WHAT IS THE STRONGEST
FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE?

From the Christian standpoint, love is power. Intellectual and spiritual strength are involved in this principle. Pure love has special efficacy to do good, and can do nothing but good. It prevents discord and mis- ery, and brings the truest happiness.” –T,
vol. 4, p. 138.
Human ingenuity (creativity) con- tinues to experiment with concentrated energy that produces extremely power-

ful forces: electric, atomic, nuclear en- ergy, etc. In nature there exist elements that manifest an uncontrollable force: the wind, water, earthquakes, etc., are these the strongest forces on earth? In our study we shall identify them in the light of the scriptures, experience and observation.

Forces of Negative Charge

“Those who make an effort to reach the immortal crown of life will find that the forces of Satan are arrayed against them
…for the control of human minds.”
“You can be certain that in the last days

there will be some very hard times. Peo- ple will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of lov- ing God, they will love pleasure. Even though they will make a
show of being religious, their religion won’t be real. Don’t have anything to do with such people” 2
Tim. 3:1-5.
“The heart of man is by nature cold and dark and unloving.” –TMB, p. 22. Can we change it? Do we have the strength and
capacity to do this?

Divine Strength

Many rulers have used diverse means ormethods to accomplish their ends or purposes: the strength of weapons, wars of con- quest, others make use
of their eloquence, the results have not been waited for, upon leaving their po- sition, it has been the greatest relief for their leaders. You have to meet a man who was not a student of the teachers of his time, and was not educated in the use of the customs of the leaders, he did not write a book, yet there does not ex- ist anybody else who was written about so much. He had no army; He did not gather together great masses of people to instigate them against a common en- emy. Instead he stayed with the poorest people. His doctrine was correctly pre- sented to God, and the mission that he had, of offering pardon from their sins

and the salvation from condemnation, He lived a perfect and honest life, only He could say: “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” (John 8:46).
“What love, what wonderful love, was displayed by the Son of God.
...Christ takes the sinner from the low- est degradation, and purifies, refines, and ennobles him. By beholding Jesus as He is, the sinner is transformed and elevated to the very summit of digni- ty, even to a seat with Christ upon his throne...” –TMN, p. 96.

Within Reach

“For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.” (2 Cor. 5:14).


God is love and he has revealed this in Christ’s person, whose life has far sur- passed our comprehension, and has made it possible for those who believe and trust in Him to participate of this principle in their lives “…because the love of God is shed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Rom 5:5 It is not exclusive to/solely for privileged ones, chosen out of pity, no, it has been provided for without exception, read John 3:14, 15. It is the only thing that will remain without change or modification, throughout all eternity, it is the strongest force in the universe, it has resisted the strong trial of time, it exists notwithstanding the greatest efforts to destroy it by the wreckage and depths of human misery. Would there be a purpose to life, without true love? Would we exist? Impossible! On what can we base our statements? Jesus said “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
(John 12:32).
Not everything is lost, there are many people that wait on Him, trust in God and have accepted Him as Lord and Saviour and have inevitably been transformed, love reigns in their hearts now, they have returned to life! From that moment on, their conversation is different; they enjoy sharing the hap- piness they have, because they are mo- tivated by a force stronger then theirs that lies within them. Their reactions are sanctified they are new people!

They are Christians and although they are not perfect or free from sin they seek to associate themselves with those who share their beliefs. It doesn’t matter how far your life has strayed from good, God and love; you can still turn to Jesus in prayer and confess to Him. You can tell Him everything that comes to mind on your knees and ask Him to forgive you and upon getting up trust in His word:
“ All manner of sin…shall be forgiven.”
(Matthew 12:31), continue reading the Holy Scriptures, nourishing yourself with its rich stores of knowledge, since eternal life is to know God and Jesus
(John 17:3). In the love psalm of 1 Cor 13: 1-8, the
word love can be replaced by your name, try it! “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not char- ity, I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and under- stand all mysteries, and all knowl- edge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffer- eth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave unseem- ly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, hopeth all things, en- dureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
Before this great word we can say naught but so be it, Amen.

Points to Consider and Discuss

Love is power. Describe some types of behavior in which you can see this power is effective in relation to family members, the church, one’s neighbors, fellow workers, and friends.
What keeps us from expressing love to our family members, friends, and ac- quaintances?
Victor Carvajal, Peru SW

I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and under- stand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains—but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burnt— but if I have no love, this does me no good. Love is pa- tient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear. When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I have grown up, I have no more use for childish ways. What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete—as complete as God’s knowledge of me. Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the
greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13.

when God organized Israel He gave His people another lesson to learn. So that they would not forget God, a tribe was set apart to ad- ministrate holy things. This tribe was to live by the faithfulness of the entire na- tion. Unfortunately there where certain times in history when Israel stopped be- ing faithful, and as a result the Levites were compelled to work the land. See
Nehemiah chapter 13.
Another example to follow is the prophet Daniel’s. Although a slave, he accepted his situation by demonstrat- ing his faithfulness to God, without complaining or disappointing the men that had confidence in him. With regards to his administration we read: “ Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel considering the kingdom; but they could find none oc- casion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was any error or fault found in him.” Daniel 6:4.
As children of God, we are automati- cally administrators of the heavenly goods. Each one of us has received tal- ents of administration. God’s desire is that we should not forget Him as our benefactor but to credit Him with our accomplishments since it is He who deserves the praise. As His administra- tors, we are required to return something back to Him, without forgetting that the rest belongs to Him, which is why we are not authorized to spend it as we see fit, but are to do use it wisely, so that we will not fear that day when we must give account to God.
The case of the widow of Sarepta is another lesson for us. Although we may
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul teaches us to thank God, and coun- sels us to set apart our offering on the first day of the week. Before facing the problems of life, we are called to thank God and express our gratitude.
To summarize what has been said un- til now, each time we receive our salary we are called to:
1. Show faithfulness by giving up the tenth part of our earnings.
2. Express our generosity by setting apart our offerings.
3. Save up something to be able to face difficult times of want.
4. To use what remains wisely and pru- dently, remembering that we have to give account of all our goods to God. We should learn these simple lessons
well and impart them to our children from their childhood.
If we place God first in our lives, it will be easy to transmit these good principles to our children. Let us teach them to be thankful to God, to save up even if it is only a few cents, teaching them to give up what is unnecessary, so
that in times of scarcity we may have a handful of flour in our vessel and that bit of oil which accompanied with divine blessings will permit us to transcend all dif- ficulties.
“In the study of figures the work should be made practical. Let ev- ery youth and ev- ery child be taught,
not merely to solve imagi- nary problems, but to keep an accurate account of his own income and outgoes.
Let him learn the right use of money by using it. Whether supplied by their par- ents or by their own earnings, let boys and girls learn to select and purchase their own clothing, their books, and oth- er necessities; and by keeping an account of their expenses they will learn, as they could learn in no other way, the value and the use of money.” –CS, p. 294.
“God is not dependent upon men for the advancement of His cause. He might have made angels the ambassadors of His truth. He might have made known His will, as He proclaimed the law from Sinai with His own voice. But in order to cultivate a spirit of benevolence in us, He has chosen to employ men to do this work.” –CS, p. 20.

“However large, however small the possessions of any individual, let him remember that it is


his only in trust. For his strength, skill, time, talents, opportunities, and means, he must render an account to God. This is an individual work; God gives to us, that we may become like Him, generous, noble, beneficent, by giving to others.”
–CS, p. 23.
“Honour the Lord with thy sub- stance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shalt burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10.
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that with- holdeth more then is meet, but
it tendeth to poverty. The lib- eral soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall
be watered also him- self.” Proverbs 11:24, 25.
“ ’The liberal devis- eth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand’. Isaiah 32:
8. Divine wisdom has appointed, in the plan of salvation, the law of action and reaction, making the work of beneficence, in all its branches, twice blessed. He who gives to the needy blesses others,
and is blessed himself
in a still greater degree.”
–CS, p. 13.
“The offerings of the poor, given through self-denial to aid in extending the precious light of saving truth, will not only be a sweet- smelling savour to God, and wholly ac- ceptable to Him as a consecrated gift, but the very act of giving expands the heart of the giver, and unites him more fully to the Redeemer of the world.”
–CS, p. 35.
“Would you make your property se- cure? Place it in the hand that bears the nailprint of the crucifixion. Retain it in your possession, and it will be to your eternal loss. Give it to God, and from that moment it bears His inscription. It is sealed with His immutability. Would you enjoy your substance? Then use it for the blessing of the suffering.” –CS, p. 329.
How can we administrate the income
of our homes in a Christian manner? Without taking away the importance of the four points already mentioned, we would now like to illustrate the fourth
point more clearly.
“Therefore take no thought, say- ing, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Matthew 6:31.
After having provided our family

with daily food and clothing, we should try to satisfy all their other needs such as: the home, care, education, and pro- fession, etc.
How can we accomplish all of this? In the first place, we should know what our daily, monthly and yearly income and expenditures are.
If you already have children they should be taught to keep a small account. We as adults should also do likewise. We should plan our expenditures in such a way that there will be no unbalance in our income.
We should carefully try our best t
fall into debts to satisfy our wants. To ignore our desires is in many cases the best solution. To have debts would only serve to worsen our situation.
In speaking about debts, it is impor- tant to subdivide them into two cat- egories: maintenance and investment debts.
Between these two debts there are great differences. Let us try to come to an understanding of both with an example. Let us say that person A falls into debt for the purpose of buying
food, meanwhile person B falls into debt to buy a home. The situation of person A is more serious then per- son B because his income does not even guarantee whether he will live or not. He does not earn enough, or perhaps he spends his money on things that are not worth it. We should carefully try to not belong to this kind of person.
The situation of per- son B is preferable and does not present too many difficulties. He is conscious of his po- tential possibilities; he decides to obtain a loan and balances his expen- ditures according to his income and his saving ca-
pabilities. Since we know that the future does not belong to us, we should be very careful to not fall into debts that may prevent us to lead a worry free
life in the future. Let us not try to take a greater step
than our legs are capable of taking. If we earn 100 Euros a month and we want to invest, we should take into account the problems that might come our way; which is why it is wise to not spend more then 60 or 70 Euros a month. If we de- cide to invest all our potential savings, we run the risk of finding ourselves in great difficulty.
Let us ask the Lord to guide our deci- sions in such a way so that in each situa-

THE ONLYWAYTO REACH HEAVEN


Paradise is a very desirable place for all mortals, and different reli- gions provide different formulas to reach it, but God’s infallible and ev- erlasting word points to only one way.
Let us consider it. If we open our Bible at Genesis 11:4,
we read: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is the heav- ens; let us make a name for ourselves.” Shortly after the flood, the new gen- eration upon the earth disobeyed God’s command and tried to reach heaven by building a tower. This was the result of their lack of belief in God’s promise that the waters would not destroy the world
are doing today when they get into for- bidden ground.
This tower had beautiful furnished apartments where idols were kept, and its builders wanted “to make a name for themselves.” As a con- sequence of this, their language
was confused and they could not understand each other any longer. Not only did their unbelief and consequent dis- obedience separate them from God, but also from one an- other. These men represent all those who try to reach heaven through their own efforts and their own deeds, in the hope of being acknowledged for their works.
In the garden of Eden, sin had already created a separation among people. Surely, Adam and Eve’s relationship after the fall was not the same. Adam could not trust Eve any longer since she had led him into temptation, and Eve could not love Adam with the same tenderness since he had openly accused her before God. In spite of his sin of disobedience, God did not abandon man, but He provided a covering for Adam and Eve’s nakedness by sacrificing two animals, and they ac- cepted the promise of redemption sym- bolized by that sacrifice.
Jacob’s fraud made him an exile and as a result he was separated from his whole family. But one day, as he lay down under the burden of his guilt, he saw a dream: “And behold, a ladder set up on the earth and its top reached to heaven, and here the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” (Gene- sis 28:12) “And he heard the voice of God saying: Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken you.” (Genesis 28:15) Jacob im- mediately accepted God’s promise and made a pact with Him: “If God will be
with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat an clothing to put on and this stone that I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:20, 22) Jacob realized that the only thing he needed to live in this world where we are pilgrims is bread and clothing so he did not ask for anything else but acknowledged that everything belongs to God and prom- ised to return the tenth of everything. The stone where Jacob laid his head and the ladder he saw, symbolized Je- sus and the foundation of his faith, since it is only through Him that we can come in contact with heaven and hope to be there one day.
In the New Testament, in John 1:49, we hear Nathanael saying: “Rabbi, you are the son of God!” And Jesus answer-


ing: “Most assuredly I say to you, here- after, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descend- ing.” (verse 51) As soon as we acknowl- edge Jesus as the Son of God and our Master (Rabbi), the same ladder that was offered to Jacob is handed down to us and “ministering spirits are sent forth”
(Hebrews 1:14) to actively participate in our salvation. At the top of it is God Himself, the personification of Love, our highest goal. What is our part in all this? To climb the ladder!


Let us see how many steps are in that ladder and what they represent: “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” The first step is faith; the ladder has to be firmly fixed on the rock (Jacob’s stone, Nathanael’s acknowledgement of Jesus) otherwise it will fall. Secondly, comes virtue. When we know Jesus, our life changes and we aim to reach higher goals and lead a virtuous life. The measure of righteous- ness is the character of Christ-the liv- ing expression of God’s law, which we now have. The next step is knowledge, which entails knowledge of the proph- ecies, of the plan of salvation, of God and of our sinful nature. The more we look at Christ, the better we understand our wretchedness, our spiritual poverty and God’s love and mercy appear even greater before our eyes. Self-control is the result of this knowledge; we aspire to obtain spiritual treasures and are con-
vinced that anything other than “bread to eat and clothing to put on” is superflu- ous and vain. Self-control (temperance) is not any longer a self imposed punish- ment, but a real liberation. The next step is perseverance, which implies patience and is intimately related to temper- ance and a product of the knowledge of God’s infinite love, which is everlasting and does not turn against us. This unde- served love makes us willing to be more understanding towards the mistakes of others and more patient with ourselves. Instead of looking backward at our past failures, or within us at our weaknesses, we look forward and upward, persever- ing in our effort to reach the goal.
The next step is godliness, (in the Greek version, respect) which consists in the capacity to accept others indepen- dently of their negative traits of charac- ter, their virtues or defects because we understand that every soul belongs to God and that He paid the highest price for it. It is then that we can be spontane- ously kind and be ruled by the principle that teaches us not to do to others what we do not want to be done to ous. This step leads to brotherly kindness, which is practiced within the church, for we believe that we are all members of the body of Christ and share the same mind and the same goal. The last step is love, that divine fruit, which is the reward of a living faith and is implanted in our heart by the permanent presence of Jesus in us and THAT is the step that will bring us to the door of the heavenly city.
We can now consider Jacob’s life and see if he made use of that ladder. He certainly made a covenant of faith with God based on the Eternal Rock and de- cided to lead a virtuous life under His guidance. He surely learnt perseverance and patience by working 14 years for a woman he loved, and self-control by tol- erating Laban’s deceitful ways and ex- ploitation of his work. He also acquired knowledge of sinful human nature by meditating upon his own mistakes and seeing its consequences, and also by be- ing a silent witness to the jealousy be- tween his two wives and later on as a victim of the envy among his own chil- dren. He also knew that as long as he left things in God’s merciful hands the Lord’s righteousness would protect him. Although Laban continuously changed

his wages, when he left his father in law he was by no means poor; and a further proof of God’s care over him was when He prevented Laben from doing him any harm. He truly repented, departed from his sins and prepared himself for recon- ciliation with his brother. But before this happened, the angels he had seen in his dream became visible (Genesis 32:1) A very important event was about to take place, he was about to have a solemn encounter with God and wrestle with Him. As a result of his perseverance and humble acknowledgment of the great need he had of the Lord’s grace, he received not only God’s blessing but also a new name.
There were trials throughout his en- tire life, but he was not Jacob (Supplant- er) any longer, but Israel (Ovecomer). On the ladder that leads to heaven the steps repeat themselves until we acquire a deeper experience in knowledge, self control, perseverance, etc. and get rid of all the idols we are still carrying with us


that slow us down. (Genesis 35:4) After Jacob left Mesopotamia, he suffered many misfortunes: his daughter was raped, his first born took his concubine, two other sons killed the population of a whole town, he lost his dearest wife, he had to bear with the bad reputation of his children (Genesis 37:2), he lost his favorite son, he experienced famine, but he accepted everything as coming from the hands of a merciful God.
Finally, at the age of 130, he emigrated again with his whole family to a heathen land and when the Egyptian Pharaoh asked him his age he answered: “few and evil have been the days of the years of my life.” (Genesis 47:9). Although at the end of his life “the eyes of Israel were dim with age” (Genesis 48:10) he had the joy of not only discovering that his be- loved son whom he believed to be dead
was still alive, but to share the last days of his life with him. Jacob knew that “we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), and did not complain or mistrust God in his misfortunes.
We can apply this ladder to our lives and see when and how the Lord has tried to teach us what is right. We may check whether our ladder is firmly set on faith, on the Rock of our Salva- tion or whether we are trying to build our own tower and carrying our idols along. Are we doubting and complain- ing, feeling frustrated and discouraged by trying to make a name for ourselves, or are we following the way of self-de- nial? We should consider that maybe the trials we are going through right now are a consequence of our own disbelief and mistrust in an Almighty, righteous,
merciful and loving God. We should re- member that ultimately, the greatest sin of all, the only reason why the majority of humanity will be lost, is unbelief. Ev- erything has been provided for us and by faith we can get hold of the most pre- cious spiritual treasures. If we are still at the bottom of the ladder, if our ladder tilts or seems too long, it is perhaps be- cause our faith is weak or we have put it elsewhere.
The only way to enter heaven is based on the foundation set up for us from the beginning, we climb the ladder of grace step by step, learning something at each step, not trying to make a name for our- selves, like the builders of the tower of Babel, but persevering in the knowledge of the God of love until we are trans- formed into His likeness. Amen.
Teresa Corti, Germany SW

Jesus, the Advocate
_______________________________________________________

Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’. (1 John 2:1). ‘For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us’. ‘Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them’. (Heb. 9:24; 7:25). As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive genera- tion, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses, ‘Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book’. (Ex. 32:33). And says the prophet Ezekiel, ‘When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, ... all his right- eousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned’. (Eze. 18:24). All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had par- don entered against their names in the books of Heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah, ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins’. (Isa. 43:25). Said Jesus, ‘He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels’. ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven’. (Rev. 3:5; Matt. 10:32, 33). –The Great Controversy, pp. 479-491.