"All who profess godliness are under the most sacred obligation to guard the spirit, and to exercise self-control under the greatest provocation...God has made ample provision for His people; and if they rely upon His strength, they will never become the sport of circumstances. The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel anyone to do evil, Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer."
Patriarchs and Prophets, 421.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
on Spiritual DE-emphasis
In an age when biblical illiteracy is prominent and the knowledge of God’s Word is decreasing among Christians it is imperative that Adventist educators and pastors provide quality, Biblical messages for the church. Unfortunately, for many Adventists the Bible has become an artifact of the past. Not just among lay people but with the ministers of the gospel too.
There is a tendency for the minister to find sermon material from a plurality of sources including experience, culture, or current events. More time is spent singing repetitive songs with little or no theological weight to create an emotional experience of “worshipping God,” yet no real worship takes place.
The result on the membership is a stifled spiritual experience, Biblical confusion, and indifference to Biblical claims because it has never been made relevant for the individual life of the believer.
Much of what goes on today is not preaching. Not by Biblical standards.
When Paul told Timothy to “Preach the Word” he said it in a context of three things.
“I charge you in the presences of God and Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and his kingdom, preach the Word” (II Timothy 4:1).
In the presence of God and Jesus Christ, preach the Word.
With the seriousness of judgment in mind, preach the Word.
With the coming of Christ before you, preach the Word.
Preaching is serious. The pulpit is not a place for jokes, story telling, crude or rude humor. It’s not even a place to throw out ideas or read into scripture our opinions. The content is the Word. Sure it’s wrapped in a cultural, current, and contextualized package but the content of the package is primarily God’s Word.
Paul said, “Preach the Word.” He didn’t say entertain, tell inappropriate stories to get worldly youth to like Christianity, make crude jokes or use foul language to draw people to the church. Those things don’t work and people are tired of flakey sermons.
Why the Word? Because “the time is coming when men will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (II Timothy 4:3).
Today we are not hearing the right content. We substitute Scripture for anything else to entertain, create hype, or move emotions so people feel like they’ve had a “spiritual emphasis” on their lives.
Don’t preach if you have nothing to offer. It is no wonder today people are spiritually illiterate.
Andrews University Seminary is having a week of Spiritual Emphasis that could be rightly titled the week of Spiritual DE-emphasis. The preacher (term used loosely) had nothing to offer the ministers-in-training. The Bible was never opened, Spirit of Prophecy loosely quoted. Many offensive analogies and stories were told that did not edify. More emphasis was placed on experience rather than the Scripture.
There was more theology in the rocked out, self-centered songs than the rest of the program.
If this is what pastors are being fed while getting their education it’s no wonder that the rest of the church doesn’t know left from right. We are taught to believe that existential warm fuzzies are what worshipping God is all about.
In an age of Biblical illiteracy among Adventist pastors and educators, preaching the Word is a revolutionary thing.
There is a tendency for the minister to find sermon material from a plurality of sources including experience, culture, or current events. More time is spent singing repetitive songs with little or no theological weight to create an emotional experience of “worshipping God,” yet no real worship takes place.
The result on the membership is a stifled spiritual experience, Biblical confusion, and indifference to Biblical claims because it has never been made relevant for the individual life of the believer.
Much of what goes on today is not preaching. Not by Biblical standards.
When Paul told Timothy to “Preach the Word” he said it in a context of three things.
“I charge you in the presences of God and Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and his kingdom, preach the Word” (II Timothy 4:1).
In the presence of God and Jesus Christ, preach the Word.
With the seriousness of judgment in mind, preach the Word.
With the coming of Christ before you, preach the Word.
Preaching is serious. The pulpit is not a place for jokes, story telling, crude or rude humor. It’s not even a place to throw out ideas or read into scripture our opinions. The content is the Word. Sure it’s wrapped in a cultural, current, and contextualized package but the content of the package is primarily God’s Word.
Paul said, “Preach the Word.” He didn’t say entertain, tell inappropriate stories to get worldly youth to like Christianity, make crude jokes or use foul language to draw people to the church. Those things don’t work and people are tired of flakey sermons.
Why the Word? Because “the time is coming when men will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (II Timothy 4:3).
Today we are not hearing the right content. We substitute Scripture for anything else to entertain, create hype, or move emotions so people feel like they’ve had a “spiritual emphasis” on their lives.
Don’t preach if you have nothing to offer. It is no wonder today people are spiritually illiterate.
Andrews University Seminary is having a week of Spiritual Emphasis that could be rightly titled the week of Spiritual DE-emphasis. The preacher (term used loosely) had nothing to offer the ministers-in-training. The Bible was never opened, Spirit of Prophecy loosely quoted. Many offensive analogies and stories were told that did not edify. More emphasis was placed on experience rather than the Scripture.
There was more theology in the rocked out, self-centered songs than the rest of the program.
If this is what pastors are being fed while getting their education it’s no wonder that the rest of the church doesn’t know left from right. We are taught to believe that existential warm fuzzies are what worshipping God is all about.
In an age of Biblical illiteracy among Adventist pastors and educators, preaching the Word is a revolutionary thing.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
on Knowing God's Will
"In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His Spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now concerning His will and the course that He would have them pursue."
Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 661
Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 661
Monday, September 12, 2011
on Time Nearly Finished
"The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.
"God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.
"Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.
"But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. Dissensions and divisions came in. The majority opposed with voice and pen the few who, following in the providence of God, received the Sabbath reform and began to proclaim the third angel's message. Many who should have devoted their time and talents to the one purpose of sounding warning to the world, were absorbed in opposing the Sabbath truth, and in turn, the labor of its advocates was necessarily spent in answering these opponents and defending the truth. Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!
"It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in "because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19). Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.
"For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years."
Selected Messages, Book 1. pp. 67-69.
"God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.
"Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.
"But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. Dissensions and divisions came in. The majority opposed with voice and pen the few who, following in the providence of God, received the Sabbath reform and began to proclaim the third angel's message. Many who should have devoted their time and talents to the one purpose of sounding warning to the world, were absorbed in opposing the Sabbath truth, and in turn, the labor of its advocates was necessarily spent in answering these opponents and defending the truth. Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!
"It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in "because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19). Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.
"For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years."
Selected Messages, Book 1. pp. 67-69.
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