Daily Bread

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Does God "Harden" Some People's Hearts?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Does God "harden" some people's hearts so they cannot believe? Does He "fit" some people for "destruction"? Did He "harden Pharaoh's heart"? There is a text in Romans that some think says so; and unless we understand it, we have a little nagging doubt hidden away in our hearts that is certain to confuse us and discourage us in some sudden moment of temptation.

Speaking of Pharaoh, Paul seems to say that he is an example of people God has "raised up" for the one purpose of destroying them. Our English Bible has misunderstood the Greek that Paul actually wrote: "Hath not the potter power over the clay ... to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ... God ... endured ... the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction" (Rom. 9:21, 22). Surely sounds like He has "fitted" some people "for destruction"! Some read that and think of themselves as toys in God's hands that He purposes to break and throw away.

They must not think that way. The key word in the Greek in verse 22 which is translated as "fitted" is a word that grammatically can be understood two different ways: either as a perfect passive (as in our English translation) or as a middle participle which means they "fitted themselves for destruction." According to everything else the Bible says about God's character, that is the proper translation.

Paul says that God has "endured with much longsuffering" this wearisome process that people put themselves through of fitting themselves for destruction. God created them and fitted them for eternal salvation, and He redeemed them; but by unbelief (disbelief) they have resisted His grace and perverted it. Like Pharaoh, the prime example, the more light God shed upon their pathway, the more they hardened their own heart.

There are ten Bible texts that say Pharaoh "hardened his own heart." And there are ten that say "God hardened his heart." Contradiction? No; it's the metaphor of the clay again: the more sunlight shines upon it, the harder it gets. Until we "let" the Holy Spirit give us a "new heart," the more light the Lord shines upon us, the more we harden these poor sinful, selfish hearts.

The Good News? You can pray the prayer that is 100 percent sure to be answered: ask for a tender, melted, broken heart (Psalm 51:10, 17). The answer will come through understanding, appreciating, what happened on Christ's cross.

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 28,1999.

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.

Friday, August 05, 2011

The Good News in Colossians

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Have you ever read the Good News that fills Paul's Letter to the Colossians? According to the New English Bible, he addresses it to the "brothers in the faith, incorporate in Christ" (1:1, 2). That idea of being "in Christ" is repeated over and over. Again, in verse 4, "we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus," and again in verse 8, "your love in the Spirit." Paul has a magnificent idea--the human race has been adopted in Christ. We are no longer orphans! Christ has become the new Adam, the new Head of the human race.

The idea is repeated in verse 13, He has "translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Again, it is repeated in verse 14--here is something Paul wants us to understand: In Christ "we have redemption through His blood." You must not think that this redemption is kept away from you until you do something first--note, the redemption is accomplished through His blood, that is, the blood that was shed at the cross. It was there that our redemption as the human race was accomplished. Whatever happened at the cross applies to you. Your own personal worthiness or unworthiness has nothing to do with it.

Verses 21 and 22 repeat the thought again, "You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh."

And in chapter 2, verse 7, Paul prays for you that you may be "rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." That expression "the faith" doesn't mean a set of doctrines or a creed. It means a heart-appreciation for what Christ accomplished on His cross--that He redeemed you, set your feet in the path to eternal life, forgave you your sins, elected you to eternal life.

Stop worrying about whether God has accepted you or not. The truth is that He has accepted you in Christ, and now today, this new day, you are to be "rooted and built up in Him, in faith." Yes, please read this letter to the Colossians--and see the Good News that is there.

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: 1994 Phone Message.

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Elder Robert J. Wieland Memorial Service:

A memorial service for Robert will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 4 p.m. in the Meadow Vista Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Let Your Speech Be Full of Grace

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

There is one thing that all of us do every day, whether we are young or old--we talk to other people. Maybe members of our families, or neighbors, or just meeting people at the post office or the market, or at school.

Here's a word for us today. It's in Colossians 4:6: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."

Paul says, "LET your speech, your words, be full of grace." In other words, if you let the Holy Spirit direct you, your spirit will always be gracious. And if your spirit, your inner feeling, is gracious, then for sure your words will be gracious. Grace in our words is like a little salt in insipid food.

We don't have to be sharp and sandpapery in our words. Why should we wound people? Everyone has enough trouble, why should we add to people's burdens by speaking tartly, bitterly?

Please remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is a Savior--not only when we die, but now day by day, He will save us from bad habits that we have formed. You can become known as someone whose words are always pleasant to hear, uplifting. You can become known as someone whose words are always pleasant to hear, uplifting. You can be a peacemaker, spiritual nurse or doctor bringing healing to people who are wounded spiritually. The Lord has promised to teach you and make you such a person if you will LET Him do so.

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: 1994 Phone Message.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Why Do We Pray?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Someone asks, "Why do we pray? Does prayer move the hand of God so that He would do things that otherwise He would not do? What does prayer tell us about the character of God?"

The question is nearly correct, but not quite. If we change the "would" to "could," we get closer to the truth. God wills to do all the good things for us that we ask Him to do when we pray, even long before we pray. He wants to; but our prayers make it possible for God to do things that He wants to do. So it's not a matter of what God would do for us, but what He could do for us.

The question is, "Why?" Well, look at those people in Acts 12 praying all night for Peter to be released from the murderous hand of King Herod Agrippa I. He had been appointed king of Judea and Samaria by the Emperor Caligula of Rome--a legal appointment. Rome was the ruler of the world. That had not been God's plan; in the new covenant God made with Abraham, Abraham's descendants should rule the world and there would not have been an evil empire of Rome; Israel would have ruled the world under the new covenant. But Israel had abandoned the new covenant and embraced the old covenant. So God was forced to respect the autonomy of Rome because Adam had sold out to Satan so the latter is "the prince of this world," says Jesus (John14:30).

But Christ legally wrested the sovereignty of this world from Satan by virtue of His sacrifice; therefore He can respond to prayers from His people who pray to Him in the name of Jesus. All the while Peter was in jail, God wanted to deliver him; now when His people seriously asked Him to do so "in the name of Jesus," He was free to act and He did.

Conclusion: our prayers do not "move" God to do what otherwise He would not want to do or is too indifferent to do. They bring us into heart cooperation with God, they put us on the side of God in "the great controversy between Christ and Satan." The problem is, that same "cooperation" may mean much more than the tiny little thing we happen just now to be praying for!

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: August 29, 2000.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Are You Sure of Your Own Identity?

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

In His incarnation, the Son of God met and wrestled with the problems that we have to deal with. He "was in all points tempted like as we are," not the least of which was to be sure of His own identity. Can you resonate with Him in that problem? Doubtless He wrestled with it all His earthly life (even on His cross!), but it was most severe in the weeks following His baptism when He had to make a fateful decision that determined the success or failure of His life mission.

He had just heard the Voice from heaven that said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). Actually, the message was not new to Him, for it was merely an exact quotation from Isaiah 42:1 and Psalm 2:7, which He had already read.

But the enemy of our souls came at Him in the wilderness with the insinuating, sneering question: "Who are You? You are nothing! You're a fool! If You were the Son of God, do You think God would leave His 'only begotten Son' out here alone in this forlorn wilderness with wild animals, hungry, uncared for? If You are the Son of God, prove it; put Your convictions to the test. It's only reasonable--command that these stones become loaves of freshly baked, delicious bread. Surely, if You are the Son of God, He doesn't want You to die of starvation!"

Jesus couldn't argue with the devil; it was a fact--He was emaciated, hungry, lonely, apparently forsaken. Everything looked against Him, and in Satan's favor. There was no earthly, human prop anywhere. Jesus must now decide: Shall I trust the Word of God? Or shall I trust My feelings? Who am I?

"It was the word [alone] that declared His connection with heaven," says one wise writer. In that fearful temptation that called forth every ounce of His spiritual energy, the fate of His mission was settled: He would trust the naked Word of God. He would settle on that the question of His identity. The struggle was so exhausting that He almost died then and there; but He had won the victory. So must you and I win--that same Voice that spoke at His baptism speaks to us, for when the Father embraced Jesus, He embraced us too, "in Him" (Eph 1:6).

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: July 7, 2000.

Monday, August 01, 2011

What It Meand to be "Betrayed"

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Have you ever wondered how the Eleven disciples felt when one of their number, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus? They also felt betrayed.

They had never suspected that one of their number, the most talented of them all, the one who everybody felt would surely become the prime minister of the new "kingdom" Jesus was setting up, went over to the side of the scribes and Pharisees. And think how elated the scribes and Pharisees were that they had captured Judas Iscariot!

We have long known that into the seasons of all who remain faithful and true to the end there will come times of trial and keen disappointment, like Elijah running away from Queen Jezebel who threatened to kill him. The final issue that comes into the open just before the very last days will be that of the seal of God versus the mark of the beast.

Congregations that have always ostensibly been loyal to "the seal of God" (cf. Rev. 7:1-4) will be tried severely when the popular mark of the beast is enforced; some, in fact we understand many, formerly loyal congregants, will become turncoats and will engage in persecuting their former brethren. Those loyal to the "seal of God" will sense what it means to be "betrayed"!

Jesus was betrayed, and those closest to Him will share His experience.

In mercy to His disciples, the Lord Jesus had permitted them to go through a preview experience in John 6 when He had preached about the bread of life. "Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more," and Jesus sorrowfully turned to the Twelve and asked, "Do you also want to go away?" They responded, "Lord, to whom shall we go? ... We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (vss. 66-69); but even then Jesus knew who Judas Iscariot was! (vss. 70, 71).

It's in similar mercy to our souls that Jesus permits us to go through the sad experiences of "betrayals," in preparation for the final issue when it comes (and it may be very near). It will be like a great dam bursting when the water gushes down sweeping everything (almost!) in its path; but none need be swept along if we have prepared. Our roots now can be sunk deep down into the truth and by the grace of Christ we can stand.

But we must study, we must know the truth for ourselves. Hours spent in pleasure and TV watching must become hours spent in pursuing the truth so we know it for ourselves first hand, not because some guru has told it to us. "Happy" are those who are hungry and thirsty to learn, to know, to understand (Matt. 5:6, GNB).

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: October 7, 2007.