The Skeleton Key

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Exhausted from many days of training leaders to disciple parents and their children to Jesus, I asked my Zimbabwean hosts where I was supposed to spend the night. I had just preached that night to over seven hundred students on a high school campus in Zimbabwe, and it was already well past sunset.

My hosts led me to a dormitory on the edge of a university campus nearby, not far from a high fence which was meant to keep the leopards out. Once we got to my room, they handed me a long, narrow skeleton key. I stuck the key in the lock, and the door popped open. With gratitude, I said goodnight to my hosts.

After preparing for bed, I knelt by my bed to pray. “God, I am leaving for home the day after tomorrow. What is on Your heart?”

Instantly, the quiet voice of God whispered softly to my heart and mind. “Come out under the stars, Don. There is something I want to tell you.”

Hopping up, I pulled on some warmer clothes and laced up my hiking shoes. Grabbing the key, I stepped out of my room, locked the door, and walked out into the night.

I headed down a dirt path, and then knelt in some tall grasses. Looking up at the sky, I gazed with awe at the stars. With no artificial light for many miles, the sky was a brilliant canopy of twinkling galaxies. It was simply breathtaking.

“God, I am here!” I greeted Him. “What is on Your heart? What do You want to tell me?”

Again, He spoke inaudibly to my heart and mind, “Ask Me to do much more for Africa!”

Now I felt that this was a strange thing for God to tell me. Why did He want me to ask Him to do much more for Africa? He could answer His own prayer by doing anything He wanted for the continent. However, I knew it was His voice speaking, and He was clear in what He wanted me to do. In obedience, I stretched up my hands in the darkness to God and prayed out loud, “God, please do much more for Africa!” My short prayer was spoken in faith.

I waited. Would God have anything else to say? The only sound was the sot breezes blowing through the tall grass. I heard nothing more, but His peace was with me.

Standing to my feet, I turned and walked back to the dormitory. Eagerly I pulled out my skeleton key as I neared my room. I was ready to sleep, very ready to sleep. I stuck the key into the lock and turned it once. The door would not open. I tried it again. It still would not open. I tried it again, five times, ten times, fifteen times. The door simply would not open.

“How could this be happening to me?” I grumbled to myself. “The key just worked a few minutes ago. Why isn’t it working now?”

Immediately the still, small voice of God told me, “You are not getting into your room because there is someone you are supposed to meet.”

“Lord, I don’t know anyone here in this dormitory. Besides, the lights are all out, so that means everyone is asleep.”

But God had spoken. There was someone I was supposed to meet.

Not sure where to go, I started walking down the long, dark hallway. “This is crazy!” I muttered again to myself. “No one is awake.”

“Lord, show me—who am I supposed to meet?”

I walked past room after room. Every door was closed. Every light was out. Peering through the darkness I saw one door, the only door in the long hallway with light streaming out from under it. I timidly tapped on the door.

The door swung open, and a man stuck his face out into the dark hallway. Seeing my white face staring back at him, he stepped back, slightly startled. “Who are you?” he challenged me.

Quickly, I told him that there was no reason to be afraid. Then I introduced myself and told him briefly about the discipleship work I had been doing for leaders there in Zimbabwe.

“I am Pastor Willard Sichilima from North Zambia. How can I help you?” he asked warmly.

I held up my key, “I am embarrassed to tell you, but I cannot open my room with this key. It worked before. I am not sure what to do or who to ask for help.”

“No problem!” he exclaimed. “I have been coming here each summer to work on my master’s degree and have stayed in many rooms in this dormitory. Lead me to your room, and I will open it for you.”

As we got near my room, I handed him the key. He confidently slipped the key into the lock and turned the key, and guess what happened? Nothing. He tried again and again, but the key would not open the door.

Baffled, Pastor Willard went and found the night watchman on duty, a strong, young man who towered over me in height and looked like he could have been a wrestler. However, his face was friendly as he gave me a joyful smile. “Please give me the key, sir. I can open any door here for you!”

I was delighted to hear this and handed him the key. He tried to open the door, but it would not budge. He then turned the key with all his might. He pushed and shoved and strained as sweat began trickling down his face. I wondered if the key would break. Still the key would not work.

“Don’t worry! I will get the men’s dean to help us,” the young night watchman promised. In a few minutes, the dean came with a basket full of keys, including many duplicates for my room.

“We will have you in your room in no time!” The dean told me. He took a copy of my key and popped it in the lock and turned. It would not open. Every duplicate key to my room would not open the door!

Why is this happening to me? I silently complained.

God’s voice spoke to my heart in response: “Ask Pastor Willard, ‘What do you need? How may I help you?’”

“Now Lord,” I reasoned, “I only have one hundred US dollars in my wallet for emergency money. What if this pastor from Zambia asks me to help him pay the tuition for one of his children? I don’t have that much! What if he asks me to help him pay for the tuition of all his children? What would I do?”

But God was not impressed with my arguments. As I hesitated, God prompted me again to ask Pastor Willard the questions. I thought of the possibilities as I fingered my wallet in my pocket. I was genuinely afraid that Pastor Willard would ask me for something beyond what I had in my hand. I did not ask the questions but watched as the dean continued struggling to open my door.

God prompted me the third time with urgency! I sighed.

“Pastor Willard,” I finally spoke up. “God is impressing me to ask you, ‘What do you need? How may I help you?’”

Pastor Willard’s face exploded into a big smile. His smile was much too big for my comfort. “That is exactly why I didn’t want to ask him, God!” I cried inwardly. But my mind was jolted back to the moment, as Pastor Willard was already speaking in response.

“That is a wonderful question!” he told me enthusiastically. He then bent over and asked the dean, who was still looking for a working key for my door, “Would you please give me Don’s original key?”

The dean straightened up, looked at Pastor Willard with a puzzled expression, shrugged his shoulders, and handed him the key. Pastor Willard took the key, stuck it in the lock, turned it, and the door opened! We all stood silently around the opened door for a moment, staring in awe.

After thanking the dean and the night watchman for their valiant efforts, I invited Pastor Willard into my room. “God obviously wanted me to meet you, but before you tell me anything, we need to pray.” We knelt down together, and I prayed first.

“Please Lord, help Pastor Willard to tell me only what You want him to share as the need.”

Pastor Willard then prayed, “Lord, please help Pastor Don to hear what You want him to hear.”

We got back up, and I looked at Pastor Willard with expectation. “So, what do you need?”

He followed my question with his own question. “Well, what do you do?”

“I oer training to help parents and other mentors disciple their children to Jesus Christ,” I told him.

“Wonderful!” he responded enthusiastically. “Why don’t you come to North Zambia and train us?”

Instantly I felt relieved. I thought to myself, He is asking me to do something I know how to do. I can do this! I smiled. But immediately God spoke to my heart again, “Don, offering them the training is good, but ask him what he really needs now.”

“Pastor Willard, God is impressing me to ask you, ‘What do you really need now?’”

Pastor Willard paused briefly with his head bowed. Then he looked up with tears in his eyes. “We need a school in North Zambia!”

“Oh,” I spoke nervously. “You mean like a one-room school?” I was trying desperately to keep the request small enough that I might be able to consider it.

“Oh no, Pastor Don, we need a full secondary school campus that is a boarding school for hundreds and hundreds of students.” Now I began to squirm inwardly.

“Actually,” he continued, “We need two secondary school campuses complete with boys’ and girls’ dormitories, classrooms, kitchen, toilets, showers.” He went on listing the needs of both campuses. By now, I was completely stressed and overwhelmed.

“Well, thank you for sharing this with me,” I said weakly, with little enthusiasm. “I’ll pray about what you’ve shared,” I promised. We stood up, shook hands, said good night, and parted.

I knelt and prayed at my bedside once more. God spoke: “This is the man I wanted you to meet, and that request was from Me!”

Crawling into bed, I pulled the covers up across my chest as I tried to sleep. How was I ever going to build two secondary school campuses in Zambia? I wondered to myself as I drifted off to sleep.


Read More – God Still Lives (Don Maclafferty)


Current Condition of the Church

The Law of God is summed up in two parts. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God – and your neighbor as yourself.”

How do we love our neighbor? We are to minister to those who do not know God. Some knew about the love of Jesus but have drifted away from the truth. It is the responsibility of people in the church to tell others so they too can be saved.

However, it is not the case at this particular time. Church members are just club members (they go to church regularly and disregard the duty of evangelism and ministry to others). Read “Mr World and Ms Church Member“.

While church denominations are busy with internal issues, it has forgotten and rejected the important work of spreading the gospel of salvation to others. It is also allowing subtle and worldly pressure to dominate their decisions which are contrary to Bible teaching.

The sealing process is the end result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Which is the reason why we have to pray more for God to help us do what He wants us to do and make and teach us what to do.



Humbleness in Prayer

Humble yourselves before God and resort to prayer, for you cannot and must not attempt to work at variance.

Walk the narrow plank of faith. Trust all on the promises of the Lord. Trust God in darkness. That is the time to have faith. But you often let feeling govern you. You look for worthiness in yourselves when you do not feel comforted by the Spirit of God, and despair because you cannot find it. You do not trust enough in Jesus, precious Jesus. You do not make His worthiness to be all, all. The very best you can do will not merit the favor of God. It is Jesus’ worthiness that will save you, His blood that will cleanse you. But you have efforts to make. You must do what you can on your part. Be zealous and repent, then believe. (Testimonies for the Church 1:167)

I saw that if we do not feel immediate answers to our prayers, we should hold fast our faith, not allowing distrust to come in, for that will separate us from God. If our faith wavers, we shall receive nothing from Him. Our confidence in God should be strong; and when we need it most, the blessing will fall upon us like a shower of rain.

When the servants of God pray for His Spirit and blessing, it sometimes comes immediately; but it is not always then bestowed. At such times, faint not. Let your faith hold fast the promise that it will come. Let your trust be fully in God, and often that blessing will come when you need it most, and you will unexpectedly receive help from God when you are presenting the truth to unbelievers, and will be enabled to speak the word with clearness and power.


PRAYER IS A NECESSITY


Speculation Game


Is the eye single to the glory of God in these games? I know that this is not so. There is a losing sight of God’s way and His purpose. The employment of intelligent beings, in probationary time, is superseding God’s revealed will and substituting for it the speculations and inventions of the human agent, with Satan by his side to imbue with his spirit…. The Lord God of heaven protests against the burning passion cultivated for supremacy in the games that are so engrossing.

In early ages, with the people who were under God’s direction, life was simple. They lived close to the heart of nature. Their children shared in the labor of the parents and studied the beauties and mysteries of nature’s treasure house. And in the quiet of field and wood they pondered those mighty truths handed down as a sacred trust from generation to generation. Such training produced strong men.

Christ taught His disciples how to conduct themselves when in the company of those who were not religious and those who were. He taught them by example that when attending any public gathering, they need not want for something to say. But His conversation differed most decidedly from that which had been listened to at feasts in the past. Every word He uttered was a savor of life unto life to His hearers, and they listened with subdued attention as though desirous of hearing to a purpose.

In no time in your life have you been more critically placed than you are while prosecuting your medical studies in Ann Arbor. Satan is watching every avenue whereby he can take advantage to enter with his specious temptations to spoil the soul. You will meet with infidel sentiments in very intelligent men who call themselves Christians. Cling to the wisdom which is revealed to you in the Word of God, for it will bind you, if you obey its teachings, to the throne of God.

I am fearful now, more than at any other period of time, that Christians, as individuals, may separate from God because they lose sight of the Pattern, Jesus Christ, and think it is safe to walk in the sparks of their own kindling, deceiving the soul with thinking it is the way of the Lord.

We must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Here, my dear friends, is where you can work for others’ good. The precious revelation of God’s will in the Scriptures with all their unfolding of glorious truth is only a means to an end. The death of Jesus Christ was a means to an end. The most powerful and efficacious provision that He could give to our world was the means; the end was the glory of God in the uplifting, refining, ennobling of the human agent.

The moral development of man is conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. And the end requires that the truth, employed as a means, should itself be capable of constant expansion, that it may be seen in new development, but close study and earnest prayer being brought into the practical life; the human and the divine co-operating, that man may become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. As the truth is studied with humble heart, the will subjected to the divine operations of the Spirit of God, the truth brightens, like its divine Author, while beholding it, and while aspiring through the grace of Christ to reach it. In this way, the human agent is elevated to attain to the standard of perfection of human character.



Happy Sabbath 240203



Some Christians keep Saturday as a day of rest, and worship, while others keep Sunday. In both groups can be found many sincere Christians, but there are many who have never stopped to consider why they keep a certain day. It is really a custom; something handed down from one generation to another, but in most cases, no personal examination has been made to discover the reason why. God’s word, the Bible, is the Christian’s authority, so here we will find the answer to the question, “Which day should Christians keep?”

There are many who say all is well providing we worship one day in seven, but God is specific. He says; “Remember the SABBATH day”, not any other day. He further states, “The SEVENTH DAY is the Sabbath”. A look at most calendars shows Saturday to be the seventh day. Some modern calendars have made a change in the order of the days of the week, but this is a very recent change.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY from all His work which He had done. Then God BLESSED the seventh day and SANCTIFIED it, because in it He RESTED from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3)

Here is this world’s first Sabbath. God set the example by working six days and resting on the seventh. Notice how He blessed this day. To bless means to make happy, but obviously it has a deeper meaning than the mere surface happiness – it involves real satisfaction. Secondly, God sanctified it, or “set it apart” for a holy use. It was a day different from all other days. No matter how sincerely a person may keep another day other than the Sabbath, it does not make it a holy day. Only God can make a day holy. Thirdly, it is a rest day.

Truth for these Times #17 – God’s Holy Day



Prayer 231126


Prayer is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that varies widely across different religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions. It is a form of communication with a higher power, often perceived as a deity or the divine, and serves various purposes depending on individual beliefs and practices.

Here are some perspectives on prayer:

1. **Communication with the Divine:**

– In many religious traditions, prayer is seen as a way to establish a connection with a higher power. It is a means of expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, requesting assistance, or simply conversing with the divine.

2. **Spiritual Reflection and Contemplation:**

– Prayer is not only about making requests or seeking intervention; it can also serve as a time for self-reflection and contemplation. It provides individuals with an opportunity to examine their thoughts, actions, and values.

3. **Cultural and Tradition:**

– Prayer is deeply embedded in the cultural and traditional fabric of many societies. It often plays a role in rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage, contributing to a sense of community and shared identity.

4. **Meditative Practice:**

– Some view prayer as a form of meditation or mindfulness. It can be a way to achieve a state of inner peace, focus, and serenity. The act of prayer may involve calming the mind and finding a sense of centeredness.

5. **Expressing Gratitude:**

– Many prayers include expressions of gratitude for the blessings and experiences in one’s life. Gratitude is considered a positive emotion that can enhance well-being and foster a sense of contentment.

6. **Seeking Guidance and Support:**

– People often turn to prayer in times of difficulty, seeking guidance, comfort, or support. It can be a source of solace and a means of coping with life’s challenges.

7. **Intercessory Prayer:**

– Some individuals pray on behalf of others, engaging in intercessory prayer. This form of prayer involves requesting divine intervention or blessings for the well-being of others.

8. **Personal Transformation:**

– For some, prayer is a tool for personal transformation. It is a process through which individuals aspire to become better versions of themselves, aligning their actions with their values and spiritual beliefs.

9. **Diverse Interpretations:**

– The interpretation and practice of prayer vary widely among different religions and spiritual paths. While some emphasize formalized rituals, others prioritize spontaneous and personal communication with the divine.

10. **Skepticism and Atheism:**

– It’s important to note that not everyone engages in prayer, and some individuals, particularly those with atheistic or agnostic beliefs, may approach life’s challenges and questions through different means such as reason, science, or philosophy.

In summary, prayer is a deeply personal and culturally influenced practice that can serve various functions, ranging from communication with the divine to self-reflection and community bonding. Its meaning and significance are diverse and shaped by individual beliefs, cultural contexts, and religious traditions.


TEACH US TO PRAY (PDF)


A Child and the Human Pride


Leprosy, the dreaded disease so prevalent in the Bible, still exists today, though its definition has changed drastically. Now called Hansen’s disease, it refers to a specific type of bacterial infection treatable by antibiotics and much less contagious. The leprosy of the Bible was a different kind of monster—it was a death sentence. And like death, it was no respecter of persons.

Naaman was a very prestigious personage in ancient Syria. A war hero renowned for his bravery and honor, he was a captain of the Syrian army, wealthy, well-respected, and highly valued by Benhadad, the king (2 Kings 5:1). One would think that his was the epitome of a charmed life, except for one extremely important detail—Naaman was a leper.

This was not the kind of disease that stayed locked behind closed doors, a family secret, a skeleton in the closet. Everyone saw this; everyone knew what it meant—even the little captive slave girl that Naaman had brought back for his wife during one of his battles against the kingdom of Israel.

One day, the little slave, she of a pure, compassionate heart, told Naaman’s wife of a prophet in her homeland, a man used mightily by the true God who would be able to cure her master (v. 3). And Naaman and his wife believed her. What trust they must have had in the little Israelite, and how powerful a testament to her character and to the work God had done in her young heart!

So, with consent and letters of introduction from Benhadad himself, Naaman journeyed to Israel in search of this prophet. After an audience with Joram, king in Israel, who, if not for the prophet’s own interception, might have faithlessly spoiled the Syrian’s purpose, Naaman was led directly to the door of Elisha, the very man of whom his servant girl had spoken (vv. 6–9). There he arrived with his splendor and his entourage and bearing a mountain of payment in gold, silver, and clothing (v. 5).

Now the moment of truth had come. Who was this great prophet who could perform so great a miracle?

Reflect: How can we find blessings through our physical ailments? Why is it that we seem to seek after God more often and more consistently when we are physically distressed?


Naaman was about to be tested. In lieu of Elisha, there came a messenger with specific instructions: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).

Naaman was livid. He had come all this way, and this plebeian could not even spare the time to see him (v. 11)? Then, to add insult to injury, he was expected to bathe in that filthy excuse for a river (v. 12)? Was he so degraded that a sewage dump was better than he?

Infuriated, he started for home. But Naaman was generally a reasonable man, and his entourage knew that. It was his pride that had been wounded, nothing more. So they began to talk some sense back into him. “My father,” said his servants, “if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (v. 13).

And Naaman had to admit they were correct. He saw now that it had been his own ego which had gotten in the way of his own well-being.

So he went to the Jordan River and did all that the prophet had commanded—and was healed (v. 14). Amazed, he rushed back to the prophet’s home. This time, Elisha came out to meet him.

“Indeed,” exclaimed Naaman, “now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel” (v. 15).

He knew it was not the river itself nor the ritual nor even the prophet who had cured his leprosy. Instantly, Elisha’s God became his God (v. 17). A new convert, he still had much to learn, for one, that God’s miracles were free gifts, not transactions (v. 16); and he would still have much with which to contend upon his return home to a people and king who worshipped false gods (v. 18). But Naaman had proved in his heart to be a man who sought truth, a man who was willing to admit his faults, a man who would give his all to God.

We know not what happened to Naaman after he returned to Syria, but his genuine conversion was singled out by the Messiah Himself (Luke 4:27).

Reflect: Are you in a position of authority? Are you willing to learn from others, even your subordinates? Remember, “Pride goes before destruction …” (Proverbs 16:18).


Only Through Christ


There is in human beings a disposition to esteem themselves more highly than others, to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit. The ordinance preceding the Lord’s Supper is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring men and women out of their selfishness, down from their stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead them to serve each other.


Only through Christ can we find harmony with God and be made holy.


The holy Watcher from heaven is present at this season to make it one of soul searching, of conviction of sin, and of the blessed assurance of sins forgiven. Christ in the fullness of His grace is there to change the current of the thoughts that have been running in selfish channels. The Holy Spirit quickens the sensibilities of those who follow the example of their Lord. As the Saviour’s humiliation for us is remembered, thought links with thought; a chain of memories is called up, memories of God’s great goodness and of the favor and tenderness of earthly friends….

Whenever this ordinance is rightly celebrated, the children of God are brought into a holy relationship, to help and bless each other. They covenant that the life shall be given to unselfish ministry. And this, not only for one another. Their field of labor is as wide as their Master’s was. The world is full of those who need our ministry. The poor, the helpless, the ignorant, are on every hand. Those who have communed with Christ in the upper chamber will go forth to minister as He did.


Devotional 20.NOV.2023


The Apple and the Family Tree


The natural mind leans toward pleasure and self-gratification. It is Satan’s policy to manufacture an abundance of this ..


The tree in the Garden of Eden which Eve ate of the fruit was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil..


The series opens a window into the Spiritual warfare that started as a rebellion in heaven by Lucifer before creation of this Earth and the fall of Adam and Eve. The establishment of nation instituted by God and the accounts of the trials and failings of His people allow the reader to learn from the mistakes of the Patriarchs and Kings. Her central book in the series is on the life of Christ. It details God’s reestablishment of His authority over sin by sending His Son to earth to be crucified as an atonement for the sin of all mankind. His resurrection and victory over sin offers everyone the gift of eternal life.  The final book relates the history of the Christian reformation and final battle for the inhabitants of this planet. It concludes with the cleansing and restoration and of our universe from Sin after the millennium.  <Read The Great Controversy>



How do you fit suffering into your philosophy of life?


Cosmic Conflict


For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of
God; I will also sit on the mount of
the congregation on the farthest
sides of the north; I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’”
Isaiah 14:13, 14


It is the cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan.

Have you ever wondered:

How could an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-righteous God stand by and permit the humiliating injustices, debilitating diseases, and inhumane atrocities that happen to people every single day?

Did God create all this evil? And if He did, then is He not the kind of God He claims to be?

Did He just start our world and walk away? Or worse, is He a sadist who sits back and watches our suffering for entertainment?

Such questions are at the heart of this war.

The answers to these questions will ultimately determine which side of the war you’re on. This magazine is designed to help you get answers and to make informed decisions from a factual, biblical standpoint. Jesus Christ has revealed the truth to all these crucial and challenging questions.

So, get ready to experience an unparalleled journey that will take you from the origins of this war; through the pages of Bible history, down to our day; and traveling into the near future, to the final outcome of this cosmic conflict. It is our hope and prayer that at this journey’s end, the great mystery of good and evil will finally make sense and the true character of God will be revealed.


Download PDF


No other resource has opened people’s eyes to the great controversy between good and evil quite like Cosmic Conflict has. It answers the deepest and most troubling questions people ask: Why does God allow suffering? Did God create the devil? Where did evil come from? If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He destroy Satan now?

< Read More >