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PRISONERS OF HOPE Oct 2009

EDITORIAL..BR N. NKOMO
One of my favourite quotations from Ellen White has come to be of greater significance for me over the
last month. It is strange in that I had not had recourse to think about it for a while but events here have
made me to take another look at it and I will dwell on it for our editorial this week. The quotation states:
―Do not waste your thoughts in dwelling upon the defective characters of others. This will not cure your
defects of character. By dwelling upon the wrongs of others, you will be changed into the same image.
Whenever you are tempted to talk of others' follies, or blame them for injuries they have done to you,
consider that they have wounded the heart of Christ in the person of His saints. Then take your Bible,
and open it before God, and plead with Him for the healing balm of His peace.‖ 21MR p25
I am not sure about you but I have found myself on a number of occasions dwelling on the defective
characters of others. I have found myself sometimes wishing that certain people were there to hear a
sermon so that they could see that their characters are not quite what they out to be. I have found myself
at times thinking about how if some people would change certain things about themselves that the
world would be a better place. We should not get the inspired prophetess wrong in what she is saying;
she is not saying that there is no place for us to be our brothers‘ keeper. What she is referring to is more
the inordinate time we tend to spend in analyzing the faults of others without either the desire or moti-
vation to address their faults and hence help them to draw closer to Christ.
I have also found that I have had a tendency in the past to dwell more on the defective characters of oth-
ers than to dwell on my own. I have often wondered whether or not we are willing to subject our own
characters to the same scrutiny as we do the lives of others. It is very easy for us to see faults in others
and yet be blinded to our own hence the mote and beam analogy. I wonder how many of us have ever
requested of a trusted Christian friend to show us the defects in our own characters. Yes, I know that the
Holy Spirit can do that for us, but it does not preclude the fact that He can speak through others to us,
and of this we have ample Biblical examples. And then of course there is the question that how do we
react when our own characters are placed under the spotlight? Are we humble enough to accept the
criticism of our characters? Are we gracious enough to take on board what is perceived by others and to
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
take it to Lord in prayer? I can confess that it has hurt in the past to hear of my character flaws, and that
my immediate reaction was to defend, and I probably still suffer from it to some extent. The question to Editorial ......................... ……1

ask myself is, ―Why does it hurt?‖ Could it be that I do not have the humility required of me by our Sav- Feed My Children.......... .….2

iour? Could it be pride, which the Lord hateth so much rearing its ugly head? Could it be that I have not Love Was Not Enough . .….3
Fornication Part 1 ......... ..…5
died to self?
Charming Charcoal ....... …..6
Another danger that I have often observed is that when we dwell upon the defective characters of others Elijah Was Discouraged …..7
it tends to be difficult to keep our thoughts to ourselves. There is a tendency to seek others of a similar Religion in the Hopme…….8
persuasion and discuss what is going on in our thoughts. This is especially so, as the quotation alludes to
in its second part, when the person in question has caused hurt to us. The Bible provides us with a
framework for dealing with our problems. ―Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there re-
memberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.‖ Mat 5:23,24. The duty of mak-
ing wrongs right rests upon us the aggrieved party. The scripture does not counsel us to find others that
have been slighted by the same brother and to counsel together. The scripture does not advise us to hold
a grudge and dwell on the defective character of the brother. Instead, it tells us to go and be reconciled
to our brothers and sisters in Christ before we offer our gift to Christ.
My challenge for us is that we not dwell on the defective characters of others outside of a setting of as-
sisting them to through the Holy Spirit be changed more into the likeness of our High Priest. My chal-
lenge for us is that we take the time to prayerfully consider our own flawed and imperfect characters,
hold them up against His perfect character, and earnestly seek that He cover us with His blood. For out-
side of Him we have no hope of ever being changed into His likeness and fitted for our heavenly home.
 FEED MY CHILDREN... BY SR T NKOMO
In the previous month‘s editorial, my husband mentioned
that we‘d been touched by the plight of some widows in a vil-
lage called Matanana. A few Sabbaths ago, we visited Ma-
tanana SDA Church and as our custom is, stayed with our two
little ones in the kindergarten and Cradle Roll class. I held
our son who‘s quite ‗jumpy‘ in new situations, while our
daughter sat on the bench next to me and the other children.
There was one little boy with glue ear, who was walking
around and started crying. My husband picked him up and he
kept quiet immediately. For the rest of the lesson, he held
him in his arms and the little boy (Not even two years old yet)
remained calm and peaceful. After class, Steward, the local
who‘d been translating from English to kiSwahili (One of the
missionaries had been teaching the class) told my husband
that HIV infection is a big problem, and that that little boy
was also infected with it. He then mentioned the sobering fact
that about 60% of the village, has contracted HIV. Not only
was this little boy infected, he was an orphan that was being
taken care of by one of the church
members. Steward also said that
he and his wife are trying to help
widows and their children, as
much as they can with their lim-
ited funds. Needless to say, this
piqued our interest. Finally, we
had a chance to get to really know
the locals and see if God would
allow us to be His hands.
A few days later, we went to Stew-
ard‘s home and met his wife and
grandson. We have a big project
planned, trying to help the widows make a sustainable living
while feeding themselves nutritious food-most of them have
HIV/AIDS. In the meantime, the urgent thing was to get
them fertiliser and maize seeds. Steward and his wife had
even given one of their ‗shambas‘-fields- by the river, to one
of the widows! The set-up here is that a family has a small
food garden next to their house, and a shamba further away.
They are unable to afford fertiliser and seeds and Steward
and his wife had been giving away their chicken manure to try
and help them. His big hope is to build a chicken run for the
widows where they can raise chickens and sell eggs. Sadly,
the soil here is extremely infertile, not many vegetables and
fruits grow, and those that do are of a very bad quality. Even
as an institution, we have been struggling to plant anything
that would sustain us. The best thing that would grow in this
hostile soil is barley-and we all know what use would come
out of that!
Steward knows of 19 widows personally, but there are many
2
more. But even 19 was too large a number for us. So he came
up with a figure of 10 of the most urgent cases and we made
an appeal that helped us buy the widows 63 bags of fertiliser
and 2 bags each of seed. It was a happy day when we got to
meet them at Steward‘s house, to hand them over. But it was
also humbling because these are older ladies, some of them
with children only 10 years younger than I am, yet their grati-
tude...It felt wrong for an older lady to be thanking one so
young, who hadn‘t done much for them. While with them, we
asked them to confer among each other, to decide what their
next need is, what they need most urgently. And you know
what? It‘s manure. The soil is so bad that after they plant,
they will need to add more fertiliser-and the bags we gave
them each weight 50kg. While they were discussing, the need
for school uniforms and fees for their high school children
came up, but they felt they‘d already asked us to do a lot and
decided not to let us know (They weren‘t aware that Steward
was translating their deliberations for us!) As we were leav-
ing, some of the widows were hoist-
ing those 50kg bags onto their heads.
Little did we know how far away they
lived! And all of them had a number
of bags to get home. We asked if they
needed transport, but they are so
used to this life of hardship, that ob-
viously for them, this was an easy
task.
So our next goal is to raise funds to
buy them more manure/fertiliser at
the end of December.
Today, October 18, we went to visit
each family in their homes. We wanted to meet their children,
find out how old they are and get to meet them as individuals.
The first lady whose home we were graciously welcomed in
was Fatuma. She‘s the most recent widow, her husband died
in June of this year. He used to drive a lorry and found an-
other woman who he stayed with for 2 years, while his poor
wife stayed alone. He then returned, made her pregnant, then
when he discovered she was pregnant, he left again. He only
came back when he got sick. By then it was too late. He died
and left her with only one month‘s salary, which she used to
open up a small shop in her yard. She sells salt, soap, cold
drinks, oil, tomatoes. Considering this is a poverty-stricken
area, she doesn‘t make enough to survive. Fatuma has 5 kids.
Actually, the oldest one is her husband‘s, but as the custom is,
she took that child on as hers too. The youngest is 1 and a half
years old, with the oldest girl is 14 years old. Fatuma has to
walk 4km to go work in her shamba! She does have a bicycle
(the vehicle of choice in these areas) but the road is just too
bad.
Sister Fatuma is the only Adventist of the group. She joined $3.
the church last year. In her garden, she plants maize, soy-
Life here is hard. They collect water at a communal well.
beans and wheat. But wheat doesn‘t grow too well. Fatuma‘s There‘s no electricity. The houses are bare, some are just
problems are not over. Her deceased husband‘s brother came stone floors. And these are not polished stone like ours is.
to her house and told her that he wants to sell the family ra- This is as if someone just looked at a piece of ground and de-
dio in order to buy a tombstone for her late husband. The cided they‘d live on it so they put a roof over the ground and
poor woman is apparently confused about how to handle it. that was the end. No smoothing of the floor..They are essen-
She spoke to her sister in law and (thankfully) she told her tially ‗sleeping outside‘ with a ‗brick‘ tent for shelter. My hus-
not to allow him to take anything from her home. It must be band noticed that they had no shoes-their feet and even their
so difficult. Yes, the husband was a scoundrel, but at least toes were badly cracked. You‘d have had to be hard hearted
they were able to feed their children. And I assume that when not to have to hide your tears at their plight. Oh, and did I
he was back home, she got used to having him back again. mention that the group of 10 grew to 11!? One of the widows
The next home we visited was Sevelina‘s. She was widowed told one of her widow friends about the fertiliser and seed
that we‘d gotten together so she also went to Steward‘s
in 2007 . She has two 17 year old boys, and one of 16. They
house. Steward and his wife offered her manure as there
have 4 cows and a shamba that she plants some vegetables,
were insufficient bags on the day. But God is good. !A couple
beans and maize. We found her not well at all and it turns
of students gave us some money to help the widows AFTER
out she had malaria. She‘s been having these fever attacks a
we‘d bought the first set of gifts, so my husband was able to
lot since last year. Sevelina is Catholic and also caught HIV
take some of our money to buy the manure and to transport
from her husband. Her situation is very sad. She has to beg
it to the widows. The transport? A man will cycle up these
her neighbours to give her a ride on their bicycle to go to the steep hills for the equivalent of $1 for distances of 35km.And
hospital to collect her antiretroviral medication every month. each bag weighs 50kg. Life here is hard, I‘ll say it again.
And this isn‘t some easy bicycle ride. It‘s uphill a lot of the Please pray that not only will this endeavour aid the widows,
way and the hospital is about 35km away. Her sons don‘t but that they will see the true gospel of Jesus and be won
know that she is infected with HIV. Getting to and from the over to the truth.
hospital would ‗only‘ cost about R24. Which is not more than

LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH…..BY SR K NARANJO

Q: Whose names are not in the book of Life and are not there. They were all a part of the God‘s people and I‘m go-
had every opportunity to be there? ing to suggest to you why they are not there. God’s love was not
enough.
It is a warning message to all of us to investigate
and learn why they are not there. Rev. 21: 14: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in
them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev. 20: 15 And whosoever was not found writ-
ten in the book of life was cast into the lake of 12 apostles – 12 names are the foundation of New Jerusalem.
fire. Think of it… there is one missing. One who walked with Jesus 3 ½
years. All the light and all the opportunity and his name is miss-
Whenever I read this passage it always makes an impression on
ing ! Judas name is missing. God‘s love was not enough.
me. Suppose I‘m on the outside and I pray that they have made a
mistake. But, no, no mistakes will be made. *Let us go back to a reason why the names might be missing. It
might also be a reason why our names could be missing. The lead-
It is most important that your name to be on the list in the book of
ers of the Tribes of Israel were not perfect and had many faults.
life.
The apostles also had many faults and problems in their lives too.
Q: Have you ever had an exam to take in order to be able to have a
Let‘s look at Ephraim:
job opportunity or to enter a higher level of education and you were
most concerned that you passed the test and were on the list to be Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
considered? Then you have some idea as to what this is about.
Hosea 13:1 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in
The missing names from the book of life and let us look more Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
deeply into why they are not there and apply this lesson to our
Hosea 12: 13: And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of
lives.
Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. 14: Ephraim provoked
Rev. 7:5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon
tribe of Reuben were sealed 12,000. [and it continues Of the tribe him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.
of Gad Of the tribe of Aser Of the tribe of Nepthalim Of the tribe of
Now Dan?
Manasses. Of the tribe of Simeon. Of the tribe of Levi Of the tribe
of Issachar: Of the tribe of Zabulon Of the tribe of Joseph. Of the Genesis 49: 16: Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of
tribe of Benjamin] As you go through the list, notice that 2 are Israel. 17: Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path,
missing. Ephraim and Dan are not there. For some reason they that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
3
Amos 8:14: They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy
god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even
they shall fall, and never rise up again. (notice the small ‗g‘ Dan
is the center of idolatry)
1 Kings 12: 28: Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two
calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up
to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt. 29: And he set the one in Bethel, and the
other put he in Dan.
2 Kings 10: 29: Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after
them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were
in Dan. Continued until destroyed by the Assyrians
*So, it seems that the MOST serious SIN is idolatry. Let
us define this term.
1)In its most primitive form, it is the worship of an image. Some-
thing made by man or something of nature.
2) In its more subtle form it is the vices that come from these
things valued by man. For example, money or as the bible says,
mammon. This is where the RYR fell : he thought he was doing
everything right and Jesus very simply showed him where he was
short… Judas also fell because of his love of mammon.
3) Another example would be one who admires or blindly adores
another.
4) In general, it is anything that comes between God and you no
matter HOW SMALL it is… Some will say, oh it is just a little
thing… but if it comes between you and God it becomes a moun-
tain that you cannot get past.
Actions lead to habits that lead to lifestyle that lead to your
destiny: Small things can take control of your life and take
root. What you don‘t overcome, overcomes you. God knows it
will destroy us…..
Go with me to 2 Chronicles 36:14: Moreover all the chief of the
priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the
abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the
LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15: And the LORD
God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up
betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people,
and on his dwelling place: 16: But they mocked the messengers
of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until
the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no
remedy. No remedy! No solution! God can do no more! This
is where idolatry can take us….
*Now, knowing this, Q: what do we do? Prayer and here it is…….
1st WORKS --- Confess & Repent that God has not always been
# 1 in our lives. That we have let others or other things come
between God and us. And, we have not loved others as we should
out of our own selfishness.
Revelation, 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent.
Matt.3 :1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the
wilderness of Judaea,
"2": And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.
2nd or Next Work --- Realize the need we have for a saviour.
Take on Jesus as our central focus --- the central theme.
John the Baptist‘s continual message was that of repentance and
then he said…..
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world.
Notice the Gospels – the focus is not on Jesus‘ birth like most
Christians believe and celebrate.
Matt & Luke are the only two gospels that record the birth of
Jesus and only in the first two chapters.
Mark & John there is no mention of the birth at all. In all the
gospels the focus is on the ministry of Jesus and from 1/3 to 1/2
way through He mentions his death. This continues more and
more until the end and we are given graphic detail of His death.
The main focus of the gospels is the ministry of Jesus and mainly
His Death on the Cross more than anything else.
*We need to have a better knowledge of Jesus’ life and to
Behold Him from the Cross and How much He loved us.
And to not forget how Much the Father loved us also. The cross
wasn‘t just to appease an angry Father but it was also to show the
love that the Father had for us also.
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be-
stowed upon us,( that we should be called the sons of God: there-
fore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.)
So, you see that the Love of the Father is the source and the cross
was not just made to entice Him to love us but that he already
loved us just as Jesus did….
His love in infinite for us…… but God NEVER forgives sin.
The cross shows how costly it is….
God through Jesus forgives sinners.
No one just drifts into heaven. The cross is ugly and terrible and
so is sin.
Conclusion:
I don‘t know about you but I lose things, can‘t find stuff that I
just had in my hand, and although it seems little, I even pray for
help to find lost items. One time my husband was reading the
morning paper in bed with all the covers and sheets rumpled up.
He called for me as he had lost something. The very small screw
that holds his glasses together had fallen out somewhere. We
had a dark brown carpet in the room and the covers were a mot-
tled pattern of dark brown and beige. He said that he stood up
and couldn‘t find anything anywhere. I was at a loss. I put on
my glasses and prayed for the Lord to help me. After the prayer,
I was directed to a place inside the folds of the spread and there
it was.
Q: Now, do you think that I continued to ask God to help me
find that little tiny screw? No. And why not? Because I received
help and an answer. What I did do however was to thank Him
for his help.
So, my point is, if you receive an answer and help for your re-
quest do you keep on praying the same thing? No.
Some of you may know where I‘m going with this but please stay
with me….
Remember Jesus’ prayer in the garden….??
Matt 26: "39": And he went a little further, and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."42":
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my
Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it,
thy will be done. 44": And he left them, and went away again,
and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Q: Why does Jesus continue to pray 2 and 3 times the same
prayer? This was his humanity crying out…. And there was no
answer because there was no other way.
Jesus drank the CUP that was our CUP… He did it for you and
me.
Q: How many of you want to be on that list in the book of life?
4
 FORNICATION PART1... BY BR E MUELLER
Introduction fathers and were warned against fornication (Lev 19:29;
The issue of fornication is repeatedly mentioned in both the 21:9). At Shittim the Israelites had sexual relations with the
Old and the New Testament. The question arises what the women of Moab which is called fornication.
term really means. We will focus on the Greek terms as found
in the Septuagint (LXX) and in the New Testament. Five Another case is presented in Dt 22:13-21. A husband discov-
Greek words form the word family that describes fornication. ers that his wife was not a virgin when the couple married.
It consists of three nouns and two verbs. In alphabetical order Again the word family -porn- is used to describe what the
the terms are: ekporneu_, porneia, porneu_, porn_, and woman had done. Obviously, this is a case of premarital sex
pornos. The lexicon definition of the noun porneia is described with the term ―fornication.‖ The punishment is
―prostitution, unchastity, fornication, of every kind of unlaw- death by stoning.
ful sexual intercourse.‖
Dt 23:17 warns Israel‘s daughters and Israel‘s sons not to
The verbs ekporneu_ and porneu_ can be translated ―to function as prostitutes. Instead of the normal Hebrew word
prostitute,‖ or ―practice prostitution or sexual immorality.‖ A to translate playing the harlot (zanah) the Hebrew words
porn_ is a female prostitute, a harlot. A pornos represents a q’dešah and qadeš for a female and a male prostitute are em-
male prostitute or a fornicator, one who practices sexual im- ployed. Some understand these words as pointing to cult or
morality. In this article ―fornication‖ is used to refer to this temple prostitutes and claim that temple prostitution was a
Greek word family, especially to porneia. common practice in the Ancient Near East. Others seriously
question this interpretation. The word zônah describing a
I. Fornication in Extra-Biblical Greek harlot, is found in the very next verse and may be used as a
In the non-Jewish Greek world a porn_ was a prostitute for kind of synonym.
hire, oftentimes a bought female slave. On the other hand, a
pornos was a man who had intercourse with harlots or who In Hos 2:2-7, Hosea‘s experience with his wife becomes an
allowed himself to be abused for money, in other words, a illustration of God‘s experience with his people. In Hos 2:2
male prostitute. The word is also translated ―catamite‖ and harlotry and adultery are found in parallelism. By committing
―sodomite.‖Porneia is not found frequently in classical Greek. harlotry a married woman also commits adultery. In Ezekiel,
It can be rendered ―fornication,‖ ―licentiousness,‖ although used with a symbolic meaning, prostitution is adul-
―prostitution,‖ or ―unchastity‖and includes homosexuality. tery. Jerusalem played the harlot and committed adultery
The two verbs mentioned above and also found in extra- against God, its husband. Israel and Judah pictured as God‘s
biblical Greek stand for committing fornication and prostitut- two wives, named Oholah and Oholibah, have multiplied
ing oneself. Ekporneu_ seems to be stronger than porneu_. their harlotry and by doing this they have committed adul-
In addition classical Greek has a number of composite words tery. In Isa 57:3 the terms adulterer and prostitute stand next
which refer to a brothel, a brothel keeper, being born by a to each other. They may be used interchangeably, if the gen-
harlot, etc., synonyms for porneia and porn_, which use the der is adjusted, just to avoid duplication of one term.
same root, and other related terms that belong to the same II. Summary
word family. In summarizing the following picture emerges in the OT:
(1) The word family -porn- depicts prostitution, playing the
II. Fornication in the Septuagint harlot.
1. Observations (2) It is predominantly used in a figurative sense, but it also
The Greek word family -porn- is found approximately 147 has a literal meaning. Both the symbolic and the literal mean-
times in the canonical books of the LXX. It is used predomi- ing correspond with each other and are even used in juxtapo-
nantly in a symbolic way3 and stands for turning away from sition.
the Lord and getting involved in idolatry. In Jer 31:1-10 both (3) The word group is used for premarital sex.
the northern and the southern kingdoms are accused of play- (4) Prostitution or fornication can be adultery.
ing the harlot with their lovers (5) When Tamar is accused of fornication it is in reality a
instead of being faithful to the form of incest as prohibited by the later law in Lev 18.
Lord. However, the terms are also
used in a literal sense. They apply III. Fornication in the New Testament
to secular as well as to so called In the NT the word family -porn- is found 56 times. The pre-
sacred prostitution. Tamar be- dominant word is the noun porneia (fornication) which oc-
haved like a prostitute, and curs 25 times.9 The word family is most often found in the
Judah regarded her as such. Pauline writings including Hebrews, namely 24 times, fol-
lowed by the Johannnine writings with 20 references. This
While pregnant she was accused makes the Book of Revelation the work employing this word
of having played the harlot (Gen family most frequently, namely 19 times, followed immedi-
38:13-24). As a widow she had ately by 1 Corinthians which has 14 references. Quite often,
sexual intercourse with a man–in the word family has a symbolic meaning, but in the NT this is
this case with her father-in-law— not the predominant understanding. Furthermore, the sym-
and that was considered to be bolic meaning is restricted to the Book of Revelation. Yet
fornication. Daughters were not to be made harlots by their Revelation uses the respective terms also literally.
5
 CHARMING CHARCOAL... BY SR T NKOMO
Once you have this wonder ‗drug‘ you wonder how you ever Sore throat and mouth ulcers-gargle with charcoal powder
survived without it! Ellen White used it to treat her hus- or suck on a charcoal tablets.
band, it has been used for centuries...Pregnant women can
Ear infection- dribble a little mixture into the infected ear.
use it, children can use it and it doesn‘t have the effects that
western drugs have. It‘s adsorbent, ie. Poisons and toxins This is not an exhaustive list, of course, others take it every
stick to charcoal‘s surface and they are eliminated from the day for 12 week sessions, and others take it every once in a
body with the charcoal. What‘s not to like? So, here are some while just as a preventitive measure. Charcoal is also benefi-
reasons why you should give this natural remedy a try- cial in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, so current
firstly, it‘s inexpensive, not hard to find (if pressed, you can studies say. And if you are taking drugs, then you may have
take it from your fireplace (Pure charcoal, not briquettes) to wait until you are off that course of medication as acti-
and as already mentioned, it‘s basically harmless. But if vated charcoal will interfer with absorption. Remember to
these reasons aren‘t good enough, here are the many condi- use old cloths and bandages and to beware, once it stans
tions it can be used for. Then you‘ll believe that it‘s multi- your clothing or bedding, it‘s virtually impossible to remove.
purpose too! Take note, these are guidelines only. We all use Another note is that charcoal causes dehydration, so make
it in different ways. sure you drink, drink and drink!
Diarrhoea and gas-you can use up to 1T of the powder in wa- Charcoal, like all other natural remedies doesn‘t work in one
ter three times a day. It even reduces the smell of flatulence! dose, it may take days to heal serious infections. It may take
time, but it won‘t affect your health negatively, so try it! And
Treatment of wounds and ulcers- make a paste of charcoal
it‘s best to use it in conjunction with other natural remedies.
and water, put it on a cloth/paper towel/gauze just the right
If you have an infection, use it while also taking garlic, gold-
size for the wound (ie. To make a poultice) and put it on the
enseal etc, orally. That will boost the immune system and
wound, ensuring that the cloth is moist and warm. Then
aid in the healing proc-
cover it with plastic. Change it every 8 hours or so. It also
ess. If used on an in-
helps to eliminate the bad odour that comes with skin infec-
fected foot, one should
tions.
also use sunbaths when
Most poisons-(but not for alcohol, boric acid or cyanide) the coverings are being
Only use on conscious victims. Continue to administer every changed, or also, add
10 minutes until it appears in the stool.Use about 3T for an cold and hot baths. And
adult and half of that for a child. If one has eaten recently, above all, take it to the
then more needs to be taken. Remember, charcoal isn‘t dan- Lord in prayer. He will
gerous so taking more than you need isn‘t a bad thing. hear and answer the
prayer of a righteous
Insect bites and itch- apply charcoal paste on a small plaster.
man.
First sign of a cold/flu-try drinking some charcoal

1. Symbolic Meaning even if it is used in a figurative context.

In Rev 2:18-29 the church in Thyatira is addressed. In this
church the woman Jezebel teaches and practices fornication
(2:20-21). Jezebel is a symbolic figure. As the wife of king
Ahab he had passed away already several hundred years ago.
However, the larger passage seems to contain a definition of
the term fornication. Jezebel‘s followers have played the
harlot and have committed adultery with her (2:20.22). Yet
the others, who did not do that, are not described as those
who have not played the harlot but as those ―who do not
hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of
Satan‖(2:24). Thus, fornication is not literal fornication in
this instance, but has to do with the deliberate acceptance of
false teachings and a turning away from the Lord which, at
the end, is a move toward Satan. Spiritual fornication is un-
faithfulness to God who in symbolic contexts is oftentimes
considered to be the husband of his people. On the other
hand, it is very interesting to note that those whom Jezebel
encourages to commit fornication in vs. 20, who are also
called the servants of God, have at least partially committed
adultery with her. Thus, fornication clearly includes adultery
In the preceding church a reference to Balaam is made. He
taught Balak to entice the Israelites to commit fornication
(2:14). The respective OT report must be understood liter-
ally. However, those who hold the teaching of Balaam in the
church of Pergamum, seem to embrace spiritual fornication.
Yet the church itself did not renounce faith in Jesus (2:13).
The same phrase ―to eat things sacrificed to idols and to
commit fornication‖ (2:14) is found in reversed order in
2:20 and seems to point to spiritual fornication.
Babylon is the great harlot (17:1,15,16; 19:2) and the mother
of harlots (17:5). The kings of the earth have committed for-
nication with her (17:2; 18:3,9). She offers the wine (of the
wrath) of fornication (14:8; 17:2; 18:3). Her cup is full of
abominations and the unclean things of her fornication
(17:4). She corrupts the entire earth with her fornication
(19:2). Clearly, this is symbolic fornication. (To be contin-
ued)
6
 ELIJAH BECAME DISCOURAGED BUT REPENTED.... BY SR EG WHITE
1Ki 18:17-21. And it came to the presence of His glory.
pass, when Ahab saw Elijah,
that Ahab said unto him, These life records declare what every human being will one day
[Art] thou he that troubleth understand--that sin can bring only shame and loss; that unbelief
Israel? And he answered, I means failure; but that God's mercy reaches to the deepest depths;
have not troubled Israel; but that faith lifts up the repenting soul to share the adoption of the
thou, and thy father's house, sons of God.
in that ye have forsaken the
commandments of the Those who, while spending their life energies in self-sacrificing la-
LORD, and thou hast fol- bor, are tempted to give way to despondency and distrust, may
lowed Baalim. Now therefore gather courage from the experience of Elijah. God's watchful care,
send, [and] gather to me all His love, His power, are especially manifest in behalf of His ser-
Israel unto mount Carmel, vants whose zeal is misunderstood or unappreciated, whose coun-
and the prophets of Baal four sels and reproofs are slighted, and whose efforts toward reform are
hundred and fifty, and the repaid with hatred and opposition. PK, p173
prophets of the groves four
hundred, which eat at Jeze- It is at the time of greatest weakness that Satan assails the soul
bel's table. So Ahab sent untowith the fiercest temptations. It was thus that he hoped to prevail
all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto over the Son of God; for by this policy he had gained many victories
mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How over man. When the will power weakened and faith failed, then
long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow those who had stood long and valiantly for the right yielded to
him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him temptation. Moses, wearied with forty years of wandering and un-
not a word. belief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just
on the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah. He who had
1Ki 18:38-40. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the maintained his trust in Jehovah during the years of drought and
burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and famine, he who had stood undaunted before Ahab, he who
licked up the water that [was] in the trench. And when all the peo- throughout that trying day on Carmel had stood before the whole
ple saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he nation of Israel the sole witness to the true God, in a moment of
[is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God. And Elijah said unto them, weariness allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God.
Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they
took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and And so it is today. When we are encompassed with doubt, per-
slew them there. plexed by circumstances, or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan
seeks to shake our confidence in Jehovah. It is then that he arrays
1Ki 19:1 . And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and before us our mistakes and tempts us to distrust God, to question
withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jeze- His love. He hopes to discourage the soul and break our hold on
bel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do [to me], God.
and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by
tomorrow about this time. And when he saw [that], he arose, and Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by
went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which [belongeth] to the Holy Spirit to do a special work, will frequently feel a reaction
Judah, and left his servant there. when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most
heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God under-
Elijah should have trusted in God, who had warned him when to stands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the
flee and where to find an asylum from the hatred of Jezebel, secure purposes of the heart. To wait patiently, to trust when everything
from the diligent search of Ahab. The Lord had not warned him at looks dark, is the lesson that the leaders in God's work need to
this time to flee. He had not waited for the Lord to speak to him. learn. Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity. Nothing is
He moved rashly. Had he waited with faith and patience, God apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul
would have shielded His servant and would have given him an- that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God. PK, p173-175
other signal victory in Israel by sending His judgments upon Jeze-
bel. 3T, p290 God has given my husband and me a special and important work to
do in His cause, to reprove and counsel His people. When we see
By one failure of his faith, Elijah cut short his lifework. Heavy was our reproofs slighted and are repaid with hatred instead of sympa-
the burden that he had borne in behalf of Israel; faithful had been thy, then we have frequently let go our faith and trust in the God of
his warnings against the national idolatry; and deep was his solici- Israel; and, like Elijah, we have yielded to despondency and de-
tude as during three years and a half of famine he watched and spair. 3T, p292
waited for some token of repentance. Alone he stood for God upon
Mount Carmel. Through the power of faith, idolatry was cast down, Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment
and the blessed rain testified to the showers of blessing waiting to and utter discouragement--days when sorrow is the portion, and it
be poured upon Israel. Then in his weariness and weakness he fled is hard to believe that God is still the kind benefactor of His
before the threats of Jezebel and alone in the desert prayed that he earthborn children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death
might die. His faith had failed. The work he had begun he was not seems preferable to life. It is then that many lose their hold on God
to complete. God bade him anoint another to be prophet in his and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of unbelief.
stead. Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning
of God's providences we should see angels seeking to save us from
But God had marked the heart service of His servant. Elijah was ourselves, striving to plant our feet upon a foundation more firm
not to perish in discouragement and solitude in the wilderness. Not than the everlasting hills, and new faith, new life, would spring into
for him the descent to the tomb, but the ascent with God's angels to being. PK, p162
7

PRISONERS OF
HOPE
This newsletter is authored by
members of the SDA church
whose desire is to provide a
thought provoking newsletter
for Adventists dwelling on the
banks of Jordan; in the process
appealing to entire fidelity to
the Bible and the Spirit of
Prophecy.
RELIGION IN THE HOME
1. How well acquainted is God with each individual's life?
"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou
compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a
word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether." Ps. 139:2-4.
2. What is the beginning of wisdom?
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His
commandments." Ps. 111:10.
3. Upon whom is God's fury to be poured?
"Pour out Thy fury upon the heathen that know Thee not, and upon the families that call not on
Thy name." Jer. 10:25.
4. How are parents instructed to bring up their children?
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admoni-
tion of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.
NOTE.-"Religion is love, and a religious home is one in which love reigns. There must be love in ac-
tion, love that flows out in all the home intercourse, showing itself in a thousand little expressions of
thoughtfulness, kindness, unselfishness, and gentle courtesy ."- "Week-Day Religion," by J. R.
Miller, D. D., page 83.
5. How faithfully should parents teach their children the Word of God?
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when
thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deut. 6:6,7.
6. What is the value of proper early instruction?
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Prov.
22:6.
NOTE.-No man ever said that he began the service of God too young. No parent ever regretted
bringing up his children to love, fear, honor, and obey God;
7. How early were the Scriptures taught to Timothy?
"And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3:15.
NOTE.-Timothy's father was a Greek, and his mother a Jewess. From a child he had been taught the
Scriptures. The faith of his mother and of his grandmother in the Word of God had early been im-
planted in him through their faithful instruction. 2 Tim. 1:5. The piety which he saw in his home life
had a molding influence upon his own life. This, with his knowledge of the Scriptures, qualified him
to bear responsibilities and to render faithful service later in the cause of Christ. His home instruc-
tors had cooperated with God in preparing him for a life of usefulness. Thus it should be in every
home.
8. Why did God confide in Abraham, and commit sacred trusts to him?
"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Gen. 18:19.
9. Wherever Abraham went, what was his practice?
"And there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord." Gen. 12:8. See
also Gen. 13:4; 21:33.
10. What instruction suggests the giving of thanks for daily food?
"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5:18.
NOTE.-As a rule, children will reflect the life and principles manifested in their parents. The reason
why so many children are irreverent, irreligious, and disobedient today is because their parents are
so. Like parent like child. If parents would see a different state of things, they must themselves re-
form. They must bring God into their homes, and make His Word their counselor and guide. They
must teach their children the fear of God, and that His Word is the voice of God addressed to them,
and that it is to be implicitly obeyed. "In too many households prayer is neglected. . . . If ever there
was a time when every house should be a house of prayer, it is now. Fathers and mothers should
often lift up their hearts to God in humble supplication for themselves and their children. Let the
father, as priest of the household, lay upon the altar of God the morning and evening sacrifice, while
the wife and children unite in prayer and praise. In such a household Jesus will love to tarry."-
"Christian Education," page 221.
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