Adventist Young Adults Reflect on Their Pasts and Ponder Their Futures
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JUNE 2015: THE SELECTIVE SERVANT+GOD’S TIMING +STOMACH-DWELLING DWARFS+YOUNG ADVENTISTS AND SALVATION+MY FATHER’S ARMS ADVENTISTREVIEW.ORG What Now? Adventist young adults reflect on their pasts and ponder their futures. “The challenge is the same as it has been: to utilize our television opportunity to the utmost in extending the Gospel wherever people can view the program. This is Faith for Today’s task, its commission.” —William A. Fagal, Founder Faith For Today was the first national religious television broadcast to hit the airwaves in 1950. Today Mike & Gayle Tucker continue the mission of extending grace and hope to viewers worldwide. Connect with Faith Engaging the Mind s Touching the Heart P.O. Box 7729 s Riverside, CA 92513-9804 s (888) 940-0062 s www.faithfortoday.tv Watch us on: Photo by Lynne McClure of Vancouver, Washington. VOLUME 192 Each month we’ll feature a reader-submitted photo or painting. NUMBER 12 Submission guidelines and info can be found at www.adventistreview.org. 06/15 FEATURES DISCOVER 20 20 DOES GOD HAVE A WORD FOR ME? | LAEL O. CAESAR The future can be a dark place unless we walk in the light of the Lord. CONNECT 34 WHAT NOW? Four young Adventists share what brought them to now, 34 and what challenges them in the future. ENGAGE 47 THE SELECTIVE SERVANT | JULIA RUYBALID Are we serving ourselves, or others? 47 JUNE 2015 | ADVENTIST REVIEW 1 We just nestle into life and don’t really challenge ourselves or get out of our PUBLISHER General Conference of comfort zones. Seventh-day Adventists® EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Bill Knott ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 37 Claude Richli PUBLISHING BOARD Ted N. C. Wilson, chair Benjamin D. Schoun, vice chair Bill Knott, secretary Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, Daniel R. Jackson, Robert Lemon, Geoffrey Mbwana, G. T. Ng; Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol, Michael Ryan, Ella ARTICLES Simmons, Karnik Doukmetzian, legal adviser EDITOR DISCOVER CONNECT ENGAGE Bill Knott 24 40 51 ASSOCIATE EDITORS ON THE MOUNTAIN “PASTOR, WHAT DOES LEGALLY BLIND BUT A Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil NEWS EDITOR OR IN THE VALLEY? GOD WANT FOR ME?” VISION FOR SERVICE Andrew McChesney COORDINATING EDITOR JANELLE COLLINS SHAWN PARIS ANDREW MC CHESNEY Stephen Chavez From time to time we Four bits of advice about Miriam Sunmee Yun- ONLINE EDITOR will live in both places. knowing God’s will Welch doesn’t see Carlos Medley obstacles. She’s blind. FEATURES EDITOR 28 42 Sandra Blackmer YOUNG ADULT EDITOR GOD’S TIMING TAKE COURAGE 54 Kimberly Luste Maran RICHARD D. MARTIN ELLEN G. WHITE OPEN UP YOUR GIFT KIDSVIEW EDITOR Wilona Karimabadi Making the best of our LESLIE NETTLEFORD OPERATIONS MANAGER situation, whatever it is Use it or lose it. Merle Poirier FINANCIAL MANAGER 44 RachRachel Child MY FATHER’S ARMS EDITEDITORIAL ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR MMarvenearv Thorpe-Baptiste CURTIS RITTENOUR MARMARKETING DIRECTOR Part of what we know ClauClaude Richli 59 EDITEDITORS-AT-LARGE about God comes from MMarkark A. Finley, John M. Fowler what we see in each other. SENSENIORI ADVISER E. EEdwardd Zinke AARTRT DIRECTOR/DESIGNER BryaBryan Gray LAYOLAYOUT TECHNICIAN FrFreded Wuerstlin ADAD SSALES 44 GGlen Gohlke SUSUBSCRIBERBS SERVICES RebeRebecca Hilde EDITORIAL TO WRITERS: Writer’s guidelines are NEWS|OPINION available at the Adventist Review Web site: 5 BILL KNOTT www.adventistreview.org and click “About THE STORIES WE TELL the Review.” For a printed copy, send a » self-addressed envelope to: Writer’s Adventist Envoy Meets Guidelines, Adventist Review, 12501 Old President Obama DEPARTMENTS Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904. 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It is » Francis Wernick published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists® and is printed 27 Dies at 95 times a year (9 weekly, 8 monthly, 1 special, COLUMNS and 9 special supplements mailed in May, June, and July). Pacific Press Publishing 27 CLIFF’S EDGE Association, at 1350 North Kings Road, » Ellen G. White Nampa, ID 83687, is the printer of record. CLIFFORD GOLDSTEIN Periodical postage paid at Nampa, ID Visitor Center 83686, and additional mailing offices. 41 SEARCHING Copyright © 2015, General Conference of Goes Interactive Seventh-day Adventists®. THE OBVIOUS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Twelve issues of the DIXIL RODRÍGUEZ Adventist Review » I Saw Jesus’ Hands monthly , US$26.95 plus 46 THE LIFE OF FAITH additional postage outside North America. in San Antonio Single copy US$4.00. ANDY NASH To order, send your name, address, and payment to: Adventist Review subscription 56 HOUSE CALL desk, P.O. Box 5353, Nampa, ID 83653-5353 Orders can also be placed at Adventist PETER N. LANDLESS Book Centers. Prices subject to change. 64 IN OTHER WORDS ADDRESS CHANGES AND SUBSCRIPTION QUERIES: MARVENE THORPE-BAPTISTE adventistreview@pacificpress.com. OR call 1-800-447-7377 or 208-465-2548. 2 ADVENTIST REVIEW | JUNE 2015 NOW AT THE BEST PRICE SINCE THE 20TH CENTURY! LAUNCH SPECIAL Try the new Review For a one-year for 6 months for subscription $ .95 $ .95 9 or 19 (regular $26.95) US$19.95 or US$32.95 Canada (regular US$39.95) Full access to our NEW FREE print website! supplement Includes our (Kidsview) FREE app! (Available Fall 15) THE NEW REVIEW COMES WITH 4 NEW SECTIONS Connect Engage Completely redesigned for How do we relate to How do we give meaning a generation on the go. eternal truth in a digital to our lives for the sake of Compact and sturdy to go culture? God’s love and grace? wherever you go. News & Commentary Discover Striking and Modern and From North America and What are the guiding to be seen wherever you are! from around the world. principles that make us Now once a month! THE NEW ADVENTIST REVIEW citizens of God’s kingdom? It’ll travel with you! Order NOW at www.adventistreview.org or call 1-800-447-7377 hopetv.org Christian: a person for whom Jesus is the center of EVERYTHING TELEVISION THAT CHANGES LIVES EDITORIAL BILL KNOTT The lives—and choices—that we make as followers of the Risen One will likely have more of the character of the Emmaus Road than the The Stories We Tell Damascus Road about them. Q: What should you do when you prophets. The Word is clear: both faithful conversation as come upon a fork in the road? “All scripture is inspired by God well as private meditation. The A: Bend down and pick it up. and is useful for teaching, for insights that we gain from per- reproof, for correction, and sonal devotion and prayer are he old laughline gently for training in righteousness” vital, even crucial. But they mocks the high seriousness (2 Tim. 3:16, NRSV). But that must also be tested against the T with which we usually doesn’t mean we should expect broader insight the Spirit is giv- approach momentous life deci- the drama of charging toward ing to the other disciples Christ sions. Reared on pieces of half- Goliath or calling fire down has called to travel with us. Lis- remembered commencement from heaven as part of everyday tening well—paying attention— addresses (“Life is a Crossroads”) discipleship. The lives—and to the honest believers also on and fragments of Robert Frost choices —that we make as fol- this journey is so much a better poetry (“Two roads diverged in a lowers of the Risen One will way to learn the will of God wood, and I—I took the one less likely have more of the charac- than inserting pins in the fam- traveled by . .), we come up to the ter of the Emmaus Road than ily Bible or placing specious choices about whom to marry, the Damascus Road about them. fleeces before the Lord. which profession to pursue, or That means, among so many So here’s a call for all of us to where to relocate in retirement other things, that we will more be the better listeners who with melodrama more suited to often learn the will of God for acknowledge that other minds bad films than the quietness that our lives as those two obscure than our own may be moved ought to mark the life of an obe- disciples on the day of Jesus’ and shaped by what the Spirit dient Christian. resurrection learned it—travel- knows is best. God’s remnant We want the roiling clouds to ing together, over time, informed isn’t merely a support group to part; we want a shaft of light to by “Moses and all the prophets” lend us courage on the journey spotlight our place upon the (Luke 24:27, NRSV). Instead of home. In mercy, He surrounds path; we want some thundering anticipating, as with Saul, the us with good conversation and heavenly affirmation of the sig- voice from heaven and the shaft prayer partners through whom nificance of our free will. And of light that temporarily blinds He speaks when other ways when, as often happens, none of us, we should more naturally seem silent.