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Monday

 

Warning From God's Book





He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor,
free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on
his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he
had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the
number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone
has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast,
for it is man's number. His number is 666.





Comments:
Marks of a True Believer

Test the Spirits
by
John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

(A copy of this message on cassette tape may be obtained by calling 1-800-55-GRACE)
1 John 4:1-6 Tape GC 2113



Introduction

A. The Significance of False Doctrine

The Bible is full of warnings against error and the corruption of God's revelation. That's because Satan and his demons are busy corrupting God's truth, propagating worldwide error, and confusing people. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Satan appear as an angel of light and his demons as ministers of righteousness. They mask themselves as those who give God's truth when, in fact, they give the opposite.

1. Essentials of false doctrine

False doctrine has been the great plague of the earth throughout the history of man. It began in the Garden of Eden: the first temptation was based on an effort to corrupt the Word of God.

a) Doubt

Satan said to Eve, "Hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1), planting doubt in her mind.

b) Distortion

Eve replied that God had said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it" (Gen. 3:3). But God didn't say anything about not touching the tree.

c) Denial

Satan told Eve, "Ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4), a direct contradiction of what God said previously (Gen. 2:17).

d) Deceit

Satan is busy deceiving people about what is true. His demons wage a persistent and endless counter-campaign to keep men ignorant of divinely revealed truth and salvation.

2. Examples of biblical warnings

a) Moses passionately exhorted the Israelites to serve the Lord and not forget His precepts (Deut. 9).

b) David gave the same counsel to Israel and to his son, Solomon (1 Chron. 28).

c) The prophets warned the people not to compromise their commitment to the Word of God.

d) The Lord Jesus Christ predicted the coming of false prophets and false Christs (Matt. 24:5, 11).

e) The apostle Paul cautioned the Ephesian elders about the coming of grievous wolves who would not spare the flock and would speak perverse things (Acts 20:29-30).

f) The apostle Peter warned about apostates who would teach false doctrine (2 Pet. 2).

False doctrine is a real problem that we face constantly. In everything we do and say, we are confronted with differing opinions that constitute the false doctrine of Satan's deception.

B. The Source of False Doctrine

Although the Bible primarily focuses on the human agents propagating false doctrine, it also deals with the source of false doctrine: Satan and his demons.

1. Demonic activity

Behind all false teachers are invisible demons. No false teacher teaches from his own wisdom; a demon or demons inspire him to teach. False teachers are mouthpieces for Satan.

a) Seductive spirits

First Timothy 4:1 says, "The Spirit speaketh expressly that, in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits." Most of us don't talk to seducing spirits, but you've heard their propaganda coming out of false prophets, their mouthpieces. The doctrines they teach are not those of distorted men; they are the doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1).

First Timothy 4:1 emphatically links false doctrine with demonism. False teachers and false prophets are not primarily to blame for false doctrine; demons deserve the blame. The man is only the mouthpiece. The next time you hear someone propagating something contrary to Scripture, you can be sure it's demon influenced.

Doctrines of demons have been propagated since Genesis 4. The first came through Cain. He believed he could worship God any way he liked. That was the first doctrine, and is probably the most popular one. Demonic religions teach salvation by works. All systems apart from the truth are demonic, even those masquerading as Christianity.

b) Sacrificial worship

(1) 1 Corinthians 10:19-22--Paul said, "What say I, then? That the idol is anything?" (v. 19). If someone wants to worship an idol, they are worshiping nothing because an idol is nothing. However, the idol in reality is something it isn't supposed to be. In verse 20 Paul says, "But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons." What they think is an idol is really a demon. I used to wonder how someone could worship a rock all his life, and how generation after generation could worship the same rock. Perhaps the demon impersonating the God they think is in the rock does enough to keep them hooked to it.

Verses 20-22 then add, "I would not that ye should have fellowship with demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of demons. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" While an idol is nothing at all, there is a terrible reality underlying that idol: a demon or demons impersonating the god supposedly in the idol.

(2) Deuteronomy 32:17--"They sacrificed unto demons, not to God." When the people sacrificed to their idols, they were actually sacrificing to demons.

(3) Psalm 106:36-37--"They served their idols, which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons."

A person who worships an idol or something a little more sophisticated is actually worshiping demons. Supernatural things will occur to hold him to that system. The demons will manifest enough of the supernatural to maintain their facade.

c) Symbolic language

There is much symbolic language in the book of Revelation. Symbolism is used to give a spiritual reality understanding and meaning in human terms. Demons are seen as many different symbols. One of those symbols is frogs.

(1) Their appearance

Revelation 16:13 says, "I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [the Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet." The Satanic trinity will spawn those demons. Verse 14 clarifies they are demons: "They are the spirits of demons, working miracles, that go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Verse 16 says they gather them together at Armageddon.

(2) Their deception

Those frog-like demons will deceive the entire world, tricking the kings of the world into gathering at Armageddon to do what they want them to do. The world thinks it's going to do one thing, but the demons have another plan--preventing Jesus Christ from setting up His Kingdom on earth.

2. Deceptive operations

a) Through human agents

Demons usually operate through human agents. Satan and his demons use many different approaches. They might use atheism, communism, animism, polytheism, or some form of idolatry. Of particular importance is their deceptive efforts within the context of Christianity. They are active within the faith doing all they can to destroy it.

(1) Acts 20:30-31--Paul said, "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.... for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (emphasis added).

(2) 2 Peter 2:1--"There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies" (emphasis added). The biggest problem comes from the inside.

b) Through human systems

Demonic deception leaves no doctrine unattacked. In New Testament times they used legalism, antinomianism, and Gnosticism. Two thousand years later, all those initial deceptions have developed into elaborate systems such as spiritism, theosophy, Christian Science, Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, Unity, liberalism, and modernism. All contain Satanic deceptions and doctrines of demons.

The Gnostics propagated the teaching that Jesus wasn't the Christ--God incarnate in human flesh. John was concerned because they were confusing the believers. He wrote 1 John to unmask those false teachers. In chapter 4 John informs us of the demons behind the false teachers. He applies the doctrinal test: Do the false teachers believe in Christ? He wants to show the believers how to distinguish a demon spirit from the Holy Spirit. First John 4 begins with the command to test, the need to test, the method of the test, and the application of the test.

I. THE COMMAND (v. 1a)

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God."

The reason to test the spirits is "many false prophets are gone out into the world" (v. 1). In verse 1 John links false prophets with demons. When a teacher opens his mouth, he represents either the Spirit of truth or the spirit of error (v. 6). The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit and the spirit of error is a demon.

A. Stop Believing

The word "beloved" in verse 1 has to refer to Christians because unbelievers have no hope of knowing how to evaluate truth or test the spirits. First John 3:24 says, "By this we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit whom he hath given us." Believers have the Holy Spirit, but there are other spirits in the world. They need to be careful to find out if a certain teaching is from the Holy Spirit or some other spirit. John tells us to stop believing every spirit in 1 John 4:1. He is forbiding continuation of an action already occurring.

Many have read Taylor Caldwell's The Dear and Glorious Physician, which is about Luke, and Captains and the Kings. Jess Stern has written a book about her entitled, The Search for a Soul: Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives (N.Y.: Doubleday, 1973). Caldwell is described as a reincarnation case study, which is supposed to explain why she knows so much about Luke. People will bring a teaching into the assembly of believers that is totally without basis and announce it as God's truth. Don't you believe it! Guard against deceptive spirits. Don't believe everything you hear and read.

B. Start Testing

In verse 1 John says, "Test the spirits whether they are of God." The Greek word translated "test" is dokimaz[ma]o, a term for testing people in high office. The verb is in the present tense-- the believer is to continually test the spirits.

II. THE REASON (v. 1b)

"Many false prophets are gone out into the world."

A. The Proliferation of False Prophets

We will be deceived if we don't test the spirits because there are so many of them. They come from the spirit of error. A good series of verses to memorize is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21, and verse 21 applies especially to 1 John 4:1, "Prove [test] all things; hold fast that which is good." Verse 20 says not to despise prophesying. We're to put it to the test and hang on to it if it's good. Satan is both clever and subtle, so you have to be careful.

B. The Prophecies of False Prophets

1. Matthew 7:15--"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." They won't announce who they are; they will mask themselves and appear to be moved by the Holy Spirit.

2. Mark 13:22-23--"False Christs [Gk., pseudo christoi] and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (v. 22). Is it possible to seduce the elect? Ultimately, no. But they sure will try. Verse 23 says, "Take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things." There are many voices in this world. Go into a Christian bookstore and check out what's on the shelves. There's a lot of material, and it's hard to know what's good and what's not. There are many people talking on the radio and preaching in churches. A lot of them ask for your money. Many Christians are gullible and show a naive readiness to attribute to God everything they hear in the name of Christianity. Don't do that! Believe God, but be suspicious.

III. THE METHOD (vv. 2-6a)

How do we test the spirits? Ask three questions: Do they confess the divine Lord? Do they possess the divine life? Do they profess the divine law? That can be reduced to three words: incarnation, regeneration, and revelation.

A. Confess the Divine Lord (vv. 2-3)

1. The criterion of the confession (v. 2)

"By this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."

The word translated "confesseth" is in the present tense, referring to everyone who continues to confess. The word translated "confesseth" (Gk., homologe[ma]o) means "to say the same." Everyone who continually says the same thing about Jesus that God said about Him is from God. To confess your sin means to say the same thing that God says about your sin. A true teacher from the Holy Spirit must agree with God's revelation about Jesus Christ. If he doesn't, his source is demonic. You may think a false teacher is a nice guy, but he's not if Satan is going to deceive you through him. Beware of religions that talk about God but don't believe Christ is God. That is a demonic religion according to 1 John 4:2-3. Only those who believe Jesus Christ is God in human flesh are of God. Verse 3 says, "Every spirit that confesseth not ... is not of God."

Confessing Christ as Lord

First John 4:2 says, "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." In the Greek text, there is no word for "that" here. A good way to translate verse 2 is: "Every spirit who is continuing to say the same thing about Jesus as Christ come in the flesh is of God." A Christian believes that the human Jesus and the divine God are one and the same. But even the demons recognize Christ's identity:

1. Mark 1:24--As Jesus came across a demon-possessed man, the demon said, "Let us alone! What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God."

2. Mark 3:11--"Unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God." Demons can make a propositional confession.

3. Mark 5:7--Jesus met a maniac who carried inside him a legion of demons (cf. Luke 8:28). One demon cried out, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God?"

4. Acts 19:13-15--Certain unbelievers were trying to imitate Paul by casting out demons. An evil spirit replied, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"

However, it's one thing to make a statement about Jesus Christ; it's quite another to have Him as Lord of your life. When you test the spirits, find out if the person is confessing Jesus is Lord, or confessing Jesus as Lord. Salvation comes only by confessing Christ as Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).

a) Commitment to the lordship of Christ

The incarnation is a basic truth. When someone says he is a teacher sent from God, I want to know if he confesses Jesus is God incarnate and acknowledges Him as Lord of his life.

b) Commitment to the deity of Christ

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Joshua, which means, "Jehovah saves." So 1 John 4:2 implies confessing that Jesus is Jehovah. Christ means, "the anointed one." So the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the incarnate Messiah of the New Testament. Jesus is God. Romans 5:8 says Christ died for our sins. First John 3:16 says God died for our sins. Christ and God are the same.

2. The criterion of the denial (v. 3)

"Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world."

The Antichrist is not just a man; it is a system of opposition to Christ. Sometimes Satan is openly opposed to Christ, and sometimes he tries to be the substitute for Christ. Anyone who doesn't believe Jesus is God in human flesh is fueled by the Antichrist.

John says, "Ye have heard that it should come." When did the people hear that? They could have heard it through Daniel 7:8 and 11, but I believe John is referring to previous apostolic teaching. The apostles believed the Antichrist was coming. The first epistle of John wasn't written until late in the first century, while the Thessalonian epistles were written by Paul much earlier. No doubt the people had read those epistles, which outline the career of the Antichrist.

John however didn't limit the word to a single man (see pp. xx- xx). First John 2:18 says, "It is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists." Everyone who is in opposition to or who tries to take the place of Christ is an antichrist. There will be a final Antichrist, but the opposition of antichrists already exists in the world.

B. Possess the Divine Life (v. 4)

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

The Holy Spirit is greater and more powerful than the devil. You possess the Holy Spirit. Verse 4 affirms the security of the believer against false teachers.

1. The source of believers

Verse 4 says, "Ye are of God, little children." Believers have God as their source. They have been born of God, and are "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). We possess the incorruptible seed (1 John 3:9).

2. The security of believers

The Holy Spirit keeps us from being seduced by demons. First John 2:20 says, "Ye have an [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things." God has given us the Holy Spirit as permanent protection against false doctrine. Verse 21 says, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it." Since we have the Holy Spirit, we know the truth. Verse 27 says, "The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." A Christian will continue to abide in Christ because the Holy Spirit will never allow him to be seduced by false doctrine. You can overcome false teachers because the Holy Spirit is stronger than the devil.

The Magnetic Christian

Regeneration provides believers with an affinity for the truth. As a kid I can remember owning a magnet with metal shavings attached. I used to enjoy putting the shavings in a pile of dirt and then running the magnet across the dirt. Only that which had an affinity to the magnet came out of the pile; the dirt remained. A Christian is like a magnet. As he moves about the earth, the truth of God attaches to him because he has an affinity for it. The Holy Spirit draws the truth of God to the Christian and rejects the rest.

First John 4:4 is an implied test. If a man is a true teacher of God, his life will be transformed by the Holy Spirit and he will have an affinity for God's truth. When faced with some teacher who claims to be from God, ask these questions: Does the Holy Spirit appear to be at work in his life? Does he love and obey the Word of God? False teachers will fail this test because they aren't regenerate.

C. Profess the Divine Law (vv. 5-6a)

If a person is of the spirit of truth, he will declare God's Word.

1. Demonic mouthpieces (v. 5)

"They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them."

False teachers are a part of the world--a reference to Satan's evil system. False teachers speak about the system because they are of the system And the system therefore listens to them. The beginning of verse 5 in the Greek text is an ablative of source, telling us the source of false teachers is Satan. Demons always accommodate their teaching to the world. They aim at whatever is popular. There are enough religious systems to accommodate every mentality. Mormonism, for example, appeals to someone who is self-righteous--your average nice guy. Then there's the opposite--religious systems steeped in corruption and immorality. There's something for everyone. Different demons operate behind different systems. The system propagates what Satan dictates, and the world hears it.

2. Godly mouthpieces (v. 6a)

"We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us."

a) The source of Christian doctrine

Compare verses 4 and 6. Whereas in verse 4 John was talking about the source of our life, here he's talking about the source of our teaching. We are of God--we speak of God, and he who knows God hears what we say. The third test is the profession of divine law. Does the teacher declare and affirm God's Word? If someone says, "This is the truth," I say, "Do you believe Scripture in total?"

The word "we" in verse 6 has primary reference to the apostles, for they were the main writers of the New Testament. What they wrote was inspired by God.

b) The standard of Christian doctrine

If you want to know if someone is a true teacher, find out if he teaches the Word of God, and if God's people are listening to what he says. You don't want to listen to someone that no one else is listening to. Be suspect of anyone who publishes all their material out of some secret press in a back room. If there were any credibility in what he said, someone else would be propagating it. Isaiah 8:20 says, "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." If someone makes a spiritual claim that isn't in the Bible, don't believe it. If someone claims to have had a vision, don't believe it either. God's teachers speak God's Word and God's people hear him. The complete Old and New Testaments are the sole standard by which all teaching, oral and written, is to be tested. So before you accept some teaching, find out this: Is it biblical? Can you quote a chapter and verse on the teaching? If you can't, you don't want to listen because there's no new revelation. Are God's people listening to the teacher? I'm not referring to people who don't know any better, I'm referring to those who do-- the Bible scholars and students. When someone claims to have made a new discovery, check it out against God's Word.

IV. THE APPLICATION (v. 6b)

"By this know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Let's apply the test:

A. Confessing the Divine Lord--Incarnation

1. Christian Scientist say Jesus was a mere man who possessed the Christ Spirit, which is ideal truth.

2. Jehovah's Witnesses say Jesus was a created individual and is the second greatest personage of the Universe. They think he was a god, but not Almighty God, whom they call Jehovah.

3. Theosophists say Jesus is a man who taught good ideas.

4. Mormons say Jesus is one of many sub-gods.

5. Unitarians say Jesus is not God. They deny the Trinity.

6. Modernists say Jesus was a great ethical teacher.

Each one is as demonic as the other.

B. Possessing the Divine Life--Regeneration

If all the teachers who claim to be sent from God are true, then they ought to manifest some evidence of a regenerated life. Yet if you study the leaders of the false religious systems you will find that none of them can pass the test of biblical morality. Read about the lives of Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Judge Rutherford. They lived vile and corrupt lives. A person propagating a demonic religion is going to lead a demonic existence. Second Peter 2:12 says false teachers are "natural brute beasts." Verse 13 says, "Spots they are and blemishes."

C. Professing the Divine Word--Revelation

When anyone says they teach the truth, I want to know if they teach the Bible alone. What does the Roman Catholic Church have? The Bible plus tradition. What does Christian Science have? The Bible plus Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. What does Mormonism have? The Bible plus The Book of Mormon and other books. Every system has the Bible plus something, or they don't believe the Bible at all. Anything minus or plus the Bible is demonic.

When you apply the tests, false teachers and their systems become evident.

Focusing on the Facts

1. What four words describe the essence of false doctrine (see p. 1)?

2. Who are some of the people in the Bible who warned believers about false doctrine (see pp. 1-2)?

3. Who is the source of false doctrine (see p. 2)?

4. What was the first doctrine taught by demons (see pp. 2-3)?

5. Explain how people can be influenced to believe in an idol (1 Cor. 10:19-20; see p. 3).

6. What is the biggest problem Christians have with false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1; see p. 4)?

7. What is the two-fold command John gives in 1 John 4:1 (see p. 5)?

8. According to 1 John 4:1, why should believers test the spirits (see p. 6)?

9. What three questions should believers answer in determining the validity of teachers who claim they speak God's truth (see p. 6)?

10. Explain the kind of confession John is referring to in 1 John 4:2 (see p. 7).

11. What is involved in confessing Christ (1 John 4:2; see p. 8)?

12. Who is greater and more powerful than the devil (1 John 4:4; see p. 9)?

13. Explain how a Christian is like a magnet (see p. 9).

14. Why do demons aim their false doctrine at whatever is popular in the world (1 John 4:5; see p. 10)?

15. What two things about a teacher's doctrine will reveal if he speaks God's truth (see p. 11)?

Pondering the Principles

1. What significance does 1 John 4:4 have in your life? Thank God for supplying you with the Holy Spirit as your protector from false doctrine. Thank Him for teaching you the truth so that you can identify error. To encourage yourself, memorize 1 John 4:4: "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

2. Perhaps you've heard a particular teacher you've become somewhat suspicious of. If so, apply the tests you learned from this study. Examine his teaching. Does he confess Jesus as Lord. Remember, he doesn't pass this part of the test if he only acknowledges that Jesus is Lord. Next, find out if his life manifests the fruit of the Spirit. Does he walk in obedience to God's Word? You may have to do some research into the man and his ministry. Finally, determine if he teaches and affirms God's Word. Is his teaching biblical, and are God's people listening to what he says? When you finish applying the tests, you will know if he is of the spirit of truth or the spirit of error.

Added to the John MacArthur Study Guide Collection by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 314
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986
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06/6/06
Through His Story
Betsy Childs

Rebecca West wrote that "Art is a cup into which life can be poured." I
have seen humans of all stripes bear out the truth of this statement by
drawing upon art as an interpretive framework for their lives. I cannot
count the number of times that I have heard friends, attempting to relate
some experience, compare an event from their own life to some scene from a
movie. "It was like in Lord of the Rings..." they will say, or
perhaps, "Do you remember the scene from Pride and Prejudice
where.?" The shared stories of our culture, most widely disseminated in
film, are essential components of our own storytelling. I have heard
people carry on entire conversations by trading quotes from their favorite
movies!

Though movies haven't always been a part of societies' common interpretive
framework, shared stories have always been recycled to interpret
experience. Freud drew upon Greek drama to name his famous Oedipus
complex. We compare crucial battles to St. Crispin's day (from
Shakespeare's Henry V) and star-crossed lovers remind us of Romeo
and Juliet. Of course, the source of stories most often alluded to is the
Bible.

One particular type of biblical allusion is known as biblical typology.
This is the method of viewing your own experience through the plotlines of
the biblical narratives. The masters at practicing this sort of typology
were British writers of the 17th and 18th century. In his autobiography,
An Authentic Narrative, John Newton begins his story by comparing
it to the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness into the
Promised Land. He also makes frequent reference to the parable of the
Prodigal Son, a biblical narrative with close parallels to his own.

John Bunyan's writings drip with biblical imagery. In the preface to his
autobiography, he compares himself to Solomon, Daniel, Samson, Moses,
David, and the apostle Paul (and the preface runs just over a page)! John
Bunyan was so saturated with the Word of God that it happened to be close
at hand whenever he needed an interpretive structure for his experience.
He stood in line with the rabbinic tradition; the best rabbis could find a
biblical parallel to invoke for any circumstance.

One of the richest and most familiar sources of biblical typology is
African-American spirituals. These songs view the slave experience
through the prism of the story of Israel. Slavery in Egypt corresponds to
enslavement in America, and the Promised Land corresponds to freedom.
Unless one is familiar with the Israelite's story, a song such as "Go
Down, Moses" seems out of place in a cotton field. Frequent references to
crossing the Jordan may seem puzzling unless one views the Jordan River as
the gateway to the Promised Land.

We would do well to understand our own lives through the stories of God's
dealings with his people. Are you, like Abraham, facing a severe test of
faith? Have you been exalted to a position of favor as Daniel was?
Perhaps you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or
maybe right now you are feeding in green pastures. You may be crying out
to God as Hannah did, or perhaps the same courage is being required of you
that was required of Esther.

I am not suggesting that we read the Bible expecting to find that we are
the central character; that role belongs to God. But as we process our
own story, we cannot do better than understand it through God's story. I
have found that identifying with biblical characters and situations spurs
me to hope. Though I may be tempted to despair at my own brokenness,
David's story reminds me that God will not despise a broken heart. Though
I may find myself wandering in the wilderness, living from one day's manna
to the next, I can take comfort that my wanderings will end in the
Promised Land.


Betsy Childs is associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International
Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia


------------------------
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)
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challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who
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Listen to the audio broadcast!
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?p=pnm&f=/rhm/sounds/awwy/awwy5062.rm

This would come under the heading of, "You know it's going to be a bad day when..." My wife and I were stopped at a stoplight during the rush hour one morning. We were on a local street that intersects the busiest highway in the area at that point. Now there are two lanes, OK, but we were in the left one - left turn lane. The light turned green, I started turning left, and I noticed another car next to me on my right turning left from the right lane. No, no, not supposed to! That's illegal, and it's pretty dangerous at this intersection. Well suddenly, our friendly scofflaw sees this blinking light in his rear view mirror. He has just made that illegal turn right in front of a police officer! Duh! Needless to say, he was pulled over on the shoulder before he'd even cleared the intersection. He's not even out of the neighborhood yet and he's been caught!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Always Caught."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Timothy 5:24. Now, there's some unsettling news from God's book here. It says, "Be sure your sin will always find you out." See, if God knows, you are already caught, and God hasn't missed a moment. His video camera rolls twenty-four hours a day. It's inescapable! Our neighbor at the light might have thought, "If the law doesn't see me, this is fine." Boom! Caught!

The fact is when it comes to people catching us, we often do get away with sin. Your parents may never find out, your mate may never know, your boss may never catch you, your friends may never find out, or your pastor, or your congregation. It sets you up with the myth that you're getting away with it. Nobody ever gets away with a sin. The bill may be delayed, but the bill always comes. Adam and Eve's death sentence came later, but it came. Postponed judgment never means judgment has been canceled.

1 Timothy 5:24, "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them. The sins of others trail behind them." One way or the other you get caught; sometimes earlier - sometimes later. Sooner is actually better. The longer it takes for the bill to come, the more the interest accumulates.

That might be the reason God has asked me to talk about this today. In His love, He is telling you to face this sin before it faces you; with much greater consequences than if you choose to deal with it now. Today is the least expensive day you will ever have to face that sin. Maybe it's a sin you've committed, you've lied, there's been immorality, cheating, maybe it's stealing, backbiting, lust. It could be rebellion, messing with the occult, verbal or physical abuse. And then, it may be a sin of omission, a mate you've neglected, children you've neglected, neglected commitments, neglected time with your Lord. But every day, the sin calculator is running, the consequences are growing, and the gap between you and your God is increasing.

You're always driving with your eyes in the rear-view mirror, wondering if you are going to get caught. Isn't it time to get free, to get forgiven? It's far better to choose to come to God with that sin than to have God come to you with it. This is the day to bring it to the Cross where that very sin helped nail your Savior to the Cross, and to claim that wonderful promise of Acts 3:19, "Repent, and turn to God, and your sins will be wiped away, and the times of refreshing will come from the Lord."

The driver that made that illegal turn that day pulled over as soon as he knew he was caught. Well, put your sin in Numbers 22:33, "Be sure your sin of" - there it is - "will find you out." You see, you are already caught. It's time now to drop that sin. Yes, you're caught, but because of Jesus you can be clean.

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The Die Is Cast
Why We Need a Constitutional Amendment

June 5, 2006


Today Mark Earley and I will be at the White House, meeting with President Bush and leaders of the pro-family movement. The president will then speak to the nation in support of the federal marriage amendment [Marriage Protection Amendment]. Thank God we have a president who supports this. I have discussed it with him several times, and I can tell you that he understands fully the social, cultural, and legal reasons why amending the Constitution is the only way to protect marriage.

Unfortunately, a lot of politicians don't get it. They argue that we do not need a marriage amendment. If we want to keep marriage between one man and one woman—which they say they do—then all we have to do is pass state referenda. Nineteen states have already done so. So amending the U.S. Constitution is unnecessary.

Well, these politicians apparently do not understand the inexorable logic of a series of cases that make it virtually certain that when state statutes barring gay "marriage" reach the Supreme Court, they will be struck down. Other politicians understand all too well, and when they claim that we do not need a marriage amendment, they are being disingenuous.

Let me explain the precedents that make it inevitable that the Court will uphold gay "marriage." In the 1992 case Casey v. Planned Parenthood, Justice Kennedy affirmed the right of abortion with a sweeping definition of liberty as the right of a person to determine for himself the meaning of life.

Many feared this definition could embrace anything. Soon enough, it did.

In 1995 the Court struck down a democratically enacted state referendum in Colorado denying special civil rights based on sexual orientation. Kennedy wrote the opinion, Romer v. Evans, saying the vote of the people demonstrated "animus," that is, bigotry, against homosexuals.

Then in 2003 in Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law banning sodomy. Again Justice Kennedy, who could have used a very simple Fourteenth Amendment guarantee argument, resorted instead to his holding in Casey and in Romer v. Evans. By legislating against homosexual behavior, the state was guilty of bigotry or prejudice.

Justice Scalia delivered a blistering dissent. "Today's opinion," he said, "dismantles the structure of constitutional law that has permitted the distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions . . . " He went on to charge that the case meant the end to the possibility of all legislation concerning morality.

Now, what all of this means is that the Supreme Court, following its own precedents, will declare any law restricting the right of homosexuals to marry unconstitutional. The die is cast. An appeal is already coming up from a Nebraska case in which a judge threw out a statute banning gay "marriage" as unconstitutional. Within two years this will be at the Supreme Court, and the axe will fall.

Just as with Roe v. Wade, the Court will take away the states' rights to legislate.

The time to act is now. Don't let politicians deceive you and tell you this is a state issue. The Supreme Court has already closed the door on that. The federal marriage amendment [Marriage Protection Amendment] is coming up for a vote tomorrow or the next day. Call your senators right now. Tell them this is the time to vote to protect the most important institution in American life.




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The Lamb that Got Away
Jill Carattini

"Shepherd" is not a career choice you often hear children dreaming about.
Tending sheep is not as adventurous as being an astronaut or as glamorous
as being a movie star. But to one small child in a Sunday school
classroom, "shepherd" seemed the most logical answer. What do you want
to be when you grow up? She wanted to be a shepherd because "Jesus is
good at it and it makes him happy." This, I thought self-assuredly, was a
child who was paying attention in my class. (Little did I know how accurate
my analysis was.)

Later, as I put the crayons back in the cupboard and turned to get the
kids in line for church, my eyes caught the picture that hung on the wall
behind me each week. It was one of Jesus, holding a lamb in his arms,
smiling.

Scripture is full of images of sheep and shepherding. Isaiah writes of
God, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young"
(40:11).
Matthew notes similarly of Christ, "When Jesus saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd" (9:36). Many of us hear such passages and recollect
images of a Good Shepherd similar to the painting in my Sunday school
classroom: in an open field, Jesus stands peacefully among his flock,
keeping watch and taking care. It is an image not far from some of those
carefully painted in Scripture: "The LORD is my shepherd I shall not be in
want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet
waters, he restores my soul" (23:1-3).

When Jesus stood among crowds and spoke of sheep, it is likely that images
of fields and grazing sheep came to the minds of his hearers. It is likely
that biblical images of God gathering lambs into his arms crossed minds as
well. But these wouldn't have been the only images that came to mind,
particularly for those who heard him in Jerusalem. "My sheep listen to my
voice," he said, "I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand"
(John 10:27-28).

Standing in the temple of Jerusalem, preaching to worshipers and religious
leaders, Jesus's words about sheep brought to mind an awareness of the
sounds and activities all around them. At tables nearby, bleating sheep
were being sold and carried further into the temple, where they were led
through a door to the place of sacrifice. Far from speaking about sheep
in the peaceful setting of a pasture, Jesus spoke of sheep in the place
where they were about to be slaughtered. Unlike the shepherd among
passive lambs in many of our pictures, tending these sheep requires
something more than a gentle hand and a watchful eye. These sheep needed
to be saved.

So it is quite telling that Jesus first identifies himself, not as the
Good Shepherd, but as the gate for the sheep. In the ancient temple of
Jerusalem, there was only one door where the sheep went in, and no lamb
ever came back out after entering the temple. They traveled in only one
direction, and there they were sacrificed for the sin of men and women.
For first-century hearers of Jesus's words about sheep, such knowledge
added to the shock of Christ's words: "I tell you the truth, I am the
gate for the sheep.... I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be
saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture" (John 10:7,9).

In the temple filled with sheep that were on their way toward death, Jesus
declared there was a way out: "I have come that they may have life, and
have it to the full. I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11).

Like the child in my Sunday school class, I readily imagine the Good
Shepherd delights in the task of caring for his flock. He goes willingly
to search for the one that has gone astray. He gently holds us in his
arms and guides us through valleys and beside still waters. He calls us
by name and smiles at our recognition of his voice.

But he also breaks into courtyards where there is no longer hope. He
refuses to cower through the course of our rescue, though he is accosted
by our sin and humiliated by our denials. He provides a way, though it
costs him everything. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life so
that even one lamb can get away.

Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias
International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

------------------------
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The following excerpt from The Rapture, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, is copyrighted 2006 by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights are reserved. Any or all of the following excerpt may not be duplicated in any format, online or offline, without the written permission of the copyright owner.
An Excerpt From: The Rapture
by best-selling authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Prologue (from The Regime)

Nicolae Carpathia had morphed into the consummate politician, diplomat, statesman, and international gadfly. He found reasons to travel, establishing alliances with heads of state who would not have thought to grant an audience to someone from the Romanian lower house, except that he was so persuasive. And he had become known as the most popular man in his home country, admired, respected, lauded by even his opponents.

He was a man of peace. A dove. Into disarmament. That tickled the ears of his colleagues in Europe and most of the world. He had not yet visited the United States, but he was certainly known everywhere else. Carpathia's brilliance, business acumen, and accomplishments seemed somehow known by all, without his having to trumpet himself. And the way he deflected praise made people pour it on all the more. The more he got, the more he needed, and often he nearly passed out from the thrill of it, only to come crashing down on his way from a public appearance.

Nicolae had learned the art of humility. Or at least of appearing humble.

His goal was to bypass the upper house and run for president of Romania when his second term expired. Pundits already called him the favorite… .

He wanted to get on with life. It was time to move, to expand, to take what he believed was rightfully his. He had bowed the knee, worshiped his lord and master in exchange for the kingdoms of the world. Was something more required of him? He was the smartest, most well-read, articulate, multilingual man he was aware of.

It was time for Nicolae Carpathia to emerge.

Within the space of a year or so, Rayford Steele realized that his life and career had reached both their zenith and their nadir at once. There was nowhere else for him to go within Pan-Con Airlines, unless it was management. And that held no appeal.

He was flying the flagships of the fleet, had his choice of routes, and virtually set his own schedule. Rayford had mediated the latest skirmish between Irene and Chloe, which resulted in Chloe's dropping out of church altogether. If anything, Irene had grown chillier than ever since then.

Rayford didn't know what her problem was with Chloe. They could not have asked for a more ideal daughter. She was a gem, a keeper, his friends would say, recipient of a full-ride academic scholarship from Stanford, and while he couldn't imagine her being that far away when it seemed she had been a toddler just a month ago, he was so proud of her he could hardly stand it.

He had the same high hopes for Raymie, but he worried about the kid. Was he becoming a mama's boy? There was nothing soft or sissified about him, except that he was so much into Irene's religion. That couldn't be good. What other boy that age—and especially older—was still enamored with church?

The only interesting thing on Rayford's horizon remained Hattie Durham. She had finally graduated to international flights and occasionally rode on his trips to England and other points east. Her goal was senior flight attendant and enough seniority that she could choose her routes. She had made it clear she would choose his flights, if that was all right with him.

Rayford had made it clear that this was his wish too.

That was ironic, because for as much of a thrill as it had given him to even say such a thing, it represented way more than had ever gone on between them. In point of fact, Rayford had never touched the woman.

He had been solicitous. He hoped his looks and gestures and tone of voice had made their points. But Hattie was the toucher in this relationship. She would lay a hand gently on his shoulder as she slid past him in the bulkhead. Would rest a hand on his back as she delivered coffee to the cockpit. She touched his hand while talking with him at the occasional dinner or while thanking him for frequent rides home.

Rayford had never been inside her place, and they rarely saw each other alone. But with his life going the way it was and his midlife crisis kicking up alarmingly, Rayford began allowing himself to think of the possibilities. He told himself that if something broke, if he was tapped to fly Air Force One or Two, or if he was publicly lauded by the CIA or the Defense Department for his clandestine but admittedly limited consulting, that might get him back on track.

He could quit fantasizing about the beautiful young flight attendant and somehow talk himself into robotically walking through his boring married life.

Buck Williams had been with Global Weekly nearly four years. He had already written more than thirty cover stories, including three Newsmaker of the Year pieces. He wanted to bag a fourth, so he went to the next staff meeting with his nomination in mind: Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig of Israel, the humble chemical engineer who preferred calling himself a botanist, but who had succeeded in concocting a formula that made the desert bloom like a greenhouse. The result was that the tiny nation of Israel had suddenly become one of the richest in the world.

In the end, the writing assignment went to Buck. He had, after all, done the story when Rosenzweig had won the Nobel Prize. During their interview in Haifa, Dr. Rosenzweig told Buck of the many suitors who had come calling, trying to curry his favor—and access to his discovery.

"Was anyone sincere?" Buck said. "Did anyone impress you?"

"Yes! From the most perplexing and surprising corner of the world—Romania. I do not know if he was sent or came on his own, but I suspect the latter because I believe he is the lowest-ranking official I entertained following the award. That is one of the reasons I wanted to see him. He asked for the audience himself. He did not go through typical political and protocol channels."

"And he was … ?"

"Nicolae Carpathia."

"Carpathia, like the—?"

"Yes, like the Carpathian Mountains. A melodic name, you must admit. I found him most charming and humble. Not unlike myself!"

"I've not heard of him."

"You will! You will."

"Because he's …"

"Impressive, that is all I can say."

Later in the interview Rosenzweig said of Carpathia, "I believe his goal is global disarmament, which we Israelis have come to distrust. But of course he must first bring about disarmament in his own country. This man is about your age, by the way. Blond and blue-eyed, like the original Romanians who came from Rome, before the Mongols affected their race."

"What did you like so much about him?"

"Let me count," Rosenzweig said. "He knew my language as well as his own. And he speaks fluent English. Several others also, they tell me. Well educated but also widely self-taught. And I just like him as a person. Very bright. Very honest. Very open."

"What did he want from you?"

"That is what I liked the best. Because I found him so open and honest, I asked him outright that question. He insisted I call him Nicolae, so I said, 'Nicolae, what do you want from me?' Do you know what he said, young man? He said, 'Dr. Rosenzweig, I seek only your goodwill.' What could I say? I said, 'Nicolae, you have it.' I am a bit of a pacifist myself, you know. Not unrealistically. I did not tell him this. I merely told him he had my goodwill. Which is something you also have."

"I suspect that is not something you bestow easily."

"That is why I like you and why you have it. One day you must meet Carpathia. You would like each other. His goals and dreams may never be realized even in his own country, but he is a man of high ideals. If he should emerge, you will hear of him. As you are emerging in your own orbit, he will likely hear of you, or from you; am I right?"

"I hope you are."

Buck Williams had enjoyed a leisurely late evening meal with Chaim Rosenzweig a mile from the kibbutz and from the nearby military compound where Buck would stay before his dawn flight back to the States.

Rosenzweig's driver dropped Buck off at the military compound, where he headed through the command center toward his more-than-comfortable quarters. It was already after midnight, and he was fascinated by the alert attention the strategy room personnel gave the glowing computer screens. Earlier in the week he had met the brass and been given full access to the technicians who kept their eyes on the night skies. Many nodded or waved as Buck moved through, and a couple of the command personnel called him by name.

Before undressing for bed he stood by his window and gazed into a starry sky. He felt keyed up, not drowsy. He would have trouble sleeping; he knew it. It was at times like this when he wished he enjoyed wine the way a man like Rosenzweig did. That would have put him out.

Maybe some late reading would do the trick. Just as he was turning from the window to dig a book or magazine from his bag, the raucous blat of sirens shook the place. A fire? Some malfunction? Buck assumed the loudspeakers would advise occupants what to do, where to go. He pulled on his leather jacket and was then drawn back to the window by something new in the skies.

It appeared surface-to-air missiles had been launched. Was Israel under attack? Could it be? Sounds from the air overrode even the ear-rattling sirens. When the skies lit up like noon, Buck knew this was the real thing—a full-fledged air battle. But with whom? And why?

He bolted from his room and ran down the corridor toward the command center. "Stay in your quarters, civilian!" he heard more than once as he darted among ashen-faced men and women in various stages of dress. Many had emerged from their chambers pulling on uniforms and jamming on caps.

The situation room was chaotic already, and this crisis was less than a minute old. Command officers huddled around screens, chirping rapid-fire commands at techies. One man wearing impossibly large earphones shouted, "One of our fighters has identified Russian MiG fighter-bombers."

From another corner: "ICBMs!"

Buck reeled. Intercontinental ballistic missiles? Against little Israel? From the Russians?

Suddenly no one was sitting. Even the experts stood at their keyboards as if staring at something they didn't want to see. Every screen seemed lit and jammed with blips and points of light.

"It's like Pearl Harbor!"

"Like 9/11!"

"We'll be annihilated!"

"Hundreds of MiGs nearly overhead!"

"Hopelessly outnumbered!"

Then the explosions began. Sections of the building went dark. Some screens. Bombs sounded as if they had landed right outside the windows. So this was no grandstand play designed to bring Israel to her knees. There was no message for the victims. Receiving no explanation for the war machines crossing her borders and descending upon her, Israel was forced to defend herself, knowing full well that the first volley would bring about her virtual disappearance from the face of the earth.

The sky was lit with orange-and-yellow balls of fire that would do little to slow a Russian offensive for which there could be no defense. It appeared to Buck that every command officer expected to be put out of his misery in seconds when the fusillade reached the ground and covered the nation.

Buck knew the end was near. There was no escape. Some personnel actually left their posts screaming, and their commanders did not try to stop them. Even senior officers dived under equipment and covered their ears.

As the night shone like day and the horrific, deafening explosions continued, the building shook and rattled and rumbled.

The first Israeli missiles had taken out Russian fighters and caused ICBMs to explode too high to cause more than fire damage on the ground. The Russian warplanes slammed to the ground, digging craters and sending burning debris flying. But radar showed the Russians had clearly sent nearly every plane they had, leaving hardly anything in reserve. Thousands of planes swooped down on the tiny country's most populated cities.

Buck's survival instinct was on full throttle. He crouched beneath a console, surprised by the urge to sob. This was not at all what he had expected war to sound like, to look like. He had imagined himself peeking at the action from a safe perch, recording the drama in his mind.

Cameron Williams knew beyond a doubt that he would die, and he wondered why he had never married. Whether there would be remnants of his body for his father or brother to identify. Was there a God? Would death be the end?

One

Buck Williams realized he would be no more dead outside under the erupting Haifa night skies than he would be inside the command center. This was not bravado; it was the unique, insatiable curiosity of the journalist. He would be the lone casualty at this post who would see and know what killed him. On rubbery legs, he made his way to a door. No one seemed to notice or care to caution him. It was as if they had all been sentenced to death.

He forced open the door against a furnace blast and shielded his eyes from the whiteness of the blaze. The sky was afire. Jets screamed over the din of the inferno, and exploding missiles sent more showers of flame into the air. He stood in stark terror, amazed as the great machines of war plummeted all over the city, crashing and bouncing and rolling and burning. But these all seemed to fall between buildings and in deserted streets and fields.

Buck's face blistered and his body poured sweat. What in the world was happening?

Nicolae Carpathia was a light sleeper, thus the quiet buzz programmed into a tiny device in his headboard woke him immediately at just after one-thirty in the morning.

He sat up, vigorously rubbed his eyes and face, and pressed the intercom button. "Gabriella?"

"Yes, sir. My apologies, but Mr. Fortunato is here and assures me you would want to be awakened."

So it had happened. It was done.

Less than a minute later, Nicolae had dragged a wet comb through his hair and pulled on a luxurious robe. He padded to the elevator, which opened into his parlor and brought him face-to-face with his most trusted adviser.

Carpathia fought to suppress a smile. "Leon, what is it?"

"Israel is being obliterated as we speak."

Nicolae clapped. "The Russians?" he said, as if guessing.

Fortunato nodded, smiling. "There's evidence Libya and Ethiopia are cooperating."

"Perfect. Dr. Rosenzweig knew exactly what I wanted and would not budge. Wonder what he is thinking now. Or whether he will ever think again. Hoarding his formula was a waste. No one could maximize the benefits as I can."

Fortunato grimaced.

"What?" Nicolae said. He pointed to a divan. "Sit, my friend."

Leon settled heavily onto the couch. "Don't assume the Kremlin will bring you in on this, Nicolae. My sources tell me this offensive is as costly a single assault as they have ever attempted. The cadre I introduced you to will likely want to license you only a portion of the rights to market in certain areas."

Nicolae sat across from Leon on a large ottoman. "And you have some illusion that this would be enough for me? Surely you are sporting."

"I know how you feel, Nicolae; it simply may not be as easy as we'd like. Forgive me, chief, but why do you continue to grin like the Cheshire cat?"

A chuckle escaped Carpathia. "The deal has already been made, Leon."

"Sorry?"

"You did not hear me or did not understand?"

"The latter, sir."

"Between Jonathan Stonagal and me, we financed this operation and settled on terms before the first plane left the ground. Russia will have unlimited use of the formula for their entire expanse, as will Ethiopia and Libya, but the marketing of it throughout the rest of the world is under my purview, and they get an appropriate royalty. Seven percent."

Leon shook his head and leaned back, squinting at Nicolae. "You can't be serious."

"Of course I am. I would not make light of billions of dollars. Would you like the privilege of informing Mr. Stonagal? It is just before seven in New York, and the old man will be on his treadmill."

Leon sighed. "He's the one who informed me."

"But he did not tell you of the arrangement?"

Leon stood, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Neither of you did. My role has been clarified."

"Oh, make no mistake about that, Leon. You know more than anyone in my orbit, but you do not need to know all—neither shall you ever. You will know what you need to know and when I feel you should know it. Understood?"

"As I said, my role has been clarified."

Chunks of ice and hailstones as big as golf balls forced Buck to cover his head with his jacket as the earth shook and resounded, throwing him to the ground. Facedown in the freezing shards, he felt rain wash over him. Suddenly the only sound was the fire in the sky, and it began to fade as it drifted lower. After ten minutes of thunderous roaring, the fire dissipated, and scattered balls of flame flickered on the ground. The firelight disappeared as quickly as it had come. Stillness settled over the land.

As clouds of smoke wafted away on a gentle breeze, the night sky reappeared in its blue-blackness and stars shone peacefully as if nothing had gone awry.

Buck turned back to the building, his muddy leather jacket in his fist. The doorknob was still hot, and inside, military leaders wept and shuddered. The radio was alive with reports from Israeli pilots. They had not been able to get airborne in time to do anything but watch as the entire Russian air offensive seemed to destroy itself.

Miraculously, not one casualty was reported in all of Israel. Otherwise Buck might have believed some mysterious malfunction had caused missile and plane to destroy each other. But as he interviewed the shaken men and women who had monitored the thing on computer screens, they told another story.

A young female Israeli soldier, in heavily accented but precise English, told him, "It was a firestorm, along with rain and hail and an earthquake. That is what saved us from destruction."

It was the story of a lifetime, and Buck quickly appropriated a jeep and raced throughout the country, interviewing leaders, civilians, soldiers. Dotting the landscape for as far as he drove were hundreds and thousands of chunks of burning, twisted, molten steel that had smashed to the ground in Haifa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jericho, even Bethlehem—leveling ancient walls but not so much as scratching one living creature.

That was beyond Buck's comprehension; he simply could not make it compute.

As dawn broke several hours later, special task forces competed with buzzards and vultures for the flesh of the enemy dead, scrambling to bury them before their bones were picked clean and disease threatened the nation.

Buck was greatly relieved to find that Dr. Rosenzweig had escaped unscathed. "Had I not been here and seen it myself, I would not have believed it," he told the scientist. "It will take more than I have in me to make my readers buy it either."

Rosenzweig seemed strangely quiet.

"What is it, Doctor?" Buck said.

"Well, it is just that I feel strange broaching this subject, as an agnostic at best, but would you allow me to introduce you to some scholars who might have an interesting take on this?"

Rosenzweig introduced Buck to university professors who pointed out passages from the Bible that talked about God destroying Israel's enemies with a firestorm, an earthquake, hail, and rain. Buck was stunned to read Ezekiel 38 and 39 about a great enemy from the north invading Israel with the help of Persia, Libya, and Ethiopia. More stark was that the Scriptures foretold of weapons of war used as fire fuel and enemy soldiers eaten by birds or buried in a common grave.

Buck wasn't prepared to become religious, he told himself, but he certainly became a different person and a different journalist. Nothing would ever again be beyond his belief.

And if there was one person he wanted to talk to about all this, it was his Chicago colleague Lucinda Washington.
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http://www.leftbehind.com/
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Exclusive Interview with Jerry Jenkins
Jerry talks about his latest book in the Left Behind series—The Rapture
interview by Stu Johnson and Marty White | posted 5/16/06

The Rapture—the last of a three-part prequel and the 15th book in the adult titles of the Left Behind series—is scheduled for release June 6. In anticipation, newsletter editor Marty White and contributing writer Stu Johnson had a chance to talk with co-author Jerry Jenkins. This is the first of a two part interview.

The highlight of The Rapture is your depiction of the Rapture and its aftermath. How did you and Dr. LaHaye decide how to describe what the Rapture and heaven would be like?

We didn't. He kind of let me run with it and had no idea where I was going to go. But he's always been a great cheerleader, and he liked it. It was sort of like a rollercoaster ride for me; I just jumped in and wrote as a process of discovery to see what it would be like.

Obviously, the descriptions are very speculative. There are many different ways you can interpret Scripture, and there aren't many details about what heaven will be like. I looked at several resources and commentaries that Dr. LaHaye gave me, but many of them conflict with each other. Some consider a lot of biblical details about heaven to be figurative and symbolic, while others take the Scripture's descriptions literally. One of Dr. LaHaye's trademarks is to be literal when we can, so I try to stay faithful to that.

It's interesting to think the Rapture will be like your depiction, with people consciously floating up to heaven.

Well, as a rational adult, I often see the Rapture being similar on the other end to how things are here. In other words, if we disappear in the twinkling of any eye, my rational mind tells me that in the same instant we're in the presence of Christ. But, in one sense, that's not as much fun as flying through the air with a billion other people!

Those who aren't taken in the Rapture face an awful moment of realization that they've been left behind. Was that a difficult scene to write?

It really was. People ask, "Are you tired of these books yet? You've been doing this for 11 years!" And while it's been a thrill in many ways to write about characters such as Irene and Raymie who are raptured, it's also taken a heavy emotional toll on me when I put myself in the situations of people who are left behind. That's always the challenge for a novelist: you're supposed to be the character. On the one hand, it's moving and frightening to put yourself in that spot; but at the same time, it's almost a devotional experience. You're glad you won't really have to go through it someday, having to see people's belongings and clothes and things there and realize what's happened.

For those who know the truth, the Rapture will be especially frightening. They may not have believed it before, but they will know immediately what's happened. It's just like any other time in life when you've betrayed someone or have been caught in the act. For example, when you're messing around in junior high school and you run into the principal, you know immediately that life is going to change for the next couple of weeks. But the Rapture is the ultimate change. You realize it's all been true and you're lost and have been left behind.

Perhaps one of the reasons people might not be prepared for the Rapture is that many of us—including Christians who don't face persecution—are quite comfortable with our earthly existence. Do you think this book will help readers become more conscious of heaven and eternity?

I hope it does, because I have the same feelings you do. When I visit other countries where people are persecuted, they do look forward to the escape more than we do. What do Americans have to escape? To us, persecution is if somebody snickers when we mention our faith. But in other countries, people who convert to Christianity are on trial, or they are denied food or rations or licenses to build. I got a real picture of what persecution is when I visited Romania and the Soviet Union before the fall of Communism. Since then, I've never used the term lightly. I've never been persecuted for my faith compared to those people.

But isn't the Left Behind series often criticized because it emphasizes Christians escaping from trouble on earth?

Yes, and with The Rapture, I suppose we'll get a little criticism of escapism again, because it is the Rapture and we're flying away from all of our troubles! People complain, "You don't have to suffer. You get to go. You get to escape." And the media like to emphasize the exclusivity of Christianity and John 14:6. They often say, "Isn't this 'triumphalism,' because you win and everybody else loses?" But we say, "Well, that's the whole point. We're not happy that they lose. We don't want people left behind."

So any publicity is good publicity, even if it's controversial. If the media begin people talking about The Rapture and wanting to read it, then people will get into it and see what we're all about. And it's our hope that people who read the prequels but haven't read the main series will become interested and want to find out more.
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Dr. Tim LaHaye on the Second Coming of Christ
posted 5/25/06

The second coming of Jesus Christ is the most frequently mentioned subject in the Bible, other than the doctrine of salvation, what the Bible is all about. The Second Coming is clearly taught in both the Old and the New Testaments. It was promised 321 times in Scripture, predicted by Jesus Christ Himself, by all the writers of the New Testament and by many of the Old Testament prophets. It is the capstone of all Christianity, without which God's merciful plan for mankind's future cannot be understood.

The Second Coming is easily the most fascinating event predicted anywhere and is the only message that gives hope to the chaotic world in which we live. Jerry Jenkins and I have often been asked why the Left Behind books comprise the most popular fiction series ever. My answer, aside from Jerry's incredible fiction-writing gift, is that it is based on the Bible's forecast of the last days, starting with the Second Coming, which many find fascinating. Surveys tell us that more than 65 percent of the population of America believes Jesus Christ is coming back to this world, just as He promised. It is the last best hope of mankind, if, of course, you are ready for his return by having personally invited Christ into your life. This is the primary reason we wrote the Left Behind series. Fortunately, from the letters, e-mails, and personal contacts we receive, we know that thousands say they have come to faith through reading these books.

Satan clearly does not want anyone to understand prophecy, for there is no more spiritually motivating subject than the return of Christ. Jesus called Satan "a liar" and "a deceiver," so we can expect him to "[sow] discord in a family" and confuse those who are seeking the truth (Proverbs 6:19). Keep in mind that Jesus predicted there would be "false messiahs and false prophets" who would come on the scene in the last days (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22). If these are really the last days, as many Bible scholars believe, we should not be surprised to find false prophets and those deliberately teaching error. For that reason it is important for the serious student of the Scripture to learn …
The Two Keys to Understanding the Second Coming
1. You must take the Bible literally, including prophecy. That does not mean we are "wooden literalists," as some detractors accuse. Every language has metaphors and other figures of speech usually revealed by context. We follow the time-honored principle used by many Bible scholars: "When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, but take every word at its primary literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context clearly indicate otherwise." This, of course, allows for no allegorizing or spiritualizing of prophecy, which is what leads to so many divergent and confusing interpretations of end-time events. Most amillennialists, postmillennialists, and preterists fall into this category. Whereas they may take other Scriptures literally, they tend to spiritualize or allegorize prophecy, which, in our opinion, makes it all but impossible to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). As the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' first coming were literally fulfilled, there is every reason to believe that the New Testament prophecies of his second coming will also be literally fulfilled.

2. You must keep in mind that there are two stages to the Second Coming. By studying all 321 Second Coming passages in context, we find that they fall into one of two categories: They relate either to the rapture of the church—when Christ calls all believers to meet Him in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) just before taking them to heaven as He promised (John 14:1-3)— or they describe the Glorious Appearing (Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 19:11-21) just before He returns to earth and establishes His one-thousand-year kingdom. In our series we show the Rapture coming just before the Tribulation period, which we cover in books one through twelve, and then the Glorious Appearing, which we cover in book twelve and the final sequel.

In four of my nonfiction prophecy books—Are We Living in the End Times?, The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, The Rapture (not to be confused with this novel), and Charting the End Times—I list the fifteen differences between these events. In fact, after you compare them, you will realize that they cannot possibly be describing the same event.

For example, the Rapture could take place at any moment without warning; the Glorious Appearing cannot take place for at least seven more years after many prophetically forecast events. The Rapture finds Christ calling believers to meet Him in the air so He can take us to His father's house as He promised. The Glorious Appearing finds believers coming with Christ to the earth when He sets up His kingdom. This may be why the apostle Paul referred to the Rapture, our Lord's coming, as "the blessed hope," and gave us the name "Glorious Appearing" for the public coming of Christ to earth. Personally, I think Paul was distinguishing these two phases or stages of Christ's second coming.

The chart in the book shows these two phases of Christ's coming separated by the seven-year tribulation period. If you have read most or all of the books in the Left Behind series, you will find it easy to locate where each book appears on this chart. I hope you find this exercise helpful in understanding the entire plan of God for your future and that of the rest of the world.
For further information on end-times prophecy, check my website, www.timlahaye.com, as well as our publisher's site, www.tyndale.com. And take a look at the entire Tim LaHaye Prophecy Library.
—Dr. Tim LaHaye
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A Troubling Verdict
Religious Freedom at Stake

June 6, 2006


Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.


Last week on "BreakPoint" I told you about the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, or IFI, a faith-based program that helps prisoners become law-abiding citizens. I told you then that Barry Lynn and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State had sued the state of Iowa, Prison Fellowship, and IFI, claiming that the initiative is unconstitutional.

Well, the judge's decision was handed down late Friday, and it's not good news for those of us who believe in religious freedom and who want to see prisoners transformed.

Despite the fact that the program is purely voluntary on the part of prisoners, the judge found that the program is unconstitutional because it was a Christ-centered program and received 40 percent of its funding from the state, even though 60 percent was raised from private donations. He ordered that the program be shut down in sixty days and that IFI and Prison Fellowship pay back the state of Iowa $1.5 million, money that the state had paid to IFI under a valid contract over the past several years.

An appeal will be filed within this week, and the IFI can stay open pending the appeal. And the order to pay back the money to Iowa is on hold as well until the appeal process runs its course. Prison Fellowship and IFI will appeal—all the way to the Supreme Court if we must.

Why? Simply this: Prison Fellowship wants to see a level playing field for people of faith. People of faith should not be excluded from providing services in the public square to those who have volunteered to receive them. We want prisoners to be able to take part in a program—yes, even a Christ-centered one—that will help them change their lives for the better if they desire to do so. Americans United, on the other hand, wants religion forced out of every aspect of public life, including prisons—regardless of the consequences for those prisoners who volunteer to participate.

Look what's at stake here: 2.3 million prisoners in America today; 600,000 of them released this year alone; and two-thirds of them will be rearrested within three years. Why? Because merely warehousing prisoners leaves them unprepared to reenter society as productive citizens. Indeed, it makes them worse.

Yet prisoners who graduate from IFI after many months of education, hard work, community service, and transformation are far less likely to re-offend than other prisoners. And that has been shown true by an independent study done at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nonetheless, the judge has ruled against IFI, and in a way that could call into question any religious program in state, federal, or local prisons. Merely facilitating a faith-based program could be deemed unconstitutional if this ruling stands.

What's more, his order that Prison Fellowship and IFI pay $1.5 million is virtually unprecedented and sets a troubling precedent. When you combine this order with the high legal costs of defending these kinds of suits, the message to faith-based groups is clear: We don't want faith-based groups coming into the public square to offer charitable services.

Though the judge's decision is troubling, we believe that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court will see that offering prisoners the chance to transform themselves into productive citizens is not only constitutional, but also the right thing to do.

As I told you last week on this program, Prison Fellowship will stand for the religious freedom of prisoners and for all Americans. We can only hope that what happened with God being taken out of the classrooms of America thirty years ago does not repeat itself in America's prisons as a result of the federal courts. I hope and pray that you will stand with us as well. Thank you and God bless you for helping us, praying for us, and standing with us at this very critical time.




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Dear Howdy,

Today, 2,000 young men and women on the mission field in Asia have just finished Bible college training. They are beginning their new ministry, excited and expecting the Lord to do great things.

I want to give you a glimpse of one Bible college's graduation ceremony and the meaning it holds for each student. Click the link below to view the special PhotoShow.
http://www.gfa.org/newsupdate060606?motiv=WA66-G1PS

While graduation is an exciting milestone in each young person's life, it is also a sobering beginning as these men and women step out in faith and begin ministry. Please lift them up in prayer, that they will serve with the heart of Jesus. Thank you for your part in this ministry!

Yours for the unreached,

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President
Gospel for Asia
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Not Intimidated
Standing up to Americans United for Separation of Church and State

June 1, 2006


Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.


If I were to tell you that an innovative in-prison program teaches prisoners moral values, you'd probably say, "Great!" If I told you that this program is rigorous, requiring prisoners to rise at dawn for a long day of hard work, classes, and interaction with volunteers from the surrounding community, you'd think it was a good thing.

And then, if I showed you that this program gets results, you would agree that it ought to be in every prison in the country.

Well, the good news is that's exactly what's happening with the InnerChange Freedom Initiative (or IFI), a faith-based program for prisoners. Started by Prison Fellowship back in 1997, the program operates in prisons in Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas, and Iowa. According to a University of Pennsylvania study, those who graduate from the program in Texas have drastically reduced recidivism rates. The bad news is that Barry Lynn and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have sued Prison Fellowship, IFI, and the state of Iowa, claiming that the program is unconstitutional. As I speak, we are awaiting the federal judge's decision any day.

I believe that IFI meets every constitutional requirement. It is open to prisoners of all faiths—or no faith at all. It is entirely voluntary. And prisoners know from the start that the program is taught from a Christ-centered, biblical perspective. Described by a Texas warden as one of the toughest ways to do time, this program works. The small amount of state correctional money spent in relationship to IFI is for non-religious purposes—such as computer training. And, most importantly, the program is helping the state accomplish its goal of keeping prisoners from coming back to prison.

Now that it's proving to be a success, it is just too much for Barry Lynn and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State—not because it's a violation of church and state, but because it works.

Americans United is up to something else as well: intimidation—old-fashioned bullying. It knows that many Christian organizations such as Baptist Youth Homes can ill afford to defend themselves in court. Just threatening a lawsuit can be enough for Americans United often to achieve its ends.

Well, to tell you the truth, IFI can ill afford this lawsuit as well. It has cost a million dollars so far, and there are more legal bills ahead, even beyond the verdict. But I'm here to tell you that Prison Fellowship and IFI will not be intimidated.

Transformed lives and public safety are at stake. Transforming prisoners into law-abiding citizens is a legitimate goal for states and the public to pursue. And inmates have every constitutional right to choose a Christ-centered program to change their lives.

Religious liberty is worth fighting for, and we will fight for it. Will you stand with us?




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* * * Four Important Things To KNOW: #1) For ALL (Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist, Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist, Brazilians, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) have sinned & fall short of the glory of God. #2) For the wages of above (see #1) are DEATH (Hell, eternal separation from God, & damnation) but the Gift (free & at no charge to you) of God (Creator, Jehovah, & Trinity) is Eternal Life (Heaven) through (in union with) Jesus Christ (God, Lord, 2nd Person of The Trinity, Messiah, Prince of Peace & Savior of the World). #3) For God so greatly loved & dearly prized the world (Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist, Asians, Presbyterians, Europeans, Baptist, Brazilians, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc.) that He even gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, that whosoever (anyone, anywhere, anytime - while still living) believes (trust in, relies on, clings to, depends completely on) Him shall have eternal (everlasting) life (heaven). #4) Jesus said: "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE. No one (male/female - American, Muslim, Jew, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian, Presbyterian, European, Baptist, Brazilian, Mormons, Methodist, French, etc. ) comes (arrives) to the Father (with GOD in Heaven) EXCEPT BY (through) ME (no other name). *** This wonderful loving GOD gives you the choice - - - (Rev. 3:20) {Please note that church membership, baptism, doing good things, etc. are not requirements for becoming a Christian - however they are great afterwards!!!} *** Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction (Hell, damnation, eternal punishment), and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Heaven, eternal happiness, forever with God), and only a few find it.


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P U R P O S E
But these are written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Son of God, and that by believing in
Him you will have life. Jn 20:31

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call on Him while He is near. Let the
wicked forsake his way and the evil
man his thoughts. Let him turn to the
Lord, and He will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for He will freely
pardon. "For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways
My ways," declares the Lord. "As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down
from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making
it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed
for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is My word that goes out from My
mouth: It will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth
in peace; the mountains and hills will
burst into song before you, and all the
trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the
pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle
will grow. This will be for the Lord's
renown, for an everlasting sign, which
will not be destroyed." Is 55

O Lord, you have searched me and you
know me. You know when I sit and when
I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying
down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know
it completely, O Lord. You hem me in -
behind and before; you have laid your
hand upon me. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where
can I flee from your presence? If I go up
to the heavens, you are there; if I make
my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide
me and the light become night around
me," even the darkness will not be dark
to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. For you
created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother's womb. I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; your works are wonderful, I know
that full well. My frame was not hidden
from you when I was made in the secret
place. When I was woven together in the
depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained
for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would
outnumber the grains of sand. When
I awake, I am still with you. Search me,
O God, and know my heart; test me
and know my anxious thoughts. See
if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps 139

But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up,
that I may show My power in you, and that My
Name may be declared in all the earth. Ex 9:16


When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
- - Isaac Watts


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