God’s promises are yes and amen
He said wondrous signs he would send
Yesterday evening I was hoeing my garden
A gentle refreshing sweet rain was falling

I stopped a moment to take a rest
A light wind was blowing from the west
I looked at the sky and saw a wondrous sight
A double rainbow with colors so bright

Verse 11 of Psalm 62 came to my mind
Power belongs unto God, he’s good and kind
He placed the rainbow as a token
Of his promise to Noah, it won’t be broken

This morning I was standing by my pecan tree
The thing that I saw was amazing to me
Snow on the ground during the month of May
Reminded me of the manna he sent each day

Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow
God asked this question to Job, you know
The ground was warm yet the snow was cold
God owns everything, the silver and the gold

The beauty displayed by God in the bow
Encouraged my heart as my faith in him did grow
The snow on the ground was pure and white
Like Jesus his son, he is the truth and the light

Irvin L. Rozier

About the Author

Author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com, preacher, retired military

So, PASS as soon as you can!

The word “faith”, translated from the Greek πιστις (pistis), primarily conveys the thought of confidence, trust, firm persuasion. Depending on the context, the Greek word may also be understood to mean faithfulness or fidelity (1Th 3:7; Titus 2:10). Pistis is actually a forensic term referring to an eye-witness, firsthand account of a person, place or thing. This kind of faith is based upon experiential knowledge.

You see, biblical faith is NOT mere positive thinking; it’s based upon one’s personal experiences with God. Before we recognize these experiences, our faith grows by way of the testimonies of others, especially those accounts detailed in Scripture. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Many people say they have great faith but few dare to ask, “Faith in WHAT or WHOM?!” It’s only then that we would realize that what many who call themselves ‘Christian’ have not based this faith upon their experiences with Christ. Rather, their faith may be based upon their own self-confidence, self-assuredness or positive thinking.

They have, essentially, Christless Christianity, which isn’t Christianity at all.

Sadly – and I remember having had this experience myself – most people cannot recall any such personal experiences with Jesus. As ministers – and ALL of us are – when we are counseling an individual, all it takes is some careful guidance regarding the providence of God already at work in an individual’s life and it’s exciting to watch that person light up with joy as they watch their very own experiences with Him unfold before their eyes. Generally, these are daily occurances that were previously taken for granted. My favorite example is to ask the individual: “Why did you wake up this morning? Many people went to bed last night and never saw today. But you did…why?” From that point, I remind them how God has a plan for their lives, a purpose, and that they are to bring Christ into their workplaces, jobs, schools, etc., and GROW in that relationship with Jesus from this day forward.

Commenting on the function of faith in relation to the “new and better covenant” that we now have with God, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Hebrew word Πιστις, translated as “faith” here, commonly appears in ancient papyrus business agreements, conveying the idea that a covenant is an exchange that guarantees the future transfer of goods described within the contract or covenant. Hebrews 11:6 further illustrates the meaning and the practical role of faith: “…without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

To summarize the New Testament concept of faith, it is an individual’s reliance upon God as He has revealed Himself in that individual’s life, especially in the sense of confidence in the thousands of promises that are written in Scripture.

By the way, name five.

In addition, the New Testament writers equate faith in God with belief in Jesus. The Gospel of John is emphatic on this point, as Jesus sais, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him,” (Jn 5:22,23). When asked “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answers, “”The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (Jn 6:28, 29)

HUMANISM: POSITIVE THINKING OR FAITH IN GOD?

A frightening number of people have great faith in themselves; in their own human will power. That’s humanism. I recall hearing a young man, about to undertake a difficult task, muttering his mantra, “I can do all things through Christ.” Did he even know Christ? I hope so but, if he failed at his endeavor, has Christ then let him down? You see, Jesus wants to be a REAL person in our lives. For many, as was the case in my own life years ago, he was little more than an historical figure.

I daresay, most who call themselves ‘Christian’ do so merely because they weren’t born in Baghdad or Pakistan. A popular baseball expression has been “Ya gotta beleeeeeve!” Believe in what, especially when BOTH teams are “beleeeeeving” for the same results? While humanism declares, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive it can acheive,” the Word of Faith movement claims that you can Blab it and Grab it, march around that BMW seven times and it’s yours. Is this really faith or just so much hocus-pocus? Though positive thinking may appear to work positively on occasion, it’s far more likely to work negatively MOST of the time. In that case, is it working at all?

For some, faith tends to imply a transpersonal rather than an interpersonal relationship with their god (whether big or little “g”). The object of one’s faith can be a person or even an inanimate object. It can be a proposition (or body of propositions, such as a religious credo). In each case, however, the faithful subject’s faith is in an aspect of the object that cannot be rationally proven or objectively known.

In religious contexts, “faith” has taken on several different meanings. Sometimes, it means loyalty to one’s religion or denomination. It is in the latter sense in which we might hear, for example, “the Catholic faith” or “the Islamic faith,” reflecting one’s loyalty to a particular religious community. Either way, these types of faith are not true to the Biblical definition of the original Greek meaning of the word “pistis.”

WHAT ABOUT BLIND FAITH?

Many religious rationalists, as well as non-religious people, criticize implicit faith as being irrational. In this view, belief should be restricted to what is directly supportable by logic or evidence. Let’s look at Genesis 22:1-14 and Luke 8:22-25

Is faith blind? I don’t think so – not if it’s real faith. Should one go about taking great “leaps” of faith, believing to have “heard from God”? Genesis tells us that when Abraham heard God command the sacrifice of Isaac, his son, he obeyed. But Abe relied upon faith – his own experiential knowledge of God. Genesis 22 confirms that God will be with him and his descendants (represented by his son, Isaac), if he remains loyal to God. The relationship is conditional, so it is described as a covenant. Abraham obeys God as a way of ensuring that God, as promised, will provide Abraham with land and descendants.

Likewise, it was unbelievable to His disciples that Jesus could quiet the tempest storm. The disciples lacked faith in Jesus but needed to learn this lesson: He could be trusted. After all, He was God incarnate. Perhaps that is the point. The meaning of this story might be that faith means trusting in God-in-Christ, even when we cannot know that future events will justify that trust. Just as the disciples needed to learn to trust Jesus, so must we today. THAT is how our faith grows.

Talk about things that are “beyond belief,” let’s talk about God’s grace. The apostle Paul declares that salvation is God’s act of grace, which cannot be earned by keeping the commandments of Scripture. All that anyone – Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free – needs to do is respond to God’s grace with faith – with trust His love as shown through the sending of His Son, Jesus. After all, it was Jesus who said, “When you see me, you’ve seen the Father.” Afterward, as that relationship matures, one’s experiences with Jesus will serve to cause one’s faith to grow greater than anyone had ever imagined!

So, go forward with God. Don’t settle for anything less than faith in Christ. Don’t settle for Christless Christianity…or a Christless existence.

Now, scroll to the bottom of this article and E-Mail it to some friends. While you’re there, RATE the article. If you need pastoral Counsel, write team1min@aol.com. Lord bless!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pastor Michael is founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). His eMail broadcasts, known as “Your Town for Jesus” (SEARCH it!) are reaching tens of thousands WEEKLY. He ministers by way of email and Instant Message, too. Write him at team1min@aol.com if you’d like to SUBSCRIBE to receive his messages directly.

Michael’s mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Michael is the author of numerous booklets on a subjects that will interest the thinking Christian. Since 1999, he has written and broadcast hundreds of inspirational articles and a dozen booklets, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God’s people.

PREMILLENNIALISTS believe that the Second coming will precede the millennium.

AMILLENNIALISTS believe that when Christ returns, the Second Coming will immediately usher in the New Heaven and New Earth and the eternal state.

POSTMILLENNIALISTS believe that the world will get better and better as it becomes more Christianized through preaching the Gospel until it reaches a thousand years of a golden age, with Christ coming at the end of the period.

The question of whether to interpret prophetic Scripture literally or non-literally is the root of the controversy within the Church itself. Historically, the literal translation of biblical prophecy led to premillennialism. Non-literal interpretation led to amillennialism and has also tended to support the postmillennialism viewpoint. It is generally agreed by theologians and historians that the major division into these three belief systems are derived from differences in the theory and the application of “literal interpretation of prophecy.”

Paul described the Rapture to the Thessalonians as the Lord coming bodily from heaven to the air above the earth and issuing a loud command, accompanied by the voice of Michael, the Archangel. A trumpet from God will be the signal for Christians who have died to be resurrected. A moment later Christians still living will also be “caught up.” or “raptured.” with those who are resurrected to meet the Lord in the air. This rapturing is described as being “in the clouds,” a reference either to atmospheric clouds or to the multitude of those being raised in the sense of “so great a cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1). Once they meet the Lord in the air they go to Heaven to fulfillment of the prophecy of going to the Father’s house (John 14:2-3).

The human bodies of both those who have died and those who are living will be transformed instantly into bodies suited for heaven (I Cor 15:51-52). This passage makes it clear that our present bodies are not suited for heaven because they are perishable, or subject to decay (v.53), and afflicted with mortality. A further difficulty is that our present bodies are sinful and need to be transformed into bodies like Christ’s (Phil 3:21). Those who died and went to heaven left their bodies behind and will not be complete until they receive their resurrection bodies.

Some Bible scholars interpret Scripture as saying that the rapture is a phase of the Second Coming. Others regard it as a separate event that will occur several years before the Second Coming of Christ. While biblical passages are not specific regarding the timing of these events, the major prophecies point to the conclusion that only a rapture preceding the tribulation would be a literal fulfillment of Scripture, and it is this view that is held by the majority of Christians in this country today.

According to Scripture, the Rapture is a movement from earth to heaven, whereas the Second Coming is a movement from heaven to earth. This would seem to separate them into two separate events.

The doctrine of the rapture is a simple one. Prophecies make no mention of angels or attending hosts, and no mention of a judgment on earth to follow. The Rapture’s single purpose is to take the Church from earth to heaven. The Second Coming, on the other hand, is a very complicated event which will take place over many hours as a gigantic procession of millions of saints and angels move from heaven to earth (Rev 19:11-16).

None of the passages concerning the Rapture mention any preceding events, but those passages that describe the Second Coming prophesy many specific events that will come before Christ’s return. Jesus himself describes His Second Coming-and the events which will precede it – in Matthew 24, and chapters 6 through 18 of Revelation add many details.

The question of when the Rapture will occur is vital to the belief system of any Christian, since it determines what, if any, role they will play in The Tribulation – a time of great trouble that will last for three and a half years and immediately preceding the Second Coming of Christ. Revelation 6-18 reveals that there will be war, famine, pestilence, demon possession, stars falling from heaven, earthquakes, and a disruption of the ordinary course of nature. The result of all of these events will be the most of the world’s population will be destroyed.

Although some scholars have tried to interpret these prophecies symbolically, most Christians take them as a literal description of catastrophes that will occur in the natural work and will result in great loss of life and physical destruction of the earth. These events will be the result of God’s wrath, and will be directed toward Israel and those who chose not to believe and accept the way of salvation through Jesus Christ when it was offered.

From a logical standpoint, a Rapture climaxing the period of Tribulation would be “no great blessing.” The Rapture is offered to Christians as a “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), indicating that the Christians will be taken up into heaven before the period of Tribulation begins.

All who are living during the Tribulation period will suffer, but I Thess 5:4, God has promised that His church will not experience His wrath. Therefore, according to Rev 6:17, the church will be raptured before “the great day of His wrath” begins. The period of Tribulation will climax with a devastating worldwide earthquake (Rev 18); the cities of the nations will collapse (v. 16-19) and islands and mountains will disappear (v. 20). The judgment of the earthquake will climax in a supernatural hailstorm in which the stones will weigh a hundred pounds each (v. 21). The world will be in shambles, and its cities will be in ruins. It is to this scene that Christ will return with the raptured saints, as described in Rev 19:11-16, to establish a new world of order.

Following the meeting of the Lord in the air, the Church will appear at the judgment seat of Christ to receive her reward (2 Cor 5:10-11). The Church will return with Christ to the earth at His Second Coming and will reign with Him. Following the completion of the millennial Kingdom, the Church will share with the saints of other ages the blessings of dwelling in the new Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth.

There are as many perspectives of the changes now coming about as there are belief systems. It’s interesting to note, however, that – while the Christian interpretation of “the end times process” as defined in the Bible is specific to the Christian perspective and uses definitive Christian theological language – the process itself is in basic agreement with the prophecies put forth by every other philosophical school regarding the geological, political, socio-economic and spiritual changes being predicted for the end of this century.

If we are willing to look beyond the phraseology and focus, instead, into the concepts being presented, we can – with very little effort – bridge the gap between the Christian perspective of end time prophecy and the perspectives of other belief systems. As we explore the ideas behind the words, we will see for ourselves that – while God’s truth comes in many forms to accommodate the many spiritual levels of mankind – that truth is always the same.

Lois Grant-Holland is a Life Path Focus Counselor offering Life Path Focus Sessions, Karmic Astrology Charts, Channeled Guidance, Intuitive Readings and Classes and Workshops to spiritual seekers on all positive paths, and is the site facilitator at The A.N.S.W.E.R. – (The Seeker’s Resource Guide to Alternative, New Thought, Spiritual Growth, Wellness and Enlightenment Resources.) You can visit her website at http://www.loisgrantholland.com

Even sad ones.

We Christians are no different. On Christmas, we remember the birth of our Lord Jesus. On Good Friday, millions and millions remember His horrible crucifixion. On Easter, we remember the glorious resurrection of our Lord.

THE FORGIVENESS TAPE

Many years ago, I was given a wonderful cassette tape on forgiveness. After listening to this tape, I was compelled to begin a list of all of those people – as far back as I could recall – who had hurt me, even in the most seemingly insignificant ways. Now, most of us are inclined to say, “Oh, that was no big deal” whenever we are offended throughout our daily routines. The thing we’re forgetting by reacting this way is that we are all receptacles and, therefore, will retain every good AND bad thing that happens to us in our lives. To respond by saying “no big thing” is to deny ourselves the opportunity to grow spiritually.

So, there I was, having just finished listening to this incredible tape on forgiveness, and I knew I needed a plan of action. So, I began by praying, asking that the Holy Spirit would bring to my memory every situation, every individual who had EVER hurt me.

What transpired was a glorious exercise that I have entitled “Building a Monument to the Moment.” In other words, as these images were unearthed like some sort of an archeological find, being brought to light after, in many cases, decades without seeing the light of day – or the light of truth – I took the opportunity to pray. It went something like this: “Dear Lord, I bring to your remembrance Coach So-n-So. Father, forgive Him. He didn’t know what he was doing when he embarrassed and humiliated me in front of so many people on that cool, autumn day when I was 16. Father, right now, in the name of Jesus, I release him from the bondage of unforgiveness and I release myself as well. I bless that man, his life, his health, his family. And if he hasn’t taken the time to establish a relationship with you throughout the many years since that occurrence, I pray that he will come to know you in the deepest, most intimate way. And I pray that he, too, would discover the joy of forgiving and blessing those who have trespassed against him. I pray these things and I thank you for the release that this moment has given me, in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!”

How many people did I do this with? Over 300. I listed them and faithfully prayed for each and every one of them. Some of these sins were greater than others and brought great shame and humiliation to me on a very grand scale. “Grand” in my mind, at least. In those instances, I made an even larger “Monument” by doing something that I felt would help me to remember – should the enemy ever try and REMIND me of my past – the very instant that I forgave and released and blessed that individual. For example, I’d write the situation or person’s name on a slip of paper and pray over it and bury it, burn it or flush it down the commode.

I remember teaching this from the pulpit of a Baptist Church when, after the sermon, a young lady sat staring at me with a confused look upon her face. Her friend, a young lady I had known several years, introduced us. We’ll call her “Christa.” With tears in her eyes, “Christa” told me, “For starters, I’m NOT a Christian. But how can we be expected to forgive somebody who has REALLY hurt us bad? How can I forgive my brother? He doesn’t deserve it!” She went on to describe the details of the terrible sins of her younger brother.

I reminded her of the extreme purity of God and how ANY sin – from a bad thought to brutal murder – separates us from Him. I explained that God chose to send Jesus as the perfect sacrifice and that the shedding of His blood paid the price for ALL of our sins. All we had to do was believe. “None of us,” I told her “deserves the forgiveness of God.” In a few minutes, she began sobbing and fell into my arms as her girl friends laid hands upon her and silently prayed. In time, Christa DID become a Christian, attending my Coffee House Bible studies regularly and, more importantly, exhibiting the fruit of a lover of Jesus throughout her daily life at the nearby college. The forgiveness she found in Christ she began, with difficulty, to express to her family. In time, however, several key members also turned to Christ to do what they alone could not do; forgive a young man who didn’t know what he was doing and how badly it hurt those who loved him most.

HOW SCRIPTURAL IS THIS “MONUMENT” STUFF?

It’s wise to ask how Scriptural it is whenever a seemingly new concept is being taught. But the Building of a Monument to the Moment is really not new at all.

The Old Testament refers to at least two types of monuments: an altar of sacrifice and a monument of remembrance. The altar of sacrifice was established by God’s command when Abraham was told by God to worship Him by the sacrifice of the promised child, Isaac.

The other type of monument was a monument of remembrance.

This monument was built as a reminder of God’s goodness and providence. Jacob’s altar at Bethel was a monument of remembrance of the vision he had of the ladder between heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending. In the morning Jacob took his stone pillow and used it as a pillar, a reminder that God had met with him. God said to Jacob, “I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me” (Genesis 28:11-22; 31:13).

The Israelites built a monument of remembrance after they crossed the Jordan into the promised land of Canaan. The Lord told Joshua to have twelve men take twelve stones from the Jordan, where the priests were standing upon dry ground, and to make a monument with those stones from the middle of the riverbed. Joshua took these stones and pitched them in Gilgal. He then spoke to the children of Israel and told them, “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever,” (Joshua 4:21-23).

Another monument of remembrance was erected on the opposite side of the Jordan. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh were the only people not to possess the Promised Land but instead they took the land on the opposite side of the Jordan by Moses’ blessings. Upon their return to the opposite side of the Jordan, the two and one-half tribes built an altar so that they might say to their future generations, “Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it [this altar] is a witness between us and you,” (Joshua 22:28).

The last monument of remembrance was not one built upon a commandment of God or built out of a desire to remember the goodness of God. No, this monument was used to strike fear into the heart of Israel. This monument was first used to detain Israel and limit them from advancing into the land of the Philistines. This monument was that of a tool of execution. You might ask, “What is this monument?” The answer is simple: “It is the sword of Goliath.”

You can read about this in 2 Samuel 21:1, 3-4, 6, 8-9: “Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest [saying] Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread. So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread. And David said unto Ahimelech, and is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, there is none like that; give it me.”

When David was running for his life as King Saul tracked him down, David ran to the only place he could find refreshment, help, and solice, the Tabernacle of the Lord, located in a place called Nob. David knew he could find nourishment at the Tabernacle, for the priesthood operated under the Mosaic law of charity: love thy neighbour as thyself (Leviticus 19:18).

It was at Nob, on the morning of the Sabbath, when David arrived – unarmed, weary, and faint with hunger – before Ahimelech the priest. David needed two things: food and a sword. He asked Ahimelech for five loaves of bread. The priest sorrowfully had no bread to except the hallowed shewbread – the bread, which sat upon the golden table in the sanctuary used as sustenance for the priests and their families. Though it was unlawful for David to eat this bread, Ahimelech gave David five loaves anyway.

The people of Israel did not wear swords constantly, unlike today where a soldier carries a firearm. The priests had no swords, but in the Tabernacle was the sword of Goliath, which was kept behind the ephod wrapped in a cloth. This sword was kept as a monument of the glorious victory David had achieved in the defeat of Goliath. This sword was given to David, and was a reminder to him and Israel of the miraculous victory won by him and the people of Israel through God’s divine intervention. Just seeing the sword must have taken him back to that glorious day when he said to the giant, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD” (I Samuel 17:45).

MAKING APPLICATION

Please remember, dear friends, that those terrible things that you feel have happened TO YOU are actually happening FOR YOU and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on Earth. We can embrace them as such or allow them to destroy us. As the saying goes, “we can get bitter or we can get better.”

Years ago, I was walking with a cane, virtually crippled by a debilitating spinal disease. On two occasions, I almost gave up on asking for prayer and trusting God for a miracle and started filling out government assistance papers. In contrast to those days recently, I carried a small refrigerator up a flight of stairs by myself and I’m currently involved in the remodeling of my house, carrying lumber and swinging a hammer repeatedly from atop a ladder. The cane? I still have it and cannot look at it without remembering how God strengthened me during those dark and miserable hours. Have I made an idol of that monument? No! In 2 Kings 18:4, King Hezekiah not only forbade the people to worship the brazen serpent made by Moses in the wilderness to keep those who looked upon it from being bitten by snakes (Numbers 21:4-9) – a piece that survived for about 825 years – but Hezekiah also broke that brazen serpent into pieces to show the people that it was Nehushtan – nothing more but a piece of brass. Do not allow your monument to become your idol.

God has a lofty goal in mind for each of us, i.e., to conform us to the image of His Son. We MUST be tested and strengthened for Kingdom work. Just as Jesus was, we, too, will be tempted in the wilderness, have our beards plucked, be spit upon and mocked and will feel the sting of betrayal by our friends. If not literally, figuratively. We can pass these tests as they come, or fail and try to pass them later.

Why not begin building YOUR “Monument” today? In each Old Testament example, it was the priests who were responsible for maintaining the memory of the miraculous. As a Christian, YOU are a priest (Yes, all you non-Catholics..you, too!). Not only does God say that “…you shall be unto me a Kingdom of priests, and a holy nation…, (Ex 19:6)” but 1 Peter 2:9 also declares, “that we are “…a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

There. It’s settled. We are all priests and, as such, we must never let the memory die of the wonderful things our God has done, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of others, including those between the pages of Scripture.

Now, go!

Start building those monuments!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael’s mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since 1999, he has broadcast over 300 hundred inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects that will interest the thinking Christian, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God’s people.

He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as “Your Town for Jesus” are reaching millions around the globe WEEKLY. Write team1min@aol.com if you’d like to SUBSCRIBE.

A licensed/ordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is also a Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network and may be available to speak to your church or Christian group.

The greatest single definition I have ever found is that a prophet is one who “tells forth the will and counsel of God.” This would include things past, present and future. The bible broadens the definition of the prophet in three distinct ways giving credence to this definition.

First the “spirit of prophecy” is something defined in the book of Revelation. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Revelation 19:10. With this definition it can be seen that every one who proclaims the gospel has the “spirit of prophecy.” That would include everyone from Billy Graham to the young believer standing on the corner talking to a stranger about how he met the Lord. It would be safe to say that most prophecy today is based on this telling others about Christ and his deeds even though they happened over two thousand years ago.

The second kind of prophecy is something that comes forth by the move of God’s Holy Spirit in the church. It can come to virtually anyone in the church but it is always decided upon and administered by the Holy Spirit alone. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, I Corinthians 12:7-11. These kinds of prophecies seem only to be practiced in the charismatic and Pentecostal churches of today. But using the broader definition any preacher who is speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit could be said to be prophesying.

A third kind of prophecy is that which comes from someone who has been appointed not just to prophecy but has been specifically given the “office of the prophet.” And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Ephesians 4:11-12. How these “prophets” are chosen is an important matter and is often misunderstood so let’s look at this next.

Prophets of today are chosen exactly as they were years ago in the bible. Usually they are called out by God through a word or a vision. In the bible some prophets saw a dream; others heard God’s voice and still others saw a burning bush or some other great portent which got their attention and then God spoke to them.

In my experience it was not just a dream but a series of them and at one point an actual voice with a very specific message. At the beginning of my new faith I had three dreams one night and woke after each dream and spent a few moments pondering what I had seen. I was familiar with the events and sights of the first two dreams but not with those in the third and last dream. It puzzled me so much that I got out of bed to pray and ask God if he could help me understand what was going on. At that early stage in my new faith I wasn’t sure God ever spoke to anyone directly anymore. I thought that those kinds of revelations were for biblical times only and had long since passed.

When I asked God to help me understand what the dreams meant I was drawn back to one of my favorite Christmas stories. I remembered Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” and the three spirits of Christmas past, present and future. It clicked in my head and I saw the answer as clear as day. I had seen myself and the events in my life as clear as a movie and while I was familiar with all but the last dream I knew I had seen the past, the present and the future in three separate dreams. Life itself verified my discovery when eight days later the events I saw in the third dream happened to the letter.

After the first three dreams I needed only one dream to see the future. You could say that God had to lead me into the whole matter with the first three dream episode just to help me overcome my general lack of knowledge of how he works and what he planned to do with me in the future. In fact the future would be filled with dream visions by the hundreds, perhaps by now I could say by the thousands.

I was flustered by all the dreams in the beginning. Although most of them were only personal and related to me or those near in my social setting and environment they were all vivid and rarely ever open to interpretation. They were mostly on a “what you see is what you get” basis no directions needed. But all these dreams scared me.

After puzzling over so many dreams I finally asked God in earnest why I was seeing so many dreams of the future, sometimes as much as five or six times a week. The day after I asked God to help me I was drawn to my bible and to the book of Numbers. It was in this book I read a single verse of scripture that put to rest my fear about the volume of dreams I was receiving. In Numbers 12:6 the Bible says, “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.”

I have seen world events far more rarely than personal events but not once in a period well over thirty years have any of my dream visions ever been wrong. Some of the dreams were more detailed and lengthy than others but the one that stands out the most was to do with the second coming of Christ. That dream sent me on a lifelong study and search to know all I could about Christ’s return to earth. I am still in that search and I have no doubt that the time of his coming is as close as a breath.

As I studied prophecy and the prophets I discovered that there is a litmus test for both prophecy and the prophet. It defines the parameters and the veracity of every prophecy and every prophet including me. The test is basically twofold.

The first test is “are the prophecies or the message of the prophets true?” Does it actually happen? There is no wrangling out of this test. If the dreams, visions or messages of any kind are not true it is time to hang up the hat. In Hal Lindsey’s popular book The Late Great Planet Earth, Mr. Lindsey points out that Old Testament prophets were subject to stoning if their prophecies were wrong. He was right about that but today people don’t care if a prophet is occasionally wrong or if his messages are veiled or obscured like those of Nostradamus. Maybe we won’t stone such prophets today but by all means we should not listen to them. Truth and error are not bed partners.

On the other hand a far more pervasive and deadly problem is getting anyone to keep from killing, maligning or just generally ignoring the true prophets. I try not to take anyone’s skepticism personally and I remind myself of what C. S. Lewis said might happen if Jesus were conducting his ministry in today’s self assured world of science, secularism and self. Lewis said that if Christ were ministering today they may not crucify him but rather would invite him to dinner, hear him and then make fun of him.

The second litmus test for all prophecies has to do with “prior revelation.” Simply said, any revelation or prophetic utterance given today must agree with any and all the words and messages of the ancient biblical prophets, Christ or his Apostles. God never contradicts himself. Scripture or the “prior revelation” is foundational and indispensable to all revelation now or at any time to come. Because this is true I am always reminded that even of the few world events that I have been privileged to see they are only meant to be supplemental in nature and are never meant to “supplant” any part of the biblical revelation. I don’t want the responsibility of adding anything to scripture that comes down as “extra-biblical” in nature. We have enough of that in things like the “Book of Mormon” and the doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Finally it must be said that no one should be allowed to derive their prophetic calling by themselves. Phrases like self recognized, self appointed or self proclaimed should be avoided. The calling comes from God and God alone. I once heard someone say that those who hold the pulpit without having been called to do so are like men sitting on a bench as the prophets of God passed by and saying, “There go the men of God why don’t we get up and go with them?”

Do you think you are a prophet? Let me say you have no idea what you’re in for. Most people will not think of you as a Holy Spirit Dove driven man with a vision but they will see you as a cuckoo bird with another whole new version. You will stand alone in many ways because unlike the priests and ministers of the day who represent the people to God you can only represent God to the people. But take heart because as the time of Christ’s return draws nearer God will call evermore prophets to speak and prophecy for him. This wonderful fact is a promise of the scriptures. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28.”

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is, http://americanprophet.org

Zohar, Genesis, Introduction, 52

OUR PURPOSE FOR THE STUDY

Students of Kabbalah understand the Torah (Hebrew Bible) as a mystical book wherein the Kabbalistic system is embodied in allegories and symbols. Thus, the Torah and the Kabbalah are dependent on and complete each other. . The illumination emanating from the study ignites the soul, setting it on fire with the awareness of a deeper and Higher Reality. Its study and insights are themselves mystical experiences.

INTRODUCTION – BIBLICAL TEXT:

“Come to Pharoah, for I have hardened his heart” (Exodus 10:1)

In this week’s Torah portion, we read that G-d hardens Pharoah’s heart. In Hebrew thought, the heart is the core of a person, the seat of emotions, intellect and will. Regarding the above Biblical verse several questions must be raised: If G-d was controlling Pharoah’s heart, then Pharoah had no choice to do what he did and was therefore not really making his own decisions. Why then
blame Pharoah for anything? Additionally, where is the Free Will in all this?

The following commentaries based on Judaism’s Hasidic tradition shed some very interesting insight into the entire Biblical account, and of course, into ourselves.

It will comprise of three sections, with each section introducing a Spiritual Law:

• First Law – Light is Impartial

• Second Law – Law of Accountability

• Third Law – Law of Correction

FIRST LAW: LIGHT IS IMPARTIAL

The following is a beginning point, taught as a fundamental principle by RabbiNachman of Breslov:

“From the mouth of the Most High comes neither good nor bad. What emanates is a simple Light. However, according to the level of the vessel that receives the Light, so is Light inside formed and perceived.”

In other words, Reb Nachman is saying the following:

Light, as revealed in our world, is not selective, nor does it discriminate. It is present in It’s entirety at all times and in all places. This Light follows the direction we put our attention and energy. Since this Light is all-inclusive and all-pervading, we have a responsibility with where we focus our attention.

Since Light does not discriminate as to where It is led, then why could It not be the very energy behind the hardening of Pharoah’s heart? It is Pharoah who is choosing to harden his heart, Light is just the energy he is using towards his own decisions. As it says in the Talmud, “The door shall be opened for one who comes knocking to defile himself” (Masechet Yoma: 38b)

This is where free choice comes in. According to the Torah, we are even given “assistance” even to make the wrong choices. Again, this is because the Light does not discriminate. It gives of Itself to all.

With this in mind, the following Hasidic commentary comes as a very interesting point to WHY Pharoah needed G-d’s Light to harden his own heart:

“Pharoah needed to be strengthened by G-d in order to keep his composure and make his own choices. Moses and Aaron, were after all, great tzaddikim (holy sages), full of signs and wonders. It would have been impossible not to surrender to them had not Pharoah’s heart been made stronger by G-d.”
(Source: Rabbi Eliezer Ish Horowitz in Noam Megadim).

This idea of G-d being the fuel behind even one’s misdirected, foolish and evil intentions may be shocking, but it is not something new. Our tradition recognizes that conscious thought is the starting point of every new creation, and since our world is a Free Will Zone, we have a responsibility of where we direct and focus our thoughts/energy.

In other words, Torah teaches us personal accountability that must be taken with great sensitivity and awareness, as we come to realize what a tremendous power we have at our conscious disposal. Learning from Pharoah’s misuse of Spiritual
Law, we need to do the opposite, as we shall soon see.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Since Light is impartial, does this justify Pharoah’s position? Absolutely not.

The Zohar (3:47b) states, “The greatest revelation of G-dliness is the Light that emerges from Darkness.” Thus we see that not only is there value to darkness – but when we attempt to draw Light out from it, it becomes the GREATEST display of G-dliness.

Reb Tzadok HaCohen adds the following insight regarding darkness:

“The (Hebrew) word for darkness – choshech can be read in two different ways,(depending on whether we read the interchangeable middle letter as a shin or a sin) A dot on the right side will give us the word choshech-darkness. A dot on the left will yield the word chosech-to withhold. What then is darkness but the withholding of Light?”

If darkness is the withholding of Light, our job in the world then becomes to reveal it.

A good place to begin is within ourselves.

“Every time you find yourself at conflict with a part of yourself that is self sabotaging -the Pharoah part – remember that the force of might that is behind this destructive part is really an unconscious and misdirected power, a “hardening” of G-d. When you unravel the hardened heart, you will discover that the intention is pure and the power is G-dly, and thus, transformable.” –
Rabbi Avraham of Trisk (Magen Avraham)

What happens to those, such as Pharoah, who do not seek to “unravel the hardened heart”?

When one does not take a personal accountability of their resistances to change, it is inevitable that plagues break out. It took 10 plagues until Pharoah, the archetype of resistance, was able to surrender to the inevitable change that awaited him.

This introduces us to our Second Law – the Law of Accountability.

SECOND LAW – LAW OF ACCOUNTABILITY

In order to understand the Metaphysics behind the Law of Accountability we need to further understand what our role is in dealing with Light and Darkness.

According to Judaism’s mystical tradition, when we encounter darkness, we have an option by which we are held accountable: to either push it away or to transform it. The difference is the following:

“When light PUSHES AWAY the darkness, eventually another darkness shall come. When the darkness itself is TRANSFORMED into light, it is a Light that no darkness can ever again oppose. It is a higher grade of Light”
(Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson).

The Pharoah of the Torah text not only neglects to transform his darkness into light, or even push it away, but resists it, and thus becomes further hardened by it, as a result.

Again, this Pharoah part of ourselves is in truth a Divine part of ourselves but one that remains blocked and unevolved.

The greater the resistance to the Moshe (Moses) liberating force within, the more we witness on ourselves strange behaviors, violent demonstrations of wrath, and crazy outbreaks of irrationality – in other words – plagues.

PHAROAH’S FATE – THE LAW OF CORRECTION

The universe shows us that our daily encounters in the world will persuade us to embrace our inner contradictions, challenge us to make compromises while offering us the reward of wholeness if we surrender to Reality.

Like Pharoah, when we resist what we perceive as an opposition or threat to our reality, we inevitably attract and must face conflict.

Like Pharoah, when we are unable to take appropriate actions, we inevitably become the victims of Life’s correction.

Like Pharoah, whatever we refuse to embrace about ourselves will ultimately deprive us of our peace.

G-d indeed hardens Pharoah’s heart and indeed punishes him.
But G-d is not the one to blame for it. Pharoah is.

The text implies that during the first five plagues, Pharoah hardened his own heart. It was not until the end of the plagues that the text changes to “G-d hardening Pharoah’s heart”.

This is because although we are given free choice in this universe, it is only up to a point.

In Kabbalah we have what is called, “The Law of the Vessel” or “Law of Correction” which means, the universe (Vessel) has within it a self correcting mechanism. When anything reaches an extreme, the Universe corrects it by brining it back into balance. When a body gets too cold, it shivers. When it gets too hot, it sweats. Likewise, according to the Law of the Vessel, if someone decides to do harm of their own volition, they are given free reign to do just that (which is the nature of free choice), but there’ll come a point where their
ability to freely make their own wrongful moral and spiritual choices will be taken away from them, and both that person and their acts of evil will be undone. Therefore, as our Sages have taught, our Universe is comprised of a delicate balance, perfect in its own way, of both Mercy and Justice – Chesed and Gevurah.

In the meantime, let us continue moving forward with honesty, humility and a willingness to be advocates for G-d’s Light. Tomorrow still holds many seas to cross, a wilderness to wander, and a Promised Land that awaits both you and I.

Blessings,
Rabbi Michael Ozair
http://www.KabbalahCoach.com

Copyright 2003 – Rabbi Michael Ozair

Rabbi Michael Ozair is a spiritual life coach, Kabbalah teacher, counselor and consultant who specializes in Life Purpose and Difficult Transitions coaching. He can be reached at coach@kabbalahcoach.com or by visiting his site at http://www.kabbalahcoach.com

The wording in these verses is very intense. One of the verses will tell us that God wants to sanctify us completely in all three parts of our being – body, soul and spirit. Jesus Himself tells us that He wants us to be perfect just like His Father in heaven is perfect.

When you first look at these verses – you wonder how anyone could ever even begin to achieve any real state of holiness in the cursed world we live in. With all of the lusts of our flesh and with all of the temptations of this world – many Christians never even attempt to give God a chance to start this sanctification process in their life. They feel that this bar is simply too high to even to begin to strive for in this life.

The Bible tells us that all men and all women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of God. We are so far from the perfection that God is wanting from each one of us – that we see no real way to obtain it to any degree in this life. As a result, many Christians never ask or seek after God to get this sanctification process started in their life and as a result, there is very little, if any true spiritual growth over the course of most of their lives.

However, if you will study the specific wording of some of these verses – God the Father is showing you very plainly how this sanctification process can start to occur in this life. You don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to get this process started with Him.

One of the first verses I will list below is telling us that we get three specific things as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins. We get redemption, righteousness and sanctification. Most Christians know about the first two – redemption and righteousness – but they either forget or do not pick up on the third thing we have available to all of us – and that is our sanctification!

This sanctification is a progressive process – it is not something that occurs instantaneously at our conversions. It is a progressive work done by the Holy Spirit over the course of our entire life. The apostle Paul tells us that we have to “work out” our salvation with fear and trembling. He is telling us that there are things that have to be worked out – and I believe that one of those things is our sanctification in the Lord – the process where God the Father begins to set us apart unto Himself and to transform us into becoming more holy instruments of righteousness for His use.

The different Bible dictionaries and commentaries define the word sanctification as follows:

The state of growing in divine grace To set apart for holy purposes The process of being made holy resulting in a changed lifestyle for the believer

Noted Bible scholar Jack Hayford, in his excellent book titled: “Hayford’s Bible Handbook,” defines sanctification as follows:

“The work of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, sanctification results in holiness, or purification from the guilt and power of sin. Sanctification is instantaneous before God through Christ and progressive before man through obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Word.”

To those of you who have never really sought after God to release this kind of supernatural work to be done by the Holy Spirit – study these verses very, very carefully. God is giving you an incredible spiritual secret that can dramatically alter and change the quality of your life down here on this earth. As I said at the top of this article – you don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to have God start this sanctification and transformation process in your life. It can start right now if you are willing to fully surrender your entire life over to Him and then ask Him to begin to start this sanctification process in your life.

Before I go to the actual verses from Scripture on all of this – consider one last thing. Even though this sanctification process appears to be a major leap to be able to make in the Lord – realize that God will start you off with small baby steps to get this process worked into your life. Rome was not built overnight – and neither will your sanctification in the Lord.

Many in our society have no drawing towards the spiritual things of God. Their only goal in this life is to get as much as they can while they can – not really caring who they hurt and run over in the process to gratify all of the lusts of their flesh.

Many think that trying to become more holy in the Lord is “corny.” Many of these types of Christians have been labeled as being “not cool” and “goody two shoes” by their peers, their classmates or their fellow workers in the work place. Many of our teenagers are made fun of in their schools if they don’t join the crowds in abusing alcohol, drugs or engage in pre-marital sex.

The ways of our God are not the ways of this world!

That is why God tells us that we are considered His enemies if we become too friendly with the things and the ways of this world. That is why God is calling and separating us unto Himself in this sanctification process that He wants to start with each one of us.

To become more holy and more righteous may not be cool to the rest of the world, but it is definitely cool with the Lord – and when everything is all said and done – and we have departed from this life and have to face God for our own personal judgments – the only thing that will really matter is what God thinks – not what the world thinks. We will all be judged by how God views things – not how the world views things.

I’ll leave you with one last thought before going into the actual Scripture verses. If you really watch and study people – what is it that people are really searching for and seeking after these days? Why is it that so many people are tempted into entering a life of drugs or alcohol abuse? Why are so many people committing adultery behind their spouse’s back? Why are so many business minded people only chasing after their own personal god – which is the almighty dollar? Why are so many people engaging with other alternative forms of spirituality such as delving into the occult and the many facets of the New Age movement?

If you really bottom line all of the seeking that is occurring in these areas – they are all looking for one thing – and that one thing is an incredible sense of well being. They are all looking for that “high” that will make them “feel good.”

To those who are seeking after the almighty dollar – they are looking for that high that will give them a sense of approval and sense of accomplishment. They are looking for all the material things that money can buy them – thinking that all of those material things will make them feel good on the inside and completely fill that void that is on the inside of them.

To those chasing after drugs, alcohol or illicit sexual encounters – they are looking for immediate gratification of physical, mental or sexual pleasures. They want to feel good right now – and they will do anything they can to get that next high.

However, as we all know, all of the free sex, drugs and alcohol – and all of the money in this world and all of the material things that this money can buy us will never buy us that true inner happiness – that true state of well being that we are all searching for.

All of the material things that we can buy in this life will only keep us high for a very short period of time. Then when that high starts to wear off – we have to find something else we can buy – thinking that the next purchase will make us feel good for a longer period of time. And then it happens again – the high starts to wane and we are once more looking for that next material thing, that next great adventure that will make us feel good about ourselves. These people are constantly chasing the wind – but never really reaching it or really grabbing a hold of it – thus continually falling short of that elusive state of well being that will give them the love, the joy and the peace that they are really seeking after.

Even many Christians are missing the mark on all of this. Too many Christians have become more attached to the things of this world rather than to God and the things that He wants us to get involved in. As a result, there are many Christians who are no more happy and no more fulfilled with their lives than many nonbelievers are.

Once you become saved and born again by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior – that is just the beginning. Now God wants to start to build you up in Him and all of His ways for your life. The first thing that God will want you to do is to be willing to enter into a full surrender with Him of you and your entire life so that He can set you on the path that He will want you to follow so that you can accomplish His perfect will for your life. The next thing He will want from you is that you attempt to enter into and establish a personal one on one relationship with Him.

However, this will now lead us to the next big step. Many Christians have done both of those things – but they still feel that there is something missing in their lives. They are perfectly following God’s will for their lives, they know how to be led by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, they have established good personal relationships with the Lord – but there still seems to be something missing in their lives and they can’t seem put their finger on it.

Where is that feeling of well being that I should be having more of? Where is that joy, that love, that peace of mind I should be having more of? Why is it that at times I’m no more happier and no more fulfilled than a nonbeliever is?

I personally believe that the missing ingredient in many believer’s life is this sanctification process. This sanctification process is a deeper work in the Lord – and many have not entered into it either because they have not been shown how to properly enter into it or they don’t want to go that far with God. Once you enter into this sanctification process with the Lord – it can be a bit painful at times since God will be working with you to expose and prune out all of the negative qualities that He does not want you to have operating in your personality.

I’ll be doing a lot more articles under this sanctification section of our site giving you all of the verses that will give you the specifics on what it is you should be seeking after in order to be able to work with the Lord in this sanctification process. As you will see in the some of the verses listed below – it is the Holy Spirit that will really be the one that will sanctify you and make you to become more holy in the eyes of God.

However – you will still have to do your part in all of this. As I said in the first article under this section titled: “Mindset: Being Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind,” you will have to be the one to attempt to “put on” the positive qualities that God wants to instill in your personality and “put away” all of the negative qualities that He doesn’t want you to have.

You have to really work in partnership and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit in order to really get God to move you into this deeper realm of making you to become more holy. But for those of you who are willing to let God go this extra step with you – you will find and obtain what everyone is really searching after and cannot find these days – an incredible sense of well being that all of the money, possessions, drugs and alcohol will never be able to bring to you in this life.

This incredible sense of well being can only be found in the process of allowing God to work His very nature into your own personality thereby making you to become more holy. A perfect example of this is the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit. These 9 fruits are His fruits – not ours – such as love, joy, peace, self-control, kindness, etc. This means that God will start to transmit and impart His love, His peace and His kindness into your personalities. And once that kind of sanctification process starts to occur – that is when you will really start to feel and experience that sense of well being that God really created us to have in Him.

It is only when the very life of God Himself through the Holy Spirit starts to enter into your mind, soul and spirit will you feel that high that everyone is looking for these days. And the only way that you can get the very life of God to start to enter into your mind, soul and spirit is by entering into this sanctification process with the Lord. There is no other way. There are no shortcuts to this process. I really believe that this is one of the main missing ingredients in a lot of believers’’s walks with the Lord.

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bibleknowledge commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100 in depth Bible articles. All free of charge.

A look back at the prescient warnings of a lesser-known spiritual leader

>From the very start of his work, when the Church was called the Radio Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong realized in his study of the Bible that he must warn about a coming religiously dominated European superpower just before the return of Jesus Christ to Earth.

In a July 24, 1983, letter he wrote, “The very first issue of the Plain Truth magazine appeared February 1934–just 50 years ago lacking about six months. The article starting on the cover page warned of a coming sudden appearance of a resurrected ‘Holy Roman Empire’ in Europe–a union of 10 nations in Europe under one government, with one united military force. For 50 years I have been crying out to the world the Bible prophecies of this coming ‘United States of Europe’–a new united superpower perhaps more powerful than either the Soviet Union or the United States!”

That warning continued, unabated, right up to Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986.

Knowing that the Bible prophesied a final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire, Mr. Armstrong took special care to watch those men who were critical to the planning and formation of the European Union. In the late 1970s, he identified a man we should watch carefully: John Paul II. The appointment of a Polish pope–the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years–was like an electric jolt to the entire world, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. It was clear to Mr. Armstrong that the return of Jesus Christ was drawing near and that this pope, more than any before him, was setting the stage for the most climactic time in history and preparing the Roman Catholic Church for its role in end-time events.

>From our perspective, another man deserves careful scrutiny as well: Herbert Armstrong. The prophecies we often write about–the coming together of the European superpower, the growing alliance between Russia and China, the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ–were covered by him for over 50 years before the Trumpet even existed. Our prophetic understanding is grounded in his work. His instructions to watch the pope as we lead up to the return of Jesus Christ provided an education that far excels that of any news commentator.

Today, both John Paul and Herbert Armstrong are dead, but the actions they took have prepared the way for the prophetic fulfillment of the return of Christ. By reviewing these actions–and Mr. Armstrong’s comments on Bible prophecy during that critical period–we can see exactly how right Mr. Armstrong was to watch the pope.

John Paul II

Karol Wojtyla prepared the way for Europe’s unification, east with west. Read Mr. Armstrong’s comments on this pope’s first trip to Poland, in 1979, and the eventual outcome: “Many of … Pope John Paul ii’s activities point to the fact that he can be the pope that will initiate this European reunion, in a ‘United States of Europe.’ As a matter of fact, his having come from Poland, and the effect of his visit there, indicate that instead of the coming ‘resurrected’ Holy Roman Empire including such nations of Israelitish ancestry as Holland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the 10 nations to compose it may include such nations–now Russian satellites–as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. The latter two are long since, to a considerable degree, independent of the Kremlin. The Soviet Union may soon experience a breakaway of some of the Balkan satellite nations. It does seem that the nations of Israelitish ancestry, in western and northwestern Europe, would likely be excluded from the coming 10-nation ‘Roman Empire’” (co-worker letter, Sept. 20, 1979).

In 2004, just as Mr. Armstrong foretold, eight former Eastern bloc countries were admitted to the European Union–including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Romania and Croatia are currently in the application process. As Mr. Armstrong stated, John Paul ii precipitated the unification of Eastern Europe with its western counterpart.

The pope also started Europe down the path to religious unification. Mr. Armstrong often talked about how a united Catholic Church would drive Europe, even over the objection of its political leadership. “Bible prophecy says this European unification will be also a union of church and state (Revelation 17). Many European political leaders do not want religious domination, or even participation. But they are coming to realize they cannot be welded together into one great European supernation without the unifying power of the Catholic Church” (member and coworker letter, Nov. 22, 1982).

John Paul II made a habit of being “the first pope ever” to visit certain areas, and his reasons were no secret. He wanted to heal the breach in Europe between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches–a split rooted in a dispute over the infallibility of the pope that goes all the way back to the ninth century. Mr. Armstrong made reference to this dispute: “The Catholic Church is divided between the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Greek Orthodox Church in the east. The latter has strenuously objected to supremacy of the pope and to the doctrine of papal infallibility. But on this trip we learned in Athens that the Eastern Orthodox church at last is willing to give in on papal leadership, though not yet in agreement on infallibility. I feel sure some compromise or agreement will be reached very soon” (ibid.).

John Paul II spent the rest of his life trying to bring the daughter churches back into the fold. In a May 25, 1995, address, “That They May Be One,” he stated, “How can unity be restored after almost a thousand years? This is the great task which the Catholic Church must accomplish, a task equally incumbent on the Orthodox Church.” But while his life was spent working toward the unity of the Catholic Church, his death was the single greatest catalyst toward achieving that goal. Look at how John Paul’s funeral, the greatest media event in history, brought the world together. Mr. Armstrong’s statements on Catholic unity are right on the verge of coming to pass (see “Returning to the Fold” on page 18). Any actions Pope Benedict xvi will take toward further reconciliation with Protestant and Orthodox religions were made possible by John Paul II.

He Was Right

And yet, on occasion, someone will point out that Mr. Armstrong was not always correct in stating how quickly prophecy might unfold. Remember though, the Apostle Paul believed he would be caught up in the air at Christ’s return as one of “we which are alive” (1 Thessalonians 4:15). When the Apostle John said, “It is the last time [hour],” he truly believed that Jesus Christ was returning shortly. These men, obviously faithful servants of God, were off in their timing by almost 2,000 years.

When the Great Tribulation comes before the return of Jesus Christ, no one will think about the timing of Mr. Armstrong’s comments. They will remember that everything he said came to pass exactly as he said it would in 1934, as well as the words the apostles Paul and John penned so long ago.

How far away does a European superpower seem now? With a Europe-focused conservative new pope, a phenomenon the Trumpet has continually warned we should expect at this time, how probable does it seem that the European superpower will take its final form speedily?

This is not the time to say, as Christ warned against in Matthew 24:48, “My Lord delayeth His coming!”

Far from being wrong in his prophetic statements, Mr. Armstrong has been proven right again and again. He saw the formation of the European superpower on the horizon before anyone else did. He pointed out, decades in advance, that John Paul could be the pope to initiate the reunion of east and west in Europe. In the midst of the Cold War, the headline “Why Russia Will not Attack America!” only ran in one magazine: the Plain Truth. His analysis of world events was consistently decades ahead of those around him. For far more proof of this, please request a copy of our sample Trumpet edition titled “He Was Right,” which illustrates this fact in detail.

Before Jesus Christ came to Earth the first time, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way. Now, a man in this modern age has prepared the way for Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, which will have a far more dramatic outcome for everyone alive–in fact, for everyone who has ever lived. The announcement given during Christ’s first coming of the good news of His coming Kingdom is about to be realized! And, just as prophesied in Malachi 4:5, the world has been prepared before the coming of that “great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

The Standards Of This World Are Not Our Standards

How often do we hear this righteous phrase and how often do we really
heed this righteous phrase? “The standards of this World are not our
standards.” As Believers these few words should mold our very existence from day
to day. I would dare say in the day and age we live in; from moment to moment and
from choice to choice.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Believing Christians in Rome that they should
not be conformed to this World (the influences of pagan Rome), but be transformed
by the renewing of their minds (the influences of the Gospel of Yahshua), that they
would prove in their demonstration of living in a Roman society; what is good and
acceptable (right standing in judgments and actions) and perfected will of YaHWeH
(keeping His standards first-most in everything). Paraphrased from Romans 12:
2.

If Paul had to admonish his fellow brethren over 2000 years ago, how much more so
you and I today? We, who now live in a world full of deceitful pollutants that have
escalated from Paul’s time onward! We don’t even have to go out our own homes to
be effected by our Romanistic society. Its intolerable presence looms at us from our
televisions, our stereos, our CD’s, our videos, our computers, our movies, and most
entertainments that would try to occupy our lives. Such dark paganism has literally
infiltrated, on a global scale now, into businesses, schools, universities,
governments, and even religious institutions. There is little reprieve from such and
less solace to find within such realms.

We will either go with the flow of this blinding darkness that now permeates our
society; or we will make a quality decision, with help from The Holy Spirit, yielding
first to standards that promote a righteous quality within our lives. Choosing
righteous standards based on heartfelt decisions of faithfulness toward Yahshua
and each others first. Not yielding to the scourge of dark abuse this World
promotes that would blithely sap the essence of any divine righteous spirituality
from our lives.

The standards of this World have sunk to a new low and it is very evident in our
World today. But, brethren, it does not mean we have to go along with it! Within
each day, within each moment we can choose between the World and its standards
or the standards that will uphold our faith and love toward Yahshua. Each choice we
make releases the next choice to be made. Whether seen or unseen, known or
unknown, every choice in thought or action sets its own distinct pattern within our
lives.

The standards of this World do not have to be our standards. We do not have to
mold our lives according to the dictates of this World, and we shouldn’t. Each one of
us instead should be a constant reminder to this World, that there really is a higher
standard. We should be the examples, full of light, that shine in such darkness
providing a light for those who may pass our way.

This is a real challenge in today’s World. This takes walking the talk, and talking the
walk. Here our accountability is on the line, not only to the World, but to the
brethren and toward Yahshua also. For the standards of this World are not our
standards; only when we really desire a higher standard for our own lives first! Know
matter who or what we may be, or even where in this life we may find ourselves
right now; there is still a higher standard for you personally to take very personally
first.

tgy
© C.L. Mareydt d23

Brief Author Bio:

Liberated and Inspired thru The Holy Spirit, C.L. Mareydt writes to Purposely
Share from the Spirit to the to the Spirit. Motivated and Parallel with a Divine Vision,
each Writing is Thoughtfully Expressed to Progressively Inspire, Encourage, and
Propel Inner Growth toward Personal Enlightenment.

Psalm 37.4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

One Friday afternoon, I got an intense desire for a slice of homemade pecan pie. I had just read the above scripture verse so I prayed and asked the Lord to give me a piece of pie, the desire of my heart at that time.

Saturday night, I went to a gospel sing at a small country church. After the singing was over, refreshments would be served. I knew a pecan pie would be on the dessert table.
The singing was wonderful…a great spiritual blessing was received by all. How that little white church vibrated as the singers and musicians lifted up the name of Jesus.

As someone gave thanks and asked the Lord to bless the food and time of fellowship, my mouth began to water for that slice of pecan pie.

Well, the food was good but I was disappointed because there was no pecan pie in sight…all other kinds were there, but no pecan pie.

Sunday morning, one of my nephews called and invited me to go to a church service honoring high school graduates. He wanted me to pray for the graduates. After the service, refreshments were to be served. I just knew that night, my desire for a slice of pecan pie would be met. I had often been to suppers at that church, and many times I’d seen four or five pecan pies on the dessert table.

The service was beautiful…it honored the graduates and the Lord. As the pastor asked the blessing over the food, I anticipated the first bite of that slice of pecan pie.

We went back to the social hall, and I saved a place on my plate for that pecan pie. I approached the dessert table, and stared with disbelief…no pecan pie in sight! I swallowed my disappointment, and still thanked God for the good food I ate. However, I still wanted that pecan pie…just one slice.

Monday morning, I awoke, made some coffee and read my Bible. The scripture I read was Mark 11.24 (“Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them.”) I had prayed for that slice of pecan pie and I was still looking for it.

I finished my reading and went to get in my truck to go to town. I opened the door, and there, sitting on the front seat, pretty as you please, was a whole fresh homemade pecan pie. As tears of gratitude to the Lord formed in my eyes, the Lord spoke to me and said, “See, you only desired a slice of the pie but I can give you a whole one!” Thank God that He cares for and loves us so much.

This event happened almost 5 years ago. When I woke this morning, the Lord had me write this true story. Bless God if today, the same neighbor came by and gave me another whole pecan pie as I was writing! That is God’s way of confirming that I should write in a book this wonderful true story.

John 3,27 “John answered and said, a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven.”

Irvin L. Rozier….iwcroga@aol.com

About the Author

Author, preacher, retired US Army