The Reason for Foretelling Prophecy

Extenuating circumstances prevented a regular commentary.  But, I wanted to drop a few thoughts.  

The Reason for Foretelling Prophecy

Typically we interpret prophecies very literally: this is what will happen when.  This is important.  When we give a wrong date as fulfillment we can end up with horrible heresies.  And, they give us a sign of the times we live in; like a road sign on our way somewhere.  The signs let you know, among other things, what direction you are going, what towns or cities you are approaching, any landmarks and/or facilities you should be aware of, even what speed you should go.

But, prophecies are more than road signs.  Prophecies are an assurance from the prophecy giver that He is leading and guiding.  He knows the road.  And, we are not travelling on our own.  God is not just on the side lines cheering us on.  God is not just on the end line waiting with a towel and bottled water so we can refresh when we are done.  God is running with us.  In prophecy God tells us that things will be bad before they get good.  But, we are not alone.  If we allow God, He will take us through the hardship victoriously. 

He has promised us that He be with us.  And, below there are a few verses to remind us,

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Several times in the book of John Christ spoke of not leaving us alone because He would send us a Comforter (the word in Greek – parakletos – means walking companion):

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Speaking of comfort: He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear,

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Lastly, Christ told us not to worry about what to say in times of hardship,

Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Luk 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

Luk 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

Luk 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

All this said, God still needs our permission to accomplish this in us.  Those that give God permission are His saints.  

Stewards of Service

Stewards of Service

The Bible says that nature speaks of the Glory of God, which is His character. Sister White stresses the importance of this by telling us to study the lessons in nature. She says in Our High Calling, page 253: “Everything about us teaches us from day to day lessons of our Father's love and of His power, and of His laws that govern nature and that lie at the foundation of all government in heaven and in earth.” Let’s take a tree as an example. A mature tree uses precious earthly resources: it occupies space, utilizes air (Carbon-dioxide we exhale), water, and absorbs sunlight. In turn, we use the oxygen the tree exhales, and we take advantage of its shade. Is this a fair exchange? Many trees yield fruit that when consumed, is not only tasteful to our palate, but it is good for our health. Trees cannot consume fruits, as can we. There are other parts of the tree, which we utilize as well, such as the leaves and the wood of the tree for papers as well numerous other products. It seems that human beings benefit more from trees then the three do from us. So, all the resources that trees use, end up being for our benefit. And, it seems that trees do this – that is: serve us – selflessly.

Well wouldn’t you say, If trees were stewards they would manage God’s entrusted resources to benefit us, mankind. Our analogy of the tree is really on of stewardship and serving others. When a steward is faithful to God, his service is selfless. But, in our natural sinful state, we are selfish. We think only of ourselves. When we give to others or do for them it is because we expect the service to be of benefit for us. Often we expect a tangible return, such as money or other favors – tickets, meal, gift certificate, etc. Other times the benefit we derive from serving others is intangible. We want to be seen to gain favor. Frequently, we serve out of feelings of guilt, coercion, or fear. We hope to be relieved from doom. Thus we misuse God’s resources for our own benefit, even though we claim we are using these resources to serve others.

A true Christian - at whatever level - is a faithful Steward. Just as a mature tree yields fruit, he or she will yield fruit (Galatians 5:22-25). The Spirit of God that dwells in him springs forth this fruit, because the fruit is the character of God himself. Therefore, service is not out of guilt, coercion, or fear. The true Christian does not expect to gain absolution, freedom, or peace. The service of a true Christian, in whom the Spirit dwells, is motivated by Agape – God’s unconditional love – and the driving force is really gratitude. A true follower of Christ gives and serves freely, for he has received freely (Matthew 10:8). 

Typically we do not equate stewardship with the selfless serving of others. As a steward serves his Master by caring for his assets, he does as the Master wishes. What are the Master’s wishes? “…but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). Perhaps the following text from Matthew 25 will illustrates what this means: 

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 

Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 

Matthew 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

Matthew 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Matthew 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 

Matthew 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 

Matthew 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 

Matthew 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 

Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 

Matthew 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 

Matthew 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Faithful stewards are sheep who unknowingly serve their Lord by serving those in need. Unfaithful stewards are the goats who served others but for personal gain. What is the difference between the two? It is Agape – God’s unconditional love. The type of love that the Father is, which drove Him to give to all human beings “…His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This love made Jesus weep because of the harm Sin had done to His humanity (John 11:35). This love can only be found in us when we permit the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. This love makes us faithful stewards who serve others, as they are needful, as we were serving Christ Himself. Will you let the Spirit transform you into a faithful steward serving others as the Lord wishes?

Raul Diaz & Maria Greaves-Barnes

Originally Published on Saturday, September 17, 2005

Commentary: The law as an Instrument of Diagnosis

Commentary: The law as an Instrument of Diagnosis

What can we define the word "law?'  It is a word often used and pretty much understood, but never defined.  When you look at a dictionary, you find that one word can be defined differently depending on the context it is used.  Law can be generally defined as the body of rules and principles governing the conduct of a system.  So, what is law in nature or the physical world?  It is a generalization based on a recurring fact or event. This generalization is expressed in a statement that describes invariable relationships among phenomena under a specified set of conditions. Another definition is: A statement describing a relationship observed to be invariable between or among phenomena for all cases in which the specified conditions are met: the law of gravity.   Gravity is a force that exists everywhere and always.  These nature laws are called laws because they have been observed to exist everywhere and at all times.  They are also laws because they cannot be broken without negative consequences. 

What we have discovered is that these properties and laws in some cases are described in the Bible.  For example, Psalms 19 says that the sun has a path.  This path is constant and predictable.  So much so, that every Sabbath sunset can be predicted way in advance.    Since we believe that God created nature, then we must believe that God created nature with the set of properties we observe.  We must conclude that God created nature to work in a similar that He works.  

God is giving and generous.  Plants give to animals and humans the oxygen they do not use; we in turn use the oxygen and give to the plants the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) we do not use.  So, there is a circle of beneficence in nature; indeed, interdependence.   The moment we do not have oxygen we die.  The moment plants do not have CO2 they die. When you break the law, something negative happens.  

Same happens in the health field.  You transgress the law of health, you get sick.  You transgress any physical laws you get injured.  The laws of health were created to keep us healthy.  But, once you are sick or injured the laws of health cannot really get you well.  They will tell you are not well.  They are good for diagnosing.  (Other laws now must be practiced, the laws of healing and curing.) The laws of health when compared and contrasted with your symptoms tell us there is something wrong.   

The same goes with the moral law: when broken negative consequences will happen.  (For Christians the Law is the body of principles or precepts held to express the divine will, especially as revealed in the Bible.)  Once broken, the law cannot do anything for us, but give us a diagnosis: "you are selfish, you are a sinner. "  Paul says that the Law told him he covets. Let us read Romans 7:7

Rom7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Paul adds in verse 8, "For without the law sin was dead."  In fact with the law, sin appears to be Sin and become exceedingly sinful (Romans 7:13).  "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound: (Romans 5:20). The law is holy (Romans 7:17).  The law is a transcription of God's character – which is Love (1 John 4:8).  Just like we need physical healing when we are sick, we need spiritual healing when we are spiritually sick.  The sad news is that we all born "sick."   "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).  So, we all need a remedy, less we die.  That remedy is given to us in Christ. 

The remedy is for Christ to dwell in us and to write His law in our hearts. 

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

When we allow Him to do this, the law cannot diagnose us as being sick. We are healed in Christ.  

Originally posted on Friday, August 12, 2011

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Commentary: The law as an Instrument of Diagnosis

Commentary: The law as an Instrument of Diagnosis

The law as an Instrument of Diagnosis

What can we define the word "law?'  It is a word often used and pretty much understood, but never defined.  When you look at a dictionary, you find that one word can be defined differently depending on the context it is used.  Law can be generally defined as the body of rules and principles governing the conduct of a system.  So, what is law in nature or the physical world?  It is a generalization based on a recurring fact or event. This generalization is expressed in a statement that describes invariable relationships among phenomena under a specified set of conditions. Another definition is: A statement describing a relationship observed to be invariable between or among phenomena for all cases in which the specified conditions are met: the law of gravity.   Gravity is a force that exists everywhere and always.  These nature laws are called laws because they have been observed to exist everywhere and at all times.  They are also laws because they cannot be broken without negative consequences. 

What we have discovered is that these properties and laws in some cases are described in the Bible.  For example, Psalms 19 says that the sun has a path.  This path is constant and predictable.  So much so, that every Sabbath sunset can be predicted way in advance.    Since we believe that God created nature, then we must believe that God created nature with the set of properties we observe.  We must conclude that God created nature to work in a similar that He works.  

God is giving and generous.  Plants give to animals and humans the oxygen they do not use; we in turn use the oxygen and give to the plants the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) we do not use.  So, there is a circle of beneficence in nature; indeed, interdependence.   The moment we do not have oxygen we die.  The moment plants do not have CO2 they die. When you break the law, something negative happens.  

Same happens in the health field.  You transgress the law of health, you get sick.  You transgress any physical laws you get injured.  The laws of health were created to keep us healthy.  But, once you are sick or injured the laws of health cannot really get you well.  They will tell you are not well.  They are good for diagnosing.  (Other laws now must be practiced, the laws of healing and curing.) The laws of health when compared and contrasted with your symptoms tell us there is something wrong.   

The same goes with the moral law: when broken negative consequences will happen.  (For Christians the Law is the body of principles or precepts held to express the divine will, especially as revealed in the Bible.)  Once broken, the law cannot do anything for us, but give us a diagnosis: "you are selfish, you are a sinner. "  Paul says that the Law told him he covets. Let us read Romans 7:7

Rom7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Paul adds in verse 8, "For without the law sin was dead."  In fact with the law, sin appears to be Sin and become exceedingly sinful (Romans 7:13).  "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound: (Romans 5:20). The law is holy (Romans 7:17).  The law is a transcription of God's character – which is Love (1 John 4:8).  Just like we need physical healing when we are sick, we need spiritual healing when we are spiritually sick.  The sad news is that we all born "sick."   "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).  So, we all need a remedy, less we die.  That remedy is given to us in Christ. 

The remedy is for Christ to dwell in us and to write His law in our hearts. 

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

When we allow Him to do this, the law cannot diagnose us as being sick. We are healed in Christ.  

Originally posted on Friday, August 12, 2011