CHAMPIONS OF LOVE

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I will have JESUS as the guide of my life by.

1- Accepting Him as my personal Saviour from sin, surrendering my all to Him, asking Him not only for forgiveness but for a genuine change of heart, a new nature (Ezek. 36:26; John 3:3-5).

2- Complying with the Scripture terms of pardon – thorough repentance, confession of all known sin to God, and making matters right with my fellow men so far as it is possible (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9; Luke 19:8).

3- Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as my indwelling Saviour, daily and constantly surrendering myself to Him, permitting Him by His Holy Spirit to live His life in me (Col. 1:27; Gal. 2:20).

4- Accepting the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, as my only guide, gladly choosing to follow its teachings (2 Tim. 3:16,17; John 17:17).

5- Walking with Christ each day, by the power of His grace obeying all His commandments (Rev. 14:12; Phil. 2:13).

6- Feeding the new spiritual nature by daily prayer and the study of His Word, and expressing that new nature by sharing my faith with others (Ps. 55:17; Matt. 4:4; Mark. 5:19).

7- Accepting vital Scripture truths such as the personal, literal, and imminent return of Christ (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 1:7; 22:12); immortality trough Christ alone, bestowed at His coming (2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 15:51-55); the unconscious sleep of man in death as he awaits the resurrection (9:5,6; John 5:28,29); the final destruction of those who reject the Saviour´s appeal (Mal. 4:1-3; Rev. 20:9); and the truths that make up God´s special message for this hour, as summarized in Revelation 14:6-12.

8- Showing my love and loyalty to Christ by observing, as He has commanded, the true Sabbath, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday – the same seventh-day Sabbath that, as Creator, He set apart for man at the close of Creation week, and the day that, as my Example, He observed during His life on earth (Gen. 2:3; Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 4:16).

9- Remembering Christ as I handle the money He gives me, returning to Him first the tithe, the tenth of my increase (Gen. 28:122; Mal. 3:8-10; matt. 23:23; see 1 Cor. 9:13,14), and then offerings as I am able, as He prospers me (Deut. 16:17; 2 Cor. 9:7).

10- Recognizing that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 6:19,20); desiring to dedicate it a living sacrifice to Him (Rom. 12:1); endeavouring to eat and drink that will keep my body in the best condition (see Isa. 55:2); and totally abstaining from all intoxicating liquors (Prov. 23:29-32), tobacco in all its forms (see 1 Cor. 3.16,17), swine´s flesh (Isa. 66:17), and other unclean or harmful food or drink.

11- Representing Jesus in my dress, observing His rule of modesty and simplicity in attire, and refraining from the wearing of ornaments, as taught in 1 Timothy 2:9,10 and 1 Peter 3:3,4.

12- Honouring Christ in my selection of reading, conversation, and associates, being separate from the world, as He commands (2 Cor. 6:17), and refraining from all sinful practices of the world – dancing, card playing, theatre attendance, and every other questionable worldly amusement that would feed the old mature (1 John 2:15; James 1:27;4:4).

13- Attending worship service on the Sabbath whenever possible (Heb. 10:25), as well as other services of the church; giving to the Sabbath school my hearty and practical support; and endeavouring to do my part in the work of the church (Rom. 12:4-8).

14- Taking part in the beautiful ordinance of humility, instituted and commanded by the Saviour as a preparation for the communion service (John 13:12-15).

15- Accepting the Spirit of Prophecy as the promised testimony of Jesus in His church of the last days – not to take the place of the Bible, but to keep me close to the Bible (Rev. 12:17; 19:10).

16- Sealing my acceptance of the Saviour and His truth for this hour with baptism by immersion, according to His command and His example (Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 1:9-11; Rom.6:3-6).

FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE

No matter how mixed up or even ruined this planet is at times, if the sun rises and sets, and earth is still spinning on its axis, then God is not done with this planet yet. No matter how terrible your own life may seem to be going and no matter how great your temptation to give up in despair might be, if you are still living and breathing on this planet, then God is not done with you yet. In the midst of all the struggle and perplexity of this life, there is a gift from God called HOPE.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Apostle Paul tells us there are three great virtues or strengths that God imparts to us. Faith, Hope and Love. Many are the times we Christians have heard wonderful teachings about Faith and Love. Few are the times we’ve heard studies about Hope. Basically, HOPE is the strength an dinner knowing placed in our heart by the Holy Spirit that

our life IS going somewhere definite, somewhere good, and our journey on this earth is not some random process, but a journey directed by the hand of God bringing us to a good destination, whether or not we can see or understand that destination at the present moment. The Apostle Paul gives a specific description of that hope in Titus 2;13 where he calls the return of Jesus Christ “the blessed hope.” The appearance and return of Jesus Christ is when all questions will be answered and all problems will be solved. As we look at current events, we more and more see the words of Jesus’ own prophecies about His return being fulfilled and the time drawing closer.

In Jeremiah 29:11, we read: “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promises His people that He has a plan, a future, and a hope for each of us. As we walk through this life, those of us who belong to Jesus Christ have a hope—the assurance from

God that this thing called life on earth is all going somewhere definite—we are not just subject to the random buffeting of accidental events and happenings, but the hand of Almighty God is upon each of our lives molding, fashioning, and guiding us to a destination—and that destination is the ultimate full union and sharing of God’s life with our being fashioned into the very image and likeness of His Son Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Hope tells us that we are headed toward this destination at every moment of our life in Christ whether we can clearly see or understand the present moment or not. Hope is this strength which is given to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit Himself in us is God’s down payment or guarantee of our final destination (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us there are three great virtues or strengths that God gives us—Faith, Hope and Love. Although these three are listed and studied separately, they often work together, and like all the things of God, are meant to work together. Paul tells us rightfully that love, or AGAPE, is the greatest. Then faith is ability to reach into the invisible world of the spirit, lay hold of a promise of God, and bring it to pass back here in the visible material world (PISTIS). Hope (Greek: ELPIS) is the assurance that our life is being directed by God to His goal for us. Paul tells us that we can have faith without love. We can also have hope without love. But love, or AGAPE, is so far superior that if we have love, we will also always have faith and hope. 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love believes all things, hopes all things, and never fails.

Nevertheless, hope is a platform when both love and faith can stop and rest during the difficult moments of life. Hope is a place where love and faith can stop and “catch their breath.” In Hebrews 6:18-20, the Apostle Paul calls hope the anchor of the soul. Just as an anchor holds a boat steady at its place in a harbor—hope holds us steady in our walk with God. The storm cannot shake loose a boat that is held by a good anchor. Hope is that “gut feeling” given to us by the Holy Spirit to keep us steady in the storms of life.

Hope works as a helper to both love and faith. Hope tells us to keep having faith even when it doesn’t seem worthwhile to believe anymore. Hope tells us to keep loving even when it doesn’t seem worth it to love anymore.

The prime example of a person of hope is Abraham. We normally think of Abraham as a man of great faith, and indeed he was. The Old Testament hada special title for him— “Abraham the Believer.” The New Testament calls him the Father of our faith. Abraham was also a man of great hope. He was a man who drew on hope when his faith had been stretched almost to the

breaking point. He had been promised a son by God. The promise was made when Abraham was 75 years old and his wife Sarah was barren. For 25 years, he waited, and waited, and waited. So much time passed and nothing happened. Humanly speaking, the fulfillment of the promise was more than impossible. The word “impossible” was optimistic. But the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans, Chapter 4, that Abraham “hoped against hope.” He drew on hope when not only faith seemed foolish, but even hope seemed ridiculous.

Abraham would continually tell his wife Sarah, “Sarah, this is all going someplace good.” And no doubt, Sarah would half-humor him and probably say, “Yes, I know, Abe. It happens every day—a 100 year-old man and a barren 90 year-old woman have a son.” And Abraham would probably counter and say, “No, Sarah, that’s just the point. It doesn’t happen every day, but God promised ME it WOULD happen to us. That’s why I have faith and hope.” And Paul writes that Abraham, in hope, grew strong in faith and trusted God to perform His promised—and God DID, and Abraham had a son named Isaac.

The opposite of hope is despair. Despair is when we feel there is no reason to go on, no reason to keep living, no reason to believe that anything will ever change again for the better. Hell is the place of eternal despair. The Lord Jesus gave some very detailed descriptions of hell—a place of

darkness, fire, and torment, a place of separation from God where lost souls eternally cry and scream out in agony. But the real hell of Hell is that there is no more hope, ever again. There is the realization of everlasting despair.

In fact, we see the beginning of that hell of despair even in this life in all those who do not have Jesus Christ as their Lord. The Apostle Paul describes such people in Ephesians 2:12—Paul states that if we are separated from Christ, we have NO hope in this world and we are not partakers of the promises of God. How true that is. In our own nation of so much prosperity, we see so many people who own so many possessions, but have such empty hearts—hearts that really have NO hope, for true hope can only come from peace with God through His ஒன்லி begotten Son Jesus Christ. Hope and fulfillment cannot come by owning “one more thing,” or one more better possession.

We also learn from this same scripture in Ephesians that we have two reasons FOR hope if we are in Christ:

1) The Word of God and His promises and covenants and the DURABILITY of those promises and covenants. The entire Word of God is a testimony to the faithfulness of Almighty God to His promises and covenants—He fulfills His promises time after time after time—so that we have a certain hope in them.

2) Jesus Christ and His durability and reliability. He is the only one that God Almighty raised from the dead and miracle power is released whenever His resurrection is proclaimed. On the basis of that reliability and durability, we have a certain hope that we will share in His glory (Colossians 1:27) and we are promised His return to earth to set up a righteous Kingdom of love,

peace and holiness. Paul calls this the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Just as His resurrection and enduring power remain, we know for certain He will return.

Finally, hope is what keeps us faithful during the battles of this life. The Lord Jesus said no person can serve two masters. The trials of life force us to choose at a given moment what is most important to us—God or some thing.

Hope causes us to choose God. One preacher once said that it’s hard to really embrace or hug someone with a lot of things in your hands. Hope causes us to say we’d rather empty our hands of all things, if necessary, so that we can hug God more tightly. But when we do let go of those things rather than lose God, we find that we are hugging the God who is owner of all things and can fill our hands with all the things we let go of, and more.

More important, He has filled our hearts with good things. Faith, Hope, and Love always work together. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul states love never fails. In Romans 5:5, he says hope is never disappointed.

So, if love never fails and hope is never disappointed, faith will always work.

GOD´S LOVE LETTER

THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST

"Faith cometh by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God!"

Did you know that all who hope to ever enter the Heavenly Gates, must sit at the feet of Jesus in the SCHOOL OF CHRIST here on this earth? Many do not realize it but this is one of the MAIN THEMES of Ellen White's messages from the Throne of God, and one of the most essential to understand!

Everywhere God's true servants, be they men or angels are offering entrance applications for this School in the form of Present Truth for this time. Those who are aroused by this Mighty Message are, like the Bereans of old, to begin to study to LEARN FOR THEMSELVES whether these things are so. This is the Entrance Exam for the SCHOOL OF CHRIST, The Mighty Cleaver of Truth!

"The mighty cleaver of truth has taken them out of the world. Then there is the work to be done for them to fit them for God's temple. They are hewed and squared and chiseled and fitted for the mansions in heaven." Sermons and Talks Volume One -PG- 33

By accepting this truth, they enter the SCHOOL OF CHRIST where under the direct instruction of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and guidance of the angels, they begin the course of study that will prepare them for the Higher School above. Notice what they need to learn and how it is taught:

"Learn of Me," says Jesus; "for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest." We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God." The Desire of Ages -PG- 330 "All have lessons to learn in the school of Christ, in order to perfect Christian characters, and have a oneness with Christ." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald -DT- 06-22-86 "In the lower school of earth we are to learn the lessons that will prepare us to enter the higher school, where our education will continue under the personal instruction of Christ." UL -PG- 197 "Here is the admonition, "Come. . .and learn of me." How difficult to enter the school of Christ by giving up our wills, and submitting to the will of our heavenly Father! Christ knows our weakness. He has given us promises to encourage us by the way, and is ever ready to bear our burdens for us if we will bring them to Him." Manuscript Releases Volume Three -PG- 72 "The religion of Jesus Christ has a refining influence upon men and women. When the truth of God finds access to the heart, it commences its refining process upon the character. Men who are coarse and rough become humble, teachable, learning, ever learning, in the school of Christ." Talks Volume One -PG- 33

This SCHOOL is a personal course of study; each student is to receive one on one tutoring from the Three Heavenly Dignitaries Themselves, and the assistant Heavenly angels. Although interacting with other believers, and taking part in a church worship group, this NEVER takes the place of your need to sit in the SCHOOL OF CHRIST. As I said before, only individuals enter this SCHOOL, we cannot be given any 'honorary certificates' because we have our name on church books or even are working for the 'church'.

Although a Pastor or Minister may be one of the reference sources you find in your studies; always remember that they, too, are STUDENTS, who must sit beside you and learn or they won't ever enter the Higher School either! Human Pastors and Teachers are not ever to usurp the place of the Heavenly teachers. Never take a human being as an 'Ultimate Authority'!

As long as life on this earth shall last, we are never, never to cease from studying and learning, ever seeking to bring as much of Heaven into our hearts and lives as we possibly can. Never will we graduate if we merely try to learn only from Pastors and ministers; fellow students themselves; and do not have the one on one tutoring of the Heavenly Powers!

What are the text books in the SCHOOL OF CHRIST? The number one is the Holy Bible, and part of the course is to learn to recognise the TRUE textbook from modern per-versions! Then we have the wonderful resource given to us in the Spirit of Prophecy writings, the special Gift of the Master of the School to His last day people. We are taught also lessons from the books of experience, including crash courses in suffering and trials.

We learn from the books of History and Nature; which must always be studied by the Light of Inspiration in order to be rightly translated and understood. The Master of the School has hidden countless lessons for us in these books.

Part of the Course is learning the Lessons woven into our own wonderfully made Bodies; by learning and living under the discipline of the Laws of Health designed by the Creator, we are helped in all our other studies.

Remember, we are never to graduate from the SCHOOL OF CHRIST as long as life continues here on earth. Never are we to sit back and feel; I have heard it all before, I know all the Bible Lessons, I can just relax and be entertained week after week by the Pastor. If we stop learning for ourselves as individuals under the DIRECT instruction of Jesus and the Holy Spirit —we are DROPOUTS!! We will never reach the HIGHER SCHOOL in Heaven!

Remember too, that reading papers or books from other students must NEVER take the place of reading and studying the Inspired Writings with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Other books and papers are only helpful to the degree in which they draw upon and utilize the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy; man's own ideas and opinions are WORTHLESS! Indeed a student feeding on these will soon flunk out of the SCHOOL OF CHRIST and never graduate to the Heavenly School! Instead, he will transfer to the School of Antichrist, a branch of the School of Satan, and often will not notice the change until too late!

We are pleased to be able to present to you a compilation of 122 of the over 500 references to this ESSENTIAL SUBJECT, through the labors of Elder William O. Berry. We urge you to study these and also go to the context and study more deeply. Your Eternal Life depends on the awareness given in these references!

Mt 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.