20 December 2001 Editorial:
Take My Year, Please

Larry Kirkpatrick

Today is my birthday. Thirty-nine years ago today I entered this world. In the 1980s I embraced Jesus Christ as my Savior and Seventh-day Adventism as best representing heaven's work for this hour -- as best representing the teachings expressed in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings. Today, after serving in the ministry for nearly eight years my conviction is stronger than ever that in mercy our people have been granted a precious privilege. Think of it -- to be entrusted as a people with the charge of rightly dividing the word of truth and sharing with others how to belong to God.

This message, indited by the Spirit of God will yet see its day. It will be treated with infamy but it will still be heaven's message. It will still be the property of the Holy Spirit. It will still meet the necessity of humankind.

Nor shall our personal responsibility fade. We each must grow, each must share with others the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Last night at prayer-meeting someone said 'happy birthday' to me. In a moment of light-hearted response I suggested he could take my year. He said he had enough years! Of course, we can't give away our years and ought not to even if we could. A year of life is so valuable. Heaven has been working on everyone's case, seeking to bring salvation to full fruition for us. A year under heaven's watchcare is nothing to be taken lightly, or cheaply traded away.

While we scarcely can measure in an exact manner our growth over the past year, heaven can. The angels have been at work, the Holy Spirit has been active, our Father has heard our prayers, and Jesus has interceded to send us power to overcome. A year may pass, but we are not what we once were. We are spiritually softer or spiritually stronger, but we are not spiritually the same. Nothing spiritual stands so evenly under the press of the end-times. The year is ending for all of us shortly as we move from 2001 to 2002. How have we grown? How shall we cooperate with heaven in being better growers in the new year? These are worthy questions.

Every year holds many developments for each of our lives. God is on the move. He has places for us to go, things for us to do. If we think heaven is moving slowly, we need to think again. God is at work. God works and man works. Perhaps we have been unmindful or unthankful of His providences. Perhaps we have not recognized them so clearly. But we can be quite assured -- they are at work. Let us each pray personally for heaven to operate providentially in our lives, and let us be thankful for the years and opportunities given. Happy birthday to me. By the grace of God I am a child of the King!

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.