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Sabbath Sentinel 1 the Sabbath Sentinel May–June 2006 Volume 58, No SabbathSabbathTHE SentinelSentinel May–June 2006 Graduation: Are young Christians prepared to face the world? BSA — The Bible Sabbath Association May–June 2006Jesus said, “...the Sonwww.biblesabbath.org of Man is Lord also of theThe Sabbath.”Sabbath Sentinel 1 The Sabbath Sentinel May–June 2006 Volume 58, No. 3 Issue 519 The Sabbath Sentinel is published bimonthly by The Bible FEATURES Sabbath Association, 3316 Alberta Drive, Gillette, WY 82718. 4 Following the Footsteps of our Father Abraham Copyright © 2006, by The Bible Sabbath Association. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form by Daniel Botkin without written permission is prohibited. Nonprofit bulk rate postage paid at Rapid City, South Dakota. 5 Wollemia Nobilis: A Living Fossil and Editor: Kenneth Ryland, [email protected] Evolutionary Enigma Associate Editors: June Narber & Shirley Nickels by Andrew A. Snelling. Ph.D. BSA’s Board of Directors for 2004-2007: 7 The People of God Must Preserve the President: Richard Nickels, [email protected] the Blessings of God Vice President: Marsha Basner Vice President: June Narber, [email protected] by Kenneth Ryland Treasurer: Bryan Burrell, [email protected] 8 Cause and Effect Secretary: John Paul Howell, [email protected] Webmaster: John Paul Howell, [email protected] by Brian Knowles Directors At Large: Darrell Estep, Calvin Burrell, Bryan Burrell, 10 What Do We Need in a Church Sidney Davis, Tom Justus, Earl Lewis, Barbara Parada Office Manager—Gillette Office: Shirley Nickels by Dan Burrell Subscriptions: Call (888) 687-5191 or (307) 686-5191, or write 14 On Being Thankful to: The Bible Sabbath Association, 3316 Alberta Drive, Gillette, WY 82718 or contact us at the office nearest you (see interna- by Julia Benson tional addresses below). The Sabbath Sentinel is sent free of 15 The Real “Ark Mystery” charge to all who request it. Your subscription is provided by the voluntary contributions of the membership of the The Bible by Doug Ward, Ph.D. Sabbath Association. Donations are gratefully accepted and are tax deductible in the DEPARTMENTS United States. Those who choose to voluntarily support this 3 Editorial—An Afternoon with Rich international work to promote the Sabbath and proclaim gos- pel of the kingdom of God are welcomed as contributors. and Shirley Nickels Annual membership contributions: regular membership $25; 11 Churchgoers Live Longer Family Membership $30; Life Membership $500. All mem- berships include an annual subscription to The Sabbath Senti- 11 A Proverb to Live by — Proverbs 12:22 nel. Make all checks, drafts and money orders payable to The Bible Sabbath Association. (VISA and MasterCard accepted). 12 Movie Review—”The Lion, the Witch, and The Bible Sabbath Association is dedicated to promote the the Wardrobe” seventh day Sabbath. As a nonsectarian association for Sab- by Donald Mansell bath-observing Christians, BSA accepts members who acknowl- edge Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah) as their Savior, be- 13 New Every Morning: Where God Dwells lieve the Bible to be the Word of the Eternal, and uphold the by Donald Mansell seventh day Sabbath. BSA takes no official position on other theological issues, and publishes The Sabbath Sentinel as a fo- 13 Sabbath Morning Companion: Moral Equivalency rum to promote understanding and to share items of interest to by Lenny Cacchio Sabbath observing groups and individuals. Opinions expressed in The Sabbath Sentinel are those of the 22 The Church in the World writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Edito- 23 Notices and Advertisements rial Staff or of The Bible Sabbath Association. BSA Worldwide Web Site: http://www.biblesabbath.org Our Cover: “...always be ready to give a defense to everyone Correspondence and manuscript submissions: Address all who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.... (1 Peter inquiries to: Kenneth Ryland, c/o The Sabbath Sentinel, 3316 3:15). Photo by iStockPhoto at www.istockphoto.com. Alberta Drive, Gillette, WY 82718. Phone: (307) 686-5191, E- mail: [email protected] International addresses: For a FREE subscription in the U.S. and Canada: Australia: Bible Sabbath Associates, Jim & Lyn Carnochan, 7 Sunny Ridge Rd., Arcadia NSW 2159. E-mail: Call (888) 687-5191, email us at membership@ [email protected] biblesabbath.org or visit our website at http:// United Kingdom: Robert Taylor, BSA United Kingdom, PO Box www.biblesabbath.org. Because of additional postage 2086, Abbeydale, Gloucester, GL4 4WD, United Kingdom. Tele- costs, we request that international subscribers donate phone: 01452 417116. Website: www.biblesabbath.org.uk. E- $20 per year (only $10 per year if they live in either mail: [email protected]. Canada or Mexico) to defray the postage costs for Nigeria: Bassey Akpan, Nigeria BSA, P. O. Box 1277, Cala- international mailing, if they are able to do so. bar, Cross River State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected] Address Service Requested 2 The Sabbath Sentinel www.biblesabbath.org May–June 2006 Editorial An Afternoon with Rich and Shirley Nickels My wife, Patti, and I recently had the opportunity to spend a Sabbath afternoon with Rich and Shirley Nickels at the Southwest Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla- homa, one of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. When we left our home near Wichita, Kansas, we really expected to encounter a somber and depressing scene when we met up with Rich and Shirley in their Tulsa hospital room. Such was not the case. In fact, by the end of the day, we were very uplifted by the Nick- els’ trust in God and their overall up-beat, positive approach to this entire matter. Rich in particular was lively and enthusiastic in spite of all he has been through. After a couple of days of nausea due to ra- diation treatment, he felt good enough to go out with us to his favorite place to eat, Cracker Barrel. I don’t want in any way to minimize the struggle that faces the Nickels. The diagnosis is very serious, in fact, terminal, but Rich and Shirley’s faith is strong, and Rich is being treated in one of the best cancer treatment centers in America. The facility uses natural treatments as well as the latest in modern medical knowledge. And, it is not just the patients and their families that pray at the hospital. The doctors routinely get together for prayer to seek God’s intervention for been indefinitely stopped to give Rich time to battle their patients. If one has to go through this, I cannot and receive treatment for his illness. think of a better place to do it. Let’s all keep praying In a March 22nd announcement posted on the Bible that our Father will show a special kindness to Rich Sabbath Association Web site, office manager Shirley and heal him. “By his stripes, we are healed.” (Richard’s wife) stated: The following notice regarding Rich’s health ap- “My husband Richard Nickels has been diagnosed with peared in The Journal. cancer. They say he has 6 to 9 months to live, but we —Ken Ryland are going to Cancer Treatment Centers of America because they have had some wonderful results. We Richard Nickels Diagnosed with Cancer, believe that God will heal him if it is his will.” Giving & Sharing Bookstore Closed Although the bookstore has been closed, plans are to continue updating the Giving & Sharing Web site GILLETTE, Wyoming — Richard Nickels, 58, has been and to keep publishing the online newsletter Church diagnosed with cancer and given six to nine months to of God News. live. The Victor Kubik Web site reports that the dis- Cards and letters can be sent to: ease specifically is adrenal cancer which has spread to Richard/Shirley Nickels, 3316 Alberta Drive, other parts of the body. Gillette, WY 82718, USA Richard founded the popular Giving & Sharing (G Your prayers for Richard’s healing would be most & S) bookstore in 1978. Bookstore operations have appreciated. May–June 2006 www.biblesabbath.org The Sabbath Sentinel 3 Following the Footsteps of our Father Abraham by Daniel Botkin “Now Yahweh had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Gen. 12:1). “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Heb. 11:8). “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him” (Isa. 51:2) Abraham was called to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, and go to a place which was foreign to him. Regardless of physical genealogy, ail those who believe in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) are counted as Abraham’s seed. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed” (Gal. 3:29). What Abraham was called to do in a physical, geographical sense, we are called to do in a spiritual sense, because we are “find yourself,” i.e., the new self that God is calling you children of Abraham and we must follow in his footsteps. to become. “Go to yourself” does not sound strange or If you believe in the Messiah who came from Abraham’s foreign to a man who has experienced a radical transfor- seed, you are also called by God to “Get thee out.” mation and has indeed “gone to [find] himself.” Richard Wurmbrand, in his book Victorious Faith (Harper & Row, The phrase translated “Get thee out” in Genesis 12:1 1974, page 17f), describes his vision of the final judg- consists of two Hebrew words which are both spelled ment of the wicked, who did not “go to themselves”: with the same two letters, but pronounced differently because of different vowel marks: dl dl, lech I’cha.
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