Abraham, Friend of God

[Guest]

People can make God very happy, or they can make Him sad. Abraham made Him so happy that He gave him the title "Friend of God" (James 2:23). He was so delighted with Abraham that He declared that all who embraced the same faith that he had must inherit the whole earth for an everlasting possession with everlasting life to go along with the gift!

Further, God was so happy with him that He promised him and all his descendants to become a great nation, the "head and not the tail," the outstanding example to all the world of what God's salvation is all about. According to the Bible, what made God so happy was that Abraham "rejoiced to see," to perceive, to understand, to grasp, to appreciate Christ as the world's Savior. He "believed in the Lord" (John 8:56; Gen. 15:6). (Remember, the gospel was preached to him as it has been to us, Gal. 3:8.)

Abraham's descendants were to be a corporate body on earth, a "nation," God's church on earth that should evangelize the world. They would corporately honor His name before all the pagan nations.

It was a glorious idea! Israel was to be a nation of special people who would survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, whose richest gain they would count but loss, and pour contempt on all their pride. The Lord would fight for them and give them possession of the promised land; they wouldn't need to bear the sword (Ex. 14:14; Deut. 1:30; 3:22, etc.). He would use some agency that the wisest commentators still don't fully understand called "the hornet" (7:20) that would drive out their enemies.

But Israel largely failed. Even their best leaders blew it. God gave King Saul great military success with his sword; but it went to his head. Even David who praised the Lord in all his Psalms committed adultery with the wife of his bravest, most loyal soldier, Uriah the Hittite, and then murdered him. Solomon's vast wealth and wisdom went to his head. Kings such as Hezekiah and Jehoshaphat for whom the Lord wrought great miracles sullied their life record with tragic mistakes of pride. The prophets all longed for a national repentance that never came until Israel crucified their Messiah.

Now God has a world church through whom He longs to glorify His name before a bewildered, confused modern world in gross darkness. There is Good News: what Jesus died to accomplish will yet be achieved in His church--when they can pour contempt on all their pride.

[wayfinder]

Matthew 25:1,2 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

Matthew 25:10-13 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. "Later the other virgins also came, saying, `Lord, lord, open up for us.' "But he answered, `Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Matthew 7:21-29

"Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

John 8:39

They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.

What does it take to be called a friend of God? Trust and obey for there is no other way. God's kingdom is asleep and I am concerned about them. They have a great, God given, responsibility. They have the responsibility of learning and practicing the truth, yet they are fast asleep, but God is about to wake them up. Who will be among the wise and who among the foolish? Is your house built upon the rock/truth or the sand/foolishness?

Matthew 25:21

"His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

[Guest]

You can't be too concerned about them, since you are trying to subvert their whole mission. Which is to spread the three angel's messages.

I've noticed how you hang everything on that one parable, and disregard all the others. You seem to be saying that one is prophecy, but the others on the same topic aren't.

Mat 13:24 And he gave them another story, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who put good seed in his field:

Mat 13:31 He put another story before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and put in his field:

Mat 13:33 Another story he gave to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and put in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

Mat 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a secret store of wealth in a field, which a man came across and put back again; and in his joy he goes and gives all he has, to get that field.

Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader searching for beautiful jewels.

Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net, which was put into the sea and took in every sort of fish:

[wayfinder]

Not trying to subvert any more than Jesus was when He was here on earth.

How many people at the time of Christ really "bought into" His teaching? His disciples even had a hard time. Sure there were multitudes who followed Him, but only so they wouldn't miss out on a miraculous show, Jesus was great entertainment because of His miracles.

Richard, in your heart do you really think I am trying to be subversive to the efforts of the Holy Spirit?

[Guest]

No I really don't think you are trying to do that. But your teaching does it.

What about my second point?

[wayfinder]

Matthew 21:41 They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, `THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'? 43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.

Revelation 3:3 `So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 `But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

The kingdom was taken away from the literal offspring of Abraham and given to a gentile people. The message to Sardis contains information which dovetails with the 10 bridesmaids account. They are asleep (like the bridesmaids) and the Bridegroom comes while they are asleep. The warning to those in Sardis is that if they do not wake up Christ will come as a thief in the night and they will not know He has arrived, just like the bridesmaids. There are a few in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, they are awake when Christ comes.

These are but a few of the prophecies that indicate the SDA church as the present-day kingdom of heaven.

[Guest]

The parable does not say they will not wake up, for every eye shall see him. They just don't have any oil. That is why they are asking the wise for their oil. But it is too late.

[Guest]

The oil is the HS.

[wayfinder]

The oil is the Holy Spirit, exactly. Think about this, in light of the statement, "as it was in the days of Noah", life is depicted as going on as usual. Knowing what we know about the great tribulation, do you think life will be "normal"? I understand the the "coming like a thief in the night" will be at a different time and in a different way than the coming in the clouds when "every eye shall see Him". It seems impossible to me that the kingdom (ten bridesmaids) would sleep through the great tribulation and have to be awakened by some other group to let them know that Christ is in the clouds in the air and them half of them are not taken to heaven.

[Guest]

The parable does not say they will not wake up, for every eye shall see him. They just don't have any oil. That is why they are asking the wise for their oil. But it is too late

Where does it speak of another group?

[wayfinder]

Matthew 25:6 "But at midnight there was a shout, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 "The foolish said to the prudent, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the prudent answered, `No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 "Later the other virgins also came, saying, `Lord, lord, open up for us.' 12 "But he answered, `Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

There are several things to consider in this passage. Midnight not daylight. The Bridegroom is here, come out to meet Him. The foolish do not have the oil to go with the Bridegroom to the marriage feast and are told to go and buy. Then later they show up at the feast and are not let in. This does not fit the context of the sixth bowl to seventh bowl of wrath. The sixth bowl of wrath is when Satan takes his army and moves against the saints. How could this be when the saints are all asleep? Think about it, the saints sleep through the great tribulation (seven trumpets, seven bowls) and must be awakened so they don't miss out on the coming in the clouds. It is the saints job to let the world know the truth during the great tribulation, how can they do this while they are sleeping?

[Guest]

First of all, no one is going to sleep through the tribulation. That is not biblical. 7 "Then all those virgins rose"

If it does not fit the context of what you need it to, it simply means that the parable is not connected to the prophecy. It dosn't mean that you have to make it fit by making up a whole other coming of the Lord, which also is not biblical.

[wayfinder]

Richard, before you jump to a conclution, consider the facts. The fact that the saints do not sleep through the great tribulation. The fact that the coming in the clouds occurs at the end of the great tribulation. The fact that the bridesmaids are not the bride. The fact that the message to Sardis contains the statement "if you do not wake up I will come like a thief and you will not know what time I will come to you". So the coming like a thief occurs while the Sardinians sleep. The fact that there are a few in Sardis who are not asleep and are in white robes. The fact that the Laodicean message is to an assembly that is awake, but lukewarm, blind and naked. The fact that the kingdom of heaven and the 144k are sealed before the release of the four winds (the four winds start the great tribulation) (Rev. 7). The fact that just because some understandings have been held for 1500 years does not make them true. We must be honest with ourself.

[Guest]

There is nothing about sleeping in either the one to Sardis or the one to Laodicea. The bottom line message is the same to them all. "To him that overcometh". Every church mentioned has some who will and some who won't. Who said anything about 1500 years?

Why don't you come and help me argue with the passivists? They say God has never destroyed anything, and never will. The thread is called: "Sin destroys itself"

[wayfinder]

Richard, It has been a wonderful day. The Angels swept the Redsox. I have had a good discussion with you and I flew my plane, it doesn't get much better than that.

Now as far as sleeping.

Revelation 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the R149 seven stars, says this: `I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 `Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 `So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

They have a name that is alive, but they are dead (sleep death). Then the warning, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief...

Yes all messages have a promise, conditioned to those who have ears to hear. As far as the 1500 years, most of Protestant and SDA eschatology is based upon prophetic interpretations that as as much as 1500 years old.

I would be happy to help you with the pacifists, do you think they will listen?

[Woody]

Quote:

Richard, It has been a wonderful day. The Angels swept the Redsox.

They ain't goin' ta b no Angels if they have to play the Dodgers.

[wayfinder]

I am a Dodgers fan too. I was really glad to see the Dodgers pick Joe Torre for manager. A freeway world seires would be fantastic! If only the singing cowboy was here to see this.

[Woody]

Yes indeed. What a man. I loved the old Westerns.

[Guest]

The text says if they don't watch, (wake up) That he will come when they don't expect him. It dosn't say they won't know he came. Those are your words.

As far as the pacifists go, I think you could raise one from the dead and they wouldn't believe that God ever destroyed anything. Once they go down that road, they usually don't come back.

[wayfinder]

Richard, the text says you have a name that is alive, but you are dead (asleep as in death). And goes on to say, if you do not wake up, when I come like a thief you will not know it.

You are right about the pacifists; I think that they hope that they are right. With enough hope they believe that they can will God into submission to their belief. It is that same old story, you convince God that you are right and that God should do your (in general) will. In other words you are God's councilor, telling Him what is right and humane and He must listen and obey.

[Guest]

Maybe you should tell them that.

My Bible dosn't say they won't know that he came.

[wayfinder]

The pacifists may not realize that we are in a war with the power of evil/lies. War is never pretty, nice and "civilized". When we are told in Revelation 12 that the dragon is filled with great rage and that that rage is directed at those who stand with God and the Lamb....

Does your Bible say, "if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know when I will come to you" Revelation 3:3

[Guest]

They won't know when he will come, but it dosn't say they won't know it after he gets here. Everyone will know.