God, the Supreme Owner God Has Permitted Us to Make Use of Those Things He Alone Owns
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• " V ~N tivd rrioxvi 'id 0 TIIHY.1.3 1:103r;) 3''S JO • .0;01 -1'01-1-10 )004Pot.. 4111111111111111111111111111111 IIII 11111111 BE/R1409(.4/7,4 Official Organ of the 111111110111111111111110111111111101111111111111111111 11111i iur :::::::iii0111 1111t Atlantic Union Conference Illtilusulil of Seventh-day Adventists Volume LXI SOUTH LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS, NOVEMBER 12, 1962 Number 45 Christian Stewardship are made aware of the need of our studying deeper into this theme. We can see that the very start of steward- ship is the basic understanding that God, the Supreme Owner God has permitted us to make use of those things He alone owns. But let By CARL P. ANDERSON, President us be quick to remind ourselves that God still owns them, even though we Northern New England Conference use them. He is still the possessor. At the very beginning we want to no dependence on others. God owns We refer again to the statement in establish a very important basic prin- all in this world, and all that we have Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, ciple of God's workmanship, and in because He made it. He was the Crea- 'page 66, "Everything we possess comes establishing this principle, there are a tor of all. We read in Colossians 1:16, to us stamped with the cross." In other number of Bible texts we wish to quote: 17: words, Christ joined God in the crea- tion of the world and of man. Since All things were made by Him ... (John For by him were all things created, that 1:3). are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible man sinned, someone had to redeem In the beginning God created the heavens and invisible, whether they be thrones, or him. Thus Christ took upon Himself and the earth (Gen. 1:1). dominions, or principalities, or powers: all this purchasing power and died on the The earth is the Lord's, and everything in things were created by him, and for him: and cross for us. Thus the cross became a he is before all things, and by him all things it (I Cor. 10:26, R.S.V.). symbol of not only the first creation These are basic consist. but our re-creation, and we owe every- texts setting forth the In referring to this text, Mrs. White thing to Christ for this sacrifice. Every- principle that God commented in Thoughts from the thing we own is thus stamped with the made this world and Mount of Blessings, page 66: cross. thus He is its Owner. All things come of God. We have nothing We, as Christians, na- that we have not received. Everything Yes, God is our bountiful Benefac- turally admit this we possess comes to us stamped with the tor, and in closing this first article we cross. Hence there is nothing that we want to share a few sentences with you principle, yet many of have a right to pledge, as if it were our own, us do not acknowl- for the fulfillment of our word. from the pen of inspiration. edge it by our actions. Thus we can readily understand The power of God is manifested in the During the next that all we have or expect to have beating of the heart, in the action of the Carl Anderson lungs, and in the living currents that circu- four articles to ap- comes from God. Basically we have late through the thousand different channels pear in the GLEANER, we shall en- life. This is the most important prin- of the body. We are indebted to Him for deavor to set forth the true principles ciple. Without God we are not. God every moment of existence, and for all the of Christian stewardship and what it gives us the air we breathe; in fact, it comforts of life. means to our individual spirituality. is because of Him we exist. He loads us with His 'benefits. We are in- debted to Him for the food we eat, the water Many times we think that stewardship Another important text is Psalms we drink, the clothes we wear, the air we pertains to money and money alone. 50:10-12: breathe . the sun . the blue sky . This is not true! Stewardship is more the green earth . all speak to man of His For every beast of the forest is mine, and Creator's love. He watches over us with comprehensive, and we hope to devel- the cattle upon a thousand hills . for the more tenderness than does a mother over an op this theme as we go along. world is mine and the fulness thereof. afflicted child. — Counsels on Stewardship, If we first acknowledge that God, He gives us the health, intelligence, p. 17. the One who made all, owns all and and strength to make our livelihood, to All the abilities which men possess belong that all we have has just been loaned to care for our families, to supply housing to God.—Testimonies, V, 277. us, then we will begin to understand for our families, to help care for the We should appreciate God so much the true principle of stewardship. house of God, to spread the good news that we will put Him first in our lives. We understand that God is absolute of the gospel. Our proper attitude toward Christian because He has the power to create The more we contemplate this first stewardship will strengthen our spir- with no limitation, and He owns with principle of stewardship, the more we itual relationship to God. Stewardship 2 ATLANTIC UNIOil GLEANER will become a partnership in God's tures and statements against drinking us to make an impact felt agains church. It will beanie a love relations and smoking, as well as viewing thirty great tide of intemperance in ship, testing our emotion to Christ wh color slides on tempera'I. e which were corner of our country. Every gave ,all for us, are finally it is a life of definite interest to al Over 75,000 every family, every church, and filling relationship placing us in pieces of temperance 1 erature were conference ought to be doing its u position to share sod's blessings. !, handed out. Our efforts- were well re- against these great evils. Next week we cover the theme 4 paid. The interest that we noticed Your Temperance Department "Materialism and Covetousness." among the people who passed the booth to take this opportunity to thank was tremendous. Beside* the literature member that had a part in the T that was passed out to the fair-goers, once Day Offering, on Octo GrEater New York 192 people requested more material. We need your interest, your O. ERIC JEKES, President Fifty schools opened their doors to the your membership in the CLYDE BROOKS Secretary-Treasurer Telephone. illOulevard 8-8110 showing of our film and a visit from Temperance Society, your talen 108-11 69* Road Forest Hills, N. our department. Thirteen P. T.A. your temperance enthusiasm in er groups and others requested our help to carry forward this departmepa in Make wills and egacies payable to tie Greater NeW York Corporation of Seventh-dely and program. Ten churches of other these closing days as God would bave Adventists. denominations invited us to present our us carry it forward. We ask an in- temperance program in their churches. terest in your prayers that these Temperance at Long Island Fair Eight business clubs and other clubs put forth by your Temperance It is a real thri4 for the Temperan 'e asked us to present our material at their ment will be crowned by su and Department of dm. Greater New Yo meetings. There were twenty-one peo- we will see many souls in the k' Conference to bri4g to the membership ple who filled out our request sheet of God as a result. May God Bch and readers of th` GLEANER a report f asking for a personal visit from a repre- of you as we work together this of this great temperance missiona y sentative from our department. As you great end. project. Our plat in this great battle can see, a great interest was created R. E. Annus against intemper4ice should be in the by this temperance missionary effort at Temperance Seer forefront. In Gosprl Workers, page 384, the Long Island Fair, but this was only Greater New York Confe we read: "Of all ktho claim to be num- the beginning. As we begin now to bered among the 'fiends of temperance, follow up these interests many more Seventh-day Adv vitists should stand in doors will open up for us. Each day the the front ranks." Italics supplied.) We telephone rings a number of times re- Investment Fires B believe this with ;all our hearts and it questing our film, literature, and a per- The Livingston church, 1. in is our desire wita the help of God ito sonal visit from people: who passed by the Adventist Home, is on fire put temperance n the front ranks ias the booth but did not leave the interest one of the greA missionary efforts "iof sheet with us. this conference. `,'his is the time w n Every member of the church should Atlantic Union Glea r we as a people alight to see a great e- Official organ of the Atlantic II f be well informed along temperance ence of Seventh-day Adventists, South vival in the temperance work, and. I lines through a reading of Alert, Smoke ter. Mass. ask you the quesaion personally: "What Signals, and Listen, regarding the affect Editorial Seoretary are we really doling as individuals a:_'-id of intemperance on the human body.