Tag Archives: Acts

And Yet He Has Not Left Himself Without Witness

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And yet He has not left Himself without witness
“Paul and Barnabas at Lystra” by Jacob Pynas, c. 1620

The book of Acts reports that when Paul and Barnabas visited Lystra, a man who had never walked was healed.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. (Acts 14:11-18, New International Version)

The apostle Paul clearly had little respect for the gods of the Greek pantheon. But I believe he was trying to say, “God has spoken again, and in a different way than He has ever spoken to you before.”

And yet He has not left Himself without witness

I feel that the author of the letter to the Hebrews was trying to say something similar in the opening verses of the letter.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2, New International Version)

God has spoken again in the person and demonstration of Jesus. God has spoken again, and in a different way than he has ever spoken to humanity before.

God promised to speak again at the right time

And yet He has not left Himself without witness. The author of the letter to the Hebrews quotes from the prophet Jeremiah to declare that God promises to speak and act again at the right time. But when God speaks, it will not be immediately obvious, because God will speak in a different way than he has ever spoken to humanity before. God is taking humanity’s progress into account.

“This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.” (Jeremiah 31:33, New International Version)

God has kept His promise, more than once

And yet He has not left Himself without witness

And yet He has not left Himself without witness. Sometimes I feel a kinship with Paul at Lystra. Sometimes I experience an affinity with the author of the letter to the Hebrews. I feel this because I too, say “God has spoken again, and in a way He has never spoken to humanity before.” I say this as a student and advocate of the New Message from God. I saw this image in my mind’s eye a little over three years ago. People have asked me what it meant. Here is what I say:

God is watching over the world. God has not left himself without witness. Not just by giving rain and crops in their seasons, but by speaking to the world. God has promised to speak and act again when the time is right. God has fulfilled that promise, more than once, in the teachings and demonstrations of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. God has spoken again in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The messenger is the man Marshall Vian Summers. In the future he will be known as Vian or the Vian, just as Siddhartha Gautama is now known as Buddha or the Buddha. The word “Vian” means “messenger” in a language that did not originate in this world.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

We Must Run Aground Upon Some Island

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Paul shipwrecked on Malta. We must run aground upon some island.

In the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul traveled on a cargo ship on his way to Rome to appeal his innocence to Caesar. Because of the time of year of the voyage, it was known there was a certain amount of risk involved. Paul warned against making the voyage, but was overruled by the decision-makers.

We must run aground upon some island

The ship was caught in a great storm. Despite the efforts of the crew, they despaired for their lives. At this point, Paul addressed the crew and passengers:

“After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27:21-26, New International Version)

Salina Bay in Malta. We must run aground upon some island.

The book of Acts reports the ship ran aground on the island of Malta, and was destroyed. However, all 276 of the crew and passengers survived the shipwreck.

A really big iron church bell. We must run aground upon some island.

An iron bell is ringing

I share this Bible story because of what we contemplated at the 2018 Encampment of the New Message from God. We contemplated a “New World reality.” Humanity faces a future of declining resources, affected climate, environmental degradation and extraterrestrial intervention. As I pondered this New World reality, I heard the words of Paul in my mind’s ear. “We must run aground upon some island.” These words ring like a large iron bell in my head.

I realize this may seem very negative. But I wonder some things. I think other people wonder them. Is humanity’s pattern of resource consumption and environmental impact sustainable? Doesn’t any species that grows without limit die in its own poisons? “We must run aground upon some island.” I take consolation that the crew and passengers survived the shipwreck. I take hope and determination that humanity will survive its future challenges.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

See What Large Letters I Use

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The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt. See what large letters I use

The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt

Shortly after the death of Christ, a great controversy arose among the followers of Jesus as to the essence of his message. On one side was a group of people who were first called “the circumcision party,” and later known as the “Judaizers.” These people insisted that gentile Christians should be circumcised, and live under Jewish customs. On the other side was the apostle Paul, who taught that the death of Christ rendered the observance of Jewish law and custom to be irrelevant for both Jews and gentiles. The book of Acts reports that this controversy brought Paul and his colleague Barnabas “into sharp dispute and debate with them.” (Acts 15:2, New International Version). This controversy was solved by the compromise of the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.

See what large letters I use

Paul wrote that he had bitter enemies within the Christian community. Some of these enemies were philosophically opposed to Paul. Some of these enemies were motivated by envy and jealousy. Paul wrote to the Philippian church that some people preached the gospel during Paul’s imprisonment out of selfish ambition (Philippians 1:17, New International Version).

Some of these enemies went so far as to write letters to Christians in Paul’s name to promote their own teachings. Paul mentioned an instance of this in 2 Thessalonians 2. In signing his letter to the Galatians, he writes “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11, New International Version) Many Bible commentators have suggested that Paul was authenticating his authorship.

I share this to share something else with you. In my mind, it is a certainty that in the future, letters will be written to people in the name of Marshall Vian Summers, attempting to promote this teaching or that. What is our strategy to prevent this? Completing the publication in written form of the New Message from God, before the death of its Messenger. The currently published books of the New Message (such as Greater Community Spirituality, Steps to Knowledge, The Great Waves of Change and others) will be portions of a 6-volume set of revelation. The revelations which have not yet found their way into one of the currently published books will be portions of this 6-volume set of teachings.

It is as if the source of the New Message from God is making an effort to prevent the promulgation of false teachings in the name of its messenger. Not only that, it is as if the source of the New Message is making an effort to prevent controversy from arising after the death of its messenger. Some people complain that the books of the New Message are repetitive. The New Message seems to consider that a feature instead of a bug. It is as if the New Message was making an effort to authenticate itself. It is as if the New Message was saying “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!”

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.