Living in Houston, the topic of rain seems to be something worthy of consideration this Sabbath.
God is the one who sends or holds back the rain. Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, there can be too much, too little, or it can be just right.
We can make note of the relationship between God, His people Israel, and rain in Deuteronomy 11. In that chapter Moses was inspired to describe the land God was giving to Israel and to contrast the land of promise with Egypt. Deuteronomy 11:10-12, “ For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”
The land of Israel was not like the land of Egypt which could depend on the River Nile to flood its banks each year to replenish the soil, and to provide irrigation for its crops. The Egyptians saw the Nile as a “god” because it provided the water necessary for food production.
However, the land of Israel was a land with no great river flowing through it. Israel had to depend upon God to provide rain for the growing of crops. Deuteronomy 11 again tells us the criteria by which God would provide rainfall, “ 'And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.' Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord's anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you” (Deuteronomy 11:13-17).
Rain is a blessing from God when it falls at the right time and in the right amounts. Rain falling “on your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain” insures the initial growth of crops and the latter rain insures that plants will mature and bear abundantly.
In Deuteronomy 11 it speaks of God shutting off the rain if Israel turned aside to idolatry and sin. Are we seeing God limiting rainfall in California because of sin? California has had periods of drought before, but is the lack of rainfall God shutting off the spigot or is it just a natural occurrence? Time will tell.
While Deuteronomy 11 does not speak of too much rain, we living Houston, are well aware of the destruction of too much rain. Ten to eleven inches of rain in a short span of time overwhelms the drainage, floods roadways and homes. The pictures of the destruction of the flooding are amazingly sad. Again is such abundance of rainfall God’s blessing?
As stated earlier, rain is to be a blessing. Several scriptures remind us of the blessing of rain.
Joel 2:23-24 points us to a future time when the people of Israel will rejoice in God, “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you — the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” Israel and other nations by “rejoicing in the Lord your God” as opposed to being at enmity with Him (Romans 8:7) will be blessed with rain resulting in an abundance of grain, oil, and wine.
The prophet Zechariah foresaw a time when Israel and Judah will receive the latter rain and there will be plenty of grass for herds and flocks to prosper (Zechariah 10:1).
Finally, the Apostle James encouraged his audience with a most beautiful picture of rain that fits in with the Sabbath, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7-8).
It is likely that our world will be subjected to too much rain or a lack of rain, between now and the end of the age. But we know that God who controls the rain will one day bless all mankind with the early and latter rain. God will cause it to rain at just the right time and in the right amounts to provide abundance for all who rejoice in the Eternal.
Enjoy the Sabbath day,
Gary Smith
Friday, May 29, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Pentecost
As this Saturday and Sunday will make up Pentecost weekend, it is only appropriate that we consider a subject concerning Pentecost.
When a person receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and baptism, what should happen?
There is the mistaken idea that once a person receives the Holy Spirit there should be an immediate display of the Holy Spirit.
The first time it was given, and a few subsequent times, there was a display of some of the special gifts that came with the initial giving of the Spirit. Acts 2 is an example.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
The sound of a mighty rushing wind was heard by people in the temple area. People heard the rushing wind and moved toward it. Tongues of fire were manifested at this time as well. Additionally, Peter and the other 11 apostles spoke in different known languages, and people heard them speaking in their own tongue.
This manifestation of the Holy Spirit was not the unintelligible and uncontrolled gibberish associated with Pentecostalism. Such demonstrations have nothing to do with God’s Holy Spirit.
Why this powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit? This all happened to demonstrate to those in the temple on Pentecost that something very powerful was taking place. In fact, what was taking place had been prophesied in the book of Joel. Peter quotes from the book of Joel as he gives the first inspired sermon and states, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
“That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” (Acts 2:16-21)
As prophesied by Joel, God is beginning to pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. He is beginning His church. In time as the plan of God is worked out, there will come a time when the Holy Spirit will be truly poured out on all flesh.
The Bible records speaking in tongues occurred on three occasions to people when they received the Holy Spirit, and they were all given for essentially the same reason. It was a special sign that God was doing something different from the way He had worked with Israel. God was teaching them something they needed to know. God poured out His Spirit in this dramatic way to help His people see the direction He wanted them to go.
The second time the Holy Spirit was poured out was upon the House of Cornelius in Acts 10. This event occurred about 10 years after Pentecost in 31 AD. God was showing that He was going to now work with the Gentiles. The pouring out of the spirit and speaking in tongues showed those of the circumcision that God was now going to work in the Gentiles in the same way as He worked with the circumcision.
The third example of speaking in tongues upon being baptized occurs in Acts 19. In this example the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples of John who were re-baptized in the name of Jesus.
They only knew about of the baptism of John. They did not know of the baptism of Jesus, nor had they known of the Holy Spirit. When hands were laid on them, the Spirit poured out and they spoke with tongues to demonstrate that this was the right thing to do.
Interestingly, we find evidence of speaking in tongues in the Corinthian church, but we don’t have evidence that they were given this gift at baptism. Additionally, we find 3000 were baptized on Pentecost, but there is no indication of special outward signs given upon their receiving the Holy Spirit.
There were outward displays on these occasions. God was putting His approval on what was being done. The three occasions where people spoke in tongues upon receiving the Holy Spirit were only special instances
Some people look for something today. People expect an outward sign. When a person receives God’s Spirit, it is by faith, and there are no outward demonstrations that accompany it.
However, the Spirit has been given to the people of God to accomplish something truly awesome. We are given an inkling of the magnitude of God pouring out His Spirit in 2 Timothy 1:7. There Paul says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Paul gives us something most worthwhile to consider as we keep the Sabbath and Holy Day of Pentecost.
Gary Smith
When a person receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and baptism, what should happen?
There is the mistaken idea that once a person receives the Holy Spirit there should be an immediate display of the Holy Spirit.
The first time it was given, and a few subsequent times, there was a display of some of the special gifts that came with the initial giving of the Spirit. Acts 2 is an example.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
The sound of a mighty rushing wind was heard by people in the temple area. People heard the rushing wind and moved toward it. Tongues of fire were manifested at this time as well. Additionally, Peter and the other 11 apostles spoke in different known languages, and people heard them speaking in their own tongue.
This manifestation of the Holy Spirit was not the unintelligible and uncontrolled gibberish associated with Pentecostalism. Such demonstrations have nothing to do with God’s Holy Spirit.
Why this powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit? This all happened to demonstrate to those in the temple on Pentecost that something very powerful was taking place. In fact, what was taking place had been prophesied in the book of Joel. Peter quotes from the book of Joel as he gives the first inspired sermon and states, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
“That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” (Acts 2:16-21)
As prophesied by Joel, God is beginning to pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. He is beginning His church. In time as the plan of God is worked out, there will come a time when the Holy Spirit will be truly poured out on all flesh.
The Bible records speaking in tongues occurred on three occasions to people when they received the Holy Spirit, and they were all given for essentially the same reason. It was a special sign that God was doing something different from the way He had worked with Israel. God was teaching them something they needed to know. God poured out His Spirit in this dramatic way to help His people see the direction He wanted them to go.
The second time the Holy Spirit was poured out was upon the House of Cornelius in Acts 10. This event occurred about 10 years after Pentecost in 31 AD. God was showing that He was going to now work with the Gentiles. The pouring out of the spirit and speaking in tongues showed those of the circumcision that God was now going to work in the Gentiles in the same way as He worked with the circumcision.
The third example of speaking in tongues upon being baptized occurs in Acts 19. In this example the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples of John who were re-baptized in the name of Jesus.
They only knew about of the baptism of John. They did not know of the baptism of Jesus, nor had they known of the Holy Spirit. When hands were laid on them, the Spirit poured out and they spoke with tongues to demonstrate that this was the right thing to do.
Interestingly, we find evidence of speaking in tongues in the Corinthian church, but we don’t have evidence that they were given this gift at baptism. Additionally, we find 3000 were baptized on Pentecost, but there is no indication of special outward signs given upon their receiving the Holy Spirit.
There were outward displays on these occasions. God was putting His approval on what was being done. The three occasions where people spoke in tongues upon receiving the Holy Spirit were only special instances
Some people look for something today. People expect an outward sign. When a person receives God’s Spirit, it is by faith, and there are no outward demonstrations that accompany it.
However, the Spirit has been given to the people of God to accomplish something truly awesome. We are given an inkling of the magnitude of God pouring out His Spirit in 2 Timothy 1:7. There Paul says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Paul gives us something most worthwhile to consider as we keep the Sabbath and Holy Day of Pentecost.
Gary Smith
Friday, May 8, 2015
The Good Old Days Are Yet To Come
As those of us of an older generation look at world conditions, we also tend to look back. In looking back, we many times conclude that the days of yesteryear were better. We might refer to them as, “The good old days.” But we must ask, “Are the Good Old Days Really Good?”
Ecclesiastes 7:10 contains a thought often heard these days: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” The times we live in are indeed becoming steadily more difficult. Christian values are consistently being attacked. Under such circumstances, a person is apt to say what Solomon warns us against saying. It is easy for us to let ourselves become “down.” But we need to be careful because discouragement is a child of impatience. In difficult situations, we want the trouble to pass quickly. However, be aware that in such times it is easy to allow one’s carnality to take the bribe of doing a “quick and dirty,” less-than-good job in order to make life less stressful and tiring.
To take a quick and easy approach is understandable these days because conditions in this nation give no sign of positive change. It seems that those governing us are delivering us into the hands of the nation’s enemies. Others who are illegally invading us are dragging us into the gutter, and at the same time, much of the nation’s wealth is flowing into the hands of the few. Jobs are becoming scarcer.
All of those things are indeed true to some degree, but we have to resist allowing this influence to get a firm grip on us, as it indicates that our focus is too much on carnal men and all their self-centered flaws rather than on what God is accomplishing to fulfill His promises. Yes, living is growing less comfortable, but He is telling us to look ahead and focus on what He will accomplish in the future. God wants us to evaluate honestly what we have received by virtue of His calling.
Consider an interesting aspect of the mindset of Abraham. Genesis 13:2 describes him as very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Hebrews 11:10 reports that despite all that wealth, he looked for a city whose Builder is God. We know that Abraham was wealthy enough to put together an army of over 300 men, but in this way, God shows us what dominated his mind.
What lay in the future, not the present, motivated his life. Abraham bought no land to call his own, and Hebrews 11:9 records that this very wealthy man lived in tents. A tent is a symbol of temporariness, as well as lack of wealth and status. The wealthy live in solid homes; the poor live in tents because they can afford nothing better. Yet, Abraham was not merely wealthy, but very wealthy.
Abraham was certainly aware of the riches of the world around him. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, a very prosperous city. He visited Egypt, the world’s most powerful and wealthiest nation at that time. Pyramids cannot be built without wealth. Movies like The Ten Commandments attempt to depict the splendor. What Hebrews 11:9 does not say is that, all the while he lived in what appears to be a lowly status, he was heir of the world (Roman 4:13)! To a person of faith that means a great deal.
Some may perhaps mistakenly think that everybody lived in tents in Abraham’s time, so the way he lived was the way every wealthy person lived. This assumption leads one to conclude there is nothing unusual in the Bible pointing these things out. Not so. The way Abraham lived reflected where his heart was, a glimpse into his faith, vision, and humility. Archeologists have compiled and recorded a great deal of evidence about the time Abraham lived. The people of that day built fine houses and huge buildings. The cultures were highly developed, and their building projects were grand and extensive.
It has been said that the “good old days” are the result of bad memory and good imagination. We old folks have a proclivity to look back and say, “The old was better.” That is true sometimes. Solomon’s advice is trying to help us understand that, though we must look back to learn, the future must nonetheless dominate our minds. If one is looking over his shoulder while trying to move forward at the same time, he is likely either to crash into something, or to trip and fall over some impediment.
Jesus cautions in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Solomon is urging us, the called, to move on with life and its problems by looking and working toward the future. The Sabbath urges us to focus upon the future when the “good old days” of this present age will be paled by the truly good days of God’s Kingdom.
Have a good Sabbath
Gary Smith
Ecclesiastes 7:10 contains a thought often heard these days: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” The times we live in are indeed becoming steadily more difficult. Christian values are consistently being attacked. Under such circumstances, a person is apt to say what Solomon warns us against saying. It is easy for us to let ourselves become “down.” But we need to be careful because discouragement is a child of impatience. In difficult situations, we want the trouble to pass quickly. However, be aware that in such times it is easy to allow one’s carnality to take the bribe of doing a “quick and dirty,” less-than-good job in order to make life less stressful and tiring.
To take a quick and easy approach is understandable these days because conditions in this nation give no sign of positive change. It seems that those governing us are delivering us into the hands of the nation’s enemies. Others who are illegally invading us are dragging us into the gutter, and at the same time, much of the nation’s wealth is flowing into the hands of the few. Jobs are becoming scarcer.
All of those things are indeed true to some degree, but we have to resist allowing this influence to get a firm grip on us, as it indicates that our focus is too much on carnal men and all their self-centered flaws rather than on what God is accomplishing to fulfill His promises. Yes, living is growing less comfortable, but He is telling us to look ahead and focus on what He will accomplish in the future. God wants us to evaluate honestly what we have received by virtue of His calling.
Consider an interesting aspect of the mindset of Abraham. Genesis 13:2 describes him as very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Hebrews 11:10 reports that despite all that wealth, he looked for a city whose Builder is God. We know that Abraham was wealthy enough to put together an army of over 300 men, but in this way, God shows us what dominated his mind.
What lay in the future, not the present, motivated his life. Abraham bought no land to call his own, and Hebrews 11:9 records that this very wealthy man lived in tents. A tent is a symbol of temporariness, as well as lack of wealth and status. The wealthy live in solid homes; the poor live in tents because they can afford nothing better. Yet, Abraham was not merely wealthy, but very wealthy.
Abraham was certainly aware of the riches of the world around him. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, a very prosperous city. He visited Egypt, the world’s most powerful and wealthiest nation at that time. Pyramids cannot be built without wealth. Movies like The Ten Commandments attempt to depict the splendor. What Hebrews 11:9 does not say is that, all the while he lived in what appears to be a lowly status, he was heir of the world (Roman 4:13)! To a person of faith that means a great deal.
Some may perhaps mistakenly think that everybody lived in tents in Abraham’s time, so the way he lived was the way every wealthy person lived. This assumption leads one to conclude there is nothing unusual in the Bible pointing these things out. Not so. The way Abraham lived reflected where his heart was, a glimpse into his faith, vision, and humility. Archeologists have compiled and recorded a great deal of evidence about the time Abraham lived. The people of that day built fine houses and huge buildings. The cultures were highly developed, and their building projects were grand and extensive.
It has been said that the “good old days” are the result of bad memory and good imagination. We old folks have a proclivity to look back and say, “The old was better.” That is true sometimes. Solomon’s advice is trying to help us understand that, though we must look back to learn, the future must nonetheless dominate our minds. If one is looking over his shoulder while trying to move forward at the same time, he is likely either to crash into something, or to trip and fall over some impediment.
Jesus cautions in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Solomon is urging us, the called, to move on with life and its problems by looking and working toward the future. The Sabbath urges us to focus upon the future when the “good old days” of this present age will be paled by the truly good days of God’s Kingdom.
Have a good Sabbath
Gary Smith
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