Fwd: Sincerity.doc

A Sincere Christian

 The Etymology (origins) of the word sincere is not clear.  Scholars are divided in this issue.  The Oxford English Dictionary and most scholars state that sincerity from sincere is derived from the Latin sincerus meaning clean, pure, sound (1525–35). Sincerus may have once meant "one growth" (not mixed), from sin- (one) and crescere (to grow).  Crescere is cognate with "Ceres," the goddess of grain, as in "cereal."  According to the American Heritage Dictionary[6], the Latin word sincerus is derived from the Indo-European root *sm̥kēros, itself derived from the zero-grade of *sem (one) and the suffixed, lengthened e-grade of *ker (grow), generating the underlying meaning of one growth, hence pure, clean.

It does not help that there is n often repeated folk etymology proposes that sincere is derived from the Latin sine = without, cera = wax. According to one popular explanation, dishonest sculptors in Rome or Greece would cover flaws in their work with wax to deceive the viewer; therefore, a sculpture "without wax" would mean honesty in its perfection.  Another explanation is that without wax etymology "is derived from a Greeks-bearing-gifts story of deceit and betrayal. For the feat of victory, the Romans demanded the handing over of obligatory tributes. Following bad advice, the Greeks resorted to some faux-marble statues made of wax, which they offered up as tribute. These promptly melted in the warm Greek sun."

Regardless of the true origin of the word sincere (which means free from hypocrisy, honest, genuine, and/or real), it seems to mean that inside and out is made of the same material: no blends, no mixes, no filling.  This reminds me of how the Lord ordered some things to be done in the sanctuary.  The sanctuary's lamp was made out of pure gold.  Everything in this lamp was to be gold.  We read of this in Exodus 25:31 and 39,

Exo25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

Exo25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

Also the silver trumpets in Numbers 10:2,

Num10:2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

 The trumpets were made out of a whole piece of silver only.  It is this kind of integrity that Christ had while on earth.  Through and through He was all the same.  His intentions, His thoughts, Words and His actions were in harmony.  All were clean, pure, sound, and not mixed with self (sin).  This is why many considered Christ different than any other man (John 7:46).  This is what men are looking for in us.  This is what the Holy Spirit is trying to produce in us.  It is not only what we say, but how we live, and this requires sincerity.  Sister White says why,

"Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls."—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 347.  

True sincerity in a Christian is when the intentions of the heart, the words of the mouth, and the actions perform in perfect alignment with agape.  Like the lamp and the trumpets they are made out of one "one whole piece" of agape. 

 

 

 

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Faith: The limiting reagent

Faith:  The limiting reagent

The lesson asks, "In what ways, even subtly, as we await the Second Coming (which seems to be taking so long), could we be in danger of displaying the same attitudes we find so repugnant as manifested by the Hebrews here?"  To answer this question let us read the following illustration. 

 Let us say that you want a certain amount of a chemical substance.  To do this you have to mix a certain amount of the chemical substance that make it up.  Simply put you follow a recipe.  If you do the right thing you will produce the right amount of the right substance.  But, let's say that after a few hours you end up short.  The chemical reaction stopped working.  It could be that you did not have enough of the limiting reagent.  What is this?  In a chemical reaction, it is the reagent that controls the quantity of product which can be formed.  Put differently, it is the chemical that determines how far the reaction will go before the chemical in question gets "used up", causing the reaction to stop.  There are ways to calculate this even before the reaction is working.  It is called limiting regent because it limits the amount you can produce. 

If our relationship with God was a chemical reaction what would be the limiting reagent.  If Christ's soon return was dependent on this chemical reaction what would be the limiting reagent?  When we looked at what happened to the Israelites in Numbers 13 and 14, we realized that they could have reached the Promised Land at that very moment if their relationship with God was one of Faith.  But, as Paul said in Hebrews 3: 13 - 19, their unbelief kept them away.  Now, instead of possessing the land they would wander 40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14: 28-35; Hebrews 3:17).  Their "limiting reagent" was Faith.  The lack of this ingredient – Faith - caused the 'reaction' to stop.  So, it delayed the 'production" of God fulfilling His promise to the Israelites of giving them the promise land.    

 The original question was: could we be doing the same thing the Israelites did?  But first we have to ask ourselves: is there a delay?  Sister White answers both questions.  She says clearly that there is a delay because we are in a same position of the Israelites.  Because of our own unbelief the Father has delayed His Son's return.  In page 694 of Evangelism the Editor's quote her saying says that it is an act of mercy,

The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God's unwillingness to have His people perish, has been the reason of so long delay.

The editors of Evangelism quote -also in page 694 -what she said about what would have happened if the work might have been done,

Had the purpose of God been carried out by His people in giving to the world the message of mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth, and the saints would have received their welcome into the city of God.  

I know that if the people of God had preserved a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His Word, they would today be in the heavenly Canaan. -

The editors of Evangelism then quote Sister White in page 695 saying that there is No Failure of God's Promises, it is our fault,

The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the Word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional.  

     God had committed to His people a work to be accomplished on earth. The third angel's message was to be given, the minds of believers were to be directed to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ had entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach in the law of God must be made up. The message must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth, and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.  

     Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward. But in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed the disappointment, many of the advent believers yielded their faith. . . . Thus the work was hindered, and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole Adventist body united upon the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different would have been our history!  

It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in "because of unbelief." Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.  

For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord's professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.

"Ye have not, because ye ask not" (Matthew 7: 7, 8; James 4:2).  An unlimited supply of faith is at our disposal if we want it.  With faith all things are possible (Mark 9:23).  Without it nothing but Sin is (Romans 14:23).  

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Third Culture Christians.doc

Third Culture Christians

Years ago I went to a conference where I met a lady called Ruth Van Rekken.  We did the usual small talk.  After I told Ruth that I was raised in the United States in a Puerto Rican home – in other words I grew up between two cultures - she told me I was a Third Culture Kid.  I thought she meant that Puerto Rico was a third world country.  But, before I could ask her, Ruth explained to me what she meant, prefacing that this is a common phenomenon. 

This phenomenon was discovered by Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem.  She coined the term "Third Culture Kids" (TCK) after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children, in the early fifties. Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture"

Sociologist David Pollock describes a TCK as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background."The question, "Where is home?" to a TCK is hard to answer.  Is it where they grew up, where there parents grew up, or wherever they are living now?  Imagine a young TCK being told, "You are going back home," and home is a land you have never seen with people you have never met. 

We read in the book of Genesis that Jacob and his sons - and their families - left Canaan to live in Egypt.  This clan grew into a few million 400 years later, while living in Egypt.  Moses showed up one day and told them, "I'm here to take you back home."  To these people whether for good or bad Egypt was home.  Now, God was taking them to a land they had never seen to live among a people they had never met.  God miraculously takes them out of what they know as home to take them to their new home.  We read from Exodus to Deuteronomy what God had to do to accomplish this.  The beginning of the journey as an organized nation starts in Numbers 10: 11 – 36.  Because of their resistance to God's plan it took God more than a year to get them organized as a nation to go home. 

In a real sense true Christians are in the same predicament.  Christ came to this world telling us that He would be back to take us home.  We read this in John 14: 1 – 4,

 John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

To all of us born and raised in this planet: this is home.  We know nothing else.  But, it was not meant to be our home.  Also, God is destroying it in the near future (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20).  (We have a new Land Lord.  He is rebuilding our dwelling place.  Our lease is not being renewed, we have been evicted.  But, we have a new lease, signed and paid for by Jesus.  We can be His room mates for eternity.)

When the Holy Spirit makes your heart His home (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17), you are gradually and increasingly transformed into a new way of thinking (Romans12:2).  You acquire a new culture.  This culture does not fit anywhere in this planet.  You do not even fit or have a sense of belonging with those with whom you grew up with.  You develop a new sense of identity.  One, which "… sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background."  You only feel you belong with people of a similar (parallel) walk of Faith.  You sense you belong only with those who are learning and are striving to live lives controlled and dependent on Jesus.  When we get to our new home we will fit right in, because this is how those who are there live.  --

Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Third Culture Christians

Third Culture Christians

Years ago I went to a conference where I met a lady called Ruth Van Rekken. We did the usual small talk. After I told Ruth that I was raised in the United States in a Puerto Rican home – in other words I grew up between two cultures - she told me I was a Third Culture Kid. I thought she meant that Puerto Rico was a third world country. But, before I could ask her, Ruth explained to me what she meant, prefacing that this is a common phenomenon.

This phenomenon was discovered by Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem. She coined the term "Third Culture Kids" (TCK) after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children, in the early fifties. Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture"

Sociologist David Pollock describes a TCK as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.”

The question, “Where is home?” to a TCK is hard to answer. Is it where they grew up, where there parents grew up, or wherever they are living now? Imagine a young TCK being told, “You are going back home,” and home is a land you have never seen with people you have never met.

We read in the book of Genesis that Jacob and his sons - and their families - left Canaan to live in Egypt. This clan grew into a few million 400 years later, while living in Egypt. Moses showed up one day and told them, “I’m here to take you back home.” To these people whether for good or bad Egypt was home. Now, God was taking them to a land they had never seen to live among a people they had never met. God miraculously takes them out of what they know as home to take them to their new home. We read from Exodus to Deuteronomy what God had to do to accomplish this. The beginning of the journey as an organized nation starts in Numbers 10: 11 – 36. Because of their resistance to God’s plan it took God more than a year to get them organized as a nation to go home.

In a real sense true Christians are in the same predicament. Christ came to this world telling us that He would be back to take us home. We read this in John 14: 1 – 4,

John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

To all of us born and raised in this planet: this is home. We know nothing else. But, it was not meant to be our home. Also, God is destroying it in the near future (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20). (We have a new Land Lord. He is rebuilding our dwelling place. Our lease is not being renewed, we have been evicted. But, we have a new lease, signed and paid for by Jesus. We can be His room mates for eternity.)

When the Holy Spirit makes your heart His home (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17), you are gradually and increasingly transformed into a new way of thinking (Romans12:2). You acquire a new culture. This culture does not fit anywhere in this planet. You do not even fit or have a sense of belonging with those with whom you grew up with. You develop a new sense of identity. One, which “… sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.” You only feel you belong with people of a similar (parallel) walk of Faith. You sense you belong only with those who are learning and are striving to live lives controlled and dependent on Jesus. When we get to our new home we will fit right in, because this is how those who are there live.