Greetings! In today’s class, we shall conclude our study on, Health Habits, and Character.

History

God has divided the history of the world into two parts with His cross between. All time is reckoned from His cross – from it forward, and from it backward. This makes the cross the center of all time, of all events, and of all history. Every act of man since the cross that has been recorded in the annals of history is written in His name, and every deed of mankind before the cross that is written in history is said to have been done so many years B.C., before Christ.

Therefore, all that man has ever done, or is doing, is recorded in such a way as to honor His name. These things witness to the fact that He towers above all mankind and their doings. He dominates the world, and compels them to acknowledge Him even while they are denying Him.

How has this come to be? Could any man thus compel all mankind to honor him? These things witness that He is the Master. You cannot tell me that this has come about by accident, or that it has been fixed by human thought and hands. Nobody ever did that before or since. No man could thus divide all history and stamp everything that here was done or ever will be done with his name. No mere man could thus compel all classes to do him honor, even against their wills. This could only be done by Him who is over all mankind, who is DIVINE! His divinity has been established once for all time, and it does not need to be done again.

The Apostles and His Divinity

After His ascension, His followers continued His work. With the early church, the testing message was the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah of prophecy, and His miracles were often cited as one of the proofs; and they were repeated in the ministry of the disciples as further proof.

The Present Time

Those were events of nearly two thousand years ago. Now, the emphasis is not concerning matters which He established at His first coming, but on things He will establish at His second coming. The next time, He comes not to submit Himself to men and be put to death, but to establish His kingdom and put out of existence every opposing force.

The Climax of History

On every hand there are people from various religious beliefs and sundry walks of life who are wondering what is coming next. They look upon the earth and observe the changing, unstable conditions –the rapid, downward trends, the increasing animosity among nations (which modern means of communication and transportation have brought so close together, that all are neighbors)– and they feel that some portentous event impends, that conditions are becoming intolerable, that the world cannot stand much longer, and that there is no hope for mankind except in the return of the Son of Man; which has been the goal of all Scripture, both Old and New.

The basis of citizenship in His kingdom, like every nation of this world, is loyalty – obedience, if you please. There can be no other. He will save and take into His Kingdom those whom He finds obeying Him. Therefore, the emphasis now must be on obedience, whether there be any miracles or not. He is seeking after loyalty among all mankind-loyalty in the spiritual realm, and loyalty in the physical realm. Health education and heart education thus unite to produce perfect loyalty. This sort of emphasis placed on the necessity of knowing and keeping the laws of health, for the sake of both health and character, is at once sensible, scientific, and religious.

Deceptive Miracles

You may ask, “What about the miracles of which we hear and read today?” I reply, “If they are done among those who are doing the will of God the best they know and are in harmony with divine specifications; well and good.” But, if miracles appear among those who are against any expressed will of God, beware!

Can there be counterfeit miracles? Read your Bible. There always have been; there always will be; there are now. Their purpose is to deceive the people concerning the will of God.The Master said that in the closing days of earth’s history, counterfeit miracles would deceive, if possible, “the very elect” (Matt. 24:24). Their purpose is to deceive the people concerning doctrine, truth, and loyalty.

The common belief is that miracles can be performed only by divine power, and therefore when any miracle is done, the people believe that the doctrines taught in connection with it must be the truth. But this is not the way to determine what is truth. The miracles which will almost deceive “the elect” will have deceptive power because they are associated with error; and the people will believe the error because it is accompanied by miracles. The presence of a miracle does not prove that the doctrines associated with it are the truth, but rather, the sort of doctrines taught will reveal whether the miracle is from above or beneath. Miracles cannot be a proof of the correctness of the doctrines taught, but the doctrines taught prove whether the accompanying miracles are of God or of satan.

Popular Healers

If a “healer” influences you to ignore any of the laws of health or any of the Ten Commandments, shun his miracles. The people who receive such miracles conclude that it is not necessary to keep the laws of the Creator, either physical or the Ten Commandments, and they will never change their ways and reforms; they will become established in error by such miracles. That is satan’s scheme to abolish loyalty to God and to ruin the human race, even while some of them think they are serving Him.

If Christ Were Here

If Christ were here, He would teach obedience to His own laws. If He has any ambassadors here, they will do the same. Therefore, an individual who is willfully violating the laws of health should not expect a miracle from God; and a “healer” or preacher who is not teaching and observing the laws of health need not expect miracles from God.

Furthermore, a church that does nothing about teaching its members, and disciplining them concerning the use of alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and other health habits need not expect miracles from God. Sincere penitence, which bring pardon, will inspire loyalty to Him who forgives. A church that is fully representing God will teach the laws of God, both spiritual and physical.

The Need Of The World Today

Inasmuch as Christ is not now seeking to establish His divinity, but is making preparation to establish His kingdom, the test or deciding factor is not miracles but obedience – loyalty.

A Complete Interpretation Of Christianity 

The need of the world today, among all nations, creeds, and churches, is a complete interpretation of Christianity. We have a confusing array of creeds and churches, but I would have you know that there are not several kinds of Christianity, but only varying degrees of it. I am working in the interest of a complete interpretation of the Gospel. Nothing less will meet the need of this closing hour of earth’s history.

Anyone who seriously ponders the conditions in the world today –social conditions, economics, physical and mental degeneracy, the increase of cancer and other degenerative diseases, the relation of nations to each other, the relation between capital and labor, the criminality of youth, the prevalence of life-destroying habits, the decadence of the home and of morals, the lack of honor among nations, the mad rush for pleasure, the decadence in religion both in the power of the pulpit and the empty pews, the corruption of politics, etc., etc.– cannot fail to see that the world is fast getting into a condition for which there is not human help – God Must Take Charge. And then,

“The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”

Grab a friend and share the wealth, from what you’ve learned in the School of Health! In our next class, we shall begin a new segment. God bless!

Previous Lesson: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3