Faith: The limiting reagent

Faith:  The limiting reagent

The lesson asks, "In what ways, even subtly, as we await the Second Coming (which seems to be taking so long), could we be in danger of displaying the same attitudes we find so repugnant as manifested by the Hebrews here?"  To answer this question let us read the following illustration. 

 Let us say that you want a certain amount of a chemical substance.  To do this you have to mix a certain amount of the chemical substance that make it up.  Simply put you follow a recipe.  If you do the right thing you will produce the right amount of the right substance.  But, let's say that after a few hours you end up short.  The chemical reaction stopped working.  It could be that you did not have enough of the limiting reagent.  What is this?  In a chemical reaction, it is the reagent that controls the quantity of product which can be formed.  Put differently, it is the chemical that determines how far the reaction will go before the chemical in question gets "used up", causing the reaction to stop.  There are ways to calculate this even before the reaction is working.  It is called limiting regent because it limits the amount you can produce. 

If our relationship with God was a chemical reaction what would be the limiting reagent.  If Christ's soon return was dependent on this chemical reaction what would be the limiting reagent?  When we looked at what happened to the Israelites in Numbers 13 and 14, we realized that they could have reached the Promised Land at that very moment if their relationship with God was one of Faith.  But, as Paul said in Hebrews 3: 13 - 19, their unbelief kept them away.  Now, instead of possessing the land they would wander 40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14: 28-35; Hebrews 3:17).  Their "limiting reagent" was Faith.  The lack of this ingredient – Faith - caused the 'reaction' to stop.  So, it delayed the 'production" of God fulfilling His promise to the Israelites of giving them the promise land.    

 The original question was: could we be doing the same thing the Israelites did?  But first we have to ask ourselves: is there a delay?  Sister White answers both questions.  She says clearly that there is a delay because we are in a same position of the Israelites.  Because of our own unbelief the Father has delayed His Son's return.  In page 694 of Evangelism the Editor's quote her saying says that it is an act of mercy,

The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God's unwillingness to have His people perish, has been the reason of so long delay.

The editors of Evangelism quote -also in page 694 -what she said about what would have happened if the work might have been done,

Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving to the world the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into the city of God.  

I know that if the people of God had preserved a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His Word, they would today be in the heavenly Canaan. -

The editors of Evangelism then quote Sister White in page 695 saying that there is No Failure of God's Promises, it is our fault,

The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the Word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional.  

     God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.  

     Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward. But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. . . . Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!  

It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in "because of unbelief." Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.  

For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.

"Ye have not, because ye ask not" (Matthew 7: 7, 8; James 4:2).  An unlimited supply of faith is at our disposal if we want it.  With faith all things are possible (Mark 9:23).  Without it nothing but Sin is (Romans 14:23).  

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Third Culture Christians.doc

Third Culture Christians

Years ago I went to a conference where I met a lady called Ruth Van Rekken.  We did the usual small talk.  After I told Ruth that I was raised in the United States in a Puerto Rican home – in other words I grew up between two cultures - she told me I was a Third Culture Kid.  I thought she meant that Puerto Rico was a third world country.  But, before I could ask her, Ruth explained to me what she meant, prefacing that this is a common phenomenon. 

This phenomenon was discovered by Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem.  She coined the term "Third Culture Kids" (TCK) after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children, in the early fifties. Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture"

Sociologist David Pollock describes a TCK as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background."The question, "Where is home?" to a TCK is hard to answer.  Is it where they grew up, where there parents grew up, or wherever they are living now?  Imagine a young TCK being told, "You are going back home," and home is a land you have never seen with people you have never met. 

We read in the book of Genesis that Jacob and his sons - and their families - left Canaan to live in Egypt.  This clan grew into a few million 400 years later, while living in Egypt.  Moses showed up one day and told them, "I'm here to take you back home."  To these people whether for good or bad Egypt was home.  Now, God was taking them to a land they had never seen to live among a people they had never met.  God miraculously takes them out of what they know as home to take them to their new home.  We read from Exodus to Deuteronomy what God had to do to accomplish this.  The beginning of the journey as an organized nation starts in Numbers 10: 11 – 36.  Because of their resistance to God's plan it took God more than a year to get them organized as a nation to go home. 

In a real sense true Christians are in the same predicament.  Christ came to this world telling us that He would be back to take us home.  We read this in John 14: 1 – 4,

 John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

To all of us born and raised in this planet: this is home.  We know nothing else.  But, it was not meant to be our home.  Also, God is destroying it in the near future (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20).  (We have a new Land Lord.  He is rebuilding our dwelling place.  Our lease is not being renewed, we have been evicted.  But, we have a new lease, signed and paid for by Jesus.  We can be His room mates for eternity.)

When the Holy Spirit makes your heart His home (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17), you are gradually and increasingly transformed into a new way of thinking (Romans12:2).  You acquire a new culture.  This culture does not fit anywhere in this planet.  You do not even fit or have a sense of belonging with those with whom you grew up with.  You develop a new sense of identity.  One, which "… sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background."  You only feel you belong with people of a similar (parallel) walk of Faith.  You sense you belong only with those who are learning and are striving to live lives controlled and dependent on Jesus.  When we get to our new home we will fit right in, because this is how those who are there live.  --

Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Third Culture Christians

Third Culture Christians

Years ago I went to a conference where I met a lady called Ruth Van Rekken. We did the usual small talk. After I told Ruth that I was raised in the United States in a Puerto Rican home – in other words I grew up between two cultures - she told me I was a Third Culture Kid. I thought she meant that Puerto Rico was a third world country. But, before I could ask her, Ruth explained to me what she meant, prefacing that this is a common phenomenon.

This phenomenon was discovered by Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem. She coined the term "Third Culture Kids" (TCK) after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children, in the early fifties. Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture"

Sociologist David Pollock describes a TCK as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.”

The question, “Where is home?” to a TCK is hard to answer. Is it where they grew up, where there parents grew up, or wherever they are living now? Imagine a young TCK being told, “You are going back home,” and home is a land you have never seen with people you have never met.

We read in the book of Genesis that Jacob and his sons - and their families - left Canaan to live in Egypt. This clan grew into a few million 400 years later, while living in Egypt. Moses showed up one day and told them, “I’m here to take you back home.” To these people whether for good or bad Egypt was home. Now, God was taking them to a land they had never seen to live among a people they had never met. God miraculously takes them out of what they know as home to take them to their new home. We read from Exodus to Deuteronomy what God had to do to accomplish this. The beginning of the journey as an organized nation starts in Numbers 10: 11 – 36. Because of their resistance to God’s plan it took God more than a year to get them organized as a nation to go home.

In a real sense true Christians are in the same predicament. Christ came to this world telling us that He would be back to take us home. We read this in John 14: 1 – 4,

John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

To all of us born and raised in this planet: this is home. We know nothing else. But, it was not meant to be our home. Also, God is destroying it in the near future (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20). (We have a new Land Lord. He is rebuilding our dwelling place. Our lease is not being renewed, we have been evicted. But, we have a new lease, signed and paid for by Jesus. We can be His room mates for eternity.)

When the Holy Spirit makes your heart His home (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17), you are gradually and increasingly transformed into a new way of thinking (Romans12:2). You acquire a new culture. This culture does not fit anywhere in this planet. You do not even fit or have a sense of belonging with those with whom you grew up with. You develop a new sense of identity. One, which “… sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.” You only feel you belong with people of a similar (parallel) walk of Faith. You sense you belong only with those who are learning and are striving to live lives controlled and dependent on Jesus. When we get to our new home we will fit right in, because this is how those who are there live.

A pleasing attitude

What Pleases God

Two children are called by their mother.  One, sprung up to her immediately.  He always expressed how grateful he was for his mother.  With a smile in his face, he says, "Yes Mom."  The other she had to call several times, angering his mother.  When he finally heard the anger in his Mom's voice he yelled back nastily, "What?"  The Mom then said, "I want to see you."  To which the child relied, angrily, "Then you come to me."    He always complained about his mother.  After, a few more exchanges, the child decided to storm in the room huffing and puffing, looked at his Mom defiantly, and told her sternly, "what do you want?"  Which of the two pleased the Mom?  Which of the two would please you more?  Which of the two would please God more?

In the book of Exodus God first addressed the people through Moses.  But, God had plans for them.  He told Moses to tell the people in Exodus 19: 3-6

Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Moses followed God's instruction, told the people and they replied,

Exodus 19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

Exodus 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

The people made a promise to God they could not, and would not fulfill.  It proved to be a half hearted answer.  God wanted to be closer to them, but they refused God's closeness.  In Exodus 20:  18 – 21, after Moses gave them the Ten Commandments, it says that,

Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

Exodus 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Exodus 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Exodus 20:21 And the people stood afar off,

Their fear showed a lack of Faith, which displeased God (Hebrews 11:6).  Had He not shown Himself to them to be loving, merciful, and trustworthy?  So, again they refused to be close to God.  This distance they set for themselves between God and them, precluded God from making them a kingdom of priests.  God could not purify them to be priests unless they got closer.  To allow God to purify us we need to get closer to Him.  Yes, we will recognize that we are sinners as we get closer.  Only then can the Lord purify us for His service.  Consider Isaiah when taken in vision to God's dwelling place,

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

Isaiah 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Eventually, only those who came closer to God were cleansed for the service of Priesthood and Tabernacle service: Aaron, his sons, and the rest of the Levites.  We know the story.  After promising God they would do all everything God said, they forgot about His great work with them.  They murmured against God and Moses – showing their ungratefulness.  So they decided to worship another god.   Aaron fashioned to them an idol after the fashion of what they left behind in Egypt.  When Moses caught the children of Israel worshiping a golden calf, after they said they would do what God told them but did not, Moses addresses them and asked, "…Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him" (Exodus 32:26).  Thus the Levites were chosen to be God's group the people serving the tabernacle (Numbers 3:41).  This was a privilege that all children of Israel could have had.  So, we read in Numbers 8: 16 – 26, how God asked Moses to dedicate the Levites for their service to Him.  As the lesson points out, they were a wave offering to the Lord, themselves (Numbers 8:13).  As if they represented the first fruit of the grain harvest. 

What is our attitude toward God?  Will we be like the Levites or the other children of Israel?  Will we let our fear, which casts away the love of God and causes unbelief, to keep us away from God, thus prohibiting Him from purifying us? 

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Cooperation with angels

Cooperation with angels

 

The word harmony is defined as a pleasing combination of elements in a whole.  The word harmony is a derivative of the Greek word "harmos" which means joint.  The Greek word was "harmonia" and it meant: agreement.  It means that things match, they go or work together. 

The term is used a lot in music.  In music it is a combination of sounds considered pleasing to the ear.  Specifically, it is the simultaneous combination of notes in a chord.  In Harmony, you add a different note or notes to the notes of the melody, giving it pleasant texture and feeling.  If the notes go together we call it harmony, if they do not go together we call it discordant.  Some other examples of harmony, are:  color harmony; the order and harmony of the universe. It also referred to A collation of parallel passages, especially from the Gospels, with a commentary demonstrating their consonance and explaining their discrepancies.  Sometimes we talk about being or working in harmony.  This means being in Agreement in feeling or opinion; being of one accord.  It is the act or state of agreeing or conforming.  Sister White uses this term referring to Angels. 

"Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony and order of the angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly agents in our behalf. If we see no necessity for harmonious action, and are disorderly, undisciplined, and disorganized in our course of action, angels, who are thoroughly organized and move in perfect order, cannot work for us successfully. They turn away in grief, for they are not authorized to bless confusion, distraction, and disorganization. All who desire the cooperation of the heavenly messengers must work in unison with them. Those who have the unction from on high will in all their efforts encourage order, discipline, and union of action, and then the angels of God can cooperate with them" (Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 28).

 

The last sentence of Sister Whites is very interesting. It refers to those who have the unction from on high who are these? We know that the unction refers to oil, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. So the sentence means that those who have the Holy Spirit will in all their efforts encourage order, discipline, and union of action, and then the angels of God can cooperate with them – work harmoniously with God, His angels and others.  Can any of us actually do these things? In fact, will we even have the desire to do them? Will the purpose of anything we do be to be in cooperation with the Angels? To all three questions the answer is, "I doubt it."  Not unless we are yielded ( in submission) to the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

 

Do Angels have the unction? Are Angels yielded to the Holy Spirit? Does the Spirit indwell them? As far as I know the Bible does not so they are yielded, but it does not say they are not. We assume they are, because the do they seem to willingly do Gods will. When you contrast them with the fallen angels you can assume they are, because the fallen angels are not doing His will.  The same reasoning goes for the indwelling Holy Spirit: if He does not dwell in the fallen angels then He must in the un-fallen angels. They must have the unction of God.

 

Paul elaborates Romans 8: 4 – 9,

 

Rom8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 

Those who in whom the Spirit dwells walk in the Spirit, and not in the flesh.  They are not carnally minded, but Spiritually minded.  They are in harmony with God.  When He dwells in us and we do His will, we are doing as the angels do. So we are in sync with them or we are in phase with them.  When we have the unction – the Spirit dwells in us – we will work in harmony with God, and others. 

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com