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Pigeons and Popeye
See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 60.
Highlight the paragraph that ends with the sentence, “As a man ‘thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ ”
“We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts. The only security for any soul is right thinking. As a man ‘thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ (Proverbs 23:7). The power of self-restraint strengthens by exercise. That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual. If we will we may turn away from all that is cheap and inferior and rise to a high standard; we may be respected by men and beloved of God” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 491).
PIGEONS AND POPEYE
Pigeons. Pigeons are famous for their ability to find their way home, even over enormous distances. One pigeon released by the U.S. Army Signal Corps actually traveled more that 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) to find its way home!
That’s why it was extraordinary in 1988, when 3,000 homing pigeons released in France nearly all failed to find their way home. What went wrong? Well, scientists have discovered that one of the ways pigeons navigate is by following the earth’s magnetic field. In this instance, a solar flare, a massive explosion on the sun, occurred just two days before the French pigeons were released. This flare temporarily but severely disrupted the earth’s magnetic field. The pigeons were confused and unable to find their way home. Scott Higgins, from Karl Kruszelnicki, New Moments in Science no.1.
Popeye. The cartoon character Popeye is famous for eating spinach. Whenever he breaks open a can of spinach and eats it he gains enormous strength. Popeye was employed by the U.S. government during World War II to promote the idea of eating spinach. Meat was a rarity during war, but spinach appeared to be a great substitute. In the 1890s German scientists had shown that spinach contains the same amount of iron as meat. And iron, of course, is one of the essential nutrients in building strength.
But the facts are wrong. They German researchers did prove that spinach contains iron, but when they wrote down their results they put the decimal point in the wrong place. The overestimated the amount of iron in spinach by a factor of 10! Unfortunately, the correction didn’t get across the ocean until after World War II.—Scott Higgins, from Great Moments in Science.
Just because they believed there was as much iron in spinach as there was in meat, did that give people the iron-rich blood they were wanting?
- What is so important about the way we think? Isn’t it ok just to let your thoughts go where they want to?
- What can happen if we don’t control our thoughts? Are the stories above giving us an illustration of what could happen?
See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 115
Highlight the paragraph that states “The one thing essential for us . . . .”
“We have the greatest truth and hope that were ever given to our world, and the greatest faith; and we want to represent this in its exalted character to the world. We do not want to assume the attitude as though we were passing through the world begging pardon of the world because we venture to believe this precious, sacred truth; but we want to walk humbly with God, and conduct ourselves as though we were children of the most high God, and, although feeble instruments, as though we were handling most important and interesting subjects, higher and more exalted than any temporal, worldly themes” (Christian Service, pp. 226, 227).
“We are to beware of indulging a spirit of bigotry and intolerance. We are not to stand aside from others in a spirit that seems to say, ‘Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou.’ We are not to shut ourselves away from our fellow human beings, but are to seek to impart to them the precious truth that has blessed our own hearts. . . . But if we are Christians, having the spirit of Him who died to save men from their sins, we shall love the souls of our fellow men too well to countenance their sinful pleasures by our presence and our influence. . . . Such a course, so far from benefiting them, would only cause them to doubt the reality of our religion. . . . We should be firmly rooted in the conviction that whatever in any sense turns aside from truth and justice in our association and partnership with men, cannot benefit us and greatly dishonors God. }
The work of God for the salvation of the human family is the one work of supreme importance to be carried forward in our world. When men are willing to count all things but loss that they may win Christ, their eyes will be open to see things as they really are. Then they will turn away from the earthly attractions to the heavenly” (In Heavenly Places, p. 310).
Here’s What I Think
Whether you go to a government school or a private school think about how you would answer this question in class if your teacher said: “OK, class. Today for a writing exercise we are going to write out a declaration of our beliefs to read to the class. That’s right. I want to know what you believe (for example: Where did you come from? Why are you here? Where are you going?—and this doesn’t mean where you were born and where you have lived). I’m not interested in what you think or hope to be true, I want to know what you know to be true. Here is the catch: you need to say it in about 75 words. That’s about five to eight sentences. And try to convince me! Go!”
So what would you say? What would you do? What are some things you should be careful of as you write or respond publicly? What should you be bold about?
Log on to http://www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be up-front and honest. Say what you think. The lines below are provided as an alternative to posting. You may wish to share you thoughts with your class.
“The greatest want of the world is the want of men--men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall” (Education, p. 57).
“Halfhearted Christians obscure the glory of God, misinterpret piety, and cause men to receive false ideas as to what constitutes vital godliness. Others think that they, also, can be Christians and yet consult their own tastes and make provision for the flesh, if these falsehearted professors can do so. On many a professed Christian's banner the motto is written, ‘You can serve God and please self--you can serve God and mammon.’ They profess to be wise virgins, but not having the oil of grace in their vessels with their lamps, they shed forth no light to the glory of God and for the salvation of men. They seek to do what the world's Redeemer said was impossible to do; He has declared, ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon” ’ (Reflecting Christ, p. 65).
Thinking Right in a Gone-Wrong World
Find the hidden words within the grid of letters. The words in this puzzle are synonyms for the word conscience.
K U Z K O C S M R O E P I S H
B B T Q A O L E M I U X C T T
J H R V H N R R L R G I Z F G
J V U W V S X O E P H H P Z O
U A E P I C C P M T U R T T Y
T C X F L I A J E F I R N W T
Y T I R G E T N I N W W C I I
D E X T V N O M C D O O G S L
W E S T B C O I H O N E S T A
T J I T S E P H P H E U S I R
D Y I K E L C G V V S U Y F O
N V A Y E R L B H N O C N I M
D O N S I G B U F U J N L Y L
Z J Q C C I N M Y Y L N X I B
R N M U F B P R D R W Q E X K
conscience honest principles scruples
ethics integrity pure true
good morality right
“When Christ manifests himself to the children of men, an unseen Power speaks to their souls. They realize that they are in the presence of the Infinite One. Before his majesty, kings and nobles tremble, and acknowledge the living God as above every earthly power. The Hebrew captives had told Nebuchadnezzar of Christ, the Redeemer that was to come, and from the description thus given, the king recognized the form of the fourth in the fiery furnace as the Son of God.
“His own greatness and dignity forgotten, Nebuchadnezzar descended from his throne, and hastened to the furnace. With remorse and shame he cried, ‘Ye servants of the most high God, come forth.’ And they obeyed, before that vast multitude showing themselves unhurt, not even the smell of fire being upon their garments.True to duty, they had been proof against the flames. Only their fetters had been burned.” (The Youth’s Instructor, April 26, 1904)
So What?
Maybe it would be a lot easier to win people to Christ if we lightened up a bit. Lower the bar, so more people could hop over. What do you think?
What is so exciting about our world today is that people are hungry for a radical faith that calls for a full commitment. Most seekers aren’t interested in what is easy, but what is powerful. Don’t you think most people want to believe in something more than just a religion that calls them to be nice? The power of God’s timeless truth is that it has an answer for injustice—God will make it right. The fact that God’s Word equips believers with unexplainable joy and superhuman love stands out as an opportunity for a bold testimony.
Old-fashioned? Look around your world and see if we couldn’t use a few people like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to stand up to the compromising kings of this world. Joseph, Esther, Joshua, Daniel, Elijah, and Mary. These are the people who banked their whole life on God’s timeless principles of truth. One thing is for certain, their allegiance to God wasn’t without careful thought and a few uncomfortable questions. You just don’t risk your life for a few rules in a rulebook. You can’t know that they considered God’s love and perfect standard of truth as they ventured into the unknown. What about you? Think about the things that God stands for that are timeless and take a stand with God for them.
- Do you think that Daniels three friends made a spur-of-the-moment decision?
- Please explain your answer to the above.
- What makes people that “are as true to duty as the needle to the pole” something that is in great need?
- How can you be one of those people?
- What does being “true to duty” have to do with “thinking right”?
Match the verse with the phrase that has been extracted from the verse. All verses have been taken from the NIV Bible.
- “The law of the Lord is perfect . . .”
- “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- “.We will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
- “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life…”
- “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed . . .”
- “There is a way that seems right . . .”
- “My kingdom is not of this world.”
- “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven . . .”
- “Do everything without complaining or arguing. . .”
- Philippians 2:14-16 ____________
- Romans 1:18-20 ______________
- John 18:33-39 ______________
- Psalm 19:7-10 ______________
- Daniel 3:16-18 ______________
- 2 Timothy 1:12 ______________
- Proverbs 14:12 ______________
- Matthew 7:13,14______________
- John 14:6 ______________
See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp.46,47.
Highlight the paragraph that begins, the law given upon Sinai. . . .”
“The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves. Unselfishness underlies all true development. Through unselfish service we receive the highest culture of every faculty. More and more fully do we become partakers of the divine nature. We are fitted for heaven; for we receive heaven into our hearts” (Reflecting Christ, p. 155).
WHAT’S THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
It has been noted that God’s law was not invented at Mount Sinai but was written in the hearts of His people with four letters: LOVE. If we truly followed the principle of “love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself,” we would see a different world than what we see today. It was only after sin made its way into our world that we ever realized that there was a law. And now we know what it is like to live in a world that puts a defiant hand up to God, saying, “No, thank You!”
Timeless truths are what make following Jesus worthwhile. He was there before the world began and will be there after all is said and done. Jesus said, “I am the beginning and the end” (see Rev. 21:6) in a world that wonders how it all began and fearfully approaches how it all will end. As we approach Jesus every day He also puts His hand up, not to say “No, thank you,” but to show you His most enduring, timeless quality in His nail-scarred hand. Enough said.
See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 112,113.
Highlight the paragraph that begins, “We receive Christ through His word . . .”
“In every action of life the true Christian is just what he desires those around him to think he is. He is guided by truth and uprightness. He does not scheme; therefore he has nothing to gloss over. He may be criticized, he may be tested; but through all, his unbending integrity shines out like pure gold. He is a friend and benefactor to all connected with him, and his fellow men place confidence in him, for he is trustworthy. Does he employ laborers to gather in his harvest? He does not keep back their hard-earned money. Has he means for which he has no immediate use? He relieves the necessities of his less-fortunate brother. He does not seek to enlarge his possessions by taking advantage of the untoward circumstances of his neighbor. He accepts only a fair price for that which he sells. If there are defects in the articles sold, he frankly tells the buyer, even though by so doing he may seem to work against his own pecuniary interests. . . .
“Satan knows full well what a power for good is the life of a man of unbending integrity, and he puts forth zealous efforts to prevent men from living such lives. He comes to them with alluring temptations, promising them wealth, position, worldly honor, if they will but yield the principles of righteousness. And he has much success. . . . From the sad history of many who have failed we learn the danger of prosperity. It is not those who have lost their property who are in greatest danger, but those who have obtained a fortune. . . . Prayer is often requested for men and women in affliction, and this is right. But those in prosperity are more in need of the prayers of God's servants, for they are in greater danger of losing salvation. In the valley of humiliation men walk securely while they reverence God and make Him their trust. On the lofty pinnacle, where praise is heard they need the help of special power from above”(In Heavenly Places, p. 243).
How Does It Work?
“Where the rubber meets the road” is a common saying about what is practical and doable. When a car drives normally the friction from the road causes heat and some of the rubber is left on the road. When the friction is abrupt and forceful (stopping or starting abruptly) the skid marks are clearly seen.
As it relates to your beliefs, do you tend to leave an unseen residue on the road or giant skid marks? When the rubber of your beliefs hits the road of the world, does it leave a mark? Is it evident which kingdom you belong to? Another way to say it would be: In your world, what do those around you really know about what you believe?
Write on the lines below either a belief that you demonstrate in your life already, or one you would like to demonstrate this week. Leave some rubber on the road!