Climbing the Hills

For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. Job 23:11

We were trudging up a rather snowy, elongated incline and my legs were beginning to wear out. I began to realize, however, that when I kept my eyes attentive on my dad’s footsteps in front of me and trailed the path he formed, it permitted a more bearable hike. As soon as I took my focus off of the track before me and set my eyes upon the rest of the climb I still was obligated to finish...I became disheartened and wearied much more quickly.

This reminds me of Jesus. He is guiding us and leading the way. As long as we are sure to follow in His footsteps and the path He has marked out, the trials and hardships we are hurdling over at that instant don't seem as treacherous. However, when we focus our eyes on the seemingly endlessness of our problems, we quickly become dismayed which increases in us the urge to give up.

God has a path right in front of you; focus not on the apparent boundlessness of your struggles, but upon the feet of your Saviour.

Keep Your Eyes Straight Ahead

“Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” - Proverbs 17:24

 My dad and I were walking across a snow-covered tree that had fallen over a ditched river in the woods. Being very cautious so that we were sure not to slip and fall, we made our way across. Upon reaching the other side, my dad made a comment to me, "You know it's funny how our minds perceive depth. If this log was up as high as the CN Tower, you wouldn't catch me walking across it." Isn't that true for the most of us? Sure, we can do something when there is no/little danger at stake, but when there is a substantially greater margin with which to fall, we back out. The same is with our spiritual lives...we are willing to serve God through thick and thin; when it's easy and there isn't much room for error. However, as soon as the stakes are high and we face the chance of ridicule, failure, rejection, persecution, etc., we tend to back out with our hands above our heads.
              God wants us to keep our eyes on Him. If I were to have walked ahead on that log, not knowing what was underneath me, I have no doubt I could have done it with much more ease. The same is with God; we can handle those heights as long as we keep our eyes up and not look down at the world and the numerous ways to fail. God is our refuge; even if we lose our footing...He is there holding our hands and continually ready to pick us up when we falter. Turn your eyes to the Lord today and don't look down at the ways the world taunts you. God is there and is your refuge.

How Did Sunday Worship Arise?

From Sabbath to Sunday:

               Nowhere in the Bible does it authorize a change from the day of worship of Saturday to Sunday. If there is no biblical evidence that Christ or His disciples changed the day of worship from the Seventh day, then how did so many Christians come to accept Sunday in its place?

                The change from Sabbath to Sunday worship came gradually. The church of Rome, largely made up of Gentile believers (Rom. 11:13), led in the trend toward Sunday worship. In Rome, strong anti-Jewish sentiments arose, becoming even stronger as the time passed. Reacting to these sentiments, Christians in the town were trying to distinguish themselves from the Jews. They dropped some practices held in common with the Jews and initiated a trend away from the veneration of the Sabbath, moving toward the exclusive observance of Sunday.   

                From the 2^nd to the 5^th centuries, while Sunday was rising in influence, Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath nearly everywhere throughout the Roman Empire. In the 4^th and 5^th centuries many Christians worshiped on both Sabbath and Sunday. Sozomen, a historian of that period, wrote, “The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at Rome or at Alexandria.” This reference demonstrates Rome’s leading role in disregarding Sabbath observance.

                Why did those who were turning from worship on the seventh day choose Sunday and not another day of the week? A major reason was that Christ was resurrected on Sunday; in fact, it was alleged that He had authorized worship on that day. “But, strange as it may seem, not one writer of the second and third centuries ever cited a single Bible verse as authority for the observance of Sunday in the place of the Sabbath. Neither Barnabas, nor Ignatius, nor Justin, nor Clement of Rom, not Cyprian, nor any other author who lived near to the time when Jesus lived know of any such instruction from Jesus or from any part of the Bible.”

                The popularity and influence that the sun worship of the pagan Romans accorded Sunday undoubtedly contributed to its growing acceptance as a day of worship. It was “one of the oldest components of the Roman religion.” This popular religion made its impact on the early church throughout the new converts.

                The fourth century saw the introduction of Sunday laws. First, Sunday lays of a civil nature were issued; then came Sunday laws of a religious character. The emperor Constantine decreed the first civil Sunday law on March 7, A.D. 321. In view of Sunday’s popularity amount the pagan sun worshipers and the esteem in which many Christians regarded it, Constantine hoped that, by making Sunday a holiday, he could ensure the support of these 2 constituencies for his government. His law reflected his background in sun worshiping; it read, “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits”.

                The Council of Laodicea (c. A.D. 364), which was not a universal council but a Roman Catholic one, issued the first ecclesiastical Sunday law. In canon 29 the church stipulated that Christians should honour Sunday and “if possible, do no work on that day,” while it denounced the practice of resting on the Sabbath, instructing that Christians should not “be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day.”

                In A.D. 538, the year marked as the beginning of the 1260-year prophecy, the Roman Catholic Third Coucil of Orleans issued a law even more severe than that of Constantine. Canon 28 says that on Sunday even “agricultural labour ought to be laid aside, in order that the people may not be prevented from attending church.”

The 1977 edition of The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine contains this series of questions and answers:

“Q. Which day is the Sabbath day?
“A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
“Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

REFERENCE:
What Seventh-day Adventists Believe

T'was The Night Before Jesus Came

T’was the night before Jesus came and all through the house,
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were laid on the shelf without care,In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl in their bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap,
Was watching the late show while I took a nap.

When out of the east there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was a matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
I knew in a moment that this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head,
It was Jesus returning just like He had said.
And although I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held on His hand,
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as he searched for my name,
When He said, “it’s not here”, my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose heaven bound,
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late,
I waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear,
The coming of Jesus is drawing so near.
There’s only one life and when comes the last call,
We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!


-Via Email: Author Unknown

Only God Knows

When things don't seem to be going right,
look to God for guidence and the
patience you need to endure the trial.

-Precious Moments painting by Bailey Muller

“Leave all your anxieties and worries with Him because He cares for you.”       – 1 Peter 5:7 ClearWord

               

                It was last year and I had gotten the letter I was anticipating; my acceptance into Advance Placement American History. I didn’t really have a particular predilection for history, but an AP class would look superior on my report card and to different colleges who would be considering my application in the future. I had constantly strived to challenge myself so this was seemingly the course for me. As I was handed the letter, my teacher briefly stated the essay that was mandatory to write in order to be enrolled...but I shrugged it off thinking nothing of it.

            Weeks passed and I was once again reminded that the essay date was quickly approaching. I made a mental note to write it on my calendar and make sure I didn’t miss it. When I got home and looked to see when I would have to write the paper, I was quick to realize that it fell on a weekend, and not just any day...but the Sabbath. Now I had a dilemma. I could take it on God’s set day of rest or not show up and miss the great opportunity that was within reach. My mind kept going over the possible outcomes of each road and then, I finally made the decision that I was going to take the test; after all, it’s not like I would be doing anything for my enjoyment...actually, I was pretty sure it would be very UNenjoyable. I figured it would be easier to just ask God for forgiveness than it would be to ask acceptance without the obligatory essay. (We should NEVER have this frame of mind. God expects us to follow His word, especially Sabbath. When we figure we can do what we want and play the “innocent” game later...God can’t truly forgive us.)

            Friday night, I kept recalling different texts that acknowledged God’s children as those who keep His Sabbath day holy and the more I thought about it, the greater guilt I felt of my previous mind-set. While lying in bed, I played with the various ways God could work it out if I didn’t take the essay...he could allow me to take it another day, perhaps not require me to write it at all, or MAYBE he was going to send me to Fountainview like I had been praying so fervently for...perhaps THAT’S why it was scheduled for Sabbath, because if I didn’t take it, it wouldn’t matter with me attending a different school. I figured God would work it out one of those ways, so I grudgingly shrugged off the idea and remained home that Sabbath afternoon rather than heading off to my school.

            Before school commenced this year, I knew that my attending Fountainview was out of the picture. There had been certain complications that prevented my presence, so what was God thinking when He stirred in my heart not to go take my essay!? Why didn’t He work something out? Did He not realize how important this was to me? I began school, yet longed to be in my AP class I had primarily been planning on participating in. As my school year has been progressing, however, my friend shares with me daily the struggles of the class. 50 note cards a week (full front and back) and a huge test on it all with an average of 3 people per class that receive the highest mark of 80% (most students actually failing). Looking at it now, I am so thankful that, even though I didn’t get to go to Fountainview like I had envisioned or be present in the class, God kept me from taking this difficult course.

            Sometimes the situations we are in don’t seem to be heading in the direction we had planned. If everything seems to be falling apart before your very eyes, take all your anxieties, stresses, and worries away and set them before your Heavenly Father. We may not see the positive side right away (like me, where it took over a year), and we may never see why specific circumstances fall into place, but when we get to heaven and see how perfectly God planned our lives, we will praise Him even MORE. Patiently endure your trials, and place your hope and trust in Him. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and pray for God’s will.

Can our "denomination" save us?

            I recently read an email from a friend of mine whom I've been keeping in contact with lately. It arose an interesting point of Christianity and whether or not our denomination can bring us salvation.

            When I was substantially younger I remember thinking that Adventism was the one and only way people could be saved. I began to feel sympathy toward those who were Catholic and Mormon and all the others who weren’t under the name Adventist. I recall a time when I deliberated the question, “If Adventism is the precise direction to pursue then why are there so many other various forms of Christianity and well...religion in general?”

            My answer came to surface when my eyes fell upon Matthew 3:9 which states, "Don't say to me, 'We're [Abraham's descendants], so nothing can happen to us.' That means absolutely nothing as far as your salvation is concerned, because God could create all the children of Abraham He wants to out of these rocks!" The different denominations arose from the various “interpretations” of Bible texts. I believe if the Bible is open to interpretation then God’s primary intention is lost in our feeble minds! If we could understand everything God set before us, we would be equal with Him. That is never and will never be the case! We will not always understand everything and that is the way God wanted it to be. When we have questions over text, we need to pray that God will give us guidance and wisdom to understand that specific portion. We are never to alter God’s Word, adding to or subtracting anything He said; when we do so, it becomes an enormous stumbling block in many peoples’ faith. God has called us to live in accordance to HIS Word; that’s it. We are to read and live the Bible in our everyday lives, to accept Jesus as our risen Saviour, to follow the 10 commandments from the adoration we have for Him, and to listen when God calls on us to do more for Him.

            This brings me to my conclusion...denomination, form, religious “name”...none of that will put a stamp next to your name “SAVED”. Salvation comes from works, works come from faith, and faith comes from the love we have for our Heavenly Father, Creator, and Deliverer.

He's Holding Everything Together

“He existed before anything was created, and by His power everything continues to hold together” Colossians 1:17

            Look at the world and all there is in it...what do you see? Is it evolution from a single atom that scientists still don’t know the origin of? And if we take an even closer look at the atom...secular scientists still have no idea what is keeping it together! They have a “theory” called the strong force and it’s as scientific as it sounds; a force holding the protons of the atom together. Bear with me as I share with you the construction of the atom. It is a complex structure made up of protons and neutrons. Protons (being positive) attract only to electrons (which are negative)...meaning that the protons repel other protons. So HOW then does the atom, which composes all things, stay intact? Protons should repel each other; so why are they bonded so securely? No worldly scientist knows, but we as Christians do. God holds all things together as Colossians 1:17 states.

            Those who defer from God and His creation, tend to spend much more time pondering different aspects of the world, when really...God tells us right in His word! For example, the earth being round is found in Job 26:10, “He draws a circle on the surface of the ocean’s horizon...” and Isaiah 40:22, “God sits enthroned above the circle of the earth...” God has given us the answers long before they were accepted and discovered.

            Yesterday I went to the dentist and learned something interesting from the lady cleaning my teeth. You see, I was born without one of my molars having an adult tooth behind it (a very common thing), so I should have my “baby tooth” for pretty much my whole life. She told me that the little tooth is very peculiar however, because with all the medical research, knowledge, and various studies...that tooth should fall out! They have no idea why, with all the different forces trying to push it out, it stays. When I heard that it really reminded me of God’s holding power. He holds the world together in His perfect hands and He’s the one that makes the world run like a timely clock. It also portrayed in my mind the life of a Christian. We are faced with many struggles, trials, persecutions, and to the extent of torture, yet seem to stay totally intact and at peace. People around and living within our life’s atmosphere don’t understand why we do the things we do with such concord.  What holds them together? Our Saviour!

            When I hear people questioning how this world is running, how it’s being held together, how it “evolved”...it makes me want to yell to the heavens, “DON’T YOU KNOW GOD!? DON’T YOU KNOW HOW FLAWLESSLY HE CREATED THIS WORLD, AND HOW HE HOLDS US AND EVERYTHING IN IT TOGETHER!? Would you like me to help you understand? Shall we pray together so He can give you the wisdom and understanding you need?” I wish I had the boldness and courage that I have in my thoughts...I tend not to be that straight forward with my remarks, but sometimes I wish I had. Though these scientists are questioning, I’m so glad that we have been given the answer.

FACTS FROM THE BIBLE:
A. Job 26:7, “He...hung the earth upon nothing” – God created the Earth and placed it in space...in “nothingness”
B. Isaiah 40:22; Job 26:10 (See above in 2^nd paragraph.)
C. Job 28:25, “He weighted the winds” – Long before scientists knew, God told us that air had weight.
D. Colossians 1:17, “By His power, everything continues to hold together.” (See above in 1^st paragraph.)

I have a request!

Windy night playing with fire! :D

Dear people of the online world, bloggers, followers, passing by-ers, and if you do not fit any of those categories...then you too!,
I have been contemplating over this particular ... thing (specific, I know). It's a question that has somewhat to do with my last post and I would really appreciate each and every one of your thoughts on the specific subject.

Category: Doing something to keep peace.
That's the broad side of it! If you would like to help me out by giving me your opinion than please email me at baileymuller@gmail.com so I can share with you the further story.

And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, or what I'm trying to say...just email me anyway! It is must easier to explain in detail.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and the picture was just to get your attention ( :


Verse of the day: "So be strong and full of courage. Don't give up serving the Lord. The work you do for Him will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7 (Clear Word)

Stoking the Fire Within

Human: God, please protect me.
*Hit by stone*
Human: Why God? Why!?
Jesus: I'm sorry, did I miss one? Are you alright?

                This is a rather general post because too much information is never always necessary. In due time, however, I believe God will use my stories, my encounters, my trials, and my simple testimony to help strengthen the walk of others. As of now...I’m hoping these little notes will suffice.

                Although my Thanksgiving break was rather uneventful, entertainment-wise, God never lets me down spiritually. Faced with a struggle that was diffusing my inner peace and tempting me to lash out at a certain individual, God gave me strength and showed me the amity that can evolve from a deep walk and total dependence on the Deliverer.

                Many things this weekend have erected new questions within... many things have grown me and rooted my life deeper in the Source... and many-a-time did God know explicitly the reason behind each one. Every time I was discouraged, it led to more fervent prayer and study. Every time I had the urge to throw out a few harsh comments to set things straight, it led to the cementing of verses such as “Love your enemies” in my heart.  Whenever I had a question, God was listening. Whenever I was confused and knelt before Him asking Him to forgive me and my war opponent, He forgave and lent me a helping hand.

                So a question I’ve been running through my mind...Should we do things just to keep peace? It depends on the variable, am I right? I believe God calls us to treat everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ. Siblings fight? Sure thing! Usually over simple things such as who gets the bigger piece of cake, who gets to sit in the front seat, who’s right. Jesus calls us to keep peace in these situations; but when something bigger arises...such as watching a certain movie that defiles God’s name, listening to a song that hails Satan, surrendering our beliefs to allow the “comfort” of others...does God want us to give in for the benefit of those around us? No. We are called to not waver like the waves of the sea, but to stand firm in the Lord. We just need to “pick our battles” and know when it’s okay to lay down our arms.    

                Should we run from every hurdle that seems virtually too high for us to conquer? Never. God places certain struggles, certain people, certain entertainment, specific things to help us grow! He never does so to tear us down and see when we will collapse. He is testing our faith. When we can say no to that movie, find something else to do than listen to that tainted song, and stand up for our beliefs no matter what others think it shows our Heavenly Father that we care about Him and not the view of man.

                So back to my weekend. Boring? Oh yeah! But did God work in my heart and continue to stoke my fire for Him? More than you know. (:

When Death is Immanent...

            Praise the Lord for His divine protection! My dad, brother and I were on our way home from a nursing home where we were playing instruments and singing hymns for the elderly who came to listen, and were reiterating the good time we had...when there were lights heading in our direction; there was a car coming directly toward us. My dad luckily had just enough room on the edge of the road to veer off, scarcely evading the vehicle. My heart was hammering as my dad hastily turned our car around and trailed behind the Sierra GMC pick-up. The truck was pulled to the side of the road sitting there for approximately 5-10 minutes before driving a few inches, hitting the breaks, stepping out of the car in attempt to reattach his sock, glancing at our car, and stumbling his way over in endeavour to talk to us. After explaining to us that he was on his way home (which apparently wouldn’t take long at all), that he was limping because he was shot in the leg at work, readdressing his story and elucidating how he was shot in the ear, and telling us it wasn’t necessary to follow him home because he lived in London (30+ minutes away)...he faltered his way back to his truck and slowly lurched out into traffic once again. By this time my dad had the phone in his hand and dialling 911 in effort to reach the police. My dad was on the phone the entire time as we continued to pursue the red vehicle; as we approached a round-about, he stopped (seeming as though he didn’t know where to go) and then entered it...driving in the opposite direction!! He exited the entry ramp as a car was approaching and was feet away from another deathly collision! We followed again, and the truck stopped, did a u-turn, and came to the round-about once again (this time travelling in the right direction); as he exited, he stopped, did another u-turn, and when he realized we were still following he stopped in the middle of the road and walked toward our car (remember, my dad was still on the phone with the police at this time)...he came over and said his house was right up the street and that we could leave (we had barely gotten anywhere) but as he went back to his truck the cops showed up and escorted him to the police car. We remained there and after conversing with the outwardly appearing 55 year old man, a police woman came to our car asking for candy saying that the man was a diabetic and needed it. Having none, she thanked us for the call and we were waved off to go home.
            Now, does it seem that this man was a diabetic? Perhaps, maybe that was a factor, yet there seemed to be more wrong when you think about it, doesn’t there?
            Either way, we left it at that. We were praising the Lord all the way home and thanking Him for sending His angels to keep us safe through the almost unavoidable accident, and from a man that potentially could have been much more dangerous. We live to see another night, which we spent reading Psalm 91...what we call the 911 verse of the Bible.