Seeking for Souls—Seeking for Truth

“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; see now and know; and seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her.” Jeremiah 5:1.

Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to go through Jerusalem and find those who were seeking for truth. As he would find these dear souls, he would share with them the pardoning grace and power of God. Likewise, we all have the privilege to enter into the cities, towns and villages around the world seeking for those who are seeking the truth. The fact that Jeremiah had to seek implies that such men and women are scarcely found. So it is today, but they are nonetheless there.

As people see what is coming upon this earth, questions fill their minds. They are wistfully looking toward heaven for answers. What a great moment for someone to share the scriptures! What a golden opportunity for someone to knock on their door and offer Bible studies! What perfect timing for someone to invite them to a Bible Prophecy series of meetings! The Holy Spirit is at work to arrange and orchestrate just such moments.

We sensed His work during our time in the United States. For five weeks we worked with a dedicated team of Bible workers in the small town of Suncrest, located in Washington state. I was requested to give fifteen presentations on Bible Prophecy. The entire village of Suncrest received an invitation to join us on this journey of Biblical discoveries.

Although Suncrest is a small town, we were happy and very grateful to welcome almost 100 people the first evening of our Discover Prophecy series. We began our first presentation on September 25th, 2009.

Local church member greets people with a smiling face

One of the reasons for such a good attendance was due to the work of three committed Bible workers. Since the beginning of this year Samuel, Amber and Ashleigh had been knocking on doors in Suncrest seeking for seekers of truth! The Lord had blessed them with several divine appointments. Some people had felt they had just come at the right time. Others had even prayed for a Bible study companion! For months Bible studies continued, and people were exposed to the truth of God’s Word as it is in Jesus. The deep, profound, Christ-centered studies and prophecies wetted their appetites for more. Therefore, many appreciated the Discover Prophecy series when it started.

Along with the three Bible Workers, we were happy to work with the members of Countryside Seventh-day Adventist Church, who sponsored the project. Each night the church members would help in various ways with greeting the people, registration, sound equipment, children’s meetings, special music, etc. Each person seemed to have his task and was faithfully there. What impressed me most was the dedication of the prayer group. Each night before the meeting began, a group would meet in a room just down the hall from the auditorium to pray for the

Lord’s blessing upon the presentation.

The meetings were held in a nice auditorium in a high school. On the stage were two big plants on each side, which looked like small trees. They served their purpose well, as my theme throughout the series of presentations was the Eden to Eden picture. Through sin we have lost the tree of life described in the book of Genesis that was found in the midst of the garden of

Eden. But in the book of Revelation, we are promised access, when faithful, to a new tree of life found in the paradise (New Eden) of God. And so we find ourselves journeying between the trees. Prophecy reveals where we are in this journey. Through the Discover Prophecy studies, we came to see that we are close, yes, very close, to the Eden restored.

Silvia (center) with two of the seminar attendees

Among the attendees, we could sense that, with an appreciation for knowledge of final events came also a desire to be ready for the coming of Jesus. Appeals were made not to let anything hinder us from gathering around the tree of life—“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14.

One man that attended the meetings had come because of his wife. He had been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. It was hard for him to break loose from many of the things he had learned while growing up. And yet he was a seeker of truth and longed for answers to the many questions that had been building up in him over the years. The first night he came to the meetings was really only for his wife, and I could tell he felt uncomfortable as I approached him and introduced myself. But somehow the Spirit of God moved upon his heart and stirred something within him that night. He kept coming to the meetings. Not only did he come each night, but he also got the CDs with the recordings. He told me that he listened to each message three times and each time got something new out of it! Only the Holy Spirit could do something like this. Then came the invitation for Samuel and I to meet him in his home. As we came into his home he quickly made his way to the table where his Bible and a note pad lay. On the paper he had scribbled a list of things. He wanted to clarify some of the main differences between the Jehovah’s Witness beliefs and what had been presented during the seminar. We prayed and asked the same Spirit that had been guiding him to and through the Discover Prophecy meetings to be our guide and teacher. I sensed clearly that Jesus had heard our prayer and had sent forth the Spirit of truth to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).

In one instance, Jesus said to Nicodemus that the Spirit is like the wind and that one cannot see or know where it comes from or where it goes (John 3:8). Though we could not see the Holy Spirit, we could definitely see and recognize the results of His work upon the heart of this man. From point to point, Bible truths were discovered and acknowledged. False teachings of man were refuted and rejected, and truth gained the victory. The seeker for truth found the truth in God’s Word, and he loved it. Several people remarked that this man changed during the weeks he attended the meetings. They said his countenance had just lighted up! Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.

Shortly afterward, this man and nine other precious souls decided to be baptized and give their lives to Jesus Christ!

Daniel Pel speaks the truth to an interested audience

Jesus promised that those that seek Him will find Him. “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. When we are searching for truth, we are searching for Jesus, as He is the embodiment of all truth! When Jesus stood before Pilate in the judgment hall, Pilate asked the question that all people will ask sooner or later. He asked Jesus, “What is truth?” John 18:38. Maybe a better question would have been, “Who is truth?” Jesus, truth personified, stood right before him; but he had no time to receive the answer, and the scriptures tell us that he walked out of the room. Pilate did not know that morning when he woke up that he would stand face to face with Jesus. Every person will at some point of time be confronted with Jesus. They will stand face to face with truth. The question is, What will we do with truth? What will we do with Jesus? We are thankful that in Suncrest individuals have chosen to follow Jesus and the truth of His Word.

Throughout the Discover Prophecy meetings, our attendance numbers remained quite stable with hardly any drop. Although the meetings are finished, quite a number of the attendees have expressed their desire to continue discovering the truths of the Bible. A Discover Bible fellowship (study group with the prospective of a church plant) is being established where these people can meet and continue to explore the depths of God’s Love. We are overwhelmed, amazed, but above all, thankful for what God has and is doing in the lives of these people.

Daniel and Silvia Pel

Living Water

Bølbekkveien 8, 2860 Hov, Norway.

Ph: 47 61 12 22 48 / Mobile: 47 930 20 036