Adventists: Let Me Let You In On a Little Secret....

As an Adventist, the 666 pointed to the pope, yes... that was decided ...and yet, what about the dreaded Mark of the Beast? What was that thing on our forehead or hand that signified we could no longer worship on the true Sabbath and would prevent us from buying and selling? That was open to fantastic imaginative postulations from our social security number to involuntary sub-dermal electronic chips.

According to Adventists: Whatever the terrifying mark will be--that great deception that Christians will fall to--somehow it is tied to worshipping the beast and those who receive the Beast’s Mark will have no rest day or night (Rev. 14:11) then receive ugly and painful sores (Rev. 16:2). AND Sabbatarian Christians who don’t succumb to the deception, receive the the seal (mark) of Christ. The reward for their faithfulness will be that apostate Christians led by Catholics will hunt them down, persecuted them and behead them for their testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:4).

The coming end-times prophecies are Not really good news for anyone.

But what about this [original word in Greek deleted] (“sphragizo” Greek for seal, stamp or mark) of Christ? For Adventists-- it’s going to church and resting on the Sabbath (keeping the fourth commandment.) But what about Christians throughout history? Scriptures tell us that our fidelity to Jesus sets His seal on us--Jesus being Himself the seal (John 3:33, 6:27, II Tim. 2:19). But is there something Jesus meant to be a counterpart to the Mark of the Beast that shows we are His? What sign might there be that Christians have been using all along to signify they are sealed by Christ?

THE SIGN

It is done by the hand onto the forehead. It has been used in various forms by God’s people since the Jews drew the letter tau on their forehead symbolizing the law--Torah--is in their minds. It was the last thing many Christian martyrs did to show the world that they witnessed for Christ and were sealed by Him. It made such an impression on Roman non-believers that they often copied the Christians hoping to draw from its “magical powers” as a way of warding off troublesome spirits.

A second century Christian, Tertullian, recorded:

“In all our travels and movements, in all our comings in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever task occupies us, we mark our forehead with the sign of the cross.”

It began as a small cross against the forehead and eventually grew in meaning and size. When Christians touch their heads, it represents God the Father, tied to that we motion to our hearts representing God the Son who the Father sent down to us and then the shoulders represent the Holy Spirit. The Blessed Trinity is symbolized and also the idea that we worship God with all our mind (head), heart and soul (breast) and our strength (shoulders). Always incorporated into the sign of the Cross--our Redemption--the purchase of our eternal souls by His merciful blood and our new birth in Christ. This symbol, this seal of Christ, very deep and rich in meaning has been gestured against the Christian since the earliest of times.

Many early Christians wrote about this Christian sign, paralleling it with the saving mark of blood on the doorpost of the Hebrews homes before the Exodus. They also saw this sign in Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ez. 9:4) about those who are marked in the forehead by an angel for their sorrow at seeing the sins of God’s people. As well as John’s vision of seeing those in heaven with the name of the Father on the forehead of those with Him (Rev. 14:1, 22:4).

Perhaps we as Christians, and especially Adventists, need to spend more time on pondering the wonderful sign of Jesus in our hearts, minds and souls rather than on the Mark of the Beast. We should rejoice in the seal of Christ which is Jesus HIMSELF! Christ in us is the mystery kept secret from the foundations of the earth revealed in these last days for us. The sign of the cross reminds us that He is in us, He makes us holy, consecrates us, saves us, redeems us.

2011 Former Adventist Fellowship Weekend

http://formeradventist.com/

Former Adventist Fellowship Weekend is extending a invitation to all of us out here to attend! Here's the info:

Friday, February 18, 2011, 6:00 PM • Registration and snacks
Meetings and breakout sessions Friday evening through Sunday morning
Worship service with Trinity Church on Sunday morning
Sunday lunch hosted by Trinity Church former Adventists
Ends Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 4:00 pm

For more info and to register:

http://formeradventist.com/weekends/fafweekend2011.html

The "R" Word

Not just for those of us who left Adventism, but within the ranks of modern Christianity there is a contempt for religion. The enlightened individualistic Spirituality has divorced its spouse, Religion, because of its hypocrisy, greed, falseness and abuse of authority. Religion has earned itself such a bad reputation as to evoke hostility at the mere mention of its name.

Shun religion, embrace spirituality: that is the thrust of many Christians and interestingly enough, her theological enemy, the secular humanist. The Christian's fear of organized worship is happily in step with many secularists' hatred of religion and goals of keeping it "contained."

There seems to be this propulsion towards an internalized, private mystical spirituality that inspires no outward rites--a type of cleaving of the outward physical worship of the body and the inward transcendental worship; as if we can split our body and soul in two. Religion is the bad material, physical expression, while the non-physical is the authentic version of worship.

Yet, religion is simply the exterior demonstration, the communal expression of our hearts and minds. We are made both physical matter and spirit, worship of our God must be found in both body and soul.

Actually, you CAN be religious--even alone, at home by yourself in prayer and Bible study. Do you follow any type of form? Bible study, then prayer? Do you have any rituals involved in your personal worship? Do you habitually kneel or stand? Do you keep a prayer journal? Well, any habitual outward expression of worship is .... religious? So you might be religious and don't know it.

I can hear what you are thinking. It is organized dogma from GROUPS of people that is intrinsically wrong and prone to abuse, not your particular theological interpretations. It is practiced GROUP rituals, not your own physical worship expressions that are to blame for all the world's ills. Well, if you think that, you are not alone. Join the world in its skepticism, its suspicion of groups of people forming together to worship God and following a leader to pray and praise. Scary stuff.

The atheists would agree. Keep religion a private, personal matter. NO ORGANIZED RELIGION!

After all, when it is just Jesus and me, the doctrines remain pure. When it is just Jesus and me I don't have to compromise or submit. Personal individualized spirituality is perfect-- it feels good for there is nobody to disagree with you or hold you accountable--we are just floating little Christian islands. But is that Biblical?

Nope, a Christian individualized version of worship is not all that is needed. The Bible sets up a church community with teachers and pastors and evangelists--there are shepherds and sheep in the Kingdom of God. How can you be both shepherd and sheep when you only accept a personalized spirituality that is independent of organized others? Jesus tells us not just to go into the closet and pray, but to "not forsake the assembly." Worship is both private and communal, physical and spiritual.

I don't think religion is really the bad guy here. We don't hate corporate religious expression. What we actually hate is false Christian authority and we hate the abuse of true authority. False authority lies to us, leads us astray. Many former Adventists know the sting of false authority and how it can twist your mind and actions. Many other Christians have endured abuse under a true Church authority and have been left spiritually crippled for life.

Remember the severe chastising Christ gives to the Pharisees recorded in Matthew 23 when he calls them murders, white-washed tombs and hypocrites? Notice Jesus did not attack the system but the abuses of the system! Before taking the religious leaders to task He commands the people in verse three to obey them. The religious community and organization itself was set up by God.

Jesus did not come to condemn and abolish religion but to transform it from one covenant to a better one. He came to set up a kingdom with true authorities, not spiritual autonomy or anarchy. The Bible condemns self-made religion.

Colossians 2:23

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

His kingdom has done much for the world. The organized Christian religion has introduced orphanages, international laws, marriage of one man and one woman, the university system that we know of today and the largest charitable institutions known to mankind. When Christians organize and unite in both worship and in doing good works, we change the world. And that is just why the Devil is so intent on painting religion out as the bad guy.

Yes, much human atrocities have been done in the name of religion, but even more human atrocities have been done in the name of other human organizations. Sin is a human condition, not just a religious one.

James 1:27 NAS

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this : to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The Bible puts religion in a good light. Stand firm agains the false kingdoms of religion and the abuses within the true kingdom, but remember the kingdom itself is religious in nature. The kingdom is God's bride and He is coming back and will find her spotless and pure. True religion is our way of reuniting or (re-ligamenting) with the Father.