The morning Manna will be provided at
6am. Thanks.
Studying In the Crucible with Christ in the SSnet.org series Lesson 10, may
the Holy Spirit be the speaker to your heart.
The Topic today is: "Pro-silence or
pro-active?" for Morning Manna of the Sabbath School Lesson In the Crucible with Christ.
The Opening Hymn will be 229 "Spirit
of the Living God"
The Sabbath School Quarterly,
downloadable from SSnet.org in the Teacher's Edition is on page 128 and for the
laymen edition or Standard Edition, on page 84.
The SSnet.org site allows anyone,
anywhere to read the lesson in their own language. Choose your own language to
see God speaking also to your heart.
https://absg.adventist.org/pdf.php?file=2022:3Q:SE:PDFs:EAQ322_10.pdf
---In a very nice way, the lesson tells
us to be quiet rather than noisy about unjust situations around us.
---The “crusade” Spirit of the Middle
Ages, was wrong.
---Jesus could have done a lot to cry
out or point out the wrongs of society around Him in His day and that would
have been an example for us to get on political horses and fight the evil.
---He
did not. Do you know that because Calvinists believe in a Kingdom of Heaven or
Second Coming of Christ on this earth as is, that therefore they have to help
Christ “Coming” in all systems and institutions political and social around
them? ---They
have to fight the Antichrists as political soldiers in every city and hamlet
and by “control” over society set up Christ’s way. ---The
example of Christ was one of meekness. ---“learn
of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29) ---“[Peter]
describes how Jesus responded to unjust and painful treatment and suggests to
them [slaves working in the Roman empire times] that He [Jesus] has left them [the
underdog, the victim of unjust behavior] “an example, that you should follow
His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21, NKJV). ---Fist
in the air? No. Meekness. ---Due
to inherent selfishness which we unfaithfully harbor around every corner for
financial gain and honor seeking, therefore since we step on others to climb
the self-ladder we have also inherently a bad conscience and to turn our bad
feelings into good feelings, we climb the fight injustice around us horses, participate
and change things and feel good or better. ---No.
Do not. Says Christ in His example. Isaiah 53 says the lamb that was
slaughtered for our sins started to bite the hand that led it to slaughter? No.
He did not open His mouth Isaiah said. ---Quite
different than us who tend to defend our own thoughts and activities
constantly. ---But
what Christ was not silent about, is personal moral sins of individuals around
Him controlled by Satan. He was not permissive allowing people to sin in His
face. Eli was, says Patriarchs and
Prophets chapter 57 by Ellen White citing Samuel. ---Even
though the Lord talked to Samuel about the wrongs of Eli, Eli let it go without
repenting the wrong of permissiveness. ---We
live in a permissive society that encourages permissive reactions by people. “Do
not say anything when he is doing wrong in front of you”. ---Christ
pointed out with clear simple words in kindness the wrong and then left it to
the individual to decide what to do. There were no civil activism schemes in
Jesus agendas. ---True
Adventism is cold to fighting for social justice calls by labor unions and
other networks around us. Christians are not asked to play policeman in Satan’s
domain. ---
Christ is more powerful and the Holy Spirit in us will help us say the right words
and that right time. That is it. The record in heaven is that you opened your
mouth about it. That is not Eli but Christ. ---Is
the meekness of Christ balance clear? Saying nothing when He was the victim of
unjust behavior but when moral sins are committed around Him robbing them from
heaven, He spoke out or pointed that out. ---When
He hit people with a whip on Sunday in the Temple from making it a marketplace,
it was divinity that flashed through humanity. ---
None of us has that divinity to grab whips and chase people out of our
congregations. But, the Spirit of God indwelling in us, with prayer can do a
lot. ---Should we write books to encourage Adventists to be more involved in social fighting on the streets demonstrating with the other churches in an ecumencial holding of hands against the "Satans" in society systemic wrongs? Christ's example says no. And that is absolutely no.