Freedom and Victory: Introduction

Freedom and Victory: Introduction

We all want to be free.

     It's why so many throughout history have risked health and home to stand against oppression in all its forms.  We've seen it recently in Venezuela, Ukraine, Thailand and other parts of the globe.
People will fight and die for freedom while others kill to silence these dissenters. There are no neutral parties in these battles.

     As I type this in Collegedale, TN I am forced to consider my own fight for freedom. I may not face the same imminent physical threat as the people in the nations mentioned above but I am also at war. Even while you read this, you (YES, YOU!) are engaged in an ongoing struggle.

     We have been born into a land of oppression. A land with an administration that has hijacked control from the rightful Ruler.
A land that offers all of life's joys to it's citizens, but actually forces them to live in chains.
A land that has painted a false reality to its inhabitants.
A land where evil has taken hold.
A land where scenes of greed, hate, fear, abuse, and death have become common!

     No, I haven't confused Collegedale for North Korea.
(Even though the police give as many tickets. Kidding!!)
Actually, I'm not just referring to a small territory in an isolated corner of the globe.
Because, in fact, our entire WORLD is in a conflict!

     If you've ever felt the hurt of losing a loved one or have been enraged at the oppression of the powerless, you can relate that those things should not exist!
If you've ever wondered why there is so much pain, so much hurt, and so much wrong in our hearts and in this world, it's because we are slaves to an enemy.
The enemy of God has hijacked the world and is killing God's children!

In the next few weeks, we'll consider this global battle.
I hope you think about your own battle as we focus on the freedom and victory that can is promised and given by the true King to those who choose to stand with Him.

Join us next week as we start our first multi-part series!!

EF

Is the Investigative Judgement biblical, or did Ellen White just make that up?

So, this blog is in no way meant to be a comprehensive, exhaustive study on the Investigative Judgment. There are plenty of other materials from smarter, more well-versed scholars. BUT since you're still reading this, I'm guessing you're interested enough to know more about it.
Thanks for pickin' a winner. ;)

First of all. . . 
Many people don't know what the Investigative Judgement is. Some think it's some weird, cult-y jargon exclusive to Seventh-day Adventist and assume that it originated with Ellen White because, hey, why not.
To some circles, the terms "Pre-advent Judgement" and "Investigative Judgment" can be interchangeable. We'll stick with the latter to avoid confusion.
We know that God will judge the world at the end of time, but what does that even mean?

What is the Investigative Judgment?
I would define the term to mean a judgment by God after he performs an open investigation. God is characterized as being fair and just.(Psalms 25:8) For this to be true, He must not be arbitrary, because that would not be fair. The sentence also must follow some sort of due process, or else He would not be just.

Is this thing even biblical?

There are many Investigative Judgments throughout the Bible. 

"Seriously, I didn't make this up!" -Ellen White

• Beginning in Genesis 3, after the fall God asked Adam and Eve "what happened" (the investigation) before He pronounced judgment.
• Genesis 11, God saw (investigated) that man was wicked and he passed judgment. At the tower of Babel, God “came down to see” (investigate) and then he judged.
• In Leviticus 10 there is also an investigative judgment. Nadam and Abihu took strange fire “before the Lord”. A better translation of that would be “before God’s face.” This signifies that God saw (investigated) their apostasy and then pronounced judgment.

Are there any examples of Jesus mentioning something like this?
Jesus tells parables that involve an Investigative Judgment!

• Matthew 22 tells of a wedding feast where the king comes in to see (Investigate) which of the guests are wearing the appropriate wedding garments.
• The parable of the talents in Matt. 25 shows that the Master checked the work (investigated) before he judged and gave the rewards.

One last example!

The most compelling biblical example comes from the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. 
Achan takes what he’s not supposed to after a war. (No one was to pillage the losing people)
He returns to the camp with it and hides it under his family tent. God tells Joshua that someone had sinned and gives him a process and method of investigation. God tells Joshua to begin this process the next day.
The next day comes, lots are cast and Achan is found to be the one who sinned but the investigation is STILL not over.
The tribunal goes to Achan’s house where the illicit spools are discovered under his tent and THEN judgment is executed.

God allowed the judgment to be delayed because He still was giving time for Achan to repent!


What does this mean for us, today?!

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

Ellen White did not come up with the concept of the investigative judgment, God did.
This process highlights His justice, fairness and ultimately His love.
He has given us evidence of His righteous process all throughout scripture.

The good news is also that we have time TODAY to admit our sins, turn to Him and be forgiven! So that when His investigation is concluded, we could receive the reward of eternal life in His presence that He has promised!

Jesus puts it this way:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

-John 3: 16-21

For more information about the Investigative Judgment, Click HERE!

Peace and blessings,
EF 

Sin Makes You Stupid

Today we will be having a guest post from Marcos Torres!!

A great friend with a big love for Jesus. (We'll forgive him for being a Jets fan though ;)

The original post can be found Here.

 More blogs from "Jesus, Adventism and I" can be found HERE!

Write in the comment box below any reflections you may have had.

Enjoy and be blessed!

EF

Sin Makes You Stupid

The story of Samson is in my opinion, the saddest story in the Old Testament. Though other stories such as the fall of man, the life of Saul, and the sin of David are also sad, in my opinion the story of Samson is the most heart breaking. According to the Bible, Samson was born during a time in which Israel was living under Philistine rule due to their sins (Judges 13:1). Samson was born a Nazirite, (13:7) and at a very young age the spirit of God began to move on him to deliver Israel from their Philistine oppressors (13:25). However, Samson soon proved to be arrogant and disobedient to both God and parent (14:8-9). In the end, this mighty warrior who could have done so much for God died young and humiliated (17:31). Though there are many lessons we can glean from Samson’s life, I would like to focus on his lack of self-control, his pride and arrogance, and his weak prayer life.

It is very clear from early on that Samson lacked self-control. The very first story that is told of Samson shows him approaching his parents and telling them that he saw a Philistine woman that he wanted as his wife. Of course, marrying a Philistine was outside of the question for an Israelite, but Samson didn’t care about Gods standards. To him, all that mattered was that “she pleased [him] well” (14:1-3). The relationship ended in disaster. Samson should have realized then and there that doing things his own way would always result in disaster, but he did not seem to learn his lesson. At a later time we see Samson enter the city Gaza and spend a night with a prostitute (16:1). The Philistines attempted to trap him in the city by shutting the gates and waiting for him but by God’s grace Samson was able to escape. Once again, Samson should have realized that were it not for God he would have been a dead man, but Samson did not learn his lesson. A few verses down we see Samson once again in the arms of another woman named Delilah who consistently nagged him for the secret of his strength. How Samson did not see what was happening I do not know, but as the saying goes, "sin makes you stupid." On top of that, perhaps Delilah was so beautiful that he overlooked the obvious. This lack of self-control proved to be his ruin when he eventually revealed his secret to her and she betrayed him into Philistine hands (16:20-21).

Although Samson lacked self-control, perhaps an even greater weakness of his was his pride. Samson had come to a point where he thought he could play with sin and get away with it. He thought the strength he had would always be there and he failed to realize that apart from God he was as weak as a common man. Samson’s pride also becomes evident early on when he takes honey from a lion he had killed and eats it (14:9). This was a clear violation of his Nazirite vow which stated he could not touch a carcass. However, Samson did not seem to care one bit. Sometime later Samson was tricked by the Philistines. Instead of admitting that the Philistines were wicked people and getting away from them Samson took personal revenge on them by killing thirty Philistine men (14:19). The Philistines retaliated, and Samson did not back off. Instead he took three hundred foxes, tied them in pairs, and let them loose on Philistine crops with lit torches tied to their tails (15:4-5). Samson’s pride finally became his destruction when Delilah entered the picture. All along Delilah continued to tempt him to reveal the secret of his strength. Apart from his inability to walk away from her seductive beauty, I believe Samson also thought himself able to play with temptation and win. He did well at first by not revealing his secret to Delilah, but eventually she got it out of him (16:16-17). Had Samson humbled himself and realized his need of God and obedience to Him, Samson would never have fallen into such a trap.

While a lack of self-control and pride were serious weaknesses in the life of Samson, his greatest downfall was his lack of prayer. All of us are born with weaknesses, but through an intimate relationship with God we can be infused with the power to overcome those weaknesses. Samson knew no such relationship with God. The Bible only records Samson praying twice. The first time, Samson had just slayed a thousand Philistines single handedly. After the battle he found himself dehydrated with no water to drink and on the verge of death. Samson cried out to God and God saved him (15:18-19). The other time Samson prayed was when he was about to die (16:28-30). However, this time Samson’s prayer reflected a heart that had repented. The phrase “remember me” gives us a glimpse into the heart of Samson – that he had finally come to realize that apart from God he was nothing. However, even though the Bible only records Samson praying two times, I believe he prayed three times. The first time was after the battle, the third just before his death, and the second (which the Bible doesn’t mention) just after he was captured. After Samson revealed his secret to Delilah the Bible says:

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house (16:19-21).

In one of his sermons, Seventh-day Adventist pastor Henry Wright refers to Judges 16:20 as the saddest verse in the Old Testament and I fully agree. Samson got up like before and thought he would be OK “I’ll go out as before” he said, but he had no idea that the LORD, his true source of power, had left him. My question to all those who read this story is this: What do you think Samson did? What do you think he did as the Philistines dragged him into the street? What do you think he did as they punched him and kicked him and spit on him? What do you think Samson did as the Philistines pulled his beard and slapped his face and cursed his God and humiliated him? What do you think Samson did as a group of soldiers held him to the ground while another walked over to him, knife in hand, saying, “I am going to cut your eyes out”? I’ll tell you what I think he did. I believe Samson prayed like he had never prayed before. I believe he cried out to God in utter desperation. “Please God! Don’t let them do this to me!” I believe Samson promised God the world, “I promise I will do whatever you ask Lord, I will give you my life! I’ll obey you for the rest of my life, but please don’t let them take my eyes out!” Interesting. Isn't this exactly what many of us do? We ignore God until we find ourselves in a mess, and then we cry out to Him with a million promises. But God did not answer Samson’s prayer. You see, it was the same prayer Samson prayed when he was dying of thirst. There was no true repentance, only fear of death. God wanted to get Samson to the point where he would no longer fear death. God wanted to get Samson to give his life over to him completely. God knew if he delivered Samson, Samson would go back to his old ways as he had done before. This was the only way that God could save Samson. He had to let it happen. How great the love of God! That He is willing to go to any length to save you and me! Thousands of years later, the son of God endured similar treatment at the hands of the Romans to the point that He cried out, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”(Matthew 27) But God did not deliver Him either. God knew this was the only way He could save you. So He let it happen. The story of Samson shows us that God is willing to go to any length to save you and me.

Samson screamed. He kicked. He cried. He bled. And then, he couldn’t see anymore. And he began to think. What did Samson think of? Perhaps all of the times that he had ignored God. Perhaps his past sins came to haunt him. In the midst of this he remembered the scriptures his mother taught him as a child about the mercy of God and in his darkest hour he finally reached out to the One whom he had long rejected. Then, in his final prayer we encounter a Samson who was no longer afraid of death. He had met God face to face. “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life” (16:30).

So what does all of this mean for contemporary Christians? First of all, self-control is vital to success in the Christian life. Paul said, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). Second, pride is a dangerous attitude. Evangelist Alejandro Bullon said in one of his series, that “pride is the dumb idea that you can live without God.” Solomon said, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame…” (Proverbs 11:2) and Paul said, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Finally, the life of Samson teaches us that a life lacking in prayer is doomed to go nowhere. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). Paul exhorts us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And Jesus Christ, the son of God prayed as though everything depended on it, and indeed everything did. If Jesus Himself prayed so earnestly, how much more should we? I pray that the life of Samson would be a lesson to all of us so that we do not repeat the mistakes that cost such a promising man his dignity, destiny, and life.