www.adventistreview.

org

February 21, 2013

Adventists Plan
NYC Outreach 8
Feel the Power 14
Further Testing 30

CARLTON
BYRD
BREATH OF
LIFE SPEAKER/
DIRECTOR
TAKES NEW
YORK BY
STORM
 Behold, I come quickly . . .
Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ by presenting stories of His
matchless love, news of His present workings, help for knowing
Him better, and hope in His soon return.

16 25 10 6
COVER FEATURE ARTICLES DEPARTMENTS EDITORIALS
16 Carlton Byrd Takes 14 Feel the Power 4 Letters 6 Gerald A. Klingbeil
New York by Storm Homer Trecartin Back to the Future
Celeste Ryan Blyden
Are we connected? Or 7 Page 7
The talented ministry do we need a charge? 7 Carlos Medley
of Carlton Byrd and his 8 World News & Living Examples
Perspectives
dreams for the future 22 iDols
Vincent MacIsaac
13 Give & Take
When do the devices
meant to serve us be- 21 Cliffs Edge
come our masters?
27 Back to Basics
24 At the Well
Galina Stele 30 The Life of Faith
Jesus encounter with
the Samaritan woman 31 Reflections
was no accident.
ON THE COVER Next Week
28 The Eternal Chapter
Carlton Byrd, speaker/director of Lilian Han Im A Journey of Faith
the Breath of Life television min- and Healing
Thank God He knows
istry, uses his talents to honor The White Memorial Medical
us better than we
God and spread the good news. Center is celebrating 100 years
know ourselves.
Cover photo by Dawin Rodriguez of serving its community.

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Executive Publisher Bill Knott, Associate Publisher Claude Richli, Publishing Board: Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Benjamin D. Schoun,
vice chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy; Daniel R. Jackson; Robert Lemon; Geoffrey Mbwana; G. T. Ng; Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol; Michael Ryan; Ella Simmons; Mark Thomas; Karnik
Doukmetzian, legal adviser. Editor Bill Knott, Associate Editors Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Coordinating Editor Stephen Chavez, Online Editor Carlos Medley, Features Editor Sandra
Blackmer, Young Adult Editor Kimberly Luste Maran, KidsView Editor Wilona Karimabadi, News Editor Mark A. Kellner, Operations Manager Merle Poirier, Financial Manager Rachel
Child, Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste, Assistant to the Editor Gina Wahlen, Marketing Director Claude Richli, Editor-at-Large Mark A. Finley, Senior Advisor E. Edward
Zinke, Art Director Bryan Gray, Design Daniel Aez, Desktop Technician Fred Wuerstlin, Ad Sales Glen Gohlke, Subscriber Services Steve Hanson. To Writers: Writers guidelines are avail-
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Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740-7301. Unless otherwise noted, Bible texts in this issue are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are Thinkstock 2013. The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since 1849, is the general paper of
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Thursdays of each month by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Periodical postage paid at Hagerstown, MD
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www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 3 1 ) 3

 inbox
I appreciated the thought- capable and desires to be a
provoking article Religious parent. In an ideal world
Freedom in America. In it every child would have the
Nicholas P. Miller writes: opportunity to be raised
Letters From Our Readers This approach would also with two loving parents of
Janu
ary 2
4, 20
13
recognize the moral value of both genders. . . .
3
Vol. 190, No.
protecting the goals and The most urgent attention
speak volumes for good or ends of the child-raising unit is needed for repeal of the
g 24, 2013
ventistreview.or January
www.ad

Let Me serve
you 7
Budget
2013 world Mission 11
Focuses on
to atheists
Listening
14

a
evil! of a mother and a father, and law prohibiting a counselor/
Whats Do?
Body to to panic
How not doctor
wHen tHe cancer.
says, its
Pam Cross reserve its full approval for preacher/physician/etc. from
Altamont, Tennessee such relationships. Such an advising any person under
Janua

Vol. 190, No.

ry 17
, 2013

2 approach may allow for civil 18 who desires such counsel-

www.adventistr
eview.org January
17, 2013

a Greeting 7
unions for tax and insurance ing to modify or alter same-
A Wave and

purposes, but it would limit sex attractions. This is

Unaffiliated
Religiously Worldwide
8
Swell
Divine Assassi
n? 26

marriage and the right to dangerously foreboding and

Inspirational Review
s
Religiou in
Freedom d
the Unite
raise children to heterosex- totally outside the realm of
Wow! What an inspiring States

IS one of
ual couples based on moral the state to legislate such
Review! Im referring to the the mostental
fundam S
arguments about the pur- (morality).
freedom tack?
January 24, 2013, edition. under at poses of procreation and the Denise
First, Listening to Atheists, rights of children to benefit Location Withheld
by Grenville Kent, is an excel- Religious Freedom from the special care pro-
13
0, 20
ary 1

1
Janu

Vol. 190, No.

lent article. Never before in America vided by a mother and a www.ad

ventistreview.o
rg January
10, 2013

Study
OrdinationNamed
Committee
8

With more than a little

Willing to
Be Led 15
27

have I seen printed the rea- father.

Gods Peddler

sons atheists have for their skepticism I began reading This statement seems What Is a
beliefs (eternal hell, etc.). Religious Freedom in Amer- inconsistent with the issues Mystic?
Seeking ionShip
companist
with Chr

This article offers good ways ica, by Nicholas P. Miller or realities faced by single
to approach atheists. (Jan. 17, 2013). But into the parents (who may or may
In KidsView C. D. Brooks second page Miller began not have previously been
Who Finished the Build- putting it all together with married) or by single per-
ing? is an excellent illustra- an impeccable discussion of sons who wish to adopt chil- What Is a Mystic?
tion of Gods miracles. moral philosophy and the dren. I know of singles who It was with great disap-
Two articles, Gina dissenting (free church) adopted. I also know of one pointment that I read the
Wahlens Whats a Body to position (in opposition to single woman who raised a article What Is a Mystic? by
Do? and Allan R. Handy- both right-wing Christian child conceived by artificial Eric Anderson (Jan. 10, 2013).
sides Coping With Cancer, conservatives and left-wing insemination. In these and Anderson has chosen to sub-
were enlightening in regard liberals). other similar situations a tly guide the reader through
to cancer options. I am sure Miller gives a nuanced sole person of either gender a maze of semantic twists
many families have been rav- discussion of a rational (both never married and pre- and turns in an unbiblical
aged by someone close hav- approach to current foot- viously divorced) has most effort to justify the accep-
ing cancer. These articles ball issuesa rationale assuredly successfully raised tance of mystics and mys-
showed alternatives to what more Adventists should a child/children. There is no ticism into the Seventh-day
we normally do. Excellent! study. It places these issues natural moral argument to Adventist spiritual life.
Art Miles within a framework of allow the state to enforce or Anderson first supports
Apison, Tennessee weighted factors, resulting legislate the right to raise his thesis by quoting two
in a fine-tuned balance. It children to heterosexual early-twentieth-century
Taking the Hint avoids extremes and protects couples and exclude every- writer/poetsKathleen Nor-
Im writing to thank against future suppression one else. How unfortunate it ris, a Benedictine-trained
Andrew McChesney for of the minority religious would be for many children Catholic, and Evelyn Under-
reminding us that God view. If understood, Millers not to have the privilege or hill, who, going against her
wants Christians to avoid the approach would minimize the right to be raised by a own spiritual mentor, was
ways of the world (see Tak- much of the polarization we loving single person who is ultimately drawn into mysti-
ing the Hint, Jan. 24). The find on many issues within cism and Catholicism. It is
way we talk, act, and dress our church and nation. concerning that the author
Connie Dahlke advocates for the beliefs of
Walla Walla, Washington

4 ( 1 3 2 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

such writers and suggests
their counsel should guide
an Adventists spiritual walk
with God.
An even greater concern is
his implication that mysti-
cism is affirmed by Ellen
White. Numerous quotes
from the Spirit of Prophecy
warn strongly against mys-
tics and any form of mysti-
cismcalling it satanic
and spiritualism. To sug-
gest that White affirms the
beliefs that she emphatically
warns against disparages her
as a prophet of God and bla-
tantly affirms error.
Anderson concludes by
urging Christian mysti-
cism as a remedy for
Adventists today. Despite the
clever semantics of the
author, Christian mysti-
cism is truly an oxymoron.
The combination of the
sacred (Christian) and the
profane (mysticism) cannot
be justified.
Janet C. Neumann
Walla Walla, Washington
The author of What Is a
Mystic? distorts the writ-
ings of Ellen White by imply-
ing that she was describing
mysticism as the term is
commonly understood. A
footnote acknowledges that
for White the terms mysti-
cal and mysticism were
usually negative terms. Why,
then, does Eric Anderson
We draw close to Jesusnot just by
mountain retreats, quiet places, and prayer
retreats, but also by active service for Him.
attempt to put a positive
sheen on them? Mysticism
could prepare the way for
spirit guides that are not the
Holy Spirit.
We draw close to Jesus
not just by mountain
retreats, quiet places, and
prayer retreats, but also by
active service for Him. The
way White put it, Christ
spent His life between the
mountain and the multi-
tude. Is it not possible to
promote quality time with
Christ without going down
the same road as the Catholic
mystics who retired from
society to be close to Jesus?
Cindy Tutsch
Silver Spring, Maryland
Pediatric Obesity
Former U.S. surgeon gen-
eral Richard Carmona once
said, The greatest threat to
our national security is pedi-
atric obesity. Why? Because
the kids and teens of today
are our future; our tomor-
cindy tutsch, Silver Spring, Maryland
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 3 3 )
row. Their health status now
will impact our health-care
system, military, labor force,
economy, Social Security, etc.
Thats why I was glad to
see Allan R. Handysides and
Peter N. Landless broach this
topic in their December 27,
2012, Ask the Doctors col-
umn. While they gave a lot of
great statistics and facts out-
lining the problem, the doc- Guinea, Dec. 27, 2012).
tors spent only the last two
paragraphs talking about
solutions for grandparents
and parents to consider.
Here are a few more
resources that we recom-
mend in our Family Fit pro-
gram held at Loma Linda
Universitys Drayson Center: Pacific Division is a reminder
Super Sized Kids, by Walt
Larimore, M.D., and Sherri
Flynt, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.
Disease-proof Your Child:
Feeding Kids Right, by Joel
Fuhrman, M.D.
Gods Design for the Highly
Healthy Child, by Walt Lari-
more, M.D.
Kid Shape Caf (150+ kid-
tested recipes), by Naomi
Neufeld, M.D.
www.superkidsnutrition.
comone of the best nutri-
tion Web sites, packed with
resources for kids and par-
ents, by Melissa Halas-Liang,
M.A., R.D., C.D.E.
http://circle.adventist.org/
download/PI-KidsExercise. either the editors of the Adventist
pdfan excellent kid fitness
article for parents, by Chris-
tine Wallace, for CIRCLE, a
resource for Adventist
educators.
Ernie Medina, Jr.
Loma Linda, California
John Lello
Please pass on our deepest
sympathy to Pam Lello and
her children (see Accident
Kills John Lello in Papua New
Papua New Guinea has a spe-
cial place in the hearts of
everyone of the Knopper
family. My brother-in-law,
Peter Knopper, died at the
Homu Bible School in 1988
as the result of being shot.
Any loss in our South
of the great sacrifice being
made in spreading the love
of Jesus to this dying world.
May God be close to this little
family that has been left to
face the world without a hus-
band and daddy.
Corinne Knopper
Cooranbong, New South
Wales, Australia
We welcome your letters, noting,
as always, that inclusion of a letter
in this section does not imply that
the ideas expressed are endorsed by
Review or the General Conference.
Short, specific, timely letters have
the best chance at being published
(please include your complete
address and phone numbereven
with e-mail messages). Letters will
be edited for space and clarity only.
Send correspondence to Letters to
the Editor, Adventist Review, 12501
Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD
20904-6600; Internet: letters@
adventistreview.org.
5
 Editorials

Back to the Future

Around New Years, bloggers, columnists, editors, and
pundits often dare a look into the proverbial looking glass. Whats the outlook for the economy?
How will the political shadowboxing in Washington, D.C., play out? What will be the social
phenomenon of the year? What surprises will we get from Cupertinoor any other small or big
gadget company?
You wondered about 2013 as you stepped into January 1. I didand so did billions of others.
With two teenagers and a preadolescent roaming the space of our home, change and action has
become the Leitmotiv of our lives. What will happen in their lives in 2013? What will happen in
the church we love and cherish in 2013?
Every December The Economist publishes a special issue looking at the big picture of the coming
year. 2013 was no exception. An issue, full of best guesses and (at times) thoughtful comments,
Gerald A. also included a look by Edward Lucas, an international editor of The Economist, at what he thought
Klingbeil 2013 would bring for Christianity.* I was intrigued. Lucas sees secularism gaining ground (not
really too difficult to discern) and bleak times for Christianity in Europe and the Middle East (we
knew about that, but its good to remember that missionaries are needed to reach the crib of
Protestantism and the region where most of the biblical stories happened). He forecasts tremen-
dous tension within the worldwide Anglican Church and more splintering over gay issues, theo-
How can 17 logical liberalism, and the role of Scripture for the practice of the church. He thinks that
Catholicism will decline even further in Europe and North Americaalbeit not in Asia and Africa.
million Adventists Finally, Lucas suggests that Christianity as a whole will boom in eastern Asia, including also South
Korea, China, and Taiwan.
make a difference As I read this take on 2013 I found myself at times nodding or shaking my head. Lucas did not
write about the Seventh-day Adventist Churchyet in my mind I compared his comments with
in a world of our reality. Yes, Europe, Australia, and increasingly North America are becoming more secular by
the dayincluding Protestant U.S.A. Yes, we are currently facing hot theological issues (think
7 billion? ordination of women) that will test our ability to study and stand together to the utmost. Yes, we
are delighted to see tremendous church growth in Africa, Central and South America, and some
other parts of the world. Yet this church is not like any other church. It is not just another denomi-
nation. At the risk of being severely chastised by some of our readers for being arrogant and
conceitedthis is Gods end-time remnant, a visible part of the larger universal church of people
who are ready to follow the Lamb wherever He leads.
This claim is not based on sociological or historical realitiesit is based on Scripture and
detailed further in the prophetic word. It translates into a call to mission and transformation,
sharing a special message in a special timein 2013.
I feel overwhelmed by the numbers. How can 17 million Adventists make a difference in a
world of 7 billion? How can .24 percent reach the remaining 99.76 percent? Jesus used the imag-
ery of yeast leavening dough. In His time everybody had seen this at home. I am sure they could
not explain too well the involved chemical processesbut they saw it work. I cannot see exactly
how we will do it, but we will, because Gods Spirit guides this movement. I cannot really tell how
we will resolve our theological questionsbut we will, if we keep following the Lamb. I cannot
even project what will happen in the lives of my family in 2013but I want to walk confidently
holding my Saviors hand.
So, just for a moment, set aside the numbers, threats, issues, and to-do lists. Lift up your eyes
and know that your salvation is near. n
* Edward Lucas, Christianity at Bay, The Economist, December 2012, p. 29.

6 ( 1 3 4 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

Living Examples
In January I had the rare opportunity to spend a few winter
days in FloridaMiami, to be exact. The weather was sunny, and the temperatures reached more
than 80 degrees in the daytime. The chance to wear summer clothes in the middle of winter was
pure delight. The climate was in stark contrast to the freezing temperatures at home in Maryland.
But despite wonderful weather, the occasion was a solemn one. Our family came together to
honor the life of my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Krigger, who passed away in December at age 92.
More than 200 friends and family members packed the modest-sized church to celebrate her
life. She was remembered with music, the spoken word, acknowledgments, and reflections from
friends, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. The impact of her life was evident
by the stories they shared, as well as the expressions of love that filled the service.
As I reflected on the memorial, I couldnt help realizing that the many acts of kindness my
mother-in-law performed were a living example of what Christians everywhere should be about.
Carlos
By reaching out to neighbors, praying for a hurting coworker, or encouraging a young student or Medley
senior citizen, we are spreading the warm sunshine of Christs love and compassion in a cold,
sinful world.
Through acts of kindness we reflect the character of Christ to those around us. The apostle Paul
said it well: Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself
wrote itnot with ink, but with Gods living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into
human lives (2 Cor. 3:2, 3, Message).*
As God looks into our lives He wants to see Himself. If we are willing, He will. n
* Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Say It Again! This month we remember the words from

some Adventist African-Americans.

FRANK HALE
If the General Conference, the union conferences, the local conferences, the publishing
houses, the evangelists, the ministers, the missionaries, and the educational and medical
institutions would all combine their powers to erase the smudge of racial segregation
and discrimination among us, the whole system would crack and crumble overnight.
Such a challenge is for us the living! I have no other plans but to accept this challenge.
Former President of Oakwood College (1966-1971) to F. L. Peterson, May 3, 1961

THE AEOLIANS
The Aeolians could sing passages from the phone book and still
make you feel the presence of the Divine.
Huntsville Times, November 1997. The Oakwood College (now University) choir,
the Aeolians, have ministered through music since their organization in 1946.

CHARLES BRADFORD
We need to recapture the word movement and all that it implies.
Former President of the North American Division (1979-1990), 1975

Photos and quotes are courtesy of www.blacksdahistory.org. Visit the site for more information on African-American Adventists.
 World News & Perspectives
Photo : Rohann D. W ellington /G N YC
MEMBERS IN TRAINING: Seventh-day Adventists from around the New York City metropolitan area lis-
ten to Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the General Conference, as part of a lay training series held through-
out the region preparing for the NY13 evangelistic outreach.
North America
Adventists Prepare for
New York City Outreach
Training spans multiple sites; participants
eager to reach neighbors for Christ.
BY ADVENTIST REVIEW staff
Hundreds of Seventh-day Adventists
from the metropolitan New York area
where the overall population is esti-
mated at 19 million, more than 50
percent above that of metro Los Ange-
lesgathered at a series of January
18-20, 2013, meetings to prepare for a
major evangelistic outreach called NY13.
The numbers, throughout the region,
were impressive: 2,000 gathered at an
auditorium at Hunter College in Man-
hattan for worship and training, and
560 packed the Linden Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Queens to attend
Ernestine Finleys Light Your World for
God seminar on how to become an
effective lay Bible instructor.
More than 300 peopledouble the
expected numberflocked to Harlems
Fort Washington Spanish Seventh-day
Adventist Church to hear Denzil McNei-
8 ( 1 3 6) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013
lus, a banker from Dodge Center, Min-
nesota, who represented the Adventist-
laymens Services and Industries orga-
nization along with Robert Costa, Gen-
eral Conference evangelism coordinator, day Adventist Churchs Mission to the
present a New Beginnings seminar to
train lay preachers.
Commenting on the attendees
enthusiasm, McNeilus said, I am con-
vinced that there are thousands of lay-
people waiting to be challenged to do
something significant for the Lord. They
just need to be trained and equipped.
Noted Seventh-day Adventist evange-
list Mark Finley taught a class on how to
organize home Bible study groups
focusing on the book of Daniel. His
seminar was attended by more than 170
people and was held in Manhattans
Greenwich Village Seventh-day Advent-
ist Church, which in June will see Gen-
eral Conference president
Ted N. C. Wilson preach
an evangelistic series
there. Wilson began his
pastoral work as a minis-
terial intern at the Green-
wich Village church.
Along with the lay
training events, more
than 1,400 youth gathered
in two locations spon-
sored by the Greater New
York and Northeastern
conferences. These young
people were challenged to
be part of something
great for God and use
their influence to touch
their friends with the gos-
pel during NY13.
Don King, president of
the Atlantic Union Confer-
ence of Seventh-day Adventists,
declared, NY13 is a united approach
bringing us all together to focus on
reaching people in this great metropoli-
tan area for Jesus.
During NY13 approximately 400
evangelistic meetings will be conducted
in the metropolitan New York area.
Hundreds of churches and thousands
of church members will be involved,
Adventist leaders said.
The massive evangelistic outreach in
New York City is part of the Seventh-
Cities initiative. Church leaders at every
level of church organization have iden-
tified 630 major cities worldwide to
focus their evangelistic energies and
resources on in the next three years.
This comprehensive evangelistic
approach blends biblical principles
with the practical, divinely inspired
counsels of the Spirit of Prophecy to
reach people living in these urban cen-
ters with Jesus end-time message of
hope for our time.
More information about the New
York City outreach is available online at
www.ny13.org. n
with information from Mark Finley
 SOUTH AMERICA
Brazilian
Adventists
Help in Healing
After Santa
Maria Inferno
In wake of nightclub fire
that killed hundreds, blood
drive, first aid given.
photos courtesy ASN

By Felipe Lemos, ASN,

reporting from Brasilia, Brazil

Seventh-day Adventist young

adults in Brazil rallied to donate blood in
the wake of the worlds deadliest night-
club fire in more than a decade.
At least 231 partygoers died, and
some 200 were injured, on January 27,
2013, when a bands pyrotechnics dis-
play ignited ceiling insulation at a club
in downtown Santa Maria, about 200
miles west of Porto Alegre in the state of
Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost
state of Brazil. The fire released flames
and toxic smoke into the panicked
crowd, and a stampede broke out,
media reports indicate.
As victims flooded local hospitals,
medical staff urgently appealed to the
ready to donate: Young donors participated in the Vida por Vidas blood drive.
site of tragedy: A fire at a nightclub in downtown Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul,
Brazil, killed at least 231 people on January 27, 2013, and left hundreds injured, leaving
area hospitals scrambling to restock blood banks.
Adventist-run Vida por Vidas (Life for
Lives) blood-donation organization in
South America. The denomination is
known for handling large-scale blood
donation drives, especially in Brazil,
where health officials estimate the proj-
ect annually contributes 3.5 million
units of blood.
Blood donors gathered early on Sun-
day, January 27, at the Central Adventist
Church in Santa Maria and immediately
headed to the citys Blood Donation
Center, said Vida por Vidas coordinator
Adriano Luz.
Meanwhile, Adventist medical staff
volunteered at local hospitals, among
them Dr. Jocemara Fernandes, who
received an emergency call to aid vic-
tims early Sunday morning.
The scene of horror and despair I
witnessed was unprecedented in my
experience, Fernandes said. She has
worked in a local emergency room for
more than a decade.
Fernandes treated at least 15 victims
between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Sun-
day. Most people had problems related
to smoke inhalation, she said.
Another young victim suffered sec-
ond-degree burns and had difficulty
breathing, Fernandes said. Most victims
were under the age of 30.
What we can do now is pray, for the
injured and the bereaved families, that
God will help them, Fernandes said.
Santa Maria mayor Cezar Schirmer
declared a 30-day mourning period, and
local authorities continue to investigate
the cause of the blaze, according to
media reports.
Vida por Vidas was launched in 2006
and is overseen by young Brazilian Sev-
enth-day Adventists. n

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 3 7 ) 9

 World News & Perspectives

GREATER MIDDLE EAST UNION MISSION

Lichtenwalter
to Lead Islamic
Studies, Theology
Faculty at Middle
East University
Veteran Adventist theologian
has taught at Andrews
University for 12 years.
M eu photos

By Rachel Lemons, deputy director

of communications, Middle East URBAN OASIS: Larry Lichtenwalter praised the Middle East University campus
University, writing from Beirut, Lebanon as an oasis in the middle of Beirut.

The religion of Islam and the Middle enth-day Adventist serve. Our world has
East region are firmly situated within the Theological Seminary become more and more
global spotlight of modern society. With at Andrews University. multicultural in its per-
such prominence it is vital that the Sev- He is the author of spective. I believe this
enth-day Adventist Church develop a eight books and has campus can provide
solid understanding of the region and its published articles in some diversity in the
dominant religion in order to effectively various publications, theological realm that
minister to, and interact with, its diverse including Adventist some other schools
inhabitants and adherents. Review and Dialogue, a would not be able to.
Within the Adventist community, Seventh-day Adventist MEU aims to provide
Middle East University (MEU) envisions journal for college a theology program
itself as the knowledge center on topics students. that complements
that relate to, or intersect with, the Mid- In Lichtenwalters those of its sister uni-
dle Eastern region, its religions, its cul- estimation the MEU versities around the
tures, and its languages. Central to this campus is a little world by providing a
vision is the development and expan- haven amid all the con- semester abroad, which
sion of the Institute of Islamic and Ara- centrated city thats NEW DEAN: Larry Lichtenwalter, complements the theo-
bic Studies, along with the Faculty of around it. Its a lovely a veteran Seventh-day Adventist logical curriculum they
Theology, to be headedas of March campus, and it has pastor and instructor at Andrews are studying at their
University, will head the Institute
2013by veteran Seventh-day Advent- potential and room for of Islamic and Arabic Studies, home universities. In
ist pastor and teacher Larry Lichtenwal- the addition of more along with the Faculty of Theol- charting out MEUs
ter, whose appointment was recently buildings. ogy, at Middle East University in niche in the space of
announced. Lichtenwalters breadth of In addition to the Beirut, Lebanon. theological education,
experience promises to bring a unique potential of the cam- Lichtenwalter
perspective to the expansion and matu- pus, Lichtenwalter believes that the Fac- described a curriculum, a program
ration of the programs, school officials ulty of Theology and the Institute of where you have your Islamic and Arabic
believe. Islamic and Arabic Studies have the component. That is what MEU is seek-
Lichtenwalter has served as pastor of potential to flourish as well. When ing to serve.
Village Seventh-day Adventist Church in asked about his vision for the programs, Lichtenwalter completed his
Berrien Springs, Michigan, for the past he said, I think we have some very undergraduate studies at Southern
27 years. During this time he saw his exciting possibilities. Theres no doubt Adventist University and his Master
pastoral ministry evolve to include aca- that the multicultural and contextual of Divinity and Ph.D. at Andrews Uni-
demic roles as well. He recounts that setting of MEU has a lot to offer to any versity. He is married to Kathie, and
over the past 12 years he has taught a young person thinking about what to they have five sons and two daughters-
class almost every semester at the Sev- do with their spiritual life or how to in-law. n

10 ( 1 3 8 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

 NORTH AMERICA
GENESIS THEME:
Genesis Is Theme of 2013 VBS The Bibles first
book, Genesis, is the
Program From AdventSource theme of Investiga-

Photo : adventsource
tion Station, the
By Cassie Milnes Martsching, communication director, 2013 Vacation Bible
AdventSource, writing from Lincoln, Nebraska School kit from
AdventSource.
Exploring the Bibles first book, God created the universe. Adventist children in learning biblical
Genesis, and learning fundamental God blessed the seventh day. truths.
truths about where the earth came from God made rules that were broken. VBS is one of the most effective out-
and Gods plan for their lives are activi- God is ready to save us. reach programs a church can offer,
ties provided for kids during Investiga- God helps us start over. AdventSource said in a statement. Pro-
tion Station: The Genesis Factor, the vide the families in your church and
2013 Seventh-day Adventist Vacation Kids will also learn how science and community with a fun and uplifting
Bible School program now available nature support the Bible by watching experience they will not forget by con-
through AdventSource in Lincoln, interactive video segments featuring ducting the Investigation Station VBS at
Nebraska. Rich Aguilera, Guide magazine creation your church, the group added.
Investigation Station: The Genesis columnist. This program is available from
Factor is an interactive VBS that teaches A team of Seventh-day Adventist pas- AdventSource, at www.adventsource.org
kids about Genesis and the God of cre- tors, childrens ministry professionals, or 402-486-8800, or the Adventist Book
ation. The kids, who act as junior inves- and VBS leaders developed the lessons Center, at 800-765-6955, or www.advent
tigators, will receive daily assignments with a passion for sharing the real cre- istbookcenter.com. The Investigation
related to the theme. As they travel ation story and Gods plan of redemp- Station is available in English and
through the daily learning stations, they tion. Investigation Station contains Spanish.
will gather clues that will help them Seventh-day Adventist beliefs including Investigation Station VBS was created
answer the question of the day. God as the Creator, the seventh-day Sab- by the Childrens Ministries Department
Each day the kids will dig into a Bible bath, baptism, and heaven. Each lesson of the North American Division in part-
story found in Genesis, and they will is specifically designed to connect with nership with the Review and Herald Pub-
learn that: community children while engaging lishing Association and AdventSource. n

GERMANY
ADRA Germany
Gains New
Leader
Molke follows Lischek, who
started group 27 years ago
By Adventist Press
Service, Switzerland
P hotos: Copyright A DRA Germany

The Seventh-day Adventist pastor

who founded and led the German branch
of the Adventist Development and Relief
Agency, ADRA, has retired after more than
a quarter century in that role.
It is not difficult for me to retire LEADERSHIP CHANGE: Erich Lischek, left, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, retired
from the management of ADRA Ger- recently as ADRA Germany country director. At right, Christian Molke, who is the new
many, because I know that my successor, country director.

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 3 9) 11

 World News & Perspectives

Christian, will meet the challenges of
the international ADRA network,
declared Erich Lischek. He is leaving
after organizing and developing ADRA
since 1986. As relief agencies we have
learned to join forces in major disasters.
I am grateful that I was able to support
these efforts.
Lischek established ADRA Germany in
Darmstadt in 1987, starting with only
one part-time secretary. ADRA now has
28 employees and 10 volunteers in the
headquarters in Weiterstadt, close to
Darmstadt. The charity also offers an
apprenticeship in office communication.
Gnther Machel, chair of the ADRA
Germany board, thanked Erich Lischek: ADRA network, with 120 country offices.
From a humble beginning ADRA has It is also a member of the countrys Joint
become a major relief agency. Lischek Welfare Association (Parittischer Wohl-
has shaped ADRA Germany, and he will fahrtsverband) and cofounder of the
continue to cooperate as managing Association of German Development
director of the ADRA Foundation. NGOs (VENRO), Relief Germany, and
Christian Molke, also a Seventh-day Together 4 Africa. In cooperation with
Adventist pastor, is the new ADRA direc- the Weltwrts project of the German
tor, having begun his work in January state, ADRA Germany sends approxi-
2013. Previously he led the Seventh-day mately 15 volunteers per year to sup-
Adventist Church in the federal states of port projects in Albania, Costa Rica,
Hessen, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saar- India, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova, and Tan-
land, with 65 churches, 4,600 members, zania. For additional information about
and 34 pastors. Molke transitioned to ADRA Germany, visit the English-lan-
his new task in the summer of 2012. guage section of the groups Web site
ADRA Germany is part of the global at www.adra.de/en/english.html. n

NORTH PACIFIC UNION

Hoover to Lead
Upper Columbia
Conference, Succeeding
Folkenberg, Jr.
Veteran pastor, administrator moves
from Georgia-Cumberland Conference.
By Jay Wintermeyer, Upper Columbia
Photo: Upper Columbia Conference

Conference communication director,

reporting from Spokane, Washington

Paul Hoover accepted the call to serve as president for

the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
He will serve as president following Bob Folkenberg, Jr.s
recent move to the China Union Mission.
Hoover says, On behalf of Patti and myself, we want
you to know we are deeply honored and humbled to accept
the opportunity to serve with so many dedicated wonder-
ful people. We look forward to following Gods leading
and becoming a part of the Upper Columbia Conference
family.
Hoover, currently vice president for administration for
the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, grew up in several
places around the world, as his father was in the military.
He was baptized into the Adventist Church in 1977 in
Tampa, Florida. Hoover attended Southern Adventist Uni-
versity, where he graduated in 1980 with a bachelors
degree in theology, and then from Andrews University in
1983 with a Master of Divinity degree.
CONFERENCE LEADER: Paul Hoover, left, a veteran Seventh-
day Adventist pastor and administrator, is the new president
of the Upper Columbia Conference, headquartered in Spo-
kane, Washington. Patti, at right, is his wife and a registered
nurse.
He served as pastor in the Kentucky-Tennessee, Okla-
homa, and Georgia-Cumberland conferences. In 1991 he
accepted a call to the Georgia-Cumberland Conference and
pastored the Smyrna-King Springs church and Calhoun,
Georgia, church. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree
from Andrews University in 2001.
Hoover enjoys running, golf, road biking, and spending
time with his family. His wife, Patti, is a registered nurse.
They have two grown sons. n

12 ( 1 4 0) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013


sha re with us
We are looking for brief submissions in
these categories:
Sound Bites (quotes, profound or
spontaneous)
Adventist Life (short anecdotes, espe-
cially from the world of adults)
Jots and Tittles (church-related tips)
Camp Meeting Memories (short,
humorous and/or profound anecdotes)
Please send your submissions to Give &
Take, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia
Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600; fax:
I llustration: Phil M cKay/good salt.com
301-680-6638; e-mail: marank@gc.advent-
ist.org. Please include phone number, and
city and state from which you are writing.
Soun d B it e
When no one else would
be caught dead with us,
He was not ashamed
to call us brothers.
terry crews
adv e n t ist l i f e
Me: Chloe, guess what? You get to have lunch with your favorite guy in the world!
Chloe: I get to have lunch with God?
I explained to my young daughter that she would be having lunch with her second-
favorite guy in the worldDaddy.
Heather Cross Young, Nashville, Tennessee
Morning conversation with 2-year-old Noah:
Do you know what today is? I asked with a big smile on my face.
Noah: Sabbath!
No, Noah, todays only Monday. Today is another special day. Your birthday!
For him, the only special day is Sabbath!
Wendy Engelmann, Germany
h e ra l d s tru m p e t
Hi, kids! Heralds trumpet is once again hidden
somewhere in this magazine. If you find it, send a post-
card telling us where. Be sure to include your name and
address! Then well randomly choose three winning
postcards.
In our last contest (November 15, 2012) we stumped
almost everyone! We had 4 entries. Who were the win-
ners? Micah Garcia, from Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Alex Meier, from Beltsville, Maryland; and Ilcias Vargas,
Jr., from Ringgold, Georgia. Each received a book from
Pastor Jim Howard, during
Pacific Press and a KidsView beach ball. Where was the
his December 22, 2012, Christmas
trumpet? On page 29.
sermon.
If you can find the trumpet this time, send your post-
card to Heralds Trumpet, Adventist Review, 12501 Old
Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600. The
prize will be . . . a surprise! Look for the three winners
names in the May 9, 2013, edition of the Adventist
Review. Have fun searching, and keep trumpeting
Jesus loveand His second coming!
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 4 1 ) 13
 Devotional
FEEL
Power Comparing Peter
at Pentecost
and Saul
at Ramah
C
lick, click, click, click, click. With
BY a sinking feeling in the pit of
HOMER your stomach you get out
and look under the hood,
TRECARTIN whether or not you know
what to look for. You text a friend, call
AAA, or just stand there gazing long-
ingly at any approaching vehicle.
Jumper cables? You flail them at pass-
ersby. At last some angel arrives, hooks
up the cables, and signals you to stick
the key in the ignition and turn. Vrrrr-
rooooommmm! Ah, power!
We may not understand our cars, but
we understand the need for power. We
purchase gadgets that plug into our
phones or computers to provide a boost
of power. Our heat pumps and cars
often have a setting that gives us a quick
blast of heat or cold. Advertising bom-
bards us every day, promising us a sud-
den rush of energy if we will just eat,
drink, or swallow this or that. Oh, yes.
We believe in power.
There were no cars, power adapters,
14 ( 1 42 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013
the
or energy drinks in Bible times. And
many of us do not understand the
Bibles farming language about early
and latter rains. But we do get the talk
about powerHoly Spirit power, latter-
rain power. We get the power talk. We
want to hook up jumper cables!
Power for What?
We love to talk about the promise in
Joel 2:28, 29: sons and daughters proph-
esying, old men dreaming, servants
Spirit-anointed. But whats the power
for? Why do we pray for latter-rain
power? What do we think it will accom-
plish? A ripened harvest? Not primarily.
The harvest is already ripe, Jesus
declared; we should pray for laborers.
Stirred-up laborers then, His sleeping
church? Now, that sounds good! Like
hooking up to heavens jumper cables
for one final jolt of power! Like latter-
rain energy propelling us from rocking
chairs out into the world with the final
message! Perhaps.
 Before we settle back in those rockers
to wait for the rain, let us ask ourselves:
Could not God pour out His Spirit on a
sleeping church? Could He not suddenly
and powerfully speak through dozing
saints to call the world to repentance?
He spoke through Balaams donkey. He
can make stones cry out.
But is that the planets need? Talking
animals, crying stones, sleep-talking
saints? Remember, the talking donkey
didnt convert Balaam, and the promise
of shouting stones didnt convert the
Jewish leaders. Besides, might it be that
our nodding and dozing actually robs
us of the rain? Too late we may discover
that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
was taking place all around us, and we
didnt even notice.
King Saul
In 1 Samuel 19:19-24 Saul learns that
David is with the prophet Samuel in
Ramah. He sends contingent after con-
tingent of soldiers to capture him, but
the Holy Spirit overpowers them all, and
they begin to prophesy. Finally, com-
pletely frustrated, Saul sets out to seize
David himself. The Spirit overwhelms
him too, and, prostrated naked before
Samuel, he prophesies all that day and
night. But though these soldiers all
prophesied, they were not changed. Nor
was anyone converted who listened to
King Saul. People simply mocked: Did
you see that? Looks like Saul has become
one of the prophets!
What makes the difference between
Peter at Pentecost and Saul at Ramah?
Nothing good came of Sauls overpow-
ering. He simply made a fool of himself.
For in reality the Holy Spirits power is
effective only if our lives match the mes-
sage. Sauls life did not match the mes-
sage he was giving while under the
power of the Holy Spirit. He had not let
the Spirit mold, shape, and change him
all along. When the power came over
him, the temporary contrast was so
great that it just made people laugh. The
power he experienced didnt last, and it
didnt change him, or anyone else, one
single iota.
The final, mighty outpouring of the
Holy Spirit doesnt change the direction
we have been going, either. Its power
simply pushes us farther and faster to
wherever we were already headed.
To come back to our jumper cable
illustration, if my tires are flat and my
radiator punctured, the power surging
through the cables will do nothing to
get me where I am going. Connecting
red to positive and black to negative and
getting ignition will not suddenly trans-
form my car. The power surge will not
even send me in a new direction.
Temporary bursts of power, even
those from heaven, do not force us to
change direction; they only push us on
Nothing good
came of Sauls
overpowering.
He simply made a
fool of himself.
in the direction we are already heading.
And they are effective only if the rest of
the system is in proper operating order.
This is why we so desperately need
revival and reformation. Our hearts
must know the gentle working of the
Holy Spirit now, not just a power surge
sometime tomorrow.
Is the Soil Ready?
Joels promise of rain and a full
threshing floor (Joel 2:23, 24) will never
be fulfilled if nothing is planted before
the rains come. The vats will overflow
with juice and oil only if vineyards and
olive groves have been planted and
tended. The latter rain does not change
the crop, it only enhances what is
already planted in the soil.
When I plant and fertilize, everything
is ready. The rains then make it grow.
What comes up is what is there already.
The same is true when the latter rain
ripens the harvest. It brings wheat and
weeds to maturity. It does not change
what is in the field.
My wife, Barbara, and I were on our
way to the airport in Delhi, India. The
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 4 3 )
night clerk from the hotel was riding
along in the hotel taxi with us. His eyes
were heavy from being up all night, and
his head was nodding. He was going
home to rest.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, a few big
drops of rain splattered on the wind-
shield. Almost instantly his eyes perked
up. Softly, excitedly, he looked back and
said, Look, sir, the rain has come. Then
he turned back to watch. Gone were the
tired lines around his eyes. His back was
straight; his lips curved in a slight smile.
This was no downpour, just a couple of
stray drops of water on a dusty road. To
the young hotel clerk those drops were
filled with hope and promise. Rain was
coming at last.
I, too, have seen the rain beginning to
fall. Jesus is about to return. Seeds are
being planted. People are praying
together, pleading with God to soften
the soil of their minds, asking the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers, pray-
ing for the outpouring of the latter rain.
This will not be merely a burst of
temporary power. When this power
comes, it wont be for just a day, and it
wont embarrass us. It will finish the
work that we have allowed Gods Spirit
to begin in our hearts and lives today.
Look, sir, look, madam, the rain has
come! n
Homer Trecartin is president
of the Greater Middle East
Union Mission.
15
 Cover Story

CARLTON BYRD
TAKES NEW
YORK BY
STORM
And Los Angeles,
Atlanta, Nashville,
Huntsville . . .

C
By arlton Byrd always felt that he was born to

Celeste pastor, born to preach, born to be an evangelist.

He grew up in the ministry, grew up wanting to
Ryan
Image digitally altered from a photograph by Dawin Rodriguez.

be a pastor, and loves to speak. Now he speaks

Blyden many times a week and sometimes twice a
Sabbath. On this particular night hes in the Bronx, a borough
of New York City, preparing to speak for the NY13 kickoff rally
at the North Bronx Seventh-day Adventist Church. And he
can hardly wait to preach, to fire up the base and get
members here excited about the 2013 major city evangelism
campaign set to blanket the city that never sleeps.

16 ( 1 4 4 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

 Its the first of hundreds being orga-
nized by the worldwide Adventist
Church, but for Byrd, its another oppor-
tunity to further Christs mission: I love
the Lord, I love people, I want to go to
heaven, and I want to take as many peo-
ple with me as I can, he states, flashing
the signature smile he wears above his
signature bow tie. God called us to take
this wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ to
everyone, everywhere, and Im just glad I
get to do it full-time.
I Ran to Ministry
Full-time, Byrd is a pastor, evangelist,
and the newest speaker/director for
Breath of Life (BOL), the television minis-
try founded 39 years ago by Walter Arties
to bring hope and guidance to the Afri-
can-American community. Thousands
have accepted Christ through its evange-
lism efforts, often held in stadiums and
major venues in cities across North
America and other parts of the world.
Byrd, whose nickname is Buddy, took
the helm just two years ago at age 38 and
was glad to get the oppor-
tunity to follow in the
footsteps of the revered
C. D. Brooks and Walter
Pearson, Jr., his predeces-
Photo : C eleste Ryan Blyden
erful [speaker], sure of what hes saying.
Alecia, who relished meeting Byrd,
agreed. Hes inspiring, and I under-
stand what hes saying.
That may be because Byrd under-
standshis calling, his purpose, and
what it takes to do ministry. Ministry
is service, he told me afterward as we
sat in the tiny, white-walled media room
in the attic of the church overlooking
the sprawling two-story sanctuary of
the North Bronx church. Byrd is con-
stantly engaged in ministry. And sur-
rounded by it. His dad, William Byrd, is
a pastor in West Palm Beach, Florida,
and his mom, Carol Byrd, is superinten-
dent of education for the Southeastern
Conference, headquartered in an
Orlando suburb. His father-in-law, too,
is a pastor. In early years Byrd memo-
rized the conference directory, read and
filed letters for his dad, and attended
many weeks of prayer and tent meet-
ings, all because, as he put it, I wanted
to be there. And he adds, I was born to
do this.
God called us to take
this wonderful gospel of
could have met in his car. The Laurel
church, for example, had two members.
I didnt worry about that because I
knew it was going to grow, he mused.
I worked hard, cut the grass at the
church, paintedanything that was
needed, I did it.
He also conducted a series that
yielded three baptisms. This increased
the membership by 150 percent, mak-
ing Byrd the top evangelist per capita in
the conference that year. At summers
end the conference sent him to the Sev-
enth-day Adventist Theological Semi-
nary at Andrews University in Berrien
Springs, Michigan, to complete his Mas-
ter of Divinity degree. Later he earned
an M.B.A. at Tennessee State University
in Nashville, and a Doctor of Ministry
with an emphasis in African-American
religious studies at Andrews.
After graduating, Byrd was sent to
pastor in Tuscaloosa and Eutaw, Ala-
bama, where he ran his first tent effort
and baptized 19 people. This was fol-
lowed by Nashville, where he pastored a

sors. Though it has been

only a short time, hes
hoping his message will
penetrate the noise that
convolutes todays urban
FAITHFUL VIEWERS: During the NY13 event this past fall, Carlton Byrd poses with Orley and Alecia Anderson.
community.
Its getting through in Long Island,
New York, where Alecia Anderson
watches Breath of Life on Friday eve-
nings. Can I take a photo with you?
asked the 20-year-old member of Long
Islands Riverhead church soon after
Byrd arrived at North Bronx. The flash
of Byrds smile prompted the flash of
her fathers camera, and then it was on.
After her father, Orley Anderson, got a
turn, others jumped up.
Hes my favorite preacher, said Orley,
who identified himself as the first elder of Path to Success
the Riverhead church. Orley arrived two
hours before the announced NY13 pro-
gram time to secure a seat. He makes the
message so clear and simple. Hes a pow-
Jesus Christ to everyone,
everywhere, and Im just
glad I get to do it full-time.
Byrd didnt run from Gods call. He ran new church plant and baptized 300 peo-
to it. I arrived at Oakwood [College, now ple in four years. Thats where Byrd
University] knowing what I needed to believes he really became an evangelist.
do, he recounted with surety. Some pas- Its also where he started doing what he
tors told me to run [away], but I didnt. dubbed tract attacks, which involve
Hes been running ever since, trying identifying a community, going door to
to follow a path paved by the renowned door, soliciting Bible studies, and pray-
Adventist pastors and evangelists who ing with people. Byrd tries to recruit the
influenced his lifehis dad, E. C. Ward, entire church to participate. On Sab-
Pearson, Brooks, Benjamin Reaves, and bath, right after worship and before
E. E. Cleveland. lunch, members take to the streets and
take communities for Christ.
The method also worked in Houston,
His first assignment out of Oakwood Texas, where Byrd baptized 500 people
was to pastor the South Central Confer- in three years and then in Atlanta, Geor-
ences Laurel, Columbia, and Soso, Mis- gia, where he baptized 1,800 in five
sissippi, congregations, which probably years and grew the church to include

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 4 5 ) 17


The responsibility of
leading such a large
church and Breath of Life
simultaneously hasnt
slowed [Byrd] down. If
anything, it has spurred
[him] to want more, do
more, dream more.
FAMILY TIME: Carlton Byrd, with wife, Danielle, and daughters Caileigh (10, on left) and Christyn (12). very ordered, he explained. I
4,000 members, two services, a
50-apartment senior citizen housing
complex, barbershop, beauty salon,
health fitness center, food pantry, cloth-
ing distribution center, youth activity
center, vegetarian sub shop and juice
bar, and a womens shelter.
Byrd has just completed his first year
in Huntsville, Alabama, as senior pastor
of the Oakwood University church,
where hes currently based. Sure
enough, not long after he arrived, he was
in the pulpit promoting tract attack
Sabbath. About 1,500 of his 2,000 mem-
bers joined him, and after just eight
months and one meeting theyd bap-
tized about 200 new believers.
The responsibility of leading such a
large church and Breath of Life simulta-
neously hasnt slowed him down. If
anything, it has spurred Byrd to want
more, do more, dream more. Im
excited, invigorated, on fire for the
Lord, he beams.
And still running. Byrd dashed from
our interview to another with Hope
Channel cohost David Franklin in the
sanctuary of the North Bronx church.
Its Friday night in the Bronx, but last
Sabbath Byrd was in Atlanta. Tuesday he
traveled here to New York, Wednesday
he held a BOL rally at the Linden church
in Queens, followed by another at
Elmont Temple in Long Island Thursday
night. Tomorrow hell preach the 11:00
service at the Ephesus church in Har-
lem. Then hell make his way to the
Brooklyn-based Hanson Place church
for a 6:00 event. Sunday hell officiate a
18 ( 14 6) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013
funeral at his home church in Hunts-
ville, on Monday and Tuesday hell hold
BOL board and executive committee
meetings at the North American Divi-
sion (NAD) offices in Silver Spring,
Maryland, and then head home to con-
duct Wednesday night prayer meeting.
Afterward hell reunite with Danielle,
his wife of 15 years, and their 12- and
10-year-old daughters, Christyn and
Caileigh.
Listening to his itinerary I wondered
aloud if anything had ever slowed him
down. Challenged him, stopped him.
My daughter, he said, suddenly get-
ting quiet. She was 4-and-a-half
months old.
Stopped in His Tracks
The story unfolds: It was September
25th, 1999. We left the north side of
Nashville en route to Tuscaloosa to
speak for an event at the church Id pas-
tored early on. We had been having car
trouble; our car wasnt sounding right.
On the south side of town, we stopped
at our head elders home. He switched
cars with us and we took his SUV. Four-
teen miles from our destination, the car
started doing flips. We were all knocked
unconscious. When I came to, I was
lying in the median. We all were. My
wife started screaming. Our daughter
was not moving. The ambulance came
photo : Dawin Rodriguez
and took our daughter to one hospital,
us to another. When I got to where she
was, she was on a respirator. The next
day the physician told me that if she
didnt wake up by noon of the following
day, they would take her off
the respirator.
The Byrds prayed and
prayed. We just knew she
was going to make it. I knew
she was going to make it. But
she died in my arms, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Byrd family
I was mad at God. I said, I
labor for You as a minister; why
would You allow this to hap-
pen to me? I dont smoke, I
dont drink, I got married and
then had kids. My life had been
did things the way they were
supposed to be done
ordered. Yet here was a real tragedy that
happened to [us]. I didnt read it in the
paper, it didnt happen to somebody else,
it happened to us.
How did you get through it? I asked.
Prayer, came the answer, a whole
heap of prayer.
I tell people, God wouldnt take you
to it if He couldnt bring you through it.
Even though you cant see it and you
dont understand it, and it doesnt make
sense . . . God will bring you through the
storm. He will, He will, He will, He will,
he repeated until his voice trailed off.
A few weeks later, Byrd, 27 at the
time, came across, as if for the first
AUDIENCE APPEAL: During Carlton Byrds sermon
 time, 1 Corinthians 10:13: No tempta-
tion has overtaken you except such as is
common to man; but God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it
(NKJV).
God spared my life, Byrd now con-
cludes, because I wasnt ready; or per-
haps He still had a work for me to do; or
maybe it was all of the above. I surmised
that its all of the above.
As a result Byrd is more passionate
about the mission. Im not just talking,
Ive lived it, he says, Ive lived [through]
tragedy and survived. . . . My sense of
urgency for the second coming has
grown tremendously.
Needs and Next Steps
Since December 2010, when he took
over the storied, albeit financially
strapped, media ministry, Byrd has
traveled extensively to raise awareness,
raise funds, and conduct evangelism
initiatives. The field services arm,
directed by Danielle, is reaching out to
donors with personal letters and
updates. BOL manager Linda Walter,
based at the Adventist Media Center in
Simi Valley, California, keeps the broad-
at NY13, congregants raise their hands to an appeal.
casts airing on Hope Channel, which
also airs on DirecTV 368; Three Angels
Broadcasting Network; the Word Net-
work; and local subsidiaries in Atlanta
and Huntsville. And John Huynh, an
intern also based at the media center,
helped Byrd develop a presence on Face-
book and Twitter, an online store, and a
mobile app to allow smartphone users
easy access to sermon archives. He also
e-mails three-minute Breath of Fresh Air
devotional videos that contain edited
snippets of Byrds sermons and serve as
spiritual appetizers for recipients.
In the pastors study at the North
Bronx church, the driven and choleric day night worshippers of various hues
Byrd also wants to share some needs.
We need to get Breath of Life on some
mainstream television networks, and,
even there, I will continue to preach
[Adventist] doctrine because people
need to know what we believe and that
were a Christian community that cele-
brates Christ by keeping His command-
ments, he said.
In addition, Byrd sees a need to book the
half-hour preaching program on subsid-
iary networks in major metropolitan areas
so when he prepares to conduct a series of
meetings, the church can promote it and
locals can view it before the evangelistic
meeting begins in the community.
This brought him
to the need for
usable, television-
quality programs.
Though there are
churches that bear
our name, we also
need to establish
some television-
ready, satellite BOL
churches, he said.
These churches
should be seeker-
sensitive, mission-
oriented, and in a
nice facility, because
they will be the face
of Adventism to
viewers.
Finally, Byrd
believes BOL needs
an outreach compo-
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 47 )
nent, so that when a natural disaster
occurs theyll have people on the ground
ready to help. We need to be actively
engaged in community ministry and ser-
vice, he concluded before heading to the
platform to share a sermon from Acts 21
titled Prison Break.
Fired Up
Then, just as Alecia Anderson from
Long Island and her dad, Orley, expected,
Byrd presented a simple and clear mes-
sage punctuated by Bible reading, story-
telling, and his trademark doxology.
As good people of the Book, the Fri-
and cultures didnt miss a beat. The
church that prays together, Byrd
started, testing the waters.
Stays together! they finished in
unison.
For he shall give his angels charge over
thee, he quoted Psalm 91:11 (KJV) . . .
To keep thee in all thy ways! they
rejoiced.
No weapon formed against thee,
he began, citing Isaiah 54:17 (KJV) . . .
Shall prosper, they cheered.
Some were now on their feet, and
when Byrd moved from texts to songs,
they quickly chimed in: If it had not
been for the Lord on my side, he
crooned in melodious tenor, Where
would I be? they chorused.
With the hour spent, the sweat pour-
ing, and his mission of firing up the
base accomplished, Byrd brought the
message home: Lets take New York by
storm! he shouted to thunderous
applause. Lets take New York by
storm! Lets take (pause) New York
(pause) by storm!
He did. And they will. n
Celeste Ryan Blyden enjoys
telling stories about what God
is doing in and through His
people in the Columbia Union,
where she serves as communi-
cation director.
19
 Cliffs Edge

A Self-refuting Phrase
Funny how you can read a text for years, then read it again
expecting nothing new but finding something new.
And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7, KJV).
The Hebrew reads that God formed the man, as in one person. The words his nostrils reflects the
singular again, as does the phrase and the man became a living being (NIV). The relevant verbs and nouns
and possessive pronouns in Genesis 2:7 show that one man, the man, was created.
In contrast, Genesis 1:26 reads: Then God said, Let Us make man in our image, according to our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air (NKJV). In this verse
man comes without the definite article the. The word man refers here to humanity, plural, as
revealed in the clause that immediately follows: and let them [plural] have dominion over the
fish of the sea.
In Genesis 2:7 the man, this one man, is created first; then afterward God breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life and that man became a living being.
Now, what good are nostrils without lungs? And human lungs are useless without blood.
And human blood demands a heart. And a heart needs (among many things) a sophisti-
cated nervous system, which in a human means a brain. If the man had nostrils, he had
a face, and if he had a face, he had a head, which means a skull, and so forth.
Everything about that text implies that the man was created as a whole entity first, but a
lifeless one. Only after having a complete human body did he become a living being.
Thus, if I take at face value my theistic evolutionary friends claims to revere the Scriptures, I
ask them in all sincerity, How can evolution be harmonized with this text? Cant you see an irrec-
oncilable contradiction between it and even the broadest evolutionary scheme? Why would the
Lord have inspired the writing of this creation model when, in fact, He used an entirely different
one? What good is the text if the opposite of what it teaches is true? Cliff
Because science points to the evolutionary model, we have no choice but to meld the two. Yet evolutionary
science is at bestwhat? Twenty percent of hard-core empirical evidence stretched and extrap- Goldstein
olated into 80 percent speculation shaped by metaphysical assumptions constructed around
culture, peer pressure, psychology, philosophy, and other variables that have little to do with
immediate science. Why pit such subjectivity against an explicit biblical text?
Also, evolutionary theory is based on natural selection and random mutation. Thats natural, as opposed
to supernatural, selection. And random mutation? How random could that be if God was guiding it along? The
names of these processes themselves rule out divine intervention, making the phrase theistic evolution
self-refuting.
Richard DeWitt, in Worldviews: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science, writes: So if one adds
a supernatural involvement into the account of evolution by natural selection, say by allowing a God to
meddle in the evolutionary process, then it is no longer natural selection. One is no longer taking natural
science, and evolutionary theory, seriously. In short, taking natural science seriously means that an account
of evolutionary development that is importantly influenced by a supernatural being is not an intellectually
honest option (p. 313, Kindle edition).
He said it, not me.
Usually at this point I begin to snort, chortle, and rail. I dont want to now. Instead, I humbly ask someone
to explain to me how you can, with a straight face, meld Genesis 2:7 with an evolutionary model of
origins.
We all have to put our faith in something. What I dont understand is how those who claim to believe in
the Bible can put their faith in what is, in light of Genesis 2:7, so contradictory to it. n

Clifford Goldstein is editor of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide. His latest book, Shadow Men, is available from
Signs Publishing in Australia.

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 149) 21

 As I See It

Smartphones,
smart apps,
smart
BY
spirituality
by VINCENT MACISAAC

WE
live in a world that not only
craves but demands the next
big gadget breakthrough
promising to be a game
changer. Even major international news services
such as CNN are quick to stream keynotes from
Tim Cook, the new CEO of Apple, that promise to
change our lives. We know the names of the CEOs
of computer companies as if they were baseball,
football, or music stars. It seems all that Tim Cook
(and the late Steve Jobs), Eric Schmidt, Mark
Zuckerberg, and Steve Ballmer are missing are
trading cards with their quarterly earning stats on
thembut then I bet there is already an app that
can do that for us.

22 ( 1 5 0) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013


We cant fight it. This world is chang-
ing, and those who dont keep up will be
left behind. Even e-mail is currently
scheduled to be a dead medium. It is lit-
erally yesterdays news. Instead Face-
book, Google+, and a host of other
instant social media platforms are giving
us a taste of our immediate tomorrows.
Its like the Verizon 4G LTE commercials
say: That is so four seconds ago!
Church and Technology
I am glad to note that our church is
not being left behind or showing up
as Johnny came late to the party!
Major Adventist media groups sport
apps, churches are streaming services to
a worldwide audience, church buildings
are being equipped with Wi-Fi, and
every day my Sabbath school app pops
up on my Droid Bionic reminding me to
study my Sabbath school lesson. Preach-
ers regularly preach from iPads, Kindles,
and a variety of electronic tablets. People
who are traveling in this digital world
Skype into board meetings, and confer-
ences are held in Google+ hangouts all
the time. Printed agendas are becoming
a thing of the past as my church leaders
prefer to show up to committee meet-
ings with laptops and tablets instead.
Most important, we see the gospel reach
places where just five or 10 years ago it
would have been impossible to have a
digital presence. I cannot help hearing
the words of Jesus echo in my ear: And
this gospel of the kingdom will be pro-
claimed throughout the whole world as
a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come (Matt. 24:14).1
Beware of the Technology Pit
So, is there a downside to all of this? I
mean, what more can we want when the
church is keeping relevant and the gos-
pel is being preached? Is this not a
dream come true for us?
Yet I worry. I worry about the environ-
ment we are creating in which church
members and, yes, even pastors openly
chastise each other over our technology
Lets use
choices. I worry about a
world in which some- current
one using an Apple, a
Droid, or (dare I say it) technology
a PC is like declaring
yourself openly a
to transform
Republican or Demo-
crat, or, worse yet, a
the world,
theological liberal or
conservative. Wait,
and at
wasnt the whole point
of technology to bring
the same
us together, not tear us
apart? Can we afford to
time, lets
let it tear us apart? And
what does it say about
not be
us as a society and as
members of a world-
transformed
wide community of
faith when we only
by it.
dream of the next lat-
est and greatest gad-
gets? We toss out or ogy, and He has allowed it to surface
Craigslist perfectly good technology right now for a purpose. We better not
rather than come to church and be seen be like the Gentiles in Romans 1 who
with last years model smartphone or worshipped the creation and not the
tablet. When I think of the counsel our Creator. Lets not forget that there will
forefathers were given about costly liv- come a time when it is all shut off. Lets
ing and self-adornment I wonder if we not make iDols of our technology,
just found a new way of doing the same engaging in the worlds newest form of
old sins covered in those little red false spirituality. When the next ber
books written more than 100 years gadget does finally come, I dont want to
agoand, ironically, all available in an forget it is all about the ultimate keynote
app on my tablet? Game ChangerJesus. Lets make
Dont get me wrong. I am not anti- sure we keep moving forward with Jesus
technology whatsoever. Rather, on the and His cross at the center of all our
contrary, my church members have innovations and technologies. n
affectionately called me the technology 1
Scripture quotations in this article are from The
pastor, and I have innovated new uses Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001
of interchurch services via Internet by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publish-
streaming in my conference. But as Jim ers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2
Jim Collins, Good to Great (New York: Harper
Collins so poignantly said: When used Collins, 2001), p. 152.
right, technology becomes an accelera-
tor of momentum, not a creator of it.2 Vincent MacIsaac, Pastor
I am reminded of the words of the old Vinnie, serves the Arlington
hymn: Our hope is built on nothing and Fairfax Seventh-day
less than Jesus blood and righteous- Adventist churches in the
ness. Here is my point: Lets use current northern Virginia area
technology to transform the world, and at the just outside ofWashington,D.C. He is married
same time, lets not be transformed by it. God to TinaLynn MacIsaac, and this year marks
surely is the ultimate Creator of technol- their twentieth weddinganniversary.
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 5 1 ) 23
 Heart and Soul:
Biblical Studies
BY GALINA STELE
Illustration by Steve Creitz
A
t noontime Jesus sat at Jacobs well. Jews did not
usually pass through Samaria to get to Galilee from
Jerusalem; they preferred to go around it. But
Jesus actions have their own reasons.
Jacobs well sat at the entrance of a
valley with about 80 springs of water, a
pearl of the Promised Land full of grass,
flowers, plums, nuts, figs, pomegranates,
oranges, and grapesa valley of beauty,
history, and theological significance.
Gerizim and Ebal rose from it, moun-
tains that were the site of Israels cove-
nant renewal after they crossed the
Jordan river (Deut. 27:12, 13). Its cities of
Sychar and Shechem were historic too.
God appeared here to Abraham
newly arrived at Shechem in response
to Gods callpromising the land to
him and his offspring. Abrahams
response? An altar to the Lord, who
had appeared to him (Gen. 12:7); his
first altar in the Promised Land. Jesus,
the seed of Abraham, seated at the well,
was God personally fulfilling His prom-
ise to make Abraham a blessing for
all peoples on earth (verses 2, 3).
There was sad history too: Years after
Abraham, Jacob, his flocks, and his fam-
ily came to this valley and its many
springs did not belong to him. But for
a hundred pieces of silver, he bought
Are you thirsty?
from the sons of Hamor, the father of
Shechem, the plot of ground where he
pitched his tent. There he set up an
altar (Gen. 33:19, 20). Again the place of
worship! He dug a well, more than 100
feet deep. Finding fresh water of the
Spirit can demand as much!
Everything was good in this beautiful
valley until something ugly happened
to Dinah, Jacobs daughter: a viola-
tion that sparked her brothers rage
and a bloody massacre (Gen. 34:25). It
was a terrible night for the people of
Shechemall the male population bru-
24 ( 1 5 2 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013
tally killed; trust was betrayed; good
intentions to join Gods people mocked
and denied by the very ones who built
an altar to the true God in this valley.
His name was on their lips, but their
lives cried out the opposite.
What a disappointment to God!
Descendants of Abraham, supposed
blessing to the whole
At the
world, acting like terror-
ists. Instead of love, hope,
and truth, they brought
hatred and death to the
city they were supposed
to reach. Their altar stood
outside, but no tabernacle
was within their hearts
where God could dwell. Someone says,
You can fight the devil with such fran-
tic zeal that in the long run you look
like him. How sad it is when people
around see such a discrepancy between
our truth and our spirit, between our
altarsplaces of worshipand our
ways of life. The good news is that Jesus
visits the places where we build our
altars to Him. There He brings His liv-
ing water.
No wonder Jesus
decided to go
through Samaria!
This place meant so much to Him! Now
syncretism ruled in the land of His early
altars. Samaritans did not deny God; they
believed in Him, even worshipped Him.
But as with us today, they believed and
worshipped as they pleased. God was on
their lips, but their lives were far from
Him. Jesus came to Samaria because He
had living water for them.
From Form to Life
Jesus comes into the mess of our lives
and transforms everything. He turns
our places of worship into a way of life,
a life of worship in spirit and truth. His
stop at Jacobs well shows a different
attitude toward those who thirst and do
not know the well.
Dinahs brothers justified their righ-
teous indignation. Jesus could have
been righteously indignant with the
woman at the well. Five husbands is
unusual, even for the twenty-first cen-
tury. Sadly, it was not unusual at all in
the first century. Dinahs brothers
fought sin with swords and hatred;
Jesus chose to solve it with love and liv-
ing water. He could rebuke the woman,
accuse her; but instead He was willing
to share with her the power that would
transform her life.
Jesus request for water surprised
her. Giving water to a tired stranger was
a great privilege, even an obligation for
people in the East. Water was consid-
ered a gift from the Lord. To ask a
woman for water was not so surprising,
since women were the ones who gener-
ally drew water. But she was surprised
because He asked to drink from the ves-
sel of a Samaritan woman. Jews could
buy certain dry food from Samaritans
that did not convey defilement, and we
know the disciples went to buy food.
But water and wet food were different.
Amazingly, Jesus is not afraid to use us
as His vessels, imperfect as we are.
In response to her questions, Jesus
directed the womans attention toward
something more important than physi-
cal thirstsoul thirst. He confronted
her sin. He touched a delicate area of
her private life and pushed her out of
her comfort zone to awaken her thirst
for righteousness.
Unless we admit our sins, we wont
Well

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 5 3 ) 25

 Whatever we believe
about worship,
we have to share
Jesus view on worship.
see our need for living water. Well
always be thirsty. But whoever drinks
what Jesus provides finds within them-
selves a spring of water welling up to
eternal life (John 4:14). Only Jesus can
give us this regenerating power of liv-
ing water that will turn our hatred into
love, our selfishness into agape service.
And He does it at the places of our
personal altars, places symbolic of our
temptations and falls, and, at the same
time, the places of our victories because
of Him. At those places He washes us
with the transforming power of living
water and turns our places of mere form
and ritual into the way of vibrant life.
Spirit and Truth
The Samaritans were waiting for a Mes-
siah. They called Him Taheb and believed
He would return and restore true wor-
ship. The woman called Jesus a prophet
but ended up accepting Him as Messiah.
Jesus conversation directed the wom-
ans attention to the issue of true wor-
ship, where spirit and truth are united.
Only when we understand the true func-
tion of worshipto satisfy our spiritual
thirst and transform us into the image
of the One we worshipwill there be
harmonic unity between Gods Word,
His truth, our message, our spirit, and
our attitude toward each other. What-
ever we believe about worship, we have
to share Jesus view about worship. The
time has come when the true worship-
ers will worship the Father in the Spirit
and in truth (verse 23). This is what
God is looking for (verses 19-24).
Spirit and truth; living water and the
bread of life. In our story Jesus gives the
water, the disciples bring the bread.
Bread and water were significant fea-
tures of the sanctuary ritual. Are they
together in our lives? Are nourishment
and refreshing united in our worship?
Our discussion of worship uses forms of
26 ( 1 5 4 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013
the Greek word proskuneo 10 times in
John 4:19-25. The word includes ideas
such as to kiss the hand (of a supe-
rior), to prostrate oneself, to bend the
knees, to bow down, to adore, to becomes lukewarm and unpleasant.
worship. This kind of worship can be
expressed in song: Crown Him, for He
is worthy! Crown Him! True worship
admits His only and supreme authority.
The primary purpose of worship is not
just to share or read some thoughts for the
day, to deliver or find interesting informa-
tion, to entertain our youth or newcomers,
or to prepare a lecture. The primary center
of true worship was, is, and should be God
the Ruler of the universe, our Creator and
Redeemer who should be adored, wor-
shipped, and obeyed.
The Outcome
Jesus decided to go through Samaria
because the harvest was ripe, because He
wanted to reach that city. How did He do
it? The secret is thirst. He awoke the wom-
ans thirst; He targeted her thirst. And she,
who wanted to escape the crowds,
brought crowds to the well herself.
When our place of formal worship
becomes the way of vibrant life, then we
worship in truth and in spirit. Not only
are we revived, we are reformed as well.
Jesus becomes visible in our lives, and
we cannot hide Him any more than we
can hide water in our pockets. The power
of Jesus as the living water revives wor-
shippers at the place of worship and
leads them to the reformation of the life
of true worship. Our lives become ser-
mons, a revelation of living water. The
change in us produces results.
In my Bible is a letter to our church,
entitled to the church in Laodicea. I
wish it said: To the church called Victo-
ria. Laodicea and Samaria bear striking
similarities, and differences.
First, like Samaria, Laodicea has water.
Laodicea had a stone aqueduct, a sign of
civilization. Water runs in Laodicea, but
because of inefficient filtrationso
common with our spiritual lifeand
distance from the source, the water
Second, like Laodicea, our woman of
Samaria had a long-term sin problem to
which she had become accustomed.
Laodicea used to be famous for its tex-
tile industry, especially for its black
woolen fabric. Impressive in jackets,
skirts, suits, and positions, we forget
how much all these covers contrast with
the white robe we need, and that we
look naked in Jesus eyes.
But our third comparison brings good
news. As Jesus at the well offered living
water for free, so He offers Laodicea
everything we need without money and
without price (Rev. 3:18; Isa. 55:1).
In a fourth comparison we meet Jesus
at the well at noon, now standing at the
door in the evening; an evening that
speaks of historys approaching end, and
of the importance of our daily commu-
nion, our evening (and morning) sacri-
fice. He is outside and wants to come in.
He was thirsty at the well. He is hungry
now, not only for a drink, but to share a
feast with us. Once He sat at the well, now
He wants to sit at the table (Rev. 3:20).
In the end Samaria is as much about
us as it is about a woman at a well.
Samarias well is a story about the true
source of Living Water, and the power
that can unite Spirit and truth in our
hearts and transform our disastrous
yesterdays into glorious tomorrows. It
is a story about how our lives can
become a blessing for the whole world.
Lord, give us this water! n
Galina Stele serves as a
research assistant in the Office
of Archives, Statistics, and
Research of the General
Conference.
 Back to Basics

A Partnership With Jesus

While walking along 42nd street in New York City, a preacher saw a
well-dressed man sitting on the sidewalk, face buried in his hands. He thought the poor fellow had slipped,
fallen, and hurt himself, so he quickly walked over to help him.
As the preacher came closer, he thought he recognized the man. When he got to where the man sat, he
realized he did know him. It was the devil himself.
The preacher said, Devil, what are you doing, sitting here like this? Youre always busy breaking up mar-
riages, corrupting governments, committing random acts of evil.
To this the devil replied with a sigh, Hardly anyone is resisting me these days. Theyve left me nothing
to do; everythings going my way.
Everything seems to be going the devils way when we consider the news of the past 12 months here
in the United States. During the hurricane seasonJune to Novembertornadoes and hurricanes
took more than 330 lives, leveled towns, and cost billions of dollars in property damage. Fifty per-
cent of marriages, both in the church and the world, ended in divorce, while 34 percent of unwed
teens had at least one pregnancy before turning 20. Untold numbers of abortions were performed,
as our nation ranked second behind Russia in this killing field. Horrific mass murders occurred
in a Colorado theater (July), at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin (August), at a manufacturing plant in
Minnesota (September), and in the unthinkable nightmare in Newtown, Connecticut (December);
not to mention more than 500 killed in Chicago, mostly teens, in this diabolical culture of violence.*
Everything is going Satans way, or so it seems.
Are we going to sit in our comfortable congregations this year and sing, The Lord is in His holy
temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him? Or are we going to stand up for Jesus as soldiers of
the cross and cry out against the consuming evil and change the world? We have the authority of God
embodied in the divine commission of Matthew 28:19, 20.
This commission is also a co-mission, a partnership with Jesus in His mission to relentlessly seek
and save the lost (Luke 19:10). It is a co-mission that calls us to depend on Jesus to overcome evil with
good as we make disciples of all people in our spheres of influence.
If we accept this co-mission, we must be willing to serve God regardless of the circumstances in which
we find ourselves. We must determine to finish what we start as ambassadors of Christ through whom
He makes His appeal to the world (2 Cor. 5:20). If others try to persuade us that this co-mission is impos-
sible, we must trust God, knowing that with Him all things are possible. If we feel as though our sacrifice
isnt producing the promised results and were getting bogged down in a blizzard of despair, we must dig Hyveth
deeper into the Word, such as Revelation 12:10-17.
There we discover that we can and will overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb, by the testimony of
Williams
Scripture, by keeping the commandments of God, and by holding to the testimony of Jesus.
Remember, sometimes God allows His anointed ambassadors to share in Christs suffering (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
Further, what Jesus said to Peter, He says to those of us who are devoted to Him: Satan has asked to sift all
of you as wheat, but I am praying for you, that your faith may not fail (Luke 22:31, 32).
For a time Satan appears to win. That sifting rid Peter of his least-attractive qualities, such as a blustery
self-confidence, a chip on his shoulder, and a propensity to violence.
Our time has come to be world-changers. If we encounter opposition, ridicule, or rejection, we shouldnt
let them draw us off course. We must testify, knowing that as Jesus prayed for Peter, He is now at the right
hand of God interceding for us. Lets testify, not under duress, but joyfully, according to the will of God; not
for sordid gain, but with eagerness, for it is written: And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive
the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:4).
* Statistics have been taken from a variety of Internet sites.

Hyveth Williams teaches homiletics at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.

www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 5 5 ) 27

 Adventist Life

The Eternal
BY LILIAN HAN IM

Can we
T
his past February marked
the 10-year anniversary of
one of my most life-chang-

find peace ing events. It spiraled me

into a decade-long whirl-

amid tragedy?
wind, filled with unanswered questions
and unfinished chapters. How my jour-
ney culminated with a simple realiza-
tion is an astonishing testament to
Gods unending story of hope.
My brother, Brian, and I were very
close growing up. Although Brian was 2
years younger than I, he seemed more
like an older brother. He had a certain
confidence that enabled our relation-
ship to flourish in that way. We became
the closest during the semester I began
graduate studies at Andrews University
and he was accepted nearby into the
esteemed Northwestern University hon-
ors medical program in Chicago. Our
family and friends were ecstatic at his
acceptance, yet somewhat surprised,
because Brian had walked into his inter-
view in unorthodox interview attire:
maroon Dr. Martens boots, a plaid tie,
and an antisuit blazer. He believed that
he didnt need to change who he was
(outside or inside) just to be accepted at
a school, no matter how prestigious.

Life Changer for Brian

A semester before he was due to cele-
brate the conquest of undergraduate
studies, Brian began pondering whether

28 ( 1 5 6) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

medicine was his true calling. He had
been serving as the lay youth leader at
the local Adventist church and found
himself neck high in ministry rather
than immersed in Northwesterns
Chapter
highly rigorous academics. Not everyone
gets into a program that gives you a
straight acceptance to medical school
without sitting for the MCAT,* so realiz-
ing what would be jeopardized by a
change in plans, I blasted him with sis-
terly advice: Finish your last semester
and then, maybe, think about seminary,
I said. Dont make such a rash decision
at a dusty crossroad; wait on the Lord.
And my best one: Take time away from
this academic surrounding by serving as
a student missionary overseas.
This last thought was not at all far-
fetched. Recently returned from Palau
myself, I was preaching from my post-
mission high.
I still remember his gentle, consistent
reply: Sis, there is so much to do here
in the U.S. I dont need to go overseas to
find a mission field or a ministry; the
person next to me is my mission field.
My brother lived his own life story. It
didnt make any sense to me for him to
switch paths at that point; but somehow,
even with all the prodding, in my heart I
knew it was the right thing for him.
Brian had found peace in his decision
and heeded the call to pastoral ministry.
He immediately transferred to Andrews
University to enroll in the seminary.
Life Changer for Me
A few years later, Brian and I had a
surprise announcement for each other.
My news was that he was going to be an
uncle. His news was that he was going
on a mission trip overseas. I was so
excited! I knew it would change his life,
but I never anticipated that it would
change mine. I was more excited than he
was because I had recently worked for
the Adventist Volunteer Center at the
General Conference office and had inter-
acted with student missionaries and
volunteers from all over the world. I
was very enthusiastic about mission
service overseasand now my own
brother was finally going to experience
it for himself. As the Science Depart-
ment chair at Garden State Academy in
New Jersey and pastor of a local church,
Brian would be joining a conference-
organized mission team going to El Sal-
vador. The group included Garden State
Academy students, with my brother
serving as a chaperone.
Then late one night during the mis-
sion trip the phone rang. I was six
months pregnant and feeling very nause-
ated, so I couldnt answer it. Later I called
my mom to find out what was going on.
My uncle answered the phone, and then I
knew something was terribly wrong. It
was about the El Salvador mission trip.
After a week of building an orphanage,
the students and chaperones decided to go
wading in the water along the beautiful
shores of a small town. A spontaneous, roar-
ing riptide swept them up, and without hes-
itation my brother and a lifeguard rushed
into the water to rescue them. One by one,
each student was brought safely ashore. As
the last student was pulled in, he turned to
hear my brothers last cry, Help me, Jesus!
He simply had run out of strength.
Senseless Loss
How could a loving God ignore such
www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013 | ( 1 57 )
an earnest plea? How much more ear-
nest could such a plea be? Why would
He allow the life of such a faithful and
bold soldier for Christ to end at the age
of 26? For someone so overflowing with
advice, at that moment I had
no answers.
My mind wrestled for rea-
son and hope; despair over-
whelmed me. I sank into a
flood of anger. I hopelessly
sought the peace that my
brother had relentlessly lived
by. I desperately scrambled to
retract any credit for planting the idea
of serving in an overseas mission. In the
midst of my anguish, it took me a long
time to realize that Christ had been gen-
tly tapping on my shoulder to tell me
something that would give me a frag-
ment of peace:
My child, Lilian, Brian is not lost. I have
not lost him; and you have not lost him either.
His life is on pause. You did not send him to
his death. He found a reason to live that was
worth dying for. Besides, he is not gone from
you forever. There are so many more pages to
add to the chapters of his life.
Renewed Hope
Since that tragic time I have experi-
enced a long and winding voyage, but I
have now caught a glimpse of the waves
of hope and peace in Him. In the words
of a traveler on a similar journey, My life
with my brother has been put on pause,
. . . but it will be continued in a short
while, . . . and this story has no end.
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and
the life. The one who believes in me will live, even
though they die; and whoever lives by believing
in me will never die (John 11:25, 26). n
* standardized multiple-choice exam taken by pro-
spective medical students
Born and raised in New York,
Lilian Han Im grew up wanting
to teach children. She and her
husband are now homeschool-
ing their own children, Alexis
and Austin, in Richmond, California.
29
The Life of Faith

Further Testing
I cant imagine more polar emotions than the ones you experience
while waiting to find out if youre going to die. On one hand, you really, really dont want to die. Your entire
being strains against the thought, like when youre underwater trying to come up for air and you keep
bumping your head against a floating dock. Wheres the surface? Bump. Wheres the surface? Bump.
WHERES THE SURFACE?
But as much as you hate the idea of death, you find yourself feeling better than usual about your outlook
on life. Suddenly the things that matter little do indeed matter littleand the things that matter most do
indeed matter most.
Later this morning Im going in for further testing. Its probably nothing, I was told at my last visit.
And this reassures me; until I realize that probably nothing really doesnt mean anything if it turns
out to be something.
So until I hear someone say, Its benign, its very difficult for me to reenter that place where my
mind is calm. I havent been myself the past few days; its hard to act natural around the girls when
I havent told them how worried I am. Honestly, the one thing I cannot handle is the thought of
sitting in the living room with Cindy this evening and telling the girls that Daddy has cancer. I
simply cannot handle that right now. If it comes to that, Jesus Christ is going to have to handle it
for me. Seeing my children hurting is at the very top of the things I hate.
Ha! Im reminded of a list the girls once playfully made about the places they especially hated
going. It went like this:
1. Home Depot/Lowes: where they have to stand in a very boring aisle of very boring materials
2. The Mens Wearhouse: where they have to stand among very boring clothes and shoes
3. The oil change place: where they have to sit in a very boring waiting area with scattered news-
Andy papers and a TV that perpetually seems to play The Peoples Court. We finally solved the problem by
heading down the street to Salsaritas Cantina for burritos, chips, and salsa. One of our favorite
Nash memories is running through a heavy rain from the oil change place to Salsaritas laughing our
heads off. Three years later, our youngest daughter, Summer, still talks about it.
I love these girls so much and want nothing more than to watch them grow upalongside
Cindy, the love of my life. Thats why my own list of things I would most hate goes like this:
1. Family members dying
2. Me dying
Yet, even as I reflect on this list, I realize how earth-centered it is. Its all about life now. Is this really and
truly what I ought to dread mostthe loss of life on earth? I find my answer by realizing what God most
dreadsnot the loss of earthly life but the loss of eternal life. The things God most hates are:
1. Anyone losing eternal life
2. His Son dying
If Im really a believer, then my list should at least go like this, shouldnt it?
1. Family members losing eternal life
2. Me losing eternal life
3. Anyone else losing eternal life
4. Family members dying
5. Me dying
Even with its lingering selfishness, this list still isnt easy for me to digest. My flesh screams out against
it. Though I may believe (and even teach) that one persons earthly death can result in anothers eternal life,
I dont want to be that person. Not nowwith my girls so young. I dont want to sit down in the living room
tonight. Again, if it comes to that, Jesus Christ is going to have to handle it for me.
He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
Postscript: It was benign. n

Andy Nash is a professor and pastor leading a family-friendly tour to Israel May 19-31. Contact him at andynash5@gmail.com.

30 ( 1 5 8 ) | www.AdventistReview.org | February 21, 2013

 Reflections

Let It Rain!
This morning I went running in a very light and soft rain. I wouldnt
have run outside if it had been pouring with rain; I dont like getting my running shoes squeaky wet and
my clothes soaked. This felt more like a thick mist, and it was highly invigorating. It had been raining all
night, and the air smelled wonderfully pine-fresh. The morning was hushed, and it was just me and the wide
expanse of dark sky stretched above me with a hint of the dawn in the east.
I lifted my face to the sky and suddenly had to smile. Why? Ever since I was a little girl of about 6 years old
I can remember my mom telling me to lift my face to the sky when it rains, because rain makes your face
beautiful. Or so she said. I guess that notion came in handy when she needed to lift my spirits on a rainy
day when I couldnt go outside to play, or if we happened to get caught in the rain while walking somewhere.
But I believed her and dutifully lifted my face for the rain to wash it whenever I had the opportunity. And
more than 30 years later Im still doing it! Whats more, Im telling my children to do it as well. It has become
some kind of family traditionsomething we do when it rains and were outside. It has been passed on
from one generation to the next. What may have been one of those inspired moments when God gives a
mother the right words for her children in a specific situation has turned into a wonderful lifelong memory
and source of encouragement. Forget the dark clouds and hold your face into the rain. Turn the apparent
obstacles into an opportunity. Lift your face to the sky, because rain makes it beautiful!
Although science likely doesnt support this premise, the passing on of these positive and encouraging
words has created long-lasting memories for me. These small words and traditions are woven into the fabric
of our family histories, and when we hand them down from one generation to another, we might actually
be doing something deeply spiritual: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk
by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Deut. 6:5-7, ESV).*
Saying encouraging and positive words to our childrenwords that remind us and them of Gods con-
tinual love, even in the face of pelting rainstorms that will surely come our waymay create a small but
lasting legacy that will ring all the way into eternity.
I still dont like rainy days, because I relish being outdoors and playing with my boys or working in the
yard and enjoying nature. But then I think of my mom and smile. I go outside and look up, holding my face
high, as I invite my three boys to do the same.
Let it rain; let it rain. n
* Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of
Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thandi Klingbeil lives with her husband, Martin, and their three children in Collegedale, Tennessee.

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