XCI

TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY! IF THEY DO NOT SPEAK ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM

ISAIAH 8:20

SEVEN SALLIE

“Well, Darius has left the building,” I said, dumbfounded.

“Doom has left the room,” Devin said and then sighed, grinned sheepishly, and shook his head. I couldn’t help chuckling, as he and Darius had been allies in their belief that Dalial was an angel sent from God with a divine message about sabbath reform. Where did Devin stand now that the man his angel had a message for had bailed on him?

My mind had just begun to scramble with what to do with this abruptly interrupted live podcast. Apologize to the audience and shut it down? Play music? Try to continue it with Devin and my daughter? I glanced at Sevenia. She certainly didn’t seem pleased that she had seemingly won the debate with Dr. Darius Doom over Sabbath reform.

“It looks like Darius took his ball and went home,” Devin laughed.

“But he left his Bible,” I said as I reached over to the place where he was sitting to pick up the Good Book. Sevenia snatched it before I could.

“That’s mine,” she said, and then I recalled her handing it over to Dr. Doom at one point as she asked him to show her where we were to observe Sunday as Sabbath in honor of the resurrection. “And you guys shouldn’t be poking fun. This was supposed to be a serious and important discussion. I errored in causing him to leave.”

“You did nothing wrong. He shouldn’t have left me hanging,” Devin said. I noticed his fingers tremble slightly and realized he felt unsettled at being abandoned on a live broadcast. I had to hand it to him, he was otherwise very calm. After all, I was a broadcasting professional, and I had felt the urge to panic when Dr. Doom stormed off in a huff. Maybe Devin was trusting to my experience and expertise, lol. Anyhow, my broadcasting instincts were hopefully not about to throw him under the bus, but get to the heart of the honest discussion that I had intended.

“So Devin, does this change what you think about your encounter with Dalial and the message the alleged angel gave you?” I inquired.

“Not really,” he replied with a shrug, and then glanced cautiously at my daughter. “I mean, something I hadn’t mentioned yet was Dalial also told me that you can’t trust any human.”

“I actually agree with that,” Sevenia replied and held up her Bible. “That’s why we look and trust to the word of God, and this alone.”

Devin’s jaw clenched and he gazed at my daughter under hooded eyes, reminding me once again just how much he looked like the 1950’s actor James Dean. He spoke carefully. “With all due respect, Dalial warned me about the Good Book.”

“Is that right?” Sevenia said, leaned back, folded her arms, and watched Devin with genuine curiosity.

“Yes,” he replied, and then he put up a hand as if to say no offense. “I’ve been instructed that, although the Bible is filled with inspiration, it has been tainted through the years by humanity. It has been defiled by over interpretation.”

“I respectfully disagree,” Sevenia said. “If anything, it is misinterpretation and misapplication. In this precious book, the first two chapters in Genesis describe a paradise created by God. The last two chapters in Revelation describe a paradise recreated or restored by God. Everything in between is God’s merciful dealings with fallen humankind. In particular the life, ministry, and infinite sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son.

“What the majority fail to do is search the scriptures for themselves, like the noble Bereans (See Acts 17:11). All scripture is given by inspiration of God (See 1 Corinthians 2:13). But instead of studying the Holy Bible for themselves, they trust their priests, ministers, and rabbis to tell them what to think and believe.”

“Not me,” Devin replied boldly. “But I do trust what Dalial says.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because she’s an angel.”

“You believe she’s a holy angel of God?” Sevenia asked.

“I do.”

“Yet if I understand you correctly, she told you to be skeptical of the scriptures.”

“Yeah, I suppose she did.”

“Then she contradicts what Jesus Himself said,” Sevenia declared. “In Matthew 5:39 Jesus said that the scriptures testify of Him. Simply put, the Old Testament looked forward to Jesus coming, and the New Testament looks back on His life. Jesus lived and walked the earth, that’s a historical fact. That this person, Jesus, fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies regarding the Messiah, is proof of the Bible’s reliability.”

“Whatever,” Devin said with a casual shrug. “But I trust what I see and experience over what people wrote two thousand years ago.”

“That’s all fine and dandy for you personally,” Sevenia said. “But you and Dr. Doom are taking your supernatural experiences to the masses with the suggestion of political action to shut down on Sundays.”

“You are correct that we are suggesting that. But ultimately, we have no political power, other than Darius’s influence over his large following and their power to vote. What we do have is an important message from a being more powerful and wise than any human. And this special being is giving us instruction on saving our planet.”

“And this instruction is going contrary to the Word of God,” Sevenia said. “You mentioned that your angel warned you about misinterpretation of the Bible and such. Yet the very day you suggest for a day of rest is clearly not the Sabbath of the fourth commandment found in Exodus chapter 20.”

“By Exodus, do you mean the old metal band,” Devin said with a laugh. Then he lost his merry countenance under Sevenia’s intense gaze and continued. “Come on, Sevenia, what difference does a day make to us common folk? Would you like it better if we suggested Saturday?”

“No, I don’t believe in legislating morality,” she replied. “You can’t force a person to believe a certain way. God has given us free will. Who are we, mere humans, to withhold free will from another?”

“Are you saying it should be okay to murder?” Devin wanted to know.

“Of course not. Obviously, some moral laws fall under civil law as well.”

“What about abortion?”

“Well, since I believe life begins at conception, I believe abortion is murder.”

“What if I believe they are a bunch of cells?”

“Has it ever been officially established at just what point those cells become a human being? One week? Two weeks? One month? One month, sixteen days, two hours, nine minutes and twenty two seconds?”

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m not smart enough for this,” Devin said, but used a slang word for excrement after he said this. I apologized for the language.

“Sorry,” Devin said. “I’m just a simple blue collar worker who happened to have an amazing supernatural experience.”

After a brief lull, Sevenia spoke. “What has ultimately been at stake in the history and future of this miraculous planet, is the law of God. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes (12:13), let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments (John 14:15).”

“But this idea of shutting down one day a week is still in keeping with the fourth commandment whether it’s Saturday or Sunday.”

“I beg to differ, the fourth command specifically identifies the seventh day as the Sabbath. It was the seventh day God blessed and made His Holy Day.”

“Well, what about that resurrection thing, that makes sense to me,” Devin replied.

“Look, here’s some scripture I was going to share with Darius before he left. After Jesus was crucified and buried in Joseph’s tomb, it says in Luke 23:54 that that day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. Verse 56 says they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Luke 24:1-3 says that on the first day of the week they found the tomb empty. You could even say Jesus rested on the Sabbath before he rose from the dead. You could also look up Sabbath in a concordance and see that the book of Acts mentions the Sabbath numerous times. Which, of course, took place after Jesus ascended to heaven.”

“Well, so be it,” Devin replied with a casual shrug. “Like I said, I’m not a theologian. I’m just here recounting my experiences with Dalial, and trying to share what she had to say.”

“But you don’t need to be a theologian,” Sevenia said. “Several of Jesus’ disciples were uneducated fisherman. Jesus Himself, God in human flesh, was puzzled over in Matthew 13:54, 55. They asked, where did this Man get this wisdom and mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s Son?”

“Teacher, can I go now?” Devin said to me with an exasperated smirk. “With all due respect, I’ve had enough. Either you believe I had an encounter or you don’t. Just like you believe in a two thousand year old, contradictory book or you don’t. Peace out ya ’all.”

Devin got up and left. I asked my daughter if she had any closing comments.

“I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone,” Sevenia said meekly. “I was simply trying to share Bible truth as I see it. Please forgive me if I was selfish or mean spirited in any way.”

“Trust me you weren’t,” I reassured my daughter.

“Well, thanks Dad,” she replied with a little laugh. “But I do believe you are a bit biased.”

“Not so, Sw…,” I began to call her Sweet Pea, but thankfully stopped myself in time. “Sevenia.”

Sevenia then invited the audience to order the free Bible study guides from our church’s web site, and thanked them and me for the opportunity to be on the podcast.

The next day, Devein wanted to see me. He looked disheveled, and his eyes were blood shot. I couldn’t help wondering if he fell off the wagon.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 11)

“After this manner therefore pray ye.” Matthew 6:9

The Lord’s prayer was twice given by our Savior, first to the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, and again some months later to the disciples alone.

The disciples had been for a short time absent from the Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence, he continued praying aloud.

The Savior’s face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of God of the unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.

The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father.

When Jesus returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, the disciples noticed the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence.

We are taught to come to God with our tribute of thanksgiving, to make known our wants, to confess our sins, and to claim His mercy in accordance with His promise.

“When ye pray, say our Father.” Luke 11:2

Jesus teaches us to call His Father our Father.

The world that Satan has claimed and has ruled over with cruel tyranny, the Son of God has, by one vast achievement, encircled in His love and connected again with the throne of Jehovah.

Angels rejoiced that the way of salvation had been opened for the fallen race and that the earth would be redeemed from the curse of sin. How much more should those rejoice who are the objects of such amazing love!

We have an advocate in the heavens, and whoever accepts Him as a personal Savior is not left an orphan to bear the burden of their own sins.

The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us (1 John 4:16), for it is through the drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him.

The perception of God’s love works the renunciation of selfishness.

No one prays aright who seeks a blessing for himself alone.

If you call God your Father you acknowledge yourselves as His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life.

God dwells in every abode; He hears every word that is spoken, listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes the sorrows and disappointments of every soul, regards the treatment that is given to every father, mother, sister, friend, and neighbor. He cares for our necessities, and His love and mercy and grace are continually flowing to satisfy our need.

“Hallowed be Thy name.” Matthew 6:9

We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity.

How much more should we, finite, sinful beings, come in reverent manner before the Lord, our Maker!

God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child; pray that you may do no dishonor to the “worthy name by which you are called.” James 2:7.