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.

Countering Media Influence

The pressure to conform is relentless. Everything seems to be against those who want to live in obedience to God. How can we resist?

Countering Media InfluenceThe mission was complete. The 12 men had returned from their undercover surveillance of enemy territory, and their last remaining task was straightforward. After almost six weeks of spying out a foreign country, they now stood before their fellow countrymen, who were all eager for this long-anticipated report.

"It's impossible," 10 of the men said. "The land is good, but its people are too strong and its cities too well defended. They could crush us like grasshoppers—we don't stand a chance."

The people were swayed. They abandoned their invasion plans and elected to return to the cruel enslavement from which they had escaped. When two of the spies spoke in favor of invading the land, the people responded with violent shouts, calling for their immediate execution.

Ancient media

While far from a modern-day newscast or YouTube video, the 12 spies sent to spy out the land of Canaan (see Numbers 13) were a vital part of ancient Israel's media. We may think of television sets and Internet sites when we hear the word, but "media" is nothing more than the collection of ways we receive information. Today we look to CNN, FOX News and the like for that information; ancient Israel had spies, foreign emissaries and prophets.

The story of the 12 spies is a prime example of the influence the media can have on us. God had called the Israelites out of their enslavement under harsh taskmasters in Egypt, led them faithfully to the very doorstep of the Promised Land and then told them to go up and take it. But Israel's media, in the form of 10 skeptical spies, convinced them that what they had set out to do (with the help of an all-powerful God who had paved their way with incomparable miracles) was not possible.

And they accepted the false report. This was despite having seen with their own eyes the capabilities of their God: Egypt devastated by 10 terrible plagues, a pillar of cloud and fire to lead them, the sea parted to make a road of escape and a great army drowned, the miraculous provision of food and water in the middle of an inhospitable desert, and a mountain ablaze with tempest and fire as the booming voice of God proclaimed His Ten Commandments. Despite all this, they believed 10 frightened men who told them, "We can't do it."

What should we learn from this? It's rather easy now to criticize the Israelites for their foolishness, but what about you and me? God called us out of slavery to sin (Romans 6:16-18), is leading us faithfully to the very doorstep of His promised Kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12) and is telling us to go up and take it (Matthew 6:33; 25:34). But our media, in the form of music and movies and books and news and even educators, so often tells us that there's a better way than the one God instructs us to follow.

Few people will come right out and say those exact words, but the message remains. We see premarital and extramarital sex glorified. We see lying, cheating and even stealing condoned. We are encouraged to experiment and determine our own personal definitions of right and wrong. "If it feels good, do it!" may have been the rallying cry of the '70s, but it's not difficult to see that the concept has survived unscathed through four decades of moral and philosophical wanderings apart from God.

As God's people and seekers of His Kingdom, what should we be doing about all the garbage in today's media?

Out with the bad

Instead of trying to stone Joshua and Caleb (the two spies who remained faithful to God), the congregation of Israel should have instead been furious at the 10 spies who dissuaded them from taking the land.

Instead of crying and complaining (Numbers 14:1-3), Israel should have told the 10, "How dare you tell us to forfeit what God has promised us? How dare you stand there and tell us that anything is too great for God?" They should never have listened to those who contradicted God; they should have thrown them out of their midst and their minds.

We face the same choice Israel faced. Ungodly media bombards us from every angle, trumpeting sin and abominations before God. That assessment may sound harsh, but we cannot afford to see the transgression of God's law as anything less. If we choose to let these things into our lives, if we choose to even tolerate them, they will begin the slow but inevitable process of corrupting our views and poisoning our thoughts.

If we truly wish to enter God's Kingdom, we have only one choice when confronted with various media intent on contradicting God's way—throw them out! It could be a TV show or movie that casts adultery in an acceptable light; it could be a song promoting irresponsible drinking; it could be a foul-mouthed comedian or radio host. Whatever it is, if it goes against the teachings of God, we must not allow it to have a place in our lives.

This is what Jesus meant when He told us, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna [a reference to final destruction]. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna" (Matthew 5:29-30, New American Bible).

God is serious about sin. If we willingly allow anything into our lives that could cause us to sin, we jeopardize our salvation. We must instead cut those things out of our lives and throw them away.

In with the good

Removing the bad influences in our lives is a start, but it's not enough. (Doing that alone creates a void—and the nature of a void is to fill itself with whatever happens to be nearby.) We must fill in the newfound space with positive influences, in keeping with the principle set forward in Ephesians 4:28 and Romans 12:21 to replace evil conduct with good.

This doesn't mean we have to spend all our spare time listening to sermons. We just have to be careful in choosing what we let into our minds. And remember, "positive" and "uplifting" doesn't mean it has to be boring, though Satan would like us to think so. If you're willing to look for them, there are media choices out there that have remained largely untainted by our adversary.

In the end, resisting negative influences comes down to just one verse: "Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8, Contemporary English Version).

So as you stand at the threshold of the promised Kingdom, what will you be thinking on and giving a place to in your life?

Rest for the Spiritual Seeker

Are you a spiritual seeker? Do you thirst for spiritual fulfillment? Does attending church seem irrelevant to the complexity of daily life? Somehow, the old stories of Jesus talking to Pharisees—and you're not sure what a Pharisee is—just aren't important when it comes to paying bills or dealing with a broken marriage. Are you wondering if life even has spiritual meaning?

Rest for the Spiritual SeekerThere's an ancient legend about a magic pebble, called the touchstone, which could turn any metal into gold. This pebble was said to lie on the shores of the Black Sea among tens of thousands of other pebbles, all looking alike. The only way you could tell the touchstone from other pebbles was that it was warm to the touch. Normal pebbles would feel cool.

One man discovered a book that told of the touchstone. He sold everything and traveled to the shores of the Black Sea. He knew if he started sorting through pebbles there was no way to know if he was picking up the same pebbles. So, he picked up a pebble, felt its coolness, and threw it into the sea.

All day long he picked up pebbles and threw them into the sea. Day after day, week after week, he searched for the magic touchstone that would change his life. Weeks turned into months, months into years.

One day he picked up a stone that felt warm. It was the touchstone, but by habit and without thinking, he threw it into the sea. Numbed by his daily routine, his search had become meaningless. What he wanted was within his grasp. But without even realizing, he threw it away.

Could you be like this tragic man? Has the daily grind of life, anxiety and the inundation of countless religious ideas left you lost and seeking for spiritual meaning? Is spiritual truth and meaning within your grasp, but you just don't recognize it?

It begins with your attitude

If traditional Christianity hasn't helped you find the answers to quench your spiritual thirst, maybe it's because you haven't been taught the real teachings of Jesus Christ. You may have learned some Bible stories—but not what they truly mean for your life.

The answers to your spiritual longing are contained in the life and teachings of Christ. If you are a seeker, are you willing to take the challenge that maybe what you think about Jesus Christ isn't the real story?

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the starting point in understanding His teachings. He begins the sermon with what are often called the beatitudes. The beatitudes concern fundamental attitudes or approaches to life that help us experience happiness. One of the beatitudes is "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

Hungering and thirsting are a description of intense need and longing!

When my son was a teenager, we were hiking in the desert of Big Bend National Park in Texas. The trail brought us to the camp store. It was so hot that the campgrounds were empty of campers. We stumbled into the store where, for a handful of quarters, we were able to take a shower, the first we'd had in a number of days, and get something cold to drink—which was quite refreshing compared to the tepid canteen water we'd been drinking.

I'll never forget the absolute giddiness we experienced sitting on the porch, freshly washed and having our thirst quenched, eating cold, sweet ice cream.

This was physical thirst. But have you ever experienced such thirst in a spiritual sense, as if you are lost in a desert? Are you longing for a spiritual cleansing and a generous drink of spiritual water?

Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness "shall be filled." Notice that He wasn't talking about those who thirst for a mystical spiritual feeling. He said that those who thirst for righteousness will find spiritual fulfillment.

What does Jesus mean by righteousness?

Righteousness is a right relationship with God. Only through God's grace, or favor, does anyone have the right to come into His presence. When God initiates a relationship with you, it's because of His love and mercy.

Still, you have to hear His spiritual call and agree to the relationship. You can't just wait until you have a serious need for help and then knock on God's door, demanding an audience. How are you to respond to God's invitation to enter into a relationship with Him?

Hundreds of people came to Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, who was preaching that people needed to repent and be baptized. This wasn't a new concept at that time. Their religious customs involved washing and immersion rituals that symbolized the human need to have their bad deeds—their sins—washed away.

Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized. John initially refused, saying that he needed to be baptized by Christ, not the other way around. John understood that Jesus didn't need to repent or be washed of sins, as He alone among humanity never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Christ responded that He must be baptized to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). Jesus was modeling righteousness in action.

Jesus showed His followers that righteousness involves baptism. For the rest of us who have sinned, baptism is to accompany repentance—turning back to God. Repentance is change—changing the way you think and act. It means choosing to revolutionize the purpose for your life—to transform your direction and behavior—so that you are living the way God created you to live.

Not long after Jesus' death, Peter, one of the men Christ selected to carry on His work, explained to a large crowd who Jesus was and the reason for His crucifixion. The people who heard Peter became acutely aware of their spiritual thirst and asked, "What shall we do?"

Peter replied, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

As you become acutely aware of your spiritual thirst and realize that Jesus Christ is the Messenger who can lead you to God, you will essentially ask the same question: "What shall I do?"

The first steps to spiritual fulfillment

Here's what you must do if you want your spiritual thirst to be quenched!

First, you must recognize your need to repent. If you acutely feel the need to change your life and you accept that the change requires your choices and actions, you have taken the first step.

Repentance is more than just feeling sorry for what you have done wrong. Repentance involves a commitment to change your behavior—your past behavior having been against the way God created life to be lived. It means turning around and going the other way—God's way.

Genuine repentance also means recognizing that you are made in the image of God and that you are a battered, corrupted image of the Creator. You need God's forgiveness. You must acknowledge your wrong decisions and actions that have separated you from God and are destroying you spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

This is part of God's plan for your salvation! Jesus Christ is the Son of God who left His heavenly home, came to earth as a human being, was brutally murdered and died a horrible death as a substitute for your sins so that you can enter into the presence of the righteous Creator! God your Father and Jesus Christ your Savior chose that awesome sacrifice as a way of demonstrating to you Their love and righteousness in action. Now, God expects a response from you!

This basic truth lies at the core of your spiritual longing. It's why you need to get on your knees and ask God to help you repent and to forgive you of your sins. Israel's King David captured this deep longing for a relationship with God in Psalm 42, where he wrote: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (verses 1-2).

Do you experience this spiritual thirst? It springs from your need for God's forgiveness and restoration into a relationship with Him. Repentance is the first step to fulfilling that thirst.

The second action you need to take is baptism. Baptism means immersion. The early followers of Jesus followed the practice of total immersion in water to symbolize God's washing away of their sins. By following Christ's example of baptism, you accept God's forgiveness of your wrong decisions and actions through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ.

What is the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Remember also that Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

To develop a lifelong relationship with God, you need a new way of thinking, a change of heart, a new motivation. The reason you are a spiritual seeker, experiencing spiritual thirst, is because you are spiritually incomplete. God must heal your mind from spiritual and emotional damage and give you power you don't naturally possess. Only then can you begin to fulfill your original purpose as a child of God!

If you, as a spiritual seeker, were to make a list of what you're really looking for in your life, what would it look like? Would it look something like this? I want a life of "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

This is a biblical list of the "fruit of the spirit" written by the apostle Paul (Galatians 5:22-23). This list of spiritual fruit is what God wants to produce in your life. You can't achieve this spiritual mind-set on your own power. You need God's divine help!

It's important to understand, however, that receiving God's Spirit does not mean your spiritual thirst is wholly quenched immediately. The steps of repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit are only the beginning of the road to eternal life. Your spiritual journey is a lifelong process of God recreating your mind, your actions and your emotions so that you are molded into what you were originally intended to become—a child of God with His character and eternal life!

True Christianity is more than a mere set of beliefs or simply professing Christ. It is about having been lost and dying in a desert and someone giving you life-giving water. Do you want to drink living waters? You should kneel before your Creator and ask Him in prayer to quench your spiritual thirst. Also ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to open your mind to real repentance.

Christianity has plenty of believers. But what Jesus wants are committed disciples. He wants people who are willing to be right with God and live by His code of righteousness.

You are designed to have a personal relationship with your Creator. Take time out from the daily grind and seeking pleasure, and you will recognize the spiritual thirst within you. Remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled"!

How Can You Receive the Transforming Power of God's Spirit?

After Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, His disciples waited in Jerusalem until Pentecost for the promise of the ages. It transformed them and became the down payment for eternal life. You can receive that Spirit of power, which can change your life, both now and forever!

How Can You Receive the Transforming Power of God's Spirit?Out of nowhere, the sound of a rushing, mighty wind filled the place where they were. The astonished group looked around, shocked and surprised. What was going on?

Before they could restore some form of equanimity, other supernatural signs appeared. Flickering tongues of what looked like fire appeared and descended on each of the gathered followers of Jesus Christ. Ordinary thoughts gave way to extraordinary exclamations of fear and bewilderment. What could these strange events mean?

Wind, fire and Spirit electrified the orderly gathering. The wind and fire were symbolic of the Holy Spirit, which brought a third miracle—the inspiration of Christ's disciples to proclaim the gospel fluently in languages they had not known so that all those listening heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ in their own language (Acts 2:1-6).

And these miracles, defying mere physical explanation, were just the beginning of the greatest single miracle on earth—changing the selfish mind and heart of human beings to selfless service of all humankind, through God's Spirit of unlimited power.

Peter's inspired sermon

The amazed Jerusalem visitors asked what this all meant. Some even mocked, "They are full of new wine" (verse 13).

God then used Peter to explain how and why He gave His promised Spirit of power (verses 38-39). His inspired sermon has resonated throughout the world for the last 2,000 years. It remains stirring, meaningful and current today.

Peter, standing up with the other 11 apostles, gave the significance of what had just happened. He quoted the prophet Joel:

"Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

"And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved'" (Acts 2:14-21).

Peter showed those gathered for the Pentecost festival that what was happening was part of what had been prophesied by the prophet Joel, in particular the coming of the long-promised Holy Spirit, its functions and power (Joel 2:28-32).

God had promised that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh and that the young men and women would prophesy and see visions. Older men would dream prophetic dreams (verse 28). Beyond this, and of even greater importance, God would provide human beings the opportunity to call on Him and be saved.

Then Peter turned their attention to the great meaning and significance of Jesus' death and resurrection, which provided humankind the miracle of God's Holy Spirit:

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it . . .

"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear" (Acts 2:22-33).

Earlier, Jesus told His disciples that it was necessary for Him to die and ascend to God's heavenly throne so He could send them and all who repent and turn to God His Spirit of power (John 16:7; compare John 14:12-20).

Repent and be baptized

Peter's sermon, inspired by God's Holy Spirit, was so powerful that it resonated in the hearts and minds of many of those who heard it (compare Hebrews 4:12).

"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'

"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.' Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:37-41).

Remarkably, in one day about 3,000 people were baptized and then received the gift of God's Spirit! When God starts something new, He often does it with grandeur. God firmly laid the groundwork of His Church. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread [sharing meals], and in prayers. Then [godly] fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles" (verses 42-43).

Transformed and empowered by the Spirit

Transformed and empowered, this small group of believers took Christ's message to the world. They first lived and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in and around Jerusalem. As time passed and persecution arose, they moved beyond the environs of Jerusalem and shared Christ's gospel throughout the Roman world, spreading into Greece and Italy (1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 1:7).

What made the difference with these people? Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles had cowered behind locked doors out of fear (John 20:19).

Suddenly, miraculously, they now went forward, boldly proclaiming the same message Jesus had given them—the good news of His death and resurrection and that it was through Him and only Him that human beings could enter the Kingdom of God. They had received the transforming power of God's Holy Spirit, which empowered them beyond ordinary human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Jesus promised His immediate disciples, and those of us who would later become His disciples, the Holy Spirit, described in Greek as the parakletos—a word that means "Comforter" "Helper" or "Advocate": "Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send [it] unto you" (John 16:7; American Standard Version).

God's Holy Spirit transforms us (Romans 12:2) and empowers us to represent God as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). God the Father does this in stepwise progression:

First, by calling us to Him, God begins to remove our spiritual blindness and helps us begin to understand His truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

Second, God through His Spirit begins to work with us to lead us to repentance of our old sinful ways (Romans 2:4).

Third, He directs that we be baptized in water (Acts 2:38, 41).

Fourth, God gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands by one of His true ministers (Acts 8:14-17).

From this point on, we are transformed by God's Spirit of power, going on to perfection.

Baptism precedes the gift of God's Spirit

Water baptism represents our dying with Jesus Christ so we can be symbolically resurrected to a new life. As the apostle Paul wrote, "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" (Romans 6:3).

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:8-9).

Why be baptized? Baptism symbolizes God washing away our sins so we can become a cleansed temple in which God can place His Holy Spirit.

"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:13-15).

How should one be baptized? The Greek word baptizo means total immersion, not just a sprinkling of water. The full immersion of a human being under water symbolizes both the total burial of the old self in a watery grave as well as total cleansing of sins. It is the only way Christ sanctions water baptism.

Baptism, then, is vitally important to our salvation. For when we're baptized, we are justified—made "just" or innocent—before God through Jesus' shed blood (Romans 5:9). We are also reconciled (verse 10) to God the Father so we then can have direct access to Him (Romans 8:15; Hebrews 4:16).

God will help us to use His Spirit of power wisely; He will complete the work He begins in us (Philippians 1:6). The incredible end of our salvation means that we become sons or daughters of God, younger siblings of Christ Jesus (Hebrews 2:11).

You can receive God's Spirit of power!

At times God has overlooked the evil ways of humanity. But no more. "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).

Repentance is a good thing. It is the golden path to all good things of God, which we cannot receive without a transformational change in our lives (Romans 12:1-3). If you have thought about living God's way but haven't yet taken that first step, now is the time to turn to God and repent and then, believing the gospel message, seek to be baptized. Baptism opens the doors to God's own power to help you walk in His ways through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

After you rise out of the water, a true minister of Jesus Christ who follows the biblical pattern will lay his hands on you and God will give to you the gift of His Holy Spirit. At that very moment, you will become a begotten son or daughter of Almighty God. God, through Christ, will encourage you, teach you and support you through His Spirit—the Comforter and Helper.

God wants to make you into one of His sons or daughters, immortal and divine. That is why you draw the breath of life, why you live on this earth. Your salvation for all eternity begins with water baptism and continues with the gift of God's Spirit of power.

Now is the time to act. May God help you to respond to His divine calling (John 6:65). You can receive the very same Spirit of power that Jesus Christ's followers received on that Feast of Pentecost!

Study God's Word

"Study to show thyself approved to God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Study God's Word. God has given us His Holy Word to help us live the Christian life. In God's Word, the Bible, we can learn about God; we can learn about the life of His Son Jesus Christ; we can learn how God wants us to live.

The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament, which tells the story of God's dealings with the children of Israel, and the New Testament, which tells of Jesus Christ and the early Christian church. It is great to study God's Word! God can transform your life through the power of the Bible.

Here are some quick suggestions on how to study God's Word.

1. Daily -- Read the Bible some every day

2. Start -- Begin by reading the New Testament; you can start with the gospel of Matthew

3. Pray -- Pray and ask God to reveal Himself and His will to you through the Bible

4. Think -- Think about what you are reading and how it can apply to your life

5. Act -- Do what the Bible says to do

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

So, this week, let us pray that

• God will help each of us study His Word every day
• God will help Global Media Outreach make disciples of every nation
• God will help you live according to His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit

THANK YOU for your prayers.

May God bless you.

U.S. Policy: Abandon Israel to Appease Her Enemies?

Israel has been America's staunchest ally in the Middle East. The friendship has been strategically beneficial for America as well as for Israel.

And think of all the historic and cultural values that the United States has in common with Israel, including liberty, an independent judiciary, a free press, freedom of religion and women's equality. Many of both countries' moral values and civic principles stem from the Jewish Holy Scriptures, known to Christians as the Old Testament.

So why jeopardize a valuable friendship?

In the years since Israel became a sovereign nation in 1948, most nations have been prejudiced against her. Their knee-jerk reaction to every event has been to blame Israel and exonerate her enemies. One reason is the hard-to-explain but widespread infection of anti-Semitism. Another is the fact that Israel is small and has no oil. Why not choose "friends" who are rich and powerful so you can win favors plus escape violent retaliation?

However, over the years the United States has usually been a reliable friend to Israel. Why is this changing now?

President Obama's foreign policy patterns

During Barack Obama's first year as president, he visited more nations than any previous president, but he has not visited Israel. He has shown conspicuous coolness toward allies like Britain, Georgia and especially Israel, while being warm to the leaders of Russia and Russia's friends and the predominantly Muslim nations. And his apologies to other nations make it appear he is genuinely ashamed of America. The pattern seems one of appeasement as a means of peacemaking.

That brings us to March 2010, when Netanyahu was scolded by both Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for allowing the approval of plans for 1,600 apartment units to be built in eastern Jerusalem. From the Israeli perspective, these are to be built in a Jewish neighborhood in the "undivided" capital city of a sovereign nation for its own citizens. But the Palestinians hope to make that area of Jerusalem part of their future capital.

Shortly after that, when Netanyahu arrived in Washington, he was treated like an intruder from a leper colony. His meetings with U.S. foreign policy officials were kept secret. And when the prime minister arrived for his visit with the president, he was brought to a side door of the White House. The president did not greet him at the door. No pictures, no joint press conference, no public statements, no diplomatic niceties were allowed.

During the meeting, Obama presented Netanyahu with 13 demands. When Netanyahu stalled, Obama stated that he was going to have dinner with his family and wheeled around and left the room. Some attendant had to escort the prime minister to the door. It's shocking that the U.S. president would treat a visiting leader with such intimidation and rudeness. Again, why?

Many believe the administration wants to weaken Netanyahu's political power in hopes that the government of Israel would then fall into line with Washington's agenda for the Middle East. Mr. Obama's 20-minute phone call May 3 might signal a slight warming in relations, but many are unconvinced.

Several U.S. administrations have naively pushed a "peace process" based on "land for peace." But radical Palestinian leaders have previously rejected such offers. They want land all right—all the land. But they don't want peace with Israel. They don't want Israel to even exist.

Also, a "two-state solution" may be impossible. Hamas in Gaza would probably never submit to Fatah in the West Bank. So a "three-state solution" might be more realistic.

Sadly, most U.S. administrations have pursued a path of appeasement, a "strategy" that has never worked. It's an example of man's prophesied failure to achieve world peace: "The way of peace they have not known" (Isaiah 59:8).

Some conclusions

So much suffering stems from ignorance of the Bible. Biblical understanding enables understanding of human nature and correct psychology, moral values, international relations, world history, cultures, economics and governmental principles.

Thankfully the problems caused by biblical ignorance will be solved after Jesus Christ returns to the earth! Then "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

Sadly, in the short-term, Jerusalem will be "surrounded by armies" and then "will be trampled by Gentiles [non-Israelites]" and subjugated for a few years (Luke 21:20, 24).

But here's the good news: Bible prophecy clearly shows that Israel will not be "wiped off the map." Christ's return will bring liberation, restoration, transformation and countless blessings to all nations!