Lake Union Herald for 1985
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EFORE His ascension our Lord made a firm promise to B every true believer: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2, 3). For more than 1,900 years, Christians have been awaiting the fulfillment of this promise. I fully believe that our Saviour will not disappoint His faithful followers. The Apostle Peter assures us that "the Lord is not slack concerning His promise" (2 Peter 3:9). John the Revelator, in vision, saw the prepared place referred to by our Lord. In Revelation 21:2 he exclaims, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." So a prepared place as the future abode for the people of God is assured. The quality of life in that prepared place will be a vast improvement over our present existence. There will be no sickness, pain, death or sorrowing. Poverty, crime and hunger A Prepared will be unknown. One will not need to fear senseless bombings or hijackings. We will live in perfect safety. Hatred and war will Place be no more. Don't you like the way in which the apostle refers to the For a Prepared pleasant surprise that all who enter that prepared place will experience? Paul, in 1 Corinthians 2:9 declares, "Eye hath not People seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, Robert H. Carter the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." President Every thinking person should realize that there is no Lake Union Conference enduring happiness or safety in the cities of our world today. Inhabitants of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and other large cities can testify that life in these metropolises is far from ideal. Citizens of the United States used to feel relatively secure, but now realize they are exposed to constant dangers from without and from within. Dear fellow believer, is it not time for you and me to "desire a better country, that is, an heavenly"? Let us put all our hopes for better times into the hands of Him who controls the future, "for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:16). Only a prepared people will be granted entrance to the prepared city. One of John the Baptist's responsibilities, according to the angel announcing his birth in Luke 1:17, was "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Our task today is no different from John's. The time to prepare is now. Tomorrow may be too late. Ellen G. White expressed alarm over the lack of preparation COVER on the part of God's professed people. In her book Early The mountains are God's majestic Writings, page 119, she said, "I saw that the remnant were not thoughts. prepared for what is coming upon the earth . My The stars are God's brilliant thoughts. accompanying angel cried out with awful solemnity, 'Get The flowers are God's beautiful thoughts. ready! get ready! get ready! for the fierce anger of the Lord is Robert Stuart Mac Arthur soon to come.' " Photo by Susan Hovey of Royal Oak, Michigan. This photo was one of those chosen during the 1985 Herald oc= Cover Photo Selection. The Lake Union Herald (USPS 302-860; ISSN 0194-908X) is published biweekly and printed by University Printers, Berrien Springs, Michigan. Second-class postage is paid at Berrien Springs, MI 49103. Yearly subscription price $5.00; single copies 25 cents. Postmaster: Send all address changes to Lake Union Herald, Box C, Berrien Springs, MI 49103. TWO • July 30, '85 • Herald As Dave Perlberg enters Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Church on Sabbath mornings, children scurry to be near their kindergarten teacher. The children look forward to Dave's class because it's always interesting. THE HEART OF THE LAKE UNION A Friend of Jesus by Dale Ziegele NE of the earliest cars into the church parking lot signal, slip out of the classroom to explore the outdoors O contained a cowboy-shod elder. Stepping from with Dave. the car, he sauntered across the nearby spring green Treasured finds this Sabbath were polished stones field to an obscure corner. He carefully planted a hidden in the sandy ball field. On other Sabbaths, surprise there for his Sabbath School class. butterflies, spring flowers and even pumpkins all What did Dave Perlberg bury in the sandy corner of somehow appear as Dave and the children explore. the ballfield behind the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, church Youngsters flock to grasp the hand of this big man and school? That's exactly what made his Sabbath whose heart they have captured. When Dave brought School class members eager to come to class. minnows to them, they actually got to hold the minnows Some people might be surprised at the Sabbath in their hands. Is it any wonder why they eagerly look School division this lanky first elder teaches. Class forward to Sabbath School and Dave's class? time finds him in the kindergarten room, where he He doesn't just tell a story—he lives a story. Often ministers to youngsters. He has not forgotten the Dave is down on his knees where children can see best, Lord's lambs, or their needs. even if his suit may suffer. A Christmas nativity re- Dave's pockets apparently are made just for carrying enactment was highlighted for the children by a rustic intriguing things like stickers, rocks, balloons and little donkey of wood and rope. other little surprises. Every week that weather permits, Dave—local church elder, conference executive sparkling-eyed youngsters, hands raised in a quiet committee member and parent of grown children—has not forgotten or lost touch with the lambs of the flock. His class members may not stand any taller than twice Dale Ziegele is the communication director for the the height of his cowboy boots, but if Jesus is a friend Wisconsin Conference. of Dave's, He is just right for them. Members of Dave Perlberg's Sabbath School class look for a down on his knees describing something to the children, even buried treasure behind the Rhinelander Church. Often Dave is if his suit may suffer. Herald • July 30, '85 • THREE HE year was 1947 and 16-year- Told Clarence Castleburg was enjoying the summer with Ole Lemmy. The swampy Chippewa Bottoms of Wisconsin were loaded with muskrat, and Ole Lemmy knew just how to catch them. He knew where to sell their skins, too. And, best of all, he was willing to share his secrets with Clarence. Ole Lemmy's cabin wasn't much to write home to Mom about. It contained two cots, a small table with two chairs and a wood stove for cooking. The main cooking utensil was an old frying pan. A few other pans hung on the wall behind the stove, but that was about it—except for a shelf full of books. But they were so covered with dust that Clarence could barely tell what color the covers were. Yet Clarence Clarence Castleburg holds a copy of the book that began a chain thought to himself, When I grow up of events that won 60 people to Christ. (Photo by Rainbow I'm going to live just like Ole Photographic Services) Lemmy. One evening when Ole Lemmy fell asleep on his cot Clarence was not Ole Lemmy's Book tired, so he decided to see what kind by John Bernet of books his friend would keep. As Clarence browsed through the books, he discovered that one of Immediately the picture in Ole one dollar, and he read it from cover them was a religious book. He didn't Lemmy's book flashed across to cover. When he had finished read it, but he found that it con- Clarence's mind. reading the book, Bible Readings tained a lot of interesting pictures. That night Clarence could not for the Home, he knew that he must As he flipped the pages he sleep. I wish I could see that book become a Sabbath keeper. recognized Moses and some other again, he thought. But it's been five Clarence was baptized by M. E. Bible characters he had heard about years since I saw it. Maybe Ole Anderson, an Adventist minister. in Sunday School. But one picture Lemmy has died. Maybe the book Eventually Clarence's wife joined was totally new to him. It showed has been thrown out. him in his newfound faith. The men running and stars falling. Finally Clarence promised himself couple had 12 children. Ten Clarence continued to look at he would find out what had hap- children are in the church today. other pictures in the book, but pened to the trapper and his book. Of those ten, one son, David, is a repeatedly he found himself drawn At his very next opportunity, medical doctor in Durand, back to that picture. Clarence made his way to the Wisconsin. Four of his daughters The summer fairly flew for Chippewa Bottoms. He knew just and another son are nurses. Four Clarence; so did the following years when Ole Lemmy would be in his more sons are farmers near Bethel, and his desire to become a trapper. cabin—his regimen was as regular Wisconsin. Clarence married at 19 and at age as clockwork. Today Clarence has 33 21 he met a strange man.