A prominent politician made an interesting comment a couple
of weeks ago. The politician said, “We are feeling what not
having hope feels like.”
Why is this person lacking in hope? Her hopelessness comes
as a result of her political party losing in the November
election. With the election of someone that they heartily
disagree with, they feel that the policies conducive to hope
will be cast aside.
On the other side of the political spectrum, there is great hope
that “America will be made great again”. The sad reality is
that hope springs forth every time there is an election. The
winning voters always seem to hope that good things lie
ahead. As the hopes of the winning side in the election are not
met, there will be great disappointment over the failure to
deliver on the promises made to the voters.
The reality is that no matter the politician, his followers are
bound to be disappointed. The hopelessness of trusting
politicians and their offer for humanity is brought out in
Psalms 118:9, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes.”
Whereas man is limited and uncertain, God is not. God is the
same “Yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We can
always be assured that God is there and He will always act in
our best interest even if His response is not what we want.
Let’s consider a couple of scriptures that lay out for us the
panorama of hope which is what prophecy is all about.
Through these scriptures, we can see why for God’s people
there is always hope.
The panorama begins in Genesis with the sins of Adam and
Eve. As God spelled out in Genesis 2, in the day in which
Adam or Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
they would die. Death is an inevitable outcome of sin.
With death hanging over the lives of the first couple, it might
be said, “They were feeling what not having hope feels like.”
However, one of God’s first actions after sin entered the world
is found in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall
bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." God was
telling the first man and woman that a seed would come who
would work out the problem of sin.
The scripture in Genesis seems pretty obscure until God fills
in more details about the coming, Seed, Jesus Christ, who
would open the way to salvation for all mankind.
What is to be ultimately be worked out by the Seed, Jesus
Christ, is detailed in Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all
things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began.”
God, through Peter, tells us that as promised from the time of
the first sin there is coming a time when all things will be
restored to the way God always intended them to be. We are
reassured that there is always hope for this sin sick world
through Jesus Christ the Messiah.
The Bible reassures us of the fulfillment of this promise from
Genesis all the way to the end of Bible in Revelation.
Human beings lose hope because things don’t work out the
way they want them to.
But God is our hope no matter what is going on in our lives or
in the world around us. As the Psalmist says, “For You are my
hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth (Psalms
71:5).
Have a most enjoyable Sabbath because we always have hope.
Gary Smith
Friday, December 30, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Ignorance Of The Law Is No Excuse
Most of us have heard the phrase “ignorance of the law is no
excuse” at one time or another. I never really thought about
the phrase much until I began reading, “By The People” by
Charles Murray. In light of what Mr. Murray has to say on
this subject, I would like to share some considerations in this
Sabbath Thought.
Mr. Murray writes, “For centuries, common law recognized
two requirements for a criminal act: a guilty act and a guilty
mind…. You not only had to do something wrong, you had to
be aware you were doing something wrong. But the law also
held that ignorance of the law is no defense. How could these
two principles be reconciled? Because there weren’t many
laws. Most of the laws that did exist prohibited acts that were
obviously wrong in themselves, such as murder, rape, and
theft. Other laws prohibited things the state decided to prohibit
that were not wrong in themselves (for example, sumptuary
laws), but these were of a manageable number and were part
of daily life” (pp. 32-33).
Mr. Murray is saying in essence there was a time in America
where the laws were so few in number that “ignorance of the
law was (truly) no excuse.”
Today, we often are unaware we have broken a law. He points
out, “Through the first half of the nineteenth century, virtually
all criminal law was defined and prosecuted by the states with
fewer than a score of crimes defined by the federal
government (for example, treason or bribery of federal
officials). By World War 1, the number of federal laws had
reached the 500s. As of the most recent count, in 2007, the
federal code numbered about 4,450 crimes. We have seen an
increase of about 50 percent just since 1980” (p. 33).
Consider that “the tax code, as of 2013 consisted of four
million words—about five times the length of the King James
Bible. It is riddled with ambiguities and special provisions.
The IRS can almost always find something wrong if agents
look hard enough, no matter what tax preparation software
you used and no matter how faithfully you tried to do the right
thing” (p. 38).
The problem is that we are overwhelmed with thousands of
laws and if someone wanted to push the matter, we are in
violation on a number of fronts and don’t even know of our
non-compliance.
We have reached the point in time where ignorance of the law
is all too common. There are just too many laws to keep up
with.
The good news is that there are laws on the books that were
established by a mind far beyond that of human beings. God in
His wisdom established a law code of Ten Commandments.
His laws were applicable in the Garden of Eden and will be
applicable to the end of time.
The Bible, as a whole, is an expansion on the meaning and
application of the Ten Commandments.
God put His law in one book making it a ready resource for all
mankind.
How good it will be when man realizes the futility of trying to
put more and more laws into effect and accepts the simple
approach to law given by God. We get an inkling of what is to
come in Isaiah 2:3, "Many people shall come and say, "Come,
and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall
walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
As the Bible becomes the standard for the entire earth, then it
can truly be said, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Gary Smith
excuse” at one time or another. I never really thought about
the phrase much until I began reading, “By The People” by
Charles Murray. In light of what Mr. Murray has to say on
this subject, I would like to share some considerations in this
Sabbath Thought.
Mr. Murray writes, “For centuries, common law recognized
two requirements for a criminal act: a guilty act and a guilty
mind…. You not only had to do something wrong, you had to
be aware you were doing something wrong. But the law also
held that ignorance of the law is no defense. How could these
two principles be reconciled? Because there weren’t many
laws. Most of the laws that did exist prohibited acts that were
obviously wrong in themselves, such as murder, rape, and
theft. Other laws prohibited things the state decided to prohibit
that were not wrong in themselves (for example, sumptuary
laws), but these were of a manageable number and were part
of daily life” (pp. 32-33).
Mr. Murray is saying in essence there was a time in America
where the laws were so few in number that “ignorance of the
law was (truly) no excuse.”
Today, we often are unaware we have broken a law. He points
out, “Through the first half of the nineteenth century, virtually
all criminal law was defined and prosecuted by the states with
fewer than a score of crimes defined by the federal
government (for example, treason or bribery of federal
officials). By World War 1, the number of federal laws had
reached the 500s. As of the most recent count, in 2007, the
federal code numbered about 4,450 crimes. We have seen an
increase of about 50 percent just since 1980” (p. 33).
Consider that “the tax code, as of 2013 consisted of four
million words—about five times the length of the King James
Bible. It is riddled with ambiguities and special provisions.
The IRS can almost always find something wrong if agents
look hard enough, no matter what tax preparation software
you used and no matter how faithfully you tried to do the right
thing” (p. 38).
The problem is that we are overwhelmed with thousands of
laws and if someone wanted to push the matter, we are in
violation on a number of fronts and don’t even know of our
non-compliance.
We have reached the point in time where ignorance of the law
is all too common. There are just too many laws to keep up
with.
The good news is that there are laws on the books that were
established by a mind far beyond that of human beings. God in
His wisdom established a law code of Ten Commandments.
His laws were applicable in the Garden of Eden and will be
applicable to the end of time.
The Bible, as a whole, is an expansion on the meaning and
application of the Ten Commandments.
God put His law in one book making it a ready resource for all
mankind.
How good it will be when man realizes the futility of trying to
put more and more laws into effect and accepts the simple
approach to law given by God. We get an inkling of what is to
come in Isaiah 2:3, "Many people shall come and say, "Come,
and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall
walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
As the Bible becomes the standard for the entire earth, then it
can truly be said, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Gary Smith
Friday, November 4, 2016
Truth Is Fallen In The Street
The prophet Isaiah was inspired to record for us the spiritual
condition of the people of Israel.
A passage that is especially applicable to 21st century America
is found in Isaiah 59:13-15, “In transgressing and lying against
the Lord, and departing from our God, speaking oppression
and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of
falsehood. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands
afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot
enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes
himself a prey.”
Consider the issue of truth in light of the current contest for
the presidency of the United States. Each day it seems there
are more lies, denials, and attempts to hide the truth. The saga
that has unfolded with the Hillary Clinton email scandal is a
vivid illustration of what happens when one fails to tell the
truth.
Imagine how sure of a position Mrs. Clinton would be in at
present if when the news of the private email server broke, she
admitted the error and told the truth about what she did. It
would have ended the matter at that point.
Sadly, by lying about the matter, scrubbing the server,
destroying phones and seeking to obliterate the evidence it has
spurred a deeper pursuit of the matter. The process of digging
for the truth has exposed lying on many levels and jeopardized
Mrs. Clinton’s bid for the presidency.
Isaiah points out that the lack of truth among the people of
Israel had reached the point where they were speaking from
the heart when they uttered falsehoods. As lying is a standard
operating procedure, it reaches a point where the truth is no
longer important. Lying is just a means to self-protection,
self-preservation, or the accomplishment one’s selfish desire.
Who cares about the collateral damage that comes from
falsehood?
The collateral damage that stems from lying is that justice and
righteousness, which depend upon truth, are difficult to find.
Justice which should be fundamental to the legal system is not
attainable when lying is widespread. We only have to look at
the F.B.I.’s handling of the email server matter to more fully
understand what Isaiah is talking about.
When a society reaches the level of corruption described by
Isaiah, the person who tells the truth and departs from evil
makes himself a prey or target.
People tend to completely forget that God is quite aware of a
society’s condition. We are given God’s view in Isaiah 59:15-
16, “Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there
was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered
that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought
salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained
Him.”
God sees the falsehoods which contribute to a lack of justice
in our nation.
More importantly, God notes the sorry condition in which a
society finds itself when there is a lack of truth. God in verse
16 notes that “there was no man” who would correct this
problem. In fact, where it says that He “wondered” that there
was no intercessor, it could be translated “He was appalled”
that there was no intercessor.
This verse tells us all we need to know about the election of a
president. No matter who is elected they are not going to
correct the problem of lying. No matter how much enthusiasm
a presidential candidate inspires they do not have the power to
correct such a fundamental problem as truth failing to be a
society’s standard.
Our only hope is referred to in Isaiah 59:20-21, ““The
Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from
transgression in Jacob," says the Lord. “As for Me," says the
Lord, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon
you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not
depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your
descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants'
descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and
forevermore."
In other words, our Redeemer will bring us to repentance,
redeem us from our sins, and God’s words—the truth—will be
in our mouth forevermore.
Happy Sabbath
Gary Smith
condition of the people of Israel.
A passage that is especially applicable to 21st century America
is found in Isaiah 59:13-15, “In transgressing and lying against
the Lord, and departing from our God, speaking oppression
and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of
falsehood. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands
afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot
enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes
himself a prey.”
Consider the issue of truth in light of the current contest for
the presidency of the United States. Each day it seems there
are more lies, denials, and attempts to hide the truth. The saga
that has unfolded with the Hillary Clinton email scandal is a
vivid illustration of what happens when one fails to tell the
truth.
Imagine how sure of a position Mrs. Clinton would be in at
present if when the news of the private email server broke, she
admitted the error and told the truth about what she did. It
would have ended the matter at that point.
Sadly, by lying about the matter, scrubbing the server,
destroying phones and seeking to obliterate the evidence it has
spurred a deeper pursuit of the matter. The process of digging
for the truth has exposed lying on many levels and jeopardized
Mrs. Clinton’s bid for the presidency.
Isaiah points out that the lack of truth among the people of
Israel had reached the point where they were speaking from
the heart when they uttered falsehoods. As lying is a standard
operating procedure, it reaches a point where the truth is no
longer important. Lying is just a means to self-protection,
self-preservation, or the accomplishment one’s selfish desire.
Who cares about the collateral damage that comes from
falsehood?
The collateral damage that stems from lying is that justice and
righteousness, which depend upon truth, are difficult to find.
Justice which should be fundamental to the legal system is not
attainable when lying is widespread. We only have to look at
the F.B.I.’s handling of the email server matter to more fully
understand what Isaiah is talking about.
When a society reaches the level of corruption described by
Isaiah, the person who tells the truth and departs from evil
makes himself a prey or target.
People tend to completely forget that God is quite aware of a
society’s condition. We are given God’s view in Isaiah 59:15-
16, “Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there
was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered
that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought
salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained
Him.”
God sees the falsehoods which contribute to a lack of justice
in our nation.
More importantly, God notes the sorry condition in which a
society finds itself when there is a lack of truth. God in verse
16 notes that “there was no man” who would correct this
problem. In fact, where it says that He “wondered” that there
was no intercessor, it could be translated “He was appalled”
that there was no intercessor.
This verse tells us all we need to know about the election of a
president. No matter who is elected they are not going to
correct the problem of lying. No matter how much enthusiasm
a presidential candidate inspires they do not have the power to
correct such a fundamental problem as truth failing to be a
society’s standard.
Our only hope is referred to in Isaiah 59:20-21, ““The
Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from
transgression in Jacob," says the Lord. “As for Me," says the
Lord, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon
you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not
depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your
descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants'
descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and
forevermore."
In other words, our Redeemer will bring us to repentance,
redeem us from our sins, and God’s words—the truth—will be
in our mouth forevermore.
Happy Sabbath
Gary Smith
Friday, October 7, 2016
We Can Change The World
In this week’s Sabbath Thought, I would like to reflect on a flash from the past. The topic came to mind as I listened to a 1971 song by Graham Nash entitled, Chicago|We Can Change the World.
The song focuses on the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the trial of the Chicago Eight who were accused of inciting the rioting that took place at that time.
So your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to Chicago just to sing?
In a land that's known as freedom
How can such a thing be fair?
Won't you please come to Chicago for the help that we can bring?
The first stanza addresses one of the accused inciters of riot being bound and gagged because of repeated outbursts during the trial. This was considered to be an act of brutality incompatible with “a land that’s known as freedom.”
The call is then issued for all who disagree with such actions by the government to come to Chicago to turn the world around. The belief in the betterment of the world through man’s concerted efforts is expressed in the chorus:
We can change the world
Rearrange the world
It's dying
To get better
Yes, we can change the world
(Rearrange) Rearrange the world (It's dying)
If you believe in justice (It's dying)
And if you believe in freedom (It's dying)
Let a man live his own life (It's dying)
Rules and regulations, who needs them?
Open up the door
When I heard this song, I was moved by its message of bringing a change to the world. Even prior to coming into the knowledge of the truth, I knew the world had some serious problems. However, being ignorant of the reality of human nature (Romans 8:6-8), I did not realize that changing the world was only a fantasy.
Men can have high-minded ideals about bringing changes to the world, but how have those efforts of worked out? If you examine the history of the various revolutions of the 20th century—the Bolshevik overthrow of the czar; Mao Tse Tung’s rise in China, Pol Pot in Cambodia—the death toll and suffering is immense.
Even if one examines the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States, what is its condition in 2016? Our nation has lost its way morally and financially and we are not going to turn it around.
The bottom line is that apart from God nothing is going to change for the better. Man cannot through his own mind and ability change himself or the world.
Thankfully, our God is fully aware of the world’s horrible condition and it is His desire to change the world from top to bottom. In fact, God is already on the job of changing the world as He works with the firstfruits of salvation to create His Holy righteous character in those whom He has called.
God has called us to keep the Holy Days of the seventh month to impress upon us that the coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints to eternal life, the binding of Satan, the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ, and resurrection of all who have never known God or His plan of salvation is right
on course. Everything related to these days will be played out in the near future.
It is in that time, as God powerfully intervenes in this world, that our dying world will be changed permanently for the better.
The knowledge of the playing out of God’s plan is a perfect focal point as we enjoy God’s Sabbath day and look forward to the Holy Days ahead.
Good Sabbath to all!
Gary Smith
The song focuses on the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the trial of the Chicago Eight who were accused of inciting the rioting that took place at that time.
So your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to Chicago just to sing?
In a land that's known as freedom
How can such a thing be fair?
Won't you please come to Chicago for the help that we can bring?
The first stanza addresses one of the accused inciters of riot being bound and gagged because of repeated outbursts during the trial. This was considered to be an act of brutality incompatible with “a land that’s known as freedom.”
The call is then issued for all who disagree with such actions by the government to come to Chicago to turn the world around. The belief in the betterment of the world through man’s concerted efforts is expressed in the chorus:
We can change the world
Rearrange the world
It's dying
To get better
Yes, we can change the world
(Rearrange) Rearrange the world (It's dying)
If you believe in justice (It's dying)
And if you believe in freedom (It's dying)
Let a man live his own life (It's dying)
Rules and regulations, who needs them?
Open up the door
When I heard this song, I was moved by its message of bringing a change to the world. Even prior to coming into the knowledge of the truth, I knew the world had some serious problems. However, being ignorant of the reality of human nature (Romans 8:6-8), I did not realize that changing the world was only a fantasy.
Men can have high-minded ideals about bringing changes to the world, but how have those efforts of worked out? If you examine the history of the various revolutions of the 20th century—the Bolshevik overthrow of the czar; Mao Tse Tung’s rise in China, Pol Pot in Cambodia—the death toll and suffering is immense.
Even if one examines the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States, what is its condition in 2016? Our nation has lost its way morally and financially and we are not going to turn it around.
The bottom line is that apart from God nothing is going to change for the better. Man cannot through his own mind and ability change himself or the world.
Thankfully, our God is fully aware of the world’s horrible condition and it is His desire to change the world from top to bottom. In fact, God is already on the job of changing the world as He works with the firstfruits of salvation to create His Holy righteous character in those whom He has called.
God has called us to keep the Holy Days of the seventh month to impress upon us that the coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints to eternal life, the binding of Satan, the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ, and resurrection of all who have never known God or His plan of salvation is right
on course. Everything related to these days will be played out in the near future.
It is in that time, as God powerfully intervenes in this world, that our dying world will be changed permanently for the better.
The knowledge of the playing out of God’s plan is a perfect focal point as we enjoy God’s Sabbath day and look forward to the Holy Days ahead.
Good Sabbath to all!
Gary Smith
Friday, September 30, 2016
Elon Musk's Last Resort
Last week a headline appeared on the Drudge Report. It read, “ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND Elon Musk to reveal next step in mission to build city on Mars.”
Upon clicking on the link to the article it said in part, “Billionaire's SpaceX firm prepares for announcement about plans to turn humanity into a 'multiplanetary' species. Elon Musk is preparing to reveal further details of his hugely ambitious plan to build a city on the surface of Mars.
“Musk has previously claimed Mars is “a fixer-upper of a planet” and even suggested dropping nuclear bombs on its surface to heat up the atmosphere and make it suitable for human colonization.”
My thought about this grand plan for colonizing Mars is, “Why are we making plans to go to another planet when we have not taken care of planet Earth? Are we going to do any better in outer space?”
Elon Musk’s plan makes me think of the Eagles song, “The Last Resort” by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Quoting the last stanza they said, “And you can see them there on Sunday morning/Stand up and sing about what it's like up there/They called it paradise, I don't know why/You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye”.
I don’t believe that Mars is paradise, but it is unexplored territory. If we were able to reach and colonize the planet will the outcome be any different than the exploration and colonization of the earth? Sadly, the outcome will be no different because man’s whole approach to life is wrong.
Our world is governed primarily by self and get. This approach is why we have the horrible problems that we find on earth. The problems are not getting better with time. Truly, until we find the solution to the problems that plague this world space exploration will result in the same conditions on earth just spread farther out into the universe.
God lays out the fundamental approach that is crucial to any project. In Psalms 127:1 we are told, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. . . .” This verse is crucial to all projects on earth or in the heavens above. If God is at the center of building any project, then that project will prosper. But when God is left out, no project or plan of man can reach its full potential.
Truly, if Elon Musk is able to create a colony on Mars, as the Eagles said, you can “kiss it goodbye.”
Thankfully, as God’s people, God has come into our lives and He is building “houses” in each of our lives that will last forever.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath and Feast of Trumpets,
Gary Smith
Upon clicking on the link to the article it said in part, “Billionaire's SpaceX firm prepares for announcement about plans to turn humanity into a 'multiplanetary' species. Elon Musk is preparing to reveal further details of his hugely ambitious plan to build a city on the surface of Mars.
“Musk has previously claimed Mars is “a fixer-upper of a planet” and even suggested dropping nuclear bombs on its surface to heat up the atmosphere and make it suitable for human colonization.”
My thought about this grand plan for colonizing Mars is, “Why are we making plans to go to another planet when we have not taken care of planet Earth? Are we going to do any better in outer space?”
Elon Musk’s plan makes me think of the Eagles song, “The Last Resort” by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Quoting the last stanza they said, “And you can see them there on Sunday morning/Stand up and sing about what it's like up there/They called it paradise, I don't know why/You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye”.
I don’t believe that Mars is paradise, but it is unexplored territory. If we were able to reach and colonize the planet will the outcome be any different than the exploration and colonization of the earth? Sadly, the outcome will be no different because man’s whole approach to life is wrong.
Our world is governed primarily by self and get. This approach is why we have the horrible problems that we find on earth. The problems are not getting better with time. Truly, until we find the solution to the problems that plague this world space exploration will result in the same conditions on earth just spread farther out into the universe.
God lays out the fundamental approach that is crucial to any project. In Psalms 127:1 we are told, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. . . .” This verse is crucial to all projects on earth or in the heavens above. If God is at the center of building any project, then that project will prosper. But when God is left out, no project or plan of man can reach its full potential.
Truly, if Elon Musk is able to create a colony on Mars, as the Eagles said, you can “kiss it goodbye.”
Thankfully, as God’s people, God has come into our lives and He is building “houses” in each of our lives that will last forever.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath and Feast of Trumpets,
Gary Smith
Friday, September 23, 2016
The Right Approach to God’s Feast Days
Since the Holy Days will be observed shortly, I thought it would be valuable to consider the right approach to God’s Feast Days.
Isaiah states, “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" says the Lord. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats” (Isaiah 1:10-11). Isaiah’s statement seems odd in light of the fact that God directed Israel to offer various sacrifices.
The prophet condemns the people of Judah and Jerusalem for their sacrifices. Has God suddenly changed His mind about sacrifices or is there another reason why God inspired Isaiah 1:10-11?
Apparently, the people were quite diligent in making sacrifices and offerings at the temple. They offered and sacrificed large numbers of animals. However, God is not pleased with what they were offering because their approach is wrong. What is wrong with their approach? Before addressing what was wrong with their sacrifices, let’s examine what more God has to say.
"When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies —I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:12-15).
It should be noted that where they were falling short in coming before God is explained by understanding what is meant by “to trample my courts”. Barnes’ Notes states, “To tread his courts was an expression therefore, equivalent to, to worship. To tread the courts of the Lord here, has the idea of profanation. Who has required you to tread those courts with this hollow, heartless service? It is often used in the sense of treading down, or trampling on” (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Why are Judah’s sacrifices futile? Sadly, it has to do with their sinfulness. They offered sacrifices and offerings, burned incense, gathered for the Sabbath and Holy Days, and offered up an abundance of prayers. They were religious while still practicing sin. There was no humility, recognition of sin, or repentance.
The sacrificial system had ceased to serve its purpose of focusing the people on God and the need for righteousness. The people are religious but it is form without substance (2 Timothy 3:5).
The point here is that the character of the people had degenerated to the point that the manner in which they keep the Sabbath and religious festivals had become offensive to God. Their attitudes and approach had so degenerated that the Holy Day observances were hardly recognizable to God as having originated with Him. They were no longer His feasts, but the wayward people's feasts. Indeed, besides observing God's true festivals in a wrong manner and attitude, Israel had even instituted its own substitute holidays and participated in pagan observances.
Because of the people's defiance, we see that God has ceased listening to their prayers.
What is the lesson for the 21st century Christian? The lesson is that God has instructed us to make sacrifices and offerings, to attend the Holy Days, and to offer up prayers, but our attendance or giving an offering is not the most important thing. We can do all of those commanded things while continuing in sin and not walking humbly before God. Unless our heart is right, we are wasting God’s time and our time as well.
What is most important is the condition of our heart. King David came to understand this point and reflect that understanding in his prayer of repentance in Psalms 51:16-17, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise.”
As we come before God in prayer, on a Sabbath or Holy Day, God looks at our heart. Are we coming before Him in humility, in repentance, in joy and in gratefulness?
If we prepare our heart to seek our God, then He will accept our sacrifices and offering. He will hear our prayers. And He will be most glad that we are honoring Him through the Sabbath and Holy Days
.
As the Holy Days of the seventh month begin, we must take time to look at our spiritual condition and acknowledge our need for God in our lives. With that right approach, we can be assured God will be glad we honor Him at the Feast.
Gary Smith
Isaiah states, “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" says the Lord. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats” (Isaiah 1:10-11). Isaiah’s statement seems odd in light of the fact that God directed Israel to offer various sacrifices.
The prophet condemns the people of Judah and Jerusalem for their sacrifices. Has God suddenly changed His mind about sacrifices or is there another reason why God inspired Isaiah 1:10-11?
Apparently, the people were quite diligent in making sacrifices and offerings at the temple. They offered and sacrificed large numbers of animals. However, God is not pleased with what they were offering because their approach is wrong. What is wrong with their approach? Before addressing what was wrong with their sacrifices, let’s examine what more God has to say.
"When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies —I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:12-15).
It should be noted that where they were falling short in coming before God is explained by understanding what is meant by “to trample my courts”. Barnes’ Notes states, “To tread his courts was an expression therefore, equivalent to, to worship. To tread the courts of the Lord here, has the idea of profanation. Who has required you to tread those courts with this hollow, heartless service? It is often used in the sense of treading down, or trampling on” (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Why are Judah’s sacrifices futile? Sadly, it has to do with their sinfulness. They offered sacrifices and offerings, burned incense, gathered for the Sabbath and Holy Days, and offered up an abundance of prayers. They were religious while still practicing sin. There was no humility, recognition of sin, or repentance.
The sacrificial system had ceased to serve its purpose of focusing the people on God and the need for righteousness. The people are religious but it is form without substance (2 Timothy 3:5).
The point here is that the character of the people had degenerated to the point that the manner in which they keep the Sabbath and religious festivals had become offensive to God. Their attitudes and approach had so degenerated that the Holy Day observances were hardly recognizable to God as having originated with Him. They were no longer His feasts, but the wayward people's feasts. Indeed, besides observing God's true festivals in a wrong manner and attitude, Israel had even instituted its own substitute holidays and participated in pagan observances.
Because of the people's defiance, we see that God has ceased listening to their prayers.
What is the lesson for the 21st century Christian? The lesson is that God has instructed us to make sacrifices and offerings, to attend the Holy Days, and to offer up prayers, but our attendance or giving an offering is not the most important thing. We can do all of those commanded things while continuing in sin and not walking humbly before God. Unless our heart is right, we are wasting God’s time and our time as well.
What is most important is the condition of our heart. King David came to understand this point and reflect that understanding in his prayer of repentance in Psalms 51:16-17, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise.”
As we come before God in prayer, on a Sabbath or Holy Day, God looks at our heart. Are we coming before Him in humility, in repentance, in joy and in gratefulness?
If we prepare our heart to seek our God, then He will accept our sacrifices and offering. He will hear our prayers. And He will be most glad that we are honoring Him through the Sabbath and Holy Days
.
As the Holy Days of the seventh month begin, we must take time to look at our spiritual condition and acknowledge our need for God in our lives. With that right approach, we can be assured God will be glad we honor Him at the Feast.
Gary Smith
Friday, September 9, 2016
The Unseen Spirit World
As we look at our world we can see that change and sometimes upheaval is an ongoing process. We can see the political battles unfolding in various nations as new leaders seek power and we can see nations such as China, Russia, and Iran contending for hegemony in their region. We can only see what we can see with our own eyes and hear or read what is reported to us in the news.
We cannot see spiritual battles that are taking place. Being physical, we cannot see into the spiritual realm. However, the Bible gives us some insight into the world we cannot see.
Colossians 1:16 tells us that Jesus Christ was the one who created both the visible and the invisible. From this scripture we know there is a world that we as physical human beings cannot see. We may not be able to see it, but it is there nonetheless.
In John 3, Jesus Christ gives us some insight to that unseen world that is spirit. He told Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). Like wind, we can see the effect of spirit, but we cannot see spirit.
The prophet Daniel was given insight into what transpires in the spirit world unbeknownst to humanity unless God chooses to reveal what is taking place.
Daniel 9:2-4 tells us “in the first year of his reign (Darius, who is likely Cyrus) I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments””
Notice how he finishes his prayer in Daniel 9:21-23, “Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.”
When Daniel started praying the decision was made by God to do something about it. From Daniel’s perspective nothing happened immediately. But in the invisible world of spirit, God took immediate action.
If we continue down to Daniel 10, Gabriel says in verse 13, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”
What do we know so far? First, Daniel understood by reading Jeremiah that the time of captivity in Babylon would be seventy years. Daniel knew those years were now completed. The prophet knew the people of Judah were sinful, but he besought God to remember His promise to permit the people of Judah to return to their land. He was asking God for this in the first year of Darius.
There is a short delay because a demon was influencing the ruler of Persia. We are told the angels, Gabriel and Michael together, were able to get rid of that demon and then Gabriel remains with the prince of Persia.
Why did Gabriel remain with the prince of Persia? Obviously to carry out God’s commands and to influence the Persian ruler to issue a decree that would allow Judah to return to the Promised Land.
What Persian ruler was influenced? It was Cyrus who issued the decree, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing” (Ezra 1:1).
There was a short 21-day period of delay until the demon that was working closely with Cyrus to influence his mind was moved out of the way. Then Gabriel remained to carry out the commandment. Ezra tells us that God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to issue the decree. In other words, it was not just some brilliant idea Cyrus came up with.
In the world we cannot see, a demon was impacting the mind of the ruler of Persia. He was being influenced not to allow God’s plan for the Jews to return to their land to be fulfilled. Gabriel with help from Michael was able to get rid of the demon and impact the mind of Cyrus in a way that allowed God’s purpose to move forward.
What can we glean from Daniel’s experience? There is an unseen spirit world where we find angels and demons and they play a part at times in what unfolds in the physical world. The encouraging thing is that God hears our prayers and acts upon them. Even when an answer is delayed we can be assured that God has heard and acted on our behalf. As the Apostle James tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Enjoy the Sabbath day being assured that, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Gary Smith
We cannot see spiritual battles that are taking place. Being physical, we cannot see into the spiritual realm. However, the Bible gives us some insight into the world we cannot see.
Colossians 1:16 tells us that Jesus Christ was the one who created both the visible and the invisible. From this scripture we know there is a world that we as physical human beings cannot see. We may not be able to see it, but it is there nonetheless.
In John 3, Jesus Christ gives us some insight to that unseen world that is spirit. He told Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). Like wind, we can see the effect of spirit, but we cannot see spirit.
The prophet Daniel was given insight into what transpires in the spirit world unbeknownst to humanity unless God chooses to reveal what is taking place.
Daniel 9:2-4 tells us “in the first year of his reign (Darius, who is likely Cyrus) I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments””
Notice how he finishes his prayer in Daniel 9:21-23, “Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.”
When Daniel started praying the decision was made by God to do something about it. From Daniel’s perspective nothing happened immediately. But in the invisible world of spirit, God took immediate action.
If we continue down to Daniel 10, Gabriel says in verse 13, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”
What do we know so far? First, Daniel understood by reading Jeremiah that the time of captivity in Babylon would be seventy years. Daniel knew those years were now completed. The prophet knew the people of Judah were sinful, but he besought God to remember His promise to permit the people of Judah to return to their land. He was asking God for this in the first year of Darius.
There is a short delay because a demon was influencing the ruler of Persia. We are told the angels, Gabriel and Michael together, were able to get rid of that demon and then Gabriel remains with the prince of Persia.
Why did Gabriel remain with the prince of Persia? Obviously to carry out God’s commands and to influence the Persian ruler to issue a decree that would allow Judah to return to the Promised Land.
What Persian ruler was influenced? It was Cyrus who issued the decree, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing” (Ezra 1:1).
There was a short 21-day period of delay until the demon that was working closely with Cyrus to influence his mind was moved out of the way. Then Gabriel remained to carry out the commandment. Ezra tells us that God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to issue the decree. In other words, it was not just some brilliant idea Cyrus came up with.
In the world we cannot see, a demon was impacting the mind of the ruler of Persia. He was being influenced not to allow God’s plan for the Jews to return to their land to be fulfilled. Gabriel with help from Michael was able to get rid of the demon and impact the mind of Cyrus in a way that allowed God’s purpose to move forward.
What can we glean from Daniel’s experience? There is an unseen spirit world where we find angels and demons and they play a part at times in what unfolds in the physical world. The encouraging thing is that God hears our prayers and acts upon them. Even when an answer is delayed we can be assured that God has heard and acted on our behalf. As the Apostle James tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Enjoy the Sabbath day being assured that, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Gary Smith
Friday, September 2, 2016
Reason and Individual Freedom of Thought Sounds So Reasonable
This week an article about the rise of Satan worship caught my eye. The article pointed out:
If you were to do an internet search on the topic of Satan worship, you will get a surprising number of hits. As the author of the noted article stated: “They are now ordinary people.” In other words, the worship of the “Prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) is becoming more widely accepted.
For me it is interesting to note the perspective this movement promotes. The worshipers of Satan promote “reason and individual freedom of thought.” Should this approach be a surprise? It sounds so reasonable. However, we only have to go back to the Garden of Eden where Satan offered the first couple the very same options. Satan is always willing to promote human reason and freedom of thought.
As members of the body of Christ, God has opened our minds to recognize the futility of worshiping Satan.
Why is such worship futile? Let’s note some truths about Satan revealed in the Bible:
The Bible reveals Satan for the evil creature that he is and as one considers what is revealed about him in the scriptures there is little upside in his worship.
Yes, there are many stories of people who have sold their souls to the devil in order to achieve some worldly purpose. It appears that some do yield themselves to the powers of darkness and they do get what they want, but at what price?
It seems that Satan and the demonic world are gaining influence at this time and we will see the devastating results as we come to the end of the age.
We as God’s people can avoid this whole negative trend as we seek God. Note what the Apostle James tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” This is reassurance that as a result of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ, Satan has no power over us.
Enjoy the blessing of a Sabbath rest.
Gary Smith
- Satanists are not merely mystical eccentrics wearing black Gothic garb, sacrificing animals and operating in shady and secret societies.
- They are now ordinary people who call themselves ‘secular’ and praise reason and the individual freedom of thought.
- Just this month, a member of the so-called Satanic Temple was allowed to make an opening prayer to Lucifer at a local council meeting in Alaska.
- The Satanic Temple (TST) is a fairly new organization. Founded in 2013, it fights for political change by pointing out the ostensibly preferential treatment Christianity enjoys in politics. TST has seven chapters in the USA and Europe, and claims a membership of 100,000.
- The article can be accessed at: https://www.rt.com/op-edge/357523-what-hell-satan-worship-america/
If you were to do an internet search on the topic of Satan worship, you will get a surprising number of hits. As the author of the noted article stated: “They are now ordinary people.” In other words, the worship of the “Prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) is becoming more widely accepted.
For me it is interesting to note the perspective this movement promotes. The worshipers of Satan promote “reason and individual freedom of thought.” Should this approach be a surprise? It sounds so reasonable. However, we only have to go back to the Garden of Eden where Satan offered the first couple the very same options. Satan is always willing to promote human reason and freedom of thought.
As members of the body of Christ, God has opened our minds to recognize the futility of worshiping Satan.
Why is such worship futile? Let’s note some truths about Satan revealed in the Bible:
- He was a murderer from the beginning seeking to overthrow God and seeking to influence man to sin which would lead to his death (John 8:44)
- There is no truth in him (John 8:44)
- He is a liar (John 8:44)
- He is a predator seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)
- His name is Satan which means adversary. He opposes God and His plan of salvation.
- He foists himself off as an angel of light when in fact he is a bringer of darkness (2 Corinthians 11:14).
- He promotes sin, rebellion, and evil of every sort.
- He is a created being with limited power—greater power than human beings—but limited in comparison to his Creator.
- He has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9)
- His ultimate goals are to topple God from his throne and to eradicate every vestige of God from existence.
The Bible reveals Satan for the evil creature that he is and as one considers what is revealed about him in the scriptures there is little upside in his worship.
Yes, there are many stories of people who have sold their souls to the devil in order to achieve some worldly purpose. It appears that some do yield themselves to the powers of darkness and they do get what they want, but at what price?
It seems that Satan and the demonic world are gaining influence at this time and we will see the devastating results as we come to the end of the age.
We as God’s people can avoid this whole negative trend as we seek God. Note what the Apostle James tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” This is reassurance that as a result of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ, Satan has no power over us.
Enjoy the blessing of a Sabbath rest.
Gary Smith
Friday, August 26, 2016
The Dragonfly Hero
We live in times when there is much negative news. I thought it would be of value to consider something a little less heavy in nature.
In the last couple of weeks, we in Houston have enjoyed almost daily rainfall. The rainfall has not been overly heavy, but it has been frequent.
One of the challenges of the rainfall is that mosquitoes have become oppressive. If you go out of the house for a walk without insect repellent you are sure to be in need of a blood transfusion when you return home.
The most serious issue in regard to mosquitoes is that they are carriers of disease. The American Mosquito Control Association points out, “Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism -- over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, they also transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In addition, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. Mosquito vectored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heartworm, and viruses such as dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever.”
Lately, the Zika virus has begun to plague some areas. The mosquito-borne virus is quite serious and can even impact pregnant mothers.
Why do mosquitoes exist? I do not know the answer that question. One suggestion is that mosquitoes exist so we don’t hate flies as much. To be sure the negative impact of mosquitoes on humans and animals was never God’s intention at the creation.
While on a walk this week, I noted a swarm of dragonflies. In light of the large number of mosquitoes in the neighborhood, I wondered if there was some correlation. To find the answer I did an internet search concerning the dragonfly.
I learned, “One of the benefits of having dragonflies live nearby is that they eat many times their weight in mosquitoes every day. Dragonflies also eat many different kinds of flies. Using a basket-like arrangement of their legs, adult dragonflies can actually catch and eat other bugs while they are flying.” My brief research found that the reason the dragonflies were so plentiful this year is most probably the abundance of food.
Next time you see a dragonfly recognize it is on the prowl to thin out the mosquitoes around your community.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
In the last couple of weeks, we in Houston have enjoyed almost daily rainfall. The rainfall has not been overly heavy, but it has been frequent.
One of the challenges of the rainfall is that mosquitoes have become oppressive. If you go out of the house for a walk without insect repellent you are sure to be in need of a blood transfusion when you return home.
The most serious issue in regard to mosquitoes is that they are carriers of disease. The American Mosquito Control Association points out, “Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism -- over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, they also transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In addition, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. Mosquito vectored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heartworm, and viruses such as dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever.”
Lately, the Zika virus has begun to plague some areas. The mosquito-borne virus is quite serious and can even impact pregnant mothers.
Why do mosquitoes exist? I do not know the answer that question. One suggestion is that mosquitoes exist so we don’t hate flies as much. To be sure the negative impact of mosquitoes on humans and animals was never God’s intention at the creation.
While on a walk this week, I noted a swarm of dragonflies. In light of the large number of mosquitoes in the neighborhood, I wondered if there was some correlation. To find the answer I did an internet search concerning the dragonfly.
I learned, “One of the benefits of having dragonflies live nearby is that they eat many times their weight in mosquitoes every day. Dragonflies also eat many different kinds of flies. Using a basket-like arrangement of their legs, adult dragonflies can actually catch and eat other bugs while they are flying.” My brief research found that the reason the dragonflies were so plentiful this year is most probably the abundance of food.
Next time you see a dragonfly recognize it is on the prowl to thin out the mosquitoes around your community.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, August 5, 2016
Fake Culture Wars and True Prosperity
I did not watch any of the Republican National Convention, but I did make note of news reports and commentary. I thought a few comments from a speech as recorded in a July 22, 2016 staff article at CNSNews.com were significant enough to note them in this week’s Sabbath Thought.
In that article, it was noted by Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal that “fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline.”
“When I was a kid the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union and we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom,” said Thiel. “This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares? Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all, I am proud to be an American.
“I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform,” he said, “but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.”
The supposed “fake culture war” involves the decades long battle over abortion, the elimination of the Bible and prayer from our schools, the battle over public school curricula that is growing ever more perverse, and the ongoing abandonment of values that have been fundamental to America’s Judeo-Christian ethic.
In essence, Peter Thiel assesses that the battle over traditional values is a waste of time and all that matters is the economy. Our economic decline, in his opinion, has nothing to do with morality.
The theme “It’s the economy stupid!” was fundamental to the Bill Clinton presidential era. For the people of that time, the morality standards of the leader of the country were irrelevant as long as he got the job done. People saw that the nation prospered during the time of his presidency and concluded that good governance did not hinge on morality.
We are quite a few years down the road from the Clinton era and the Republicans have come to the same conclusion, “It’s the economy stupid!” The problem with this conclusion is that it is completely wrong.
Morality and prosperity go hand in hand.
We only have to look at Leviticus 26 to understand how a nation prospers. We are told in Leviticus 26:3-13, 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then:
Additionally, Leviticus 26 tells us what happens to a nation that becomes immoral. We are told in Leviticus 26:14-16, “'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you.” Moses then recorded a long list of terrible outcomes that follow the abandonment of morality. None of the outcomes support the notion that it is meaningless to fight a cultural war for right values.
The sad reality is that both the Republican and Democratic conventions display the complete abandonment of the Christian ethic. Our leaders are blind to what truly matters. In their mind all that matters is economics—jobs and prosperity. Without morality long-term prosperity is a pipedream.
Thankfully, God has opened our minds to see that if we want to truly prosper, we must apply the principles found in the Bible. Will we be rich as a result? Probably not. But we can be sure that we will be blessed in this life, in what truly matters, and in the end we will be part of God’s family forever.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
In that article, it was noted by Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal that “fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline.”
“When I was a kid the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union and we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom,” said Thiel. “This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares? Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all, I am proud to be an American.
“I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform,” he said, “but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.”
The supposed “fake culture war” involves the decades long battle over abortion, the elimination of the Bible and prayer from our schools, the battle over public school curricula that is growing ever more perverse, and the ongoing abandonment of values that have been fundamental to America’s Judeo-Christian ethic.
In essence, Peter Thiel assesses that the battle over traditional values is a waste of time and all that matters is the economy. Our economic decline, in his opinion, has nothing to do with morality.
The theme “It’s the economy stupid!” was fundamental to the Bill Clinton presidential era. For the people of that time, the morality standards of the leader of the country were irrelevant as long as he got the job done. People saw that the nation prospered during the time of his presidency and concluded that good governance did not hinge on morality.
We are quite a few years down the road from the Clinton era and the Republicans have come to the same conclusion, “It’s the economy stupid!” The problem with this conclusion is that it is completely wrong.
Morality and prosperity go hand in hand.
We only have to look at Leviticus 26 to understand how a nation prospers. We are told in Leviticus 26:3-13, 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then:
- We will have rain at the right time
- Bountiful harvests and plenty to eat
- Peace in the land and none will make you afraid
- You will overcome your enemies
- Abundant livestock
- And many children
Additionally, Leviticus 26 tells us what happens to a nation that becomes immoral. We are told in Leviticus 26:14-16, “'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you.” Moses then recorded a long list of terrible outcomes that follow the abandonment of morality. None of the outcomes support the notion that it is meaningless to fight a cultural war for right values.
The sad reality is that both the Republican and Democratic conventions display the complete abandonment of the Christian ethic. Our leaders are blind to what truly matters. In their mind all that matters is economics—jobs and prosperity. Without morality long-term prosperity is a pipedream.
Thankfully, God has opened our minds to see that if we want to truly prosper, we must apply the principles found in the Bible. Will we be rich as a result? Probably not. But we can be sure that we will be blessed in this life, in what truly matters, and in the end we will be part of God’s family forever.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, July 22, 2016
Flags At Half-Mast Have Become Commonplace
In traveling around the Houston area the last few weeks, I have noticed both the American and Texas flags have been flying at half-staff. It seems that they have been at half-staff more often than normal.
Flags are flown at half-staff in honor of the death of significant individuals such as a president, those who have fallen in the line of duty or those who have died as a result of some tragedy. I learned today that there is even a “widget” that will give “half-staff” notifications any time there is a determination that flying the American and state flags at half-staff is appropriate.
Recently flags have been flown at half-staff on the following dates:
US - 7/18/2016 US Flags at Half Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
US - 7/15/2016 US Flags at Half Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Nice, France
US - 7/8/2016US Flags at Half-Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Dallas, Texas
US - 6/12/2016 US Flags at Half-Staff Honoring Victims of Attack in Orlando
It seems that victims of attacks requiring the lowering of the national flag are becoming more commonplace. The four listed about have all taken place within a six-week period.
In light of the regularity of lowering the flag to half-mast it causes me to consider the ultimate outcome of the four tragedies mentioned.
As we consider the shooter who entered a nightclub well-armed, and the ensuing slaughter, “We might ask what positive result has come about through the death of 49 and the wounding of 53 others?” To date, I can think of no positive outcome to what took place in Orlando.
On July 7, 5 police officers were murdered in retaliation for recent police shootings deaths of black men. Five officer and the shooter are dead in Dallas. My question is this, “Did the murder of the Dallas officers bring an end to the inequities that sometimes occur at the hands of police officers? Did the murdering of others in retaliation solve anything?”
Did driving a bus through a crowd of people at a Bastille Day observance in Nice, France better the situation of anyone in France?
Did the murder of three more officers and the shooter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana resolve anything other than add to the death toll and spur more violence?
Sadly, all it seems we can do in the wake of such tragedies is lower our flags in honor of the slain and hold funeral vigils in their honor as well.
We can be sure there will be more lives taken because real, permanent solutions are not even considered! The only resource that offers mankind a way out of the savagery and brutality of these murders is to apply the principles found in the Bible.
Imagine if Paul’s instruction to the Romans were applied all over the world, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21).
If the principles emphasized by the Apostle were practiced, there would be no unnecessary deaths at the hands of the police nor attacks upon the police. There would no killings on behalf of an ideology or religion. Instead, everyone would seek to apply the principles of outgoing concern for one another. Wounds and slights would begin to heal and we could at last move toward peace with one another.
If the five verses quoted were applied on a daily basis throughout the world, flags flying at half-mast would be a rarity.
Gary Smith
Flags are flown at half-staff in honor of the death of significant individuals such as a president, those who have fallen in the line of duty or those who have died as a result of some tragedy. I learned today that there is even a “widget” that will give “half-staff” notifications any time there is a determination that flying the American and state flags at half-staff is appropriate.
Recently flags have been flown at half-staff on the following dates:
US - 7/18/2016 US Flags at Half Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
US - 7/15/2016 US Flags at Half Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Nice, France
US - 7/8/2016US Flags at Half-Staff Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Dallas, Texas
US - 6/12/2016 US Flags at Half-Staff Honoring Victims of Attack in Orlando
It seems that victims of attacks requiring the lowering of the national flag are becoming more commonplace. The four listed about have all taken place within a six-week period.
In light of the regularity of lowering the flag to half-mast it causes me to consider the ultimate outcome of the four tragedies mentioned.
As we consider the shooter who entered a nightclub well-armed, and the ensuing slaughter, “We might ask what positive result has come about through the death of 49 and the wounding of 53 others?” To date, I can think of no positive outcome to what took place in Orlando.
On July 7, 5 police officers were murdered in retaliation for recent police shootings deaths of black men. Five officer and the shooter are dead in Dallas. My question is this, “Did the murder of the Dallas officers bring an end to the inequities that sometimes occur at the hands of police officers? Did the murdering of others in retaliation solve anything?”
Did driving a bus through a crowd of people at a Bastille Day observance in Nice, France better the situation of anyone in France?
Did the murder of three more officers and the shooter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana resolve anything other than add to the death toll and spur more violence?
Sadly, all it seems we can do in the wake of such tragedies is lower our flags in honor of the slain and hold funeral vigils in their honor as well.
We can be sure there will be more lives taken because real, permanent solutions are not even considered! The only resource that offers mankind a way out of the savagery and brutality of these murders is to apply the principles found in the Bible.
Imagine if Paul’s instruction to the Romans were applied all over the world, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21).
If the principles emphasized by the Apostle were practiced, there would be no unnecessary deaths at the hands of the police nor attacks upon the police. There would no killings on behalf of an ideology or religion. Instead, everyone would seek to apply the principles of outgoing concern for one another. Wounds and slights would begin to heal and we could at last move toward peace with one another.
If the five verses quoted were applied on a daily basis throughout the world, flags flying at half-mast would be a rarity.
Gary Smith
Friday, July 15, 2016
What Will America Be Like When God Stops Blessing America?
In the Sabbath Thought for this week, I thought I would reflect on the contrast between growing up in the America of the 1950’s and 1960’s and the America of 2016. It’s quite a black and white disparity.
In elementary school, we regularly said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sang “My Country Tis of Thee”. We also learned other patriotic songs such as “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America the Beautiful”, and “God Bless America”. Unbelievably in that era virtually no one objected.
It is heartening in our modern age to go to a ball game or other sporting event, and have them begin the event by playing “The Star Spangled Banner”. It is even more moving to have the crowd join in. It still happens at least at baseball games.
I will always remember the 2001 World Series after the destruction at the World Trade Center. It was a unique baseball playoff because there was an added element of patriotism and recollection of God. We were Americans, proud of it, and thankful to God for His many blessings.
I always remember the Star Spangled Banner being played before a baseball game commenced. At the seventh inning stretch, it was common to sing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” but I don’t remember them singing “God Bless America.” But they certainly did during the 2001 Series. It had a special significance that year.
Additionally, during that Series, Ray Charles performed his rendition of “America the Beautiful.” He had originally recorded the song in 1972 in the midst of the turmoil over the Viet Nam War. When he sang that patriotic song at Yankee Stadium in October 2001, it was a perfect choice that fit with the pain and sadness stemming the loss of so many lives.
Patriotism and thanks to God were common in the 1950’s and 1960’s and those values were briefly rekindled in 2001. But there seems to be a different spirit today.
Consider an article by columnists, L. Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham entitled, “Now Controversial: ‘God Bless America.” They write, “The folks at the New York Daily News have embraced a mission to become the most provocative jerks in the Big Apple. One day it's personal attacks on those praying for the victims of terrorism, the next it's declaring the National Rifle Association to be murderous. In keeping with this stream of insulting behaviors, columnist Gersh Kuntzman has issued a demand, saying, "Major League Baseball must permanently retire 'God Bless America,' a song that offends everyone."
They note that the columnist Kuntzman went on to say, “It's time for God to stop blessing America during the seventh-inning stretch. Welcome to the July 4 weekend — when once again, baseball fans will be assaulted by the saccharine-sweet non-anthem 'God Bless America' at stadia all over this great land." The song, he says, "should be sent permanently to the bench."”
In 1939, Irving Belin wrote “God Bless America.” 1939 was a time when the dark clouds of world war were on the horizon. Maybe he recognized the need for God’s blessing on America.
He wrote:
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
A question arises in light of this attitude toward God blessing America, “What will America be like when God stops blessing our nation?”
A more important consideration in light of the sad events unfolding in our country, “Has God already withdrawn His blessings from our country?”
As this Sabbath approaches, you might consider the need for God’s blessing on our country. Hopefully, it’s not too late and God will once again bless America.
Gary Smith
In elementary school, we regularly said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sang “My Country Tis of Thee”. We also learned other patriotic songs such as “The Star Spangled Banner”, “America the Beautiful”, and “God Bless America”. Unbelievably in that era virtually no one objected.
It is heartening in our modern age to go to a ball game or other sporting event, and have them begin the event by playing “The Star Spangled Banner”. It is even more moving to have the crowd join in. It still happens at least at baseball games.
I will always remember the 2001 World Series after the destruction at the World Trade Center. It was a unique baseball playoff because there was an added element of patriotism and recollection of God. We were Americans, proud of it, and thankful to God for His many blessings.
I always remember the Star Spangled Banner being played before a baseball game commenced. At the seventh inning stretch, it was common to sing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” but I don’t remember them singing “God Bless America.” But they certainly did during the 2001 Series. It had a special significance that year.
Additionally, during that Series, Ray Charles performed his rendition of “America the Beautiful.” He had originally recorded the song in 1972 in the midst of the turmoil over the Viet Nam War. When he sang that patriotic song at Yankee Stadium in October 2001, it was a perfect choice that fit with the pain and sadness stemming the loss of so many lives.
Patriotism and thanks to God were common in the 1950’s and 1960’s and those values were briefly rekindled in 2001. But there seems to be a different spirit today.
Consider an article by columnists, L. Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham entitled, “Now Controversial: ‘God Bless America.” They write, “The folks at the New York Daily News have embraced a mission to become the most provocative jerks in the Big Apple. One day it's personal attacks on those praying for the victims of terrorism, the next it's declaring the National Rifle Association to be murderous. In keeping with this stream of insulting behaviors, columnist Gersh Kuntzman has issued a demand, saying, "Major League Baseball must permanently retire 'God Bless America,' a song that offends everyone."
They note that the columnist Kuntzman went on to say, “It's time for God to stop blessing America during the seventh-inning stretch. Welcome to the July 4 weekend — when once again, baseball fans will be assaulted by the saccharine-sweet non-anthem 'God Bless America' at stadia all over this great land." The song, he says, "should be sent permanently to the bench."”
In 1939, Irving Belin wrote “God Bless America.” 1939 was a time when the dark clouds of world war were on the horizon. Maybe he recognized the need for God’s blessing on America.
He wrote:
"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
A question arises in light of this attitude toward God blessing America, “What will America be like when God stops blessing our nation?”
A more important consideration in light of the sad events unfolding in our country, “Has God already withdrawn His blessings from our country?”
As this Sabbath approaches, you might consider the need for God’s blessing on our country. Hopefully, it’s not too late and God will once again bless America.
Gary Smith
Friday, July 8, 2016
Summer Camp: Guided By God’s Word
Camp Pinecrest is over for 2016, but the experience provides a lesson for this week’s Sabbath Thought.
This year, camp began on Thursday, June 23, with the arrival of 49 staff members and about 60 campers. It is a remarkable thing that over 100 people can get together and create something that is pleasing to God. It is not only an outcome that is pleasing to God, but is most encouraging as well.
When we go to camp, we are, first of all isolated. There is little traffic to contend with and no TV’s to be seen or heard. The teens turn in their electronics on Friday and, as a result, there is no distraction from what we are trying to achieve for the next week.
Outside of our little community at the camp, the world goes on as always. People continue to choose from the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil whether they know it or not. Sadly, man seems to be choosing from the tree of death more than the tree of life. What we are doing in Fredericktown, Missouri is of little import to the world at large. But from God’s perspective our week long gathering is of great significance.
Why is camp significant from God’s point of view? And why is it encouraging to the participants young and old?
Camp is significant to God because you have 49 adults from all over the Midwest. Volunteers from diverse backgrounds, points of view, temperaments, and various levels of spiritual maturity come to serve as staff. The overriding feature of those who give of their time at camp is their willingness to yield to God and one another so that the teens can be well served. More importantly, if the teens take the time to consider what is taking place they can see the atmosphere at camp is produced because of the application of God’s way of life.
Paul summarized what takes place at camp each year, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
Should we be surprised by this positive outcome? Absolutely not! God’s way, when applied, always works. It always has and it always will.
For Liz and I in our position of administrating the camp, it is easy to focus on the minutiae—the injuries and the human failings that inevitably happen when you run a summer camp. But to only see the negative is the miss the bigger picture which is most encouraging.
We are encouraged by camp because above all we can see the staff making sacrifices, willingly helping one another, and being willing to help even when it is not their job. To put the outcome in terms of this year’s camp theme, they are willing to be “Guided by God’s Word.” This willingness to submit to God and apply the truths of the Bible is an annual reminder that God’s way always works.
With that encouragement in mind, we look forward to Camp Pinecrest 2017.
Gary Smith
This year, camp began on Thursday, June 23, with the arrival of 49 staff members and about 60 campers. It is a remarkable thing that over 100 people can get together and create something that is pleasing to God. It is not only an outcome that is pleasing to God, but is most encouraging as well.
When we go to camp, we are, first of all isolated. There is little traffic to contend with and no TV’s to be seen or heard. The teens turn in their electronics on Friday and, as a result, there is no distraction from what we are trying to achieve for the next week.
Outside of our little community at the camp, the world goes on as always. People continue to choose from the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil whether they know it or not. Sadly, man seems to be choosing from the tree of death more than the tree of life. What we are doing in Fredericktown, Missouri is of little import to the world at large. But from God’s perspective our week long gathering is of great significance.
Why is camp significant from God’s point of view? And why is it encouraging to the participants young and old?
Camp is significant to God because you have 49 adults from all over the Midwest. Volunteers from diverse backgrounds, points of view, temperaments, and various levels of spiritual maturity come to serve as staff. The overriding feature of those who give of their time at camp is their willingness to yield to God and one another so that the teens can be well served. More importantly, if the teens take the time to consider what is taking place they can see the atmosphere at camp is produced because of the application of God’s way of life.
Paul summarized what takes place at camp each year, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
Should we be surprised by this positive outcome? Absolutely not! God’s way, when applied, always works. It always has and it always will.
For Liz and I in our position of administrating the camp, it is easy to focus on the minutiae—the injuries and the human failings that inevitably happen when you run a summer camp. But to only see the negative is the miss the bigger picture which is most encouraging.
We are encouraged by camp because above all we can see the staff making sacrifices, willingly helping one another, and being willing to help even when it is not their job. To put the outcome in terms of this year’s camp theme, they are willing to be “Guided by God’s Word.” This willingness to submit to God and apply the truths of the Bible is an annual reminder that God’s way always works.
With that encouragement in mind, we look forward to Camp Pinecrest 2017.
Gary Smith
Friday, May 27, 2016
Why Are Some Able To See The Word of God While Others Can’t See It?
Last week in the Sabbath Thought I talked about “the experts.”
I spoke of the scholars and the brightest minds of this world
that cannot see the truth of God’s word. Sadly, they use their
creativity and exceptional abilities to pick God’s word apart.
They use their creative abilities to speculate on how the
writers of the Gospels put their books together. Their
speculations fit with how their carnal minds feel the scriptures
originated. As one analyzes the conclusions the learned put
forward in regard to God’s word, those called out can clearly
see that they are blinded.
Why is that the case? Why are some able to see the word of God while others can’t see it?
Thankfully the Bible helps us to understand the subject of blindness to God’s word. The subject of blindness to God’s truth is spoken of in a variety of ways and places in scripture.
The Apostle John addresses this issue in John 12. Beginning in verse 37, he points out that Christ walked among the people of Judea and the surrounding territories and performed “many signs before them” and “yet they did not believe Him.” John also points out the reason the people did not believe the signs done before them supported that Jesus Christ was the Christ. In fact, he points out in verse 38 that this outcome was prophesied by Isaiah.
He then quotes the prophet, “"Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them" (John 12:38- 40).
What John is pointing out is that one may be able to actually see, hear, and touch Jesus Christ in the flesh, but one can still not truly see or discern the bigger picture. The same is true for God’s word. One may be able to read it and to understand the words, but it seems there is a barrier imposed that does not allow true comprehension.
Paul also makes the point about blindness in Romans 11:7-8. While pointing to the blindness, the Apostle also points out that there are those to whom God has given understanding. “What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written, "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day."” Paul not only points out the blindness of Israel, but he points out that “the elect have obtained it”. He is saying that God, through His grace, mercy, and power, has opened the understanding of the elect only, in this age. “The rest,” everyone else besides the elect, “were blinded.”
1 Corinthians 2 reveals how it is that the elect can get beyond the blindness. It has nothing to do with intelligence, intellect, or IQ. It has to do with the spirit of God.
The Apostle writes, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Paul is speaking of God’s wisdom which only the “spiritually” mature can understand. It is not the wisdom of this age. It is not wisdom that the rich, the powerful, the well-educated, or the intellectually gifted can understand. If they had been able to understand it, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ. They were blinded to God’s “hidden wisdom”.
How is it that the elect can see? The ability to see “the glorious light of the Gospel” (2 Corinthians 4:4) is a gift given to us by God through His Holy Spirit. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Through God’s Spirit, we can see and hear, and truly understand, Jesus Christ and His word. God has removed the veil of blindness (2 Corinthians 3:14-15).
As the elect of God, God has opened the Bible. The truths of God make sense to those called out. “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
Through God’s calling and election, we can see the word of God, but what of the rest of the world? “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). To put it bluntly, the rest of the world, at this time is blinded.
Thankfully, there is coming a time when the veil of spiritual blindness will be taken away from the world. Only then will those now blind come to acknowledge their blindness and seek God’s help to clearly see.
As you enjoy the Sabbath day, take time to consider that God has opened your mind to see the spiritual things that most of the world cannot see.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Why is that the case? Why are some able to see the word of God while others can’t see it?
Thankfully the Bible helps us to understand the subject of blindness to God’s word. The subject of blindness to God’s truth is spoken of in a variety of ways and places in scripture.
The Apostle John addresses this issue in John 12. Beginning in verse 37, he points out that Christ walked among the people of Judea and the surrounding territories and performed “many signs before them” and “yet they did not believe Him.” John also points out the reason the people did not believe the signs done before them supported that Jesus Christ was the Christ. In fact, he points out in verse 38 that this outcome was prophesied by Isaiah.
He then quotes the prophet, “"Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them" (John 12:38- 40).
What John is pointing out is that one may be able to actually see, hear, and touch Jesus Christ in the flesh, but one can still not truly see or discern the bigger picture. The same is true for God’s word. One may be able to read it and to understand the words, but it seems there is a barrier imposed that does not allow true comprehension.
Paul also makes the point about blindness in Romans 11:7-8. While pointing to the blindness, the Apostle also points out that there are those to whom God has given understanding. “What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written, "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day."” Paul not only points out the blindness of Israel, but he points out that “the elect have obtained it”. He is saying that God, through His grace, mercy, and power, has opened the understanding of the elect only, in this age. “The rest,” everyone else besides the elect, “were blinded.”
1 Corinthians 2 reveals how it is that the elect can get beyond the blindness. It has nothing to do with intelligence, intellect, or IQ. It has to do with the spirit of God.
The Apostle writes, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Paul is speaking of God’s wisdom which only the “spiritually” mature can understand. It is not the wisdom of this age. It is not wisdom that the rich, the powerful, the well-educated, or the intellectually gifted can understand. If they had been able to understand it, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ. They were blinded to God’s “hidden wisdom”.
How is it that the elect can see? The ability to see “the glorious light of the Gospel” (2 Corinthians 4:4) is a gift given to us by God through His Holy Spirit. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Through God’s Spirit, we can see and hear, and truly understand, Jesus Christ and His word. God has removed the veil of blindness (2 Corinthians 3:14-15).
As the elect of God, God has opened the Bible. The truths of God make sense to those called out. “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
Through God’s calling and election, we can see the word of God, but what of the rest of the world? “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). To put it bluntly, the rest of the world, at this time is blinded.
Thankfully, there is coming a time when the veil of spiritual blindness will be taken away from the world. Only then will those now blind come to acknowledge their blindness and seek God’s help to clearly see.
As you enjoy the Sabbath day, take time to consider that God has opened your mind to see the spiritual things that most of the world cannot see.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Friday, May 20, 2016
If God’s Word Is Not True, We Have No Hope
This year I decided to go back through a class on Ancient Israel. The class was a wonderful reminder of why I enjoyed the class in my college days.
The final portion of the class went through the arrest and trial of Jesus Christ which is an excellent study prior to the Passover. As this portion of the class began, several books on the subject of the arrest and trial were recommended by the professor. In light of the recommendations made, I ordered three books on the subject. I am currently in the process of reading one of the recommended books.
You would hope that the scholars would be able to give us deep insight into a subject that every Christian would like to know more about. However, the scholars writing the three books come at the subject from the same vantage point. Not one of the learned scholars believes that the Bible is the truth and every word of it is “God breathed” or as we might also say “inspired”.
The three writers view the Gospels as books based on a variety traditions and basically the “fantasies” of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the scholars view, the four Gospels are not an accurate recounting of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
Here are a few quotes that emphasize the author’s vantage point.
“Thus the Gospels contain no less than seven different descriptions of a scene of a judicial or quasi-judicial character, together with five descriptions of a scene of the maltreatment and mockery of Jesus….Each evangelist retained what he himself had found, and enlarged it by his specific contribution. In this way a discrepancy came about between the various evangelical accounts….The sequence of events now recorded in the four Gospels could not possibly have taken place within the space of six or seven hours, actual time-lag between Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion” (Paul Winter, “On The Trial of Jesus”, pp. 7-8).
“It is now no longer seriously disputed that there was not available to the authors of the Gospels any testimony of eyewitnesses who were present at any of the stages of the arrest, trial, or crucifixion of Jesus and gave a direct account of it” (Haim Cohn, The Trial and Death of Jesus, p. xiii).
“In short, the Gospel traditions are “messages of faith and not historiography”; any historical material in their hands the authors used “to add detail and graphic quality,” but on the whole, they freely exercised their fantasy “in presenting, and in meaning to present, not history but theology” (Cohn, p. xv).
These quotes do not promote faith in God and in His word. If God’s word is unreliable, how can we have confidence in God or His plan of salvation? If God’s word is not true, we have no hope beyond the physical world, so we better be about the business of enjoying the physical life to the hilt.
However, we are reassured by God’s word.
First of all we learn in John 10:35 that, “…the Scripture cannot be broken)….” The point Christ is making concerning the scriptures, as accurately translated, is they are not in error. If we find error or contradiction in the word of God, then how can we believe in the scriptures at all? Thankfully, the scriptures are reliable and without error. If we find a seeming contradiction, we can be assured that if we dig into the scriptures we can find a reliable explanation.
The writers of the gospels sought to truthfully recount for God’s people the truths they witnessed. Their writings were not flights of fantasy made up in order to sell the public on Jesus Christ. Note what the Apostle John relates about his personal experience, “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe” (John 19:35).
John made a similar point in 1 John 1:1-4, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
The writers of the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament sought to record the truth to serve as a reliable record for the generations to come. The New Testament harmonizes perfectly with Old Testament to give us a complete record in order to follow a path pleasing to God.
In summary, the Gospel accounts are true and accurate and serve to give us insight into our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sadly, so-called experts cannot see the picture clearly and they present a picture that only causes doubt and uncertainty.
Thankfully, God gives us the opportunity every Sabbath to come together as a congregation to delve into God’s word for “doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
The final portion of the class went through the arrest and trial of Jesus Christ which is an excellent study prior to the Passover. As this portion of the class began, several books on the subject of the arrest and trial were recommended by the professor. In light of the recommendations made, I ordered three books on the subject. I am currently in the process of reading one of the recommended books.
You would hope that the scholars would be able to give us deep insight into a subject that every Christian would like to know more about. However, the scholars writing the three books come at the subject from the same vantage point. Not one of the learned scholars believes that the Bible is the truth and every word of it is “God breathed” or as we might also say “inspired”.
The three writers view the Gospels as books based on a variety traditions and basically the “fantasies” of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the scholars view, the four Gospels are not an accurate recounting of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
Here are a few quotes that emphasize the author’s vantage point.
“Thus the Gospels contain no less than seven different descriptions of a scene of a judicial or quasi-judicial character, together with five descriptions of a scene of the maltreatment and mockery of Jesus….Each evangelist retained what he himself had found, and enlarged it by his specific contribution. In this way a discrepancy came about between the various evangelical accounts….The sequence of events now recorded in the four Gospels could not possibly have taken place within the space of six or seven hours, actual time-lag between Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion” (Paul Winter, “On The Trial of Jesus”, pp. 7-8).
“It is now no longer seriously disputed that there was not available to the authors of the Gospels any testimony of eyewitnesses who were present at any of the stages of the arrest, trial, or crucifixion of Jesus and gave a direct account of it” (Haim Cohn, The Trial and Death of Jesus, p. xiii).
“In short, the Gospel traditions are “messages of faith and not historiography”; any historical material in their hands the authors used “to add detail and graphic quality,” but on the whole, they freely exercised their fantasy “in presenting, and in meaning to present, not history but theology” (Cohn, p. xv).
These quotes do not promote faith in God and in His word. If God’s word is unreliable, how can we have confidence in God or His plan of salvation? If God’s word is not true, we have no hope beyond the physical world, so we better be about the business of enjoying the physical life to the hilt.
However, we are reassured by God’s word.
First of all we learn in John 10:35 that, “…the Scripture cannot be broken)….” The point Christ is making concerning the scriptures, as accurately translated, is they are not in error. If we find error or contradiction in the word of God, then how can we believe in the scriptures at all? Thankfully, the scriptures are reliable and without error. If we find a seeming contradiction, we can be assured that if we dig into the scriptures we can find a reliable explanation.
The writers of the gospels sought to truthfully recount for God’s people the truths they witnessed. Their writings were not flights of fantasy made up in order to sell the public on Jesus Christ. Note what the Apostle John relates about his personal experience, “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe” (John 19:35).
John made a similar point in 1 John 1:1-4, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
The writers of the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament sought to record the truth to serve as a reliable record for the generations to come. The New Testament harmonizes perfectly with Old Testament to give us a complete record in order to follow a path pleasing to God.
In summary, the Gospel accounts are true and accurate and serve to give us insight into our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sadly, so-called experts cannot see the picture clearly and they present a picture that only causes doubt and uncertainty.
Thankfully, God gives us the opportunity every Sabbath to come together as a congregation to delve into God’s word for “doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, May 13, 2016
When the Righteous Are in Authority, the People Rejoice; But...
On May 3, Donald Trump was victorious in the Indiana primary. The Ted Cruz and John Kasich campaigns each called it quits.
What does this political outcome tell us?
Dr. Michael Brown, on May 4, 2016, published an opinion piece entitled, "Donald Trump the National Enquirer President". His full article appears at the following link: http://barbwire.com/2016/05/04/donald-trump-national-enquirer-president
He begins the article, “It is altogether fitting that Donald Trump became the all-but-certain presidential nominee of the Republican Party on the same day that he cited the ridiculous allegations of the National Enquirer that Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael, had involvement in the assassination of JFK.
“This is not so much an indictment on Trump as it is an indictment on the American people. God could well be giving us exactly what we deserve.”
Dr. Brown then speaks of where we are at as a people, “I have no desire to be right; I do have an intense desire to see America blessed; and I would far rather say, “I was so wrong about Donald Trump,” than say, “I told you so!”
“That being said, it appears today in America that God has given us over to delusion, a phenomenon mentioned several times in the Bible when God takes away a people’s moral and spiritual sensibilities as a judgment on their sin.
“In other words, because people reject Him and His standards, He says, “Go ahead then. Have at it,” further pushing us into our folly.”
Proverbs 29:2 tells us, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” If we look at the conduct of the presidential candidates, it appears there is to be more groaning in our future than rejoicing.
The Apostle Paul spoke of a society’s condition when God is rejected in Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. . . .” Have we been given over to a debased mindset?
Dr. Brown describes our condition, “That seems to be the only way to explain how we are suddenly at the point in America where people are saying there’s nothing wrong with grown men using women’s locker rooms and bathrooms and where states like California have ruled that boys who identify as girls can play on the girls’ sports teams and share their shower stalls and changing areas.
“This is cultural insanity, yet many are too blind to see.
“How else do we explain college students telling a young Caucasian man that if he identifies as a woman, he is; if he identifies as Chinese, he is; if he identifies as a 7-year-old, he is – but if he identifies as 6’ 5” he is not – how else do we explain this unless we have been given over to a spirit of delusion?
“I see the Trump candidacy in the same way.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his blatant, well-documented lying.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his consistent practice of vile character assassination for the purpose of political gain.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his vulgarity and profanity.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his ignorance of critical issues and his complete flip-flopping of major positions.”
The last four points made are they not warning signs about a presidential candidate? And yet no one heeds! Interestingly, we could do a similar analysis of other presidential candidates.
One final quote, “And he has masterfully appealed to American fears and anger – fears of terrorism, fears of economic collapse, anger with the political system, anger with American weakness – to the point that his supporters are looking to him as a quasi-savior figure. Only he can get the job done!
“But in almost any other time in American history, Trump’s negatives would have so outweighed his positives that he would have quickly disqualified himself as a candidate.
“Not today.”
Noting this current situation in regard to American leadership, should we be surprised by what is on the horizon?
The Apostle John was able to see an evil political figure that will arise at the end of the age, “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” (Revelation 13:4-7).
As our world unravels, we have the anchor of the Sabbath, which reminds us that the King of kings, and Lord of lords is coming to reign in righteousness (Revelation 19:11).
May God hasten the day.
Gary Smith
What does this political outcome tell us?
Dr. Michael Brown, on May 4, 2016, published an opinion piece entitled, "Donald Trump the National Enquirer President". His full article appears at the following link: http://barbwire.com/2016/05/04/donald-trump-national-enquirer-president
He begins the article, “It is altogether fitting that Donald Trump became the all-but-certain presidential nominee of the Republican Party on the same day that he cited the ridiculous allegations of the National Enquirer that Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael, had involvement in the assassination of JFK.
“This is not so much an indictment on Trump as it is an indictment on the American people. God could well be giving us exactly what we deserve.”
Dr. Brown then speaks of where we are at as a people, “I have no desire to be right; I do have an intense desire to see America blessed; and I would far rather say, “I was so wrong about Donald Trump,” than say, “I told you so!”
“That being said, it appears today in America that God has given us over to delusion, a phenomenon mentioned several times in the Bible when God takes away a people’s moral and spiritual sensibilities as a judgment on their sin.
“In other words, because people reject Him and His standards, He says, “Go ahead then. Have at it,” further pushing us into our folly.”
Proverbs 29:2 tells us, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” If we look at the conduct of the presidential candidates, it appears there is to be more groaning in our future than rejoicing.
The Apostle Paul spoke of a society’s condition when God is rejected in Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. . . .” Have we been given over to a debased mindset?
Dr. Brown describes our condition, “That seems to be the only way to explain how we are suddenly at the point in America where people are saying there’s nothing wrong with grown men using women’s locker rooms and bathrooms and where states like California have ruled that boys who identify as girls can play on the girls’ sports teams and share their shower stalls and changing areas.
“This is cultural insanity, yet many are too blind to see.
“How else do we explain college students telling a young Caucasian man that if he identifies as a woman, he is; if he identifies as Chinese, he is; if he identifies as a 7-year-old, he is – but if he identifies as 6’ 5” he is not – how else do we explain this unless we have been given over to a spirit of delusion?
“I see the Trump candidacy in the same way.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his blatant, well-documented lying.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his consistent practice of vile character assassination for the purpose of political gain.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his vulgarity and profanity.
“Tens of millions of Americans are not put off by his ignorance of critical issues and his complete flip-flopping of major positions.”
The last four points made are they not warning signs about a presidential candidate? And yet no one heeds! Interestingly, we could do a similar analysis of other presidential candidates.
One final quote, “And he has masterfully appealed to American fears and anger – fears of terrorism, fears of economic collapse, anger with the political system, anger with American weakness – to the point that his supporters are looking to him as a quasi-savior figure. Only he can get the job done!
“But in almost any other time in American history, Trump’s negatives would have so outweighed his positives that he would have quickly disqualified himself as a candidate.
“Not today.”
Noting this current situation in regard to American leadership, should we be surprised by what is on the horizon?
The Apostle John was able to see an evil political figure that will arise at the end of the age, “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” (Revelation 13:4-7).
As our world unravels, we have the anchor of the Sabbath, which reminds us that the King of kings, and Lord of lords is coming to reign in righteousness (Revelation 19:11).
May God hasten the day.
Gary Smith
Friday, April 15, 2016
The Christian Passover: One Bread and One Body
As the Sabbath of April 16 approaches, we are only a few days away from the Passover. In light of our observance of the Passover, I thought it would be timely to consider a first century problem that is still most important to us today. It is a problem that relates to the Passover.
In the world in which Jesus Christ carried out his ministry, Jewish culture predominated in Judea. It was a culture that impacted all of the Apostles and many Christians with a Jewish heritage. Jewish culture greatly impacting the church should not be surprising because the church was almost exclusively Jewish until God added Cornelius and his household in Acts 10.
Although Peter and those who accompanied him to the house of Cornelius could clearly see that God had added Gentiles to the church just as he had the Jews gathered at the temple on Pentecost in 31 AD, it was hard for them to fully grasp the meaning of this dramatic shift. The first century Jewish Christians, including the Apostles, were “cultural captives”, meaning they operated based upon their cultural heritage which was not God’s perspective in regard to the church.
The impact of Jewish culture on the Apostles is illustrated in the book of Galatians. There in Paul’s epistle, we find that Peter and other Jews had no problem eating meals with the non-Jewish Christians.
However, when leading Jewish Christians came to Antioch and saw Peter and the other Jews in Antioch eating with the Gentiles they created a fuss over this. From the perspective of these visitors from Jerusalem Paul and the other Jews were being made ritually unclean by eating with the Gentiles. Peter, Barnabas and other Jewish Christians stopped eating with the Gentiles feeling uncomfortable and maybe confused about what to do. So they separated themselves for meals from the Gentiles.
Paul seeing this take place could not let this hypocrisy pass. We find him addressing this, “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”” (Galatians 2:14).
Paul addressed this because this division between Jew and Gentile was going to create a huge rift in the Church of God if not properly dealt with. Paul intervened in the matter strongly because of the potential for splitting the church into Jewish and Gentile factions. Such division was not God’s intention as illustrated most emphatically in Acts 10 and Acts 15, as well as, in the epistles of Paul.
We might ask, “How does this situation relate to the Passover?”
Consider the footwashing.
We have a separation for the footwashing between men and women for modesty and decorum in a groups setting.
However, should we seek to separate based on whether we are Jewish or Gentile? I am an Israelite and will not wash the feet of a Gentile. If we went down such a path of segregation, we would be back to the same situation as the first century. We would be divided which is not what any part of the Passover service symbolizes.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” In other words, we are one body, bound together through the Spirit of God dwelling in each member.
Our being one body is emphasized by each member partaking of the bread and the wine. Every member of the body of Christ partakes of the Passover symbols. Paul points out what this symbolizes in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” As we partake of the Passover symbols we are unified.
The word communion in this passage causes some confusion because it is used by some as a title for the taking of the bread and wine. However, the word used by Paul indicates unity of the body of Christ in partaking of it. The word “communion” is translated as “share a fellowship” in Amplified; “a sharing” in the New Century Version; and the Wuest Expanded New Testament translates the Greek as “our joint-participation”. Paul uses the word “communion” to indicate we are together as one body as observe the Passover.
So as we come together to observe the Passover, we are neither Jew nor Gentile, slave or free, male or female. We are all heirs of salvation.
Enjoy a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
In the world in which Jesus Christ carried out his ministry, Jewish culture predominated in Judea. It was a culture that impacted all of the Apostles and many Christians with a Jewish heritage. Jewish culture greatly impacting the church should not be surprising because the church was almost exclusively Jewish until God added Cornelius and his household in Acts 10.
Although Peter and those who accompanied him to the house of Cornelius could clearly see that God had added Gentiles to the church just as he had the Jews gathered at the temple on Pentecost in 31 AD, it was hard for them to fully grasp the meaning of this dramatic shift. The first century Jewish Christians, including the Apostles, were “cultural captives”, meaning they operated based upon their cultural heritage which was not God’s perspective in regard to the church.
The impact of Jewish culture on the Apostles is illustrated in the book of Galatians. There in Paul’s epistle, we find that Peter and other Jews had no problem eating meals with the non-Jewish Christians.
However, when leading Jewish Christians came to Antioch and saw Peter and the other Jews in Antioch eating with the Gentiles they created a fuss over this. From the perspective of these visitors from Jerusalem Paul and the other Jews were being made ritually unclean by eating with the Gentiles. Peter, Barnabas and other Jewish Christians stopped eating with the Gentiles feeling uncomfortable and maybe confused about what to do. So they separated themselves for meals from the Gentiles.
Paul seeing this take place could not let this hypocrisy pass. We find him addressing this, “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”” (Galatians 2:14).
Paul addressed this because this division between Jew and Gentile was going to create a huge rift in the Church of God if not properly dealt with. Paul intervened in the matter strongly because of the potential for splitting the church into Jewish and Gentile factions. Such division was not God’s intention as illustrated most emphatically in Acts 10 and Acts 15, as well as, in the epistles of Paul.
We might ask, “How does this situation relate to the Passover?”
Consider the footwashing.
We have a separation for the footwashing between men and women for modesty and decorum in a groups setting.
However, should we seek to separate based on whether we are Jewish or Gentile? I am an Israelite and will not wash the feet of a Gentile. If we went down such a path of segregation, we would be back to the same situation as the first century. We would be divided which is not what any part of the Passover service symbolizes.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” In other words, we are one body, bound together through the Spirit of God dwelling in each member.
Our being one body is emphasized by each member partaking of the bread and the wine. Every member of the body of Christ partakes of the Passover symbols. Paul points out what this symbolizes in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” As we partake of the Passover symbols we are unified.
The word communion in this passage causes some confusion because it is used by some as a title for the taking of the bread and wine. However, the word used by Paul indicates unity of the body of Christ in partaking of it. The word “communion” is translated as “share a fellowship” in Amplified; “a sharing” in the New Century Version; and the Wuest Expanded New Testament translates the Greek as “our joint-participation”. Paul uses the word “communion” to indicate we are together as one body as observe the Passover.
So as we come together to observe the Passover, we are neither Jew nor Gentile, slave or free, male or female. We are all heirs of salvation.
Enjoy a most pleasant Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Friday, April 1, 2016
Prophetic Geopolitics Crucial to Christ's Crucifixion
The Passover is less than a month away. On that date, we gather in order to remember the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ to redeem us from our sins.
At Passover, we are reminded of Christ’s body that was broken by scourging and His crucifixion which led to his death at the point of a Roman spear.
The question we might ask: What does the death of a Jewish man by crucifixion in a backwater Roman province have to do with geopolitics? The answer is that without the necessary geopolitical alignment Christ would never have been crucified.
Going back to the time of Alexander the Great and the generals who succeeded him, the land of Judea was a geopolitical football. Judea was a first dominated by the Ptolemies of Egypt. Next it came under the dominion of the Seleucid Empire. In the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judea gained some degree of independence.
In time a third power, the Romans, entered the power struggle for the land of Judea. In the time when Augustus Caesar was gaining control over the Roman Empire, a man we known historically as Herod the Great rose to power. He through his own financing and military prowess took possession of the province of Judea and was able to rule that territory as a client king from 37 BC to approximately 4 BC. During this time, Jewish law governed and death sentences were carried out according the Jewish regulations. If one were condemned to death, the sentence would not have been crucifixion.
With Herod’s death around 4 BC, he was succeeded by his son, Herod Archelaus. He was approved as ruler by the Romans, but they did not rule directly. They gave Archelaus the lion’s share of the Herod the Great’s territory. They gave him Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. They also allowed him to enjoy the title of ethnarch of Judea with the idea if he proved his capabilities and loyalty they would allow him to be called king of Judea later.
Unfortunately for Archelaus, he did not do well and the Romans removed him from power and exiled him to Lyon in what we know today as France.
With the removal of Archelaus the area that Archelaus had ruled became a Roman province. It was known as the Roman province of Judea. The only part of Herod the Great’s territory that came under Roman rule was the part ruled by Archelaus.
This change in the political situation was crucial. It was crucial because the change was necessary to fulfill prophecy. Without Archelaus losing control of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, prophecy could not have been fulfilled. Judea remained a Roman province from 6 AD to 41 AD
We might ask, “Why is it important that Judea was a Roman province between 6 AD and 41 AD? In what way did it pave the way for prophecy to be fulfilled?”
If Archelaus had been an independent ruler of Judea, then Christ would not have been crucified. He would have died in some other way: either by stoning, beheading, or some other fashion favored by the Jews. The most likely form of execution would have been stoning.
What’s the problem with stoning? Stoning would have violated the prophetic word found in Psalms 34:20, “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” The Apostle John refers to Psalm 34 to buttress the fact that Jesus was the Messiah in John 19:35-36, “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."
If Judea had been under rule by any of the descendants of Herod, he would have been most probably executed by stoning. The problem with stoning is that during the execution Christ would have suffered multiple broken bones. If executed by decapitation, bones would have been broken.
It was necessary to fulfill prophecy for Jesus to be crucified. A crucifixion would only have taken place if Judea had been a Roman province at the time of the Messiah’s death.
Geopolitical events insured that at the time when the death of the Messiah became necessary he would die by the uniquely Roman form of execution, crucifixion.
We can rejoice that Christ died on our behalf and we can be reassured that Christ’s crucifixion fulfilled the prophetic word.
Have a most enjoyable Sabbath.
Gary Smith
At Passover, we are reminded of Christ’s body that was broken by scourging and His crucifixion which led to his death at the point of a Roman spear.
The question we might ask: What does the death of a Jewish man by crucifixion in a backwater Roman province have to do with geopolitics? The answer is that without the necessary geopolitical alignment Christ would never have been crucified.
Going back to the time of Alexander the Great and the generals who succeeded him, the land of Judea was a geopolitical football. Judea was a first dominated by the Ptolemies of Egypt. Next it came under the dominion of the Seleucid Empire. In the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judea gained some degree of independence.
In time a third power, the Romans, entered the power struggle for the land of Judea. In the time when Augustus Caesar was gaining control over the Roman Empire, a man we known historically as Herod the Great rose to power. He through his own financing and military prowess took possession of the province of Judea and was able to rule that territory as a client king from 37 BC to approximately 4 BC. During this time, Jewish law governed and death sentences were carried out according the Jewish regulations. If one were condemned to death, the sentence would not have been crucifixion.
With Herod’s death around 4 BC, he was succeeded by his son, Herod Archelaus. He was approved as ruler by the Romans, but they did not rule directly. They gave Archelaus the lion’s share of the Herod the Great’s territory. They gave him Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. They also allowed him to enjoy the title of ethnarch of Judea with the idea if he proved his capabilities and loyalty they would allow him to be called king of Judea later.
Unfortunately for Archelaus, he did not do well and the Romans removed him from power and exiled him to Lyon in what we know today as France.
With the removal of Archelaus the area that Archelaus had ruled became a Roman province. It was known as the Roman province of Judea. The only part of Herod the Great’s territory that came under Roman rule was the part ruled by Archelaus.
This change in the political situation was crucial. It was crucial because the change was necessary to fulfill prophecy. Without Archelaus losing control of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea, prophecy could not have been fulfilled. Judea remained a Roman province from 6 AD to 41 AD
We might ask, “Why is it important that Judea was a Roman province between 6 AD and 41 AD? In what way did it pave the way for prophecy to be fulfilled?”
If Archelaus had been an independent ruler of Judea, then Christ would not have been crucified. He would have died in some other way: either by stoning, beheading, or some other fashion favored by the Jews. The most likely form of execution would have been stoning.
What’s the problem with stoning? Stoning would have violated the prophetic word found in Psalms 34:20, “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” The Apostle John refers to Psalm 34 to buttress the fact that Jesus was the Messiah in John 19:35-36, “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."
If Judea had been under rule by any of the descendants of Herod, he would have been most probably executed by stoning. The problem with stoning is that during the execution Christ would have suffered multiple broken bones. If executed by decapitation, bones would have been broken.
It was necessary to fulfill prophecy for Jesus to be crucified. A crucifixion would only have taken place if Judea had been a Roman province at the time of the Messiah’s death.
Geopolitical events insured that at the time when the death of the Messiah became necessary he would die by the uniquely Roman form of execution, crucifixion.
We can rejoice that Christ died on our behalf and we can be reassured that Christ’s crucifixion fulfilled the prophetic word.
Have a most enjoyable Sabbath.
Gary Smith
Friday, March 4, 2016
Too Many Distractions For Bible Study?
A few weeks ago a blog was written to address why third and fourth generation Christians are leaving the church. The blog addressed various points and I would like to address one of those points as part of this week’s Sabbath Thought.
The author of the blog writes, “We are inundated with more distractions than the generations before us
Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. At the touch of a button we can pull up porn, dirty comedy, and a host of all kinds of other sinful things. Even if we aren’t out looking for it, it’s constantly being pushed in our faces. While TV and the internet are considered amazing modern advances, they make being a Christian a lot more difficult. Not only do they surround us with temptation, but they distract us from what we should really be doing.”
Are there more distractions today? Probably, but not only do third and fourth generation Christians have to deal with these distractions but so do all Christians living at this time. Distractions are part of this world and have always posed temptations for God’s people. Our challenge is to turn off the TV, the internet, the X-box, the cell phone or the computer. Instead of letting the distractions get the better of us, we must focus upon those things that are pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul addressed where our minds should be in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Clearly, by conscious choice we must fill our minds with the uplifting things Paul points to in order that we can meditate on them. We must reject the distractions tempting us and deliberately focus on the positive.
The author of the blog continues, “We are trained to think that studying is work. It’s not something we look forward to since we do it all day long at school and even into (sic) our jobs. Studying the Bible in your free time just doesn’t sound relaxing. Now TV, that’s relaxing. We know what we should do, but it’s just so easy to give in to other options when they are sitting right there at our fingertips. However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes a lot more appealing.
Our relationships with God suffer because of this… and we know it. We ache for the simpler times when people weren’t so overwhelmed by this world and the distractions in it.
When we get distracted, when our relationship with God falls by the wayside, it becomes easier to leave.”
It is true that studying is not always fun or as relaxing as TV. But isn’t that the challenge we face in regard to Bible study? We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligence implies applying oneself, working hard, striving for a goal. From Hebrews 11:6 we can conclude that if we diligently seek to understand God and His way of life through the Bible we will be rewarded for the effort.
More to the point, where can we find the qualities Paul laid out in Philippians 3 more completely expressed than in the Bible? Paul directs Timothy, a young man in the faith, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
In the blog post the author gives a great suggestion for avoiding distractions and studying the Bible, “However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes more appealing.” Clearly, when one shuts out the distractions and focuses his attentions on the scriptures then the word of God has the greatest potential for impacting a person’s life.
As one studies the Bible in a focused manner, the rewards of the effort are great. Note what David recorded in Psalm 19 in regard to God’s word “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).
It is true that our world is filled with many distractions and it is easier to be distracted than to engage in Bible study. However, at the end of the day, what do we have to show for indulging in distractions? In most cases, the distractions we indulge in offer us no lasting result and most importantly they do not contribute to our being in the Kingdom of God.
However, doing the work that Bible study requires, reap results that last forever.
Happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
The author of the blog writes, “We are inundated with more distractions than the generations before us
Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. At the touch of a button we can pull up porn, dirty comedy, and a host of all kinds of other sinful things. Even if we aren’t out looking for it, it’s constantly being pushed in our faces. While TV and the internet are considered amazing modern advances, they make being a Christian a lot more difficult. Not only do they surround us with temptation, but they distract us from what we should really be doing.”
Are there more distractions today? Probably, but not only do third and fourth generation Christians have to deal with these distractions but so do all Christians living at this time. Distractions are part of this world and have always posed temptations for God’s people. Our challenge is to turn off the TV, the internet, the X-box, the cell phone or the computer. Instead of letting the distractions get the better of us, we must focus upon those things that are pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul addressed where our minds should be in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Clearly, by conscious choice we must fill our minds with the uplifting things Paul points to in order that we can meditate on them. We must reject the distractions tempting us and deliberately focus on the positive.
The author of the blog continues, “We are trained to think that studying is work. It’s not something we look forward to since we do it all day long at school and even into (sic) our jobs. Studying the Bible in your free time just doesn’t sound relaxing. Now TV, that’s relaxing. We know what we should do, but it’s just so easy to give in to other options when they are sitting right there at our fingertips. However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes a lot more appealing.
Our relationships with God suffer because of this… and we know it. We ache for the simpler times when people weren’t so overwhelmed by this world and the distractions in it.
When we get distracted, when our relationship with God falls by the wayside, it becomes easier to leave.”
It is true that studying is not always fun or as relaxing as TV. But isn’t that the challenge we face in regard to Bible study? We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligence implies applying oneself, working hard, striving for a goal. From Hebrews 11:6 we can conclude that if we diligently seek to understand God and His way of life through the Bible we will be rewarded for the effort.
More to the point, where can we find the qualities Paul laid out in Philippians 3 more completely expressed than in the Bible? Paul directs Timothy, a young man in the faith, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
In the blog post the author gives a great suggestion for avoiding distractions and studying the Bible, “However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes more appealing.” Clearly, when one shuts out the distractions and focuses his attentions on the scriptures then the word of God has the greatest potential for impacting a person’s life.
As one studies the Bible in a focused manner, the rewards of the effort are great. Note what David recorded in Psalm 19 in regard to God’s word “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).
It is true that our world is filled with many distractions and it is easier to be distracted than to engage in Bible study. However, at the end of the day, what do we have to show for indulging in distractions? In most cases, the distractions we indulge in offer us no lasting result and most importantly they do not contribute to our being in the Kingdom of God.
However, doing the work that Bible study requires, reap results that last forever.
Happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, February 26, 2016
Could You Pass The Marshmallow Test?
I am currently reading, “The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America” by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld. The book has offered some interesting insights into how and why different groups have achieved success. Most of the book is about conventional success such as money, education, and rising cultural status. While there are some applications to us as Christians in this material, there is one section that is especially pertinent to us as members of the Church of God.
“Led by social and developmental psychologists . . . a large and growing body of research has demonstrated that the capacity to resist temptation to quit when a task is arduous, daunting, or beyond one’s immediate abilities—is critical to achievement. This capacity to resist temptation is exactly what we mean by impulse control, and the remarkable finding is that greater impulse control in early childhood translates into much better outcomes across a wide variety of domains (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 117).
This finding was first stumbled upon by Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel in his famous “marshmallow test”. He was trying to determine how children learn to resist temptation. His test placed marshmallows in front of three- to five-year-olds. The children were told that if they waited a few minutes they would receive a second treat. Children who held out for fifteen minutes received a second marshmallow.
The result? A majority of the children ate up and only a minority resisted temptation.
The great surprise was discovered later on when Mischel decided to follow up on the 650 children used in the test when they were in high school. “It turned out that the children who had held out were doing much better academically with fewer social problems that those who hadn’t” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 118).
In a New Zealand study tracking over 1000 individuals from birth to age thirty two, Mischel’s findings were further confirmed. “. . . the study found that individuals with low impulse control as children were significantly more likely to develop problems with drugs, alcohol, and obesity; to work in low-paying jobs; to have a sexually transmitted disease; and to end up in prison. Those with high impulse control were healthier, more affluent, and more likely to have a stable marriage, raising children in a two-parent household” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 118).
There is one additional finding of note in these experiments and findings. “Willpower and perseverance can be strengthened. That’s where culture comes in. Cultivating impulse control in children—indeed in anyone, at any age—is a powerful lever of success” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 119).
Does this have any translation to our lives as a Christians?
We only have to turn to Genesis 2 and 3 for the answer. Did God’s first two children display impulse control? It’s as if God put Adam and Eve in the Garden and said, “Don’t eat of the marshmallow and you’ll get a treat later.” Sadly, like most of the children in the “marshmallow test”, they ate of the forbidden fruit, were expelled from the Garden, and have the penalty of death hanging over their heads.
Were their progeny any more successful in delaying gratification than first two people created by God? Sadly, few of those who came along later followed God. The ultimate outcome of a lack of impulse control is brought out in Genesis 6:5-6, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Human history is a chronicle of man being unwilling to wait for gratification of his desires. The outcome has been disastrous.
As Christians, God wants us to be yielded to God’s Holy Spirit and guided by God’s word so that God can create in us His character. He wants us to resist our carnal desires. The outcome of our denying our carnal impulses, not giving in to temptation, is to be readied for a treat of much greater and lasting value than a marshmallow that treat being eternal life in the family of God.
Happy Sabbath!
Gary Smith
“Led by social and developmental psychologists . . . a large and growing body of research has demonstrated that the capacity to resist temptation to quit when a task is arduous, daunting, or beyond one’s immediate abilities—is critical to achievement. This capacity to resist temptation is exactly what we mean by impulse control, and the remarkable finding is that greater impulse control in early childhood translates into much better outcomes across a wide variety of domains (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 117).
This finding was first stumbled upon by Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel in his famous “marshmallow test”. He was trying to determine how children learn to resist temptation. His test placed marshmallows in front of three- to five-year-olds. The children were told that if they waited a few minutes they would receive a second treat. Children who held out for fifteen minutes received a second marshmallow.
The result? A majority of the children ate up and only a minority resisted temptation.
The great surprise was discovered later on when Mischel decided to follow up on the 650 children used in the test when they were in high school. “It turned out that the children who had held out were doing much better academically with fewer social problems that those who hadn’t” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 118).
In a New Zealand study tracking over 1000 individuals from birth to age thirty two, Mischel’s findings were further confirmed. “. . . the study found that individuals with low impulse control as children were significantly more likely to develop problems with drugs, alcohol, and obesity; to work in low-paying jobs; to have a sexually transmitted disease; and to end up in prison. Those with high impulse control were healthier, more affluent, and more likely to have a stable marriage, raising children in a two-parent household” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 118).
There is one additional finding of note in these experiments and findings. “Willpower and perseverance can be strengthened. That’s where culture comes in. Cultivating impulse control in children—indeed in anyone, at any age—is a powerful lever of success” (Chua and Rubenfeld, p. 119).
Does this have any translation to our lives as a Christians?
We only have to turn to Genesis 2 and 3 for the answer. Did God’s first two children display impulse control? It’s as if God put Adam and Eve in the Garden and said, “Don’t eat of the marshmallow and you’ll get a treat later.” Sadly, like most of the children in the “marshmallow test”, they ate of the forbidden fruit, were expelled from the Garden, and have the penalty of death hanging over their heads.
Were their progeny any more successful in delaying gratification than first two people created by God? Sadly, few of those who came along later followed God. The ultimate outcome of a lack of impulse control is brought out in Genesis 6:5-6, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Human history is a chronicle of man being unwilling to wait for gratification of his desires. The outcome has been disastrous.
As Christians, God wants us to be yielded to God’s Holy Spirit and guided by God’s word so that God can create in us His character. He wants us to resist our carnal desires. The outcome of our denying our carnal impulses, not giving in to temptation, is to be readied for a treat of much greater and lasting value than a marshmallow that treat being eternal life in the family of God.
Happy Sabbath!
Gary Smith
Friday, February 19, 2016
Tomorrow Is Promised To No Man. Are You In Right Standing With God?
Death can come so suddenly and without warning. This reality offers us something to consider about God and life.
When we are young we tend to view death as something that is a long way off. It is something that afflicts the older generation, not the young and vibrant. Sometimes we can live our lives as if death isn’t even on the radar. The Apostle James brings out this point in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
James is addressing a prideful approach that we can take as we plan without God in the picture. It is as if we are the masters of life and God does not exist. To those being addressed money is much more important than serving God. They make plans for the future without seeking the will of God. They live like the man portrayed in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21). They fail to realize that they cannot add even a minute to their life. They are completely dependent on God.
We don’t even know what will happen tomorrow, and our lives are like vapor that vanishes quickly. If we have no idea what the immediate future holds nor are we able to control it, what is the purpose of life? We must live by Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Those James addresses have not asked about the meaning and duration of life. They talk about the future with absolute certainty. Yet they have no control over it. They live their life but fail to inquire into its purpose. They are blind and ignorant.
What should our approach be? “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.”” God is to be sovereign in our lives. In all our planning, deeds, and accomplishments we must acknowledge our submission to God.
We don’t know for certain whether our lives will be long, short or somewhere in the middle. But we do know that God is sovereign and we are to acknowledge him in how we live each day. As we live in submission to God’s will then it doesn’t matter whether life is long or short. We are in right standing with God no matter the outcome.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
When we are young we tend to view death as something that is a long way off. It is something that afflicts the older generation, not the young and vibrant. Sometimes we can live our lives as if death isn’t even on the radar. The Apostle James brings out this point in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
James is addressing a prideful approach that we can take as we plan without God in the picture. It is as if we are the masters of life and God does not exist. To those being addressed money is much more important than serving God. They make plans for the future without seeking the will of God. They live like the man portrayed in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21). They fail to realize that they cannot add even a minute to their life. They are completely dependent on God.
We don’t even know what will happen tomorrow, and our lives are like vapor that vanishes quickly. If we have no idea what the immediate future holds nor are we able to control it, what is the purpose of life? We must live by Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
Those James addresses have not asked about the meaning and duration of life. They talk about the future with absolute certainty. Yet they have no control over it. They live their life but fail to inquire into its purpose. They are blind and ignorant.
What should our approach be? “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.”” God is to be sovereign in our lives. In all our planning, deeds, and accomplishments we must acknowledge our submission to God.
We don’t know for certain whether our lives will be long, short or somewhere in the middle. But we do know that God is sovereign and we are to acknowledge him in how we live each day. As we live in submission to God’s will then it doesn’t matter whether life is long or short. We are in right standing with God no matter the outcome.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, February 12, 2016
Doritos Stirs Up Debate With Super Bowl Commercial
One of the Super Bowl commercials and the reaction is the stimulus for this week’s Sabbath Thought.
The ad was promoting Doritos. “The ad portrays a lively unborn baby on an ultrasound screen reacting with enthusiasm to the Dorito-munching expectant Dad’s packet of snacks. Each time the husband moves a chip towards his wife’s belly and the baby on the screen makes a lunge for it. When the annoyed Mom throws a chip across the room the baby, to everyone’s consternation, decides to make an early arrival” (CNS News—http://cnsnews.com, 2/8/2016).
NARAL Pro-Choice America responded to the ad with the following Tweet, #NotBuyingit-that@Doritos ad using #antichoice tactic of humanizing fetuses . . . .” Only in 21st century America could we have someone outraged by “humanizing” a fetus. Honestly, what other way should we look at a baby in the womb? It is a potential human being with fingers, toes, hands, and all of the other important parts that make up a baby. Amazingly, the baby moves and every time it moves a mother knows she has a living being in her womb.
We might ask, “Does God like babies?” Consider Genesis 1: 27-28, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Amazing, God instructed mankind to be fruitful and multiply. In fact, God’s directive was to “fill the earth.” We can clearly see that from the beginning of human existence, God wanted many children to be born.
As one considers the Bible as a whole, in what chapter and verse do we find any parents who don’t want children? Abraham and Sarah were desperate to have a child. In fact, they believed God would give them a child, but they didn’t know the exact timing. So they took matters into their own hands and Ishmael was born. Ishmael was not the promised child. The couple was most joyful when the son of promise, Isaac, arrived.
In 1 Samuel 1, we learn of Elkanah who had two wives. One wife had children, but the other wife, Hannah, had no children. We learn that God has closed Hannah’s womb. The outcome of this situation, “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat” (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Ultimately, Hannah went up to Shiloh and petitioned God to give her a child. God heard her prayer and blessed her with a son, Samuel.
From Genesis to Revelation, we find women having children and we never find them bemoaning their pregnancies and births. In fact, the Bible takes a most positive view of children, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalms 127:3-5).
The ad was meant to be funny, but sadly there is a significant element of American society which fails to see the humor. More importantly, they refuse to accept the fact that a baby in the womb is not just a glob of unfeeling tissue. A fetus is a living being awaiting the time when it will burst forth into this world hopefully into the waiting arms of proud parents.
All we can do at this time is enjoy our children and grandchildren realizing that each one of them is a potential son of God. We look forward to that time when all mankind will come to understand the incredible human potential of each child.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
The ad was promoting Doritos. “The ad portrays a lively unborn baby on an ultrasound screen reacting with enthusiasm to the Dorito-munching expectant Dad’s packet of snacks. Each time the husband moves a chip towards his wife’s belly and the baby on the screen makes a lunge for it. When the annoyed Mom throws a chip across the room the baby, to everyone’s consternation, decides to make an early arrival” (CNS News—http://cnsnews.com, 2/8/2016).
NARAL Pro-Choice America responded to the ad with the following Tweet, #NotBuyingit-that@Doritos ad using #antichoice tactic of humanizing fetuses . . . .” Only in 21st century America could we have someone outraged by “humanizing” a fetus. Honestly, what other way should we look at a baby in the womb? It is a potential human being with fingers, toes, hands, and all of the other important parts that make up a baby. Amazingly, the baby moves and every time it moves a mother knows she has a living being in her womb.
We might ask, “Does God like babies?” Consider Genesis 1: 27-28, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Amazing, God instructed mankind to be fruitful and multiply. In fact, God’s directive was to “fill the earth.” We can clearly see that from the beginning of human existence, God wanted many children to be born.
As one considers the Bible as a whole, in what chapter and verse do we find any parents who don’t want children? Abraham and Sarah were desperate to have a child. In fact, they believed God would give them a child, but they didn’t know the exact timing. So they took matters into their own hands and Ishmael was born. Ishmael was not the promised child. The couple was most joyful when the son of promise, Isaac, arrived.
In 1 Samuel 1, we learn of Elkanah who had two wives. One wife had children, but the other wife, Hannah, had no children. We learn that God has closed Hannah’s womb. The outcome of this situation, “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat” (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Ultimately, Hannah went up to Shiloh and petitioned God to give her a child. God heard her prayer and blessed her with a son, Samuel.
From Genesis to Revelation, we find women having children and we never find them bemoaning their pregnancies and births. In fact, the Bible takes a most positive view of children, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalms 127:3-5).
The ad was meant to be funny, but sadly there is a significant element of American society which fails to see the humor. More importantly, they refuse to accept the fact that a baby in the womb is not just a glob of unfeeling tissue. A fetus is a living being awaiting the time when it will burst forth into this world hopefully into the waiting arms of proud parents.
All we can do at this time is enjoy our children and grandchildren realizing that each one of them is a potential son of God. We look forward to that time when all mankind will come to understand the incredible human potential of each child.
Have a pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, January 15, 2016
Bible and Sword: On the Edge of Prophecy
I am currently reading, Bible and Sword, by Barbara W. Tuchman. It is an exposition on England and its relationship to Palestine. She covers the time from the Bronze Age to the time of the Balfour Declaration which paved the way for a Jewish state. It is a most interesting discussion of how the English took an interest in that small section of the earth that we as Christians would designate the Land of Promise.In this week’s Sabbath Thought it is my goal to note one particular section of the book which I found to be amazing. What I found to be amazing was that there was a time when a group of Englishmen sought to literally implement God’s laws, judgments and statutes on a national scale.
In Chapter VII titled, “On the Edge of Prophecy: Puritan England and the Hope of Israel”, she gives an overview of the Puritans. For most people in modern America and in England, the Puritans are seen as “the lunatic fringe.”
She states, “With the Puritans came an invasion of Hebraism transmitted through the Old Testament, but distorted by the effort to apply to post-Renaissance England the ethics, laws and manners native to a Middle Eastern people of more than two thousand years earlier. In their devotion to chapter and verse of the Hebrew testaments the Puritans, undaunted by the mental jump of two millennia, adapted to themselves the thoughts of tribal herdsmen groping their way out of idolatry toward monotheism in the time of Abraham, or of slaves triumphing over Pharaoh in the time of the Exodus, or of warriors carving the frontiers of a new state in the time of Saul and David. . . .It did not matter that it covered a period, from Abraham to Maccabaeus, of nearly a millennium and a half; the Puritans swallowed the whole with equal zeal.”
“It was not a narrative ideally suited for transplanting word for word, as principle and precedent, to seventeenth-century England. But that was what the Puritans attempted” (Bible and Sword, Barbara W. Tuchman, page 108).
In other words, she sees the Puritans taking the teachings of the Old Testament and seeking to implement them in their time. In other words, they were seeking to take the scriptures and apply them in everyday life. They were seeking to apply God’s word to the whole of England.
There is actually a specific year in which the Puritans sought to bring about implementation of this lofty goal. “For in the year 1653, with the calling of the Barebone Parliament, the “remarkablest” of the modern world according to Carlyle, the peak of Hebraism was reached. The little band of stern, impassioned men hand-picked by Cromwell convened on July 4, 1653 with the set purpose of so remaking England’s constitution as to put into actual practice Mosaic Law and the pristine principles of Jesus. On the Exchange, in the courts, in the markets, the Englishman was willy-nilly going to love his neighbor as himself. It was, says Lord Morley in his life of Cromwell, an attempt “to found a civil society on the literal words of Scripture . . .the high water mark of the biblical politics of the time.
“Cromwell himself was inspired by the move and in his opening speech to the Little Parliament he seemed almost carried away by a vision of himself bringing, like Elijah, a nation back to God. “Truly you are called by God as Judah was to rule with Him and for Him. . .You are at the edge of Promises and Prophecies, he went on, and quoted the Sixty-eighth Psalm: “There it prophesies that ‘He shall bring His people again from the depths of the Sea’ as He once led Israel through the Red Sea. And it may be, as some think, God will bring the Jews home to their station, ‘from the isles of the sea’” And he rose in eloquence, quoting psalms and prophets in every other sentence and assuring his hearers that the triumph promised by the Sixty-eighth Psalm to God’s people of old would be realized by the Commonwealth, God’s people now on earth” (Tuchman, pp. 122-123).
The author is incredulous that the Puritans could not see that the literal implementation of the ancient word of God, formed and shaped over 1500 years, was an impossibility. For her, the Bible applied in its time only, but had little or no application beyond that time. The Bible is ancient and has little modern application.
Was there any positive outcome of this zeal for God’s word among the Puritans? Matthew Arnold wrote of the impact of the Puritans and their zeal to obey the law. Their zeal he says, “left a lasting imprint on the nation.”
“Our race,” Arnold declared, “has yet (and a great part of its strength lies here)…..a strong share of the assuredness, the tenacity, the intensity of the Hebrews. This turn manifested itself in Puritanism and has had a great share in shaping our history for the last two hundred years” (Tuchman, page 113).
From her interpretation of the Puritans, I have two observations.
First, is it really so unrealistic to apply the word of God on a day to day basis? She sees such application as impossible, but is it? What would happen if a nation undertook a full implementation of the word of God? The outcome would be revolutionary as the prophet Isaiah clearly stated.
Isaiah 2:3-4, ““Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
The second observation is that England was impacted positively by the Puritan effort to implement the principles of the Bible. It was not a trend that lasted, but it paved the way for freedom, parliamentary government, liberty, the rule of law and many other positive results in the English speaking world.
The Puritans didn’t fully understand the Bible, but they did understand that God’s way of life is to apply to a nation and our individual lives. Their approach was heavy-handed at times and at times misguided, but what they hoped for will be a reality when Jesus Christ returns.
Have a happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Friday, January 8, 2016
How to Live Forever
Over the last few weeks, I found a couple of headlines on the Drudge Report to be quite interesting.
The first headline appeared on the December 4, 2015 Drudge Report. It reads, “Live Forever: Billionaires Pursuing Immortality Like Never Before.” The link for the headline leads to an article written by Charlotte Lytton for The Daily Beast entitled, “The Year We Decided to Live Forever.” The article indicates that tech billionaires are writing out large checks to fund research which might find the key to immortality.
Approximately a month later, a second headline addressed the same subject. In the January 2, 2016 British Newspaper, The Daily Express, Kat Romero wrote about a new company that claims they will be able to resurrect the dead by 2045. She writes, “Entrepreneur Josh Bocanegra says his company Humai is aiming to bring the dead back to life.
“The new company is aiming to “extend and enhance life" by freezing human brains for extended periods of time using cryonics, a deep freezing technology using very low temperatures, and then putting them into artificial bodies. But Josh claims the company's ultimate goal is to preserve a human brain before a person dies.
““He claims if they were able to transplant a live person’s brain into a bionic body, then it would achieve a point where no one has to die at all.” Josh hopes to accomplish this in the next 30 years.”
Should we be surprised at these headlines? Men and women have always been attracted to whatever promises them to live as long as possible. Legend has it the Juan Ponce de Leon pursued the Fountain of Youth in Florida. He never found that fountain. Man’s quest to live forever has never been attained and it never will be through human means.
The Bible addresses the subject of living forever in both the Old and New Testaments. Let’s look at a few references that refer to eternal life.
In the first passage the prophet Daniel was allowed to see what God holds out to mankind, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:2-3).
During Christ’s ministry, a man came right out and asked about living forever, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
Christ responds, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:16-21). Christ tells this young man that to receive eternal life one needs to reach perfection or a certain level of maturity.
A third passage is quite familiar to many, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Will the headlines about living forever come to pass? Eternal life will not be attained by finding fountains of youth, in drinking magic potions, or through investing in research to make it possible to defy death. Even if the goals described in the news articles are reached all that is promised is an endless physical life.
God reveals, in the pages of the Bible, the one and only sure way to eternity. It is the promise of not only living forever, but of being a glorious spirit being who is a part of the very family of God. What the Bible holds out for us is a promise that all true Christians can count on and rejoice in.
Gary Smith
The first headline appeared on the December 4, 2015 Drudge Report. It reads, “Live Forever: Billionaires Pursuing Immortality Like Never Before.” The link for the headline leads to an article written by Charlotte Lytton for The Daily Beast entitled, “The Year We Decided to Live Forever.” The article indicates that tech billionaires are writing out large checks to fund research which might find the key to immortality.
Approximately a month later, a second headline addressed the same subject. In the January 2, 2016 British Newspaper, The Daily Express, Kat Romero wrote about a new company that claims they will be able to resurrect the dead by 2045. She writes, “Entrepreneur Josh Bocanegra says his company Humai is aiming to bring the dead back to life.
“The new company is aiming to “extend and enhance life" by freezing human brains for extended periods of time using cryonics, a deep freezing technology using very low temperatures, and then putting them into artificial bodies. But Josh claims the company's ultimate goal is to preserve a human brain before a person dies.
““He claims if they were able to transplant a live person’s brain into a bionic body, then it would achieve a point where no one has to die at all.” Josh hopes to accomplish this in the next 30 years.”
Should we be surprised at these headlines? Men and women have always been attracted to whatever promises them to live as long as possible. Legend has it the Juan Ponce de Leon pursued the Fountain of Youth in Florida. He never found that fountain. Man’s quest to live forever has never been attained and it never will be through human means.
The Bible addresses the subject of living forever in both the Old and New Testaments. Let’s look at a few references that refer to eternal life.
In the first passage the prophet Daniel was allowed to see what God holds out to mankind, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:2-3).
During Christ’s ministry, a man came right out and asked about living forever, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
Christ responds, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:16-21). Christ tells this young man that to receive eternal life one needs to reach perfection or a certain level of maturity.
A third passage is quite familiar to many, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Will the headlines about living forever come to pass? Eternal life will not be attained by finding fountains of youth, in drinking magic potions, or through investing in research to make it possible to defy death. Even if the goals described in the news articles are reached all that is promised is an endless physical life.
God reveals, in the pages of the Bible, the one and only sure way to eternity. It is the promise of not only living forever, but of being a glorious spirit being who is a part of the very family of God. What the Bible holds out for us is a promise that all true Christians can count on and rejoice in.
Gary Smith
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