IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in
IAUA
(ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
I hope this has been a blessed Sabbath day for you. I expected this newsletter would provoke a lot of response. Another comment with valuable insight and serious questions. _____ Another newsletter reader responds: I'm here, again. But not as an adversary (I never did intend to come across as an adversary though my writing may not have conveyed my sense of how to stir thought and discussion - rather than to offend). My intent is to be simply a reader commenter. Having said this, I do question whether or not Ellen White was actually observing the Feast of Atonement - The Holy Convocation God says is His. Not that I disagree with you, I just, not having researched the topic, have to ask (or question the conclusion). There are many reasons to fast - many times, days that are regularly set aside for fasting. The day of Atonement is not one of these except, as I understand the instruction from God, that was relayed to us by Moses, was it a day for fasting. What I do note is that many regular "fast days" are tradition, not commands, by the Creator, the Word. I must say that I have not done an depth study of this so should, maybe, before I continue, do such. However, I do see in the KJV, in Leviticus 23:27-32 that it does refer to the instruction to "afflict (Strong's #6031) your souls". Is this interpreted to correctly mean a day of fasting? Before continuing, please know that we, recently, here in Colorado, observed the Day of Atonement and afflicted our souls by fasting - but we understood that form of "afflicting" to be a tradition, not necessarily a day for which "fasting" was instructed by God. Looking up the Hebrew word translated in the KJV as "afflict" I don't see the word "fast" or "fasting" as any of the choices. Just an observation by yours truly. In the same referenced text, in the NIV (Needs Improvement Version - SMILE) it says to "deny yourselves" - again, not a clear translation to "fasting". From other statements (or sentences) from EGW, I do not gain the understanding that she understood completely the concept of the importance to God for his people to follow the "commanded" Holy Convocation observances like many do for the first of these, the weekly Sabbaths. There is, of course, a question in many minds, whether or not the exact day matters to any one, or to God. This is not my point of interest at this writing. I would like to raise a question, however: How is it that for some - which day we keep holy on a weekly basis - is so important while for the other similar "set apart" days, the date or day becomes so non-important? My God (our God) is a God of order and I suspect the same goes for the way you feel about the topic. Not just any day will do to fulfill His instructions! I am constantly reminded that EGW says, in a variety of ways, that in the last days, New Light would shine forth. Doesn't this mean that new information, new understanding, might come forth? She did say, also, that as new light becomes available, that we should be as ready to accept that new light as were those in her day to accept new understanding of truth from God's Word. I think that I am constantly learning and wish to share those things I've learned. New suspicions are fine to share. They should serve to stimulate more research - in my case - research of the Bible rather than research of EGW. She did not defend herself - she only claimed to share what she felt she had been "shown". There are many (most) in the world today that, upon hearing of EGW ask Who is EGW?" This is a non-issue for most people. It is a question of "Who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and who are we in this relationship?" Or am I off base? Keep thinking, searching, writing, and sharing. Thank you for the time you spend. And may your Shabbat this week be a blessed one! _____ I replied: I do not view you as an adversary nor the person quoted in the newsletter. I was addressing how we present ourselves as a side topic. I also struggle with this problem. You sound just fine to me in this email and other recent emails. I was not intending to portray EGW as a completely observant feast-keeper but as being at the beginning of the path leading in that direction. I agree she did not understand completely but she was clearly at the beginning of an understanding which did not advance very far because it would have put her out of step to far with the church she was called to guide. You also bring up a good issue about fasting. God never commanded any fast. However, we can recognize that an application of the command to humble or afflict can be tangibly implemented by fasting. Humility and self-examination must also occur with the fasting! Fasting as the focus of an act of pride defeats the purpose as noted by our Saviour:
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Yes, I feel the same as you do. How can people recognize the weekly Sabbath and not the rest of what God says? The simple answer is that there is an adversary who practices deception and many are deceived. The Great Controversy is an ongoing battle of truth against error. You seemed to express a concern about the focus on EGW. I understand and agree that most could care less. However, I am called by God to seek the lost sheep in the Adventist church. These generally have a great respect and concern about what EGW has to say. Clarifying what she said in view of new light we have now is important. You don't sound off base to me... _____ Are the details of God's command important to you? I pray we may all continue to seek love, peace, and unity in truth preparing for the soon coming of IAUShUO (ee-ah-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah, the Son of God.
Frank T. Clark
Next: 2011-11-11 Leviticus and the Gospel |
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