God’s Grace Makes Us Whole

Rev. Ira Lee Rosalita
“God’s grace makes us whole” 
Hosea 2:16-23

In medieval Japan, the Samurai held a high position in the society because war- lords depend on them to secure their territories. Feudal lords like the Shoguns, employ the services of thousands of Samurai warriors in order to keep their territories protected and keep the forces of the rival feudal lords at bay. When a feudal lord has many loyal and able Samurai warriors, he could control large areas and assert his influence and power over his subjects. The Samurai was indispensable part of the Feudal lord’s political power. At the same time, the Samurai is dependent on his lord for his honor, riches and power.

God’s Grace Focuses Our Vision

Rev. Ira Lee Rosalita
“God’s Grace Focuses Our Vision” 
Colossians 3:1-4
A story is told about a woman who lost her sight due to an accident. Doctors tried to look for a donor so that an operation could be conducted to restore the sight of the blind woman. After years of waiting, a donor was found and the operation took place successfully. The blind woman was able to see again, and she was grateful to the doctors and to the donor for allowing her to see again. However, after few days, the woman complained to the doctors that she was seeing things that she never saw before. She was scared and told the doctors to do something about her situation. The doctors did not have any explanation for her strange experience, but they had a theory; that the donor may have seen certain things that were unfamiliar to the recipient. The woman was seeing through the eyes of another person and that could explain why she was seeing strange things.

THE STORY OF MEDUSA

Many years ago there was a beautiful woman called Medusa. She lived in a place called Athens in Greece. She was a very kind and she obeyed her Greek gods and goddesses. There many beautiful women in Athens but she was the most beautiful woman among all of them. Because of this, she became vain and conceited. Every single day Medusa always boasted about herself. She says to other people she is the prettiest out of everyone in the whole wide world. On Sunday, Medusa told the miller that her skin is more beautiful than fresh white snow. On Monday, she babbled to the cobbler that her hair is brighter than the sun. On Tuesday, she commented the blacksmith's son that her eyes are greener than Aegean Sea. On Wednesday, she boasted to the public that her lips are redder than the reddest rose in the world. When Medusa wasn't busy she would brag about herself while looking in a mirror. She thought she was the prettiest woman in the whole wide world. She admired herself. On and on Medusa went about her beauty to anyone and everyone who stopped long enough to hear her. Until one day Medusa and her friends went to the Parthenon. It was Medusa's first time going to the Parthenon. The Parthenon was the biggest temple in Greece. It is the Great temple of Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis of Athens that was built in the fifth century B.C. (Parthenos, an adjective meaning “virgin”, was a standard epithet of Athena). In the Parthenon was the goddess of wisdom and beauty and that was Athena. (Athena is Zeus’ daughter that came from his head. She was born from a male.

Reflections & Reactions to the views

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Last December 1999 I remember that everybody was alarm when the year 2000 is fast approaching. Some people were packed up their belongings then went to the cave and some went to the certain place where people say God will appeared, some were in the church to be ready to “meet with their Lord”, and some were enjoying as if nothing will happened. It was a Millennium! The “coming of the Lord!” a “great tribulation…” they thought.  

For me, Millennium or one thousand years will be happened soon. I have seen the different views about Millennium mention by M. Erickson. Each view has their own claim but I hope as we wait upon the Lord our faith to Him will be strengthened. Also, I wish that this controversy will not cause to division on our churches because each views acknowledges the most critical issues to Christianity which is the coming and reigning of Jesus Christ forever. What or when the Millennium is, remember that Christ united all the believers.

I think the good thing that I have seen in Postmillennial view was the growth of the church and the power of the gospel will cause the world to get better and better (good citizen). I have seen our world nowadays as very evil, but on the other hand, God uses these circumstances to let the people realized that evil-doing are for Satan. So, they will now come to Him in repentance. When Christ seen that people are changed, then He will now return.  Accordingly, M. Erickson rejected on this view but for me I will consider also this view.

The Premillinnial interpretation is a closer view of the Millennium as the Bible is concern. They interpret 1000 years as literal time period. I don’t know where and when Millennium will be, but I am looking forward on that day because I want to see Jesus will rule over the earth as David did before. Besides, there will be “great abundance and fertility, of a renewing of the earth and building of a glorified Jerusalem.” Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses they will also looking forward on that day which will happen only on this earth.    

In Amillennial view, accordingly, this millennium is the reign of Christ in the heart of the believer and in his church. Probably, this view will happen in the future but the only thing which I cannot accept is that their interpretation of Revelation 20 is not clear because they interpret it as a whole book.

My understanding about great tribulation is the specific period of suffering at the end of the earthly history. Perhaps, and this is my view, that Christ will take the church prior to the tribulation because Christ here will impose his judgment to Satan which will end to being cast into the lake of fire to suffer eternally. If I will be here, I will ask favor from God that I will get out from the earth because this tribulation is not an ordinarily painful which we are experiencing right now, but this is a great tribulation which the book of Revelation described.  Besides, the conflicts which will occur on this day are the rulers, powers and principalities.

I Thessalonians 4:17 says “we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” My appeal is that the millennium and the great tribulation will come soon. But my hope is in my Lord Jesus. Maybe later He will come before the tribulation and meet us on the air. Praise God.

Tribulation

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Tribulation Summary

Pretribulationism view the tribulation is that Christ will take the church to himself prior to the tribulation while Posttribulationism is that Christ will take the church after the tribulation.

Several ideas held by pretribulationists are: a.) The nature of tribulation, there will be indeed a great tribulation b.) The Rapture of the church, Christ will come at the beginning of the great tribulation to remove the church from the world (c.f 1 Thess. 4:17). There will be three resurrections: the resurrection of the righteous dead at the rapture, there will be a resurrection of those saints who have died during tribulation, and at the end of the millennium, there will be a resurrection of unbeliever. c.)The Lord’s Return is imminent, d.) they maintain that there will be at least two judgment. The Church will be judged at the time of the rapture.

Prosttribulationists maintain that the coming of Christ for the church will not take place until the conclusion of the great tribulation. They are less literal interpretation of the events of the last times. Their understanding of the millennium is much more generalized in nature. Accordingly, the church will be present during and experience the great tribulation.

The postmillennialist draw a distinction between the wrath of God and the tribulation, the wrath of God is as coming upon the wicked. On the other hand believers will not undergo the wrath of God instead, that believers will experience tribulation.  

Posttribulationist acknowledge that speaks of believers who will escape or be kept from the impending trouble. They argue, then, that the church will be kept from the midst of the tribulation. Also, the posttribulationist have a less understanding of the last things. They viewed resurrection in two ways these are: the resurrection of believers at the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the millennium, and the resurrection of the ungodly at the end of the millennium.

Another view which called the mediating positions has been created. First, the midtribulational, holds that the church will go through the less severe part of the tribulation, but then remove from the world. Second, the Partial-Rapture view. this hold s that there will be a series of raptures and lastly, Imminent Posttribulationism, while the return of Christ will not take place until after the tribulation.