The Compassion Of God

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. Psalm 112:4

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Consider the case of Jesus Christ. He was the most forceful and demanding teacher who ever lived. He was the one who taught that even one’s closest family members must give way to our absolute loyalty to Him, and that a true disciple must be willing to “bear his cross” for the Master (Matt. 10:34-39). In view of such rigorous requirements, how does one account for Jesus’ amazing popularity? There can be only one answer—compassion. It was Jesus’ tremendous compassion for people that made Him an extremely attractive person. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infi rmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (KJV).

Jesus doesn’t just feel sympathy for the broken, He empathizes with us. In Mark 1:40, a leper kneeled before Him and begged, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus, “moved with compassion,” responded, “I am willing; be cleansed.” What is amazing here is the fact that while Jesus could have just spoken a word of healing over the leper, He went one step further. He stretched out His hand to touch him (1:41). For a Jew to touch a leper was absolutely unthinkable. But such was Jesus’ compassion for the sick and rejected.

In another occasion, when Jesus heard the news that His cousin John the Baptist had been killed, He took His disciples apart into a remote area near Bethsaida. But the multitudes followed Him. When Jesus saw them tailing Him, He “was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” (6:34). So Jesus began to teach them heavenly truths and feed them food. Think about it. The Lord set aside His own grief to minister to these people who so desperately needed direction in their lives!

“Does Jesus care, when my heart is pained, too deeply for mirth and song? When the burdens press and the cares distress, as the day grows weary and long?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes! He does!” When we are affl icted with disease and pain, He cares. When wegrieve the loss of dear ones, He cares. When we are confused, desperately needing leadership, He has compassion for us. When we are mistreated, He feels for us. When we dredge ourselves into the mire of sin, He grieves over that disaster. When, in hardness of heart, we even hatefully oppose Him, He continues to feel for us. No wonder the “goodness of God” leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4)! May we all say, “I will show compassion to others, because my Jesus fi rst showed compassion to me” (1 John 4:19p).

The Last Great Day: Eternal Life Offered to All

What does God have in mind for those who have never believed in Christ or understood any of God's truth? How does the Creator provide for them in His plan?

The Bible makes abundantly clear in Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under heaven" than that of Jesus Christ by which human beings can be saved.

This particular passage raises troubling questions for anyone who believes that God is desperately trying to save the whole world in this age. If this is the only time for salvation, we must conclude that Christ's mission to save humanity has largely failed. After all, billions of people have lived and died without once hearing the name of Jesus Christ. Thousands die every day never having heard of Christ.

In spite of the missionary zeal of so many over the centuries, far more human souls have been "lost" than "saved." If God is truly all powerful, why have so many not even heard the gospel of salvation? The traditional portrayal of conflict between God and Satan over mankind leaves God on the losing side of the struggle.

What is the fate of these people? What does God have in mind for those who have never believed in Christ or understood any of God's truth? How does the Creator provide for them in His plan? Are they lost forever without any hope of salvation?

We should not doubt God's saving power! Let's examine some common assumptions and come to an understanding of our Creator's marvelous solution.

Resolving the dilemma

Paul tells us that God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Peter adds that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This is God's overriding goal in dealing with mankind: He desires as many as possible to repent, come to the knowledge of the truth and receive His gift of salvation!

Jesus explained how this will come to pass. John 7:1-14 describes how Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. He appeared publicly and stood in the midst of the people. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).

Christ's message recorded here most likely was given on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Scholars vary on whether this was the seventh day or the day following, but the weight of evidence and the series of events indicate that John 7 describes incidents on the seventh day while the setting moves to the eighth day in John 8 and 9.

It is also possible that Christ's teaching recorded in John 7:37-38 came at the end of the seventh day or the very beginning of the eighth day (God's Holy Days begin with sunset and end at the following sunset), as the chapter concludes with people returning to their homes after sundown for the night. The theme of Christ's teaching then continues in chapter 8 (which is clearly the next morning, verse 2) and includes the offer of salvation to all mankind.

In Leviticus 23:39, we see that this day immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles but is a separate festival with its own distinct meaning. Based on Christ's words and the theme of offering salvation to all mankind, we refer to this festival as "the Last Great Day," although the Bible simply calls it "the eighth day."

Symbolism of Christ's teaching

What was the significance of Christ's teaching about "living water"? In Christ's time, according to tradition, during the Feast of Tabernacles the priests would bring golden vessels of water from the stream of Siloam that had flowed from the temple hill and pour it over the altar. Joyous celebration along with the sounding of trumpets marked this ceremony as the people sang the words of Isaiah: "... With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3).

Jesus stood where all could hear Him and drew a lesson from the water, revealing that all who were thirsty could come to Him and be refreshed-forever. In Christ's analogy, the water represented God's Holy Spirit, which those who believed in Jesus would receive (John 7:39). He showed that the basic wants of spiritual thirst and hunger could be satisfied only by Him as "the bread of life" (John 6:48) and the source of living water.

But when would this happen? Within six months Christ's own countrymen pressured the Roman authorities to execute Him. Less than 40 years later the temple and all its ceremonies, including those described above, were brought to an end at the hands of the Roman legions.

Humanity still hungers and thirsts for the message Christ brought. God's promise to "pour out My Spirit on all flesh" (Joel 2:28) has not yet fully taken place. Thousands of millions have died with their deepest spiritual needs unrealized. When will they be refreshed by the life-giving power of God's Spirit?

A physical resurrection to an opportunity for salvation

To find the answer, we must consider a question the disciples put to Christ just before He ascended to heaven: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). When the disciples spoke of this restoration, they understood it in the context of the many prophecies of a reunited nation of Israel.

One such prophecy is in Ezekiel 37:3-6. This passage describes Ezekiel's vision of a valley full of bones. God asks, "Son of man, can these bones live?" To which the prophet replies: "O Lord GOD, You know." God then says to the bones, "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD."

In this vision a physical resurrection took place. The account acknowledges the hopeless situation in which these people had found themselves: "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" (verse 11).

Their Creator, however, offers them the hope of a resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the setting of a reunited nation. In this dramatic vision, ancient Israel serves as the model for other peoples that God will resurrect to physical life. God said: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves ... I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live" (verses 12, 14). At this future time God will make freely available the life-giving spiritual water of His Holy Spirit.

God will "make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them ... My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (verses 26-27).

The apostle Paul also referred to this yet-future event: "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew" (Romans 11:1-2). As Paul wrote, "all Israel will be saved" (verse 26).

Not only Israel, but all who have never had a chance to drink from the living waters of God's Word and His Holy Spirit will at last be able to do so (Romans 9:22-26). God will freely offer them the opportunity for eternal life.

The Great White Throne Judgment

In Revelation 20:5 John writes that "the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished." Here John makes a clear distinction between the first resurrection, which occurs at Christ's second coming (verses 4, 6), and the second resurrection, which takes place at the end of Christ's millennial reign. Remember that the first resurrection is to eternal life. By contrast, God raises those in the second resurrection to a physical, flesh-and-blood existence.

John discusses this same second resurrection to physical life that Ezekiel wrote about: "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works" (verses 11-13).

The dead who stand before their Creator are all those who died never knowing the true God. Like Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming back to life, these people emerge from their graves and begin to know their God. The books (biblia in Greek, from which we get the word Bible) are the Scriptures, the only source of the knowledge of eternal life. Finally all will have an opportunity to fully understand God's plan of salvation.

This physical resurrection is not a second chance for salvation. For these people it is a first opportunity to really know the Creator. The resurrected are "judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (verse 12). This judgment will involve a period during which they will enjoy the opportunity to hear, understand and grow in God's way of life, having their names inscribed in the book of life (verse 15). During this time thousands of millions of people will gain access to eternal life.

This final festival of the year shows how deep and far reaching are the merciful judgments of God. Jesus Christ spoke of the wonderful truth depicted by this day when He compared three cities that failed to respond to His miraculous works with three cities of the ancient world: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you" (Matthew 11:21-24).

The inhabitants of ancient Tyre, Sidon and Sodom—cities that had incurred the wrath of God for their depravities—will receive mercy in the day of judgment. Unlike Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, these cities of old had little opportunity to know God. God will resurrect these people and include them in the time of judgment that is beyond the 1,000-year reign of Christ, when even those who lived in bygone ages will be reconciled to God.

It will be a time of universal knowledge of God. From the least to the greatest, all will know Him (Hebrews 8:11). The citizens of these cities, and countless more like them, will experience their opportunity for salvation.

This final period of judgment completes God's plan of salvation for the world. It will be a time of love, deep mercy and the unsearchable judgment of God. The chance to drink of the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit will indeed quench the deepest thirsts of men and women. This time of righteous judgment will bring back to life those long forgotten by humanity, but never forgotten by God.

What is the fate of those who die with no real knowledge of the Son of God? What hope is there for the millions who have lived and died without knowledge of God's purpose? The Scriptures show that these are not cut off without hope. God will bring them back to life and give them their opportunity for eternal salvation. This is the astounding truth depicted by the Last Great Day, the last of God's festivals.

God will see His plan through and bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). God's promise to "pour out My Spirit on all flesh" (Joel 2:28) will find its fullest manifestation. The thirst-quenching waters of the Holy Spirit will be available to all in the time depicted by "that great day of the feast."

What a marvelous plan these biblical festivals portray. How great would be our lack of understanding without them!

Sin

Galatians 6:8 …….. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that naturewill reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

I am amazed that there is a generation growing-up who do not know what sin means. Not only do they have no concept of what sin is, they have no idea what the word means. By this understanding, sin must be an ‘old-fashioned’ word from a bygone era with an archaic language. Sin is, therefore, a ‘Christianese’ word with no relevance today.

What then do we do when we want to lead a person in ‘the sinner’s prayer’? We have to back-peddle quite a distance and begin with an explanation of ‘sin’, remembering to keep it simple (but not patronising) and avoid ‘archaic Christianese’ that uses irrelevant words that hold no meaning.

Here goes……. Sin is a wall that we build, it separates us from God. Every time we do, say or think something that is contrary to the nature of God, we put another brick in the wall. Human beings are born with a ‘sin nature’ – we naturally sin.

Sin can be saying things that are not true (the word ‘lies’ is possibly another ‘meaningless’ word), it can be stealing big things or even little things, it can be killing a person. There are many kinds of sins but no matter how big or small, every one of them puts another brick in the wall that separates us from God.

God hates sin because it separates us from Him. He wants that wall to be pulled down and removed. God loves us all and He loves us all the time but we cannot enter into a relationship with God until we really understand our need to be forgiven, by God, for building that wall.

It can be done.

Firstly, we have to hate that wall as much as God does; every stinking, self-centred, self gratifying brick. When we do, we will also want that wall removed. However, no matter how hard we try we cannot remove it……. We no sooner remove a brick or two and a few more appear that we had not even noticed before.

To completely remove this wall we need to change our lifestyle and to do that we need help. God wants to help us. He sent His son Jesus Christ who has made available all that we need to succeed. His blood, poured out for us at His death, can dissolve every brick in the wall of sin if we ask Him. It can be done in an instant.

When the wall is gone we will know the love of God, it will wash over us and we will do all that we can to make sure that nothing will block it from reaching us again.

God can help us to live like a completely different person. He can help us to make good choices instead of bad ones.

Jesus wants to flood our hearts with the love of God. If we look at His life revealed in the bible and live like Him, this love, appreciation and gratitude between us will grow stronger every day. If we ask the Holy Spirit of God to teach us all about Jesus, He will.

This new lifestyle, full of love and freedom, is what God wants for all of us. If you want it, you can have it.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me and take away my sin. Teach me your ways so that I can live like you. Thank you for your amazing love today and for ever. Amen.

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7uluczlEx8&feature=channel_page

The Importance Of Church

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

The importance of church. What is church? While most churches today have buildings, a church is more than just a building — it is the gathering together of true believers in Jesus Christ. In the first century, those who had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior would gather together. Here is a description of the first Christians gathering together.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Notice how many ways the early Christians met together. They met at the temple; they met in homes; they met to hear the apostles’ teaching. Today, in most parts of the world, you can gather with other Christians. Ask God to lead you to a good church if there is one near you, one where the Bible is preached as the Word of God and where the focus is on accepting Christ as your Savior. Perhaps in addition to church you can also gather with other Christians in a home or small group and receive teaching and encouragement to follow the Lord.

Remember, a church is more than just a building, it is true Christians gathered together. It is very important for your Christian growth that you seek to be part of a good church if at all possible.

So, this week, let us pray that

• God will lead you and other new Christians to great churches to be a part of
• God will help Christians all over the world to participate actively in their local churches
• God will encourage and fill with His Holy Spirit our staff and volunteers at Global Media Outreach

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. Prayer is talking with God. God hears your prayers when you pray in faith in Jesus’ name and He will answer your prayers.

May God bless you as we pray together for the world to be reached for Jesus Christ.

Becoming Whom You Worship

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands … Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them. Psalm 115:4, 8

There are a few reasons why the Bible consistently condemns idolatry:

1. Idolatry is the worship of subtle goals of man. Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about God. Instead of looking to Him as the Creator and Sustainer of life, they see themselves as the center of the universe. They soon invent “gods” that are convenient projections of their own selfish plans and decrees. These gods may be wooden figures, but they are often goals or things idolaters pursue such as prosperity, power or pleasure. They express their greed for money by the worship of a money god. They express their lust for pleasure by worshiping a god of sensuality. They express their insecurity toward the future by the worship of a god of protection or good-luck.
2. Idolatry is the worship of the things God made rather than God Himself. Idols reduce the living God to lifeless images. “They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat” (Ps. 115:5-7).
3. Idolatry is part of an overall rejection of God. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul clearly portrays the inevitable downward spiral into sin. First people reject God. Next, they make up their own ideas of what a god should be and do. They then fall into sin—sexual sin, greed, hatred, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip. Finally, they grow to hate God and encourage others to do so. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out without Jesus’ help.
4. Idolatry opens doors for demons. Idols may be carved from dead wood, silver and gold, but something more sinister lurks behind them. Paul warns, “What I am saying is that those who offer food to these idols are united together in sacrifi cing to demons, certainly not to God. And I don’t want any of you to be partners with demons when you eat the same food, along with the heathen, that has been offered to these idols” (1 Cor. 10:20, TLB). Satan hides behind the idols to receive the worship of the idolaters, opening doors for demonic oppression.
5. Idolatry transforms a person into the image of the idols they worship. Although idols have no power, those who worship them take upon themselves the characteristics of the demons behind the idols. For this reason, the Lord is seeking believers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Because you will become more like Him as you worship Him. You will be transformed from glory to glory into His very likeness.

What Should You Confess

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Psalm 107:2

Our faith should always be anchored in the Word of God. God’s Word is powerful and living; it is spirit and life. In Isaiah 43:26, God invites us to remind Him of His Word: “Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.” The Bible becomes the word of faith when you lay hold of it and speak it out (Rom. 10:8).

Even God speaks out the word He thinks in His heart: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11). “Confession” literally means “to speak the same.” When you speak that same Word, as if God is speaking it Himself, it will go forth to accomplish great things on your behalf. Practically, confession means:

1. affirming what you believe,
2. testifying what you know,
3. witnessing the truth you have embraced,
4. praying for the answer, and
5. speaking out the end result by faith.

So what should we confess from the Word of God?

Firstly, confess what God has accomplished for you in Christ by the redemption. Confess Ephesians 1:7 regularly: “In Him I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Secondly, confess what God has accomplished in you by His Word and Spirit. A good Scripture to say aloud is John 15:3, “I am already clean because of the word which Jesus has spoken to me.”

Thirdly, confess who you are before God in Christ. Say again and again: “Yet in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loved me” (Rom. 8:37).

Fourthly, confess what Jesus is doing for you now as He intercedes. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For God knows the thoughts that He thinks toward me, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give me a future and a hope.”

Fifthly, confess what God can do through you and what His Word on your lips is going to accomplish. Confess often aloud: “In Jesus’ name I will cast out demons; I will speak with new tongues; I will take up serpents; and if I drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt me; I will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

As much as possible, refrain from talking failure and defeat. Don’t dwell endlessly on sickness and disease. Talk about success, victory, healing and health. Never for one moment say that God’s power and ability cannot bring you through any given situation. Remember, you are not bragging about yourself. You are confessing about the greater One who lives in you—the Holy Spirit of the living God.

The Feast of Tabernacles: Jesus Christ Reigns Over All the Earth

God's plan for mankind involves restoration. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the restoration process.

In his first inspired sermon after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostle Peter summed up God's instruction for mankind: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:19-21).

What are these "times of refreshing" and "times of restoration" of which Peter spoke?

God's plan for mankind involves restoration. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the restoration process, which will start with the return of Jesus Christ, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, and the banishment of Satan, depicted by the Day of Atonement. Once these events have taken place, as represented by the previous Holy Days, the foundation is in place for the restoration of the creation to peace and harmony with God.

The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:27, 34) pictures the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ over the earth after His second coming (Revelation 20:4). This period is often called the Millennium, which simply means "1,000 years."

This Feast also reflects the "rest" symbolized by the weekly Sabbath (Hebrews 4:1-11) that celebrates the great harvest of humanity when all living people will learn God's ways. Humanity will at last be restored to a right relationship with God (Isaiah 11:9-10).

In the beginning, God created mankind to cooperate with Him in a beautiful relationship characterized by love, peace and obedience to His laws. At the completion of His creation, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).

This time of peace and harmony abruptly ended because of Satan's deception and man's disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6). Disobedience cut mankind off from God's way (Genesis 3:21-24). Genesis 6:5 describes the tragic result: "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

This broken relationship between God and man has continued through history to our time. Paul reflected upon this state: "... Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned ..." (Romans 5:12).

Paul knew that Jesus Christ would heal the breach created by man's disobedience: "For since by man [Adam] came death, by Man [Christ] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Isaiah prophesied the restoration of the world

God used the prophet Isaiah to reveal parts of His magnificent plan for restoring the world. Written at a time during which Israel faced punishment for continued disobedience, the book of Isaiah was inspired by God to give the nation encouragement through the promise of a better world ahead.

Jesus Christ, after reading in the synagogue one of Isaiah's prophecies, acknowledged the special understanding given Isaiah: "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him" (John 12:41). Isaiah not only prophesied of Christ's earthly ministry; he wrote of Christ's return in power and glory (Isaiah 66:15-16).

The basis for the messianic rule of Jesus will be God's law. Again, as Isaiah foretold, "it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:2-3).

A world of peace and abundance

After Christ's return, He will bring the creation in its entirety into harmony with God, and peace will no longer be the exception. King David said, "Great peace have those who love Your law" (Psalm 119:165). Imagine what the world will be like when everyone knows God's law and lives by it!

More than just knowledge is needed to bring about this amazing transformation. A spiritual change will take place among people. God, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, describes how it will happen: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

The Spirit of God will influence people to willingly and enthusiastically obey God from their hearts. People will begin to place the interests of others before their own. They will start thinking of others as "better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3, KJV). Instead of exclusive self-concern, their goal will be to help their fellow human beings. Theft will cease. Disregard for others' property and feelings will be eliminated. Because the world will finally be at peace, countries will "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3).

During this 1,000-year period, God will change even the nature of wild animals, reflecting the peace that will descend upon society. Describing this idyllic time, Isaiah 11:7-9 says: "The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain ..."

Reversing the effects of sin

God will heal physical infirmities. Isaiah 35:5-6 prophesies of this time during which "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing ..."

Of even greater importance will be the spiritual healing that will take place. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus Christ will complete the healing He began during His ministry on earth: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion ..." (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19). The accumulated results of generations of humans following Satan's sinful ways will begin to be reversed.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16). This name signified the completion of Israel's annual harvest. In this setting, God said, "you shall rejoice before the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 12:12, 18; 14:26). The Feast is a time of celebration for the abundance God has given.

This same bountiful harvest theme continues in the future fulfillment of this festival. Through Isaiah, God spoke of the desert becoming productive land, "for waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water" (Isaiah 35:6-7).

At that time the earth will produce bountiful harvests. "Behold, the days are coming," God says, "when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow" (Amos 9:13).

The significance of tabernacles

The name of the Feast of Tabernacles derives from God's command to ancient Israel to build temporary "tabernacles," sometimes called "booths," to live in during the festival. The Israelites left their houses and built temporary dwelling places (Hebrew succah, meaning "hut of woven boughs") to live in while rejoicing before God. These reminded them of their release from slavery and their dwelling in booths when God brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:34, 41-43). In stark contrast to the hardship of slavery, this festival emphasizes rest, peace and prosperity as it meets the needs of all people, including strangers, widows and the poor.

The Bible emphasizes that, as with booths or temporary dwellings, our physical life is transitory. The apostle Paul's writings reflect this theme: "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven" (2 Corinthians 5:1-2, KJV).

Hebrews 11 recounts the examples of many of God's faithful servants down through the centuries. It then concludes that "these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (verse 13).

The Feast of Tabernacles is an annual reminder of our temporary state and that we also "seek a homeland" (verse 14). This lesson is reinforced when we travel to a site of the Feast of Tabernacles and stay in temporary dwellings such as hotels and campgrounds.

This festival reminds us that, in spite of our material possessions, we are still mortals in need of a literal transformation so we may possess eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

In the accounts of the vision that has come to be called the "transfiguration," Jesus gave a glimpse of the Kingdom of God to Peter, James and John. Christ appeared to be talking with Moses and Elijah. Peter's immediate response was to suggest that they quickly construct three tabernacles. He seemed to understand the important connection between tabernacles and our quest for eternal life in God's Kingdom (see Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 9:27-36).

The role of the resurrected saints in the Millennium

The judgment of the inhabitants of the earth who live during the 1,000 years as pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles (Isaiah 2:4; 51:4-5) begins in earnest as Christ brings "many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10). These scriptures show that this judgment is a time of universal opportunity for salvation. For this purpose God has allocated 1,000 years during which the resurrected saints, the firstfruits of God's harvest, will reign with Christ on earth as kings and priests so many others can enter God's Kingdom (Revelation 5:10; 20:6).

Jesus promised that "he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations" (Revelation 2:26). People whomGod resurrects at Christ's return will experience the unparalleled opportunity to work with Him to help all nations build a relationship with God. (For more details, be sure to request our free booklet, What Is Your Destiny?)

The foundation for this relationship begins with instruction on God's law and these very Holy Days. Notice Zechariah's words: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16). Other prophets described the time as an era of God's law covering the earth "as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14).

Many will assist Jesus Christ in this universal educational program of helping others understand God's way. Speaking of this time, Isaiah says teachers "will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:20-21).

The chance to help others understand and be reconciled to God is a wonderful calling. Each who serves in this way will be called "the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In" (Isaiah 58:12).

God calls people out of the world at this time to become His chosen people, sanctified and redeemed by Him (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1). They are to live exemplary lives as God prepares them for service during Christ's millennial reign and beyond.

"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul," the apostle Peter wrote, "having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation" (1 Peter 2:11-12).

One final conflict

All through God's plan for saving humanity, He never forces anyone to obey Him. Every person is free to choose what he or she will do and whether to accept or reject God's way of life.

After the 1,000 years, God will allow Satan to test the spiritual convictions of the earth's inhabitants. Revelation 20:7-10 describes this time. God will loose the devil from his place of restraint and allow him to deceive those who are not convicted of the perfect righteousness of God's way. God will destroy by fire those who follow Satan in this rebellion. Satan's futile efforts will be thwarted. This final, tragic rebellion against God will come to nothing, and Satan's destructive, deceitful influence over humanity will finally draw to a close.

The stage is now set for the events depicted by yet one more Holy Day. The Feast of Tabernacles offers a marvelous opportunity for salvation to those left alive at Christ's return, as well as their physical descendants during the Millennium. But what about the thousands of millions of people of past generations who have lived and died without ever understanding—or even hearing—God's truth? And what about those who will die in the cataclysmic upheaval preceding Christ's return? How will God offer them salvation? The next chapter provides the answer.

A Festival of Peace

In just a few days, a small handful of people all around the globe will be leaving their day-to-day lives in order to gather for an annual week-long festival that looks forward to a wonderful future that draws closer each day.

Where can we turn to find good news in today's world? Just take a look at the headlines: Iran continues to develop its nuclear program; trade tensions mount; Mideast peace negotiations seem to be going nowhere; and US General Stanley McChrystal calls for up to 40,000 additional troops to be sent to Afghanistan.

The world is in trouble. Observers of world events can see that storm clouds are brewing on the horizon, and fast! The global scene is fraught with strife, fear, gloom and uncertainty.

And it doesn't stop there. The ramifications of a planet that turns on itself are catastrophic—and they will not be limited to some vague, distant section of the world. They will have a major impact on your life!

There will be wars and rumors of wars and nation will rise against nation. And there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, all leading up to what the Bible describes as great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:6-7).

But what if I told you that, though these events are certain to happen, there is an equally certain bright future coming immediately afterward? What if I told you that the spiritual source of evil will be bound and that humanity will at long last be able to live in harmony? What if I told you that there will be a future, not filled with sorrow and tears and death, but with peace, harmony and joy?

What if I told you that you could be a part of it?

In just a few days, a small handful of people all around the globe will be leaving their day-to-day lives in order to gather for an annual week-long festival that looks forward to a wonderful future that draws closer each day.

This festival has a long-standing history. For the better part of 2,000 years, it has been observed by a small but dedicated group—a festival kept by Jesus Christ Himself and continued by the Church of God to this day.

So what is this festival? The Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration kept in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, which pictures the newly returned Jesus Christ establishing His reign on earth and ushering in an era of long-awaited peace, joy, and stability.

From South Africa to Sri Lanka, Italy to India, Australia to Alaska, God's people will be gathering together to enjoy a week-long foretaste of that environment. A festival of peace; good news in action, if you will.

The Signs Of The Antichrist

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. Revelation 13:18

Possibly one of the most fascinating topics in the study of the end-times is the Antichrist. Who is an antichrist? The apostle John talks much about him. 1 John 2:22-23 says, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 4:2-3 says, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” So an antichrist could refer to any person, religion or political system that fights the existence of God and the sonship of Christ. John also says that “many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18). Truly, there have been antichrists in practically every generation. Nero Caesar, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Mao Tze Tung were all antichrists. But John warns that in the “last hour” before the return of Christ, one particular Antichrist will arise in the world scene (2:18). He will come against God and His people. There are seven signs to help us identify the Antichrist:

1. He will have satanic power and authority. “The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2).
2. He will blaspheme against God. “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies … then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (13:5-6).
3. He will persecute Christians. “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (13:7).
4. His name is the number 666 (13:18). In many languages such as Latin, Hebrew and Greek, alphabets are not separated from numbers. Hence, a name can also be a number. In the case of the Antichrist, his is 666.
5. He is the man of sin. “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes fi rst, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3). That means that the Antichrist is an extremely sinful, wicked and lawless man.
6. He is the son of perdition (2:3). He is a destroyer of souls and nations.
7. He exalts Himself as God (2:4). He imbibes the spirit of Lucifer.

Commercialized Holidays, Is There an Alternative?

The claim is now circulating that money spent on observing Halloween is second only to that spent on celebrating Christmas.

Actually, all popular holidays are now commercialized. Money is driving this artificial popularity. Without holiday advertising, retail profits would plummet.

But as it is, lots of people spend lots of money on holidays.

For Halloween, mega-bucks are spent on candy, costumes, carnivals, decorations, booze and extravagant high-tech haunted houses.

MSN Money reports (9/15/09), "Halloween is now, behind Christmas, the second biggest retail holiday in America. Americans are expected to spend over $7 billion this year on costumes, candy, attending parties and much more. Over the past three years, the popularity of Halloween has tripled …"

Of all the holidays in the Western world, Halloween—a holiday that celebrates nothing positive or noble—is having the greatest increase in popularity!

Surge in adult partying and masquerading!

Adult partying on Halloween has been rapidly increasing since the 1980's.

Halloween is now the third biggest adult party day of the year—behind only New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday. Money spent on adult costumes may now be surpassing money spent on children's costumes!

For decades, adult partying on Halloween has been popular among those who actively subscribe to in the gay lifestyle. One participant, in an online article titled "Halloween: The Great Gay Holiday" says "Halloween's appeal to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities … has a lot to do with … our propensity for cross-dressing and gender-bending… and our special capacity to have fun. [We] cherish it…" (posted October 27, 2008, The Bilerico Project).

The origin of Halloween

The ancient Celts regarded November 1 as the start of a new year, also as an annual holiday called Samhain.

October 31 was New Year's Eve! That night was considered the night of the dead, when spirits of the wicked dead were believed to haunt the living. People would leave offerings of food and drink at their front doors to appease the unfriendly ghosts and demons. So the origin of "trick or treat" is the pagan belief that evil spirits had the equivalent of a modern protection racket—"you give food or we break your leg!"

Church leaders adopt pagan practices

To Christianize the pagans Roman Christianity took the easy approach of relabeling pagan days and practices! They reasoned that the converts could continue observing their old ways if they used them to honor the God of the Bible. That is how many pagan days and practices acquired Christian labels!

And it is how the pagan festival Samhain came be relabeled as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day. Thus, the night before became All Hallows Even, later contracted to Hallowe'en—and is now just Halloween. Its purpose was to placate the not-so-hallowed spirits—the demonic or evil spirits. That is why a witch's costume is so popular for Halloween evening.

Does it matter to God?

To those who don't consider what God thinks, the origins of Halloween would probably seem irrelevant. What would matter most to them is, "Is it fun?"

But for those who believe in God's Word it's a different story! The Bible says specifically that God detests pagan religious customs (Galatians 4:8-10).

According to the Bible our ultimate destiny depends on pleasing God. And the only real authority on what pleases God is the Bible.

God's Holy Days rather than unholy holidays

Four of God's festivals that God originally gave Old Testament Israel and were kept by Jesus Christ, Paul and the early Church occur in the fall.

These special festivals that have been observed by God's people down through the ages—including members of the United Church of God—are the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

God designated these deeply meaningful days to teach important truths about His great master plan as well as for worshipping and enjoying fellowship and wholesome activities with other likeminded believers.

The Day of Atonement pictures, among other things, the momentous time when Christ will remove the worldwide influence of the real evil spirits—Satan and the demons (Revelation 12:9; 18:2; 20:1-3).

We sincerely hope that in the very near future you and your children will learn more about God's Holy Days and begin observing them rather than Halloween and other days of pagan origin that are of no value for teaching spiritual truths.

Nukes in Iran

It's a scary world and the talk of world leaders makes it even scarier.

Peacemakers from around the world gathered in New York City this week. At least the original charter purpose for the United Nations was to make peace. But before leaving home to attend the General Assembly meetings, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned the world that Iran would cut off the hand of any nation that interfered in Iran.

Still, speculation raged that Israel was contemplating a preemptory strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu left that door open in an interview at the U.N. with Fox News anchor Bret Baier.

Israel is convinced that Iran is preparing to build nuclear weapons. Iran has made it clear that they would like to see Israel annihilated. Naturally, this sends great fear through Israel's people, who live within easy range of Iran's rockets which could soon carry nuclear warheads.

And now Russia is thrown into the mix. What does Russia have to do with it? Apparently, Iran is trying to buy anti-aircraft missiles from Russia, to fend off a possible Israeli bombing raid. Netanyahu reportedly has recently visited Russia in an attempt to persuade Russia not to sell the missiles to Iran.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has assured Israel that the United States will stand by its commitment to defend Israel, but of course stopped short of threatening an attack on Iran.

This is all very serious business. And it certainly doesn't sound like peace-making. Do we understand that any use of nuclear weapons anywhere in the world can set off a chain reaction that could destroy the human race?

It's a scary world and the talk of world leaders makes it even scarier.

The Bible says, "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22).

Peace will finally cover the whole earth, but only when Jesus Christ, Himself, defeats all of man's armies and destroys all his weapons. Thankfully, that day is sure to come.

Three-Hearted Nations

What has not dawned upon North America or Scandinavia is that they and every nation need a totally new—third heart! Radical, spiritual heart transplant surgery is the only solution for truly sound-hearted nations.

America, Norway and who knows how many other nations have heart problems—they each have two hearts!

These two hearts wrestle with each other to decide which will provide the dominant beat and rhythm of the nation's life.

In the September 2009 elections in Norway a national government was reelected for the first time in 16 years. The left-leaning, red-green coalition of Prime Minister Jen Stoltenburg came out the winners. Many considered to be historic this liberal vs. conservative political battle over which would be the dominant national heart.

The tabloid Aftenbladet in next-door Sweden described the outcome, "The big loser is in the political centre. The dominant position of the Progress Party on the right of Norwegian politics is becoming more marked. The future of the reputable conservative forces in Norway looks very grim."

America's liberal vs. conservative political battle also reached new heights in September. The now-famous, grassroots conservative "tea party" generated an unprecedented, historically enormous march on the Capital in Washington DC on of "9-12" (commemorating the day after the anniversary of the terrorist attack of 9-11, 2001).

Although the bulk of the left-leaning American, mainstream media tried to downplay or ignore the conservative march, the London Telegraph estimated that close to two million American citizens peacefully proclaimed their support for the conservative values that have historically dominated the American heartbeat.

The "tea partiers" denounced the liberal secularism and governmental intrusion into the personal freedoms that was elevated to power in last fall's elections.

In fact, the on-going, sharp rhetoric and small margins of victory in the last three US presidential elections provide key evidence of the dynamic battle between these two national hearts.

Politics, schmolitics! Jesus Christ would tell you that neither the liberal nor the conservative heart is healthy—that neither knows how to solve the world's problems. In contrast He said, "My Kingdom is NOT of this world."

What has not dawned upon North America or Scandinavia is that they and every nation need a totally new—third heart! Radical, spiritual heart transplant surgery is the only solution for truly sound-hearted nations.

The good news is that even before the nations get their new third heart, you can learn how to obtain your personal, spiritual heart transplant from the pages of your Bible.

Benefits Of The Lord

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

The psalmist David exhorts us not to forget the benefits of the Lord. There are seven in particular:

• Benefit #1: Salvation—”Who forgives all your iniquities” (Ps.103:3). God sent Jesus Christ His Son to make propitiation for the sins of all mankind. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. There is no sin He cannot forgive. If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
• Benefit #2: Physical healing—”Who heals all your diseases” (103:3). God is your Healer. There is no disease He cannot heal. Acts 10:38 talks of “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Through the cross of Calvary, Jesus “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17), “and by His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5).
• Benefit #3: Protection—”Who redeems your life from destruction” (Ps. 103:4). As a child of God, you are promised protection from Satan and his temptations. Greater is God who is in you, than the devil who is in the world. God’s promise to every believer is: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overfl ow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (Is. 43:2).
• Benefits #4 and #5: Kindness and mercies. “Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Ps. 103:4). God’s mercy is without limit. Above the tables of the law, which rested inside the ark of the covenant, laid the mercy seat. It is really a thin sheet of gold that covered the ark. This is symbolic of the fact that God’s mercy is higher than His law—God’s mercy triumphs over His judgment.
• Benefit #6: Prosperity. “Who satisfies your mouth with good things” (103:5). You may be poor today but if you follow Christ and His Word, you will never be poor all your life. Jesus became poor so that you can become rich—both spiritually and financially.
• Benefit #7: God-kind of life. “So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (103:5). An amazing thing happens to an eagle. It goes into premature decline only to spring back to regain the strength of its youth. Job experienced this in Job 33:24-25, “Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; his flesh shall be young like a child’s, he shall return to the days of his youth.” Let’s press in to the Lord to obtain a similar precious experience in God.

Dawkins or Design?

To believe in evolution is to believe that you are a 3.9 billion year long accident in the making. To believe the Bible is to believe that God created you with a purpose. Which one will you believe?

If you don't believe in evolution, you are as ignorant and deluded as the fools who deny the Holocaust.

That, at least, is the stance of Dr. Richard Dawkins in his newest book, The Greatest Show on Earth: the Evidence for Evolution. Dawkins claims that the evidence for evolution is just as concrete as the evidence for the massacre of six million Jews during Hitler's reign; he also implicitly labels those who believe that the universe was created by God as "a baying pack of ignoramuses," displaying "an exhibition of ignorant prejudice" through their continuous and "belligerent demands." He goes on to say, "Evolution is a fact in the same sense as it is a fact that Paris is in the northern hemisphere," adding that, "No reputable scientist disputes it, and no unbiased reader will close the book doubting it."

Evidently Professor Dawkins refuses to acknowledge as "reputable" scientists such as Dr. Michael Behe, a professor, biochemist and author of Darwin's Black Box, or the many scientists interviewed in Lee Strobel's The Case for a Creator, or the fifty scientists who contributed to the essay collection, In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation.

But the finer points of the evolution debate are far beyond the scope of a short commentary. Let's instead take a brief look at the endgame of two very disparate worldviews: the one presented by evolution, and the one presented by the Bible.

Evolution says that the finely tuned ecosystems all around us are the result of millions of years of infinitesimal changes in genetic structure, which against all odds managed to produce a staggering variety of life filled with molecular machinery so advanced that the greatest of mankind's technological feats pale in comparison.

The Bible says that the same ecosystems, along with the entire universe, are the deliberate and careful work of a supremely intelligent Being who does nothing without a purpose.

To believe in evolution is to believe that you are a 3.9 billion year long accident in the making. You have no reason for being; at the very best you can make a valiant attempt to enjoy your life until you die, return to the ground and pass forever from history and memory alike.

To believe the Bible is to believe that the same God who put such time and consideration into creating the universe created it and the people in it with a purpose. That we are here for a reason. That the world around us, and yes, even we ourselves are not the result of some incomprehensible genetic lottery. The apostle Paul writes that "the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:20-21, NKJV).

Two very different cosmologies. One that proposes an accidental occurrence in the evolutionary chain. The other that suggests you are here to become part of a great divine plan.

Which one will you believe?

The Bride of Christ

Revelation 21:2 …… I saw the HolyCity, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Jesus Christ is coming back for a beautifully prepared bride (Revelation 19:7). The marriage of the Lamb (the sinless Lamb of God; Jesus) will take place in heaven (Revelation 19:9).

Who is this bride? To fully understand we need to go back to Genesis 2:21-22. In order to find the perfect partner for Adam in the primeval Garden of Eden, while he was sleeping, God created her out of Adam’s own body using one of his ribs. Eve came out of the man and she was called woman.

The Christian church is often called the body of Christ. The true church of Jesus Christ has to come out of Jesus, out of His victory at Calvary, out of His blood shed and His body given.

While Jesus was dead and buried for three days after His crucifixion, God was busy re-establishing His divine order on the earth. The prophetic formation of His bride was being made while Jesus, the second Adam, was in a deep sleep. All authority was given back to Jesus, the authority that Satan duped from man in Eden. When Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave, the Son of Man was now the supreme authority over all the earth, just as God had intended from the beginning (Genesis 1:28).

At the point of His ascension back to heaven, Jesus delegated His authority to his disciples, His little church, and He gave them the Great Commission which, in effect, was a re-commissioning of what God had said to Adam and Eve in the garden.

Ten days later, on the day of the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came in power upon the disciples and all who were gathered in the Upper Room. The result of that was the birth of the world-wide church of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the outworking of the Great Commission.
Since then, the church has been preparing for the return of Jesus to come and take the church as a prepared bride to Himself. To come back to earth and sweep His bride off her feet. To catch her up to Himself in the clouds, enraptured by His love.

The wedding will take place in heaven and there we will remain until the founding of a new heaven and a new earth. In that place the bride and the bridegroom, Jesus and His church, will live gloriously and magnificently for all eternity.

Lord Jesus, we are making ourselves ready. Amen
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5C80ksAU18&feature=channel_page

Is Antichrist Only One Man?

Paul called the Antichrist, "the man of sin ... the son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). It is primarily because of this verse that millions have come to believe that there will be o­nly o­ne super-sinister Mr. Sin who will rise to power after the Rapture. Is it true? Will there be o­nly o­ne man - the Antichrist? Is this what Paul really meant?

First of all, in the little book of 1 John, the Bible plainly says there are "many antichrists" (1 John 2:18) and a "spirit of antichrist" (1 John 4:3). John also wrote that any person who denies the true doctrine of Jesus Christ is "a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 John 7,9). Thus, so far, the idea of there being o­nly "one" antichrist fails the biblical test.

There are other equally inspired statements in the Bible which parallel Paul's expression, "the man of sin." Prophecy also refers to this same Antichrist as the "little horn" (Daniel 7:8), the "beast" (Revelation 13:1), "the mystery of iniquity" (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and "that Wicked" (2 Thess. 2:8). Do all of these expressions refer to o­ne evil person who will rise to power after the Rapture? You are about to see that they do not.

Most agree that Daniel’s "little horn," Revelation’s mysterious "beast," and Paul‘s "man of sin," all refer to the same thing. Daniel 7 describes four beasts - a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dragon-like beast with ten horns (Daniel 7:3-7). Then comes the "little horn" out of the head of the fourth beast (Daniel 7:8). This little horn has "eyes like the eyes of a man," "a mouth speaking great things," and "makes war o­n the saints" (Daniel 7:8, 21). This is exactly what "the beast" has and does in Revelation 13:5,7. Thus the "little horn" is the same as "the beast." But what many fail to discern is that in Daniel 7, a beast is clearly defined as a kingdom, not a man. The Holy Word says, "...the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth" (Daniel 7:23).

The Bible doesn't say the "little horn" is a man, but rather that it would have "eyes like the eyes of a man" (Daniel 7:8). When Paul used the expression, "the man of sin," in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he was simply referring to the "little horn" with its "eyes like the eyes of a man." Yet that same horn is called a "beast" in Revelation 13:1, and the Bible clearly tells us that a beast represents a great kingdom (Daniel 7:23).

A careful study of 2 Thessalonians 2 reveals the impossibility of "the man of sin," also called to "the mystery of iniquity," and "that Wicked," as o­nly applying to o­ne man. First, "the mystery of iniquity," although under restraint, was "already at work" in Paul’s time (verse 7). Second, it would continue all the way until the visible return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world (verse 8). Thus it cannot refer to o­nly o­ne man, for that man would have to be almost 2,000 years old!

Did Paul ever use the expression "the man" in any of his other writings in such a way that it does not refer to o­nly o­ne man? Yes. Paul wrote, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:15, 16. Here "the man of God" does not refer to o­nly o­ne Holy Man, but rather to a succession of godly men throughout history who follow the Scriptures. Paul also used the phrase, "the minister of God" (Romans 13:4) to refer to all civil officers throughout history who restrain evil. Thus, Paul’s mysterious phrase, "the man of sin," which is the same as the "little horn," and the "beast," may properly refer to an actual "kindgom" with "eyes like the eyes of a man," that is, to a kingdom centered in a historical succession of supremely exalted men who, contrary to the Scriptures, are part of "the mystery of iniquity."

Identifying the Beast! Part 2

The Bible says, “All the world wondered after the beast” (Revelation 13:3). It’s no secret that the majority of modern prophecy teachers apply this prediction to the rise of one Mr. Bad Guy (the Antichrist) who will supposedly show up after the rapture. That’s the dominant view. Is it correct?

“FBI Apologizes to American Lawyer Wrongly Arrested” was the title of an Associated Press story that appeared in the San Luis Obispo Tribune on May 26, 2004. A terrorist bombing had occurred in Spain killing 191 people and FBI fingerprint evidence pointed to Portland attorney Brandon Mayfield - a Muslim - as the guilty one. Mayfield was thrown in jail. But the FBI soon discovered they had wrong man. The Tribune declared, “Court documents released Monday suggested that the mistaken arrest first sprang from an error by the FBI’s supercomputer for matching fingerprints.” The embarrassed agency then acknowledged the need to “review its practices on fingerprint analysis.”

When it comes to the beast, is it possible that the “fingerprint analysis” of many modern prophecy teachers is in error? Most expect the arrival of a future Antichrist, but are they looking for the wrong man? Could the beast be here now?

Let’s review the evidence presented in Identifying the Beast (Part 1). The beast of Revelation 13:1-10 is the same as the “little horn” of Daniel 7. Both have “a mouth speaking great things” (see Daniel 7:8; Revelation 13:5) and “make war with the saints (see Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7). Almost everyone agrees here. In Daniel 7, the plain prophetic sequence is:

• The rise of a lion (verse 4)
• The rise of a bear (verse 5)
• The rise of a leopard (verse 6)
• The rise of a fourth beast (verse 7)
• The fourth beast has ten horns (verse 7)
• Another little horn rises among the ten horns (verse 8)
• The little horn had eyes like a man (verse 8)
• The little horn had a mouth speaking great things (verse 8)
• The little horn made war on the saints (verse 21).

An angel said, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth” (Daniel 7:23). 98% of Christian scholars throughout history have identified these four beasts as four kingdoms - Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It’s simple history, a no brainer. The controversy swirls around the ten horns and the little horn. Futurists place the ten horns in the future (predicting a “revived Roman empire”) and think the “little horn” refers to one Mr. Diabolical who shows up after we’re gone.

Preterists think the little horn is Nero who waged war against Christians in the first century. In Identifying the Beast! (Part 1), we saw fatal flaws in both of these views. Futurists insert a 1500-year gap after the fall of Rome (thus breaking the successive sequence of Daniel 7), while preterists fail to realize that the little horn bursts into strength after Rome’s division into ten parts, not before.

The ONLY SOLUTION that fits Daniel 7’s sequence sees Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, then Rome’s division into ten parts, and then the little horn that is the same as the beast. Let me stress that this prophecy is not pointing its irrefutable finger against sincere people who don’t fully understand the Scriptures. No. Its focus is a “kingdom” or beast-system (centered in one “man”) that is leading millions away from childlike faith in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Who is the little horn? Are you ready? Martin Luther wrote that Daniel “saw the terrible wild beast which had ten horns, which by the consent of all is the Roman Empire, he also beheld another small horn come up in the middle of this. This is the papal power, which rose up in the middle of the Roman Empire” (1).

Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, John Knox, William Tyndale, John Calvin, John Wesley, Roger Williams, Fox’s Book of Martyrs, the translators of the King James Bible, John Bunyan, the Westminster Confession, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Spurgeon, David Benedict’s History of the Baptist Denomination, Bishop J.C. Rylie, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, and countless other historic Protestants all believed the little horn of Daniel 7 was the global power of the Roman Catholic Church which came out of the Roman Empire, rose up among the ten parts of Europe, is centered in one man (the Pope), has made war with the saints in history, is a “kingdom” today (over 100 embassies stand on Vatican hill), and even now exerts global influence.

According to 400 years of Protestant scholarship (which shouldn’t be taken lightly), the beast is here now and has been operating for over a thousand years. Again, this prophecy is not against sincere people who don’t fully understand the Bible - but against a system that leads away from direct faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and has introduced many subtle traditions into the Christian Church.

Preterists and futurists should “review their practices of fingerprint analysis.” Like the FBI in 2004, they have identified the wrong man. Let’s not make the same mistake.

Identifying the Beast! Part 1

Revelation chapter 13 describes two beasts–the first rising out of the sea (13:1) and the second coming out of the earth (13:11). My last article focused on the second beast; now it’s time to zero in on the first. I must warn you: This topic is shocking, controversial, and sure to stir up heated discussion. Nevertheless it must be presented faithfully, fairly, and without compromise. John wrote:

“I saw a beast rising up out of the sea” (Revelation 13:1).

Who is this beast that figures so largely in God’s last book? Those who accept a “Preterist” interpretation of Revelation generally believe the beast was the Roman emperor Nero who murdered Christians and Jews in the first century AD. Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer have recently expressed this view in Tyndale’s new prophetic novel, The Last Disciple. Gary DeMar, John Noe, Ken Gentry Jr., Samuel Frost, Kurt Simmons, and many others teach this idea. To Preterists, the beast is dead.

While Preterism is growing in strength, by far the most popular interpretation remains the “Futurist” one reflected in the bestselling Left Behind series (also published by Tyndale). According to Futurists, the beast is still on the horizon–a monster that will only lurch into action after the Rapture. Leading proponents of Futurism today are Tim LaHaye, Tommy Ice, Jack Van Impe, John Hagee, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, and Irving Baxter Jr. Both Preterists and Futurists see the beast as one satanic individual; an evil person. The biggest difference is the timing of when Mr. Diabolical shows up.

So which is it? Is the beast past or future? Or could he be present? Hold onto your seats. This may surprise you, but from the time of the Reformation until the late 1800s the vast majority of Protestant scholars firmly believed the beast was snarling right in front of them. Such was the doctrine of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, John Knox, the translators of the King James Bible, John Wesley, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop J.C. Rylie, Thomas Cranmer, Matthew Henry, Charles Spurgeon, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, and countless others. These weren’t Preterists or Futurists. They were Historicists * – meaning they saw prophecy fulfilled throughout Church history until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Let’s put emotions, personal opinion and speculation aside, and adjust our brains to facts–solid, unquestionable, irrefutable evidence. The beast rises from the sea (13:1), looks like a lion, bear, and leopard (13:2), has ten horns (13:1), a mouth speaking great things (13:5), makes war on the saints (13:7), and achieves global influence (13:7). Daniel chapter 7 talks about the same things, describing four beasts rising from the sea (7:1-3), a lion, bear, leopard, and dragon-like animal with ten horns (7:4-7), a little horn with eyes like a man (7:8), a mouth speaking great things (7:8), which makes war on the saints (7:21). Most scholars agree–both Protestant and Catholic–that Daniel’s little horn is the same as the beast in Revelation 13:1. Each has a big mouth and makes war on the saints. These are all facts.

Here’s a key question: What is a beast? A man? A computer? The Bible provides the answer. An angelic interpreter told Daniel, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth” (Daniel 7:23). Thus a beast is a kingdom. Period. The four beasts are four kingdoms. Daniel was living during the time of Babylon (7:1), and in fact, a winged lion was a symbol of that ancient power. Most scholars agree the lion represented Babylon, followed by Persia, then Greece, then Rome. This is basic history. Rome fell in 476 AD and was divided among ten primary nations–Vandals, Heruli, Ostrogoths, Visogoths, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Suevi, Burgundians, Lombards, and Alemanni. Prophecy clearly predicted “the little horn” would:

• Rise out of the fourth beast, or Roman Empire (7:7, 8)
• Rise among the ten horns, in Western Europe (7:8)
• Have eyes like a man, or human leadership (7:8)
• Have a mouth speaking great things (7:8)
• Make war on the saints (7:21)

Thus we have Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Rome’s division, and then the little horn that is the same as the beast. Who is this horn? “Nero!” shout Preterists. “The future Antichrist!” contend Futurists. What’s wrong with this picture? The answer should be obvious. Preterists are wrong because the little horn (antichrist) especially gains power after Rome was divided into ten parts. Nero came 500 years too soon. Futurists fail because the little horn burst into strength immediately after the empire of the Caesars collapsed into ten parts. The future-beast notion sweeps 1500 years of history under the proverbial rug by expecting the little horn to rise only after Christians vanish.

Preterism’s problem:

• Lion (Babylon)
• Bear (Persia)
• Leopard (Greece)
• Dragon-like animal (Rome)
• Ten horns (Rome’s fall and division)
• Little horn (Nero–this doesn’t fit)

Futurism’s failure:

• Lion (Babylon)
• Bear (Persia)
• Leopard (Greece)
• Dragon-like animal (Rome)
• Insertion of a 1500-year gap
• Ten horns (future revived Roman Empire)
• Little horn (future Antichrist)

Historicism’s accuracy:

• Lion (Babylon)
• Bear (Persia)
• Leopard (Greece)
• Dragon-like animal (Rome)
• Ten horns (Rome’s fall and division)
• Little horn (rising into strength in Europe right after Rome fell)

Who is the little horn? Ask Luther, Melanchthon, Wycliffe, Huss, Jerome, Calvin, Knox, Wesley, Newton, Rylie, Cranmer, Spurgeon, and countless others. To them, the answer was obvious. They all saw a present power that started small but grew into strength immediately after Rome fell, rose up in Western Europe, had eyes like a man, a mouth speaking boastful things, and made bloody war on the saints.

It’s easy to write fiction books about an imaginary future Antichrist or a dead one. But to write non-fiction works about a present beast, especially one with global influence–this isn’t so easy. Nor is it politically correct. Yet the question Jesus Christ bids us ponder is:

What is the truth?

To be continued…

Seven Form Of Worship

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6

The Bible gives us the different forms or outward expressions in worship. These forms make tangible the worship of the heart. It is very necessary for the heart to be expressed, and when it is, that heart expression becomes very powerful. For example, when you lift your hands, you are really saying “my heart is being lifted to God” (Lam. 3:41). Don’t excuse yourself by thinking that “only Charismatics lift their hands,” or “only Anglicans kneel down.” None of the biblical worship forms “belong” to any denomination. They are either biblical or they are not.

These forms are an external physical expression of the internal spiritual worship that is taking place inside you. So there must be a reason and purpose in all the expressions of worship. For example, if the heart is repenting and you weep and cry out to God, there is meaning in the tears. Otherwise, the tears are just a show (or a dead form). If you are leaping and dancing but your heart is not really rejoicing, then you are just “putting on a display.” Unless the form represents what is going on in your heart, it produces nothing.

Similarly, if God is speaking to you to repent, don’t clap your hands and put on a “spiritual smile,” pretending that God doesn’t really mean that. You must always seek to make your worship expressions a true statement of what God is saying and doing. When the forms are used to truly depict what is happening in your heart, there will come a depth, an authority and a reality in the worship. Study these forms and become skilled in using them at the right moment. When your spirit, soul and body flow and connect with the Spirit in worship, God will manifest Himself powerfully.

1. Singing (Ps. 95:1). This is one of the key forms in worship. Any mood of the heart, or of the Spirit, can be expressed in a song.
2. Shouting (95:1). A loud voice is used to proclaim extreme and dynamic feelings. It is also a sign of triumph; a release of joy.
3. Lifting of hands (Lam. 3:41; Heb. 12:12). This is the sign of a heart that is lifted to the Lord.
4. Clapping (Ps. 47:1). When we hail Jesus as King and exalt Him, we clap our hands as a sign of this.
5. Standing (1 Kin. 8:22). When we stand to worship God, it shows our respect and attentiveness toward Him.
6. Kneeling (Ps. 95:6; Acts 20:36). We kneel as an act of submission and reverence.
7. Bowing down (Ps. 95:6; Rom. 14:11). The Hebrew word for “worship” is shachah (used 166 times) which means to bow. The Greek word for “worship” is proskuneo which means to prostrate and kiss the feet of the Lord.

Give us this day our daily bread

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5, 6

God will provide for you! If you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then you are God’s child. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He will care for you and provide for your needs.

The Bible says “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” This does not mean that God will make us all rich. However, God will give us each day what we need for that day. What is our part? It is to obey and serve God and to put Him first with our lives and our resources. Jesus taught “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Let us put God first and trust in Him and He will provide for our needs.

What are you concerned about? Put your trust in God. He loves you. God has not promised to give us all Mercedes or huge mansions; that is not His plan for everyone here on earth. God also wants us to be generous to His work and to those around us, and He will care for our needs. The Lord’s Prayer says “Give us this day our daily bread.” God is our source. He wants us to depend fully on Him. He loves us. We are to praise and worship Him. And He will provide for us.

So, this week, let us pray that

• God will bless you and your family and give you peace in the midst of the storms of life
• God will care for your loved ones and for the poor people in your community and around the world
• God will protect our staff at Global Media Outreach and fill us with His Holy Spirit

THANK YOU so much for your prayers.

May God bless you as we seek to serve Him together.

Lessons from Forest Fires

Again this year, fire has ravaged thousands of acres in California, destroying homes and property in its wake.

Four years ago as my wife and I were traveling home from southern Oregon, her cell phone rang. Her mother's message was brief but dramatic, "We've just been evacuated!"

A forest fire was raging in a state park less than two miles from where we live—a scenic, forested area of Central Oregon. So we understand and live with the ever-present danger of forest fires.

More than twenty miles away, we were sobered by the sight of a huge tower of smoke billowing up thousands of feet into the atmosphere, looking every bit like the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb. It seemed obvious that our home and property were doomed to perish in flames, along with all of our possessions—except for what we had with us.

A time to take stock

Since we had spent the previous night in a motel, we had a few extra clothes in addition to the ones we were wearing and the car that we were driving. But as we pondered our situation, it dawned on us that what mattered most was that we had each other, that everything else is just "stuff" and that God would take care of us.

Miraculously, the wind shifted and the fire which had come within a mile of our home was directed away from our residential area. We were spared from what seemed to be certain loss of our home and nearly all of our possessions.

But we have never forgotten the lesson that the stark reality of impending disaster carved deep into the core of our minds and hearts. What counts the most is our relationships (with God and each other), not the material things that can so easily become the focus of our lives.

We all enjoy the material possessions that make life more comfortable and enjoyable. But they are temporary and should not be our main focus.

Biblical advice

The apostle Paul writes that we should, "not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Jesus says, "Life is not measured by how much you own" (Luke 12:15, New Living Translation).

He also admonishes, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust [or fire] destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust [and fire] cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" (Matthew 6:19-20, NLT).

Tests by fire

Tragedies such as devastating fires test and often strengthen our faith. "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world" (1 Peter 1:7, NLT).

Ultimately, everyone will be tested!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (New International Version), "his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

The time is coming when all physical matter will be destroyed, when "… the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).

So Peter concludes, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?" (Verses 11-12).

What are your priorities?

Each of us needs to ask ourselves: "Do I really understand God's plan for me?"