Jesus Christ Prison Ministry, est. 1997

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A majority of church members are under a spell.  The church is putting on great entertainment.  As long as the devil can keep people in church, he has nothing to worry about.  Remember, Jesus didn’t say, “Go to church”, He said, “Come unto Me”.  That is the choice we have to make.  The churches of today are no different than the church of Christ’s day.  In Christ’s day, the church refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah.  It would be too humiliating.  They would have to give up their power.  Everything that held the people together as “Jews” would be swept aside and demolished, therefore, Jesus had to die.

So it is today in our churches.  The churches don’t want Jesus.  They want power and money.  Jesus is not welcome in the churches of today.  The moment you teach the teachings of Jesus you will be sent packing.  The churches want Jesus as their Savior, but not as their Lord.  Unfortunately, if you do not obey Jesus as your Lord, He will not be your Saviour.  “If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments.”  John 14:15.

Galatians 3:1 to Galatians 3:29

You foolish Galatians! Who put you under a spell? Was not Jesus the Messiah clearly portrayed before your very eyes as having been crucified? 

Obviously, prior to this letter, Paul had instructed the Galatians as to the Messiahship of Jesus.  Knowing how thorough Paul is in his instructions in his letters, I can only imagine how thorough he was in person.  Maybe to a fault.  He “clearly portrayed” Jesus as the Messiah, using the Old Testament prophecies and eye witness accounts.  It is very possible that Paul was one of those who looked upon Jesus as He was hanging on the cross.

The other point is, “having been crucified”.  The Jews had been taught for centuries that the Messiah was coming at the head of armies to conquer their enemies and build them into a worldwide powerful nation.  Having a Messiah hanging on a cross just didn’t fit their narrative.  Therefore, Christians had to be instructed in the facts and prophecies of the Messiah’s perfect, sinless life and His suffering and death.  Separating fact from fiction is not easy when dealing with minds that have been brainwashed with fiction.  Just take a look at our politics today to understand how brainwashed people can be.

I want to learn only one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the actions of the Law or by believing what you heard? 

Early Christians didn’t have 2,000 years of church brainwashing under their belts.  The special manifestation of the Spirit of God (tongues of fire and speaking in tongues) was given for two very specific reasons. 

1) In order to confirm the truth. 

2) Facilitate the spread of Christianity to the nations and peoples of different languages (tongues). 

Now, why did they receive the sign of the Spirit?  What “law” is Paul talking about?  Well, as we learned earlier, it was church law.  The “spies” were infiltrating in order to convince the new converts that they had to be circumcised, wear the right clothes, adhere to certain church doctrines, rites, traditions, feast days and ceremonies.  They received the Spirit as they left their church.  On the other hand, in order for the Christians to receive the Spirit of God, they had to be obedient to the Ten Commandments.  The Spirit of God does not dwell in those who are sinners.  It strives with sinners, but cannot dwell with sinners.

Are you so foolish? Having started out with the Spirit, are you now ending up with the flesh? 

“Ending up with the flesh”.  They were being induced to be circumcised (flesh).  No different than churches pushing people to be baptized.  Neither have anything to do with eternal life.  They are simply outward expressions of one’s commitment to live by the Ten Commandments.  Somewhere along the line, the “commitment” was thrown out and replaced with church rituals, services, rites, traditions and “law”,  These became their savior.

Did you suffer so much for nothing? (If it really was for nothing!) 

The early Christians considered themselves Jews because they kept the Ten Commandments, which included the keeping of the 7th-day Saturday Sabbath.  Remember, Paul taught that those who accepted Christ were grafted into Spiritual Israel.  The rest of the world were pagan and worshipped their gods on the 1st day of the week, Sunday, in honor of the sun-god, Latin name Sol.  For the Egyptians it was Atum.  For any “Gentile” to become a “Christian” was to give up the pagan, Sunday worship, and accept the 7th-day Sabbath that was created and made holy by Jesus when He created the world.  (Genesis 2:2, 3; John 1:3).  Giving up the pagan Sunday worship for the 7th-day Sabbath caused them great suffering and persecution.  For Jews, leaving the temple-church services, rites, traditions and customs created great suffering and persecution.

Does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you because you do the actions of the Law or because you believe what you heard? 

Keeping the church laws, or doing “the actions of the law”, did nothing for the Jews.  Going to church didn’t make them any holier.  In fact, it degraded them to the point where they put the Messiah on the cross.  So why were the newly converted Christians from paganism submitting to the Jewish church laws of rites, traditions, rituals and ceremonies which started with circumcision, “the flesh”?  Belonging is a very powerful human need.  They were beginning to believe that by belonging to the temple and accepting all that went with it, they would be justified and draw closer to Jesus.  We humans just have to be “doing” something.

In the same way, Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 

Paul states that the pagans who converted to Christianity were grafted into Israel.  But not to the church organization of Israel.  They were grafted into the original Israel which started with Abraham who was a friend of Jesus and kept the Ten Commandments.  In other words, to become a Christian was not to become a church member of the Jewish nation, but a member of Abraham’s religion by faith, belief and obedience to Jesus.  “Abraham did what I told him to do. He kept My instructions, Commands, statutes, and Laws.”  Genesis 26:5.

You see, then, that those who have faith are Abraham’s real descendants. 

Absolutely!  It isn’t going to church that makes you a Christian.  It isn’t belonging to any denomination or religion that makes you a Christian.  To be a Christian is to have the same “faith” as Jesus and Abraham had: obedience to the Ten Commandments. 

Keep in mind, the organization of the Israelites into a nation did not take place until about 400 years after Abraham.  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had no church or nation.  They were simply a family that lived in faith that the sacrifices they made represented the Messiah who was to come to pay the death-penalty for their sins.  As such, they then obeyed that Messiah by living in obedience to His Ten Commandments. 

And by the way, “church” was not introduced into the Jewish culture until they were taken captive by the Babylonians 500 years before Christ.  “Church” was a “new” thing that was taking the place of faith and obedience to the Ten Commandments.

Because the Scripture saw ahead of time that God would justify the gentiles by faith, it announced the gospel to Abraham beforehand when it said, “Through you all nations will be blessed.”

Keep in mind, we are talking about justification, not sanctification.  The gospel, the keeping of the Ten Commandments, was given to Abraham, Old Testament, and revealed through his offspring.  The whole world was to be taught how to keep the Ten Commandments.  But that requires “faith” in a God who would pay the penalty for sins already committed.  It hadn’t happened yet, but through the sacrificial offerings, they had faith in the Messiah to come to pay that penalty for their sins.  This concept was revealed again through Daniel that the “Messiah shall be cut off (die). . . and shall confirm the covenant.”  That covenant was for those who believed and lived in obedience to the Ten Commandments.  The Messiah was to “make an end of sins, and make atonement for iniquity.”  Daniel 9:26, 27, 24.  That was the hope the Israelites and Jews were supposed to be looking for. 

Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the one who believed. 

Therefore, as Abraham believed in the Messiah to come to pay for his sins, so to, the Gentile believers, through faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah to come, were to have the same hope of eternal life without belonging to any church, denomination or religion.  Remember, Jesus didn’t come for the Jews, He came and died for the sins of the whole world.  Gentiles could participate in the “atonement” of the Messiah without participating in the yearly service of “atonement” at the temple, the Feast of Trumpets”.

Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, “A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!” 

Paul digresses a bit here.  He began explaining why the Gentile believers did not have to obey church-law for their salvation.  Then he used an example of how Abraham was obedient, not to a church-law, but to the Ten Commandment law of God through His faith.  How does he do this.  The quote he uses is from Deuteronomy 27:26.  If you read the whole book, or, just that chapter, it is obvious that Paul is talking about the Ten Commandments.  Verses 15 through 25 have to do with breaking the Ten Commandments.  Verse 26 puts a curse on anyone who breaks the Ten Commandments.  The Ten Commandments is what the whole book of Deuteronomy is about: “the Words of this Law”.  Chapter five of Deuteronomy sets the whole tenor of the direction of the book.  Today, the churches love to bind together the first five books of the Bible so they can dismiss them.  But in the Old Testament, when the prophets talked about being obedient to the “Book of the Law”, they were talking about Deuteronomy specifically.  And Paul is correct, there is a curse on everyone who does not obey the Ten Commandments. 

Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because “The righteous will live by faith”. 

However, we are back to that word, “justified”.  Paul is correct, no one is justified by keeping the Ten Commandments or any of the rites, rituals, services, sacrifices or feast days of the Bible.  When Abraham sacrificed to the Lord, the act did not justify him.  His faith in what the sacrifice pointed to, the Messiah, justified him. 

But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, “The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them.” 

All the laws of the Bible will not save you if you have not been justified.  Why?  Because you have sinned.  All have sinned and fallen short.  But if you have faith in the blood and sacrifice of the Messiah, then, “the person who keeps the commandments will have life in them”.  That is correct.  After we have been justified by faith in accepting the blood of the Messiah, then we are to walk in sanctification by keeping the Ten Commandments in order to have life, as Jesus did.  “If you desire to enter into life, keep the Commandments.”  Matthew 19:17.

The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, “A curse on everyone who is hung on a tree!” 

That is correct.  Jesus took our curse, our death-debt, by taking our sins upon Himself and hung on a tree, crucified, for us.  He justified us by His blood.  He “redeemed us from the curse of the Law”.  We broke the law and were under the curse of death.  He provided a way to cleans us from our past sins; “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity.”  Daniel 9:24.  But only for those who have faith in Him.  And those who have faith in Him will live in obedience to Him when He commands us to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments for our eternal life, as taught in both Old and New Testament.

This happened in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 

“So God has given repentance that leads to life even to gentiles.”  Acts 11:18. 

Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once a person’s will has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it. 

The “will” was ratified by God to Abraham and His descendants.  It can’t be changed.  The churches, denominations and religions of the world are trying to change it.  Can’t be done.  “I the Lord (Jesus), I change not.”  Malachi 3:6.  “Jesus, the Messiah, is the same yesterday and today—and forever!”  Hebrews 13:8. 

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say “descendants,” referring to many, but “your descendant,” referring to one person, who is the Messiah. 

The Messiah came through the descendants of Abraham.  The pagans coming out of paganism had to understand that there was no other Messiah.  The pagan rites, rituals, services and sacrifices were meaningless.  Looking unto their gods would do them no good.

This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified. 

“The law” that is spoken of here is the Levitical law of the temple services, feast days, rituals, rites and ceremonies.  These were not given to Abraham.  They were given at Mount Sinai.  That promise, that if they kept the Ten Commandments through faith in the Messiah to come, was never nullified.  Nor can it ever be abolished, nullified or done away with.  You must keep in mind that the reason for the temple services, sacrifices, rituals, rites and ceremonies was because of sin, the breaking of the Ten Commandments.  If there were no Ten Commandments, there would be no sin and hence, no temple services, sacrifices, rituals, rites and ceremonies.  Conversely, if no one sinned, they would not have needed the temple services, sacrifices, rituals, rites and ceremonies.

For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham. 

Over and over again Paul is trying to make it plain that the sacrificial services, temple laws, feast days, rites and rituals could not save you.  Only through the promise of the Messiah, which “God so graciously gave it to Abraham” could they be saved.  The church couldn’t save anyone.

Why, then, was the Law added? Because of transgressions, until the descendant came about whom the promise pertained. It was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one. 

Exactly, just as we have been saying, the temple services, rites, rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies were instituted “because of transgression” which is the breaking of the Ten Commandments.  They were to lead the thoughts, hopes and faith of the people up to the Messiah, “until the descendant (Jesus) came.”  That prophecy was reiterated in Daniel 9:24-27.  The Jews were becoming faithless.  They were losing hope.  God reminded Daniel and gave him the exact time when the Messiah would come.  Not many today believe what God gave to Daniel.  But now that the Messiah has come, we no longer need the temple laws to point us to the work of the Messiah.

So is the Law in conflict with the promises of God? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could give us life, then certainly righteousness would come through the Law. 

The Jews thought righteousness came through the laws of their church.  They taught that if you were circumcised and obeyed all the church laws such as hand washing, sacrifices, feast days, rites and rituals, you were saved.  But no “law”, not even the Ten Commandments, can give us life.  Only Jesus can give us life.  And not just eternal life, but every breath you take comes from Jesus and His creative power.  And that only, if by faith we live in obedience to the Ten Commandments; which are the righteousness of God.

But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin’s net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of the Messiah might be granted to those who believe. 

Since we have all sinned, broken the Ten Commandments, none of us can redeem himself.  None of us can grant eternal life to ourselves or another.  None of our churches, denominations or religions are able to give us eternal life.  However, Jesus lived in obedience to the Ten Commandments and never sinned.  Therefore, He is able to grant life “to those who believe.”  And if we believe, then we will live in obedience when He tells us to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life.

Now before faith came about, we were held in custody and confined under the Law in preparation for the faith that was to be revealed. 

Paul is talking about to administrations of the same faith.  The first faith was a faith of looking forward to the  sacrifice of the Messiah.  This faith was first given to Adam after he sinned.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  Genesis 3:15. 

The second faith was for those looking back to the sacrifice of the Messiah.  The first faith had sacrifices, and later a temple was added with services, rituals, feast days and rites to keep the nation of Israel together and separated from the pagan nations around them.  These were all added to keep the eyes of the people on the administration of the work of the Messiah to come.  They were confined in custody to those external representations of the work of the Messiah.

And so the Law was our guardian until the Messiah came, so that we might be justified by faith. 

That was correct.  If properly administered, the temple laws, the sacrifices, the feast days, rites and rituals would have guarded the people and kept them from the pagan concepts of “working” their way to heaven through all those temple laws.  They would have kept their eyes on the work of the Messiah to justify them from their past sins.  In the meantime, they were to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.

But now that faith has come about, we are no longer under a guardian. 

Now that faith in the Messiah, who has come, and is in our hearts, we no longer need the temple laws of rites, rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, feast days and traditions as our guardian.  We have the Substance and no longer need the shadows.

For all of you are God’s children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 

Prior to the death of Christ, if you were a Gentile, you could have eternal life by believing in the coming Messiah and living in obedience to the Ten Commandments.  However, if you wanted to belong to the nation of Israel and partake in the temple laws, you had to go through the rite of circumcision.  However, since the cross, we just need to believe that Jesus has come to justify us from our past sins and continue to live the perfect, sinless life by keeping His Ten Commandments for our eternal life.

Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah. 

If we accept the sacrifice of Jesus for our past sins, we must be clothed with the righteousness of the Messiah: perfection, sinlessness and Commandment keeping.  That is how we are to be one “with the Messiah”.  Baptism doesn’t save us, but for them, it was a public declaration of repentance and commitment to the Messiah and what He taught.  No different than circumcision for a Jew.

Because all of you are one in the Messiah Jesus, a person is no longer a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a male or a female. And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise. 

The circle is complete.  Through the descendant of Abraham we all have become heirs according to the promise.  Adam and Eve were given a promise about the Messiah’s coming because He would be coming through one of their descendants.  However, by the time of Abraham, the world needed to know where to look for that Messiah.  Therefore, God let it be known where to look.  God chose Abraham because he represented the character of the Messiah by living in obedience to the Ten Commandments. Thus, all who live as the Messiah lived are grafted into the descendants of Abraham.

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Inmate Letters

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Testimony for God’s Children

My Dear Family in Christ,

The world is destroying God’s people.  Our children are especially the target of Lucifer.  Through every means possible he is working to turn the whole world against Jesus.  Not necessarily against as in denying Him or rejecting Him, but claiming to love Him while refusing to live in obedience to Him.  Our churches today are the greatest facilitators of that kind of rejection.  We feel safe in claiming the name and going to church, while our lives are totally consumed by love of the world.

Influence of Social Surroundings, part 1

I was shown, December 10, 1872, the state of Brother K’s family. He has been a true believer and lover of the truth, but has been drinking in the spirit of the world. Said Christ: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Brother K, your earthly treasure claims your interest and attention to such an extent that you do not afford time to serve God; yet your wife is dissatisfied that you give Him the meager pittance that you do. A worldly insanity has taken possession of her heart. Neither of you takes sufficient time for meditation and prayer. God is robbed of your daily service, and you yourselves are meeting with a greater loss than that of every earthly treasure.

Sister K, you are still farther from God than your husband is. Your conformity to the world has banished your Saviour from your heart; there is no room for Him in your affections. You have but little inclination for prayer and searching your heart. You are yielding yourself to obey the prince of the powers of darkness. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.”

Sister K, you know not what you are doing; you do not realize that you are warring against your Creator in drawing your husband away from the truth. Your attention is on the advantages that the world gives. You have not cultivated a love for devotion, but are better pleased with the stir and bustle of laboring to acquire wealth. You are absorbed in your desire to be like the world, that you may receive the happiness that the world gives. Your earthly ambitions and interests are greater than your desire for righteousness and for a part in the kingdom of God.

Your precious probationary time is spent in laboring for your temporal welfare, in dressing, and eating, and drinking after the manner of the world. Oh, how unsatisfying, how meager is the recompense obtained! In your worldly desires and pursuits you are carrying a heavier burden than your Saviour has ever proposed to lay upon you. Your Redeemer invites you: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” My sister, Christ would have you lay down your heavy weight at His feet and submit your stubborn neck to His easy yoke.

What if your probation should close at this time? How would you bear the investigation of the Master? How have you employed the talents of means and influence lent you of God for wise improvement to His glory? God has given you life and its blessings, not to be devoted to your own pleasure and selfish gratification merely, but that you may benefit others and do good. The Master has entrusted you with talents that you should put out to the exchangers, that when He requires them again He may receive His own with usury.

Your influence and means have been given you to test you, to reveal what is in your heart; you should use them to win souls to Christ and thus advance the cause of your Redeemer. If you fail to do this you are making a terrible mistake. Every day that you devote to serving yourself, and to pleasing your friends by yielding to their influence in loving the world and neglecting your best Friend, who died to give you life, you are losing much.

Sister K, you have thought that it was not well for you to be different from those around you. You are in a community that has been tested on the truth and has rejected it, and you have linked your interests and affections with theirs until you are to all intents one of them. You love their society; yet you are not happy, though you flatter yourself that you are. You have said in your heart: “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?”

It is no small matter for a family to stand as representatives of Jesus, keeping God’s law in an unbelieving community. We are required to be living epistles known and read of all men. This position involves fearful responsibilities. In order to live in the light, you must come where the light shines. Brother K, at any sacrifice, should feel under solemn obligation to attend, with his family, at least the yearly gatherings of those who love the truth. It would strengthen him and them, and fit them for trial and duty. It is not well for them to lose the privilege of associating with those of like faith; for the truth loses its importance in their minds, their hearts cease to be enlightened and vivified by its sanctifying influence, and they lose spirituality. They are not strengthened by the words of the living preacher. Worldly thoughts and worldly enterprises are continually exercising their minds to the exclusion of spiritual subjects.

The faith of most Christians will waver if they constantly neglect to meet together for conference and prayer. If it were impossible for them to enjoy such religious privileges, then God would send light direct from heaven by His angels, to animate, cheer, and bless His scattered people. But He does not propose to work a miracle to sustain the faith of His saints. They are required to love the truth enough to take some little pains to secure the privileges and blessings vouchsafed them of God. The least they can do is to devote a few days in the year to a united effort to advance the cause of Christ and to exchange friendly counsel and sympathy.

Many devote nearly all their time to their own temporal interests and pleasures, and grudge the few days spent and the expense involved in going a distance from their homes to meet with a company gathered together in the name of the Lord. The word of the Lord defines covetousness as idolatry; then how many idolaters are there, even among those who profess to be the followers of Christ!

It is required that we meet together and bear testimony to the truth. The angel of God said: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

It will pay, then, to improve the privileges within our reach, and, even at some sacrifice, to assemble with those who fear God and speak for Him; for He is represented as hearkening to those testimonies, while angels write them in a book. God will remember those who have met together and thought upon His name, and He will spare them from the great conflagration. They will be as precious jewels in His sight, but His wrath will fall on the shelterless head of the sinner. It is not a vain thing to serve God. There is a priceless reward for those who devote their life to His service. Dear brother and sister, you have been gradually entering the darkness until almost imperceptibly it has grown to appear like the light to you. Occasionally a feeble glimmer penetrates the gloom and arouses the mind; but surrounding influences shut out the ray of light, and the darkness seems denser than before.

It would have been better for your spiritual welfare had you changed your place of residence some years ago. The light of truth tested the community in which you live. A few received the message of mercy and warning, while it was rejected by many. Still another class did not accept it because there was a cross to lift. They took a neutral position and thought that if they did not war against the truth they would be doing quite well, but the light they neglected to receive and cherish went out in darkness. They endeavored to quiet conscience by saying to the Spirit of God: “Go Thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for Thee.” That convenient season has never come. They neglected the golden opportunity that has never again returned to them, for the world has shut out the light that they refused. The interests of this life and the charm of exciting pleasures absorb their minds and hearts, while their best Friend, the blessed Saviour, is rejected and forgotten.

Sister K, although possessing excellent natural qualities, is being drawn away from God by her unbelieving friends and relatives, who love not the truth and have no sympathy with the sacrifice and self-denial that must be made for the truth’s sake. Sister K has not felt the importance of separation from the world, as the command of God enjoins. The sight of her eyes and the hearing of her ears have perverted her heart.

John the Baptist was a man filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth, and if there was anyone who could remain unaffected by the corrupting influences of the age in which he lived, it was surely he. Yet he did not venture to trust his strength; he separated himself from his friends and relatives, that his natural affections might not prove a snare to him. He would not place himself unnecessarily in the way of temptation nor where the luxuries or even the conveniences of life would lead him to indulge in ease or to gratify his appetite, and thus lessen his physical and mental strength. By such a course the important mission upon which he came would have failed of its accomplishment.

e subjected himself to privation and solitude in the wilderness, where he could preserve the sacred sense of the majesty of God by studying His great book of nature and there becoming acquainted with His character as revealed in His wonderful works. It was an atmosphere calculated to perfect moral culture and to keep the fear of the Lord continually before him. John, the forerunner of Christ, did not expose himself to evil conversation and the corrupting influences of the world. He feared the effect upon his conscience, that sin might not appear to him so exceedingly sinful. He chose rather to have his home in the wilderness, where his senses would not be perverted by his surroundings. Should we not learn something from this example of one whom Christ honored and of whom He said: “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist”?

The first thirty years of Christ’s life were passed in retirement. Ministering angels waited upon the Lord of life as He walked side by side with the peasants and laborers among the hills of Nazareth, unrecognized and unhonored. These noble examples should teach us to avoid evil influences and to shun the society of those who do not live aright. We should not flatter ourselves that we are too strong for any such influences to affect us, but we should in humility guard ourselves from danger.

Ancient Israel were especially directed by God to be and remain a people separate from all nations. They were not to be subjected to witnessing the idolatry of those about them, lest their own hearts should be corrupted, lest familiarity with ungodly practices should make them appear less wicked in their eyes. Few realize their own weakness and that the natural sinfulness of the human heart too often paralyzes their noblest endeavors.

The baleful influence of sin poisons the life of the soul. Our only safety is in separation from those who live in its darkness. The Lord has enjoined upon us to come out from among them and be separate, and to touch not the unclean thing, and He will receive us and will be a Father unto us, and we shall be His sons and daughters. If we wish to be adopted into the family of God, to become children of the heavenly King, we must comply with His conditions; we must come out from the world and stand as a peculiar people before the Lord, obeying His precepts and serving Him.

Lot chose Sodom for his home because he saw that there were advantages to be gained there from a worldly point of view. But after he had established himself, and grown rich in earthly treasure, he was convinced that he had made a mistake in not taking into consideration the moral standing of the community in which he was to make his home.

The dwellers in Sodom were corrupt; vile conversation greeted his ears daily, and his righteous soul was vexed by the violence and crime he was powerless to prevent. His children were becoming like these wicked people, for association with them had perverted their morals. Taking all these things into consideration, the worldly riches he had gained seemed small and not worth the price he had paid for them. His family connections were extensive, his children having married among the Sodomites.

The Lord’s anger was finally kindled against the wicked inhabitants of the city, and angels of God visited Sodom to bring forth Lot, that he should not perish in the overthrow of the city. They bade Lot bring his family, his wife, and the sons and daughters who married in wicked Sodom, and told him to flee from the place. “For,” said the angels, “we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.”

And Lot went out and entreated his children. He repeated the words of the angel: “Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one who mocked; for they had lived so long in Sodom that they had become partakers of the sins of the people. And the daughters were influenced by their husbands to believe that their father was mad. They were well enough off where they were. They were rich and had great possessions; and they could not believe it possible that beautiful Sodom, a rich and fertile country, would be destroyed by the wrath of a sin-avenging God.

Lot returned sorrowfully to the angels and repeated the story of his failure. Then the angels commanded him to arise, and take his wife and the two daughters who were yet in his house, and leave the city. But Lot was sad; the thought of leaving his children and his wife, for she refused to go without them, almost broke his heart. They would all have perished in the terrible ruin of Sodom, had not the Lord, in His great mercy, sent His angels to the rescue. 4T 104- 111.