that prevented publication of any commentaries about Nazism or even fascism,”[80] in order to assist the German Adventists. The German Adventists did not like the fact they were being blamed when the General Conference was assisting them in their survival.

The General Conference had become alarmed in 1939, when they estimated that 10 percent of the German Adventists were working on the Sabbath.[81] The Sabbath is one thing that defines the Seventh-day Adventist church. With the start of World War II there was nothing the General Conference or the German Adventists could do. The German Adventists had sent out a circular telling its members to submit to the authority of the government. While this did not meet the demands of the Nazi government, it was used as evidence in the General Conference case against the German Adventists.[82]

There were several issues the General Conference had with the actions of the German Adventist leaders. Membership in a Nazi organization was of concern but not the greatest concern. The greatest concern of the General Conference was that “the denomination had been misled in its attempt to accommodate the demands of the Nazi state.”[83] The erosion of the Sabbath keeping in Germany led the General Conference to pass a resolution in 1946 on “Faithfulness and Sabbath-keeping.”[84] The German Adventists were still unwilling to admit they had been wrong. They still believed what they did was good, because it allowed for the survival of the denomination. The German leaders did not believe they had compromised any biblical principles.[85] The president of the German Adventist Church, Adolf Minck, wrote to the General Conference president, J.L. McElhany, stating, they had obeyed God’s law and the Ten Commandants. He also said that “‘they might have lived out the one and the other commandment a little different’ than in times of peace. ‘But holy did they remain to us.’”[86] This kind of reasoning of the German Adventist leaders made it hard for the General Conference to show that what they did was wrong. The German Adventist leaders interpreted the Scriptures to suit their situation. They believed that just because they were working on the Sabbath did not mean they had not kept it holy. They believed that “Scripture and Jesus taught clearly that the application of the law, rather then being absolute, was dependent on the circumstances.”[87] Their circumstance was either to work on the Sabbath or go to prison. This was not a viable choice for the German Adventist leaders. The German Adventist leaders never admitted that they made any mistakes, it was against their National pride and their continued rationalization of their actions during the Nazi regime.[88]

In conclusion, the German Adventists connected the Adventist denomination to the German state, which went against their belief of separation of church and state. They did this by allowing the Nazi government to take over the Adventists welfare program and dictating the policy. The Adventists were suppose to help those in need, instead they discriminated against those groups of people who needed their help the most. They refused to help the Jews, undesirables, and the Reformers because it would have cause trouble with the Nazi regime. The Adventists defended the Nazi regime and lied about the regime having religious liberty. Instead of speaking out against the Nazi regime and its treatment of the Jews, the Adventists remained silent. They remained silent to protect themselves. The Adventists also worked and sent their children to school on the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath day holy is one of the beliefs that make the Adventists different. This is one of the fundamental principle of the Seventh-day Adventists and when times got tough, they willing sacrifice this principle. The German Adventists willingly became combatants during WWII. The Adventist denomination understands that governments have a right to draft people during times of war, but the Adventists have always refused combatant roles. The German Adventists went against this policy and willingly accepted combatant roles. The Reform Adventists were not willing to sacrifice this principle and were sent to concentration camps or executed. In order to survive, the German Adventists sacrificed the standards and principles, which made them Adventists. The German Adventist leaders said they had to make the compromises in order to save the church. It is the standards, principles, beliefs, and integrity that make up the Adventist Church. By sacrificing the standards, principles, beliefs, and integrity of the Church did not save the Church, it weakened the Church. It showed how far the German Adventists were willing to go against what they believed and taught in order to save themselves. I believe the German Adventists leaders made these sacrifices in order to save themselves, not the Church. If they had wanted to save the Adventist church, the German leaders would not have compromised its integrity or gone against the church’s beliefs. It is always easier to make compromises then maintain integrity.

 

[1] Christine E. King, The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non- Conformity, (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1982), 92.

^[2]  Seventh-day Adventists Believe… A Biblical Expostion of 27 Fundamental Doctrines, Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, (Maryland: Review and Herald, 1988), 4.

[3]  Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 16.

[4] Seventh-day Adventists  Believe, 206.

[5] Seventh-day Adventists Believe, 278.

^[6] “Our History,” http://www.adventist.org/history/ (24 February 2002).

^[7] Richard W. Schwarz and Floyd Greenleaf, Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, (Nampa: Pacific Press, 2000), 212-213.

^[8] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 213.

^[9] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 213.

^[10] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 213.

^[11] Seventh-Day Adventist Encyclopedia M-Z, ed. Don F. Neufeld, (Maryland: Review and Herald, 1996), 592.

^[12] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 620.

^[13] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 110.

^[14] Cited from F.M. Wilcox, Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, p. 58.  “Origin of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement,”<http://www.sdarm.org/origin.htm> (6 February 2002).

^[15] “Origin of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement,” < http://www.sdarm.org/origin.htm >(6 February 2002).

^[16] Erwin Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” Spectrum 8 (March 1977), 12.

^[17] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 620.

^[18]  Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 620.

^[19] Schwarz,and Greenleaf, Light Bearers, 620.

^[20] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 110.

^[21] “Origin of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement,” < http://www.sdarm.org/origin.htm > (6 February 2002).

^[22] SDARM Good Way Series-Study 13- The SDA Reform Movement Origin <http://www.asd-mr.org.br/sdarm/way/gws-13.htm> (14 February 2002).

[23] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 14.

[24] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 14.

[25] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions,  96.

[26] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 15.

[27] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 96.

[28] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 96.

[29] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 110.

[30] Hans Fleschutz, ed., And Follow Their Faith!, (Denver: International Missionary Society ), 19.

[31] Roland Blaich, “Divided Loyalties: American and German Seventh-day Adventists and the Second World War,” Spectrum 30 (Winter 2002), 44.

[32] Zdravko Plantak, The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics, (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998), 20.

[33] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 101-2

[34]Roland Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad: The Case of Hulda Jost,” Journal of Church and State, vol. 35, number 4, Autumn 1993, (United States: J.M. Dawson Institute), 808.

[35] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 807.

[36] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 105.

[37] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 105.

[38] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 105.

[39] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 105.

[40] Adolf Minck, “Reformation,” Jugend-Leitstern, (April 1933), quoted by: Roland Blaich, “Health Reform and Race Hygiene: Adventists and the Biomedical Vision of the Third Reich,” Chuch History, Vol. 65, (Pennsylvania: Science Press, 1996), 427.

[41] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 16.

[42] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 16.

[43] Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and the Nazi Temptation,” 19.

[44] R. Sulzmann, “Erbkrank,” Gegenwarts-Frage, vol. 9, nr.1, 1934, p.8, quoted by: Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and the Nazi Temptation,” 19.

[45] Blaich, “Health Reform and Race Hygiene,” 437.

[46] Blaich, “Health Reform and Race Hygiene,” 427.

[47] Blaich, “Health Reform and Race Hygiene,” 427.

[48] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 809.

[49] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 810.

[50] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 811.

[51] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 811.

[52] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 811.

[53] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 812.

[54] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 820.

[55] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 820.

[56] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 820.

[57] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad ,”821.

[58] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 823.

[59] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 824.

[60] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 824.

[61] Blaich, “Selling Nazi Germany Abroad,” 827.

[62] Jack M. Patt, “Living in a Time of Trouble: German Adventists Under Nazi Rule,” Spectrum 8 (March 1977), 4.

[63] Patt, “Living in a Time of Trouble,” 4.

[64] Patt, “Living in a Time of Trouble,” 7.

[65] Patt, “Living in a Time of Trouble,” 7.

[66] Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 44.

[67] Roland Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism: The Case of the German Adventist Church,” Central European History, vol. 26, number 3, (United States: Humanities Press, 1994), 270.

[68] Mr. Blaich does not say who this quote is from, but it seems to be from G.W. Schubert to the General Conference Committee, Feb. 7, 1937. Or it is from the Circular to the Conference Presidents of the East German Union, Mar. 27, 1940. Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 45.

[69] Blaich “Divided Loyalties,” 45.

[70] Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 45.

[71] “An unsere Gemeindeglieder in Deutschland,” Der Adventbote, vol. 39, nr. 17, August 15, 1933, pp. 1-4. quoted by: Sicher, “Seventh-day Adventist Publications and The Nazi Temptation,” 15.

[72] Patt, “Living in a Time of Trouble,” 7.

[73] Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 45.

[74] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions, 108.

[75] King, The Nazi State and the New Religions,108.

[76] Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 47.

[77] Blaich, “Divided Loyalties,” 47.

[78] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 225.

[79] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 225.

[80] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 266.

[81] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 270.

[82] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 271.

[83] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 274.

[84] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 274.

[85] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 275.

[86] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 275.

[87] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 275-6.

[88] Blaich, “Religion under National Socialism,” 280.

UCSB Oral History Project Homepage > Research and Teaching Homepage > Pro-Seminar Papers > Seventh Day Adventists
Text written June 2002 by Corrie Schroder
Last Updated January 1, 2003
This Page Part of the UCSB Oral History Project
Created and Maintained by H. Marcuse and Associates

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, tags, etc.. Most Images cropped/reduced in size.

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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ORION THE SOLDIER

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The pagan cultures saw this incredible constellation as a hunter, with a club.

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Well, they weren’t too far off. Actually, God created it to appear like a soldier. This is because all nature presents aspects of the Gospel.

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Listen… “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1.

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And so now we are amazed to discover that beyond the awesome grandeur of the starry night-heavens, God has actually written the Love of God upon the heavenly scroll!   

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Orionurania wikipedia public domain

Orion Constellation at Eagle Ridge

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7 MAJOR STARS OF ORION…

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Orion Constellation can best be seen all winter (but even in August in the pre-dawn hours of morning in eastern skies) traveling east to west through the night, in mid-sky. To find the seven major stars of Orion (one star on each shoulder and one star on each foot, plus the three stars which make his belt), you can locate on just about any clear night regardless of the blackness of the night. To find Orion’s other stars, you need more star-visibility…a darker, moonless night, and possibly away from city lights.

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Orion wikimedia share-alike license

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THREE VERSES CONCERNING THE ORION CONSTELLATION…

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“God…Which makes Arcturus, ORION, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.” Job 9:9

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“Can you … loose the bands of ORION?” Job:38:31

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“Seek Him that makes the Seven Stars and ORION…The Lord is His name.” Amos 5:8

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A SHORT “ARMOR OF GOD” STORY   

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“OH SINNER MAN, WHERE YA GONNA RUN TO?”  

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About 40 years ago (being a brand new convert from atheism), I was going through terrible satanic attacks. I was…uh…a Christian, but only because Satan had burst my ‘atheism-bubble’, by revealing himself  to me. But I wouldn’t really call myself a ‘true worshipper’ yet. Maybe I could just be labeled as… an ‘atheist-who-just-met-the-Devil’. And it seemed that my Judgment Day was now at hand. The Devil was sending me through terrors beyond belief. Oh yeah, I was praying for help. But it was like, God was not listening. Heaven was like brass (see Deuteronomy 28:23). During these months my theme song could easily have been that old tune…”Oh Sinner Man”. You know the song… “Oh sinner man where ya gonna run to …all on that day.”  (Click this link to hear)

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This following Bible verse seems to fit what I was going through…  “Then shall they call upon Me (God), but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me:  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD” Proverbs 1:28,29                     

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But the Devil was laying some “pretty heavy stuff” on me, during those years. I didn’t know the Bible hardly at all. I was trying to be a Christian, but it just wasn’t working. And because I didn’t know the Bible, the Devil could tell me just about any crazy story he wanted to. I was no match for him. So the thought came to me that I was infected with Satan. And not doubt Satan is contagious! OK, OK, I know this was a stupid thing to think. But I didn’t know anything about the Bible. But really, when you think about it, a person who has no protection from Satan…with out God’s protection. He or she is liable to do anything the Devil wishes, if God permits.

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As I was driving up to Portland  on Interstate 5 something caught my attention. An old barn…sitting off to the west of the freeway…in a field…just south of Salem…standing there as a monument to days-gone-by. And as I drove by, I was surprised to see a Bible concept inscribed on its old weathered wooden walls. Someone had painted the following sentence on the side of that old relic… “SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS…ARMOR UP…THE TIME IS AT HAND!” 

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These words made a strong impact on me, at that moment. “Profound statement!”, I thought to myself. “Whoever painted those words must also be aware that Judgment Day is at hand.”           
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But now, I had a little hope. “That writing on that old barn just might be the answer to my problems.” I might have thought… “put on the armor of God. Very interesting concept. Hmmm.”  

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“FIERY ARROWS FROM THE WICKED ONE”

Ephesians 6 …

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Sometime later, my new wife, Becky, and I were visiting relatives in the Bay area. (The satanic attacks had subsided for a year or so). But now, Satan had once again renewed his warfare against me. And I was going through a lot of personal spiritual attacks. I was so new to Christianity, and didn’t know how to combat all the fierce attacks. All the doubts. All the condemnation…                
 
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The fears Satan put in my mind! Desperate! “The king of Babylon (Satan) has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a dragon, he has filled his belly with my delicates, he has cast me out.” Jeremiah 51:34

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“You’re not praying enough!” (said the Devil)                
 
“You’re a glutton!”                
 
“You’re not like Jesus!”               
 
“You’re gonna lose your salvation! 

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 “You’re this!” “You didn’t do that!”  Like flaming arrows or dropping missiles, the Devil was hailing accusations down on me. And what made it so effective, was that his accusations were valid criticisms. I mean, the Devil doesn’t have to make these things up. I really wasn’t Christ-like. I didn’t pray like Jesus, etc… 

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This was overwhelming. I  had no shelter from this barrage of mental attacks. No relief!           
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B-29s dropping bombs – wikipedia public domain

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“A WALK IN THE PARK (but no picnic!)”

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Anyway, I remember, that when down there (the Bay Area) visiting, I decided to go for a walk, one day, to a nearby park to pray and read my Bible. And it was a nice sunny California day. (But not for me, because of all these satanic attacks).

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Anyway, while reading, I came across Ephesians Chapter 6, where it commands Believers to put on the ‘whole armor of God’. 

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But the part that really made sense, was where the next words continued… “that you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the Devil.” 

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“Dear Lord! That’s my problem!” (I must have thought). “Fiery darts! That’s exactly how Satan’s attacks feel! Like someone’s shooting fiery darts into my soul!” 

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And so, this concept of ‘putting on the armor of God’ came back to me, from that experience I had a few years earlier, while passing that old barn. 

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“How do I put on this armor, Lord?”  I didn’t know. “I want to put it on right away! Do I put it on by just believing by faith?  Does it take time? Or do I put it on at once?”  These were the kind of thoughts running through my mind, as I sat on a picnic bench.           

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wikipedia common use license weston park australia
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COOL WATER IN A DRY THIRSTY LAND… 

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 Looking back on this experience, it’s hard to imagine all this confusion. But going through this kind of satanic assault, I felt crushed by the weight of the heavy persecution. So, reading  passages as Ephesians 6, you just drink it in! Imagine yourself walking through, say, Death Valley, in 117 degree heat. And just before you collapse, you look down and see an ice-cold glass of water. Imagine how wonderful that would be to drink that ice-cold water! Well, that’s how the Word of God was to me during these days. During these days of persecution… 

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The reality of the spiritual battle I was going through, in captured in the following verse which really says it all…“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12 

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And believe me, there is nothing like satanic persecution to get a person reading their Bible! Especially when he was talking directly to me (in my mind)! 

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 “My soul thirsts for Thee (God), my flesh longs for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” Psalm 63:1 

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“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news (the Gospel) from a far country (Heaven).”  Proverbs 25:25             

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“PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD”…

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 I didn’t understand all that Ephesians 6 was talking about. “What does it mean to put on ‘the breast plate of righteousness'”? This was very puzzling to me… “How does a person just put something like that on?” This was a concept above my comprehension.

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“And how does a person ‘put on the helmet of salvation'”, I thought to myself… “especially while Satan is condemning and accusing every moment?”

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And how do you put on the shoes, ‘with the gospel of peace’? I couldn’t understand these concepts. I was too new in the faith.

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ONE CONCEPT THAT DID MAKE SENSE… But there was one thing I could understand. I knew what it meant to take the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. Now that I got! Read the Bible! That’s a simple concept! Yeah! 

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Well this was possibly the event that began my Bible sojourn. Reading God’s Word! I determined that I would saturate my mind with Scriptures. That’s what I would do! After all, I loved to read it anyway. So maybe by reading it and knowing it, I could know the Bible well enough to overcome all these attacks by Satan. Maybe that’s the key to finding personal victory. “Study, study, study!” Just completely fill my mind with knowledge…of His words!  

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Well, this began a long love affair with the Word of God! And by studying the Bible for myself, I came to understand what it meant to ‘put on the breastplate of righteousness’. And by hiding the ‘Word in my heart’ (Psalm 119:11), I began to comprehend what it meant to ‘put on the helmet of salvation’.  To put on the ‘preparation of the gospel of peace’ … ‘the shield of faith’. (I already knew well what the fiery darts of the devil meant) But these other truths didn’t come all at once.       

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The sketch above is Orion the Soldier and the Dragon of Revelation 12. They begin to rise in the east in the fall and gradually move westward, finally sinking in the west in the spring. Find Orion first. Look for his 3-star belt. Then find the 4 bright stars of his shoulders and feet. Then locate the Dragon’s mouth (AKA Hyades). 

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“THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART”

(Ps. 119:11)…  

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So, it became my mission to know everything about the Bible. I read the Bible and every spiritual book related, that I felt was reliable. I found little Gideon pocket Bibles at the thrift shop, that I could carry in my back pocket. Then whenever I had a spare moment, I could commit a verse to memory. I also carried a notebook in which to write a passage from a spiritual book. Then at work, whenever I had a moment to spare, I would look at the notebook, and try to memorize the passage. The Lord seemed to have blessed my memory skills, because prior to this, I couldn’t memorize well at all. Through these times, it seemed that looking at the Bible was like cool refreshing water in a dry and thirsty land. Every time I opened my Bible or related books, it was like cool refreshing water. The Devil was attacking me on a daily basis. The Bible was my “safe harbor”. It was my “hiding place”  (“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy Word.” Psalm 119:114)          
 
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Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic..

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40 YEARS LATER…

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By the grace of God, the love for the Bible remains. Oh yeah, it’s been a ‘long and winding road’ (as the old song goes).  There’s been some valleys, and a deep ditch or two, along the way.

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 The Bible commands us to meditate ‘day and night’ on God’s word (Psalm 1 & Psalm 119:97).  And whether or not a person is bombarded with Satan’s ‘fiery bullets’, or  merely being drowned in an ocean of worldliness, he must ‘continue in My Word’  John 8:28. That’s our protection from the Devil. That’s our armor. That’s our shield. It’s our helmet too. It’s our Gospel shoes. It’s the life-blood every true worshipper of God. The Word of God. “Sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4)

  
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For the entire story of how I went through Judgment Day, just click the following link… “Judgment Day…RX7” 

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NEXT ARTICLE: ORION THE REAPER

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This next optical illusion of Orion is called “Orion the Reaper”. It corresponds to the 3rd Horseman of the Apocalypse, found in Revelation, Chapter 6. This “hat” which Orion wears is that of a Heavenly Harvester. It is made of both the Orion Constellation and the Gemini Constellation. Both constellation are very bright, but to see Orion’s sickle, one must be away from city lights, because several of the stars in the blade of his sickle are somewhat dull. Castor and Pollux are not dull, however. They can be seen under most conditions, and carry with them a very special message for God’s people. To read all about that very important message, you can go to “Castor and Pollux & the Mystery Ship Of Scripture”. But if you wish to continue reading about Orion’s 3rd office, just click here… “Orion The Reaper” 

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A HEAVENLY HOBBY

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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26

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ABOVE PICTURE – Starry Night at La Silla – cropped  and altered image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these things.

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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and worries, and habits, to name just a few.

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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.

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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.

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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…

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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”

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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.

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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!

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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.

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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.

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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.

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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25

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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)

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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS

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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).

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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).

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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.

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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc.) – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS

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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…

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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!

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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!

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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.

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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.

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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and altered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS

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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.

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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.

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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.

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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.

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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain