From the Jaws of Perdition

Rejoicing for a Future in Heaven
June 2, 2018

My story began more than 56 years ago in what was then a sleepy little Midwest town in Wichita, Kansas. Adopted at three days old, providentially, by the family of a Seventh-day Adventist minister, I have been blessed beyond measure. Ephesians 1:16 holds a special meaning for me as my mother shared those words with me almost on a daily basis, especially in my formative years.

During my teen years, I had more than a propensity to drift in the wrong direction, hang out with a questionable crowd, and rebel against anything that resembled the establishment. Yet, there was an inexplicable constraining spirit that resided somewhere deep within me. Today, I know that it was and is the spirit of the living God.

As my college years approached, I was excited to receive a sports scholarship to the University of Colorado. Known as a “party-school” at that time, my godly mother wanted me nowhere near Boulder, Colorado. She earnestly prayed for another option, and the Seventh-day Adventist college in Montemorelos, Mexico, was chosen for me. Two years into the theology program, the Lord introduced me to my dear wife, Letty, who has been my constant companion and spiritual bulwark for 33 years now!

If you asked me about my conversion story, it is without a doubt the constant prayers of my mother during the first 23 years of my life and the constant prayers of my wife during the last 23.

In Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, Ellen White shares, “The victory is not one without much earnest prayer… Our will cannot be forced into cooperation with divine agencies, but it must be voluntarily submitted… The will must be placed on the side of God’s will. You are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if you are ‘willing to be made willing,’ God will accomplish the work for you.” What a blessed promise.

Prayers on our behalf place us before the Lord and enable us to perceive His abiding presence and care. Thankfully, prayers have sustained me.

Life without a doubt holds its share of peaks and valleys for each of us. Yet, we can all give testimony to the fact that God is faithful and a friend of sinners in every generation. That is truly the gospel in a nutshell.

As often as I possibly can, I share with those who are struggling to find their way that there is a Savior who stands ready and willing to assist all who come to Him believing that He is the answer and the way. May you be blessed and prosper in all you do today in the Lord, and may your life be a living testament to the faithfulness of God.

By Carlos Craig, President