God loves you with an everlasting love

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love God. The first and greatest commandment, Jesus Christ taught us, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength.

What does it mean to love God? The ancient Greeks had three words for love — agape, philio, and eros. Agape meant to love someone purely; to wish them the highest good; to always act in a manner that is best for someone; to love with no conditions. This is the way we are to love God.

How can we love God? We can give Him our hearts and our lives. We can think of what will please Him. We can tell Him we love Him. We can listen to Him and pay attention to Him. We can honor His Son Jesus Christ. We can sing worship and praise songs to God. We can love members of His family and love those who He loves — which is everyone!

When you truly love someone, you want what is best for them. God’s will is that no-one will perish, but that all will come to have eternal life. So one way to love God is to reach out to others in the love of Jesus Christ.

So, this week, let us pray and

1. Tell God we love Him!

2. Sing songs of praise to Him

3. Ask God that people all around the world would come to know Him and love Him

God loves you with an everlasting love. He loves us with His love, which is pure and never-ending. Let us thank Him together for His great love for us!

May God bless you.

Redeeming The Time

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil Ephesians 5:15-16

We are to walk circumspectly. The word “circumspectly” means diligently or carefully. Walking circumspectly can be illustrated by the way a cat walks upon a building’s high garden walls which are surmounted with pieces of broken glass to prevent break-ins. The cat would ponder very carefully where it puts its paw, almost with a contemplative air, so that it does not touch the broken glass lest it should be wounded. If a cat takes this much care about where it places its paws, how much more should we walk circumspectly and take great care to ensure that we place our feet on the path of righteousness.

If we are not careful with our spiritual walk, we can become wounded by the contamination of sin, just as the cat could be wounded by the shards of glass on top of the wall. Paul says that we need to redeem the time, because the days are evil. This is a truth that should govern our lives. There is a battle for the time that we have been allotted here on earth. The devil provides all kinds of distractions that are carefully designed to steal from us the precious commodity called time. Once we have lived a day, we can never get it back.

Every person on earth has 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week and 365 days a year. An average person may only live 29,200 days. Yet why is it that some people can make such valuable use of their time while others don’t accomplish anything in the same amount of time? Those who make wise use of their time are the ones who prosper in life. Moses says in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We need to number or count our days so that we use them wisely, for none of us knows how long we will live.

Paul tells us to redeem (or to get back from the devil’s grasp) our God-given privilege of deciding minute by minute what we are going to do within the life span accorded us. As Christians, there are untold opportunities each day to serve the Lord. Let us make the most of our opportunities and our time.

Five Steps To Miracles

“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12

King Jehoshaphat was facing the greatest threat to his reign. His enemies—the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Syrians—had come to crush his kingdom. He came to a place where he just didn’t know what else to do in the natural. So by faith, he turned to God for His supernatural intervention. Jehoshaphat took five steps that turned an imminent defeat into an opulent victory. We need to do the same whenever we are faced with a crisis.

Step #1: Set your heart to seek the Lord (2 Chr. 20:3-4). Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah set their hearts to seek after God. As he prayed, Jehoshaphat did three things: (a) He reminded himself who God is (20:6). (b) He also reminded himself what God has done (20:7). (c) He then asked God to do it again (20:12). If you learn to pray this way, you can have faith for any miracle!

Step #2: Focus on the promise, not the problem. Jehoshaphat said, “God, our eyes are upon You” (20:12). No matter what you are hit with in life, learn to focus on the promises in God’s Word, never the problem. Confess the promises of God’s Word to yourself: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world!” “No weapon formed against me shall prosper!”

Step #3: Stand before the Lord. Ephesians 6:13 says, “And having done all, to stand.” When you have done every thing you can, just trust the Lord.

Step #4: Wait for the Holy Spirit (2 Chr. 20:14). The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied aloud: “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you” (20:15, 17).

Step #5: Begin to praise God in advance (20:22). When the enemies came against Jehoshaphat and his kingdom, the people of Judah unleashed the weapons of their warfare—they started to boldly praise God. Praise is the language of faith. And that day, angels were dispatched to destroy all the enemies that came against Jehoshaphat. Instead of destruction, God brought Jehoshaphat to the Valley of Berachah (blessing) and it took Judah three full days to gather up all the spoils of war.

For Heaven's Sake?

Many believe they will spend eternity with God in heaven after death. But is this idea biblically true? Plan to be challenged!

What is the most important teaching of Jesus Christ? Some say by faith in Him you can be saved and spend eternity with God in heaven. Now it might surprise you to find that going to heaven when you die is not what Jesus taught. What was the central teaching of Jesus Christ? What did He go about preaching? Was it the Kingdom of Heaven? Many religions disagree on what they feel is significant. But what does the Bible say is the heart and core of Jesus Christ's message. Stay tune to Beyond Today as we analyze the idea, "For Heaven's Sake".

Are you a Christian? About one billion people profess Christianity. Of course Christians trace their beliefs to the teachings of Jesus Christ yet many Christians are not aware of Jesus central teaching.

If someone were to ask you what is the focal point of Jesus message? How would you answer?

Many would say the most important teaching is believing in Jesus and going to heaven when you die. This was shown in the study done a few years ago that found that 89% believe in heaven and of those 85% believe they'll personally go there. That's what I was taught when I was young and perhaps you were too. But is it possible that popular beliefs, even church doctrine don't agree with the Bible and Jesus real teaching?

Now it may surprise you the major subject of Jesus Christ teaching was not heaven. The heart and core of His teaching was the Gospel of The Kingdom. That's the good news! The Gospel that the Kingdom of God would be established right here on this earth.

Historian, Michael Grant, put it this way, "Every thought and saying of Jesus was directed and subordinated to one single thing, the realization of the Kingdom of God upon the Earth and this one phrase, the Kingdom of God sums up His whole ministry and His whole life's work." Now imagine that.

You might think, wait a second; could all these churches be wrong? Why haven't I heard more about the Kingdom of God in my church?

Well let's go to the source. Well let's notice what the Bible says in order to check out what the facts really are. The Bible makes it clear Jesus overriding theme was the good news of the Kingdom of God. His very own words are recorded for us so we can know His intent. Notice what it says in

Luke 4:43 but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."

And you know that's exactly what Jesus did, He did that specifically. You flip over a couple of chapters to

Luke 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.

Well do you need some good news? How much have you heard about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? What is it?

Since Jesus spoke about it everywhere He went, shouldn't you know about it? And as a Christian you don't want to be uninformed about His most important teaching.

This message, the message of the Kingdom was central to the teaching of Jesus Christ right from the very start. From the beginning of the New Testament all the way to Revelation, God's Kingdom is mentioned scores of times.

In fact, notice this quote about the Kingdom of God. "The word Kingdom is found 55 times in Matthew, 25 times in Mark, 46 times in Luke and 5 times in John. The phrase the Kingdom of God and equivalent expressions occur about 80 times." So these statistics show the great importance of the concept in the teaching of Jesus. There can therefore be little doubt that the phrase, the Kingdom God, expresses the main theme of His teaching.

So when you look at the facts, is there any doubt that the Kingdom of God is the core teaching of Jesus Christ? Now what does it mean, what exactly is this Kingdom and when and where for that matter will it be established.

Jesus disciples knew when Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God he wasn't talking about going to heaven. So what is a Kingdom?

Now that word Kingdom may not be one that we think much about, we don't use that term all that much but let's step back and consider it. Now imagine for yourself any country, you know what is it that makes a nation a country or a Kingdom? Well there's four components, there's a ruler or parliament or a government, we have laws, we have subjects and we have territory. So when Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God He was talking about a very real, literal government, a structured, organized administration under His very own authority. Jesus Christ, He is where we start, He's the ruler. Now we can verify that, we can turn to our Bible. Look at...

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

And so we see Jesus and the disciples as well understood that the term Kingdom of God meant that God's government would be established on earth, led and administered by Jesus Christ Himself. Now what about that second component, the government and laws? The government and laws will be the government and laws of God. Notice what it says in Isaiah 2:2 now the book of Isaiah we have the prophet discussing this very concept of the Kingdom of God. Notice what he says...

Isaiah 2:2 Now 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,

In fact when you that word mountains in the Bible it often represents nations and governments and so he's talking specifically about that right here. And it says...

And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.

Isaiah 2:3 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.

Now if we move to that third component, the subjects and the territory, who will that be? Well it will be the people and the nations of the earth. Daniel 7:14 tells us that very fact and it reminds us in

Daniel 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

You see Jesus taught that the time is coming for change. Now it's not the kind of change the politicians talk about. It is nothing less than a sweeping, overpowering change in the entire world order. The Kingdom of God will rule over the entire earth.

Now if you are like me you didn't hear much about the Kingdom of God. Like me you may have been taught your entire life that when you die you go to heaven.

But what really happens to us after we die, where are our loved ones who have passed on? Will we ever see them again? You see most believe when they die they will go to heaven but this is what the Bible really teaches. Is that what it is?

You see we want to help you with the answer to that question and we have a free booklet for you today. That free booklet is called Heaven and Hell, What Does the Bible Really Teach? In this booklet we examine the evidence. In fact you might be surprised that the Bible reveals some astounding truths about the mystery of life beyond the grave. This booklet will help you understand the truth so request your free copy today. You can click or you can call toll free 1-888-886-8632 that's 1-888-886-8632 or go online to BeyondToday.tv. Is it possible that what you thought was the truth is not actually what Jesus Himself taught? It does matter what you believe so request your free copy today, you can click on line at BeyondToday.tv to download it, read it online or order your free copy of Heaven or Hell, What does the Bible Really Teach? Now call us, it's a free call even 1-888-886-8632 that's 1-888-886-8632 or go online to BeyondToday.tv. Now you can also follow us on Twitter or join us on our Facebook fan page.

So as we think about it we've already seen that heaven wasn't one of Jesus talking points and no wonder when you consider the shocking statement in John 3:13, it says

John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

You see these words were written decades after Jesus died and ascended to heaven and well after many of His followers have died but here we're still told that no one other than Jesus Himself had gone to heaven.

You see the fact is Jesus key talking point was the Kingdom of God, that coming Kingdom was clearly the theme of His entire ministry.

Now one thing you may be familiar with, you've probably heard of the Sermon on the Mount. It is probably one of the most quotable teachings of Jesus. It's the one that says blessed are, blessed are the ones who mourn, blessed are the meek, the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers. You may be familiar with them.

Now do you know what Jesus emphasized in that lesson? He pointed His followers toward the Kingdom. Let's notice it, He began His message in Matthew 5 so if you turn over to the book of Matthew, in Matthew 5:3 He singles out the poor, the poor in spirit, notice what it says in...

Mathew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The He goes on in...

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Now you might think, "Aha, I knew Jesus taught about heaven!" Now ok wait a second, what is the Kingdom of Heaven?

Is the Kingdom of Heaven different from the Kingdom of God? Ok how can we know?

Well first let's step back for a moment and let's ask ourselves how many books in the Bible contain the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven"? Just one, just one, that expression is only found right here in the book of Matthew.

So as we begin it's important to realize that the book of Matthew, it's very similar to the books of Mark, Luke and John. These very first four books of the New Testament describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ from His birth to the crucifixion. So these four students, these four followers, the disciples of Jesus describe many of the same events from different perspectives.

Now what about that term, the Kingdom of Heaven, that is only used in right here in the book of Matthew? This is interesting, let's notice this, we wouldn't want to misunderstand what Matthew meant and he didn't want us to misunderstand, so he uses the terms Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God, interchangeably. Let's notice that Matthew 19 just a few chapters from where we began in Matthew 5, Matthew 19:23 notice what Matthew records for us.

Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

You see there those two phrases and they appear right together and what does that tell us? It show's that they are identical terms. In fact we can also show that they mean exactly the same thing by comparing these passages from other books of the Bible. Remember

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Now if we flip over to the book of Luke and check out that same scenario in the book of that's Luke 6:20 here we find that same concept and it is said just a little differently in the book of Luke

Luke 6:20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.

Now doesn't that make it obvious? Those two phrases mean exactly the same thing.

Now you might ask well why did Matthew use that term then why didn't he just always use the term the Kingdom of God.

Well the Wycliffe Bible dictionary explains that Matthew was a Jew writing to his own race and he respected their custom of using the name of God as little as possible. And therefore he spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now the New Bible Dictionary agrees, it says this, "The use of the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew is certainly due to the tendency in Judaism to avoid the direct use of the name of God so in any case, no distinction in sense is to be assumed between the two expressions."

So what can we conclude? The Kingdom of Heaven doesn't mean the Kingdom is in heaven but that it is of heaven, it is of God who is Himself in heaven at this time.

So Matthew makes it very clear that this Kingdom wasn't going to be like the Roman Empire and its emperor or any other kingdom at that time. He understood that it was a kingdom to come.

Of course we know the Jews missed the fact that Jesus came first to die for man's sins and then He would return again to established that very Kingdom. In fact you've probably prayed for that Kingdom. Jesus taught that we should pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth. Now these aren't just idle words, there is a Kingdom yet to come from God to this Earth. In fact there is a famous prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 you are probably familiar with it because it is often times read at Christmas time. But the important aspect of this passage describes something much more than just Jesus birth. Notice

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.

A little further down

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end

You see, this is that world changing Kingdom that Jesus spoke of, that's the one that's yet to come. You see when Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God, He was continuing that same message of the Old Testament prophets. So there's no doubt that was what Jesus was referring to, He referred to it often, unmistakably that He would return to the Earth and establish the Kingdom that those prophets were foretelling.

Now most Christians believe that Jesus came as a babe in the manger but most don't realize that He is coming back to earth and He's coming back in a far different way.

The first time He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God, the second time He will come as it's all powerful ruling King to establish the Kingdom and the government of God over the entire Earth. Now this is good news! That's what Jesus came to announce, this was the heart, this was the core of His message. So throughout the Bible scripture after scripture describes Jesus return and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Jesus Himself said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness".

Now there is so much more to discuss on this topic so up next we're going to talk with the Beyond Today panel. But first I have a special free offer for you today; it's the Good News magazine. This magazine contains important articles on how to make sense of today's confusing world news. It will help you to understand what the Bible teaches about the most vital questions concerning your life, marriage, family, why it's important to have a relationship with your Creator. It will help you comprehend God's amazing plan for humanity and for you personally. That's why you need your free subscription to the Good News magazine; it will help you with answers. Call toll free 1-888-886-8632 that's 1-888-886-8632 you can also visit us on the web at BeyondToday.tv. You can watch dozens of Beyond Today programs and you can catch up on our weekly Beyond Today commentaries as well. So go on line to BeyondToday.tv or call 1-888-886-8632. Get your free subscription now. The Good News not only examines world events in light of the Bible but it will also help you in your everyday life. So get your free subscription today. Now don't forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook fan page as well.

Don't Grieve The Holy Spirit

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

In the Scripture, the Holy Spirit is often likened to a dove. The dove is known as a bird of peace and it is extremely sensitive to anything that disrupts the serenity of its environment. That is why doves are often found beside still waters. The Holy Spirit is easily grieved and chased away by sin, rebellion, disobedience, complaining, and wrong attitudes.

The Holy Spirit abides upon the life of a believer who is at peace with God and who has the righteousness and holiness of God worked out in his life. How not to grieve the Holy Spirit? The answer is given in Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Here, we see the ugliness of the old man that puts off the Spirit of God:

(1) Bitterness—the longstanding resentment in a person’s heart. Bitterness often enters into a person’s heart when he has been wronged and betrayed. Disappointing circumstances can also cause bitterness. The terrible thing about bitterness is that it not only affects the one who is bitter and tormented by it, but it also defiles and affects others. To overcome bitterness, you need to develop a holy acceptance of all situations and a forgiving spirit.

(2) Wrath—hot anger or passion. It is a very intense form of anger. Wrath burns like fi re within the breast of a person, but it has the habit of subsiding just as quickly as it was stirred up. It can only be cooled by not meditating upon the person who has offended you.

(3) Anger—a strong feeling of hostility. Paul is not speaking here of the godly anger against sin (4:26), but anger that is one of the works of the fl esh. A person becomes angry when he does not get his own way and often fl ies into a temper tantrum. The antidote to anger is a submissive spirit.

(4) Clamor—a propensity to shout loudly or to create an uproar because of a controversy or dispute. The antidote is to major on the peace of God.

(5) Evil speaking—this refers to insulting language. Let us esteem others better than ourselves, and speak respectfully of them.

(6) Malice—the desire to harm others or to see them suffer. A person with malice is vicious and seeks to harm others. The antidote to malice is to seek the best for others. The attitudes mentioned above will surely grieve the Holy Spirit. The attributes that will attract the Holy Spirit are being “kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (4:32).

Boundless Love

… that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

God wants us to be “rooted” in love, so that everything we do springs from love. It is not only a matter of doing what is right, but we must do everything out of love. For example, all parents have the right to discipline their children. But the question is: What motivates them to discipline—anger, frustration or love?

Also, God wants us to be “grounded in love” so that everything we build is built upon the solid foundation of love. His desire is that we comprehend the breadth, length, depth and height of His boundless love. When we have a revelation of the love of God, it transforms our lives:

(1) Breadth. We must be willing to stretch forth our arms to receive people of all races, languages and social backgrounds. And even those with difficult temperaments.

(2) Length. We must be willing not only to go the extra mile, but many more miles in order to redeem and help a brother or sister in need (Matt. 5:41). A Roman soldier was permitted to oblige a citizen to carry his armor and belongings for one mile. However, the soldier could not force him to carry his pack beyond that fi rst mile. But Jesus tells us that true love is love that goes beyond what we are required to do. We want to go the second, or third, or fourth mile, or whatever it takes, to show the love of God to those around us.

(3) Depth. We must be willing to go into the very pit in which someone has fallen in order to pull him out. This love was dramatically demonstrated by Mother Theresa. She dedicated every day of her adult life caring for the dying, the crippled, the mentally ill, the unwanted and the unloved. She fed them, sheltered them and cleaned their wounds. But what is more important is that she made them feel good, loved and wanted. Mother Theresa gave them back their dignity that poverty had taken away from them. Even if they died, they died with a smile on their face knowing that somebody loved them; that somebody cared for them.

(4) Height. The height of the love of God can apply to going after those who are the elite of society. God saves from the “guttermost to the uttermost.” At Jericho, Jesus reached out to poor Bartimaeus as easily as He would minister to wealthy Zacchaeus. The love of Christ defi es human understanding. But nonetheless, this is the path to being “filled with all the fullness of God.” And the Holy Spirit has done just that—pouring out the love of God in our hearts (Rom. 5:5).

Germany's Growing European Role: Where Will It Lead?

Chancellor Angela Merkel's noteworthy reluctance to part with large amounts of bailout cash has recently riveted European leaders' attention. Germany is increasingly beginning to negotiate from a strengthened position, fortified by the long-term effects of 20 years of reunification. But what is Germany's ultimate destiny?

Two world wars with Germany in the first half of the last century (1914-1918; 1939-1945) have often dominated the anxious, postwar thoughts of other European nations. "A failure to move toward monetary union [meaning the euro] would lead only to 'a preponderant influence of Germany,' Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former president of France, said in a 1997 interview" (Celestine Bohlen, "Euro Unity? It's Germany That Matters," New York Times, March 9, 2010).

The basic idea has been to see Germany well encased inside the European Union (EU) in order to prevent its notorious nationalistic tendencies from spilling over into the sovereignty and territory of other nations. But has this strategy really worked out? Will the German nation eventually wind up virtually directing the activities of the EU?

In her "Letter From Europe," Celestine Bohlen wrote: "Ten years after the euro, it's still all about Germany, which isn't the way it was supposed to be...President Nicolas Sarkozy of France can come out and pledge all the support to Greece he wants, but in the end, it's Germany that matters" (ibid., emphasis added throughout). At the end of the day, Germany did agree to become part of a bailout, but only with stringent conditions duly attached.

A successful and influential German chancellor

Last autumn The Economist published a cover story dubbed "Set Angela Free" (Sept. 17, 2009). The last German general election went a long way down that road, giving Angela Merkel a conservative coalition more supportive of her plans.

Today Chancellor Merkel ranks number one in Forbes' listing of the most powerful women in the world. Wrote political journalist Martin Lohmann, based in Bonn: "There is no doubt whatsoever that Angela Merkel's understanding of power goes very deep. She likes it, she knows how to wield it, and she knows how to hold on to it...She is pragmatic, aware of her power, clever, determined, cool and self-confident" ("Sphinx in the Reichstag," The Tablet, Aug. 29, 2009).

Angela Merkel grew up in East Germany and is Germany's first female chancellor. At a 2007 EU conference celebrating and commemorating the original Treaty of Rome, I saw firsthand her diplomacy, deference and graciousness in dealing with the leading men in the European Union. Yet there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was firmly in charge.

Josef Joffe, editor of Die Zeit (a German national newspaper), titled his Time article "German Rules." He agreed with her tough line with Europe's spendthrifts, calling her "assertive Angie" (April 1, 2010). The Financial Times acknowledged the fact that "on matters economic, at least, Germany now dominates" in Europe. The article itself was aptly titled "Tough Lady of Berlin Stakes Out Strong Role" (Quentin Peel, Ben Hall and Stanley Pignal, March 27, 2010).

Why Britain fears German nationalism

The headlines of two leading national daily newspapers in Britain sounded similar warnings. The titles were "Germans and French Plan an EU Economic Government" (The Daily Telegraph) and "EU in Push for Power" (Daily Mail).

The text of the Daily Mail article began: "Britain could be forced to have its Budget signed off by European leaders under plans to impose an 'economic government of the EU,' it emerged yesterday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for 'oversight' of national economies to be included in controversial arrangements that were agreed by EU leaders yesterday" (Jason Groves, March 26, 2010).

The editorial in The Daily Telegraph stated: "France and Germany demanded sweeping new powers to control the economies of EU states, by giving Herman Van Rompuy, the new European Council President, responsibility for the 'economic government of Europe.' The ostensible reason for doing so was the economic chaos in the eurozone. But you do not have to be a paid-up Euro-sceptic to suspect that this is an excuse for a federalist power-grab" (March 27, 2010).

Remember that the basic tensions between the United Kingdom and Germany are rooted in their somewhat differing security concerns and perceptions. The British have always been favored by their geography, being surrounded by the waters of the English Channel, the North Sea and the Irish Sea—really in a larger sense the Atlantic Ocean.

On the other hand, Germany sits in the middle of the North European Plain, bordered by other nations on all sides, especially east and west. "The Germans are the peoples of the north European plain, [generally speaking] the people without a defined natural frontier" (A.J.P. Taylor, The Course of German History, p. 2).

Evaluating Europe's German question

Noted Financial Times columnist Philip Stephens has recorded some insightful observations about more recent adjustments in Berlin's overall economic strategy. He wrote: "Europe is haunted again by a German question. Somewhere along the way the old neurosis has been up-ended. The issue that so long vexed Europeans has returned in another guise.

"Berlin's neighbours used to worry about an over-mighty, expansionist state straddling the heart of the continent. Now they must grapple with an indifferent, introverted Germany... The new Germany has a narrower...view of its interests. It is unburdened by the guilt that shaped a postwar generation. Berlin no longer wants to pay for the grandiose ambitions of others" ("Merkel's Myopia Reopens Europe's German Question," March 26, 2010).

Mr. Stephens concluded his column with this observation: "There has been much hand-wringing about what sort of Europe will emerge eventually from the present era of tumultuous geopolitical change. The prior question is: what sort of Germany?"

Germany in history and prophecy

A.J.P. Taylor was one of Britain's preeminent 20th-century historians in both the written and spoken word. He studied and explored the subject of German unity both in detail and broad perspective.

Germany is associated historically with Charlemagne (747-814) and the Holy Roman Empire. "Charlemagne's Empire claimed to be universal, and the Reich maintained the claim sometimes more and sometimes less resolutely for six hundred years thereafter. But from the first it was unmistakably a German institution, and became progressively more so. By the fifteenth century it had acquired the almost official title of the 'Holy Roman Empire of the German nation'" (The Course of German History, p. 5). Although the Holy Roman Empire title did not fully reflect reality at the time, it fits well with the general prophetic framework.

In viewing the European continent as a whole, Professor Taylor stated that "throughout modern times Europe has been composed of independent states, some of them considerable powers. One power has tended to predominate or at least to be stronger than the others" (Europe: Grandeur and Decline, p. 7). Germany was this one power for much of the 20th century.

Professor Taylor viewed Germany from the standpoint of a British citizen, whose nation had gone to war with Berlin twice within a half century (1914 to 1918 and 1939 to 1945). That's 10 years of conflict with much economic deprivation and many lives lost on both sides.

So he concluded: "What is wrong with Germany is that there is too much of it. There are too many Germans, and Germany is too strong, too well organised, too well equipped with industrial resources. This greater Germany is a very recent appearance, created overnight by Bismarck and completed only by Hitler" (ibid., p. 121).

Again, from the point of view of a British citizen and historian by profession who had lived through two world wars with Britain and Germany on opposing sides, he minced no words in saying that "the harsh truth of German history is that the solution to the German question cannot be found within Germany. Partition cannot be maintained as a permanent policy [it wasn't], yet a united Germany will keep Europe in apprehension" (pp. 165-166).

A little earlier Professor Taylor had made this stark controversial prediction: "A Germany free from foreign control will seek to restore the United Greater Germany which Hitler achieved in 1938; nor will democracy provide an automatic safeguard against a new German aggression" (p. 165).

At least on the surface, the bare facts today do not bear out Professor Taylor's stark warnings. Clearly Germany today is a fully functioning democracy and currently represents no apparent visible danger to any nation. Its outlook since World War II has been far more pacifist than aggressive, and some measures have been taken by the German government to compensate for what happened during that war and before.

Germany's politicians today apparently have no intention of posing any threat whatsoever to the world. That is the present reality. However, things do not always go on indefinitely as planned. In the political arena, events all too often get out of hand as economic circumstances alter for the worse.

Democratic governments have been known to relinquish control under such conditions. As a result of political and economic upheavals, they can be suddenly thrust out of power. Remember what happened to Germany's infamous Weimar Republic in the early 1930s.

Will the EU solution work?

Many Western politicians (both in Germany and other nations) have long felt that membership in the European Union or its predecessors like the European Economic Community would restrain Germany from shedding its democratic rule and eventually pursuing aggressive intentions. Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, perhaps the chief architect of reunification, believed this almost as an article of faith.

Of course, the ultimate truth of the matter would depend on just how dominant in Europe Germany might eventually become in the long run. The most economically sound nation is bound to acquire a predominant position over other nations in a given area. In spite of some obvious geographical disadvantages, geography has, in fact, also placed Germany at the fulcrum of Europe. The question is: Has this occurred by divine design? (See Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Isaiah 10:5-7.)

Biblical prophecies in both the Old Testament book of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation indicate that the key nations of central Europe will fulfill many national prophecies during the period that will mark the end of man's age.

Will Dark Energy Destroy the Earth?

According to a recent release from the prestigious HubbleSite, "Scientists have found that an unexplained force is changing our universe, forcing galaxies farther and farther apart, stretching the very fabric of space faster and faster. If unchecked, this mystery force could be the death of our universe, tearing even its atoms apart."

What is dark energy?

Ten years ago, astronomers made the stunning discovery that the universe is expanding at a faster rate than previously anticipated, based on the amount of matter the cosmos contains. More recent observations indicate that this mysterious force is also affecting members of the Milky Way's local group of galaxies.

Scientists refer to the driving force behind this unexpected acceleration as dark energy. Simply put, dark energy exerts a force that is opposite of gravity, pulling apart and expanding rather than drawing together.

HubbleSite further explains, "Since space is everywhere, this dark energy force is everywhere, and its effects increase as space expands. In contrast, gravity's force is stronger when things are close together and weaker when they are far apart. Because gravity is weakening with the expansion of space, dark energy now makes up over 2/3 of all the energy in the universe."

Many scientists now consider dark energy as the most likely cause of destroying the universe by tearing it apart, and have coined the term "the Big Rip." Yet HubbleSite admits, "We have no firm idea about what makes up 74% of the universe." But it concludes, "The universe still has at least a few tens of billions of years left—which leaves us plenty of time to look for the answers."

A more dangerous form of dark energy

However, the Bible reveals that another form of invisible dark energy poses a more immediate threat. That threat is from Satan the Devil and his demons. The apostle Paul refers to them as "the rulers of the darkness of this age" and "spiritual hostsof wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Satan is also described as "the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11)—meaning "destruction" and "destroyer."

God has plans for dealing with Satan and his demons. Appropriately, their fate is to be cast into the restraint of everlasting darkness (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6).

But in the meantime mankind, under the unseen influence of this evil power, is rapidly being drawn farther and farther away from God and toward inevitable universal devastation and annihilation. Thankfully, God promises to intervene to prevent mankind from these catastrophic consequences (Matthew 24:21-22), but not before the world is plunged into literal darkness and cosmic chaos (Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:20; Revelation 8:12, 9:2, 16:10).

How the earth will be destroyed

As for the physical universe, the Bible reveals that it will ultimately be destroyed and how. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which 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).

Peter therefore admonishes all of us to consider our conduct in view of this impending universal destruction. "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of personsought 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?" (2 Peter 3:11-12).

How you can avoid the threat of destruction

Only God can deliver us from this universal cataclysm. For those who believe and obey Him, Paul writes, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed usinto the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13).

The hope of all mankind and the focus of God's people is to, "according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13).

Does Jesus Christ Really Understand?

Our fast-paced world is far removed from the dusty roads Jesus walked in first-century Palestine. Can He really understand our needs and sufferings? Can He empathize with our worries?

The Bible tells us Jesus can "sympathize with our weaknesses" and that He was tempted in every way, just as we are (Hebrews 4:15). Yet we know He was not crippled or handicapped. We know He did not live to old age. Nor was He forced into unemployment or retirement. He never had to make ends meet on a pension. He didn't go to war or face a veteran's life, nor was He a victim of modern-day pollution, road rage or disease.

How, then, can Jesus understand the difficulties and challenges we face?

Could a 33-year-old single male with "legions of angels" at His command (Matthew 26:53) understand a woman's needs? What of the trauma of a divorcée or someone facing bankruptcy, paying child support or eking out a living while drawing social security?

What of the myriad temptations and problems we face? Jesus didn't live in a society quite like ours—with satellite television, video games, movies and smart bombs. If we are to come with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), how can we be sure Jesus understands what we suffer? After all, He is the glorified Son of God—an immortal spirit being—while we are weak, fleshly humans. If Jesus never experienced the human frailties we experience, how can He understand our personal needs in His role of Intercessor with the Father? (Hebrews 7:25).

Paul's explanation that we are not alone in our trials can be comforting (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you attend a Christian fellowship, you find others going through similar experiences (2 Corinthians 1:3-6). This is strengthening. Yet each of us has his own pain, trial and anguish that we may think no one else can properly understand.

We may wonder whether God can feel our pain. Can God appreciate the depth of human despair? Peter wrote that Jesus suffered for us, leaving us an example (1 Peter 2:21). In what ways did Jesus lead the way? What confidence can we have that He understands the personal trauma of every one of His people? Read on to appreciate Jesus' unique trials and find comfort in them.

Weariness and limitations

Can Jesus understand the limitations of a human body? Isaiah was inspired to write that Christ's physical appearance didn't make Him especially attractive or desirable (Isaiah 53:2). He was apparently average looking, and at times His body got just plain tired. He rested at the well of Samaria because He was physically weary and thirsty (John 4:6-7).

Like any other human, He needed time to recuperate from the stress of heavy responsibility, for the weight of the world really was on His shoulders. After periods of hectic activity, He withdrew to areas of solitude to refresh Himself and recuperate (Mark 6:31).

Our unjust society

Can He understand life today? The plagues of government inefficiency and abuse, injustice and violent crime were just as much a part of His world as they are ours. His life was regulated by an oppressive system of at times foolish laws and regulations, just like ours.

Jesus knew the burden of oppressive taxation and the sting of racism. He lived in Judea under the occupation forces of the mighty Roman Empire, which treated the populace as subjugated peoples and harshly enforced its requirements. One of Rome's rules was that Jews could be commandeered anytime to carry a Roman soldier's equipment for a mile. Simon of Cyrene was grabbed out of the crowd and made to carry the wooden beam on which Jesus would be crucified. Jesus was too weakened by a scourging to carry it further Himself (Matthew 27:32).

Jesus encouraged His followers not only to comply with this rule, but to go above and beyond. By carrying a burden for two miles, they would carry the load for some other passerby and fulfill the Golden Rule of doing to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 5:41; Luke 6:31).

Jesus also spoke of the hypocritical leadership of the religious authorities of His day: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do" (Matthew 23:2-3).

He was personally insulted: accused of being illegitimate, "born of fornication" (John 8:41).

Family conflict and people problems

Many of our problems concern relationships with members of our own family and close friends. We must try to get along with people we are near constantly—fellow workers, employees, neighbors and school officials—even though they sometimes oppose us at every turn. Jesus had to face similar difficulties. His own brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5). He had gathered a group of novice disciples around Him who at times vexed Him with their vanity and visions of grandeur (Luke 9:46).

The established religious community criticized Him for His lack of formal education in the Scriptures (John 7:15). Because He hailed from the small town of Nazareth in Galilee, Jesus endured slurs. Even one of His future disciples, on hearing where Jesus had grown up, asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).

In the hour of His greatest distress, His closest friends deserted Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane His disciples fled when they saw Jesus would be arrested, leaving Him alone to face the religious authorities and their soldiers. The next day many of His disciples were still too frightened to be publicly seen as He was beaten and executed. "But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things" (Luke 23:49).

What about other people relationships? Jesus wasn't married, so can He understand marriage problems? How can Jesus understand what it is like to live with an unconverted mate?

Actually, He can. He was symbolically married to the nation of Israel. She was a selfish, unfaithful spouse who caused Him a great deal of grief and unhappiness (Jeremiah 3:6-14). He is not only prepared to take her back, He will receive her once again—when she repents and wants to be a faithful bride.

Illness and pain

Can Jesus understand the physical and psychological pain of child abuse, rape, disease or physical infirmities?

Many people suffer from illness or accidents. Christ understands the depths of their suffering. The Gospels reveal that in His last hours as a human being He was falsely accused, mocked, reviled, sworn at, spat upon and slapped in the face. He suffered a brutal beating before His crucifixion, which in itself was an extremely painful and humiliating way to die.

Isaiah tells us of Jesus: ". . . There were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness" (Isaiah 52:14, New International Version). Apparently Jesus was barely recognizable as a human after the awful beating He suffered. As God in the flesh, did He want to live physically any less than we do? No. He didn't want to feel the agony of crucifixion and death. But, faithful to the plan of God, He obeyed because of the necessity of His dying on our behalf (Matthew 26:39, 42).

Grief and anguish

Have you ever been stolen from by your acquaintances, convicted without a hearing, suffered racial slurs, betrayed by a friend or had your money embezzled by a close associate? Jesus had all those things happen to Him.

But someone might say: "Well, Jesus never suffered the things I do." Perhaps the best response would be that what Jesus went through in 33 years of human existence the overwhelming majority of people have never duplicated. He experienced numerous attempts on His life, had a crown of thorns thrust down to gash into His scalp, was scourged and crucified and willingly gave His life to pay for the sins of others.

A few people have endured indignities on a similar level. Many were crucified in those years. None, though, lived without ever sinning. In this Jesus stands head and shoulders above everyone else: a real, flesh-and-blood, 33-year-old thoroughly masculine male who never sinned, not even once.

As Creator of all things, including humanity, God has through eons of time experienced depths of emotion about what humans do to other humans. This was even before Jesus became God in the flesh. In the same way, He was "grieved in His heart" before the flood (Genesis 6:6), so we can know that Jesus grieves about the state of our world.

If you can sympathize with some of these examples, then rest assured that you can know with certainty that you have a faithful High Priest who walked this physical life ahead of you. He knows what it means to suffer. He is fully qualified on your behalf to express the depth of your personal, private suffering to the Father.

Christ meant it when He told us in His Word: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Approach God boldly and confidently, knowing with every pain you suffer that Jesus is the High Priest who hears, knows and understands how you feel.

Recent Mega Earthquakes—Just a Coincidence?

Recent months have seen major earthquakes rock Haiti and Chile. What does the Bible tell us about natural catastrophes, and what does this mean in today’s world?

Suddenly, the ground started heaving and shaking. I felt the car jerking as if all four tires had suddenly gone flat. I couldn't help swerving back and forth on the road and barely kept the car from crashing.

Then I saw telephone poles swinging wildly back and forth and plumes of dust rising to the sky. Around me, buildings were collapsing and people were screaming. It seemed so surreal.

Back home, my wife, barely able to keep her balance, watched horrified as my little daughter, still asleep after a day of swimming, was being tossed around on her bed as if she were a rag doll.

Thankfully, all of us survived the ordeal that took place when we lived in Santiago, Chile. On that day in 1985, the earthquake registered 7.8 on the Richter scale and 178 people perished, while many thousands were left homeless.

Now, 25 years later, almost to the day, it has happened again—but this time the earthquake was much worse. It rocked Santiago and all the cities and towns 500 miles to the south, killing close to a thousand people and leaving over a million homes severely damaged. A tsunami also engulfed several coastal villages. At 8.8 on the Richter scale, it was 500 times stronger than the quake that had devastated Haiti six weeks before.

Is this normal?

What is happening? If we look at the 12 strongest earthquakes registered in the world since measurements of them began some 300 years ago, four—or a third of the list—have occurred within the last six years.

This recent one in Chile is rated eighth in intensity, and the earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, five years ago is ranked third. It caused a tsunami that killed 226,000 persons. Then, just six weeks before the earthquake in Chile, a great quake hit Haiti and killed about the same number of people as the one in Indonesia.

Until recently, geophysicists have said these great earthquakes are normal occurrences and there hasn't been a noticeable increase in them—but that is no longer the case.

According to Asian News International, "The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Chile on Saturday was not outside the realm of normal, but the Earth has been more active over the past 15 years or so relative to a time period in the past, according to a scientist.

"'Relative to the 20-year period from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's, the Earth has been more active over the past 15 or so years,' Fox News quoted Stephen S. Gao, a geophysicist at Missouri University of Science and Technology, as saying.

"'We still do not know the reason for this yet. [It] could simply be the natural temporal variation of the stress field in the earth's lithosphere,' he added" ("Chile Earthquake Shows Earth More Active in the Last 15 Years: Scientist," Feb. 28, 2010, emphasis added throughout).

In fact, according to the data available, over the last 15 years there have been more large earthquakes that have rocked the planet than in the previous 300 years.

In the scientific community, there is some disagreement over the historical magnitude and frequency of earthquakes; however, the impact earthquakes have had on human lives is unquestionable.

"There have been more deaths over the past decade from earthquakes, said University of Colorado geologist Roger Bilham, who just returned from Haiti... 'We found four times as many deaths in the last 10 years than in the previous 10 years,' Bilham told the Associated Press Monday. 'That's definitely up and scary.' Other experts said they too have noticed a general increase in earthquake deaths. The World Health Organization tallied [about] 453,000 deaths from earthquakes from 2000 to 2009, up markedly from the previous two decades" ("Not More Quakes, Just More People in Quake Zones," Seth Borenstein, Associated Press, March 9, 2010).

This brings to mind one of Jesus Christ's predictions as the end-time scenario nears. He said, "There will be great earthquakes [Greek megas seismos] in various places" (Luke 21:11).

After describing numerous other signs, He ended by saying, "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (verse 27). Since there have always been earthquakes on the earth, Jesus was speaking of these momentous events increasing in intensity and frequency.

Earthquakes in the Bible

The Greek term in the Bible for an earthquake is seismos, from which we get the English words seismic, seismograph and seismologist. The word conveys a meaning of anything that produces an intense shaking of the ground.

For example, The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible describes seismos as "a shaking, trembling, as of a sieve. A trembling of the earth, caused sometimes by volcanic activity, but more frequently, by a displacement, often very slight, of the earth's crust (tectonic earthquake)" (1989, Vol. 2, p. 4).

Clearly, the earth seems to be suffering from more violent shaking than normal. Going back to the list of the world's 12 strongest recorded earthquakes, three happened in the 1700s, one in the 1800s and now, eight in the last hundred years. The four mega earthquakes that have struck the planet in the last six years have killed almost half a million people—an unprecedented figure.

Just a "natural" phenomena?

Is God trying to get our attention? Certainly in the Bible, earthquakes can be seen as a means to wake people up out of their complacency. Here are some scriptures to keep in mind:

Psalm 18:7: "Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry."

Isaiah 13:11-13: "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible... Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger."

Isaiah 29:6, 13: "You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire [here God includes tornados, hurricanes and scorching fires]... Therefore the Lord said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.'"

Revelation 6:12, 15-16: "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood...And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'"

Naturally, there are parts of the earth more prone to earthquakes, but almost everywhere in the world there have been major earthquakes, or there is a potential for them, so no place is truly exempt. The earthquake in Haiti, for instance, took almost everyone by surprise since there had not been an earthquake of this magnitude in 200 years.

In fact, the entire crust of the earth is heavily cracked, with major and minor faults running virtually throughout the globe. Unfortunately, when a large earthquake strikes a place that is not prepared for it, and the building codes are lax, then the damage is much greater, as witnessed in Haiti.

Thankfully, Chile has among the strictest building codes in the world, which are strongly enforced, so these rigorous regulations probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Why?

What about the idea that somehow people suffer these consequences because they are more unjust than others? Christ Himself answered this question in Luke 13:1-5, "There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

"And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.'"

In other words, as the Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). No one is exempt from suffering the consequences of some natural catastrophe.

God does intervene at times to punish sin, but usually He allows natural disasters to occur in this fallen world as a reflection of man's rule under Satan's influence.

As Solomon wrote: "I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them" (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).

Does this mean God doesn't protect a righteous person in the moment of danger? Of course He does, and there are many instances of God's timely intervention when He has His powerful and holy angels protect the just (see Psalm 91). But in an increasingly degenerate society, more catastrophes are bound to happen. Consequently, we should always pray for God's protection and also apply biblical principles by carefully securing our dwellings so we will not be found negligent (Deuteronomy 22:8; Proverbs 22:3; Ecclesiastes 10:18).

Remember, God is very patient and does not want anyone to perish but to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Unless it is part of a prophetic event, God in His mercy "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). Moreover, He "is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful just as your Father is also merciful" (Luke 6:35-36).

Be spiritually prepared

We can't be completely certain why this increase of major earthquakes is occurring and whether it is a temporary phenomenon or a permanent trend. But it behooves us to be alert and to watch whether this pattern continues into the future and what it can portend for all of us.

This intensity and frequency of earthquakes might be a wake-up call for the world—and for us. One thing is for sure—we should spiritually prepare for the coming of Christ, whenever that happens. We cannot afford to get caught unprepared.

Jesus warned, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).

This is no time to take it easy spiritually. Thankfully, we know one day, earthquakes will be a thing of the past. When Christ comes to reign on the earth, He will remove the curse upon the land and heal this ailing planet (see Isaiah 32:16-18; 60:18-21).

As a final admonition, Peter tells us, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which 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.

"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? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:10-13).

As we have seen in the past six years, there is much suffering and death because of major earthquakes. May that day soon come when Christ comes back and heals this fractured earth!

Pentecost

Was observing Pentecost important to the apostle Paul?

"For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost" (Acts 20:16).

"But I [Paul] will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:8).

The Scriptures record that, on at least these two occasions, Paul carefully arranged his schedule according to where he wanted to be on the Festival of Pentecost. The only logical reason for Paul to "tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost" would be to observe this feast day with the gentile Christians there. As with Paul's instruction to gentile Christians in Corinth to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, here we again find an obvious indication that early Christians, Jew and gentile alike, observed God's annual festivals.

What biblical events are associated with the Feast of Pentecost?

"The LORD our God made a covenant with us [ancient Israel] in Horeb ... The LORD talked with you [ancient Israel] face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire" (Deuteronomy 5:2, 4).

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit ..." (Acts 2:1-4, NIV).

On Pentecost, according to a respected Jewish tradition, God established Israel as His holy people—through His covenant with them—after He spoke the Ten Commandments from the top of Mount Sinai. A special relationship between Him and the Israelites was sealed at that time. They then became known as the "congregation of the LORD" (Numbers 27:17).

Equally important, Pentecost is also the anniversary of the beginning of Christianity under the New Covenant. It was on Pentecost that God first made His Spirit available to all who would repent—thus beginning the Church, which He commissioned Christ to build (Matthew 16:18). Pentecost is especially significant to Christians because on that day God established the New Testament Church.

Pentecost represents God using His Church—those who are converted, revitalized and transformed by His Spirit—to do His work in this current age of Satan's spiritual dominance over humankind.

After Jesus' resurrection, what did He tell His disciples?

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The first part of this prophecy was fulfilled when, on the Feast of Pentecost, Christ's disciples received the Holy Spirit and began their work of proclaiming His gospel to the world (Acts 2:1, 4-18). Their lives began to miraculously change. This spiritual transformation, made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit, is the third major step in God's master plan of salvation.

God's gift of His Spirit began the fulfillment of the prophecies in Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27. He promised to make a new covenant with the community of faithful believers. Through the Holy Spirit He promised to write His laws on their hearts and minds and no longer only on tablets of stone, as in the time of Moses. It was on the Feast of Pentecost of Acts 2 that the Church of God—the faithful believers in Christ imbued with God's Spirit—was founded and began preaching Christ's gospel to the world.

Anciently the Festival of Pentecost only anticipated a converted body of believers, but now it annually acknowledges and celebrates the importance of the Church and its work in God's plan.

Does the Bible refer to the Feast of Pentecost by other names?

"And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest ..." (Exodus 34:22).

"On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work" (Numbers 28:26, NIV).

The Greek word pentekoste, which means "50th," became the New Testament name for the Old Testament "Feast of Weeks" because it occurs 50 days (seven weeks plus one day) after the first weekly Sabbath that falls during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-16).

Pentecost was also known as "the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors" (Exodus 23:16). This name foreshadowed the establishment of the New Testament Church. Christians are those "who have the firstfruits of the Spirit" and those who are "redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb" (Romans 8:23; Revelation 14:4). James writes, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18).

The festivals that follow Pentecost point to God's plan for bringing the rest of humanity to repentance. The aspects of God's plan represented by the three spring festivals—Passover, Unleavened Bread and Pentecost—have already occurred. But the prophetic implications of the last four festivals, observed in the autumn of each year, are yet to be fulfilled. Those look forward to prophetic events yet to occur.

Let's see how the later festivals represent aspects of God's great plan to offer salvation to many more people.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” Acts 1:4

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Jesus Christ spoke these words to His disciples after He had been crucified, but before He rose into heaven. This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the day that the Holy Spirit descended on those disciples.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God Himself. We talk about the Trinity; God is God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, here on earth, living in the lives of true believers in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter; He comes alongside us and helps us in our weakness.

The Holy Spirit gives us power to live a victorious Christian life. The Holy Spirit does this by coming and living in our lives. Christianity is not just a bunch of rules we are to obey; it is the living Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit living in our lives each and every day when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.

So I encourage you — ask the Holy Spirit today to fill and control you and empower you. After Pentecost Sunday, the disciples had the power and the boldness to go and proclaim everywhere that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. That same power of the Holy Spirit can live in you and me today.

So, this week, let us pray and ask God

1.  To fill and control and empower us with the Holy Spirit

2.  To have His Holy Spirit flow through us to touch others with the love of Jesus Christ

3.  To give us at Global Media Outreach His wisdom and protection as we seek to help people around the world grow in Christ

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. You are part of a large and growing group of brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

May God bless you.

In Spite of Greek Bailout, Is the Euro History?

MSNBC reported May 10: "The European Union put up a staggering $1 trillion Monday to contain its spreading government debt crisis and keep it from tearing the euro currency apart and derailing the global economic recovery.

"Analysts said the huge sum supplied the 'shock and awe' markets had been waiting for for weeks, at least in the short term, and the euro soared on the news.

"European leaders negotiated into the early hours of Monday before reaching a deal in which governments that use the euro would join the EU and International Monetary Fund in putting up €750 billion in loans available to prop up troubled governments" ("EU Puts Up $1 Trillion to Defend Euro").

Euro's weaknesses evident from the beginning

If you have been following this crisis, you know it has been going on for months. The staff of our publication World News and Prophecy have been tracking the euro's historical and prophetic significance from its 1999 launch (and before).

As we reported in the February 1999 issue, "Questions about the stability of the new currency were asked frequently by Germans reluctant to give up the German mark, which has been one of the world's strongest currencies in recent years. In this [20th] century Germans have experienced economic disaster and rampant inflation, making them especially sensitive to any perceived challenge to Germany's economy. Their concerns about the stability of the euro are understandable in view of the divergent national economies represented within the Euro-Zone. Countries like Portugal and Spain have much lower wage levels than in northern Europe, and generally southern European currencies—the Italian lira is a good example—have been known for inflation and higher interest rates" (Paul Kieffer, "The Euro Is Here! But Will It Last?").

Greece wasn't mentioned, because it did not meet the criteria to join the euro. But after intense lobbying and economic sleight of hand, Greece was allowed to join in 2001.

Jürgen von Hagen, professor of economics at the University of Bonn, said, "At the time there were clear indications that the Greeks were forging the data, especially data on deficits to make their public finance situation look more benign than it really was" (Dan Bilefsky, "Greece's Stumble Follows a Headlong Rush Into the Euro," New York Times, May 4, 2010).

Angered Germans, enraged Greeks

Writing for Stratfor Global Intelligence, George Friedman said:

"The European financial crisis is moving to a new level. The Germans have finally consented to lead a bailout effort for Greece. The effort has angered the German public, which has acceded with sullen reluctance. It does not accept the idea that it is Germans' responsibility to save Greeks from their own actions. The Greeks are enraged at the reluctance, having understood that membership in the European Union meant that Greece's problems were Europe's."

After the horrors of two world wars, the dream of European unity has made amazing strides on various fronts, but other areas lag far behind. As George Friedman noted, "There is no European foreign and defense policy, no European army, no European commander in chief. There is not even a common banking or budgetary policy (which cuts to the heart of today's crisis)" (May 11, 2010).

Partly strong and partly weak

Europe remains partly strong and partly weak. The current unity is fragile, and biblical prophecy shows that the future unity, though immensely powerful, will only paper over these differences for a short time.

As God revealed to the prophet Daniel, the end-time successor to the Babylonian, Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman Empires will be "strong as iron...; that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others... The kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile... They will not adhere to one another" (Daniel 2:40, 42-43).

What exactly will bring us to that stage of an even stronger union? Will strong countries like Germany leverage crises such as the current one to create a strong central authority? Or will the euro actually collapse and will strong leadership emerge from the chaos and suffering? The details may not be clear, but the overall prophetic framework does give us focus and an enduring hope on beyond the troubles of today. The Bible reveals that after all this will come God's own perfect, peaceful and prosperous Kingdom.