Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Law points out the Messiah

G-d has intended that his Laws will reveal who the Messiah is.

In Torah, he gave Moses the promise that he was going to a raise up a Jew to replace Moses Deuteronomy 18:15-22.

In Genesis 3:15. G-d uttered a prophecy and promise that he would send a seed from woman to overcome Satan, evil and sin.

In Leviticus 23, he institutes festivals and holy convocations to reveal his solution to man's problems. Day of Atonement he declared would be the time when he would forgive men of their sins. He would not hold men to be guilty for their sins, but shall find a scape goat to impute the sins on.

In Psalm 32:2, the scriptures implies that there is a time when men will be tried, and some will not be considered guilty.

The scriptures however have the purpose of identifying the times and seasons and when the prophecies of G-d will be fulfilled.

According to Apostle Paul, the Gentile missionary, the Law points to the revelation of the Messiah, his work and the (Galations 3:23-25). The Law also has the purpose of showing sin and declaring what wrong is, so that we can identify who is doing the will of G-d, from whom are not doing the will of G-d.

Because we know sin and the will of G-d via revelation through his word, we can identify the Messiah who comes in his name and is obedient to all his commands and fulfills his revealed criteria and requirements for qualification.

Thus the Law has not been done away with, but it reveals the one who will lead us into the new covenant with G-d; the one who will guide us into our destiny. The one that will lead humanity into the promise that G-d gave Abraham, even the rest in the Promised land.

The importance of natural and spiritual laws

In a discussion with my wife, who keep saying that logic cannot be used with the Word of G-d, I felt impressed to write these thoughts and share them.

G-d has created the world to operate under both spiritual and natural laws. These laws govern the way things are in the world. They make life predictable. They make man's existence predictable.

Once we discover the laws, we can count on them to operate on our behalf. For instance, we know that if we plant a seed of peas, according to natural law, when it sprouts and grows, at harvest time we should see and reap peas.

G-d has also made to operate in spiritual laws, for which there are consequences for the violation thereof. However he has also made provision for those who have violated those laws to get deliverance from the consequences thereof. For example, if someone murders another person for the first time, then their spirit is restless and they cannot have peace. However if that person calls on G-d (or the Messiah, Jesus) for forgiveness, then he may permit the person to receive peace.

Just like the queen or the governor in the British constitutional system and her commonwealth, G-d reserves the power under law to pardon those who breaks the law.

G-d therefore uses the Laws to reveal that he is predictable and change not (Malachi 3:6).

He uses the Law to teach that he is the same G-d yesterday, today and forever ( Hebrews 13:8).

He indicates that he is Present continuous - existing out of time, hence he does not change with time and is not limited by time (Exodus 3:14).


Thus, G-d wants us to base our faith on his predictable words, promises and provisions. He wants what he has revealed unto us to shape our expectations, aspirations or hope - especially our faith. Because of G-d's promises, we can expect certain outcomes. Becuase of G-d's revelation, we can expect certain outcomes.



Yet G-d reserve the right to change the outcomes based on conditions which he reveals. It is based on these conditions that G-d is able to suspend natural and even spiritual law.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Truth about Truth

Messenger: Lorenzo King
Date: February 21, 2009
Venue: Andrews Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church

I attended the Adventist Fellowship on Sabbath. There I heard free uplifting music and heard the lady welcoming everyone to their "community of G-d's children".

Church for me now is a place to:
  • hear free uplifting music

  • hear inspirational and motivational speaking

  • meet and fellowship with persons who want to improve morally


While I did not receive much from the day's worship services, I did benefit and value the flier handed out to me, with some thoughts of the pastor, Lorenzo King.

I think he wrote some brilliant ideas, worthy to be shared here. (His wife is a Librarian, so I was not at all surprised that sufficient bibliographic data was provided on the flier for me to prepare a citation). The citation is as follows:

Lorenzo R. King. "The Truth About Truth" The Write of A King Vol. 2, No. 25 (February 21, 2009).

King in his commentary indicates that there are three truths about the "truth". First, he argues that the Devil tells truth with an agenda of furthering his cause (Mark 5:7-8; Acts 16:16-17; Genesis 3:5,22).

I would add that the Devil also tells the truth to condemn and accuse the brethren (Zechariah 3:1-2; Jude 9; Revelation 12:10).

The second point about truth raised by King is that truth must be shared responsibly. He argues that there is no truth or Biblical support to the adage: "speak the truth and speak it ever cause it what it will." He said not all truths must be revealed, as sometimes the revelation of truth can be harmful to persons whom the truths have been revealed to. He shows in the scripture that there are a number of times, when G-d held back truth from humanity knowing that they were either not ready for such truth or are unable to "endure the impact" thereof (John 16:12; Revelation 10:4).

I would also add that Jesus admonishes us that we must not give truth and wisdom to those unworthy of it (Matthew 7:6).


Finally, Pastor King goes on to admonish us that possessing truth can be "dangerous, as such possession of truth can lead to "intolerance and bigotry". He suggests that it hard to remain humble when we have truth that others do not have. People with truth have a responsibility to guard against feelings of "superiority" and "intolerance", while recognizing that possessing truth makes one a servant to those who do not have truth. As one who possess truth we will have to be apostles to those who lack it.

King argues that we who possess truth must not be "arrogant" or practice the "piety of intolerance". According to King, "Enlightened bigotry is worse than ignorant but peaceful coexistence. He cites the example of how Jesus rebuked his disciples for a display of intolerance (Luke 9:51-56).

Monday, February 2, 2009

What Ellen G. White missed?

One Sabbath I was reasoning with a brother from United Church of G-d about Seventh Day Adventism. He pointed out to me that Seventh Day Founders arrived at errors in their prophetic interpretation due to the fact that in the time that the Church was started, Israel did not exist.

For those of you who are familiar with SDA history and also are aware of Israel's history, you can see some truth to that. The SDA Church was established in the 1800's, (1844 was not the actual date in which the church was "nominated"). The state of Israel on the other hand was once again established in 1948, after World War II.

Interestingly, Israel that now exists is not the full Israel that the Bible speaks about. In fact, what we call the state of Israel today is actually the kingdom of Judah - consisting of two tribes of Israel, Judah (from which we get the Jews) and Benjamin, with Levites interspersed., as Levites in the Bible do not have any land.

This is how many arrive at the phrase the "Ten lost tribes of Israel"! For more information, I point you to two encyclopaedia articles for reference "Ten Lost Tribes" Wikipedia and "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel" Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.


However, Seventh Day Adventist founders, mistakenly adopt a theology that the Church has replaced physical Israel as the Spiritual Israel.

Consequently, all theology about the coming of Christ in 1844 and prophesies concerning Revelation are falsified on that premise.

The woman in Revelation 12 is not the Church, for why would the church give birth to Christ (Rev. 12:5)?

The current leaders of the Church will need to re-examine doctrines based on Miller's claims and prophetic interpretations regarding Revelation in light of what their founders did not see - the physical return of the original kingdom of Israel to the land of Palestine. I will write more on this in a future blog entry.

Works Cited

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists http://www.adventist.org/world_church/facts_and_figures/history/index.html.en

"History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church." Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Seventh-day_Adventist_Church

"Ten Lost Tribes" Wikipeda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ten_lost_tribes.

"Ten Lost Tribes of Israel." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 02 Feb. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/587080/Ten-Lost-Tribes-of-Israel>.