Pavel Goia

You can’t give what you don’t have

HOME ARCHIVES 2023 APRIL EDITORIAL One Sabbath evening long ago, after preaching at two different churches, I hit traffic while driving to a third church to begin an evangelistic series. At the interstate toll plaza, I chose the line with only two cars ahead of me, hoping to rush through. The driver of the first car threw coins in the funnel basket to pay the toll and then drove off. Good, one car left, I thought. The next car pulled up to the funnel, stopped, then—nothing. I waited. What was the driver doing, making the coins? Finally, a woman threw coins toward the funnel—they did not make it. She tried to open her door, but the funnel blocked her. She started backing her car up. I, and the cars behind me, now had to back up. She got out and retrieved all the coins. But, instead of throwing them in the funnel, she went to the toll booth window and struck up an animated conversation with the attendant. I could not hold in my impatience any longer. I honked the horn, threw up my hands, and cried out in the car, “Lady, please move; we are all waiting!” She waved—very nicely—got into her car, and left. When I got to the funnel to pay my toll, the attendant called to me, “No need to pay; the lady before you paid for you. Her son has been in an accident, and she’s rushing to the emergency hospital. Her hands were shaking, so it took some time with the coins. She was so impressed with how calm you were. You even waved at her. So she paid for you.”

A NEW HEART I was so embarrassed by my behavior. I am a pastor! How could I only see things my way and judge her; how could I be so impatient? I had been impatient when young in life and had worked hard to overcome my temper, yet my nature was the same. If I do not know how to experience growth myself, how can I help others? As pastors, we know and even preach that there is nothing good in any of us and we cannot do anything about it (Rom. 7:18, 19; Jer. 13:23). Only God can change hearts, and it is only by a continual walk with God that He can change us. Yet do we practice what we preach?

Author Ellen White says, “ ‘Except a man is born from above,’ unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life, ‘he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ John 3:3.”1

The paragraph does not say that you achieve a new heart; no, you receive it! It is not what you do in your own power. It is God who gives us a new heart. “ ‘I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them’ ” (Ezek 11:19, NIV).

What are the ways that you can grow into God’s image?

GROWING BY FAITH “ ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’ ” (Rom 4:3, NIV; emphasis added).

You must have faith in God's power and love to change your heart—faith that He is able to finish what He started (Phil. 1:6), that He is able to grow and save you (Heb. 7:25).

“Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son.” 2

GROWING BY RELATIONSHIP Jesus promises that if you stay connected with Him, He will grow you, and there will be fruit:

“ ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me’ ” (John 15:4).

But how?

Remember, we are transformed by beholding (2 Cor. 3:18).

“You are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. . . . If you believe the promise, . . . God supplies the fact; you are made whole. . . .

“Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, ‘I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised.’ . . .

“ . . . Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son.” 3

We must keep in mind that we cannot preach the assurance of salvation and growth in Christ unless we personally experience it.

God is calling us to talk with Him, walk with Him, and then lead others to the same experience.

Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 18

White, 52; emphasis added

White, 51 52; emphasis added

All to Jesus I surrender—really, all? New years often bring new resolutions. But our present need may not be for a new resolution but a new commitment.

In these days of uncertainty, I believe God is calling us first to a new commitment to His Word. Not to study as a duty or study for a sermon but because of a thirst to know more of Him.

Second, I believe God is calling us to a new commitment to service.

When He comes, He will not say, “Good servant, you went faithfully to church and preached from your pulpit.” He will say, “I was poor, naked, and hungry, and you took care of Me; come into My inheritance” (Matt. 25:34–36).

Third, I believe God is calling us to a new commitment to prayer. Not prayer as a routine or in crisis but prayer without ceasing—prayer as a way of life. A new and total commitment involving absolute surrender because it is much easier to do things for God than to commit self to God.

HE AWAKENS ME

Jesus woke up early and started the day with prayer, often praying the whole night. If Jesus needed prayer, how much more do we need prayer?

Not prayer just to seek His help but prayer just to know His heart (John 17:3).

When I was young, I asked my prayer-warrior father, “How do I wake up in the morning when God wants me to wake up?”

He replied, “ ‘He awakens Me morning by morning, / He awakens My ear / To hear as the learned’ ” (Isa 50:4, NKJV).

So I made it a habit of asking God to wake me up each morning when He wanted me to awake.

At the end of my last year of construction engineering studies, the most important exam that decided my passing or failing arrived. But the night before, I stayed up late talking with friends. Before I fell asleep, I did not ask God to wake me up because I was afraid He would wake me up too early.

I woke up 30 minutes before the final was to start! I read a very short verse and said a quick 10-word prayer.

When I ran to the door to leave, God reminded me, “ ‘Seek first the kingdom of God’ ” (Matt. 6:33, NKJV).

Then came my father’s words: “You need to fully surrender all daily.”

So I turned around and opened my Bible, which opened to “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8, NIV). Uh, was I supposed to consider my school year a loss?

Then I opened another book I was studying and read, “Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work.” 1

ALL TO JESUS

I decided right then to recommit my life to Jesus and make Him above all things at any price, even my year of schooling. I took time to pray and study the Word; two hours went quickly.

I finished worship and then wondered, Should I even go to school? The exam will be over by the time I get there. But I felt I should go, so I went to school. When I entered the classroom, the students were sitting there, waiting. One said, “Pavel, how did you know the teacher would not show up?” “I didn’t,” I replied.

“The teacher was caught in a very bad traffic jam and told us he would be here soon.”

The teacher came after that; I took the exam and passed with flying colors. I did not lose my school year; rather, I experienced God’s faithfulness.

God is calling us to a new commitment in the study of God’s Word, involvement in Christian service, and faithfulness in prayer. God wants our thirst to find Jesus to exceed our burden to preach Jesus.

God is faithful! He can do His work much better through you than you could ever do it on your own. Trust in His promises and believe that all other things will be provided.

1. Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1903), 260.

Tomorrow never comes The greatest hope of all generations of Christians and the climax of the gospel is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments talk about it. Isaiah the prophet depicts the event in powerful words:

“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isa. 25:9).

There are prophecies all over the Bible pointing to it, and all, except a few final ones, have been fulfilled.

While on Earth, Jesus Himself promised to come again (e.g., Matt. 24:30; John 14:2, 3). The Bible ends by repeating this greatest hope in Revelation 21 and 22: “ ‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work’ ” (Rev. 22:12).

It would make no sense to be called a Christian and yet not believe in these promises. Neither would it make sense to believe in Jesus’ second coming and yet not prepare.

TWO GROUPS

However, the Bible consistently presents two groups: one that is waiting, preparing, and ready, and another that is not ready. How do you specifically “wait”; how do you get ready?

In all of Jesus’ parables referring to the Second Coming, He consistently underlines a good relationship with God and a good relationship with our neighbor. That relationship is proved by service, using your talents for others, caring for others, being a witness—by real love.

It is absolutely important—and necessary—to pray, study the Word, lead your church, preach the doctrines, and eat healthily. These are essential things, but they are not enough. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time performed these, yet many of them were not ready for Him. The servant whom the Master finds serving is considered faithful; the fruit-producing tree remains standing; and the talents used and multiplied are the proof of Christianity.

At the Second Coming, Jesus divides the crowd into two groups: the sheep and the goats. Service is the litmus test of Christianity! The servant whom the Master finds serving is considered faithful; the fruit-producing tree remains standing; and the talents used and multiplied are the proof of Christianity.

Service is not based on money, health, or position but on using whatever God has put in your hand for His kingdom. It is all based on Him alone, not relying on self. Jesus, in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19, 20), commands His followers to go and work and promises His presence. This is not a suggestion but a command.

AM I WILLING NOW?

To procrastinate in dedicating your energy, time, talents, and resources to serving God with all your heart is to say to Him, “I will do it tomorrow.”

Yet, if you mean it and really want to do it, then why not do it now? The Bible says, “ ‘Today, if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in a rebellion’ ” (Hebrews 3:15).

To harden your heart is to become insensitive to the voice of the Spirit, deaf and blind to the opportunities God gives you to serve. It is to resist the Holy Spirit’s call to service.

The question that comes to mind is, Am I really serving? Do I commit all of myself or just what I am comfortable with? Am I surrendering all to God—my energy, time, and resources?

Self-centeredness is an attribute specific to Satan and his character. Jesus came to serve and sacrificed Self. He calls us to do the same.

Whatever you do not surrender, that is what you love more than God.

Am I ready to joyfully sacrifice self for Jesus as He sacrificed Self for me? Am I willing to do it now? So many say yes but never get to it. If not now, then when? Today is the day if you hear His voice!

When I was a child walking to school and back, I passed by a Turkish man selling ice cream. He would constantly scream, “Today you pay; tomorrow is free.” I believed him. I paid and got ice cream and then went back the next day to get my free ice cream. He calmly told me, “Today you pay; tomorrow is free.”And I said, “Well, yesterday was today, and today is tomorrow.” He answered, “No, today is today, and tomorrow is tomorrow; today, you pay!” So, I asked, “Then when is tomorrow?” He answered, “Son, tomorrow never comes.”

Jesus is coming! It is time for us to fully consecrate ourselves to God and His kingdom, to train our members and send them out, to finish the work.

God is calling you now; do not respond to Him, “Yes, but tomorrow.” Tomorrow never comes.

Today is the day to fully dedicate everything you do to God’s service.

WHAT DO YOU TREASURE? A REFLECTION ON SELF-SACRIFICE

What was He to do with these men who had walked with Him, laughed with Him, listened to Him day and night for years, and watched how He treated others? The disciples had lived and breathed Jesus day after day, yet they still failed to see that “ ‘unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain’ ” (John 12:24. The disciples could never bring life to others until they brought death to themselves.

Jesus, out of heartfelt love and heartbroken disappointment called out His disciples for chatting about who could be the best and who could have the best (Mark 9:33–35). Yet in the very next chapter, James and John unashamedly ask Jesus for the best seats in the house (Mark 10:36–45). The displeasure of their colleagues related more to their competitiveness than their conversion.

Luke records, “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24). Where did they get this idea that they could rank themselves? Certainly not from the teachings of Jesus. And this fight was happening while they were eating the last meal they would ever have on earth with Jesus!

In that same conversation, Jesus tells Simon Peter that He’s praying for him (vv. 31, 32), and Simon declares that he’s already ready to stand up for Christ (v. 33). All of the disciples echoed the same sentiment (Matt. 26:35). Jesus knew different.

Their self-confidence took a beating from that night to the next morning. All talk of standing by their Lord turned to silence as they ran, lied, hid, and shook, in fear that any second the Roman soldiers would break down the door and kill them, as they had Jesus.

What made them exchange courage for fear and self-sacrifice for self-preservation?

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

My father prayed for God’s will daily. “Lord, open my eyes to see people around me, my ears to hear Your voice; tell me how to serve; show me Your plans. Help me forget self and be a blessing to others. Help me be like Jesus.”

Under communism, it was against the law to bring Bibles into the country, build a church, or do many other things for the church, but my father risked his freedom and life and did it anyway. Our church building was old and too small for our needs. At that time, we had a wonderful, dedicated, hardworking pastor. My father, an elder in the church, talked to him and proposed that we build a new church. Doing so could easily mean prison for the leaders of the project. Yet they presented the proposal to the board. With much prayer, they decided to go ahead in faith.

Everyone came to work, young and old—children, men, and women. We worked at night for obscurity, without lights or power tools. We demolished the old church except for the front wall and built the new building hiding it behind the wall. In about three months, the new church was taller than the old front wall.

One night, the police approached.

“Open the gates!” My dad asked if they had a warrant. They didn’t.

“Not until you have a warrant.”

“You will pay for it!” retorted the police, as they turned and stomped off.

They returned a few months later. The church was now completed. My father told the pastor, “You are young and dedicated. God still has work for you. Take your wife and go away for a few days. There’s no reason for both you and me to be arrested.”

The pastor argued. He was willing to be interrogated, arrested, and even imprisoned. My father convinced him there was no benefit in that. He left my father to talk to the officers.

When they started to see the cross, to grasp the infinite enormousness of the sacrifice, they committed themselves to God and His service without reservation. They knew they might pay with their lives for their preaching, yet they still did it joyfully.

“Who led this project?”

“I did,” my father said.

They took him to the station. “We warned you time and again to stop bringing in Bibles, and now you have built a church. We will confiscate your salary!”

“Well, there is nothing to take. I joyfully give it all to the church each month. I keep very little.”

“Then, we will fire you from your job.”

“That is indeed good news. I will have more time to serve God then.”

Frustrated, an officer put a pistol to my father’s chest.

My father said, “Let me unbutton my shirt, and then you can shoot me.”

Confused, the officer said, “Why? Bullets go through shirts.”

“I know,” said my father. “But there are many poor people without a shirt. Let’s not ruin it. Give it to someone else after you shoot me. To live is Jesus, and to die is an honor. He died for me; shouldn’t I be happy to die for Him?”

The officer called the chief of police. The chief called the mayor of the city. The mayor gave the order for my father to be killed. Feeling a little bad now, the officer hung up, turned to my father, and apologized, “I am sorry, but I have clear orders.”

My father said, “Let me pray first.”

“Well, even if you pray, no one will save you.”

“My friend, I have no intention to pray for myself. I want to pray for you.” My father put his arm around the officer’s shoulder and prayed for his salvation. Then he said, “I am ready.”

At that moment, the telephone rang. The deputy of the city, the person under the mayor, called. “Do not touch this man! After the mayor gave the orders to kill him, he left in his car, and a drunk driver in a big truck hit the car and killed him. Let this man go home.”

I asked my father later, “Did you know God would intervene to save your life?”

“Son, I did not, and that is not important,” he answered. “I am not focused on my life but on God and His service. He shall increase, and I shall decrease. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and the one who is willing to lose his life for God will save it.

You cannot and will never be a Christian, you will never experience God’s power in your life, unless you love Him to the degree that you daily surrender and sacrifice all, including self.”

THE ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT

Paul said that he considered all things a loss for the price of knowing Jesus (Phil. 3:8). Twenty-nine years after his conversion, Paul still wanted to know Jesus. For him, it was a lifetime quest to know Jesus, with daily surrender and self-sacrifice.

He says, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31). Dying to self is the absolute requirement to be a disciple, to follow Jesus. Nothing else can substitute for that. And it is not a one-time event at baptism but a lifelong process that must happen daily. Even as pastors with higher-education degrees and a commitment to be shepherds of God’s sheep on earth, we cannot live with Jesus eternally unless we die with Him daily.

The reason we have little power, little influence to save others around us, and minimal success with spiritual victory and church growth is that we need to sacrifice self.

Jesus says in John 12 that unless a grain dies, it will never produce any fruit (v. 24).

Unless we fully and daily surrender all, we cannot experience Jesus’ power in our lives.

There is no way to have a car with two drivers in full control.

You cannot have both Jesus and self in control.

Either you are in control, or Jesus is.

Can you do that? Can you fully let go of the steering wheel?

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MORE THAN HIM?

Jesus calls His followers His martures—His witnesses (Acts 1:8). From this word, we get the English word martyr.

Jesus says, “You are My martyrs.”

If you love Him more than anything, you have no problem sacrificing everything, including self.

Whatever you cannot sacrifice, that’s what you love more than Him; that’s your god.

Wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart is.

Daniel and Esther left their people. Joseph and Ruth left their family. All persons of faith have sacrificed everything, including self. They didn’t expect a blessing; they became blessings. Jesus said, “ ‘He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me . . . He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’ ” (Matt. 10:37–39).

Real religion is to love God with everything you have and love your neighbor just as you love yourself. The acid test of Christianity is your love for others. If you want to know whether you love God, to the degree that you love others—even those that hate you—to that very degree, you love God. When you love God, you forget self and joyfully live for others. You serve and you save.

Author Ellen White asks a poignant question, “Have you so deep an appreciation of the sacrifice made on Calvary that you are willing to make every other interest subordinate to the work of saving souls? The same intensity of desire to save sinners that marked the life of the Saviour marks the life of His true follower. The Christian has no desire to live for self. He delights to consecrate all that he has and is to the Master’s service. He is moved by an inexpressible desire to win souls to Christ. Those who have nothing of this desire might better be concerned for their own salvation.”2

Jesus gave us many visuals of this. Here’s one: “ ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field’ ” (Matt. 13:44). This man is willing to sell, to sacrifice, to lose literally everything to get the treasure. Are you like this man, serious about the treasure, serious about complete self-sacrifice? We sing, “All to Jesus I surrender,”3 but it is a lot easier to sing it than do it. How do you do that? How do you fully renounce self and fully surrender; how do you make Christ and His service your focus and priority?

HOW IS IT DONE?

Remember the scared disciples we were discussing? They were in the upper room after having spent some glorious days with the risen Savior. Jesus commanded them to preach the gospel, the good news, to the whole world. But they were just a few people, with no means, no media, and they were being pursued. They knew they could not evangelize even their city or country, much less the whole world. So, they prayed for the promise of the Holy Spirit to enable them to do their mission. They not only prayed but also repeated Jesus’ teachings and the prophecies.

As the disciples focused on Jesus, His teaching, and the prophecies and prayed for the Holy Spirit, they started to understand the Cross and the plan of salvation, the gospel, what God had done for them. “They [the disciples] realized the greatness of their debt to heaven and the responsibility of their work. Strengthened by the endowment of the Holy Spirit, they went forth filled with zeal to extend the triumphs of the cross. . . . They had consecrated their lives to Him for service, and their very features bore evidence to the surrender they had made.”4 The disciples finally internalized what it meant that the Holy One came down, suffered, was crucified, and became sin for them, for you and me.

That realization was so overwhelming that it transformed them. When they started to see the cross, to grasp the infinite enormousness of the sacrifice, they committed themselves to God and His service without reservation. They knew they might pay with their lives for their preaching, yet they still did it joyfully.

SECOND NATURE

Jesus was clear when He shared in Matthew 25:31–46 what happens when we have given up self, sold all we have, and taken His gift. It comes as second nature, so we don’t even know we do it. “ ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry . . . a stranger . . . naked . . . sick . . . in prison?’ ” (vv. 37–39). Lord, when? With love in His eyes, He’ll tell you, “My child, when you invited the young boy who just lost his father on a picnic with your family, when you and your spouse gave of your time to take a meal over and spend time with Mrs. Abraham who just lost her husband of 55 years, when you and your head deacon went to the county jail regularly and gave Bible studies, you may not have recognized Me, but that was Me.”

When you really see the Cross for what it is, when you understand and digest the gospel, then you will fully surrender to Christ and allow Him to use you, to make you a blessing for those around you. You will then pray and look for opportunities to serve, to bless, to save, to possibly give your life for another. You will do it joyfully—and consider it a privilege.

Scripture is from the New King James Version. ^Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1902), 10.^J. W. VanDeVenter, "I Surrender All" (1896).^Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), 46.

What is our job?

Moving into a new district, a pastor started a series of sermons based on our call to reach the lost. Again and again he emphasized that we all have to serve. Using Bible verses such as Ephesians 4, the pastor preached that all parts of the body of Christ must use their God-given talents to share the good news of salvation.

The church had wonderful people, including two brothers with intellectual disabilities. Looking into the pastor’s eyes, smiling, they spoke slowly, “Pastor, . . . we . . . like . . . you.”

“I like you too,” he responded.

They spoke again, “Pastor, . . . we . . . like . . . you,” while clinging to the pastor’s arm. Sad to say, the pastor faced a continual temptation to just avoid them. He started to prepare the church for evangelism. Members were asked to be greeters or deacons, others to be part of registration or parking, still others to be children’s room supervisors or in the music group, and so on.

At the end of the final service, the two brothers approached the pastor. Slowly they asked, “Pastor, you said all have a job. You didn’t give us an assignment. What do we do?”

“Ummm. You don’t need to do anything,” he replied.

“But you said all get a job.”

The pastor thought, How can I get rid of them? They cannot serve or do anything; they will embarrass the church and most likely bother visitors. Then he got an idea. “You pray.”

“OK, we pray, OK, we pray, we pray, we pray . . .”

They went home, repeating, “We pray, we pray,” and then suddenly, they stopped.

“But who do we pray for?”

Their father suggested, “Well, you pray for those from the community who don’t know Jesus.”

“Oh, we pray for the community. But the community doesn’t know that we pray for them.” So, one of the two brothers suggested, “I think he means we need to pray with the community.”

So, they decided they would go to the community. Roughly 1,600 people lived in the town of 500 to 600 households. They knocked at the first door. “The pastor said we should pray for you; what do you want us to pray for?”

“Well, my cow is sick.”

“OK. Lord, please heal the cow. Bye.” A short, simple prayer.

Next house: “The pastor said we should pray for you; what do you want us to pray for?”

“My wife left me.”

“OK. Lord, please bring her back. Bye.”

House by house they went, and after about one month they blanketed the whole town with prayer.

“We prayed,” they told the pastor, back at the church. “What do we do next?”

I had peace for a month, the pastor thought. Another month of peace would be nice. “You need to pray more.”

“Oh, OK.” So, they went home, thought about it, and decided that he meant they needed to go back to the community. So, they went again, street by street, to every house.

“The pastor said we should pray more for you. What do you want us to pray for?”

“You know, my cow got well after you prayed.”

“OK. Lord, thank You for healing the cow. Bye.”

Next house: “You know, my wife and I got back together.”

“Lord, thank You for bringing her back. Bye.”

They circled the whole town again. “Pastor,” they said, “we prayed more; what should we do next?”

“Just go; I am busy now. Keep praying; pray without ceasing.”

“OK.” By now, they knew their duty. So, they just went back house by house. After another month, they had prayed with every household a third time.

The time for the meetings came. The members were trained and organized, but not many invited somebody to the meetings. The two brothers brought 46 visitors, and 42 of them decided to commit their life to Jesus, get baptized, and become disciples.

When asked what made them decide, most answered, “We can see Jesus’ love in this church. Our friends and families never visit us, let alone pray for us. You, on the other hand, you care. You sent somebody to come to us, listen to us, and pray for us—and not just once but consistently.”

It was a lesson for the pastor. Jesus is coming soon! There is no more time to waste. As leaders, we have the high responsibility of preparing every single person who has experienced God’s amazing grace to be a disciple to their families, friends, neighbors, and the world. Each person is to minister according to the gifts given to him or her by God. God can use literally anyone who is willing to work with Him in saving precious souls.

INCREDIBLE GRACE

At age 14, like many other teenagers, I was fascinated by my father’s motorcycle and everything related to it. I asked him daily to teach me how to ride it. He finally agreed. He would take me to a grass field outside the city and show me how to ride it, then have me do it. He always made me promise never to take the bike out alone.

One day, while my father was at work, I kept looking at the motorcycle in the garage. Then I took it outside to just sit on it, and then I took it to the gate. Maybe I will ride it for only one block, I thought. But when it felt so good to ride it, I decided to have fun and go as fast as possible. Right after a curve, I was going so fast that I had no time to brake and crashed right into a concrete wall. I ruined the bike and hurt myself pretty badly.

I pushed the motorcycle all the way back home, and then I hid it in the back of the garage under a tarp. Instantly, I decided to do all types of chores. When Dad came home, Mom said to him, “Pavel was a really good kid today; he helped me as never before.”

Dad turned and looked at me. “What have you done?” he asked. “Did you take the bike out?”

I was quiet. My dad went to the garage and found the bike. It took a few seconds for him to take it all in—then he came back. I did not know what to expect. My Dad looked at me—came over—and gave me a hug. I couldn’t believe it. “I’m so glad you are alive!“ he said. “What you did was wrong—but I forgive you. And I’m also giving you a gift—this bike is yours. It’s broken now, but you will work with me and make some money. I’ll match the money you earn and together we’ll fix the bike.”

“I don’t deserve it,” I said in amazement.

“It is grace, Son,” he replied. “It’s all out of grace.”

“Why would you show me grace?” I asked.

Back came the reply. “Because I love you.”

GOD’S UNDESERVED GIFTS

God has given us many undeserved gifts—natural talents, spiritual gifts, salvation, forgiveness, and transformation—all favors based on His infinite love, compassion, and mercy. We cannot earn these on our own—we cannot pay for them, neither do we deserve them; all are based on infinite, amazing, incredible grace. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:4–9, NKJV).

Yet, we are all far from being like God, so how do we show grace, especially when someone does not deserve it? Where does grace start? “In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around.”1

HOW IS LOVE INVOLVED?

An attribute of God listed in Ephesians 2 is “love.” God is love. And because He loves us, He shows us grace. And we are called to love God and to love our neighbor. If you are a Christian and you say you love God but do not love your neighbor, then you lie and the love of God is not in you (1 John 4:20). You may be a pastor, you may know a lot of theology, you may even think you love God, but if you do not love your neighbor, you may not actually know God. You, then, lack the transforming relationship with Him and, therefore, cannot share grace with others.

The more we experience God’s presence, understand His grace, and partake of His love, the more we are transformed into His image. His grace is contagious. If there is no transformation, no love, and no grace shown to others, then Christianity is not an experience, just a theory. To the degree that you love the person you like least and show them the grace God shows you, to that same degree, you love God. The real power that transforms your life is God’s grace manifested in so many ways toward you. The more you receive and appreciate it, the more you will share it.

As pastors, we stand on the podium week after week, talking about grace manifested in forgive- ness, transformation, and salvation, and lifting up God’s wonderful promises. Our goal is to save souls for Christ, yet only God’s presence in us, with His love and grace, can bring true transformation that shines out to our parishioners.

Submersion in the presence of God should be the desire and focus of our lives, what we seek daily and thirst for continually. “Christian workers who succeed in their efforts must know Christ; and in order to know Him, they must know His love. In heaven their fitness as workers is measured by their ability to love as Christ loved and to work as He worked.”2 You cannot give what you do not have. God’s presence makes God’s kingdom of grace real inside of us now and His kingdom of glory real at His second coming.

HOW DO YOU EXTEND GRACE?

God “demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8, NIV). He has shown us forgiveness, compassion, He has offered us salvation, transformation, eternity. He is blessing us daily. All undeserved grace. As “faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pet. 4:10, NIV), we are called to do the same in all areas of life. “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matt. 10:8, NIV).

How do we share or extend grace to others? The more you take time to fully investigate His grace and try to understand a drop of that magnificent, complete, unconditional grace, the more you are filled with it. When you naturally share it, it flows through you; it radiates from you. That is the single power that transforms you and others around you. You cannot be any other way but gracious, kind, and compassionate. Only the one who experiences grace can extend grace.

PAYING BACK GRACE?

To explain a little of how God’s grace works in different situations, let’s look to the parable in Matthew 18:21–34. A servant owes 10,000 talents of gold. One talent in our actual measurements would be about 30 kilograms—or about 66 pounds of gold. One talent was wages for about 6,000 workdays—roughly 16.4 years’ wages if the debtor worked every day and put all of the earnings toward the debt. So 10,000 talents was about 60 million (60,000,000) workdays’ wages, over 164,000 years’ wages or, to be more specific, over 164,383 years’ wages if he worked seven days a week.

Let’s put this in today’s context, which includes inflation over the years. If we say that an average wage today is US$100 a day, considering that one talent at that time was 6,000 workdays’ wages, then one talent in our day would be about US $600,000 or about 1,644 years wages. So, 10,000 talents would be equivalent today to about six billion US dollars (6,000,000,000)—or more than 16 million years’ wages, more specifically, 16,438,356 years’ wages. If a person worked 80 years straight in a lifetime, then, with today’s inflation, it would take about 205,479 lifetimes to pay back that debt.

Very interestingly, the servant asks for forgiveness and promises to pay the debt back. He does not seem to understand the enormity of his debt and the fact that he cannot pay it back. Forgiving his debt is an act of grace. Clearly, if his debt is forgiven, he does not need to pay it back. If he pays it back, he does not need forgiveness. He confuses forgiveness, received freely by grace, with merits. This means you don’t need grace; you work for it and therefore deserve it.

He also imagines that he can pay it back. In his day, he would have had to live over 164,000 years, work every single day, and never use any of the earnings for food or bills to pay it back—without considering interest. He would never have been able to make a dent in paying his debt back.

Because he is not cognizant of his situation, he does not appreciate the infinite, extended grace. Because he does not fully appreciate the grace he receives, he cannot extend grace to others.

His neighbor owes him 100 denarii, which would be, more or less, about 100 days of work, a little over three months of working seven days a week. The first servant is pardoned for more than 160,000 years of debt, yet he cannot forgive 100 days.

GRACE RECEIVED, GRACE IMPARTED

To the degree that each one of us understands, receives, and appreciates God’s infinite grace expressed in a variety of ways, to that same degree, we need to extend grace to others who may not deserve it and cannot pay it back. Only then can the forgiven forgive, the loved love, and the saved save. Only then can we genuinely preach God’s grace in the pulpit. It is said, “The more you walk among flowers, the more you smell like flowers.” So, the more you walk in God’s grace and experience it, the more you share that grace with others—and without strings. The more you receive and understand it, the more you love God and love your neighbor. Effortlessly and naturally, you are transformed and discipled. You follow God, obey Him, serve Him, and care for your neighbor.

Charles Swindoll says, “Grace acknowledges the ugliness of sin by choosing to see beyond it. Grace accepts a person as someone worthy of kindness despite whatever grime or hard-shell casing keeps him or her separated from the rest of the world. Grace is a gift of tender mercy when it makes the least sense.”3 Real Christianity is to be filled with God’s love so much that your life will reflect that love. You will then show grace in a variety of forms to those who do not deserve it.

Grace received becomes grace imparted, the real proof of Christ living in the heart. In a self-centered world, a world that is in confusion and need, God’s children must reflect God’s character in showing grace and compassion, care and love to others around them. As we extend grace, we guide them to God’s love and grace. God is calling us to experience and share His grace daily. That is the best sermon we can deliver.

Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), 551.^White, 551.^Charles R. Swindoll, Jesus: The Greatest Life of All (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 90.

Come and see, then go and tell

You will not be able to move to your seminary—at least not today!” So spoke Mr. Clark, our neighbor from across the street. Like Caleb and Joshua, Daniela and I could see the giants that Mr. Clark and everyone else saw. Cumulus clouds, sometimes called cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus clouds, sometimes called thunderheads. “You will not be able to load your stuff into the truck—at least not today!” So said the moving truck driver. He spoke the obvious. By now there was thunder, there was lightning, the wind became strong, and rain started to fall. “In seconds, there will be heavy rain. It will destroy your furniture, your books, and everything you have!” But there was something our neighbor didn’t know. Like Caleb and Joshua, Daniela and I had already seen God at work. Following graduation, our money was gone, so was our student housing. A friend, Mr. Ralph, accommodated us and our furnishings—free of charge. There was something our truck driver didn’t know. We had been accepted into seminary with no money for moving expenses. A truck moving two pastors to the seminary was scheduled to pass through our town. The moving company notified us that one of the pastors had canceled but fully paid. They said they could take us and all our belongings—free of charge. We knew what God could do. So, I told the truck driver, “Let’s act in faith. The rain is not heavy yet. Let’s load!” The clouds got darker, and Mr. Clark stood shaking his head. “I agree with your neighbor!” exclaimed our truck driver. “We can’t pack in the rain, and I have a schedule to keep, so I’ll have to leave without your items.” At that moment, Daniela and I knelt behind the truck. Right there in the street, we asked God to hold back the floodgates until we could load all our furniture and all our boxes. It took four hours with not one drop of rain. The second Mr. Russell closed the truck’s back doors, the heavens opened. Rain poured down in buckets. Our truck driver and our neighbor stood spellbound. They told everyone who came by that they had witnessed a miracle. We smiled. Now they could see what we had seen.

FIRSTHAND In Matthew 28:6, 7, women went to Jesus’ grave with some spices prepared for His body. The angel there first told them not to be afraid, and second to “ ‘come and see’ ” that Jesus was alive. We often emphasize the third command the angel gave them, “ ‘Then go quickly and tell his disciples.’ ”1 But we often miss that before the angel told them to go and tell, he bid them come and see. You have nothing to tell others unless you have seen it yourself. Nothing to give unless you receive it first. Nothing to share unless you experience it first. Isaiah 43:10 says, “ ‘You are my witnesses.’ ” You cannot be a witness in a court of law based on what someone else has seen. You must have seen it yourself. Isaiah saw the Lord, and it changed his life. He shared the story and worked powerfully as a witness for God. Two demoniacs saw Jesus, and they told the whole city. A woman at a well saw Jesus, and she told her whole town. Zacchaeus saw Jesus, and he called all his friends and shared his experience. Paul on the road to Damascus saw Jesus, and his ministry turned the world upside down.

TASTE AND SEE The essential preparation needed for any sermon is to taste and experience God for ourselves. John says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (John 1:1). Unless we experience His transforming grace in our own lives, we cannot preach with power and witness with success. God is calling us to spend time in His presence in order to have a firsthand experience of Him. He’s calling us to come and see—then go and tell.

Of barks and bites

Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), 632.^Ellen G. White, “Scattered Churches,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 6, 1881.^Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), 296.^Douglas Cooper, Living God’s Love (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1975), 18.^HOME ARCHIVES 2021 OCTOBER EDITORIAL When we moved to Maryland several years ago, we planted a little garden and started to pray for opportunities to minister to our neighbors. With most of them, we were on very good terms. However, one family got very angry about our dogs barking one particular night. They yelled, swore at us, and even called the authorities. We were tempted to retaliate, but then words from Jesus stopped us: “ ‘But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you’ ” (Matt. 5:44, NKJV). We started to pray specifically for this neighbor—and our dogs rarely barked again. However, this family’s own dogs would bark—all day long. While it didn’t bother us, other neighbors started screaming at them. One day, their dogs got free and came into our backyard. We didn’t get upset or afraid. For many, their bark is worse than their bite. We gave them something they would like, treated them with love, and then gently led them home. The husband, outside watering the flowers, saw me with his dogs. “Your dogs are so sweet!” I sang out in a very friendly voice. “I hope it was OK—I gave them some treats. Now, if you don’t mind, would you please come this way?” Perhaps assuming I wanted to show him some damage his dogs had done to our property, he appeared hesitant. But he came. I led him to our garden. “We have so much fresh produce,” I said. “We would like to share some with you. Would you like to pick some for yourself, or would you prefer for me to pick for you?” I did not ask whether he wanted the produce or not. His eyes opened wide in surprise. The tension disappeared from his face. Smiling, he said he would be very thankful for some produce. I picked some tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants for him and assured him he was welcome to come anytime for more. I then invited him and his family for a meal at our house so that we could get to know each other better.

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS This incident humbled me. It made me wonder what would happen if every church member, starting with the pastor, would reach out to their neighbors and friends—perhaps take produce or homemade cookies to those around our homes—listen to them, pray for them, and build friendships. “Every follower of Jesus has a work to do as a missionary for Christ, in the family, in the neighborhood, in the town or city where he lives.”1 Then I wondered about those around our churches. While preaching is important, it’s not enough. “The real character of the church is measured, not by the high profession she makes, not by the names enrolled upon the church book, but by what she is actually doing for the Master, by the number of her persevering, faithful workers. Personal interest and vigilant, individual effort will accomplish more for the cause of Christ than can be wrought by sermons or creeds.”2 So I ask, do the people who live around your home feel comfortable reaching out to you if they need help raking their leaves? Do the people who live around your church feel comfortable contacting you if they need a place to hold their parent’s funeral? “Wherever a church is established, all the members should engage actively in missionary work. They should visit every family in the neighborhood and know their spiritual condition.”3 It is very difficult to reach a stranger—it is easier to reach a friend. Douglas Cooper tells the story of a preacher who told a young man on the streets of Harlem, New York, that God loved him. The young man replied, “I’m sick and tired of hearing people talk about love. I want to see love with skin on it.”4 Jesus is coming soon! God has allowed particular neighbors to be located around us. Let’s not get upset or afraid. For many, their bark is worse than their bite. Let’s give them something they would like, treat them with love, and then gently lead them home.