Nipate
Forum => Controversial => Topic started by: GeeMail on September 22, 2014, 03:49:13 PM
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http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14c/less13.html
This is the first part of seven lessons on the Second Coming of Jesus, also called "the Advent". The Seventh-day Adventist church derives its name from the fulfillment this promise given by Jesus Himself to the disciples and to His church in general. Notice that Christ's first Advent (birth, earthly ministry, death and resurrection), a fulfillment of Gen 3:15, was a prerequisite to His Second Coming. In this regard, all Christians waiting for the Second Coming are "Adventist".
The Second Coming of Jesus
Read for This Week’s Study: John 14:1-3; Matt. 16:27; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 24:3-14; 24:42, 44.
Memory Text: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3, NKJV).
The Second Coming of Jesus, mentioned more than three hundred times in the New Testament, is the capstone of our teachings. It is essential to our identity as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. The doctrine is engraved in our name, and it is a crucial part of the gospel that we are called to proclaim. Without the promise of His coming, our faith would be in vain. This glorious truth gives us a sense of destiny and motivates our missionary outreach.
It could be argued that the stretching of time beyond our expectations would undermine our belief in Jesus’ promise to return. However, this has not happened. For many, our passion for Christ’s return is stronger than ever.
This week we will review what Jesus said about "the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13, NKJV).
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http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14c/less13.html
The Promise
After the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that He would go to a place where, at least for now, they could not go (John 13:33). The thought of being separated from the Master filled their hearts with sorrow and fear. Peter asked, "Lord, where are You going? . . . Why can I not follow You now?" (John 13:36-37, NKJV). Christ knew their desire and assured them that the separation would only be temporary.
Read Christ’s promises to us in John 14:1-3. Apply those words to yourself. Why should they mean so much to you?
Our Lord’s pledge could not have been more emphatic. In Greek, the promise "I will come again" is in the present tense, emphasizing certainty. It could literally be translated, "I am coming again."
Jesus has given us the certitude of His Second Coming. He did not say "I may come again," but "I will come again." Every time He mentioned His return, He referred to it in certain terms.
Sometimes we make promises we later cannot keep, even in spite of our best efforts and determination. That’s not the case with Christ. Many times He proved unmistakably that His word is trustworthy.
Referring to His incarnation, the Lord prophetically announced through David: "Behold, I come" (Ps. 40:7, NKJV). And He did (Heb. 10:5-7). The reality of His first coming sustains the certainty of His second.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus promised a despairing father: "do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well" (Luke 8:50, NKJV). And sure enough, Jairus’s daughter was made well, although she had been dead. Christ announced that three days after His own death He would rise from the grave; and He did. He promised the Holy Spirit to the disciples; and He sent it right on time. If our Lord honored all His promises in the past, even those that, from a human perspective, seemed impossible, we can be certain that He will keep His promise to come again.
How can you keep the fire burning in your own heart for the second coming of Jesus?
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The Purpose of Jesus’ Second Coming
Posted on September 21, 2014
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14c/less13.html
The great plan of Redemption will find its culmination in the Second Coming. Without Christ’s return to this earth, His incarnation, death, and resurrection would have no effect for our Salvation.
What is one of the basic reasons for the second coming of Jesus? See Matt. 16:27.
Life is not always fair; in fact, often it is not fair. We do not always see justice in our society. Innocent people suffer while evil ones seem to prosper. Many people do not receive what they deserve. But evil and sin will not reign forever. Jesus will come "to give to every one according to his work" (Rev. 22:12, NKJV).
This assertion implies that a judgment must take place prior to Christ’s return. When Jesus comes, the destiny of each human being will already have been decided. Jesus clearly hinted at this investigative judgment in the parable of the wedding feast (Matt. 22:11-13). The fact that we are judged by works does not mean that we are saved by our works or by our own merits. Salvation is by God’s grace and received by faith in Jesus (Mark 16:16, John 1:12), which we demonstrate by our actions.
What’s important about the promise in Matthew 16:27 is that justice will be done. We just have to wait for it.
Also, at the Second Coming, those who sleep in Christ will be raised to eternal life. As we saw earlier-because we know that the dead are asleep in the grave-the promise of the Second Coming and the resurrection to eternal life that follows is especially important to us.
"Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: "Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!" Throughout the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" "1 Corinthians 15:55". And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory." — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 644.
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daily bREAD,
so you mean Christians are on probation with God??
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Now that we know where the lessons are let me take over where daily bread left.
How Will Jesus Come?
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14c/less13.html
In His prophetic sermon, Christ expressed concern about wrong teachings in regard to His second advent, and He warned His disciples against people who would come in His name, "saying, "I am the Christ" " (Matt. 24:5, NKJV; see also vss. 23-26). He doesn’t want His followers to be deceived. Therefore, He clearly indicated the way in which He will come.
What does Matthew 24:27 tell us about how Jesus is going to return?
Lightning cannot be hidden or faked. It flashes and shines throughout the sky in such a way that everyone can see it. So will Jesus’ second coming be. No advertisement will be needed to call people’s attention toward it. Every human being, good and evil, saved and lost, even "they who pierced Him" (Rev. 1:7, NKJV), will see Him coming (Matt. 26:64, NKJV).
How does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 help us understand what the Second Coming will be like?
In His second advent, Christ will be seen with all His divine glory as "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16). In the Incarnation, the Son came alone and without any external splendor, with "no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isa. 53:2, NKJV). But this time He will descend with all His majesty and magnificence surrounded by "all the holy angels" (Matt. 25:31) and "with a great sound of a trumpet" (Matt. 24:31). If all that weren’t enough, the dead in Christ will rise to immortality.
If we trust the Lord regarding an event as incredible as the Second Coming, why should we not trust Him about every aspect of our lives?
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When Will Jesus Come?
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14c/less13.html
When Jesus said regarding the temple that "not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matt. 24:2, NKJV), the disciples were astonished. "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt. 24:3, NKJV), they inquired. In their thinking, the destruction of the temple would coincide with the end of history at Jesus’ return.
Jesus’ answer skillfully combined the signs for both events: the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and His second advent, because the disciples were not prepared to grasp the difference between them.
It is important for us to understand the nature and purpose of these signs. They were not given for us to determine the date of Jesus’ return, for "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matt. 24:36, NKJV). Rather, the signs show the historical tendency of events in order to alert us that His coming is near, even at the doors. While we should never be date setters, we must never ignore the time we live in either.
Read Matthew 24:3-14, 21-26, 29, 37-39 (see also Mark 13 and Luke 21). What picture of the world does Jesus present here? In what ways does it fit the world that we now live in?
The most important idea Jesus wanted to impress on the disciples’ minds was that His coming is near. Actually, His entire prophetic sermon addressed the apostles as if they were to be alive when He would come (see Matt. 24:32-33, 42).
In a real sense, from the personal perspective of each of us, the Second Coming is never farther away than a moment after our death. Death is a deep unconscious sleep. We close our eyes in death and, whether one year has passed or one thousand years have passed, the next thing we know is the second coming of Jesus. Thus, the idea of the nearness of Christ’s coming, which Paul, Peter, and James also shared, makes perfect sense. For each of us, individually, His coming is never more than a moment after we die.
How does this concept help us understand the "imminence" of Christ’s second coming?
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Bittertruth
The end of human probation is the time when repentance is no longer possible. A person's probation can close in any of three ways: (1) at death; (2) when the unpardonable sin has been committed (Matt. 12:31, 32; Luke 12:10); (3) when probation is closed for all just before the Second Advent. As long as Christ functions as high priest and mediator between God and man, mercy is available. "No judgments therefore can be inflicted without mercy till Christ's work as priest has ended. But the seven last plagues are poured out without mixture of mercy [Rev. 14:10; 15:1], hence they are poured out after Christ has ceased His pleading, and probation has ended" (U. Smith, in SDA Encyclopedia, rev. ed., p. 1152).
For more information, read:
http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/27/27-23.htm#53
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Nuff Sed
Your sentiments mean there is NO guarantee of salvation until Christ’s work is complete. Is this Bibilical?
Word of God makes a promise to every repentant sinner who calls upon the name of the Lord… “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Bittertruth
The end of human probation is the time when repentance is no longer possible. A person's probation can close in any of three ways: (1) at death; (2) when the unpardonable sin has been committed (Matt. 12:31, 32; Luke 12:10); (3) when probation is closed for all just before the Second Advent. As long as Christ functions as high priest and mediator between God and man, mercy is available. "No judgments therefore can be inflicted without mercy till Christ's work as priest has ended. But the seven last plagues are poured out without mixture of mercy [Rev. 14:10; 15:1], hence they are poured out after Christ has ceased His pleading, and probation has ended" (U. Smith, in SDA Encyclopedia, rev. ed., p. 1152).
For more information, read:
http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/27/27-23.htm#53
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Welcome to Ellen G White lunacy
You don't even dream of contradicting her
Nuff Sed
Your sentiments mean there is NO guarantee of salvation until Christ’s work is complete. Is this Bibilical?
Word of God makes a promise to every repentant sinner who calls upon the name of the Lord… “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Bittertruth
The end of human probation is the time when repentance is no longer possible. A person's probation can close in any of three ways: (1) at death; (2) when the unpardonable sin has been committed (Matt. 12:31, 32; Luke 12:10); (3) when probation is closed for all just before the Second Advent. As long as Christ functions as high priest and mediator between God and man, mercy is available. "No judgments therefore can be inflicted without mercy till Christ's work as priest has ended. But the seven last plagues are poured out without mixture of mercy [Rev. 14:10; 15:1], hence they are poured out after Christ has ceased His pleading, and probation has ended" (U. Smith, in SDA Encyclopedia, rev. ed., p. 1152).
For more information, read:
http://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/27/27-23.htm#53
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BT,
The three scenarios on salvation are biblical. There is no guarantee of salvation without Christ's birth, death, resurrection and ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
1. At death - There is no more opportunity for a sinner's salvation after death. You can only repent in this life. (Eccl 9:10)
2. Once the unpardonable sin is committed, the person can no longer repent, for it is the Spirit of God that leads to repentance. (Matt 12:32).
3. At the Second Advent, when Christ comes to give every man his reward, all cases will have been decided (Rev 22:12).
However, the statement you have highlighted is the core of it: As long as Christ is ministering as High Priest, there is a chance for repentance, for He ministers reconciliation and mediates between man and God (Heb 8:1-2). Therefore, do not judge anybody harshly (without mercy) - as long as Christ is ministering, sins are being forgiven. I understand this to mean that even the sin against the Holy Spirit, if repented of, can be forgiven. The only question is, how can one repent after rejecting the Holy Spirit? (Notice that after this is complete He wears kingly garments and comes to execute judgment [Matt 25:31-34], not to minister as Priest).
Vooke stop making snide remarks.
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Thursday: Watch and Be Ready
Posted on September 24, 2014 by Sabbath School Lesson
http://ssnet.org/blog/thursday-watch-ready/comment-page-1/#comment-63118
Why is it crucial for us always to watch and be ready for Jesus’ coming? See Matt. 24:42, 44.
The keynote of Jesus’ prophetic sermon is the imperative to watch, to be on alert. It doesn’t mean to wait idly but to be actively vigilant, as is the owner of a house who remains diligent against any potential thief (Matt. 24:43). While watchfully waiting, we have a work to do, as did the faithful servant who carries out the tasks his master entrusted to him during the master’s absence (Matt. 24:45, Mark 13:34-37).
What attitude would be fatal for us who claim to believe in the second advent of Jesus? See Matt. 24:48-51; Luke 21:34-35. How can we avoid falling into that attitude? Why is the error so easy to do if we are not careful?
The parable of the evil servant is very sobering, especially for us as Seventh-day Adventists. This servant represents those who profess to believe that Christ will come again, but not immediately. Believing that the Lord is delayed, they think they still have time to live selfishly and indulge in sinful pleasures because, surely, there will be plenty of time to prepare for the Second Coming. Unfortunately, this idea is a deadly trap, because no one knows when Jesus will come. Moreover, even if Christ doesn’t come yet, any one of us could be called to rest unexpectedly, suddenly ending our opportunity to make things right with God. But above all, repeated indulgence in sin gradually hardens and desensitizes the conscience so that it becomes more difficult to repent. The devil doesn’t care that we believe theoretically in the second coming of Jesus, as long as he can make us postpone our preparation for it.
How can we be ready today? By repenting and by confessing our unconfessed sin to Jesus, by renewing our faith in His expiatory death on the cross for us, and by surrendering our wills totally to Him. Walking in communion with Him, we can enjoy the deep peace of being covered by His robe of righteousness.
How much do you think about the Second Coming? How much of its reality impacts your life? How do we strike the right balance in going about our daily work and yet living in anticipation of Christ’s return?
"Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. . . . With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms-ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor." — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 640, 641.
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Nuff sed Many thanks for standing in for me. I was away on some urgent business.
Bittertruth the concept of probation is deep. Since Christ came to seek and save the lost, nobody is lost until they reject Christ completely, dies in rebellion or until probation ends. It is like the court system. A convicted murderer can repent all he wants but after the hangman is called the confession is in vain. Uriah Smith is saying after Christ's work is done there is no more salvation. The last plagues are irreversible.
Yes any person who calls on the name of Christ shall be saved. However, not everybody calling Jesus Lord, Lord shall be saved.
Mat 7: 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
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Nuff Sed,
Please read 1st John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
This my understanding;
It is Jesus’ precious blood that washes away our sins, and nothing else.
On contrary;
You teach that Jesus blood sacrifice is insufficient by itself to pay for our sins;
You teach that a separate work which Christ began in the year 1844 A.D. is absolutely essential to one’s salvation.
This bizarre doctrine is nowhere taught in the Bible.
Christ's work of redemption was FINISHED long ago, and is not continuing today
The three scenarios on salvation are biblical. There is no guarantee of salvation without Christ's birth, death, resurrection and ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
1. At death - There is no more opportunity for a sinner's salvation after death. You can only repent in this life. (Eccl 9:10)
2. Once the unpardonable sin is committed, the person can no longer repent, for it is the Spirit of God that leads to repentance. (Matt 12:32).
3. At the Second Advent, when Christ comes to give every man his reward, all cases will have been decided (Rev 22:12).
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Indeed BT the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. In my understanding even the unpardonable sin in Matt 12:32 is not really unpardonable until we reject the Holy Spirit who leads sinners to Christ.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Rom 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Christ's priestly ministry of mediation continues in heaven after His resurrection. (Heb 8:1-6)
Hebrews 8
1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 9:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9
22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.