Escape to God and Empowered Living are two books written by Jim Hohnberger (availabel at Adventist Book Centers). These books are best described as a primer on how to develop practical godliness. It's learning how to be like Jesus. It's grace made practical. Jim Hohnberger says:

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What is God's grace? I'm not going to give you a theological explanation. Instead, here is my practical, down-to-earth analysis. After almost two decades of study and experience I have come to only one definition for God's grace. Grace is God's continual presence with me throughout every minute of every day of my life. God's grace is always trying to woo me, trying to entreat me, trying to beckon to me because He wants to save me from myself. Right her and right now, God wants to guide, direct, and empower me, so that He might restore me and redeem me. God is with me, and He is going to show me how to get out of all my troubles.

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Are you tired of the same round each day—get up, say a few hurried words to God (if that), then run off into the day's duties? Do you wonder why you feel stress rather than peace, why you lose your temper or get out of sorts when things don't run smoothly? Do you sometimes feel like screaming at God, "Why can't anything go right?!" You're a Christian, you're supposed to be Christ-like, but you feel anything but. You're frustrated and you have begun to wonder if you will ever make it to heaven. You stumble and fall, stumble and fall, and over the same things time and time again.

There is a way to live the life of the Life-giver. God hasn't given us an impossible task, unless we decide we have to, or are going to, do it ourselves. The secret to living a Christ-centered life is found in one word: surrender. The song says, "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give." "Yeah, right," someone is probably saying. "I know that's what I'm supposed to do, but what I want to know is how?" So did I. I found the answer in Jim Hohnberger's books.

I started with Escape to God, his first book. Jim tells his own story, of how he was a "good" Christian — he knew all the doctrines, was a church elder, gave Bible studies, yet he would go home and yell at his wife and kids. The book describes his journey to finding inner peace and peace in his family. He learned how to talk with God as friend to friend. He learned to listen to his Heavenly Father. He learned how to "pray without ceasing" (1Thes 5:17).

Intrigued? I hope so, for these books are showing me how to change my life and the lives of others around me. Remember no book will ever change anybody but God's book, the Bible. The books show you how to change the things in your life that will open a way for you to talk to God as friend to friend, to develop a communion of God that is so close, you will turn to Him for everything.

I've said elsewhere that Jesus is coming back very soon, much sooner than most Adventists expect. I have said that there is an awakening taking place in Adventism as God's Spirit moves upon hearts and awakens the sleeping virgins. Now is the time to supply our lamps with oil (Mat 25:1-13). Soon the night will come when no one can work (John 9:4), a night of darkness and gloominess (Joel 2:2) where the only light to light the darkness will be the light of God. Some have questioned me how I know that this is happening. Dear brothers and sisters, if you have to ask how I know, then you need to go to your knees and ask God to show it to you because you want to be ready. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and only those whose eyes are opened to see and whose ears are opened to hear will discern spiritual things. Is doesn't matter if you are in a high church position or a lowly nobody in the back pew or somewhere in between. Spiritual things are still spiritually discerned. We Laodiceans need the eyesalve of discernment, for this is something we lack (Rev. 3:18). God can supply that need if we ask Him to.

There are some here who will understand, some who will want to understand and will seek for answers. There are others who will just roll their eyes and go on to the next topic of interest and possibly a few will even taunt and ridicule. But I believe that Jesus is searching Jerusalem with candles (Zeph 1:12). He is seeking for those who want to be like Him, who see what wretched people they are due to sin (Rom. 7:24), that their garments are all as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). They want to whiter than snow, whiter than fullers' soap can make them (Isa 1:18, Mal 3:2,3).

If you really want to die to self (Gal 2:20), if you want to reflect Jesus, then I say the first thing to do is buy or borrow the book Escape to God. It will be worth every cent, or shilling or mite you spend. Read it and begin applying it to your own life. If you want to know more, the buy Empowered Living. This book tells you how to apply what you learned in the first book to your own life. Both books give real life examples, not just dry theory. In fact, I would be hard pressed to find any dry theory in either book.

If you can't wait for the books, you can begin without them. Here is what I have done.

I had to determine that I must spend time alone with God every morning, not just a few minutes of hurried prayer or one or two days a week if I can squeeze it in. I have been doing that and it hasn't worked. If your life is filled with too many "things" then you may need to take a hard look at what is truly important and what you can leave out. Sometimes people get too bogged down in "good works" they have no time for God. For others it may be the TV (which I fear will the be reason why so many Seventh-day Adventists will be lost), work, school, family commitments (such as ferrying kids to this program and that program; maybe their lives need to be less stressful too). Whatever has become your first priority and has displaced God in your life needs to be shifted to second place at the most.

Once you have determined that you will spend time each morning with God, and it should be at least an hour, set your alarm clock and get to bed in time to get at least 8 hours sleep. Find a quiet private place where you won't be disturbed. Take your Bible, some paper and a writing implement, perhaps a hymn book if your have one then retreat to your private spot. Tell your family, if need be, that you are going to have your private devotions so they will leave you in peace.

Here is what I do, I pray to God, talking to Him as I would to a friend. I thank Him for his blessings, naming the ones I think of. I make my requests, praying for myself and my prayer list. I pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I claim any appropriate promises related to my requests. I take time, I don't watch a clock. This time is God's and He deserves my undivided attention. After all, I have His. I seek forgiveness of wrongs, and I request that He will show me what is in my heart that does not belong there. I may be using the Bible and praying through a chapter (If you want to do this, John 14-16 are good chapters to start with.)

Finally, I ask God what He has for me for this day. What is in the Bible that He has for me. If you have asked God for discernment, ask that you might be able to distinguish His still small voice, then when you ask this question, and listen for the answer there will be one. Morning by morning He leads me to different passages of scripture. He speaks to my conscience in that still small voice leading me in the way He wants me to go. For myself, I must plead for extra discernment, because I have such an active imagination and I don't want to be led astray by my own babbling thoughts while thinking I am being led by God. The Bible does tell us to try the spirits (1John 4:1). Satan is all to happy to impersonate God if he can. Each of us must learn to distinguish the voice of our Father. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" John 10:27. He has told us that He stands at the door and knock; if we hear His voice, we are to open the door and He will come in and dine with us. And what shall we eat? Why the bread and water of life, of course.

Sometimes I end by singing a hymn. I have also started keeping a journal and memorizing scripture.

God isn't going to mind if you question. He doesn't want us to be led astray by false voices. Too many have done and are doing that. Sometimes He speaks and we hear but we aren't absolutely sure that the voice we hear is really God's. But something may come to prove that it is indeed the voice of our Father. An example: several times this past week I was impressed that I needed to prepare a Sabbath School program for church. It wasn't my Sabbath, so I didn't expect to have to do it. On Friday evening, that impression, that still small voice in my conscience said I need to prepare a program. I looked through my things, put a book in my bag I could use after deciding I could tell what God has been doing for me (the book? Empowered Living of course!) I arrived at church on Sabbath morning and about 2 minutes before it was time to start I realized that I would have to do SS because no one else was there to do it. Thanks and praise to my Father that He had been telling me I needed to prepare and I had made some preparation. I asked Him to help me and give me the words to say and He supplied.

I could go on with examples of how God is working in my life, the life of my prayer partner, the lives and my family, and just in the short time I have been doing this. I could tell you of the burdens that He has released me from, of the feelings that I have relied on and followed that dictated whether I did something or not. Now I am learning to rely on God totally. For everything. Not just the big things. Now I ask, Father, what do you want me to do? Quietly an impression will come. But I still have much to learn. Too often through the day, I am still leaning on my own understanding rather than leaning of God (Pro 3:5-6). But I know that as I draw nearer and nearer to Him, self will become nothing, I will surrender every atom of my being to Him and He will have complete control of every facet of my life. I must keep nothing for myself. If I don't give Him complete control, then He really has none of me for in times of trial, I will decide that I can pilot myself, and I will grab control and crash. Even when that happens He will forgive, and let me start again. He is an awesome God, a loving God, a forgiving God. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5), that He will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8).

I can tell you that I am learning what the peace that passes understanding is (Phil 4:7). I am finding that in surrender there is real freedom, real peace, real joy (2Cor 3:17). I am finding in obedience not drudgery, but comfort and security, wrapped in the arms of God, shielded under His wings. Dear child of God, it can be yours too. If you seek for it, you will find when you seek for it with all your heart. If you knock it will be opened to you and He will come in and dine with you. If you ask, it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Father has an abundant supply; He'll never run out. His line is never busy. His pockets never empty, His voice never silent. He loves you and He is calling you.

Amen, Linda!

Thank you for sharing this here.

Thanks, Linda, for recommending some good "how to" books.

I've just finished reading Ty Gibson's "See with New Eyes"... have you read that one??

His view of what Jesus really went through on the cross is awesome! And he doesn't focus on the physical pain either.

Definitely one of the best books outside the Bible and SOP around.

For those who are interested, and I hope that is everyone, you can order the books or tapes at Restoration International. There are downloadable newsletters and a catalog plus you can listen to some of the tapes online.

I am finding real joy in my daily communion with the Lord.

I am continuing my daily devotional time with God. At this point I have no desire to start my day without time spent in communing with my Heavenly Father. It's no hurried prayer, running through my prayer list. It's praying in the Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me in even what I pray for. It's giving God time to speak with me.

I realize that this is really scary to some people. We have spent our lives being "in control" and we have a difficult time giving up that control to Someone we cannot see. We are fearful that by releasing control from our own hands that things will not go the way we want. So we never allow the Holy Spirit to become the ruler of our lives. We give Him part, but we keep part. But the way to heaven means we must totally surrender to Christ, to the working of the Holy Spirit.

Paul said of himself, "I die daily." Everyday, self had to be crucified, that the life he lived was not his own, but a life directed in every respect, every aspect, by the Holy Spirit.

That's right, every aspect. What you eat, what you wear, what you say, what you do, and especially what you think. Whatever is controlling the thoughts will control every thing else. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What goes into the mind is what comes out of the mouth. Actions follow words. When God controls the thoughts, He then controls the entire being.

It may seem awkward at first to ask God something like, "What shall I cook for this meal?" but God cares about even the smallest details of our lives. It's not silliness, it's not stupidity, it's living a life so connected to God, that we are not afraid to ask Him for directions about everything. That's why God describes the relationship He wants with us to the marriage relationship. When you love someone, you want to please that person. You fix their favorite foods, and wear their favorite clothes. You do all you can to please them. So must our relationship be with God, but multiplied.

This morning, as I was reading a negative response to something I posted elsewhere, my personal desire was to post something in return. But I knew that it was self rising up and I quietly prayed that God would remove the feelings of pride and show me what to do. The answer was to post nothing for a response would be ineffective. "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" Isaiah 6:10. God wants to open our ears and our eyes, but many have decided that they would rather make their own decisions than to listen to what God says, whether it be from the written words of inspiration or from the still small voice.

It takes time to become aquainted with that still small voice. It means getting out of our whirlwind of activities, for God is not in the whirlwind. It means leaving the shaky ground of indecision and waffling on God's standards, for God is not in the earthquake. It means quenching the fire of pride, envy, and jealousy, for God is not in the fire. He speaks in the still small voice. And that voice can only be heard when we are quiet and listening. "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10. When we move and live as if we know what is best for us, God doesn't wrest control from our hands. He allows us to keep control, though He knows that those who do will finally and eventually make shipwreck of their faith. They will find in that terrible last day when they need Someone to lean on, that they have not known Him, and He doesn't know them because they would not surrender to Him.

"If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart." "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:7.

This sounds exactly like Morris Venden's messages in all his books. Perhaps that's why he is actively condemned - because his message is spiritual, and hated by those who are far from God. If you read, "To Know God", you will find the things you mentioned, written in the 1980s.

Then maybe the texts from Phillipians chapter 1 apply.
Phillipians 1:
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.


So if needed truths are brought out often enough to prompt to investigation, well and good.

Many years ago these words came from the pen of Ellen White: "The greatest want of the world is the want of men— men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall" (Education 57).

For several years the false revival that we were told would precede the true revival, the revival of primitive godliness, [see Great Controversy, page 464] has been growing and is poised to ripen into the image of the beast. We are facing a war with Iraq, a war, that I am convinced, has a hidden agenda that few would suspect. In order for the papacy to regain its lost power, it must subdue the world's one billion Muslims. I don't see how, but somehow, taking out Saddam Hussein will begin, and/or cause this to come about. Many Seventh-day Adventists don't see this as the cause for a war that no one, but a very few, want. Even now, men and women are being called up to active duty in all branches of the US military, many of them being shipped to the Middle East in preparation for this unwanted war.

On day during my devotions, God made something clear to me about the image of the beast. Daniel, chapter 2, is the story of the three Hebrews who were thrown into the fiery furnace for their refusal to worship the great image that had been set up on the plain of Dura by Kind Nebuchadnezzar. This story is our guide to what is going to happen today when the image of the beast is set up by the USA. Before anyone was called to Dura and commanded to worship that image, it first had to be made and set up. The gold had to be melted, perhaps refined, in the furnaces, then poured into molds and hammered into the desired shape. A platform had to be made on which to stand the image. This image was very tall, and it took some time to prepare it. It was not until it was completed and set up, that the people were commanded to come and worship it on pain of death.

Even now, I sense that the image of the beast is being prepared. It is being molded and hammered into shape out of sight of most eyes. The furnaces are built and are refining the metal of which it is formed. The base is being built on which it will stand. Only when it is completed will everyone be commanded to worship, and it will indeed come as an overwhelming surprise. "Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise" —Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 28.

That preparation has begun and it is the true revival and reformation of God's chosen people, His messengers to a dying world who must carry to it the message of the three angels of Revelation 14:6-12. We have reached the time when we must be crying and sighing for the abominations that are being done in the church. And there are abominations many: the church growth movement with its market-driven philosophy, the lust and lasciviousness— the sexual immorality— that is practiced by many from the ranks of leadership down to the laity; the pride of opinion that affects many, many Seventh-day Adventists, some even on the various Adventist forums; avarice — greed, the overwhelming desire to possess the material things of this world, rather than the unsearchable riches of Christ.

God is calling men and women from all walks of life, from the rank and file of Adventists to begin sounding the warning, for they can see the storm coming. All those who will awaken to God's call are answering the cry, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night" (Isaiah 21:11, 12). Now is the time when we "must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4). "That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:15). We have been told that, "behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:2). Those watchmen who are truly watchmen, take this message to heart, and continue with the soul-winning work you are doing. God is blessing and will bless your efforts. The iniquity of those who have not stood with you will come in remembrance before God. "Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isaiah 66:5).

Every Adventist needs to give heed to this warning: "Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. (Jeremiah 13:16). "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. . . My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children" (Hosea 4:1, 6). "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not" (Isaiah 66:4).

God has promised: "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them" (Isaiah 41:17). "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16). "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11). "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).

Jesus will soon appear in the clouds of heaven to take His chosen and faithful people to their heavenly home. Who will be ready to go? "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (Psalm 24:3-5). "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off (Isaiah 33:14-17).

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The portion of the post directed personally to me has been noted and removed from this post. - Daryl.

[ February 05, 2003, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]