Vision for our New Year

What are you dreaming of for the New Year? What do you expect in 2008? Recently Adventist News Network asked these questions random Adventist church members. Answers had a lot in common – looking forward to Christ's coming, hoping to spend more time in the New Year introducing Christ to those who do not know him. Reading different responses I am glad to see that most see the New Year as another opportunity to truly embrace God's calling for them to minister to others. I am delighted to read these answers because they represent sentiments in our congregations too. We are looking how we may hasten the Coming of our Lord Jesus.

I am reminded of a vision seen by Ellen G. White in 1904 (Manuscript 102) She writes of it: “Last night a scene was presented before me. I may never feel free to reveal all of it, but I will reveal a little. It seemed that an immense ball of fire came down upon the world, and crushed large houses. From place to place rose the cry, "The Lord has come! The Lord has come!" Many were unprepared to meet Him, but a few were saying, "Praise the Lord!"

"Why are you praising the Lord?" inquired those upon whom was coming sudden destruction.

"Because we now see what we have been looking for."

"If you believed that these things were coming, why did you not tell us?" was the terrible response. "We did not know about these things. Why did you leave us in ignorance? Again and again you have seen us; why did you not become acquainted with us, and tell us of the judgment to come, and that we must serve God, lest we perish? Now we are lost!"

The vision needs no comments. She expressed her emotion in words of this advice: “Every church member is to train the intellect, in order that he may gain a clear understanding of the will of God concerning him; everyone is to educate the voice, that he may communicate a knowledge of the Scriptures to those who are in ignorance. May God help us to stand, like Daniel, in our lot and place during the days of probation that remain.

Parents, teach your children regarding the things that are coming upon the earth, and lead them to prepare to meet their Lord in peace. Gain a knowledge of the Scriptures. Do not fill the head with the nonsense of novels. Brain nerve power is required by those who desire to comprehend the truth so clearly that they can teach it intelligently to others. We have none too much brainpower. Never can we afford to use tobacco, or alcoholic liquors, or any other injurious substance; for we must strive to keep our minds clear for the work of saving souls. The Lord is pleased with those who manifest fervid earnestness in His service. It is the privilege of everyone to cultivate faithfully every God-given power.

In that glad day ... the ransomed ones will exclaim: "Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a triumphant Conqueror." What joy the worker will then feel in going to those to whom he has spoken with trembling and in fearfulness--those to whom he has opened the Scriptures and with whom he has prayed, thus balancing their souls on the right side. . . .

These are people next to you at work, in school, on your street. Are you telling them that Jesus is coming back?

Cosmic Christmas

As Christmas rolls around, every year someone is going to say “I don’t believe Christmas,” and they even get upset when church puts on a Christmas dinner, or kids produce a pageant, or the Sabbath before a message and a song is on the theme of Christmas. Regardless how many sermons were preached correcting this wrong attitude, or editorials written about the Spirit of Prophecy endorsement of utilizing Christmas season for witnessing, regardless how loud the corporate guidance is given about our Church’s stand on this – there still will be some who would “grinch” about the season.

It is true we do not know when Jesus was born, we do not know exactly when he was baptized, all look tells us that he was about thirty (Luke 3:23). God knows, for when the time was due (Galatians 4:4), when the Divine Schedule was right Jesus came. All we know is that this event of Christ’s birth was attacked always. The story of Cosmic Christmas, the Big Picture of Christ’s birth is well described in Revelation 12. John witnessed an event of great significance: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head, pregnant, delivering the Baby right in front of the dragon, who had one thing on his mind – to devour the baby as soon as it was born. But thanks God, a baby boy was born who was to rule all nations and later he was caught up to God and to his throne. Through these symbols you can see Herod’s army killing all boys in Bethlehem, you can see devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness, causing all kinds of people to trouble Jesus, and then the cross and the grave. Yet after Christ’s ascension to heaven the dragon did not stop. Now the attack is on the His Remnant.

Christmas is not only about Jesus’ birth, it is also about our new birth, it is about every believer being the remnant of Jesus, of the Seed. It is shocking to read in the London Free Press about a youth killing a 74-year old men delivering Christmas cards in the neighbourhood, just because of hate toward God. It is awful to think that some who say they believe have curiosity to watch movies produced to incite hate to God. Yet in the midst of this adversity we are to remain the Remnant. This season is about us too, remaining the world that the reason there will be a New Year is because of Christmas more than 2000 years ago.

This season you are invited to be His Feet, His Arms, His Hands, His Heart, His Words, His Smile – reaching, healing, teaching, going, loving, caring – for we are the Body of Christ, we are the Remnant of the Baby.

Be merry this Christmas, be remnant this Christmas, be the Christ for each other this season.

Handling the holidays

Preparing for the recent Evangelistic series “What’s the Connection” I worked through the Book of Daniel, and one particular subject served as an excellent object lesson for the final topic “Handling the holidays” – Daniel 6. The story where king is coached to introduce a 30-day long holiday. Daniel just retires to his room and ignores the holiday altogether, simply because he’s got his God-given holidays already. Instead of following the secular trend he prays to God the way he always did.

As the season of many holidays is approaching the pressure is on us to follow the rest of the crowd – eat, shop, stay late, and then pay the price of getting sick, dealing with credit debts, being tired and stressed from holidays. Of course, the holiday season evokes warm thoughts of family gatherings, special times with friends, holiday baking, snuggling by the fire, snowball battles, and more. You know the drill. But, the stressors are many. How will you handle your holidays?

It is interesting to observe that the ancient people of God, the nation of Israel had their holidays as object lessons, having a prophetic significance, pointing out to God’s way of Salvation and the final rest in the Promised land: from Passover to Sukkot. The purpose for holidays was not to get an extra cholesterol, but to remind God’s plan of salvation. In fact they fasted before feasting, repented and humbled themselves before celebrating. There was a deep meaning in their calendar holidays, and in their weekly cycle.

Researchers are puzzled with “Circaseptan Cycles” - a relatively new science of chronobiology uncovering some totally unexpected facts about living things. I quote from Susan Perry and Jim Dawson report in their book The Secrets Our Body Clock Reveal. Mind you these are not Christian scientists, rather secular evolutionists write: "Weekly rhythms are one of the most puzzling and fascinating findings of chronobiology. Circaseptan literally means "about seven." Daily and seasonal cycles appear to be connected to the moon. But what is there in nature that would have caused weekly rhythms to evolve? At first glance, it might seem that weekly rhythms developed in response to the seven-day week imposed by human culture thousands of years ago. However, this theory doesn't hold once you realize that plants, insects, and animals other than humans also have weekly cycles. . . . Biology, therefore, not culture, is probably at the source of our seven-day week."

To a Biblical believing Christian this is not a puzzle – God has created the whole living world in six days and rested on the seventh. Another scientists, the world's foremost authority and the pioneer of the science of chronobiology Franz Halberg proposes that “body rhythms of about seven days, far from being passively driven by the social cycle of the calendar week, are innate, autonomous, and perhaps the reason why the calendar week arose in the first place." What a bombshell! God tuned everything living so that it needs the Holy Day every seven days. We call it Sabbath.

So, as you face the holidays, remember that the best way to handle it is – live your normal live on God’s schedule – work six days and on the seventh come to celebrate the promise of the ultimate holiday – the real REST in the new heaven and earth.

Another opportunity to witness.

Holiday season is almost here. Every year around this season people have mixed feelings about validity of Christmas celebration. Some point out to the fact that Jesus was not born in December and it is really a pagan holiday, others say we use this as an opportunity to teach lessons about sacrificial giving, and witnessing about our faith in the Soon return of Christ.

This year media presents yet another opportunity to witness. Next Friday, December 7^th theatres everywhere will open a new film for kids: “The Golden Compass.” Some of your kids may have seen the preview or heard classmates talking about it. Some may wonder if it is another nice metaphor like the “Chronicles of Narnia.” The release is planned around Christmas time in hope that parents will buy Philip Pullman’s trilogy as a seasonal gift. Here comes the twist: the trilogy is written by a militant atheist and is called His Dark Materials. It was written to promote atheism and to denigrate Christianity. Even though the film is based on the least offensive of the three books and is intended to take out or water-down the anti-religious elements, it’s main intent is to encourage children to read the anti-Church series.

While many were fighting the witch-craft promoting Harry potter series, right under their/our noses another series of books were gaining popularity, awards and recognition. The trilogy presents progressively stronger themes where in the final instalment, the kids succeed in killing a character called God — who turns out to be a phoney. Think of this: who’s work is it to introduce killing God during the season when the world is remembering the Incarnation of God through a birth of a human baby Jesus?

In the film an alternative universe is presented where everyone has a spiritual alter-ego, called demon. It is an animal that represents your inner self.

The author said that he wrote this trilogy against C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia," written to teach Christian ideals to kids. "I loathe the 'Narnia' books," Pullman said in a press interview. "I hate them with a deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away." He has called Narnia series "one of the most ugly and poisonous things." In other interviews the author makes it clear that his purpose is to turn kids away from religion, God, Christianity.

For more information and explanation – see the editorial in the church newsletter. Our website also has a link for parents to explain the subtle deception behind this film. No doubt there will be some who will go and see, just as some adored and enshrined Harry Potter. But it is also an opportunity for those who believe to witness to our faith.

Remember that what you see matters. Jesus said “Your eye is a lamp for your body. A good, pure eye lets sunshine into your soul, your whole body will be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22) Make Jesus the light of your season. Meditate on Christ’s Coming and His promise to return soon. Think good things that your mind will be enlightened…