OCTOBER 2017 Recorder UNION PACIFIC Miracles Abound at Camp Wawona6 IT IS WRITTEN PRESENTS THE CHRISTIAN TELEVISION EVENT OF THE YEAR LUTHER CA LVIN FAREL HUS Newsletters IGNATIUS KNOX TYNDALE WALDO WESLEY WYCLIFFE ZWINGLI 500 years later... It was the greatest revolution of the last 1000 years. Learn the story of the Reformation and why it matters today more than ever. Join Pastor John Bradshaw on a unique journey in the footsteps of the Reformers with nine new, must-see, on-location programs titled 500. 500 airs nightly on 3ABN at 10:00 EST / 7:00 PST during October 23–31, and on other networks.* ® *Check listings for times. Copyright © 2017, It Is Written, Inc. ® 3ABN All rights reserved. President’s Perspective Thoughts on Faith aith is central to the Christian life. It is the currency of our spiritual experience. Faith in God and in His work is the foundation for all that we do. Our entire Frelationship with God is based on our faith. Our world is changing drastically. All around us we find problems, obedience to God. That is why Paul tells us that, “Without faith, it is challenges, and difficulties. They are increasing even as I write these impossible to please God.” words. Jesus asked the disciples a question in Luke 18:8: “Nevertheless, Additionally, Paul wrote in Romans 14:23: “For whatsoever [is] not of when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” faith is sin.” We can attempt all manner of good works, but unless they Apparently, there is a danger that we who await the second coming of are motivated by faith in God, they will not be acceptable to God. Only the Lord may grow faithless. We may forfeit our faith as we capitulate, that which is motivated by faith pleases Him. If we are motivated by fear give in, and surrender to the allurements of Satan. He appeals to our or anything else, our obedience is not meaningful. Without faith, it is fallenness. impossible for an imperfect human being to please a holy, perfect God. The word “faith” comes from the Greek pistis, which means “trust” or Faith is the transaction which makes us acceptable to God. Faith, “confidence.” To have faith is to trust and to have confidence in and to rely invested in God, secures an accounting of on God. Hebrews 11:1 says it is “the substance of things hoped for, the righteousness. When God sees that we have evidence of things not seen.” faith in Him and his promises, He gives Faith — an attitude of the mind resulting in a pattern of conduct. us credit where none is due. He gives us Substance — the “essence,” or “nature,” or “actual being” or the reality righteousness for the faith that we have. of a thing. It is what makes one thing different from another thing. Romans 4:3: “For what saith the Saving faith never exists in a vacuum. It is not a blind faith. God does scripture? Abraham believed God, not call us to believe in Him and trust Him without cause. Genuine faith and it was counted unto him for always rests upon sufficient evidence to warrant confidence in what is righteousness.” not seen. Faith is the substance of our hope for a heavenly home and the James 2:23: “And the scripture vindication of God’s name. My faith is the reality of my promised eternal was fulfilled which saith, Abraham life. My faith is the reality, the nature and the essence of my over-coming believed God, and it was imputed victory in Jesus Christ. unto him for righteousness: and he Faith is also evidence. Evidence is proof or conviction. You see, faith is was called the Friend of God.” not an abstract idea or belief, it is a settled assurance based on confidence When we take God at His word that God will fulfill His promises. I have never seen the generator that and act in faith, God responds in produces the electricity which powers the lights in our office. But when I many ways, one of which is that flip the switch, the lights come on. The presence of the light proves there He will account us righteous. Let us is electricity in the building, which is evidence that there is a generator, not confuse belief and faith. James somewhere, providing power. 2:19 tells us “the devils believe and I have never seen God. But when I fall on my knees and plead for tremble.” strength, I get stronger. When I prayerfully open the Bible and study it, I Paul is talking about a faith that goes gain wisdom and insight. beyond intellectual acceptance of the fact All of this and more leads me to believe that there is a prayer-hearing, that God exists to faith of a committing prayer-answering God Who is providing power for me to live by. We can’t nature. It causes us to be committed to a see Him, but we know, by faith, He sees us. The Bible tells us that the proposition bigger than we are. elders, by faith, gained a good report. It is faith working in us, stimulating Jesus asked the question in Luke 18:8: us to good works, that results in a good report, or a good report card, in “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, the eyes of God. shall he find faith on the earth?” How will True faith always results in obedience. Don’t tell me you love God and we answer the question? have faith in Him, and yet live a life of disobedience and doubt. Faith, when it is mature and fully operational, always results in unyielding Ricardo Graham, D.Min. OCTOBER 2017 3 ABOUT THE COVER Camper Gabriel Olango shows off his fancy Recorder UNION PACIFIC face paint during the Cub Camp Fair at Publisher Camp Wawona, Central Ray Tetz — [email protected] California’s summer camp inside Yosemite Editor / Layout National Park. Alicia Adams — [email protected] PHOTO BY ELENNIE RAMIREZ Printing 6 Pacific Press Publishing Association www.pacificpress.com The Recorder is a monthly publication CONTENTS reaching approximately 76,000 Seventh- day Adventist homes in Arizona, 26-27 Adventist Health California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. 33-40 Advertising Our mission is to inform, educate and inspire our readers to action 18 Arizona in all areas of ministry. 6-7 Central California 19-22 Conference Newsletters EDITORIAL 29-32 Holbrook 10 5 La Sierra University CORRESPONDENTS 23-25 Loma Linda Adventist Health 916-781-4756 Jenni Glass — [email protected] 8-9 Nevada-Utah Arizona 480-991-6777 10-11 Northern California Phil Draper — [email protected] 16-17 Pacific Union College Central California 559-347-3000 Cindy Chamberlin — [email protected] 14-15 Southeastern California Hawaii 808-595-7591 12-13 Southern California Jesse Seibel — [email protected] Union News 16 28 La Sierra University 951-785-2000 Darla Tucker — [email protected] Loma Linda 909-558-4526 Nancy Yuen — [email protected] Nevada-Utah 775-322-6929 Michelle Ward — [email protected] Northern California 925-685-4300 Stephanie Leal — [email protected] Pacific Union College 707-965-6202 Larissa Church — [email protected] 18 26 Southeastern California 951-509-2200 Enno Müller — [email protected] Pacific Union Recorder Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Year Average Aug. Issue Southern California 818-546-8400 This statement of Ownership, Management and Total number of copies 74,344 73,244 Betty Cooney — [email protected] Circulation was filed on October 1, 2017, with the Total paid or requested outside-county mail subs 72,578 71,536 U.S. Postal Service for the Pacific Union Recorder, for publication number 0744-6381, a magazine owned Total paid or requested inside-county mail subs 0 0 Postal Regs: The Pacific Union Recorder (ISSN 0744- and published by the Pacific Union Conference of Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors 0 0 6381), Volume 117, Number 10, is the official journal of the Seventh-day Adventists, 2686 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Other classes mailed through USPS 1,766 1,708 Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and Village, CA 91359-5005. It is published 12 times a is published monthly. 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Percent paid and/or requested 99.6% 99.6% changes to: Circulation Department, Pacific Union Recorder, Box 5005, Westlake Village, CA 91359. 4 pacificunionrecorder.com La Sierra University La Sierra University Celebrates Five-Year AAA Accreditation s La Sierra University prepared to welcome students to campus this fall, it celebrated VIGNA NATAN Aa key milestone reached during the latter portion of the past academic year — the university received a full five-year period of accreditation from the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges and Universities (AAA).