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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Devil Made Me Do It

When some people are caught doing something they know is wrong, they say, “The devil made me do it.” But is this true? Does Satan actually make us do anything—or do we have a choice?

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Satan does influence us, but God has given us the gift of free will. So, yes, we do have a choice—just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. We can freely choose to either obey God or listen to Satan. However, God does not allow Satan to tempt us beyond what He knows we can bear. Satan does not—and cannot—make us do anything. He will tempt us with a way into sin, but God is faithful and always counters that by giving us a way out.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Is salvation unconditional?

If salvation is unconditional, why does the Bible list Christian obligations and why would we need to obey God's commands? Is the process of salvation a one-time event?

Certainly, the Bible teaches that salvation is an unconditional gift from God, as part of the New Covenant. To some, that means Christians are under no obligations. They honor God in their actions instinctively, goes the reasoning, not because God orders them to do so. Let's examine that opinion in light of the Bible.

The primary scriptural reference to the New Covenant in the New Testament is Hebrews 8:6-13. All covenants of God contain two primary elements: (1) promises from God and (2) obligations and responses from people. Verse 6 reminds us that promises are the underpinning of covenants.

There was fault with "the first" covenant (verse 7). This is a reference to the first covenant God made with Israel and Judah, not to the first covenant ever made by God with a man. It's this first covenant God made with Israel that people today commonly call "the Old Covenant." How could there be any fault with a covenant of God? Fault could only be on the human side. Indeed, verse 8 confirms that fact; the people did not fulfill their obligations or respond as they should have.

"They did not continue in My covenant..., says the Lord" (verse 9), so God established a new covenant, so much improved, according to verse 13, that it causes the former covenant to pale in comparison. The language does not imply a sudden or violent change, but rather a renewal. Possessing only a sketchy understanding of the broad picture, many people today assume that, in establishing the New Covenant, God removed virtually all obligations from it. They mistakenly believe that "grace" means a covenant that is "all promise." No one who understands covenants would make that assumption.

Indeed, it would no longer be a covenant if it contained only promises from God but was devoid of obligations and expected responses from people! Trying to sweep away every aspect of the earlier covenant also overlooks the fact that God's grace was the basis of the Old Covenant as well. We should view His rescue of Israel from Egypt as nothing less than undeserved physical salvation. The people of Israel did not earn their way out of slavery by their obedience to God. He graciously freed them, and keeping His law was an appropriate, expected response on their part.

When a person understands that God has decreed a covenant, he or she should ask, "What is expected of me?" As Paul expressed in Romans 6:18, Christians are to be "slaves of righteousness." Could God state our obligation of obedience any plainer?

However, it would be too narrow an interpretation to say that the only obligation or appropriate response to the New Covenant is obedience. God desires and expects more than mere compliance. He wants our hearts to be in the covenant and the covenant to be in our hearts. The "better promises" of the New Covenant include an enhanced capacity, through the Spirit of God, not only to obey Him, but also to love Him as a Father.

The appropriate responses of a Christian toward God are similar to those of a child toward a parent. Paul draws together three scattered Old Testament scriptures in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 to make that point. Notice that the fundamental elements of a covenant—promises on the one hand and obligations and responses on the other—are present here. The promises include: "I will dwell in them." "And walk among them." "I will be their God." "And they shall be My people." "I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you." "And you shall be My sons and daughters."

And the expected obligations and responses include: "And they shall be My people." "Come out from among them." "And be separate." "Do not touch what is unclean." "And you shall be My sons and daughters." (Sons and daughters must obey and be subject to their fathers.)

Through the Holy Spirit, the Father leads those He calls to the truth and convicts them of their responsibility to obey Him. By placing His Spirit in them at baptism, He empowers them to meet His expectations. Thus, the Holy Spirit gives the Christian a new heart and mind, the lack of which resulted in the failure of the people of Israel to keep their obligations in the first covenant that God made with them (Deuteronomy 5:29).

Paul's plain confession of his personal struggle against his nature tells us that Christians do not instinctively honor God in their actions (Romans 7:18-21). Conversion doesn't remove human nature, the negative pull within each of us to make wrong choices and do wrong deeds. Nor does conversion remove us from Satan's world or his continuing attempts to sabotage us through temptation.

What does conversion do? God's Spirit in us—that new heart—makes it possible for us to resist temptation and to live God's way of life (Romans 7:22-25). The choice and the control are up to the individual.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving: What's Really Behind the Turkey and Stuffing?

When you think of Thanksgiving, what thoughts come to mind? Perhaps you envision the enjoyment of your family around the dinner table and all that accompanies that scene: the laughter and love, the delicious meal with all the trimmings and, perhaps, a football game or two on TV.

America is the most affluent nation that the world has ever seen. Consider just one fact to illustrate this point: America's gross domestic product accounts for close to a quarter of the world total!

Source of blessings?

Question: Can we Americans really take credit for all of the blessings that we have come to enjoy? Are these blessings simply a result of our hard work, our risk taking, our ingenuity? Are we Americans the architect of this greatness? Could there be another power behind the scenes that we truly should give thanks to for the lifestyles that we enjoy today?

During one of the greatest conflicts that the United States has ever faced, the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was moved to proclaim a day of Thanksgiving. Please note where his emphasis lay in making that proclamation:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God...

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens" (Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. 6, edited by Roy P. Basler, emphasis added).

Abraham Lincoln's comment bears repeating: "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God…"

Challenging questions

During this season of giving thanks, let's ask challenging questions about why America has been so blessed. Questions such as:
  • Why has this nation been so favorably blessed over the nations that have preceded us in history?
  • If, as President Lincoln states, our blessings have come from the hand of "the Most High God," does the Bible have anything to say about the United States in prophecy?
  • Does it make any sense that the Bible would discuss, in detail, smaller nations with limited international impact and not discuss the mightiest nation that has ever been?
  • If the Bible does discuss the United States of America, what does it have to say regarding our future?
People are continually seeking "inside information" regarding the future. God's Word, the Bible, does discuss in great detail the future of the United States. These prophecies will have a tremendous impact on your life and the life of your loved ones.

Shouldn't you take the time to investigate what God says about your future? This investigation will not cost you much—just some of your time. The rewards of this investigation will produce great benefits for you and your family.

The United Church of God, an International Association has a booklet that is available to you free of charge titled The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. This booklet will give you the reason this nation has risen to greatness and why it is that we can truly give "thanks" on Thanksgiving Day.

Just as important, this booklet will give you valuable insights into what the future holds for you and your family. Shouldn't you take the opportunity to investigate what God says He has in mind for your future?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.". Psalm 100:4, 5

Give thanks to God. In the United States, there is a holiday in November called Thanksgiving. It is a day to give thanks for the many blessings we have received.

For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving. We can give thanks to God every day for His many blessings to us.

What are some of the things we can thank God for?
  • For the gift of His Son Jesus Christ
  • For forgiveness for our sins
  • For the gift of eternal life in Jesus
  • For our health
  • For family and friends
  • For food to eat
So, this week, let us pray and
  • Thank God for His many blessings
  • Tell God how much you love Him
  • Ask God for His protection over your family and over our staff and volunteers
May God bless you!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

New World Order: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Confusion and controversy are intensifying regarding a future "New World Order," commonly abbreviated as NWO. What does it mean? Would it be good or bad for the world?

Let's first acknowledge an implied difference between a new world order and the "New World Order."

Hopes for a new world order

During the past century, many world leaders and others have expressed their desire and hope for a better world with peaceful relations among all the nations, and some have used the phrase a new world order.

For example, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill spoke of their desires for a new world order following World War I and World War II, respectively.

The popular usage of the phrase escalated when President George H.W. Bush expressed in a half dozen speeches his hope for a new world order. In his March 6, 1991, address to Congress, he said, "Now, we can see a new world coming into view. A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order... A world where the United Nations, freed from cold war stalemate, is poised to fulfill the historic vision of its founders."

Some were alarmed by President Bush's use of the term, but it was largely seen in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the cold war. Now, however, it seems many more Americans have become quite alarmed after numerous remarks by President Barack Obama indicating his desire to see a powerful "international order" to solve the world's problems.

Influence of books on popular thought

British writer and futurist H.G. Wells published a nonfiction book in 1940 titled The New World Order. The book addressed the ideal of a world without war in which law and order emanated from a world-governing body and collectivist economy.

Other books have taken a negative view. Consider two popular dystopian novels where a society promoted by the rulers as a utopia becomes, in reality, a nightmare.

Brave New World is a 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley about life in London in A.D. 2540. It describes a totalitarian state in which everyone is kept preoccupied and "happy" by hypnotic recordings, propaganda, disinformation, materialistic consumption, promiscuous sex and drugs.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a 1949 novel by George Orwell picturing a world of pervasive government surveillance (by "Big Brother") and incessant public mind control.

American televangelist Pat Robertson in his 1991 book The New World Order popularized the NWO theory that rich and powerful people, banks, secret and semisecret societies, and other groups conspire together to form the shadow government that controls world events from behind the scenes, steering us constantly and covertly in the direction of world government under the Antichrist.

Many other books and booklets about an NWO have been marketed as well.

Fears of the New World Order

Until about 1990, most people ignored the warnings of conspiracy theorists about a coming NWO. But in addition to the other influences, the Internet has given a powerful worldwide voice to all the conspiracy theorists and subcultures.

And globalization is proceeding at an astonishing pace, having major impacts on the nations and peoples of the world—impacts good and bad.

Would a New World Order be good or bad? An NWO implies that all nations surrender their sovereignty to a world-ruling government. For nearly a century, the world has depended on the protection and leadership provided by a strong, independent United States of America. Considering the corruption that absolute power seems to always bring, a powerful world government ruled by human beings would be a catastrophe for the United States and all the world.

But that doesn't mean we need to research all the different conspiracy theories out there. The real and important truth about the past, present and future of the world is in the Bible!

The real conspiracy and the real solution

The power of human conspiracies is usually overemphasized. But throughout history, there has been one superpowerful conspiracy by Satan the devil, "who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9).

Will an NWO happen? In a sense, the answer is that the world is going to experience two! First, there will be a New World Order that will be bad and ugly—a dystopia. Satan will mastermind the formation of an international government and religious system referred to in the Bible as "the beast" and "Babylon the great" (Revelation 17:5-7, 13). They will dominate "all the nations" and "the kings of the earth" and "the merchants of the earth" (Revelation 18:1-4).

But Jesus Christ, the "King of Kings," will destroy that order (disorder!) and will replace it with a worldwide utopia—the glorious Kingdom of God (Revelation 19:11-16). He loves His human creation and has our best interests at heart. His government will never be corrupted but will produce a world where disease will be replaced with health, hunger will be banished by abundance and everyone will be able to achieve his or her full potential.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Who’s Your Enemy?

Have you ever thought that people can sometimes seem very rude, thoughtless and even hateful? This can run the gamut from someone simply cutting us off in traffic to someone trying to pick a fight with us for no real reason. But are people who behave this way our real enemies?

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Our enemy is not any person—flesh and blood. Our real enemy (the one we truly need to fight against) is the power behind the bad attitudes and actions of all people—Satan himself. So, the next time someone does something rude or even hateful toward us, we need to remember that it’s actually Satan—our real enemy—working behind the scenes. Then we can better practice what Christ tells us about how to treat our human “enemies”—we are to “love” them (Matthew 5:44).

What is Holiness?

God is holy and even instructs us to be holy. What does it mean to be holy, and how can we meet that expectation?

God instructed His people, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). It's a command repeated throughout the Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (1 Peter 1:15-16). But what does it mean to be holy? The Hebrew words translated "holy," qadash and its derivatives, carry the meaning of "set apart"—sanctified, consecrated, hallowed. The Greek words translated "holy," hagios and its derivatives, imply an absence of fault or impurity (The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). To be holy means to be cleansed of faults and set apart by God, who is Himself faultless and pure.

Following the holy, just and good law of God (Romans 7:12) means adopting the flawless code of conduct set forward by God in the Bible. Keeping the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8-11) means observing it in the way that the Bible instructs us to, which sets it apart from the other days of the week. Being a holy nation of God (1 Peter 2:9) means living His way of life, which sets His people apart from the rest of the world. The Holy Spirit of God, which we receive through repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands (Acts 2:38), refers to the pure, untarnished Spirit of the Creator of the universe.

God wants us to be holy because the ways of man, which for the past 6,000 years of human existence have been an exercise in futility, will ultimately yield grief and misery. They are not faultless. They are filled with imperfections that lead to dissension and chaos. What God offers us is the opportunity to one day become like Him—without flaw. He wants us to find what has eluded so many for so long—peace.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Is There a Red Herring in Your Life?

When solving a crime or mystery, Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alfred Hitchcock often threw a red herring into their stories to mislead the audience. The term red herring, according to some accounts, comes from the early 1800s when British fugitives would disguise their trail with the pungent smelling fish to confuse bloodhounds that were tracking them.

Satan throws red herrings into the lives of Christians to disguise sin. Satan, as a master deceiver, can mislead us by making sin look most alluring and eye-catching when in reality it is deadly poisonous.

The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” He is masterful at deceiving the world into thinking that wrong is right by making subtle suggestions for us to ponder and, if we allow, fester into sin. For that reason, it is important to stay close to God and pray each day asking for His guidance and protection from Satan’s cunning ways.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

You can Trust God

“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

You can trust God. What does it mean to trust God?

Picture yourself as a little child. You are getting ready to cross a small bridge over a stream. You could be scared, as you look down into the stream.

What do you do? You look up at your father your daddy who is standing big and tall and strong beside you, and you put up your hand and take his hand. And now, you are not afraid and you can walk across the bridge safe and secure.

It is much the same way with God. There are many streams in life; and many storms; and many dangers and temptations. But God our heavenly Father stands with us when we ask Him to and we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. You can put up your hand to God, not physically but spiritually, and He will take your hand and keep you safe. You can trust in God and believe in Him and in His goodness to you.

So, this week, let us pray and ask God to
  • Help us to trust Him more
  • Provide for all of us- you and each of us- finances and safety and peace
  • Help us at Global Media Outreach to reach the whole world with the message of Christ’s love
THANK YOU so much for your prayers. As you trust God and believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God will help you in every aspect of your life. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

May God bless you!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Why Do Filipinos Focus on Manny Pacquiao Fights?

Amid chronic political, social and economic problems, Filipinos here and abroad have unitedly focused on the fights of their No. 1 sports hero, Manny Pacquiao. Especially now as he prepares for his Nov. 13 (Nov. 14, Manila time) match against a much taller and bigger opponent, Antonio Margarito (called the Tijuana Tornado).

The fight for WBC's Super Welterweight World Title will be at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (It will also give Pacquiao the chance to win an eighth world title in as many weight divisions, a feat unprecedented in boxing history.)

Effect of Pacquiao fights in the Philippines

During his numerous boxing events, phenomenal and unprecedented situations occur in the Philippines. The national crime rate drops to zero. Even fighting between government forces and various rebel armies simply stops. These are indeed times when great national peace temporarily descends upon the whole nation.

Because of Pacquiao's influence on national peace, Avelino Razon Jr., former adviser on the peace process under ex-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said, "Pacquiao has been tapped to be the 'symbol' of peace and unity because each time he fights[,] communist and Muslim insurgents were drawn away briefly from combat duties to watch the bout" (GMA News.TV, May 19, 2009).

Who is Manny Pacquiao?

Gareth A. Davies, a sports journalist for The Daily Telegraph since 1993, in his Nov. 6, 2010, update said:

"Pound for pound, Pacquiao is said to be the best fighter in the world. [Boxing] Promoter Bob Arum says Pacquiao is better than the greats he has promoted over the last 40 years, including Muhammad Ali. 'Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter that I have ever seen,' Arum says. Better than Ali? 'Yes he is, because Ali was essentially a one-handed fighter. Manny Pacquiao really shocks these fighters because he hits equally hard from the left side and the right side.'"

An editorial by Aleck Francis T. Lim, published Nov. 7, 2010, in The Bohol Standard adds: "For a Filipino to endorse a big shot politician in America, that is something for a record. Manny Pacquiao was seen on television and read in newspapers around the globe endorsing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who won during the most recent midterm elections in America. The appearance of Pacquiao for Reid's campaign was credited as one of the factors of the senator's victory." (This endorsement by Pacquiao was, of course, arranged by Bob Arum.)

Interestingly, 54 Philippine congressmen have flown to the United States to watch this weekend's fight. Pacquiao himself was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in May and now becomes perhaps the "first congressman in the world in any nation to fight for a boxing championship title."

Manny Pacquiao has now become arguably the most popular Filipino thus far. He has received many national and international awards and distinctions, too numerous to list here; including being featured on the TIME Asia magazine cover Nov. 16, 2009, as one of the most influential persons in the world. Not to be outdone, the Philippine postal system has printed his image on a stamp, making him the first athlete to be given that honor.

Why do Filipinos idolize their boxing champion?

In the May 19, 2009, report on GMA News.TV, ex-president Arroyo said "she depends on Pacquiao to become an instrument of peace..., citing that his 'heart, valiance, dignity and love of God and of our country exemplify the indomitable and triumphant Filipino Spirit.

"'We are truly proud of Manny as he also champions the Filipino, inspiring the Filipino to dare to dream, and to realize that dream, and win over the challenges that came our way...'

"She added that Pacquiao, who has humble beginnings before becoming a multi-millionaire by winning many world titles in boxing, is proof that if one sets his heart in the right direction, chooses to serve a higher and nobler purpose, and puts God and country before self, then nothing is impossible to achieve."

What does this Philippine phenomenon project internationally and into the future?

The Filipino people desperately hunger for a hero, for deliverance from all their woes, for one who can conquer big obstacles and problems and has the capability, power and great resources to hopefully make wide-ranging positive changes. The people of the rest of the world hunger for that type of hero as well. The present Philippine experience can simply be viewed as a reflection of the longings of this world's suffering and hopeless humanity.

Real hope for this world is coming, and it is going to be a reality, but not in the hands of any man. This world's increasing problems cannot be solved by any man or any giant conglomerate corporation or even the cooperative union of all the nations on this earth. (How much world peace and unity has the United Nations accomplished in the 65 years since its founding?)

Thankfully, in great love and mercy, a supernatural, majestic Messiah is sure to come to earth to give ultimate deliverance to all mankind and to solve all of our insurmountable problems. But His coming will not depend on collective human approval.

Monday, November 15, 2010

What is purgatory?

Does the Bible say anything about purgatory? If so, who goes to purgatory, and what happens to them there?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines purgatory as "a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions." This concept is like a place for people not bad enough for hell, but not yet good enough for heaven. The Bible, however, does not speak of anything like purgatory at all.

The Bible is very explicit in what happens immediately after death: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5, emphasis added). According to the Bible, there is no immortal soul that is whisked off to an eternity in heaven, hell or purgatory—there is only unconsciousness until the resurrections following Jesus Christ's return to the earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 20:12-13).

The concept of purgatory also clashes with biblical truth in its assertion that sins can be erased through punishing the sinner. No such idea exists in the pages of the Bible, which contends that only the death of our Savior pays the penalty for sin (Acts 4:12; Romans 5:8). Scripture also teaches that there are no minor sins (James 2:10). Sins cannot be purged by cruel punishment, but they can be forgiven and overcome with the help of a loving Creator.

What about those who die without ever having had an opportunity to repent of their sins? That is likely the reason some hope in the unbiblical doctrine of purgatory. God intends to give everyone an opportunity for salvation, as we explain in What Happens After Death?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What is forgiveness?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

We can be forgiven by God through faith in Jesus Christ!

What is forgiveness? The word means “to release”. It is as if you held something in your hand and then you drop it. Let’s say someone owes you money. You hold in your hand the note that says they owe you money; and then you release it, you let it go.

God describes it like something being washed clean. “Though your sins are as scarlet (red), they will be as white as snow.” Each of us is guilty of doing and thinking things that are wrong, and we deserve death and full punishment for them. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our sins are forgiven; we are “washed clean” in God’s sight. We are free; we are free indeed.

So this week, let us pray and
  • If you haven’t already, ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior!
  • Ask God to help us forgive others who may have wronged us
  • Ask God to give us wisdom and protection at Global Media Outreach
May God bless you!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Teaching Our Children About the Creator God

A concerned mother lamented: "My son got through his whole first year at our church secondary [school] without a single mention of Darwin and evolution. But he knew all about the six days it took God to create the universe" (Rachel Carlyle, "Parenting," S Magazine, Feb. 21, 2010). Further, an evolutionary scientist "was incensed that her 10-year-old daughter was coming home from her church school with the message that God created the world in six days."

Misconceptions about the creation

Not a few parents in the United Kingdom complain about school time being allotted to the Bible, especially Genesis 1. No part of the Bible has been more misunderstood than the creation account, even by well-meaning parents.

Scripture simply does not say that God created the universe or the earth in six days. A firm declaration of the original creation resides in the very first verse. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

The next verse tells us that this previously majestic earth had turned into a barren, chaotic planet, perhaps like the surface of the moon. Verse 2: "The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep." The English word was in the first phrase can be rendered became, and the same term in the original Hebrew language is translated became in other biblical passages.

Unlike man, God does not create by first making a mess (Psalm 18:30). It was after this satanic disaster described in Genesis 1:2 (first part) that "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (verse 2, last part).

What our Creator actually did on the six days was to renew and restore the earth to its original pristine condition (Psalm 104:30). Two much more complete accounts of this largely unrealized truth may be obtained by downloading or requesting our free booklets Creation or Evolution: Does It Really Matter What We Believe? and Is the Bible True?.

Professors with opposite opinions

Of course, few if any discussions of creation include this alternate biblical view that allows for an ancient universe. Widespread misconceptions about God and the Bible have entered into the basic thinking of society, including this world's intelligentsia. It seems most academics think they have an easy target by attacking the "six days" in order to dismiss the Creator.

For instance, Oxford Professor Richard Dawkins (Britain's most prominent atheist) wishes to "force faith schools to bring religious education into the national curriculum" in Britain—ostensibly just one more step in his personal campaign towards "the abolition of faith schools" ("Teach RE in Schools—but Do It Properly, Says Atheist Dawkins," The Times, July 18, 2010). Of course, his idea of proper teaching of religious education would not give any credence to a Creator.

But another Oxford professor, John Lennox, has a completely different, more rational point of view. He understands deeply that the Christian faith is based on credible evidence. For example, in response to British physicist Stephen Hawking's recent claim that gravity means the creation of the universe was inevitable without requiring a God, Professor Lennox wisely asks, "How did gravity exist in the first place?" His scientific understanding facilitates his belief in God's existence "because of my wonder at the breadth, sophistication and integrity of his creation" ("As a Scientist I'm Certain Stephen Hawking Is Wrong. You Can't Explain the Universe Without God," Daily Mail, Sept. 3, 2010).

Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips makes this point. "In suggesting that life sprang into existence without any kind of governing intelligence, they [evolutionary scientists] fly in the face of the evidence emerging from science that the hitherto unimaginable complexity of life forms, including the living cell, makes it scientifically impossible for life to have emerged without some kind of intelligent design" ("The Real Nutters Are the Fanatics Who Despise Religious Belief," Daily Mail, Nov. 26, 2007).

The parents' role

Obviously parents can't rely on schools to teach the biblical truths about the creation. The responsibility falls on the parents. Today our children should be urgently taught about the Creator God from the Bible as well as explaining evolution's many fallacies. Some parents may be surprised at their children's reactions. Rachel Carlyle reported that even the mother who is an evolutionary scientist noticed that when she taught them evolution "some [children's] eyes glaze over. I think they preferred the God version" ("Parenting," emphasis added).

Monday, November 8, 2010

Why does God allow sin to rule over humanity?

Paul said that we are naturally slaves of sin—that sin reigns over us. Why did God make man subject to sin? Did God intend for us to suffer the consequences of sin?

God could forcibly prevent people from sinning, but that would not enable us to achieve the potential that He desires for us to achieve. His will is that we learn right from wrong and that we choose to do right without pressure from Him (Deuteronomy 30:19; Amos 5:14; Acts 3:19; Romans 12:2). We must have free will to make those choices; otherwise, we will not develop godly character (Romans 5:3-4).

By analogy, people do not break the law when the police are watching. Does that prove that they are good citizens? No, for they are under pressure to comply with the law. We demonstrate good character by obeying the laws of the land when no authority is standing over us. It's similar spiritually. God makes His laws known to us, but leaves it up to us to act on that knowledge.

Working with us in this way requires infinite patience on God's part. Like a wise parent, He realizes that we need the freedom to make mistakes. By analogy, wise parents allow children in their teenage years to make and learn from mistakes, realizing that it is the only way they will learn and develop good character. Of course, parents still give their children guidance, comfort and help; but parents don't control every aspect of their children's lives. If parents are unwise and too controlling, their children never develop the maturity they need to manage their own lives.

Likewise, God does not control our every action. He allows us the freedom to obey—or to sin. God also allowed Satan to be active in this present world, playing upon the weaknesses of human nature and tempting people to make wrong choices (Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8). All of these factors serve to strengthen us spiritually, for we grow in strength by resisting the forces of evil.

Has God left us to suffer the consequences of sin without any hope? No, He hasn't. He provided us with a way to obtain forgiveness for sin, through repentance and accepting the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). His plan enables us to develop genuine character at the same time as it provides us with a way to escape the death penalty that sin brings on (Romans 6:23).

Friday, November 5, 2010

Is Thanksgiving Rooted in a Biblical Festival?


Historians and Jewish sources point out that America's Thanksgiving holiday may not have been a totally new celebration—but that its roots may go back thousands of years to the biblical Feast of Tabernacles.

Did you know that the first Thanksgiving in the United States has some strong similarities to the biblical Feast of Tabernacles? Although the pilgrims did not consciously observe this biblical feast, it is interesting to study the parallels between these two celebrations that share the common spirit of thanksgiving to God.

Both were celebrated in the autumn in the northern hemisphere, and both were a time for giving thanks to God for the blessings of the harvest season. Although forgotten by many, the American Pilgrims were a deeply religious people whose heritage was strictly founded on the Bible, both Old and New Testament.

Why did the Pilgrims have this strong attraction to the Hebrew Scriptures? Is it a coincidence that the Pilgrims were the first successful colony in New England and were able to set their stamp on American culture and religion? Let's explore these questions and see what history reveals.

Few realize how solemnly and literally the Pilgrims took the Bible. Jewish sources in particular continue to note, although recognizing there is not a direct link between the two, the striking resemblance of the Thanksgiving celebration to the Feast of Tabernacles, which Scripture also calls the Feast of Ingathering.

Here is one typical opinion: "Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, celebrates the autumn harvest; a similarity to the Thanksgiving holiday observed in the United States which is not coincidental. Prior to making their way to the New World, the Pilgrims, themselves the victims of religious persecution, spent several years among Sephardic Jews in Holland. When they later celebrated the legendary first Thanksgiving, their conscious frame of reference was Sukkot" ("Sukkot,"Cyber-Kitchen.com).

English Harvest Home festival

Now it's true that the Harvest Home festival was celebrated in England at that time, but among the Pilgrims there was a general rejection of observing these English fall celebrations tainted by pagan traditions.

"The Harvest Home was a holiday," notes historian Diana Karter Appelbaum, "on which the villagers joined together to bring the last loads of grain from the field and share a merry feast when the work was done...There was sufficient taint of idol worship and evidence of licentious behavior in the old English Harvest Home for Puritans to reject the custom summarily. They recoiled from these remnants of the pagan customs that predated Christianity in England, but memories of the harvest feast lingered all the same.

"The Puritans' shunning of the ancient Harvest Home left a void in the New England year that might not have been problematic had a similar attitude not been extended to other holidays. But the Puritans had disapproved of so many causes for celebration that a holiday vacuum existed in the young colonies. 'All Saint's Day' had been swept off the calendar along with Christmas and Easter, on the grounds that these mixed 'popish' ritual with pagan custom.

"Sunday, the occasion in Europe for afternoon ball games, cockfights, plays, gambling, fishing trips and dances, became the Puritan Sabbath, a day passed in prayer, church attendance and devotional reading...Remaining to New Englanders were three holidays—Muster Day, Election Day and the day of the Harvard Commencement" (Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, an American History, 1984, p. 20).

Biblical connection of Thanksgiving

So it seems the Pilgrims didn't base their Thanksgiving celebration on English feasts, which when linked with pagan customs were generally shunned by them. Where then did they get their inspiration for Thanksgiving? Could it have a biblical foundation?

Notice what David Stern says about the Feast of Tabernacles in The Jewish New Testament Commentary: "Families build booths of palm branches, partly open to the sky, to recall God's providence toward Israel during the forty years of wandering in the desert and living in tents.

"The festival also celebrates the harvest, coming, as it does, at summer's end, so that it is a time of thanksgiving. (The Puritans, who took the Old Testament more seriously than most Christians, modeled the American holiday of Thanksgiving after Sukkot [the Hebrew name for the Feast of Tabernacles])" (1996, comment on John 7:2).

This connection is not well known among most secular U.S. historians, but the Jews, who also arrived very early at the New England colonies, have kept track of this historical parallel.

"As Leviticus 23 teaches," explains Barney Kasdan, "Sukkot was to be a time of bringing in the latter harvest. It is, in other words, the Jewish 'Thanksgiving.' In fact, it is widely believed that the Puritan settlers, who were great students of the Hebrew Scriptures, based the first American Thanksgiving on Sukkot" (God's Appointed Times, 1993, p. 92).

William Bradford, who became the first Pilgrim governor and proclaimed the first Thanksgiving celebration, used the Scriptures—both Old and New Testaments—for guidance in governing the colony.

"Though it's a uniquely American tradition," adds a Jewish Web site, "the roots of Thanksgiving go back to ancient Israel. In a real sense, the Jews invented Thanksgiving. I count 28 references to the word thanksgiving in the King James Bible—all but six in the Old Testament. For the ancient children of Israel, thanksgiving was a time of feasting and fasting, of praising God, of singing songs. It was a rich celebration—and still is for observant Jews today.

"Bradford himself studied the Hebrew scriptures. The Pilgrims took them very seriously. The idea of giving thanks to God with a feast was inspired by that knowledge of the Bible. In a very real way, the Pilgrims saw themselves, too, as chosen people of God being led to a Promised Land...

"In addition to proclaiming a day of thanksgiving, like the ancient Hebrews did before them, Bradford and his flock also praised God's loving kindness, the famous refrain of Psalms 106 and 107 and Jewish liturgy ('Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever')" ("Thanksgiving, The Puritans and Prayer," shalomjerusalem.com/heritage).

Brief history of the Pilgrims' journey

It's fascinating to review the Pilgrim's history and their roots in America.

Attempting to reform the Church of England, the Puritans wanted to base their religion purely on biblical teaching—both from the Old and New Testaments. In England, they pressured the government so much to establish its laws on biblical principles that they provoked the ire of King James I of England. "King James vowed to make these deviants conform or he would 'harry [harass] them out of the land or else do worse'" (Martin Marty, Pilgrims in Their Own Land, 1984, p. 59).

So a group of Puritans fled from England and sailed to Holland. There they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but eventually became disillusioned with the Dutch way of life, believing it was ungodly and that it had a corrupting effect on their children.

A number of these Puritans, seeking a better place to practice their religion, began to set their sights on America. They finally negotiated with a London stock company to finance a journey to the New World.

They sailed from Holland to Plymouth, England, and from there to the new Plymouth they would reach after more than two months at sea. They dropped anchor at Cape Cod in November of 1620. Only about half of the original colonists were true Pilgrims. The rest, whom the Pilgrims called "strangers," were hired to protect the company's interests.

The Pilgrims finally disembarked at Plymouth Rock on Dec. 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following autumn, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was bountiful and the Pilgrims decided to celebrate with a feast—inviting Native American Indians who had helped them survive their first year. Historians believe that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast lasted three days.

The fledgling Plymouth colony of Puritans would not be the exception to the rule. Over the next 20 years, 16,000 Puritans would migrate from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and many more settled in Connecticut and Rhode Island—thus establishing a lasting influence on American culture and character.

The Pilgrims' view of themselves

How did the Pilgrims view themselves?

"The Puritans in England," writes Jewish historian Max Dimont, "regarded themselves as Hebraists. They took the Old Testament as their model of government and tried to reshape the Magna Carta in its image...The British rulers rightly regarded them as Jewish fellow-travelers, and when they departed for the Colonies, the British ruling class wrote them off as good riddance.

"In America, the Puritans modeled their new homeland upon Old Testament principles. When Harvard University was founded in 1636, Hebrew along with Latin was taught as one of the two main languages. Governor Cotton wanted to make the Mosaic Code the law of Massachusetts, and Hebrew at one point almost became the official language of the state" (The Indestructible Jews, 1971, p. 346).

In the preface to his History of Plymouth Plantation, Governor Bradford wrote of his strong desire to learn Hebrew: "Though I am grown aged, yet I have had a longing desire to see with my own eyes something of that most ancient language and holy tongue, in which the Law and the oracles of God were written and in which God and angels spoke to the holy patriarchs of old time . . . My aim and desire is to see holy text, and to discern somewhat of the same, for my own content" (p. xxviii, edited by Samuel Eliot Morison, 1989).

These remarks were followed by some 25 biblical passages in the original Hebrew and their English translation.

It is no accident that the early settlers called their Plymouth Colony "Little Israel," and they even compared Governor Bradford to Moses. They felt that they had fled lands of oppression and had found a new home, just as the Israelites had once fled Egyptian slavery and settled in the Holy Land.

It is, then, understandable from the association the Pilgrims had with the Bible and the traditions of Israel, that their Thanksgiving festival would be patterned after the biblical festivals of thanksgiving for abundance and harvest as found in the Bible—in particular, during the fall, the Feast of Tabernacles.

Again, this is not saying there is an explicit link here, just a biblical framework for the Thanksgiving celebration to arise.

Similarities of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Just north of the Pilgrims' colony of Plymouth, where the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1629 mostly by Puritans, we see a similar pattern.

"No Christian community in history," says Gabriel Sivan, "identified more with the People of the Book than did the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed their own lives to be a literal reenactment of the biblical drama of the Hebrew nation.

"They themselves were the children of Israel; America was their Promised Land; the Atlantic Ocean their Red Sea; the Kings of England were the Egyptian pharaohs; the American Indians the Canaanites (or the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel); the pact of the Plymouth Rock was God's holy Covenant; and the ordinances by which they lived were the Divine Law. . .

"[They] saw themselves as instruments of Divine Providence, a people chosen to build their new commonwealth on the Covenant entered into at Mount Sinai" (The Bible and Civilization, 1973, p. 236).

Puritan laws in America

What kind of laws was the United States founded on?

"In England," writes Abraham Katsch, "the Puritan identification with the Bible was so strong that some Puritan extremists sought to replace English common law with biblical laws of the Old Testament, but were prevented from doing so. In America, however, there was far more freedom to experiment with the use of biblical law in the legal codes of the colonies, and this was exactly what these early colonist set out to do.

"The earliest legislation of the colonies of New England was all determined by Scripture. At the first assembly of New Haven in 1639, John Davenport clearly stated the primacy of the Bible as the legal and moral foundation of the colony.

"'Scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men...The Word of God shall be the only rule to be attended unto in organizing the affairs of government in this plantation'" (The Biblical Heritage of American Democracy, 1977, p. 97).

Notice how influential were the Old Testament principles in their civil government.

"Subsequently," adds Rabbi Ken Spiro, "the New Haven legislators adopted a legal code—the Code of 1655—which contained some 79 statutes, half of which contained biblical references, virtually all from the Hebrew Bible. The Plymouth Colony had a similar law code as did the Massachusetts assembly, which, in 1641—after an exhortation by Reverend John Cotton who presented the legislators with a copy of Moses, His Judicials—adopted the so-called 'Capitall Lawes of New England' based almost entirely on Mosaic law" (WorldPerfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization, 2002, p. 248).

Much to be thankful for

So we should not forget that Thanksgiving is a feast of giving thanks, not only for receiving God's blessings today, but also for how He founded America mostly on His biblical laws. He also poured Abraham's blessings on it, intervening time and time again from its very beginnings to turn it into a rich and powerful nation to help lift up the rest of mankind. The nation has not had a perfect record, of course, but it is still trying to defend the weak from oppressors and to provide a home for those being persecuted.

I know—for I am one of those who was persecuted and was received in the United States with open arms—a gesture for which I will be forever grateful.

Also, we should consider that the biblical Feast of Tabernacles is an annual reminder of how we should thank God for all He has done for us. Indeed, Jesus Christ and His disciples celebrated this festival—and I hope one day you will join us in observing it.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Help in the Tough Times


It's clear that times are tough. Some of the effects are obvious, like the recent headline that one in seven Americans—44 million total—now lives in poverty. That number includes almost one in four American children under age 6. What a terrible toll that must take on them and their parents.

Of course, the "poverty" level defined here is quite high in comparison to the rest of the world, and government programs provide enough for many to get by. But the number here is still shockingly high and a dramatic increase over the previous year. People are hurting in very real ways. Many of us probably could name friends and family whose lack of steady work has stretched from months into a year or more.

Obviously such circumstances take a toll on many things—our health, our mental well-being, our relationships. They all suffer during tough times.

For several years now, The Good News has offered articles to help families cope better with the new economic realities. In this issue we focus on our relationships in these tough times, particularly marriage.

Remember your marriage vows? If they were like most, they probably included words like, "I take you to be my husband (or wife), in good times and in bad, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health..."

Those words acknowledged that neither life nor marriage would always be easy. And while many might think the Bible promises an easy path for those who are faithful to God, the reality is that "in this world you will have trouble" and "we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (John 16:33; Acts 14:22, New International Version).

So how will you fare in tough times?

Sometimes God tells us to buck up and face reality, as in Proverbs 24:10: "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." That's a good reality check.

We can also couple that with encouraging promises such as those we find in Hebrews 13:5-6: "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'"

God is certainly faithful to us in times of adversity. Will we show that same faithfulness to those who depend on us?

In The Good News we regularly point out that most people have a flawed understanding of what true love really is. Most view it as an emotional feeling, and emotional feelings fade all too easily. The Bible, however, defines love as outgoing concern for others—being more concerned for them than for one's own self.

The apostle Paul made this clear when he wrote: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged...Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever...There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, New Living Translation).

Love, at its heart, is a choice. You can use the trials you experience to strengthen the bonds of your marriage, or you can let them drive you apart. The choice is yours to make.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Go the Distance

Life is not about what you can get. God has a reason for your life. Do you know what it is?

Have you heard the story of the King and his loyal stableman? The King wanted to reward him for his years of service. So he told the stableman to ride his horse and cover as much land as he liked. Then the King would give him all the land he covered.

So the stableman took off on his horse. He rode hard and he rode fast. He wouldn't slow down or stop because he wanted to cover as much land as possible. He wouldn't even pause to eat or drink but forcefully whipped his horse to go as fast as possible. This went on for days until he was so completely dehydrated and totally exhausted that he collapsed.

He lay on the ground dying. He wondered why he had pushed so hard to cover more land than he could ever need. He thought "What irony! Now that I am dying, I only need enough land to be buried."

What a valuable lesson this story teaches! Life is not about what you can get – not land or power, not money, not recognition. There is much more to life than these.

God has a reason for your life. Do you know what it is? You were born for a purpose. It wasn't just to get things. He wants a close relationship with you. Not just now, but forever as His very own spiritual child.

No doubt, this life is fragile, it is a short ride. Don't live it with wrong priorities but get to know your Creator and develop a deep relationship with Him. That's the only way to go the distance.

Monday, November 1, 2010

How can I have peace with God?

(Jesus speaking). "I have told you these thing, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

How can I have peace with God? The wonderful news is that God loves you so much He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth for us. Jesus died on the cross so that when we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior we could become God's children.

You can have peace with God through Jesus Christ. God loves you and cares for you. Just like a mother or father cares for their children, God cares for you. You can ask God to help you with your troubles and He can give you His peace in your heart.

So this week, let us pray and ask God to
  • Help someone you love come to know Jesus Christ
  • Help you have peace and joy in your heart
  • Bless our volunteers and staff as we try to reach more people for Jesus Christ
May God bless you!