Ashamed, Anxious or Assured?

Here is the Devotional I shared with the Conference Executive Committee recently. It is drawn from the book, The Great Controversy, Chapter 28, “Facing Life’s Record”

For some Adventists, it fills them with embarrassment. They are ashamed.

For other Adventists, it fills them with anxiety, fear and dread leading to near
immobilization.

And for other Adventists, they become filled with joy and trust.

What does these various things to various Adventists?

The Investigative Judgment, and how it has been presented and perceived by different Christians and different ones in the Adventist Church.

I have been leading the Conference staff each Monday morning worship for several months now, through 1 chapter a week in the book, Great Controversy. 2 weeks ago, we reflected on the investigative judgment. This great teaching more fully reveals our Savior Jesus Christ and the beautiful role He is playing in the working out of our Salvation. He finished paying the price on the Cross of Calvary, for sin. Now He is applying the merits of His sacrifice on our behalf, in His great mediatorial role as our Advocate and our High Priest.
There is no doubt in scripture of a final judgment.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of God…
The books were opened, the judgment was set…
Judgment begins with the house of God…
Who will judge the living and the dead…
The dead were judged out of the book…
For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14

The Sanctuary service throughout the history of God’s people clearly teaches the role of the cost of sin, an innocent party providing atonement, and the role of applying atonement for those who choose to be under the blood of the Lamb.

So what scares Adventists about the investigative judgment?

“As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate (emphasis supplied) presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses: "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book." Exodus 32:33.” GC pg. 483.

Some get scared about names being investigated, some accepted, some rejected.

But, did you notice the words – OUR ADVOCATE?
What is an Advocate? Someone who stands up for, intercedes for, or presents a favorable case on behalf of another. Right in this description is the wonderful news that we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous. Some, when reading of the Investigative judgment here, somehow miss the point that there is an Advocate for those who trust in the plan of salvation, and then they become morose and almost spiritually comatose.

“All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah: "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah 43:25. Said Jesus: "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." Revelation 3:5; Matthew 10:32, 33.” GC pg. 483

Notice that it is the claim of the blood of Jesus that is the reason for anyone’s name to be in the books of heaven. Not our own efforts or merit, or the merit of some perceived saint, but our total response to the love of Jesus and in faith in His blood.

Now, reading on, notice this awesome description of Christ’s intention for us and during His work in the heavenly Sanctuary, what He is pleading for His people who have put their faith in His blood.

“The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as joint heirs with Himself to "the first dominion." Micah 4:8. Satan in his efforts to deceive and tempt our race had thought to frustrate the divine plan in man's creation; but Christ now asks that this plan be carried into effect as if man had never fallen. He asks for His people not only pardon and justification, full and complete, but a share in His glory and a seat upon His throne.” GC pg. 484

Let me list in brief form the key points Jesus wants for us.
• Restored to their Eden home.
• Crowned as joint heirs with Himself.
• Christ’s original plan for us be carried into effect as if man had never sinned.
• Pardon and justification full and complete.
• A share in His glory.
• A seat upon His throne.

Wow, and I would be satisfied with just a quiet corner somewhere in the earth made new. But imagine, a seat upon His throne! (see also Ephesians 2:4-6, Revelation 3:21)

Since this is a wonderful aspect to the work of Christ, it is going on right now, and it is our joy and a source of courage to us, notice next what Satan is trying to do in these last days.

“Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may not dwell upon the very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. The archdeceiver hates the great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful mediator. He knows that with him everything depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and His truth.” GC pg. 488

Jesus gave a complete price for sin on the cross. Now he is applying that price for the sinner, just as the lamb in the earthly Sanctuary was sacrificed in the outer court and the blood was carried into the Sanctuary and applied before the veil, and then on the day of atonement carried within the veil and applied before the ark of the covenant. Now Jesus is applying the full price He already paid at the cross, to our eternal salvation. There is no other price that can be paid. No other effort. No other merit than that which Christ has obtained and which He gives.

“The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, "whither the forerunner is for us entered." Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father's throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God.” GC pg 489

In the meantime, Satan loves to taunt Christ. He loves to throw into the arena of the universe the course of those who claim to be a disciple and a child of Jesus, the way some don’t really put all trust, all faith, all willing obedience in their Savior and make Jesus truly number one in their life.

“If those who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their course, they would make haste to confess their sins and to put them away. Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him: "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Corinthians 12:9. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30. Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them.” GC pg. 489

Yes, it is a solemn time. We are living in that day. The final day of atonement.
Do we live in dread, fear anxiety and fright? Hardly able to enjoy being a Christian?

Or do we live in joyful anticipation. Fully trusting our Savior? Fully committed each day to be the man or the woman that Christ can totally have, unreservedly? Have we totally sold out to Christ and have as our only motivation, to please Him?

When we have that attitude and choice, we have no need of fear in the judgment. For we know we are loved perfectly, so we have chosen to love Jesus more than anything else in the world. And “Perfect love casts out all fear.”

Our issue to decide each day, during the last days of earth’s history, is: “Do we love Jesus more than anything else?” Because we love Him, are will be hungry and thirsty to reflect His character, His motives, His atmosphere?” His complete sacrifice and our complete, joyful, trusting surrender -- that answers the question of our standing and fitness in the final judgment.

Lewisburg Church becomes the Milton Seventh-day Adventist Church and Moves into their own building.

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
November 13, 2010

Ten years ago, one of the first church plants to be organized into a church in quite some time, was the Lewisburg Church Plant. Elder Mike Cauley and I, along with Will Peterson, participated in a beautiful service of organizing them from a company into a full fledged church in the Pennsylvania Conference.

Since that time in 2000, members of the Lewisburg have worked diligently under the leadership of lay pastor, Kerry Stahl.

Conference evangelist Lynnwood Spangler held meetings in Lewisburg in the National Guard Armory. Several lay lead evangelistic meetings were conducted by various members, including a series of youth evangelistic meetings. Other mission activities were conducted. And the church grew.

Over the years, different possible locations for the church to establish a mission center to work out of were considered. Some were too far away from the target population. Others were not within the price range of the available resources, and still others did not have facilities that were laid out ideally.

Recently, a church in Milton moved on to a different facility and offered their building for sale. This building was in good repair and on a well-known street in Milton. Floyd Dare worked with our congregation and obtained a sale price that was below the asking price and that enables our congregation to save some money for a few basic repairs that were needed.

November 13, 2010 was the first Sabbath our former Lewisburg SDA Church family, and now the Milton SDA Church family could meet in their recently purchased building, and it was the same Sabbath they had scheduled for many months in advance to celebrate their 10 year anniversary.

Students from the Williamsport SDA Church School took part in the program, repeating Psalm 100 and also providing a music number.

I shared the morning worship hour message and then Will Peterson and I joined the church family for lunch. In the afternoon was a dedication service. Due to a prior appointment, I had to leave early from that service, but Will Peterson stayed on with the happy church family.
Here is a picture of the present leaders of the Milton SDA Church, joined by Elder Will Peterson on the left and Pastor Tom Grove on the right.

“Real Leaders”

President’s Blog
November 12, 2010

“Real Leaders”

Recently an Adventist Conference President shared with me a quote from Heifetz and Laurie, authors of a current book on leadership. I am turning over the quote and its implications in my mind. Here is what it says:

“Followers want comfort, stability and solutions from their leaders. But that’s babysitting. Real leaders ask hard questions and knock people out of their comfort zones. Then they manage the resulting distress.”

Yes, we are creatures of habit. We actually usually prefer the status quo. We don’t want things upset. Often we want things better, without any change required from us.

And yet, when I read in the Bible, whenever God called a man or a woman to a significant work, a ministry, a prophetic office or to deliver His people, it always involved change. It always involved, in some way, calling or knocking people out of their comfort zones. Just think with me of the life of Abraham – called to leave everything familiar and go out, “not knowing where he was going,” the scriptures say. Noah, called to build an ocean-going ship for an event never seen before and never contemplated by anyone else except by the God of heaven who revealed the calling to Noah. Elijah—sent to Ahab to announce there would be no rain, without even knowing that this would last 3 years. David sent to face Goliath with only 5 stones, and a challenge to the entire army of Israel that one with God could be a majority. Esther called to enter the court of the King with the law pronouncing death on anyone who ventured in unbidden. Moses called to lead untrained, unorganized and often unwilling multitudes of former slaves away from the most civilized nation and the most efficient army of that world.

So, I invite you to think about this quote with me. What do you think about real leaders? Feel free to share a comment on this blog.

Oh yes,…Happy Sabbath!

PA CONFERENCE EDUCATOR'S RETREAT AND PSALM 100

PA EDUCATOR’S RETREAT

October 29-31, seven individuals comprising Pennsylvania Conference educators and their spouses joined me at Laurel Lake Camp for our optional Educator’s Spiritual Retreat.

We focused our time in prayer, reflection, Bible study and fellowship. Some of the key spiritual materials we used for focused study and reflection were: Psalm 100; Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 101; Christ’s Object Lessons, page 299-300; and He Has Made Me Glad by Ben Patterson.

As part of the spiritual reflection we did, each of us wrote our own paraphrase of Psalm 100. Here is what I shared with our retreat participants.

“Everybody! Get excited about the goodness of the Lord.
Fill the whole land with boisterous noise for Him.
Do everything you can for Him.
And do it with a glad heart.
In fact, practice being in His presence with music in your heart and songs of joy and praise from your mouth.
Continuously dwell on the fact that God is sovereign and mighty—the only God.
Remember, you and I are made by Him—intentionally, intelligently, and independently from any ability of our own.
We are cherished by Him, valued and cared for as precious family.
So—every chance we get—let us come to Him with thanksgiving and thankful hearts.
In fact let’s go to His house just to tell Him how good He is.
Every time we use His name, remember all His goodness with unending gratitude and honor.
Lord—You are truly the best.
There is no end to Your mercy.
Your words and actions are true and trustworthy to all people of all ages.
There will never be a time when You are not that which is accurate, dependable, faithful and completely righteous.” Psalm 100, Hartwell paraphrase.

Writing a paraphrase is not at all to take the place of the Holy Scriptures (even though Jack Blanco’s paraphrase, called the Clear Word Bible is very popular with a number of Adventists). Writing a paraphrase of a portion of scripture is one way to reflect and ponder the meaning of the Holy Word of God and how God might apply it to you and your life.

As part of our time, we gathered for quiet worship in the LLC Lodge.

One of the popular features of this meeting place, was the opportunity to gather around a warm fire in the fireplace.

Our educators in attendance expressed great appreciation for this time to grow, pray and enjoy God’s presence.

Conference Leadership Staff appointments in Western Pennsylvania

Sometimes our Church members question if our Conference Staff ever visits our Western Pennsylvania Churches or events.
Listed below are a number of the appointments that our Staff have filled in the Western Pennsylvania area. This is not totally exhaustive, but gives an example of the ministry activites we often join in with our Western PA Churches. A number of churches or local leaders may not realize that the Pastor, the Church or the local ministry leader may invite any of our Conference Leaders to take part in a church service or a training opportunity in a local church and usually that is how the majority of our appointments come about -- through invitation.

Western PA Conference Appointments
Preaching, Meeting with Key Leaders, Leadership Training, and Events for Members

January 2009
January 10 Ray Hartwell -- East Suburban church

February 2009
February 27 Ray Hartwell -- Pittsburgh church
February 27 Ray Hartwell -- New Castle church

March 2009
March 7 Tamyra Horst – Everett church sermon and seminar

April 2009
April 17, 18 Ray Hartwell -- Evangelistic Meetings, New Castle
April 19 Ray Hartwell -- Pittsburgh board meeting
April 19-May 2 Ray Hartwell -- New Castle Evangelistic Series
April 26 Ray Hartwell -- Laurel Lake Camp
Ray Hartwell -- Mt. Jewett
Ray Hartwell -- Derrick City

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009
July 18 Barry Tryon -- Pittsburgh church, sermon
July 18 Barry Tryon -- New Brighton church, sermon

August 2009

September 2009
September 3 Ron Christman -- Town Hall Meeting – Williamsport
September 18-19 Ray Hartwell, Barry Tryon, Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth, Jeanne
Hartwell, Tamyra Horst, Lilly Tryon – Fall Camp Meeting
September 20 Barry Tryon, Ron Christman -- Town Hall Meeting, Erie
September 20 Barry Tryon, Ron Christman -- Town Hall Meeting, Pittsburgh
September Jeanne Hartwell -- visiting people with Bob and Amy Williams

October 2009
October 17 Ron Christman -- Carnegie church service
October 18-20 Ray Hartwell --- Pastors’ Spiritual Retreat at LLC
October 25-27 Ray Hartwell, Barry Tryon, Kris Eckenroth, Dave Morgan and
Tamyra Horst -- Laurel Lake Camp Conference Leadership Retreat
October 24 Ray Hartwell -- Pittsburgh ShareHim Rally
October 30-31 Tamyra Horst -- fall women’s retreat at Laurel Lake

November 2009
November 14 Barry Tryon -- Mon Valley church, sermon
November 14 Barry Tryon -- Uniontown Hilltop church, sermon
November 14 Barry Tryon -- Washington church, sermon
November 20-22 Ray Hartwell -- Teachers’ Spiritual Retreat at LLC

December 2009

January 2010
Jan-June Jeannette Dare -- Erie Church Community Service Outreach
January Kris Eckenroth – Pathfinder Winter Retreat at Laurel Lake
January 16 Tamyra Horst – Indiana church, sermon
January Dave Morgan – Erie

February 2010

March 2010
March 13 Barry Tryon -- Carnegie Church Plant
March 20 Ron Christman -- Lowville church, sermon
March 20 Ron Christman -- Erie church, sermon
March Will Peterson -- Pioneer End Time Evaluation

April 2010
April 10 Tamyra Horst -- Derrick City church, sermon
April 17 Ray Hartwell -- W PA Church Boards
April 18 Ray Hartwell -- W PA Church Boards
April 24 Ray Hartwell -- W PA Church Boards
April 25 Ray Hartwell -- W PA Church Boards
April Kris Eckenroth -- Laurel Lake Camp

May 2010
May 30 Ray Hartwell, Jeanne Hartwell -- Washington Heights sermon and
Marriage Seminar
May Will Peterson -- Carnegie Adventist Fresh Expressions

June 2010

July 2010
July 10 Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth -- Derrick City church, service
July 11 Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth -- Derrick City, townhall
July 11 Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth – Erie, townhall
July 15 Tamyra Horst -- film at Shamokin Mission Group
July 18 Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth – Indiana, townhall
July 18 Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth – Pittsburgh, townhall
July Kris Eckenroth – Greater Pittsburgh Metro Ministries
July Kris Eckenroth – 3 visits to Laurel Lake Camp
July Dave Morgan – Erie

August 2010
August Kris Eckenroth – Laurel Lake Camp

September 2010
September 12-14 Jeanne Hartwell -- Pastors’ Wives Retreat
September 17-19 Ray Hartwell, Jeanne Hartwell, Kris Eckenroth, Will Peterson, Ron
Christman, Tamyra Horst, Nancy Stickney, Floyd Dare, Jeannette
Dare -- Fall Camp Meeting
September 19-21 Ray Hartwell -- Pastors’ Spiritual Retreat

October 2010
October 10, 11 Ray Hartwell, Ron Christman, Kris Eckenroth -- Pathfinder Camporee, LLC
October 16 Ray Hartwell, Ron Christman, Will Peterson – Everett
October 22-24 Tamyra Horst -- fall women’s retreat, Laurel Lake Camp
October 22-23 Ray Hartwell, Will Peterson – ACS Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
Church,Greensburg, East Suburban
October 29-31 Ray Hartwell -- Teachers’ Spiritual Retreat, LLC
October Kris Eckenroth -- Everett


November 2010
November 20 Ray Hartwell—Washington, Mon Valley, Uniontown

December 2010
December Kris Eckenroth, Impact Pittsburgh youth event

CAR POOLING TO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

This weekend William Peterson and I shared a trip to Western Pennsylvania. Will had an appointment with Lonnie Wibberding, the new director of the Community Ministry and Church Plant in Carnegie, just adjacent to Pittsburgh proper, and I was to speak at the Greensburg Church, at the East Suburban Church and then meet with the East Suburban Church Board Sabbath afternoon.

Lonnie Wibberding is in place in Carnegie and has succeeded Andrew Clark as the director of the project. William Peterson met with Lonnie Friday afternoon to go over the current status and future plans. I worked on some pressing Conference business during that time.

In the evening, William and I drove up to the Pittsburgh Church as Pastor Dennis Austin had told me that a lay-led ShareHim meeting was being conduct. We arrived in time to hear Kathy Shea present the evening ShareHim evangelistic meeting, which was on the time prophecy for the 2,300 day forecast of when Christ would begin His final ministry before His second coming. I am very proud of the effort that Kathy was making in presenting the word of God that evening. Her husband, Jack, was to present the message the next evening.

Sabbath morning William joined Lonnie Wibberding for the worship service in Carnegie and I presented the morning message at Greensburg. Brandon Yorty is the lay pastor there and has been faithfully leading out in this church.

Then I drove over to the East Suburban Church and presented the morning worship message there. 52 were in attendance this last Sabbath, which is evidence of the growing attendance in this church. Donald Lewis, lay pastor, has been diligently working and leading out and has several baptisms this year, with at least another one planned before the end of the year. After Church, I met with the Church Board and shared the vision for the Church Board to make the mission to reach the lost the focus of every activity of the Church. We discussed the possibility of East Suburban hosting a PA Conference Youth Challenge student Literature Evangelist Team and a COOL camp summer day camp team in order to better reach their community. There seemed to be strong interest in the possibility.

Friday night I received word that Eugene “Jeep” Moyer of the Shermansdale church had been stricken with a massive stroke and was in the Hershey Medical Center. On our way home, William and I stopped by the Hershey Medical Center in an effort to visit with Jeep, who has been a literature evangelist in the Pennsylvania Conference and was recently a member of the Conference Executive Committee. The Hershey Medical Center could not find him in their records and kindly connected us with several hospitals in the Harrisburg area. When we could not locate him that way either, we later contacted Rudy Marschner, the Head Elder of the Shermansdale Church and were sadly informed the Jeep had passed away at 1:40 p.m. Sabbath afternoon.

With a pang of sadness, we sorrowed the loss of another faithful member and former worker in the Pennsylvania Conference, and yet we by faith look forward to the soon return of Jesus and the promise that one day Jesus will restore all the sin has snatched away.

EVERETT GRAND OPENING

EVERETT SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH GRAND OPENING

On Sabbath, October 16, the Everett Church Family celebrated the Grand Opening of their new church facility. This is the 4th Arise and Build Church in the Pennsylvania Conference, and the 3rd Arise and Build church constructed in Western Pennsylvania.

The church has a wide and spacious church sanctuary/auditorium, with plenty of lighting and a wide and very functional platform area. The baptistery is off to the right of the platform.

Elder Ron Christman, Conference Treasurer and Elder William Peterson, Assistant to the President for Mission and the Arise and Build Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Conference accompanied me for the great day. Elder Christman taught the Sabbath School lesson and I shared the worship hour message, entitled, “Why Build a Church?”

The service had many special features, complete with a history of the congregation delivered by Rowena Rick. Jessica Link, a student from Blue Mountain Academy and her mother Christy Link provided one of the special music numbers. The Blue Mountain Academy Brass quintet gave several musical numbers.
The local Church children gave a couple of special music numbers for the worship service, and of course, everyone thought theirs was probably the best part!

Fomrer pastors Don Ehrlich and Vince Dolan were also able to attend and take part in the morning service.

Vince Dolan (on left with Larry Fisher) was the pastor when the land was purchased and the plans drawn up for the new church.

In the afternoon, Jessica Link and Levi Collins shared an overview of the Pennsylvania Conference Youth ShareHim mission trip, showing pictures of the group’s experience in Guatemala from this last July. Both Jessica and Levi are presently conducting a ShareHim meeting in Pennsylvania.

The Men’s Quartet from the Williamsport Church composed of the Fulmer brothers, the son of the former pastor Vince Dolan and Ken Yonkin provided an afternoon concert.

The church is very tastefully decorated throughout. Especially delightful is the large life size mural of Jesus teaching from the fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee that is all across one wall in the Junior Sabbath School room.

This church has an excellent design and floor plan and is a credit to the Adventist faith. It makes a very attractive appearance to the community.


Pastor Bob Snyder and his church family planned a wonderful Grand Opening. What a reaon to praise God for all the miracles in the property purchase, funding and building of this church!

TRASH AND TREASURES

PRESIDENT’S BLOG

Trash and Treasures

September 19-21 the Pennsylvania Pastor’s were provided a time for spiritual reflection, Bible meditation and personal prayer. Those who chose to come together for the optional Spiritual Retreat gathered at Laurel Lake Camp on the Sunday evening following the Fall Camp Meeting.


The philosophy for a quiet, gently guided retreat such as this comes from the statement in Ministry of Healing which says:

We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God." This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life's intense activities, he who is thus refreshed, will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men's hearts.--The Ministry of Healing, p. 58.

A chapter from Psalms was focused on. Reading was provided with a book authored by Ben Patterson, and a personal copy of Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, both of which were given to the participants. Journaling and private prayer time were encouraged and structured into the day. What a treasure to listen to God in His word and in prayer!

Comments from those participating were:

• Thank you for this opportunity to come apart from the busyness of ministry. I greatly appreciate this retreat.
• This time, program, is absolutely essential to a pastor’s spiritual health. I am so glad you are committed to this program.
• It provoked deep thoughtful reflection. I shall plan to return.
• I needed this spiritual retreat in an absolute way. Not that I was getting overburdened or stressed by working, but to recalibrate my spirit to this important things in the spiritual life.

During Monday afternoon’s open time, I walked along the road from the main entrance of Laurel Lake Camp to the road leading to Hemlock Lake. Troy Haagenson accompanied me and together, we picked up all the trash we could find alongside each side of the road. Later Mike Bernard came by with the LLC utility vehicle and we transported the trash bags back to the dumpster behind the LLC Lodge building.

As Christians who believe that Christ created this world and gave us stewardship of it, and that He is coming soon to bring us to a re-created perfect world, it is our privilege to care for and clean up the waste and destructive practices that mar and harm God’s creation.

Life Lessons from a Leader

The Church leader thought he was defending the essential Adventist faith. After all, he had become a Conference President at a young age when Brinkerhoff and Snook had led a major apostasy from the Adventist faith in Iowa. He vigorously worked with evangelistic fervor and kept the Conference together following their defection. 2 years after being elected Conference President, he was given a ministerial license and 4 months later he was ordained.

During the 1860s and 1870s George I. Butler became one of the foremost Adventist defenders and a supporter of the ministry of Ellen White. From 1872 to 1874 he served as General Conference President while James White was recovering his health. Then he was elected General Conference President again, serving from 1880 to 1888.

While GC President, the first time he was active in raising funds for Battle Creek College (now Andrews University) and the Pacific Press Publishing in Oakland, California. During his second term as GC President he led the Church through the D.M. Canright apostasy.
He also disagreed with Jones and Wagoner on the understanding of Righteousness by faith and the role of the law in Galatians.

“By the time of the famous 1888 General Conference Session Butler called for those who were sympathetic to him to "stand by the old landmarks" or to not give up traditional theological positions. This called forth a strong rebuke from Ellen G. White.”
Following the 1888 General Conference Session, Butler’s health collapsed and with his wife moved to Florida, where he purchased property to raise citrus fruit and recuperate.

In 1901 his wife died and he was elected President of the Florida Conference. The following year, with the encouragement of Ellen White, he was elected President of the Southern Union and the Southern Publishing Association. In 1908 he retired and passed to his rest in 1918, buried in the city cemetery of Bowling Green, Florida.

What his life may teach us, is that we may be energetically and earnestly defending the faith, and still have things to learn. While Butler was calling upon the delegates to the 1888 General Conference Session to “stand by the old landmarks” it was difficult for him to realize that there was still more to learn and more growth spiritually that was needed.

When you have had to defend the Biblical positions of the Adventist faith from the Marion party, Snook and Brinkerhoff, D.M. Canright and others, it is easy to get entrenched and see that any idea different from what you held at the beginning of your ministry must be wrong and you must vigorously resist it.

The concern however, is that God may have additional light and growth for us as a people, as Ellen White has said He does. And when it comes, we may be afraid it is another attempt at apostasy. We may even describe it to our supporters as Satan’s last day deception and announce that the church is being led to its ruin if followed. Every additional spiritual understanding or practice that God may allow to come to our attention before Jesus comes, may not necessarily be a last day deception or apostasy, just because it is not the traditional practice or does not look like we are “standing by the old landmarks.” This does mean, however, that we should, “test all things, hold fast to that which is true.” And it means, as Ellen White has said, that we should carefully consider new light, since, “we have many things to learn and many things to unlearn.”

A second thing his life teaches us, is that even when a leader makes a mistake, and firmly resists the direction God wants to lead His church, that leader is still not beyond usefulness to God when the leader displays a humble and willing spirit for service. What a gracious outcome in Butler’s life, when, under the encouragement of Ellen White, he was asked to serve as the Southern Union President.

Jeanne and I had the privilege, while on our vacation in central Florida to look up the gravesite of George I. Butler. We attended Church in Avon Park, FL, where I grew up, and then drove the 25 miles over to Bowling Green, FL.

After searching the cemetery in this small town, we located his gravesite.


Not far from the cemetery, is the general area where Butlers farm, “Twin Magnolias” was located. And even to this day, citrus is grown in that vicinity.

I am thankful for the life lessons these early leaders in our church teach us. And I chose to be faithful to the Adventist calling, just as they endeavored to be.

MISSION REPORT - 9

MISSION REPORT 9

Guatemala is a beautiful country. They are rightly proud of the fact that this country is one of the top producers of produce, fruit, sugar cane and food items in all of Central America.





Most of the people here, unless they are lower upper class and above, depend upon wood fires for cooking their entire meals.


While the country is lush with growth and is in no danger of deforestation, you frequently see people colleting or cutting wood and they carrying it, tying it to the back of a bike or motorcycle, or filling a truck bed with it to take home. Most common, they have tied it into a bundle and are carrying it. Any tree or sapling that falls or is cut down, is quickly cut into manageable lengths by someone with a machete and hauled home. Imagine that you needed to cut wood every day just to cook your meal!


Many of them wash their family laundry in open water of rivers or running water alongside the roadway. Often you will see a lady walking along with a large basket or round plastic tub on her head, which may contain cleaned laundry, tortillas, or items purchased from the store and being brought home.

Labor is very plentiful and cheap here. We saw no highway machinery to cut down the weeds and lush growth along the roadway. Instead, there will be a group of men with machetes (no mowers or weed-wackers) cutting the grass and undergrowth from the edge of the pavement, through the ditch and up the bank a little ways. Quite a few other things that we might think of at home would be accomplished with machinery, are done here with manual labor. While we might think this is unfortunate or perhaps even backward, in actual fact, it gives a large population of unskilled labor ways to earn a basic living and provide for their families. It does let me know in a vivid way, why so many people “south of the border” are very eager to get “north of the border.”

While the people here may seem unsophisticated and simple by US standards, they are very devout and eager to serve the Lord. The church members are warm and accepting, generous and genuinely interested in your welfare and those of the others in the church.

Our Adventist pastors here in Guatemala typically have 17-19 churches and church plants. The elder of the church serves in the capacity of a lay pastor, as the district pastor is only at 1 church on any given Sabbath. The members all take up the spiritual work of the church and are very inclusive of all taking part, especially having the teenagers hold integral parts in the church. In my church, young men and women in their teens, lead the music every night, assist with the baptism as a deacon, totally run the PA and computer generated graphics, etc. Although the pastor is only in 1 church per Sabbath, every Sabbath afternoon, all the leaders of the local church (elders, lay pastors) meet with the Pastor for a leadership meeting, to bring reports of the church, the attendance, and what mission projects the church is engaged in. The Pastor then shares leadership principles and mentors his leaders, and also shares a spiritual message (sermon) for them. Because each church and member takes up the work of mission, none of these churches feel deprived or “under-served.” All play a part and all appreciate each other. All expect God to work through them, not just through the Pastor.

When that spirit permeates a church, God can bless and do great things.
It is worthy of your and my contemplation to consider and then act on, "just what God might lead us in our churches to do differently for the sake of mission and for more dependence upon God’s power and His work through all of us, rather than a dependence upon our own 'traditional' way of doing things, or our expectations according to human values."

MISSION REPORT - 8

MISSION REPORT 8

By the time you read this, our young adults from Pennsylvania have presented the topic of baptism, the millennium, hell fire, why so many denominations, and the remnant church. I am so proud of our Pennsylvania young adults who are taking part. Several have shared with me of their spiritual growth.

A couple are quietly and seriously thinking about being re-baptized, either while we are here, or when they return home. God is at work.
Once the PA Young Adults return home, many of them want to hold a two week meeting just like they did here before returning to college or academy at the end of the summer. Please keep them in your prayers as they endeavor to do that, and if you are in a location where they may be seeking to conduct a 2 week meeting, please give them your full support and invite folks to attend.

One of our young adults was assigned to a church about an hour’s drive from where we are staying. On the first night the church members let her know they weren’t too sure about having a female preacher. Also, they did not have any guests attending, just members. After about 3 messages, the church members started to warm up to her, and now, they are extremely supportive and affirming. Although our PA young adult didn’t have any guests attending her meetings, she kept right on preaching with energy and perseverance. Now into the second week, non-member guests have started to come and attend, and even a former member has come and answered the call for baptism.

We found out this week, that this church family did not know they were having an evangelistic meeting until the day before the meetings started (which is very unusual for the Share Him locations), so it appears that after they got used to the young lady speaker from PA and began to appreciate her giving the messages, they began inviting folks from the community!

MISSION REPORT - 7

MISSION REPORT 7

At this point in our time in Guatemala, our young adults have preached for a week and a half. Now we are giving appeals from the front every night for people to accept Christ, accept the Sabbath and accept Baptism. We have covered most of the “testing truths” so we are giving an appeal every night until the end.

The Churches hear do not use “Decision cards” like most evangelists in the United States do. At the conclusion of the message, we begin the invitation and we invite people to raise their hands, to stand and to come forward. It is very common for the Guatemalian pastors to spend 20-30 minutes in making an appeal. Also, it is common for the elders and the deaconesses to come alongside of specific guests and quietly and gently urge them to respond to the appeal, come forward, give their heart to Christ and make a decision for baptism. In the United States, our culture would be very distressed at what would seem to us to be major pressure put on us if we were a guest at a meeting. However here, that is not a negative factor. In fact, last night, I gave an 8-10 minute appeal before the baptism of 4 people.

Then the pastor gave an appeal from the baptistery after the baptism, which went for 40 minutes! During that appeal, I left the platform and came down into the pews/benches where a young man was being invited forward by one of the deaconesses, but he was hesitant. I motioned to him, held out my hand. He took it, and then we walked to the front. After that, I saw the spouse of one the deaconesses who is a member, but has some sinful lifestyle issues, and I walked back to where he was sitting and held out my hand, he stood up, took it, and we walked to the front, where I put my hand on his shoulder and on the shoulder of the young man who I had just led up to the front. Then a woman in her mid to late twenties was in the back and an Elder had been speaking with her. The pastor had continued his appeal while about 12-18 people including 3 young adult couples came forward. So during his appeal, as he looked toward this twenty-something woman, he said to me in his halting English, “Pastor Ray, I need your help.” By then I knew what he meant, so I walked to the back of the church, held out my hand to “Brenda” as I later learned her name was, and she came over and we walked to the front.
Maybe in the United States we would not use those actions as to those in our culture, they might seem too intense. But it made me think, “Do I care for souls so much, that I am willing to move out of my comfort zone, and do whatever it takes, to lead someone to give their life to Christ and make a commitment to live completely for Christ in the middle of this ‘Great Controversy’ zone as the final events on planet earth wind down?” Is a person’s salvation worth my moving close to them and reaching out to their heart, without fear that they might reject the invitation – just taking the risk and trusting the Holy Spirit to speak through, over and around me?

What are we doing, how are we praying, for souls in the United States?

2010 Summer Mission Trip Report 6

MISSION REPORT 6

The rainy season is upon Guatemala. At this time of year it will rain almost every afternoon and on into the evening. Sometimes it even rains in the morning or even most of the day. To the people of Guatemala, they call this the “winter season,” although being from Pennsylvania, I am having trouble considering this as winter. There is a very high humidity at all times, and although the rain can cool the temperatures somewhat, I doubt it never gets below the 70s. During the middle of the day I can drip with perspiration just sitting still!

Yesterday, just this one time of the campaign, the church service for my meetings was held in a 2nd location instead of the church building where all the other meetings are held. This location is on the other side of our town and is actually the house of a lady, with a small front right on the main street. Inside, she has taken what was probably a small store front connected to an open courtyard surrounded by rooms for living space, kitchen bath, bedrooms, opening onto the courtyard, into a makeshift church. This group is a church plant and is ready to be organized as a church right after our campaign time. The chairs were only 5 across and 10 rows deep in this narrow space devoted to the church. I counted 50 people seated and at least another 10 standing, not counting a few others in locations I couldn’t see from the small platform. The Sabbath morning message was on health and tithing.

After a fellowship meal at this “house church” which has the name of La Casa Seventh-day Adventist Church, we drove 2 blocks in the rain, to the location where this group has started construction on a permanent church building. The lady in whose house the church group currently meets, received a lot as a family inheritance, on a street just one block off the main street. She donated her ½ share in this lot and the church group purchased the other ½ share for $20,000 US dollars. The lot is only7 meters wide and about 25 meters deep. The partially constructed church building is 20 feet wide and about 60 feet long. They have been able to construct the walls all the way up, and put on a roof with steel beams and sheet metal/corrugated tin.
What remains to be done to finish the church is to pour the floor, the platform, install the baptistery, windows, doors, electric service and pews. At this point the church only needs about $12,000 US to totally finish and even add Sabbath School rooms for the children, and move in! It will seat 200-300 the pastor estimates. To date, this group has spent about $12,000 US to get to this point and has totally used up every last bit of funds.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Sabbath Schools of the Pennsylvania Conference could take this on as a mission project and help this sister church finish it construction and move in. They see their building as an evangelistic center for reaching more people for Christ, not as a place to land and sit still.

Summer Mission Trip Report 5

MISSION REPORT 5

At this point, our mission team in Guatemala is nearing the half-way point of the evangelistic series. So far the topics we have presented are:
Daniel 2
Signs of Christ’s Soon Return
The Great Controversy (origin of evil)
The Gospel
2,300 Day Prophecy
Judgment
10 Commandments
Sabbath

Tonight we study about the change of the Sabbath. Tomorrow morning at Church our topic will be a combination one on Health/Tithing. And then tomorrow night will be on baptism.

Our young people who are participating are praying daily and working diligently. Today Christina and Levi have gone out with their pastor to visit some of those who are coming as he prepares them for the baptism. One of the young adults preaching each night from Pennsylvania shared with me that they had never really prayed in public before, and this was a major experience for them to be standing up in front of a church full of people and being the one to offer prayer, much less preach!

Last night on the way back from our church site to the hotel where we are staying (a 45 minute drive each way) as our pastor was driving along, we hit a major pothole in the highway. Frequently he is dodging potholes as we drive back and forth. This time, the pothole was so bad that it immediately deflated the front tire. When he was able to drive the car several hundred feet to pull off the side of the road onto a cross-road, we jumped out of the car and found that both tires on the passenger side had been deflated by the same pothole! Although the tire did not look damaged, both metal tire rims had received a major blow which bent the rims to the point they couldn’t hold an inflated tire. I had carried a flashlight, so I held it while the pastor got the jack out and lifted up the side of the car. However, 2 nights before, another pastor had the same issue somewhere else along the route, and lost 3 tires. So our pastor and another pastor had driven to his rescue and used the spare from each of the 3 cars to help him. This night, my pastor still did not have his spare back, so we had no spare, and even if we did, we had lost 2 tires! So here we were in the pitch black, along a highway in Guatemala, under the stars and along a lot of stretch of heavy growth of trees and vegetation. Our pastor called another pastor to ask for help, and while we were waiting out in the darkness, a 3rd and then a 4th pastor who were driving past, saw us and stopped to offer sympathy and eventually supply 2 spare tires. Since we were only ½ way back, the pastor who came up from our hotel site, took us home and that allowed my host pastor to head back to his house without it getting so late. So we arrived back about 1 hour later than usual (11 p.m.). The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the angels kept us safe, we did not cause an accident, nor were we struck by the big trucks that came around the corner and chugged past us. Also, we were blessed, because the group of pastors here all pitch in and help each other.

Many of our churches are seeing an increase in visitors. Wednesday night, my church had 24 visitors and I was told 27 last night. We did have the pastor from a Sunday-keeping protestant church attend last night. He has had some 3-4 of his members attending earlier.

2010 SUMMER MISSION TRIP REPORT 4

2010 MISSION REPORT – 4

God has truly answered the prayers that many of us have been praying for several months. Several of our Pennsylvania young people have been sharing in the last couple of days how much they themselves have grown spiritually. One of our young persons said, “I came here to help these people, but I think the purpose for my coming was for my own spiritual growth.” Others have echoed similar thoughts. Tonight, we preached on the 2,300 days and the time of the end and the day of judgment. It was wonderful to watch and participate with our PA young people as they worked through the topic material and discussed with different ones of us adults, just what this sermon meant and how best to present the material.

Each morning we meet for worship and prayer time. This worship and prayer time lasts almost 1 hour and most of that time is spent in the group praying out loud together. Each person ends up praying at least 1 time, and many people pray more than once. What a powerful time this group worship and prayer time has become.

Following that, we spend time sharing our experiences from the night before, what unusual things occurred at someone’s site, or what the local church or group did, what we learned, what we saw, or how we handled something. This is also a time we share questions and coach each other with suggestions and things we found helpful. Day by day, this group is experiencing God at work right before their eyes and right inside of them personally.
Some in the group are already talking and praying about the meetings that they will be conducting in Pennsylvania. If you could be here, you would be thanking the Lord for our Pennsylvania young people, and their participation and growth in the life and mission of Jesus. Hearing these kind of comments is worth all the time, effort and money spent to bring these PA young people into mission for the salvation of souls.