Friday: Further Thought ~ Jesus Opens the Way Through the Veil
Further Thought:
“Christ’s ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people. …
They could speak the name of Jesus with assurance; for was He not their Friend and Elder Brother? Brought into close communion with Christ, they sat with Him in heavenly places. With what burning language they clothed their ideas as they bore witness for Him!” — Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, Pages 38, 46.
Discussion Questions:
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It is common knowledge that Einstein worked on a grand unifying field theory. He was enchanted by the connection between electricity and magnetism and saw similarities in gravitation. But in spite of giving us beautiful and exciting relationships between time, space and matter, the grand theory of everything eluded him. He died with half-completed descriptions of his unified field theory on his blackboard.
Time has moved on and further discoveries and analysis have led us to understand there are more "action at a distance" fields at work, some of them only fleetingly. That is one reason for the development of the huge hadron collider in Cern, Switzerland. In spite of all of the research and accumulation of knowledge, we are probably no closer to the grand unifying theory of everything.
However, we do have a working knowledge of physics that underpins our everyday use of electricity, our mechanical and aeronautical engineering, our communications and all the other things that depend on our imperfect knowledge of physics.
Listening to some of the discussions that I hear, trying to relate the old sanctuary service to the heavenly view of salvation reminded me of the search for the grand unifying field theory. Sometimes we make the detail sound so important, when really, what we need is a working knowledge of the plan of salvation. Sometimes the more we work on the detail, the more brittle our explanations and reasoning become.
I was reminded of this when my 14-year-old grandson showed Carmel a Bible assignment he had to do entitled, "What I believe". That is a tough question for a young game-playing pubescent teenager, testing the limits of authority and experiencing the tantalizing effects of attractive female members of his class. The cerebral discussion of heavenly places and interpretation of covenants seems so far removed from the 300-odd word assignment that my grandson had to write.
Do I tell a 14 year-old that he needs to be able to describe the symbolism of the desert sanctuary 3500 years ago to show that he understands the Gospel?
I am not dismissive of the lesson topic of this week, but we need to be reminded that the translation of what we are studying must reflect in our interaction with others. We are not after the grand unifying spiritual theory of everything. We need a practical working knowledge that we can share not necessarily with words but by our actions.
Maurice - Thank you so very much for pointing out that the fulfillment of all learning during our life is in the manifestation of the Love our heavenly Father has for His Creation. Asking us to have faith in Him who said that He loves us, will transfer this new paradigm to become our life.
We show that we love Him by the way we interact with our fellow man in our daily way of living.
I think the ‘Unified Field Theory’ will be found to be the ever-present and all pervasive spiritual influence of what motivates, empowers, and maintains all activity throughout the seen and unseen worlds – God’s Love for His Creation – visible and invisible, matter and spirit – His perfect symbioses of spirit with matter.
You shared with us the word in Scripture supporting this – 1.Cor.13:8-13.
Does this statement from the study guide apply to me?
"We tend to allow other people to study the Bible in our behalf and find the gems of truth in the Bible"
I like to think I take after the Bereans:
"the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth."
We are so blessed to be able to study the Word of the LORD in our own language. We have the big picture of the Good News in the gospel of John and would do well to make that our main focus, however I believe that the LORD has provided all the rest of the 66 books because we need their knowledge.
So what have I learned from this quarter's study of Hebrew?
Therefore He, Jesus Christ, is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.
After this week’s study I find my faith in the Word of God deepened; being reassured that the Word of God as shared with us by the Testimony of His Son through Christ Jesus is valid and true. This re-invigorated conviction brings great joy to my heart; it increases my commitment to strenghten the foundation of Faith, Hope, and Love in my life.
Loving more committedly, forgiving more quickly, restoring relationships more fervently, serving others more diligently – these are results of the Holy Spirit’s work inside of all who believe and trust the promises as shared by our ‘Friend and Elder Brother’, Christ Jesus.
Ellen White’s quote states that: “With what burning language they (apostles) clothed their ideas as they bore witness for Him! Yes, John 4:14 shares the words of Jesus: ”But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
The Father has offered us the gift of a Living Faith in Him. All who believe are invited to drink generously, daily, in all circumstances from the Living Water, which is the Word of God unto eternal life. We are called to be ‘fountain heads’, vessels from which the Living Water ought to be ‘poured out’, sharing it with all and so continually quenching the ‘Thirst of those around us’.
When we spread the Good News in word and deed, the Holy Spirit multiplies the number of ‘fountain heads’ and so provides the ‘Living Water of God’s Word’ to reach to the ends of the earth to quench the spiritual thirst of many.