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September 5, 2018

9/5/2018

Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        GOD'S PRESENCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

        And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.  Eze. 20:20.

    There are times in God's relationship with His people when His presence is very noticeably felt. One of those times is in the communion service, if you are open to sense it, and not worrying about being embarrassed by someone washing your feet. Another time when God's presence is uniquely sensed is at a baptism. There's something special then, and all heaven rejoices as some of the notes from the angel choir seem to echo in our hearts here. And then I believe that God is often very much present at a Christian funeral. Time and eternity seem to meet somehow, and God is able to communicate with us in a special way as we stop and think. And I believe that God is also especially present on Sabbath.

    One time during the war a doctor and his family invited us to travel to the city with him for a concert. My father had been driving an old Dodge. It was hard to get new cars, and the engine in the Dodge had been rebuilt. I don't know how many times the speedometer had gone around. My brother and I used to long for a new car. The doctor had a brand-new Cadillac that he had managed to get from a patient of his who owned the dealership. This Cadillac just kind of glided along. When we returned to our '41 Dodge that night, everyone was tired and kind of quiet, until about the tenth time my father tried to get the emergency brake off, and then we all burst out laughing! This old Dodge was something else compared to the Cadillac. There was something different about the Cadillac. There was more power there!

    When the Sabbath comes, and you sit and watch the sun sink, and you think on eternal things, and invite the Holy Spirit and angels to come close, they are there. There's something different about this day. "It [the Sabbath] was designed to bring men into communion with God."--The Desire of Ages, p. 286. And when Jesus comes 105 trillion miles and knocks on my door for a special appointment, I want to be ready and waiting for His arrival. I want communion and fellowship with Him on this special visit, don't you?

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September 4, 2018

9/4/2018

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Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE SIGN OF SANCTIFICATION

        That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ex. 31:13.

    Some believe that sanctification is something that will happen to you just before you die, but that is not so. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime, just as much as breathing is the work of a lifetime. At the very beginning of your acceptance of the plan of salvation, your sanctification took place. Sanctification in Bible usage is a finished, completed work, as well as a progressive work. It means that one is set aside for a holy purpose. It is God that does it in the beginning, and in the ongoing process as well. He says, "I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." He is active in your everyday life, and has promised to carry forward the work He has started.

    The Sabbath is a symbol of sanctification. The Sabbath is a reminder of our liberation from bondage. It is a reminder that life has meaning now. It is a reminder that God is active in our everyday life, carrying forward His work of growth, of holy use, of purpose for our lives. The Sabbath is all of that and much more. The Sabbath was designed for spiritual growth and refreshment and rest. When Adam and Eve were created, their first whole day was a day of rest. Were they tired, so soon after being created? No, God wanted them to be reminded of the fact that the best man could do when he came on the scene was to rest, for the works were already done.

    This is what Hebrews 4 is all about. "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." "For we which have believed do enter into rest." "For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works." "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest."

    How do you enter into rest? By believing or trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must labor to enter into that rest. Isn't that a strange phrase? Have you ever labored to rest? Where is the labor? Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The labor is in coming to Him for rest. Our labor is not to fight the devil and sin and temptation. God gave us the Sabbath to remind us of this fact.

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September 3, 2018

9/3/2018

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Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        JESUS REVEALED BY THE SABBATH

        And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Mark 2:27, 28.

    There is an astronomical reason for the length of the year. It is the time it takes for the earth to travel around the sun--365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. And it never varies. The month is based on the relationship of the earth to the moon. The day is based on the rotation of the earth on its axis. Have you pondered lately that there is no astronomical reason whatever for the week? The only reason for the week, in spite of the skeptics and the infidels, is Creation. Every time a person in this world, regardless of his thinking, his profession, or his religious beliefs says, "Today is Monday, the second day of the week," he is admitting the Creation story!

    You can dismiss and argue science and religion until you are blue in the face, but as soon as the scientist says, "Well, I'll see you on Thursday," he has lost the argument right there! It can be shown by Scripture, and even by history, that the weekly cycle has never been broken from the very beginning of time. The God of heaven who was in charge of the whole idea in the first place has done His job in preserving this fact.

    Jesus said that He is Lord of the Sabbath. It is a mark of His creative power. This is what made Him Lord of the Sabbath. It was given in honor of Creation. To say that the Sabbath was made for the Jews would be the same thing as saying that the world was made for the Jews! The world was made for man, and the Sabbath was made for man as well.

    The Bible says to remember the Sabbath day. What does the Sabbath show us about Jesus, who is Lord of the Sabbath? For one thing, it indicates that Jesus is a great liberator. The Sabbath was given anew to the Israelites when they were freed from slavery in Egypt (Deut. 5:15). We are carnal, sold under sin. But Jesus comes to us today and offers us freedom. He becomes our Liberator today. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder of that fact. When we accept the gospel, we are freed from being rebels. We may still fall and fail as we grow, but we are freed from our rebellion, and are given cause to celebrate the freedom that the Sabbath represents.

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September 2, 2018

9/2/2018

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Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        THE WAKING-UP TIME

        Bot now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:20-22.

    The glorious truth of the gospel was spoken by Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus. "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25, 26). Perhaps at times Seventh-day Adventists have worked too hard to make sure that people were dead and in their graves. In spite of the fact that we do not believe that people are unconscious in their graves now, awaiting the resurrection, we still can believe that Christians never die. The only real death is the second death. The sleeping, the waiting in our graves for the voice of Jesus to call us forth, is not death. What we see in the funeral chapel of today is only sleep--and for the believer, it is not the end of the line. We as Christians have been given a fantastic hope.

    When Jesus told His disciples, after waiting for two days, that it was time to go and awaken Lazarus, the disciples misunderstood. But Jesus was speaking of what we refer to as death. In His eyes it was only sleep.

    For those who go to sleep, the story isn't over yet. The same One who awakened Lazarus, and proclaimed Himself the resurrection and the life, will awaken the sleeping saints. Jesus changed death to sleep.

    This does not mean that we will not sorrow when our loved ones fall asleep. We may miss them sorely. We may shed tears. (We sometimes shed tears and miss our loved ones when they are gone on a long journey.) But it is not a matter of saying goodbye forever. Jesus is what makes the difference between sleep and death.

      If Christ be not raised, then is our faith in vain, and they also which are fallen asleep are perished. But Christ has risen, and we too shall rise to everlasting life. In Christ shall all be made alive. Death's sting has been taken away. The golden morning is fast approaching. Jesus soon will come. We have the promise today of the resurrection, of the waking-up time, of the reuniting with our loved ones, nevermore to part.

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September 1, 2018

9/1/2018

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Jesus Revealed in Doctrine                        REAL CHRISTIANS NEVER DIE

        Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. John 8:51.

    In the days of Jesus death was a dread mystery. People had a complete blank as to what death was all about. Multitudes approached the valley of the shadow with nothing but fear and foreboding. There were continuing arguments between the Sadducees and the Pharisees about the resurrection, and what happens to a man when he dies. The Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. That's why they were sad, you see! The Pharisees did believe, and so the argument continued at great length.

    Jesus came and said some very definite things about what we call death. In John 11:26 He said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." And then He asked, "Do you believe this?" Let me ask you that. Do you believe this? Or do you believe that to say that the one who lives and believes in Christ shall never die is going too far? Well, it's what the Bible teaches.

    Sleep is not all bad. I have seen people who were exhausted, overworked, and weary, who looked forward eagerly to being able to go to sleep. We have all experienced it. Adam lived for more than nine hundred years. Have you ever read his reaction when the time came for him to go to sleep? It's found in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 82: "Adam's life was one of sorrow, humility, and contrition. When he left Eden, the thought that he must die thrilled him with horror....[But] though the sentence of death pronounced upon him by his Maker had at first appeared terrible, yet after beholding for nearly a thousand years the results of sin, he felt that it was merciful in God to bring to an end a life of suffering and sorrow." Adam was glad to be able to lie down and go to sleep.

    We understand that for those who sleep, the passage of time is unnoticed. Can you imagine going to sleep, and awaking the next instant to see Jesus coming? Adam went to sleep after a life of toil and sorrow, and so far as his awareness is concerned, the next moment he'll be awakened. It is one of the blessings of sleep--to be unaware of the passing of time. It also shows the mercy of God today, that He does not prolong our lives in this world. Perhaps sixty or seventy years is about all we could take of this life. Then it's good to go to sleep, knowing that Jesus will awaken us when He comes again.

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September 5, 2018

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Listen toMy Take with Pastor Miguel Crespo

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Listen to
My Take with Pastor Miguel Crespo