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,
Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath. I pray this newsletter finds you in good health and happy in the service of IAUA. This is the 22nd day of the 7th month of God's Sacred Calendar in the estimated year 6018 Anno Mundi. Today is Last Day Sabbath, the 22nd day of the 7th month (Friday, October 17th on the 2014, Gregorian Calendar, at sunset yesterday Thursday, October 16th). The Sacred month begins on the world day after lunar conjunction and the sacred year begins with the Spring Passover Rule dates for determining the Gregorian Calendar dates of God's Sacred Calendar. The Millerite Calendar (Spring New Moon Rule) is the same this year. The Calculated Rabbinical Calendar is one day early in the fall. After discussing Jewish exclusivity in the 2014-09-12 newsletter I thought it would be appropriate to discuss Adventist exclusivity. This was triggered by a LinkedIn discussion. Closely associated with the concept of exclusivity is the idea of separation from the world. The discussion is heavily edited for brevity and focus. The original can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=68072&type=member&item=5924396256133664768 Business relations with people of other faiths Darrin Thomas, PhD Director at ERT Group A friend of my has been involved in a vigorous debate with someone over business relations with people of other faiths. In particular if it is biblical permissible to rent apartments to people who are not of the same faith. For example, if someone is a Sabbath breaking non-believer without knowledge of God, can we rent to them? If not, does this mean we can't rent to liars, thieves, murders, adulterers, etc. who also do not know God? What if an Adventist is guilty of these sins, can we rent to them and have business relations in good conscious? Is our business relations limited to commandment keepers or can we interact with the world in business matters? Could people share what they have found in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy on these questions. Mario Petrovalle (2,150 SDA's) Founder at E-ventist Network ( LINKEDin group ) I do not know any inspired testimony or scripture that forbids or restricts an Adventist in this situation. If you give me a quote or text that makes you think there is a problem doing this, I'll comment on it. Darrin Thomas, PhD Please check Patriarchs and Prophets Page 307-308 below is a small quote from this section but you probably need to read the whole section to capture the context. "To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day." My question is where does the "gate" of a believer end? Is it only his house he lives in or does it include all property he owns regardless of location. If someone rents a condo to someone thirty miles away and the renter does not honor the 4th commandment does this reflect on the landlord? Quentin Styger Retired at Home "The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day." But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: These two portions of Inspiration indicate to me that it would be inappropriate for a child of God to own property and allow someone to live within their gates, even at a distance, who will profane God's Sabbath consistently. Darrin Thomas, PhD The question was where does the "gate" of a believer end? IN Patriarch and Prophets pg 307-308 EGW limits the "gates" of a believer to the actual house that a person lives in. This implies that other property does not fall within the "Gates" of a believer. Quentin Styger The gates of a believer end at the end of the property line of the property owner for all property regardless of location. Darrin Thomas, PhD This is a great opinion but in the previous post I support my interpretation with SOP. Do you have scripture or SOP to support your stance? Quentin Styger If you own it, then you are the owner, there isn't a quote from Inspiration that states that anymore than there is a quote from Inspiration that tells us which hand to eat with. Darrin Thomas, PhD Good point but EGW defines it specifically in the pages I mentioned in Patriarchs and Prophets. In your reply you used the term property owner and then you developed your own definition for it. This is great but we need a clear consensus on the "gates" not based on your great logic but from SOP or scripture. Some of us want to know about the other commandments. Can we rent to people who break the other nine? Mario Petrovalle (2,150 SDA's) Darrin, What happens if you rent to a Seventh-day Adventist and then discover they are really a nominal Adventist and do not keep the Sabbath as you had hoped when you rented it. Are you held responsible for their sins after you made such a noble effort to find a Sabbath-keeper tenant? I believe they are responsible for their own sins. Darrin Thomas, PhD Mario, I agree with what you are saying but we need biblical evidence for your point. The biggest fear I would have is forcing my beliefs on someone. We fight so hard for religious liberty but then to go and impose our beliefs on others is hypocrisy. People need to make their own decision. We explain but they need to think for themselves. It is too difficult to try and police everybody's behavior. It is hard enough to maintain order in one's own home let alone trying to control tenant behavior. Despite the challenges, the law is the law and we need to be very careful when making any business decision. Annette Orr Depot Service Repair Technician at Thermo Fisher Scientific Darrin, We are to be a light unto the world (Matt: 5:14), how can we, if we push those away that need to see that light? How do you know that this is not a child of God or if God has even sent him in your direction? Talk about legalism. My two cents, Be a light bearer, your Life may bring this person into the light. Quentin Styger Legalism is following the law to be saved, following the law because we love God is not wrong. Frank T. Clark Website Writer/Developer at IAUA End Time Ministry I have followed this discussion with interest. I notice the concepts of Adventist separation and exclusivity have been at the surface in this discussion and a few recent LinkedIn discussions. The words of our Savior are highly instructive.
John 17:15-18 We are to be in the world but not of the world. Our separation is not to be an artificial one of physical separation but a separation by spiritual consecration to truth. It is typical of the Jewish practice of separation and exclusivity to take a simple command of God and stretch it to improper lengths. I don't believe we wish to continue that practice. The gates of your dwelling are just that. Focusing on one commandment is inappropriate and attempting to be moral police beyond upholding legality is dangerous. It occurred to me that I should clarify something. If you make a personal choice to be exclusive about who you do business with, that is an acceptable personal choice. Just don't attach Biblical significance or the command of God to your personal choice unless the Bible truly and clearly specifies such behavior. It is very common for Adventists to fall into the same hypocritical and self-righteous ways we observe in the Jewish traditions. John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. Are you tempted to believe or practice separation and exclusivity? 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: 2014-10-31 What is Truth? II |
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Revised 2014-10-31 |