“Today,Today, & Today, Until He Comes”

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 9.1.12

I have a theory that the followers of God have always had a job to do – a mission to accomplish – and, following my tendency to oversimplify things, I have concluded that we can narrow all the possibilities down to three specific tasks.

From my perspective, the way the Bible tells God’s story fits pretty neatly into this framework.

The first role I believe God wants us to fill is that of Companion. God created us to be His friends and companions. In Eden, before sin, God spent time every day with Adam and Eve and they learned about Him. In the same way, Jesus and His disciples lived and worked together for three and a half years, while He was here on earth.  And, I believe Jesus calls us to spend that same kind of daily and prolonged time with Him.

The second role I believe we are called to is to be a Warrior. By that I mean someone whose task is to expand and protect God’s territory.  In Old Testament times, that was a much more physical task – David and other warriors of that time literally fought wars and battles to guard the edges of God’s territory. In the book of Acts we see the apostles and the early Christian church fighting the same battle with the help of the Holy Spirit. The war they fought may not have looked much like the ones David fought, but the result was just as deadly for some of God’s warriors.

I believe that we’re also called to be warriors for God – expanding the spiritual territory of God and defending His truth. Warrior is not a job for cowards, and it can’t be done correctly without first having spent considerable time as God’s companion and friend.

The third role I believe that God asks us to fill is the role of Prophet. By that I mean someone who point people to the coming of Jesus. The Old Testament prophets spent their time pointing the Jews to the coming of the Messiah. Almost all of the New Testament writings point to the Second Coming of Jesus. And for those of us living right now, we have to keep encouraging our brothers and sisters in Jesus to hang on until Jesus comes.

I don’t mean to say that these three jobs are separate and distinct. In actual practice, we need to do all three jobs all the time. They should overlap and intertwine with everything we do in our everyday lives.

I believe that maintaining the roles of Companion, Warrior and Prophet as we go about our daily lives will help us stay focused and ready for the final events that lead to Jesus’ Second Coming.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to urge them to not let their readiness slip.

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:1-11

It is really difficult to maintain the appropriate level of readiness. It is so easy to “sleep” as Paul says when we should “watch and be sober.” It’d be a whole lot easier if we just had a date, wouldn’t it? Then we could make sure we were ready, right?

“The times and the seasons God has put in His own power. And why has not God given us this knowledge? Because we would not make a right use of it if He did. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come. We are not to live upon time excitement. We are not to be engrossed with speculations in regard to the times and the seasons which God has not revealed. Jesus has told His disciples to ‘watch,’ but not for a definite time. His followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their Captain; they are to watch, wait, pray, and work, as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord; but no one will be able to predict just when that time will come; for ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man.’ You will not be able to say that He will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.” (E.G. White, The Review and Herald, March 22, 1892)

I think the key to being ready is to keep working! We have to maintain our relationship with Jesus by spending time with Him as His companion. We have to let ourselves be led by the Holy Spirit to tell others about Jesus – expand God’s spiritual territory as a Warrior. And we have to point others to and help them be ready for Jesus’ Second Coming as a Prophet. If we do all those things, we won’t have time to get complacent.

You probably know the story of The Great Disappointment and William Miller who thought he’d figured out when Jesus was coming. When the date he had set came and went without Jesus return, many of us might have given up on God. Many of us might have moved away and become a recluse. William Miller didn’t do either of those things. He kept studying and believing that even though he didn’t understand, God was in control of the situation.

“After the passing of Oct. 22, 1844 - a date that Miller did not set, but accepted at the last moment - Miller wrote to Joshua Himes: ‘Although I have been twice disappointed, I am not yet cast down or discouraged….My hope in the coming of Christ is as strong as ever. I have done only what after years of sober consideration I felt to be my solemn duty to do….I have fixed my mind upon another time, and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light. - And that is Today, TODAY, and TODAY, until He comes, and I see HIM for whom my soul yearns’ (letter, Nov. 10, 1844, in The Midnight Cry, Dec. 5, 1844, pp. 179, 180).”[1]

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[1] Town of Hampton, New York, “William Miller: Herald of the Second Advent,”  http://hamptonny.org/William_Miller_Chapel.html

Fence-Sitters Anonymous

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about jobs that I believe I can and cannot do.  For example, I can be a great mediator, but I could never be a lawyer.  Why?  Because I want people to agree with each other, not to disagree, I want to find the common ground.  I have a couple of friends who used to call me and they’d each be on an extension and put me in the middle of a disagreement, just to see how long it took me to find the middle and come down squarely and securely on the fence between them.  Then they’d laugh at me, of course.  But that’s one of the things I do quite well.  Most of the time, I can see validity on both sides of an issue.  Being placed on a jury, for me, would be an absolute nightmare.  Okay, maybe not so much for me, but for the other eleven folks. 

With that in mind though, think about some of the jobs in the Bible that you’d be good at and not so good at.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many openings for diplomats in the Bible, so I’d be pretty much out of luck.  I hate to admit it, but the world of the Bible is pretty much a black and white world.  There is absolute right and absolute wrong, and very little gray area in between.  I think as humans we are much more comfortable in a world where we have a lot of gray.

Think about Ahab.  He looked at the world as one big gray area.  And he didn’t like confrontation either.  How can I tell, you ask?  He pretty much went wherever the wind blew.  If Jezebel wanted something, that was okay with him.  When he wanted the neighbor’s vineyard, he asked, he cajoled, he tried to scam him, but he didn’t demand it.  He went home and pouted until Jezebel got it for him.  Ahab Etook the easiest way through any issue…and look where it got him.

Jezebel, on the other hand, loved confrontation, well, as long as she won.  In her kingdom, it was her way or the highway…actually, it was her way or – gulp – death.  Bummer.

Enter, Elijah, with harsh words from God for Ahab and Jezebel.  Now there’s a guy I don’t envy.  Could there be a tougher job anywhere than Old Testament prophet?  Can you imagine how things would have ended if he had strolled into the ivory palace and negotiated with Ahab and Jezebel about what God wanted from them?  They would have laughed him out of the palace.  But they might not have decided he needed to be killed either. 

The problem is, there are times when somebody has to say the hard things.  Think about David and Nathan.  Suppose Nathan came before David and said something like, “Now King, sir, God has told me that you have made some unwise decisions recently and He’d like you to make those things right as soon as you find it convenient.  Once you’ve taken that then things will go along smoothly after that.”  Hmmm.  Do you think David would have taken Nathan seriously with an approach like that?

The uncomfortable truth is, sometimes we have to be told, straight out, in no uncertain terms, that we are walking (possibly running) in the wrong direction.  That was Elijah’s job in Jezreel.  He was there to tell Ahab and Jezebel that they needed to change their ways or really bad things were going to happen to them.  I actually think he almost made a change in Ahab once or twice, but it didn’t stick because Ahab wouldn’t stand up to Jezebel.  It was just easier to keep the peace that way.

How often do you and I just “go along” because it’s just easier?  What about when you’re sitting around with some friends and they start taking pot shots at a friend who isn’t there?  It’s easier to just laugh along with everybody, isn’t it?  I mean, you didn’t actually say anything about him (or her), you just didn’t get up and leave or take a stand to defend him.  They weren’t serious anyway, no harm done.  Right?  If you’d gotten up and walked out or defended him, they would have thought you were totally out of it.  Right?  Hmmm.

Has going along with the crowd ever ended well for anybody?  Think about it.  Lemmings come to mind in this instance.  The Israelites and the golden calf.  The crowd screaming, “Crucify Him.”  Come to think of it, if you’re following the crowd, you’re probably going the wrong direction.

How scary is that?  Look at the world around us.  Are we walking with the world, in the wrong direction?  Are we claiming we’re not walking with the world, but we’re fence-sitting because we don’t want to be noticed as different?  Do you realize that fence-sitting might be even worse?  Why?  Because we know better.  Ahab knew better, but he never took a stand, so in some ways, he was more evil than Jezebel.  What do you think?

Do you remember David Wilkerson?  He’s a Christian author from the ‘70’s.  The book I remember him for is The Cross and the Switchblade where he talks about coming out of the gang lifestyle.  I found an article that he wrote in 1988 where he warns against what he calls “The Doctrine of Jezebel”.  He talks about people who are selling out to Satan, and they’re not the people you are picturing right now.  Those who have sold out are not the drug addicts, the prostitutes or atheists, they’re people who are sitting in Christian churches all over the world.

What?   How can that be?  Wilkerson describes these folks as “human tumbleweeds riding the winds of doctrine.”  They are people who are looking for the easy way to salvation.  They want to be comforted, not convicted.  Wilkerson compares them to the people that Paul is talking about in 2 Timothy 4:3.  “…they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”

Ahab and Jezebel surrounded themselves with prophets that told them exactly what they wanted to hear, and some Christians today find preachers that are preaching what they want to hear.  They want to hear that God wants to make them rich, that they’re basically good people and that following Jesus will be a peaceful happy experience.  The churches that teach what Wilkerson calls “prosperity doctrine” are packed, but what are these Christians learning about salvation?

And that’s where we need people like Nathan and Elijah and Jesus who never just let things slide because it was easier, or to keep from ruffling any feathers, or because they didn’t want people to think they were weird.  They told the truth no matter what people thought or what it cost them.  They didn’t preach what was comfortable or popular.  Consequently they were often uncomfortable and mostly unpopular.  They spoke black and white in a gray world.  They spoke the truth with an authority that no one could counter.

The question is, are you and I prepared to speak God’s truth, no matter what it costs—even if it’s not easy or popular?

“He who serves under the bloodstained banner of Immanuel will have that to do which will call for heroic effort and patient endurance. But the soldier of the cross stands unshrinkingly in the forefront of the battle. . . . He realizes his need of strength from above. The victories that he gains . . . cause him to lean more and more heavily on the Mighty One. Relying upon that Power, he is enabled to present the message of salvation so forcibly that it vibrates in other minds. . . .” E.G. White, Lift Him Up p.228

What do you think?  Can we do it?  Even if every fiber of my being struggles with stepping out of my comfort zone.  Even if it means I don’t get my Sabbath afternoon nap. 

I heard Luis Pallow on the radio recently make this point:  Do you realize that your neighbor or family member who has not turned his life over to Jesus is, at this moment, lost?  Isn’t that a terrifying thought?  That may be even scarier than the thought of somebody thinking I’m too religious, a goody- two-shoes, or a Jesus Freak. 

I think it’s time, and for those of you who, like me, are scared to death at the thought of speaking the truth about Jesus, let’s say these verses together:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,…” Ephesians 6:10-19

The Tragedy of Almost

Commentary on the Sabbath School Lesson dated 12.18.10

“A fascinating study done by Professor Vicki Medvec reveals the relative importance of subjective attitudes over and above objective circumstances. Medvec studied Olympic medalists and discovered that bronze medalists were quantifiably happier than silver medalists. Here's why: Silver medalists tended to focus on how close they came to winning gold, so they weren't satisfied with silver; bronze medalists tended to focus on how close they came to not winning a medal at all, so they were just as happy to be on the medal stand.”[1]

How do you feel about coming in second – being almost best?  Maybe once or twice isn’t too bad, but what about time after time?  What if you had to spend all your time with the person who always comes in first or actually worked for that person?  A man named Gehazi experienced just that.

Do you remember him?  Gehazi was the faithful side-kick of Elisha, and he really was faithful for a long time.  But somewhere along the way, something changed.  By the time Naaman came to see Elisha, Gehazi must really have been feeling the sting of being second.

“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.’

“The prophet answered, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

“‘Go in peace,’ Elisha said. …

“After Naaman had traveled some distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, ‘My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’

“So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked.

“‘Everything is all right,’ Gehazi answered. ‘My master sent me to say, “Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.”’  2 Kings 5:15-22

Why?  Why do you think Gehazi did that?  I can’t imagine it was the first time Elisha had refused gifts of gratitude from people who he had helped.  What made this time different?

Maybe it was because Naaman wasn’t a Jew.  Maybe it was the amount of the reward.  Maybe it was just the cumulative effect of all the rewards that Elisha had turned down before?  Think about it.  Elisha and Gehazi had been traveling and working together for years.  Prophets don’t seem to have lived lavish, or even comfortable lives and there goes Elisha turning down another gift that, to Gehazi’s mind, would have taken some of the discomfort out of their daily activities.  And he snapped.  He wasn’t going to watch that wealth ride away with Naaman.

It was a similar issue that caused Judas to “turn to the dark side” too, wasn’t it?  In fact, there are several similarities between Judas and Gehazi.  I don’t know how long Gehazi and Elisha had been working together, but it seems to have been several years.  Judas traveled with Jesus for over 3 years.  Both Elisha and Jesus performed all kinds of miracles.  Both Jesus and Elisha lived simply, focused on serving others.  Both Judas and Gehazi seemed to be getting the message.  They went through the motions anyway.  And then, one day, greed got them in trouble.

I believe it was more than just simple greed though.  I think it was a lack of respect for the person in the number 1 spot.  It seems like both Gehazi and Judas somehow were getting the wrong message:  instead of seeing the selfless service and caring of Jesus and Elisha, they began to reinterpret their position as “handler” rather than companion. 

Companion and handler may look the same in many ways, but different in one crucial area.  A handler is someone who monitors and maybe even corrects the behavior of the person he (or she) handles.  A very subtle sense of superiority creeps into the relationship and the handler begins to see himself as actually the most important person involved, making it easier for him to begin to lose his sense of awe at the greatness of the other person.  From there it’s a short hop to believing that he should really be the one making the decisions and wielding the power. 

“The heart not given entirely to the control of Jesus Christ has a door open for Satan to enter, and the archdeceiver weaves about the soul ingenious apologies in performing its hidden purposes of evil. All these excuses and pretensions are seen of God, and are as spiderwebs in the eyes of Him who never slumbers or sleeps. Oh, how readily will the human soul find poor and wretched excuses to deceive and cover up its own course of evil, which it pursues. There is an exact judge who weigheth actions. He cannot be deceived, neither can He be mocked. He will one day strike off the covering, unveil the conscience, and sweep away these excuses as smoke.”[2]

Do we sometimes think we know better than God – that we should take control of our own lives?  That’s exactly where the enemy wants us.  Beware…

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[1] Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day(Multnomah, 2006), p. 68

[2] E.G. White, Christ Triumphant, page 171