Preparing For a Future That Currently Doesn’t Exist

 Last week, we had 2 mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and in Dayton, Ohio. The week before we had the same in Gilroy, California. This seems to be a trend in our society which I think all of us as God’s people look forward to ending with the coming of God’s kingdom.

Melissa MacKenzie, in an article entitled, “The Common Thread Binding These Mass Murders,” (The American Spectator, August 5, 2019), wrote of the shootings, “And none of this is a surprise. After every heinous murderous act, the media spins it and blames. It’s easier than admitting that the culture that they shape is spewing these monsters out at an alarming rate and something more than politics is to blame. In fact, these death eating humans seem to be a product of a culture that is at the same time wealthier, more technologically advanced, and scientifically sophisticated while being morally lost and spiritually empty.

The most important words from the El Paso killer’s writings are in this line:

... My whole life I have been preparing for a future that currently doesn’t exist.”

In focusing on the quote from the El Paso killer, “My whole life I have been preparing for a future that currently doesn’t exist,” one can only detect despair and hopelessness.

The encouraging thing that we can grasp onto in these tumultuous times is we have a sure hope, in the midst of a troubled world. We are preparing for a future which is certain to come into existence.

Note what the writer of Hebrews had to say in regard to the hope we have as followers of Jesus Christ,

• “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11)
• “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil” (Hebrews 6:18- 19).

We have “fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” We have hope in God’s promise to be with us now and hope that “a future” is to come in which mass shootings will be eradicated as righteousness will prevail under the rule of Jesus Christ.

God has given us the Sabbath as a weekly reminder that a rest is here for us now and will be available to all peoples after the return of the Lamb of God.

God has given us the fall Holy Days to remind us that Christ will return, set up His kingdom, Satan will be removed, God’s Spirit will be poured out on all people, and the way will be open to all mankind to become a part of the family of God.

Interestingly, as Christians we are preparing for a world that does not now exist. We can only see it in faith. Looking forward to the hope that is promised, we go about preparing each and every day we live.

Looking once again at the despairing quote from the article, “My whole life I have been preparing for a future that currently doesn’t exist” we know this young man, most likely, had no idea what God had prepared for him and all mankind.

Paul addressed this lack of crucial knowledge in 1 Corinthians 2:7-10, “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. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

God has revealed through His Spirit and His word that there is hope for this young man. There is coming a day when he will rise from the grave in the second resurrection and his eyes will be opened to God, God’s forgiveness, and the opportunity to be a part of eternity.

He never had a clue in this present life, but he will come to see what we see in hope at the present time.

While tragedy in many different forms goes on day after day, we have hope in God as anchor to our souls.

Rejoice in God’s Rest,

Gary Smith

Be Sober, Be Vigilant

“Sobriety checkpoints” are locations where law enforcement officers are stationed to check drivers for signs of intoxication and impairment. Governing authorities, in certain locales, have come to see the need to check drivers for being above the approved limit in regard to alcohol or drug usage. Sobriety enforcement is needed because people have been unable to police themselves. Issues with sobriety are especially common during the end of the year holiday season.

Interestingly, God wants us to be sober. As Christians we are to be sober or showing “self-mastery”. Christian sobriety is self-government or self-control, the foundation of a strong godly life, growth, and producing fruit. If a person cannot govern himself, if he cannot master his passions, he will certainly not have a good relationship with his fellowman or God. His life will likely be marked by major excesses.

The biblical writers use this word in various ways: to behave in an orderly manner, to be sober, serious, sane, sound-minded, discreet, self-disciplined, prudent, and moderate. In context of a person controlling himself, Paul writes, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3; see Titus 2:6; I Peter 4:7).

A person who has self-mastery is even-handed, and his passions are under control. He makes proper use of his drives and desires, and his manner of life is not one of extremes. A person reflecting this quality will be making steady progress in growing into the perfectly balanced character of Jesus Christ.

Notice that the scriptures point out another way in which we are to be sober. It is in regard to our adversary, Satan. For those that have been called by God in this lifetime, we have eternity at stake here. If Satan can succeed in deceiving us to advocate for him more and more, he greatly increases our chances of being subject to the second death, the eternal death in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

Peter warns us of the dangers that Satan poses to God's people: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). According to the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, "sober" (Greek nepho) is a verb found in the New Testament only in the figurative sense, implying "sober watchfulness." In addition, "vigilant" (Greek gregoreuo) means "to keep awake, i.e., watch (literally or figuratively)."

Combining "sober" and "vigilant" paints an interesting word-picture for us. When a person is heavily intoxicated, he wants nothing more than to sleep it off, so it is impossible for the sleeping drunkard to be vigilant about anything. The message for us is that we must be attentive to our physical and spiritual condition so that we do not become spiritually intoxicated. This type of person is exactly the kind whom Satan seeks. If we enter this state, then we make ourselves a prime target to be devoured by the "roaring lion."

One final thing to consider in regard to sobriety is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

The advice given to us is to watch. While asleep, one cannot watch. The Greek word for "watch" can be better translated "alert," and the word for "sober" is more correctly "self-controlled." So Paul advises, "Let us be alert and self-controlled." In other words, while all of the distractions of this world spin dizzyingly around us, we have to be alert to their appeal and controlled enough to discipline ourselves to prioritize in the right way.

Though such a task is not easy, we must forcibly set our wills to pay attention to those eternal things that are more important. If we fail in this task, we may begin conducting our lives in darkness, and living in darkness leads eventually to spiritual blindness. It is vital to our spiritual health to remain alert and self-controlled!

As the New Year is about to commence, we might do “a spiritual sobriety check” to make sure that we “alert and self-controlled”.

Have a most profitable Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Controversy Aside We Have A Lot To Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving. What comes to mind?

For most of my life, Thanksgiving was a day to give thanks to God for the bounty that we have been given in this land and to enjoy a bounteous feast. It has been a time of family, friends, football, and fond memories.

I grew up with the image of the pilgrims and the Native Americans from the Wampanoag tribe enjoying a fall harvest celebration together. The images associated with Thanksgiving relate to my early years of education and pictures associated with that event such as The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth by Jennie Brownscombe.

My image of Thanksgiving was always positive, innocent, and uplifting. If you had asked me, “Is Thanksgiving controversial?” I would have been surprised that the question would have been asked.

However, I have learned that our national day of Thanksgiving is indeed controversial. I learned of many facts and number of controversies associated with the day by reading, Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience by Melanie Kirkpatrick.

The controversies concerning Thanksgiving range from minor details to significant issues, at least in some people’s minds. Some examples of the controversies:

• The offering of Thanksgiving was probably not in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621.
• The giving of thanks was a part of Native American harvest celebrations long before the Pilgrims.
• Additionally, cases can be made for pre-Plymouth thanksgivings, by Spanish, Huguenot, and other English immigrants from Europe.
• It is doubtful Thanksgiving took place on the fourth Thursday in November.
• It is possible turkey, which is Thanksgiving mainstay, was not a part of the Pilgrim thanksgiving.
• There are some Native Americans who reject the holiday viewing it as the beginning of the end for the indigenous peoples of North America.
• The Zinn Foundation provides schools with an essay on the history of Thanksgiving which informs students:
• The holiday is used by government leaders as a political tool.
• Governor William Bradford’s On Plymouth Plantation is a “fable” and an “early example of ‘Euro think.”
• As for Thanksgiving Day itself, students are informed the day celebrates “aggression and enslavement.”

I don’t site these controversies to put a damper on Thanksgiving, but to make a point about the way things work in our world. Man seems to be able to make a mess of even a day of thanksgiving.

However, we, as Christians, we seek to look beyond this world to our Creator. Looking to the Creator of heaven and earth is what a day of thanksgiving is all about.

If you observe Thanksgiving on this coming Thursday, tune out the controversies, the football, and other worldly distractions. Seek to focus on your thankfulness to God who has given you life, family, blessings, and, if you are feasting that day, all the food on the table.

The Bible is replete with the word “thanks” which is worthy of our exploration before Thanksgiving. Psalm 136 is especially meaningful in that it reminds us to give thanks to God.

Why?

Because God’s great mercy upon us and all mankind, endures forever.

Have a truly thankful Thanksgiving Day.

Gary Smith

Comfort Your Hearts

Heresy is a most hurtful cancer that can ravage a church congregation. One of Paul’s purposes in writing to the Colossian church was to address the false teachings that had infected a portion of the people there. In his letter he admonished the hearers to "see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (2:8).

Right teaching is essential to keeping God’s people on the right track. Paul recognized that sending a letter was helpful, but there was more that was needed. Paul saw that he needed to send someone to the Colossians to help them in addressing the spiritual challenges they were having.

Paul chose to send a man named Tychicus. Why would Paul choose to send this particular man? He speaks of this elder as “a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord (Colossian 4:7).

Paul referred to him as a “brother” indicating a closeness and a bond that had developed in his work as an apostle. He knew the character of the man he had designated to travel from Rome to Colossae. Paul also notes that he was a “faithful minister and fellow servant”. Paul, with these words, expresses that Tychicus has been trained in the faith and has proven that he would adhere to the faith in working with the Colossian church. In other words, he had great confidence in Tychicus being able to point the Colossians toward sound biblical teaching which would give them stability.

Finally, he points to Tychicus as being a servant to the people of God. Service is the hallmark of minister and Tychicus had obviously displayed that in working for Paul.

So Paul was sending Tychicus to the Colossians to relay to them what was happening with Paul in Rome and to find out how the Colossians were doing.

Additionally, Tychicus was to do something most important for the Colossian Christians. “I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts” (Colossians 4:8). Tychicus was to learn their “circumstances” and to “comfort” their hearts.

Being a part of a congregation in which there is heresy is anything but comfortable. It creates division and stress for the membership. Additionally, if the false teaching is not eradicated, it will inevitably lead to division.

Paul tasked Tychicus with comforting the hearts of the Colossian church members. He would do this by encouraging them, teaching them the truth, and refuting the errors that were being propagated in their midst.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Our God is a “comforter” and He works in us through the Holy Spirit to become men and women who can comfort and encourage others.

Paul had seen Tychicus grow as a Christian and a minister. Knowing his qualities allowed Paul to confidently send this faithful man to provide comfort and encouragement to the Colossians.

Hopefully, we are becoming men and women who can comfort and encourage the hearts of others in the congregation.

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

The "Success Sequence" - It's Biblical!

Sociologists apply themselves to looking at social trends in
order to understand more fully the human condition.

One societal trend that has been noted recently is “The
Success Sequence.” I came across this subject in reading a
National Review article of July 5 entitled, “What If Major
Causes of Poverty Are Behavioral?”

He points out that the major cause of poverty plaguing one
generation after another is “family disintegration.” He says,
“Some cause of this remain unclear, but something now seems
indisputable: Among today’s young adults, the “success
sequence” is insurance against poverty.” He then cites the
study that supports this conclusion.

The success sequence is defined in the study is: get at least a
high-school diploma, then get a job, then get married, and only
then have children. “Wang and Wilcox, who did the study,
“focusing on Millennials 28 to 34, the oldest members of the
nation’s largest generation, have found that only 3 percent
who follow this sequence are poor.” In other words, if a
young person wants to avoid poverty and be successful follow
this sequence.

Sadly, this sequence for success is being followed less and less
in 21st century America. To make sure this sequence
continues, Mr. Will advocates promoting this sequence in
various ways to ensure that we do not substitute supposed new
realities in old principles that worked well.

The question is where did these old principles that worked
well in America for most of its existence come from? Mr. Will
does not explain.

Another author, Melissa Mackenzie, addressed the success
sequence on July 6, 2017 in a piece, in the American
Spectator, entitled, “Church, Family Millennials, and the
Success Sequence.”

She agrees with George Will’s data, but she concludes the
values of “success sequence” have a very definite Christian
origin.

She writes, “Parents who believe that education, selfsufficiency,
and marriage before children are going to raise
their kids with those beliefs and more importantly, choose
environments that support those beliefs and strengthen those
beliefs. Their beliefs drive their reasoning which drives their
decisions.”

Ms. Mackenzie asks, “What institution reinforces lifeaffirming
beliefs and gives social and economic support to
people beyond their families? The State? No. The Church.”
We would agree because we know that the success sequence is
biblical and would be part of what the church would promote
for its young people.”

She further states, “The “old principles” that Will alludes to
are taught in church. Don’t fornicate or adulterate. Take care
of your children (I Timothy 5:8). Get married (I Corinthians
7:9). Work hard (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Don’t get divorced
(Matthew 5:31). Care for widows and orphans (James 1:27).
Take care of the hungry and needy (Matthew 25:35-45). How
quaint, right?”

The sociological study that points to the “success sequence” is
a recipe for a better life for all who follow the sequence.

As of July 2017, we find a diminishing number of young
people following this prescription primarily because of the
breakdown of the family and the trend away from church
attendance and adherence to biblical values.

As the Sabbath draws near, we can know that there is time
coming when the “success sequence” will be a worldwide
standard.

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

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:

• 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

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

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

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

What Kind of Leader Does Our Nation Need?

A thought we might consider this week comes in light of the Republican presidential debate held this week.

I was watching a discussion among voters who had volunteered to be a part of a group gathered by pollster, Frank Luntz. I was struck by what some voters had to say about the candidates and religion.

It was noted that one of those running for the highest office in the land appears to be quite religious. He allows his Christian religion to enter into his speech and to be reflected in the policies he would promote. The majority of the audience felt that it was unacceptable to mix politics and religion.

It was mentioned that one’s religion was to remain private and there was no need for a president to reflect his religion at all. In fact, it was said that religion was not really needed because of the inherent goodness of the American people.

My point in mentioning this is that if a president’s religion is to remain in private would it be a positive outcome for the nation?

Consider the fact that George Washington was notably religious. You cannot read his writings and not make note of that. He may not have had complete understanding of God and His great plan, but George Washington knew the importance of biblical morality, honesty, and integrity. He lived by many true principles and the nation was enhanced by it.

A second example is found in Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was not the perfect Christian, but he reflected upon God, and sought to point the nation toward God as President during one
of the most trying times in history. What could be more religious than to call for a national day of prayer requesting that the God of the Bible would save the nation torn apart by war?

One only has to examine the great leaders of the Bible to note that the greatest leaders of the nation of Israel were those who were closest to God. They were not perfect leaders, but their example helped the nation of Israel stay on track during their time of rule. It’s interesting to note what happened to Israel upon the death of a faithful man leading the nation. The outcome was rarely good.

Does our nation need a leader who is a Christian? Does it need a leader who is faithful to God and the people he serves? Does not our nation need a leader who is a true servant? Do we need a leader who is truthful? We need a leader who is all of these things and more. If we had such a leader it would make a huge difference in our nation, but it seems doubtful that such a leader will be raised up at this time.

Thankfully, we know that the leader our nation and the world needs will assume His position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the sounding of the seventh trump. His rule will be based upon truth and righteousness. No one will question whether we should have a ruler who is religious. The fruits will be available for the whole world to see.

Happy Sabbath!

Gary Smith

The Boys in the Boat: Pain is Part and Parcel of the Deal

The Sabbath thought for this week is based upon a book recommendation at this year’s ministerial conference in Cincinnati. The book is entitled, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. As it says on the cover of the book, it is about “nine Americans and their quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics”.

The sport in which the men competed for Olympic gold was rowing. I don’t know much about rowing and to this point I have not had a lot of interest. But one cannot help but have an interest after getting into the book.

I was especially impressed with the rigors of rowing which are described in chapter three of the book. The following quotes help one to understand how exacting rowing is on a competitor.

“Competitive rowing is an undertaking of extraordinary beauty preceded by brutal punishment. Unlike most sports which draw primarily on particular muscle groups, rowing makes heavy and repeated use of virtually every muscle in the body, despite the fact that a rower….scrimmages on his posterior annex.” (p. 77, Thorndike Press Large Print Version).

“. . .Pound for pound, Olympic oarsmen may take in and process as much oxygen as a thoroughbred racehorse. This extraordinary rate of oxygen intake is of only so much value, it should be noted. While 75-80 percent of the energy a rower produces in a two-thousand-meter race is aerobic energy fueled by oxygen, races always begin, and usually end, with hard sprints. These sprints require levels of energy production that far exceed the body’s capacity to produce aerobic energy, regardless of oxygen intake. Instead, the body must immediately produce anaerobic energy. This, in turn, produces large quantities of lactic acid, and that acid rapidly builds up in the tissue of the muscles. The consequence is that the muscles often begin to scream in agony almost from the outset of the race and continue screaming until the very end.

“The common denominator in all these conditions—whether in the lungs, the muscles, or the bones—is overwhelming pain. And that is perhaps the first and most fundamental thing that all novice oarsmen must learn about competitive rowing in the upper echelons of the sport: that pain is part and parcel of the deal. It’s not a question of whether you will hurt, or of how much you will hurt; it’s a question of what will you do, and how well will you do it, while pain has her wanton way with you” (p. 77, Thorndike Press Large Print Version).

As I read this description, I thought who would take on such a painful challenge? Amazingly, there are men and women all across the country that are willing to compete in this demanding sport.

The question for all oarsmen is, “what will you do, and how well will you do it, while pain has her wanton way with you.” It is a pertinent question for all of us as God’s people as well.

Paul addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 9. There he uses the Olympic type games that were common in his time to make his point. He speaks about running a race and he tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24 to run so that we may obtain the prize.

We are all in a race to obtain the kingdom of God. At times, the race is intense and demanding just like rowing. The question we all have to answer is this, “What will we do and how well will we do it as the challenges of being a Christian intensify?”

It is a worthy consideration for us on the Sabbath day.

Gary Smith

The Good Old Days Are Yet To Come

As those of us of an older generation look at world conditions, we also tend to look back. In looking back, we many times conclude that the days of yesteryear were better. We might refer to them as, “The good old days.” But we must ask, “Are the Good Old Days Really Good?”

Ecclesiastes 7:10 contains a thought often heard these days: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” The times we live in are indeed becoming steadily more difficult. Christian values are consistently being attacked. Under such circumstances, a person is apt to say what Solomon warns us against saying. It is easy for us to let ourselves become “down.” But we need to be careful because discouragement is a child of impatience. In difficult situations, we want the trouble to pass quickly. However, be aware that in such times it is easy to allow one’s carnality to take the bribe of doing a “quick and dirty,” less-than-good job in order to make life less stressful and tiring.

To take a quick and easy approach is understandable these days because conditions in this nation give no sign of positive change. It seems that those governing us are delivering us into the hands of the nation’s enemies. Others who are illegally invading us are dragging us into the gutter, and at the same time, much of the nation’s wealth is flowing into the hands of the few. Jobs are becoming scarcer.

All of those things are indeed true to some degree, but we have to resist allowing this influence to get a firm grip on us, as it indicates that our focus is too much on carnal men and all their self-centered flaws rather than on what God is accomplishing to fulfill His promises. Yes, living is growing less comfortable, but He is telling us to look ahead and focus on what He will accomplish in the future. God wants us to evaluate honestly what we have received by virtue of His calling.

Consider an interesting aspect of the mindset of Abraham. Genesis 13:2 describes him as very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Hebrews 11:10 reports that despite all that wealth, he looked for a city whose Builder is God. We know that Abraham was wealthy enough to put together an army of over 300 men, but in this way, God shows us what dominated his mind.

What lay in the future, not the present, motivated his life. Abraham bought no land to call his own, and Hebrews 11:9 records that this very wealthy man lived in tents. A tent is a symbol of temporariness, as well as lack of wealth and status. The wealthy live in solid homes; the poor live in tents because they can afford nothing better. Yet, Abraham was not merely wealthy, but very wealthy.

Abraham was certainly aware of the riches of the world around him. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, a very prosperous city. He visited Egypt, the world’s most powerful and wealthiest nation at that time. Pyramids cannot be built without wealth. Movies like The Ten Commandments attempt to depict the splendor. What Hebrews 11:9 does not say is that, all the while he lived in what appears to be a lowly status, he was heir of the world (Roman 4:13)! To a person of faith that means a great deal.

Some may perhaps mistakenly think that everybody lived in tents in Abraham’s time, so the way he lived was the way every wealthy person lived. This assumption leads one to conclude there is nothing unusual in the Bible pointing these things out. Not so. The way Abraham lived reflected where his heart was, a glimpse into his faith, vision, and humility. Archeologists have compiled and recorded a great deal of evidence about the time Abraham lived. The people of that day built fine houses and huge buildings. The cultures were highly developed, and their building projects were grand and extensive.

It has been said that the “good old days” are the result of bad memory and good imagination. We old folks have a proclivity to look back and say, “The old was better.” That is true sometimes. Solomon’s advice is trying to help us understand that, though we must look back to learn, the future must nonetheless dominate our minds. If one is looking over his shoulder while trying to move forward at the same time, he is likely either to crash into something, or to trip and fall over some impediment.

Jesus cautions in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Solomon is urging us, the called, to move on with life and its problems by looking and working toward the future. The Sabbath urges us to focus upon the future when the “good old days” of this present age will be paled by the truly good days of God’s Kingdom.

Have a good Sabbath

Gary Smith

Mardi Gras - An Excuse for "Christians" to Sink Into Drunken Debauchery?

Being out and about this week, I was oblivious to two significant events going on in the Christian world. As a result of going to Galveston to take care of some Feast of Tabernacles business, I became aware that Tuesday, February 17, 2015 was a big day for both Christians and non-Christians. Galveston was in the midst Mardi Gras festivities.

I was reminded of the second significant Christian observance when I came into contact with individuals who had a cross marked on their foreheads with black ashes. This cross on the forehead marked Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

For many, the words Mardi Gras conjure up all sorts of images in our minds. We think of parades, floats, masquerades, balls, beads, doubloons, parties, king cake and revelry. New Orleans promotes it as “the greatest free show on earth”, and it is considered by most to be a good wholesome time of frolicking and fun.

Most people think that Mardi Gras came to us from the French, and that its history dates back only a century or so (The first “REX” parade in New Orleans was held in 1872). There are also accounts of some sort of Mardi Gras celebrations dating back to the early 1700’s (though those celebrations were little more than drunken brawls).

In actuality, the Mardi Gras celebration originated in the pagan pre-Christian celebrations of spring. Ancient Greeks would sacrifice a goat, cut its hide into strips and run naked through the fields while their pagan priests lashed them with the goat-hide strips. This was a part of their spring fertility rite to insure a productive harvest for their fields and increase the fertility of their flocks and women. The custom was degenerate, even by pagan standards, being a time of lewdness, immorality, drunkenness and revelry and was associated with the worship of the Greek god “Pan”.

“Pan”, besides being the Greek god of fields and pastures, was even more closely associated with cattle, flocks and herds than with agriculture. He was a fertility god and therefore always represented as crude, wanton, and lustful. He took the form of half goat and half man, having the legs, ears, and horns of a goat (the goat is the ancient symbol of Satan), but the torso, arms and face of a man.

The Romans, also thoroughly enjoyed this Greek festival. It was held each year in Rome during mid-February.

One writer says of this predecessor to our modern Mardi Gras: “It became known as “Lupercalia”, after the grotto on the Palatine hill where the festivals of the god PAN were held. The Roman aristocracy of the time preferred debauchery and licentiousness to legality and morality. Men donned women’s clothing, the better to abandon themselves to orgy; thus the masquerade tradition began.” (Errol Laborde, MARDI GRAS! Picayune Press, N.O.LA. p.33).

Another writes: “Most scholars see a relationship between present day Mardi Gras and the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of spring. A possible ancestor of the celebration is the Lupercalis, a circus-like orgy held in mid-February in Rome.” (Arthur Hardy, NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS GUIDE, 1982 ed. p.9).

Obviously, the celebration was totally licentious. Though it is mistakenly believed that our present Mardi Gras celebration is of more recent descent, sociologists and historians trace the present celebration directly to these obscene pagan spring fertility rites. Of course, most of the elements attending the ancient pagan celebration: (i.e., the drunkenness, lewdness, men-masquerading-as-women, obscenity, nudity, etc.,) have survived and are still very much a part of the present Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras is the last chance for Christians to eat, drink, and revel before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and the marking of the forehead. With the beginning of the Lenten season Christians are to fast (abstain from chosen item) for forty days.

It is hard to believe that a festive occasion characterized by eating, drinking, and debauchery can be considered Christian, but in a world under Satan’s sway it is not a problem.

What were your thoughts on Tuesday and Wednesday? Were they upon Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday?

Or were your thoughts upon those things that are biblical? More specifically, have we begun to think of the Passover? Have we begin to focus upon examining ourselves in order to be prepared to renew our covenant in the Passover ceremony described in 1 Corinthians 11 and John 13?

We are blessed to be able to know the truths of the Bible concerning the Passover and the Days of Unleavened. God’s festival plan will begin to unfold in just a few weeks. The coming festivals give us significant things to consider in the weeks ahead.

Perhaps we can use the Sabbath as time to study and consider the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Savior and be renewed in our commitment to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Gary Smith

Then You Shall Delight Yourself in the Lord

Over the last three weeks, we have been considering God’s instruction concerning keeping the Sabbath as laid out for us by the prophet Isaiah.

God inspired Isaiah to tell us that we must honor God in our approach to the Sabbath. We keep the Sabbath holy as we avoid doing our own ways, finding our own pleasure, or speaking our own words. This approach to the Sabbath requires us to change our approach to life. We must put God first, instead of ourselves, and focus our thoughts and deeds on keeping the Sabbath holy.

Keeping the Sabbath as God instructs goes against our natural inclinations and it most assuredly goes against the direction the world is going. We must make choices in regard to what is most important in our lives.

Here are few examples to consider. On the Sabbath, should we devote extra time to prayer, or should we work on the house project that needs doing? Should we take extra time to diligently study God’s word, or should we tune into a TV program we like on Friday night. After all, watching TV is relaxing, isn’t it? On the Sabbath should we meditate on the things we have been studying in the Bible, or should we think about the work week ahead? On the Sabbath should we go to church services, or should we rest up from a hard week at work? After all, can’t we just listen to a sermon online or tune in to the cybercast?

It is true that to keep the Sabbath we must deny ourselves. But is that denial of self all that significant when we consider what God offers us?

Isaiah 58:14 describes the impact of our taking seriously God’s instruction concerning the keeping of the Sabbath. Verse 14 says, “Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Let’s consider a few points in verse 14. “Then” tells us that if we implement God’s instructions in verse 13 there will be a most positive result. The most significant result of living by Isaiah 58:13 is that we will delight ourselves in the Lord. In other words, we will find pleasure in God, His truth, and His way of life.

Not only will we take delight in the Lord, but there are also specific rewards that will come our way. I think Deuteronomy 32:9-12 offers us some insight into what God offers the Sabbath keeper, “For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness. He encircled him; He instructed him; He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings. So the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.” Figuratively speaking, God offers us the physical blessings of Jacob now and the spiritual blessings of Jacob in the future.

Is it worth keeping the Sabbath holy? Only if we truly want to honor God and to enjoy the blessings God only offers to those who honor Him by keeping the Sabbath.

Gary Smith