An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about apparitions of "Mary." This follows this post about Nimrod and Semiramis. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje Show Modern Attraction of Signs

  by World News Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

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In today's skeptical world, and on the most secular continent, there is still evidence of man's innate attraction to signs and miracles. Consider three European sites that attract millions of visitors.

In today's skeptical world, and on the most secular continent, there is still evidence of man's innate attraction to signs and miracles. Consider three European sites that attract millions of visitors.
Lourdes, a small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern France, attracts some 5 million tourists and pilgrims a year because of the visions seen by a 14-year-old girl nearly 150 years ago. Bernadette Soubirous first saw visions of a woman in white at a remote grotto on Feb. 11, 1858.
Within months, visitors were claiming healing from the waters of the grotto, and of approximately 7,000 who have felt they were healed and sought confirmation, nearly 70 have been declared scientifically inexplicable miracles by the Lourdes Medical Bureau and by the Catholic Church.
In Fatima, Portugal, three shepherd children saw six visions of “Our Lady of Fatima” between May 13 and Oct. 13, 1917. They told of three secrets that were revealed to them, and the second has been seen as predicting World War II and the “immense damage that Russia would do to humanity by abandoning the Christian faith and embracing Communist totalitarianism” (www.vatican.va ).
Speculation abounded about the third secret, which was not released by the Vatican until Pope John Paul II's visit to Fatima May 13, 2000. There, the third secret's description of a bishop clothed in white making his way among corpses of those who were martyred and being shot himself was explained as being fulfilled in the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt on John Paul II.
Then there is Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where six people began seeing visions 25 years ago on June 24, 1981. Since then, some say more than 30,000 messages have come and more than 30 million people have visited the site, though these pilgrimages are not encouraged by the Vatican.
With such interest in visions and secrets seen by a few, is it any wonder that millions more will be convinced by incontrovertible miracles seen with their own eyes? WNP

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Pope's authority. This follows this post about legislative showdowns. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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Papal Authority, Protestants and Prophecy

article by Paul Kieffer

Will the Catholic Church's controversial restatement of its belief about the church derail ecumenical dialogue? What does the future hold?

On July 11, 2007, the Vatican restated its position that the Catholic Church is the only true church established by Jesus Christ. In a brief document titled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church," the Vatican's doctrinal office repeated controversial claims made in a doctrinal paper published seven years ago, "Dominus Iesus."
According to the Vatican, other Christian denominations may have certain elements of biblical truth, but they cannot claim apostolic succession—the ability to trace their bishops back to the apostle Peter. Rome therefore reasons that such denominations cannot properly be called churches.
The response of various Protestant leaders was to be expected. The idea that non-Catholic churches are deficient because they do not accept papal authority and the primacy of the pope generally caused offense and was seen as a blow to the interdenominational dialogue fostered by the late Pope John Paul II. On the other hand, the Vatican's unequivocal position gives a clear indication what the word ecumenical means for the Catholic Church.
The new Vatican document was signed by U.S. Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and personally approved by Pope Benedict XVI before publication. Pope Benedict is also the man responsible for appointing Levada to his position as the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, a position that Benedict held before becoming pope. And it was Benedict himself who, as German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, wrote the paper seven years ago that first irked Protestants.
As part of his effort to establish a distinct church identity, Pope Benedict apparently wants to clarify some of the confusion resulting from the Second Vatican Council of 1964, when the term "sister churches" was used in reference to non-Catholic denominations.
Benedict's position is that apostolic succession is an important key to identifying the only true church. A "sister church" is therefore a denomination that can trace its roots back to Peter as the supposed first pope, but is currently separated from the Roman Catholic Church as a result of an earlier schism. In the Vatican's view, one church in this category would be the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The clarifying statements released July 11 and seven years ago make another part of the Second Vatican Council clear: For the Catholic Church, the word ecumenical means movement on the part of the others. There won't be a restoration of Christian denominational unity involving Catholics and Protestants meeting halfway. Instead, if there is to be unity, non-Catholics will meet the Vatican on its terms by recognizing papal authority.
Protestants already accept papal authority
One church leader probably surprised by the Vatican's new document may have been the head of Germany's Lutheran Church, Wolfgang Huber. Just one day after the Vatican statement was released, Bishop Huber responded to the Vatican by saying that the Lutheran Church is not willing to pay every price for the sake of the ecumenical movement.
Perhaps Bishop Huber should not have been surprised in the first place. After all, just one month ago he indirectly confirmed the authority of the Catholic Church over his own Lutheran Church—and nearly all other non-Catholic churches.
In June 2007 the Lutheran Church found itself siding with the Roman Catholic Church on an issue that has surfaced in Germany several times in the last few years. It involves Germany's "store closing law," which mandates that normal business may not be conducted on Sundays and holidays.
In today's Germany a paragraph adapted from the prewar Weimar Constitution provides constitutional protection for Sunday as a day of rest from work: "Sunday and state recognized holidays enjoy legal protection as days of rest from work" (paragraph 139).
In decisions rendered in 1992, 1995 and 2004, Germany's Supreme Court in Karlsruhe has confirmed that employers have the constitutional obligation "to protect the rest from work on Sunday and holidays."
So what's the problem? For years the city of Berlin, which is also one of Germany's 16 federal states, has taken the lead in an attempt to get around the "store closing law."
In 1999 a "shopping Sunday" raised eyebrows when over 50,000 people showed up on a Sunday in August at a large Berlin department store. Late last year Berlin approved a change that allows stores to be open on 10 selected Sundays this year from 1 to 8 p.m. Other German states also have "shopping Sundays," but none has as many as Berlin.
Last month, Berlin's Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky, announced his church's plan to take the city of Berlin to court in an attempt to get the city to reduce the number of "shopping Sundays." Cardinal Sterzinsky accused the Berlin senate of making Berlin the federal state in Germany that least respects the value of Sunday.
"I deeply regret that Berlin has to be the example for eroding the constitutional protection given to Sunday," Cardinal Sterzinsky emphasized, adding that Sunday should be a day of rest and spiritual uplifting.
The issue of Sunday as a day of rest is where Lutheran Church leader Wolfgang Huber agrees with the Catholic Church. His own church will also be a party to the legal challenge against the city of Berlin. In a press release Bishop Huber emphasized that Sunday has been a Christian religious holiday in Western culture for 1,700 years.
In voicing support for the lawsuit, Bishop Huber acknowledges indirectly that Sunday was not a religious holiday for Jesus, His disciples and the first Christians. Of course, he is right about that. The first Christians did not keep Sunday as their weekly day of rest. Instead, they kept the Sabbath, commonly referred to as Saturday in today's weekly cycle.
So which church made Sunday a Christian religious holiday many years after Jesus and His disciples walked the earth? The Roman Catholic Church!
James Cardinal Gibbons, Catholic educator and archbishop of Baltimore at the beginning of the 20th century, was blunt about the authority of his church. In a book called The Faith of Our Fathers he wrote: "You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify."
Without realizing it, any Christian who observes Sunday as the weekly day of rest has already accepted the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, symbolized by papal authority. In so doing, that person is already on the road to true ecumenical unity the way the Vatican envisions it: a Christian world united under the leadership of the pope, who claims to be a successor to the apostle Peter.
Viewed this way, one has to wonder why the leader of Germany's Lutheran Church and other Protestant church leaders were upset about the Vatican's latest document on the one true church. For all practical purposes, Lutherans and other Sunday-keeping Protestants already accept papal authority for changing the Bible day of rest from Saturday to the Catholic day of rest, Sunday. They already accept Catholic authority for traditional holidays like Christmas and Easter instead of the days the Bible commands.
Since they already accept that authority, it would seem logical and consistent for them to accept the pope's authority on others matters too.
Prophecy provides the answer to church unity
Bible prophecy indicates that the question of church authority in the traditional Christian world will likely be solved in the coming years by the appearance of a dynamic church leader.
In prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Bible describes a succession of empires, beginning with Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's, that will culminate in an end-time resurrection of the Roman Empire just prior to the promised return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
The final appearance of the Roman Empire will be a political union of 10 kings dominated by a religious system called "Babylon the Great" that emanates from "the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (Revelation:17:1-2 [1] And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
[2] With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.).
The true Church of God is pictured in the Bible as a chaste bride waiting to be married to Christ. The harlot of Revelation 17 is a deceptive religious system masquerading as a true system of worship.
The final resurrection of the Roman Empire, like the original empire and its subsequent "resurrections," will be centered in Europe. It appears that it can be seen today in its embryonic form in the European Union. That does not mean that all current EU nations will be part of the final configuration, but those that choose to participate will combine to form a short-lived, powerful union influenced by a traditional religious system based in Rome, the modern heir of ancient Babylon.
Since the "great harlot" of Revelation 17 is pictured as continually being the dominant religion of the "beast" system, it follows that the final revival of the Roman Empire will be influenced by the same traditional religious system that has been allied with the earlier attempts to restore the Roman Empire. In other words, it will be a "Christian" influence.
Revelation:13:11-14 [11] And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
[12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. confirms this viewpoint by describing a "beast" that looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. A lamb is a biblical symbol for Jesus Christ, and the dragon is a biblical symbol for Satan the devil.
In other words, this particular "beast" is some kind of religious authority appearing or claiming to represent the true lamb—Jesus. In reality, though, it is a tool of Satan. This religious beast causes the world to worship another beast (verses 1-9) and enforces obedience to its dictates (Revelation:13:16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:), which will be contrary to the law of God.
It is this religious beast that Satan will use in the end-time to persecute the true followers of Jesus who have His testimony and keep the commandments of God (Revelation:12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.).
Miracles and the "man of sin"
One of the special characteristics of this religious power will be its ability to perform miracles, including calling down fire from heaven (Revelation:13:13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,). In so doing, it will deceive the vast majority of people (verse 14).
We find a similar prophecy given by the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. Here as well a great religious deception will be perpetrated by an individual who will even claim to be God. The Bible calls this end-time religious leader "the man of sin."
Notice what it says: "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (verses 1-4).
The actions of this "man of sin" will go beyond the actions of any previous prophetic figure when he proclaims "he is God." Note that he does not claim merely to represent God or to be as God, but rather he claims he is God.
To pull this unprecedented work of deception off will require the behind-the-scenes help of the archdeceiver of mankind, Satan the devil, who will provide "signs, and lying wonders" (verse 9) to accomplish the job.
The final revival of the Roman Empire will take place under the influence of a religious system called "Babylon the Great" and its charismatic, miracle-working leader-prophet. He will have an electrifying effect on nominal Christians of all denominations, who may profess Christ but are generally ignorant of His teachings and the Bible.
Not knowing what the Bible says about the deceptiveness of miracles (see Deuteronomy:13:1-4 [1] If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
[2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
[3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
[4] Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.), millions of these Christians will be swayed by the supernatural signs performed by this dynamic, Satan-inspired religious leader.
Those miracles will have an immediate unifying effect and will no doubt resolve the question of the "one true church" for traditional Christianity. The few who refuse to accept the leadership of this false prophet and his church will be persecuted.
Oddly enough, at this time true Christian unity will be just ahead as the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, returns to the Mount of Olives with thousands of resurrected saints to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.
When that happens, all discussion on denominational supremacy and apostolic succession will cease, as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings will establish His government and teach the entire world the true Christian way of life (Isaiah:2:1-4 [1] The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
[2] And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
[3] And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
[4] And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.). WNP

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An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about idolatrous worship. This follows this post about marijuana use. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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God Condemns Idolatry and Greed

article by William (Skip) Miller

Many people do not realize that popular holidays are negative influences in their lives

Source: Clipart.com

Out of all of the prophets, Jeremiah is the one who most leads me to believe that God condemns idolatry and greed. Idolatry can be seen in Christmas, Easter Sunday and Halloween, all of which work against God and God’s way of life.
First, Christmas is about getting not giving. Many say it is a holiday for children, and it is! It teaches a child to want to get, and then later we wonder why many children are so materialistic (Jeremiah:8:10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.). And its pagan origins are apparent by doing a little research within and outside the Bible. It is clear how God feels about mixing pagan practices with His truth (Jeremiah:10:2-5 [2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
[3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.).
Next, Easter Sunday, originating in worship for the ancient Babylonian goddess Astarte's family, is confusing (Jeremiah:7:18The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.…Jeremiah here uses another of Astarte’s names; “queen of heaven”).Instead of recognizing that Jesus died to save us, the world unwittingly rejoices in the resurrection of Astarte's mythical son Tammuz. God wants us to recognize the sacrifice of His Son the most (Jeremiah:2:11-13 [11] Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
[12] Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
[13] For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.). People watch the sunrise on Easter Sunday and rejoice, not realizing they are diminishing Christ's sacrifice and perpetuating sun worship.
Finally, Halloween (or as I choose to call it -- “Hollow Evening”) is a night to masquerade as anything but truth. Again, we say it is a holiday for children, but it is a night to teach the very young the most abominable tactic: trick or treat! Again, it's about get, and this time it is get or else there may be negative consequences. Why don’t we admit what we have embraced by observing these days? These three major holidays of the Western world all teach children to grasp, grab, and want more. Is it any wonder that many grow up with greed and a sense of entitlement as their principal attitudes?
Jeremiah hated idolatry, but he also hated how his people had become so forgetful of the Eternal, the Provider of the benefits they enjoyed. They ceased to be concerned for the poor, the maimed and the widows. The social network had been so unraveled that those slipping through it were abandoned and unnoticed (Jeremiah:5:26-29 [26] For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
[27] As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
[28] They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
[29] Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?).
God showed Jeremiah that idolatry and selfishness go together. When we fail to acknowledge God as the giver of every good gift, we tend to think of ourselves as the originator and sustainer of all the benefits we enjoy, and our attitudes proclaim, “Look what my hands have made!” (Jeremiah:17:5Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD., 9; 9:23-24; 23:17). God told Jeremiah to cry out without ceasing and to show the people these two detestable sins. Should we do anything less?
To understand many of the truths behind the world’s most popular holidays, please request our free Bible study aid booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about idolatry. This follows this post about Kosovo. This follows this post about smuggling across borders.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

What is idolatry?

What exactly constitutes idolatry, and how does God's command against idolatry apply to Christians today?

Answer: Most people today who have any concept of idolatry probably think of pagans bowing down and worshipping a strange-looking idol—a carved image or statue. That's part of what idolatry means, but since most of us today don't do that, how do God's commands against idolatry apply to Christians now?

In the King James Version of the Bible, there are three different words translated as "idolatry." Each one ( teraphiym ,  kateidolos  and  eidololatria ) has at its core the concept of serving or worshipping something other than the one true God.

The apostle Paul provides us with a modern application of idolatry in the middle of a sentence in his letter to the Colossians. He mentions "covetousness [greed, New International Version], which is idolatry" (Colossians:3:5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:).

So idolatry is not just venerating a statue, carving or painting. Idolatry occurs when we begin to value anything more than we value God. If we spend more time thinking about our hero than God, that's idolatry. If our every thought is about the latest gadget or our personal appearance, that's idolatry. If the first priority in our lives is our family, even that's idolatry.

When God said, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus:20:3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.), He wasn't just talking about the imaginary deities that seem so ridiculous to us today. He was talking about  anything  that usurps His place as number one in our hearts. The solution to this problem is as simple (and as difficult) as Christ's admonition in Matthew:6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

Everything else  must  come after.

For more understanding, please read our booklet What is Your Destiny?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Fatima visions. This follows this post about going to heaven.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

In Brief...World News Review Vatican Releases Text of Fatima Vision

article by Cecil Maranville, Darris McNeely

The Vatican has released the text and commentary on the famous third vision of Fatima.

The Vatican has released the text and commentary on the famous third vision of Fatima. This comes one month after the pope beatified two of the Portuguese children to whom the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a series of visions in 1917. Long held a secret in the Vatican archives, the third vision was thought to contain apocalyptic visions foretelling the end of the world.
A reading of the text seems to portray a bishop dressed in white who is killed amidst the bodies of other saints and martyrs. The vision is being interpreted as foretelling the attempted assassination of John Paul II on May 13, 1981. The pope has credited the Virgin Mary for sparing his life. It is interesting that the first of the Fatima visions occurred on May 13, 1917.
While the visions do not reveal any dramatic future events, the Vatican affirms the "personal revelatory" nature of the visions, thus giving credence to the role of visions to the church's faithful. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, writing in a comment upon the visions said, "'the events to which the third part of the "secret" of Fatima refers now seem part of the past.' Insofar as individual events are described, they belong to the past. Those who expected exciting apocalyptic revelations about the end of the world or the future course of history are bound to be disappointed."
The first two secrets have been known for some time. They deal with the outbreak of World War II, divine punishment for human sin and Russian Communism's attempt to eradicate religion. All three visions are officially relegated to past events.
In the long-term, those within the Catholic Church, the present Pope included, who represent the cult of Mary worship will likely gain the most. (BBC News.)

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about going to heaven. This follows this post about having balance in life.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

Will I Go to Heaven When I Die?

article by Steve Myers

The idea of going consciously to heaven at death seems comforting. But does that make it true? The Bible's answer may astonish you!

How does Jesus Himself describe death? He simply compares it to sleep.

Source: Medioimages/Photodisc/Thinkstock

Funerals are sad experiences. It's heartbreaking to pay your final respects to someone you knew and loved.
Perhaps you've had to say farewell to a mother or father, laid to rest a brother, sister or perhaps say goodbye to a spouse or best friend. Have you wondered: What's happened to them? Where have they gone? Why do I doubt?
You may feel unexpected emotions such as shock and disbelief—making it difficult to accept what's happened.
You desperately want to know the truth. Supposing the person is safe and looking down from heaven is just not enough. You're skeptical, not completely satisfied with mere speculation. And you think: What about me? What will happen to me when I die?
You need to know what God has said. Is there a sure word from Him that will help you?

Going to heaven at death—truth or empty hope?

Sometimes you have a need to believe, especially at those times in life that force you to think about your mortality. We all know that in the end no one beats death. But it's one thing to know it in the back of your mind, and something else to come face to face with it.
When you're looking in the face of death, the idea of heaven can seem comforting. It can seem beautiful—but does that make it true? Is it just wishful thinking, or can you know the facts? Is it just a matter of faith?
Now here's what may be surprising: What the Bible says about death and heaven is probably quite different from what you may think you know or what you believe.
So how can you be sure of what you believe? The majority of Americans and Britons still believe in life after death. According to a Gallup poll, 81 percent of Americans and 55 percent of Britons say they believe in going to heaven.
We want to believe that our loved ones who have died are okay and that we'll be okay. So surveys show that most people are confident, or at least they have a feeling, that life doesn't end at the grave.

Only Jesus has gone to heaven

How would you answer this question: Where do your ideas about heaven come from? Most Christians would say they come from the Bible. Yet some have an image of floating on clouds. Some believe they'll be given wings like angels. Others believe that they'll gaze into the face of God for eternity.
Yet did you know that none of these are what the Bible actually says is in store for us? None of these are ideas that God has given us in the pages of His Word. It's time to examine your concept of death and your belief in going to heaven!
Don't just believe what someone else has said, or what a Sunday school teacher may have taught you, or what a church or religion says, or what this article says. Why not? If it's not based on the truth, what good is it? So don't believe any person's opinion—believe your Bible! You must believe what God says in the pages of His Word. That's the challenge today. Are you willing to look at what Scripture actually teaches? That's where our understanding of life and death must come from—the Word of God!
Notice what is stated in John:3:13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (emphasis added throughout): "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven" —and that one Being is Jesus Christ, who has returned to heaven!
Now that may be startling to you—but the Bible here is clear and plain. How does what it teaches here compare with what you've thought was true? If you look in the New International Version, it renders the statement as, "No one has ever gone into heaven." The Message says, "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God." God's Word Translation says, "No one has gone to heaven." The only exception is Jesus Christ Himself!
Jesus' disciple Peter echoed this sentiment in Acts 2: "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day . . . For David did not ascend into the heavens" (Acts:2:29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day., Acts:2:34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,).
So Jesus' disciples did not teach that life beyond the grave meant going to live forever in heaven. Jesus Himself never promised that Christians would go consciously to heaven at death!
Hebrews 11, speaking of great men and women of faith of past ages, tells us that they are still awaiting their future reward of being made perfect in God's Kingdom: "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise . . . that they should not be made perfect apart from us" (Hebrews:11:39-40 [39] And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
[40] God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.).

Death compared to sleep—that is, temporary

So why haven't they yet received the promise of eternal life? And if they aren't in heaven, where are they?
When Jesus' friend Lazarus died, Christ's reaction was very telling. Jesus Himself said, "'Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.' Then His disciples said, 'Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.' However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead'" (John:11:11-14 [11] These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
[12] Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
[13] Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
[14] Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.).
That tells us something important. How does Jesus Himself describe death? He doesn't say that people who died immediately went to heaven or hell at death. He simply compares it to sleep.
So let's think of that comparison for a moment. When someone is in a deep sleep, they have no awareness of the passing of time or any knowledge of events that are occurring while they're asleep. It's like they're unconscious. They're oblivious to circumstances. So throughout the Bible, we see that it describes the dead as figuratively in a state of sleep. They're unaware. They're waiting in the grave.
King Solomon confirmed the fact that death is like a deep, unconscious sleep: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Ecclesiastes:9:10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.). Just before that he wrote, "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes:9:5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.).
So it becomes clear that the Bible consistently teaches that good people don't go to heaven or anything like heaven at death—instead they sleep in the grave. All of the dead—the good and the not-so-good alike— wait in the grave.
Now that's quite a change in perspective! We don't have to be overwhelmed and consumed by grief because we're told that even in death there is hope. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians:4:13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope., "I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope." So instead of the chilling thought of our loved ones having ceased to be, we're told that we can be comforted. We can be encouraged by thinking of them as being asleep in Christ!

A greater promise than heaven as commonly imagined

Think of the common concept of heaven. Supposedly heaven is where you, your best friends and your relatives go after you die. Many believe that their departed family members are looking down on them from paradise.
But if so, have you ever wondered what that paradise would really be like? Would it really be a place of perfect happiness? Would it really be a place of ideal joy and bliss? Imagine if it were true: How could it really be heavenly?
Imagine if you were in heaven, looking down and seeing this world. What would you see? You'd see a world of pain. You'd see a world of war and grief. Imagine watching your loved ones—seeing their shortcomings, seeing their blunders, watching them go through terrible trials, seeing their sinful acts—witnessing a world of evil! Would that be paradise? No. That would be torture and misery. Rather than some dreamy paradise, it would be your worst nightmare!
The Bible reveals a much greater truth and fate for those who die. Let's see again what Jesus Himself taught.
Since the dead are waiting in the grave as if asleep, what are they waiting for? When and how will they be awakened from that sleep?
The answer to that question is one of the great revelations of Scripture. God's promise of the resurrection of the dead truly brings us hope. It is not just a resurrection to life, but to a life of meaning and purpose with Jesus Christ here on earth, ruling for a thousand years (Revelation:20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.). This all begins with the return of Christ, at which point His faithful followers are resurrected (1 Thessalonians:4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:).
The Old Testament patriarch Job understood the gravity and full meaning of this future resurrection. Notice what he said in Job:14:14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.: "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come" (King James Version). Job understood that he would one day be resurrected.
Even more importantly, he understood that a change would occur. This same change is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 as a change from mortality to immortality—from physical, mortal flesh to immortal, glorified spirit. That is what the coming resurrection of the dead in Christ is all about—not an aimless eternity in heaven, but a real change to becoming like Jesus Christ (1 John:3:2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.).

Change your life now to be part of the change at the resurrection

This is the wonderful truth of God's plan for His people. It's God's purpose for your life. The Bible speaks clearly of a resurrection and a change from physical life to spiritual life. Understanding how one can have a part in that resurrection is so very important to having an understanding of what our life today is about and certainly a genuine hope for the future.
It tells us how we need to live right now. Our understanding of and belief in God's plan should make a difference in who we are and how we live our lives. Jesus clearly showed us what our priorities in life should be: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew:6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.).
When you look to the truth of the Word of God instead of human tradition, you can have hope. You see that death, like sleep, is not permanent. You see that there will be an awakening and a change to an incorruptible life with Jesus Christ as your King!
This beautiful picture of the future is not a figment of your imagination. It comes directly from the Bible—the Word of God.
When you look to the one true source, the source of all things, you find incredibly good news. The time will come when the dead in Christ will be resurrected from sleep to immortal life at Jesus Christ's return to earth.
So be faithful. Look forward to His return!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about miracles. This follows this post about capitalism.For a free magazine subscription or to get the book recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

Why No Spectacular Miracles Today?

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article by David Sandland

The Bible is full of descriptions of fantastic miracles. Many wonder, why don't we see great public miracles today?

Over the years, working in Personal Correspondence for the Church of God, I have been confronted with many stimulating and thought-provoking questions that deserve an answer. One such question recently came into the United Church of God office here in Australia asking the question: "Why are no miracles being performed today?"
The writer went on to ask:
"Why doesn't God speak and interact directly with us today, as He did with the likes of Elijah and Elisha, and others? Why can't we—God's people—make, for example, the head of an axe to float? Why is it that we don't have that power today?
"Nothing spectacular is happening anymore. In the first century, supernatural things were going on all the time. Did the disciples have more of the Holy Spirit than we do or did they just have more faith? Because miracles were taking place on a daily basis.
"I think Jesus expects us to perform miracles; after all that was part of His message and ministry."
Certainly an interesting challenge. Why are there so few miracles, in the sense of spectacular public displays of God's power within His Church and by His people? Does God expect us to perform such miracles today, to somehow prove He is "on our side"?
True, many people do know that God does perform many miracles today. Many of us have witnessed miracles with practical benefits, such as the miracles of healing, protection, solving problems, etc. And then there's the miracle of conversion, which is the greatest miracle of all. However, that was not the type of miracle our writer was questioning. He spoke of the public displays of God's hand in the first and earlier centuries.
How would you have answered?
Perhaps a good place to start is in Hebrews:1:1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets." Those "various ways" did indeed include unmistakable and public miracles. Witness the life and work of the prophet Elijah and the judge Samson.
However, today He works in another way, as the explanation continues in verse 2. He "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." Not necessarily through miracles, but through the life, message and teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded for us in the New Testament.
The miracles we read about in the Bible were examples of the power and love of God that are important to our understanding. But now that we have the biblical record, there is not the need to continually repeat all the different types of miracles.
Miracles were used at times to attract large audiences, and this was especially important in the founding of the New Testament Church. Today, we have the benefit of mass media technology.
The Bible shows that God doesn't want to force everyone to see His truth and where He is working during this age, so that He doesn't have to hold them fully accountable and they can be extended more mercy (Matthew:13:10-17 [10] And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
[11] He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
[12] For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
[13] Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
[14] And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
[15] For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
[17] For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.; Romans:11:7-10 [7] What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
[8] (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
[9] And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
[10] Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway., 32). Proving Himself through miracles would make the audience more accountable.
And miracles aren't necessarily good for us. God gave many members of the Corinthian church miraculous spiritual gifts, but they seem to have done more harm than good in that the gifts went to the heads of the members.
Why Miracles?
Now let's consider a major question, What spiritual value are miracles anyway? What value are they in terms of conversion and salvation? Especially the public miracles that draw attention to God's work and people. Consider, as a first example, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16.
When the rich man begged for a miracle (as our writer seems to be doing), a miracle of a resurrection from the dead, notice Abraham's reply in verse 31:
"If they do not hear Moses and the prophets [many of whom did perform miracles], neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
Abraham explained that miracles would not necessarily convert the rich man's relatives.
What about the miracles performed by Christ Himself? Did they make any real difference? Would they have converted that rich man's family?
In Matthew:12:10-13 [10] And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
[11] And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
[12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
[13] Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. we read the miracle of Christ healing the man with a withered hand—a dramatic and undeniable miracle. What was the reaction of the unconverted and carnal Pharisees? Verse 14 says, "Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him." So much for any positive effect, even when a miracle was performed by Christ Himself!
Again, back in Matthew:9:1-3 [1] And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
[2] And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
[3] And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth., we read of another of Christ's public miracles. This time a paralytic was miraculously healed. The reaction from the scribes? "This Man blasphemes!"
Another equally discouraging example is recorded in Matthew:9:32-34 [32] As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
[33] And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
[34] But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.. "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons," was the pathetic response. The same reaction is recorded in Matthew:12:22-24 [22] Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
[23] And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
[24] But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils..
Apart from the mercy and kindness extended to those He healed, Christ would have saved Himself a great deal of opposition by not performing any miracles at all. But then Christ would have been asked, "Why do you not perform miracles like Elijah? Show yourself to be the Christ by performing a miracle." So would have gone the challenge and criticism.
Incidentally, even being a miracle worker, so-called, does not prove conversion or spirituality. Matthew:7:21-23 [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. gives us the haunting and sobering warning that even those who have "cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name" will be confronted by Christ Himself with the chilling challenge, "I never knew you." Compare also Matthew:16:1-4 [1] The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
[2] He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
[3] And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
[4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed..
So miracles don't necessarily have lasting or deep effects on those witnessing them. So, why none today? I guess you could say, Why bother?
Deceptive and Ineffective Miracles
We also need to consider that miracles can be used to deceive. Matthew:24:24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. warns, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." If we are looking for such signs and wonders as some kind of proof as to where God is working today, then we run the risk of being deceived.
Perhaps one of the soberest warnings and examples of just how ineffective a miracle can be in getting people to change, is seen by considering the people alive just before Christ's return, who witness endless miracles as described throughout the book of Revelation. What will be the ultimate reaction of such a godless generation to the divine intervention of God?
"But the rest of mankind...did not repent...And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts" (Revelation:9:20-21 [20] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
[21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.). Thus Christ has to return in undeniable power and might to convince that generation of unthankful, unholy and stubbornly resistant people. Miracles, of and by themselves, don't convince or convict people. Only the presence of Christ Himself will gain the permanent attention of that end-time generation. And many people will have to die and be resurrected before their minds are receptive to God's revelation.
Also in the book of Revelation, consider the miracles and wonders performed through the power of God by the two witnesses as recorded in Revelation:11:3And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth., 5 and 6. These two individuals will be given power: fire will proceed out of their mouths; they will have power to shut up the heavens and power over the waters of the earth.
Will men repent in the face of such power? We know otherwise. Verses 7 through 10 show war will be made against them and they will be murdered. The earth will rejoice, not over their miracles and power, but over their death! So much, again, for the power of miracles.
A Great Denial
Many of you will have been thinking about one of the greatest denials of miracle-working power ever experienced by mankind—the denial by ancient Israel of the God who miraculously brought them out of bondage in Egypt. As you have the time, you might want to read the entirety of Psalm 78. Verses 12-16 remind us of the "marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers," how He "divided the sea," how He "led them with the cloud" and "brought streams out of the rock."
Their reaction? Entirely predictable by now: "But they sinned even more against Him" (verse 17) to the point God's anger was kindled (verse 21).
We could have expected Pharaoh, even in the face of miracle after miracle, to have continually hardened his heart (which, by the way, was hard from the beginning—he simply became more and more stubborn), but Israel? How many more miracles would it have taken?
If you wonder how many, read the story of Korah in Numbers 16. A mighty miracle was witnessed by the Israelites—the miracle of the ground literally opening up before their stunned eyes and swallowing Korah and his fellow complainers. Surely that would be enough to convince anyone that God was working through Moses and was a God to be reckoned with. Surely the letter writer would be satisfied if a similar miracle took place today?
What was the reaction? One of humble repentance? Hardly. Read verse 41: "On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘You have killed the people of the Lord.'" Absolutely astonishing. How did they think Moses pulled off such a feat—opening the earth and swallowing them up?
In all this, there's not too much evidence that miracles—in the sense of public displays of power—are the answer to the needs of man.
As we draw to an end, please also consider Hebrews:3:7-12 [7] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
[8] Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
[9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
[10] Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
[11] So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
[12] Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God..
Even in the face of undeniable miracles, sin can and does deceitfully harden our hearts. The most important power for softening hard hearts is the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. God's calling and the gift of the Holy Spirit is what all people ultimately need. Sure, miracles—signs and wonders—gain initial attention. But not always, as we have seen, positive or life-changing attention. The answer to the needs of man is found in scriptures such as Hebrews:10:15-16 [15] Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
[16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;, which tells of the writing of God's laws in our hearts.
I would like to quote from the answer we sent the letter writer who was looking for miracles to prove God is working in our midst.
"Even when God does speak and interact directly with us as He did with the likes of Elijah and Enoch, man will still not repent. No, miracles are not the answer, at least not the miracles you spoke about in your letter, but rather the miracle of true conversion is what man so desperately needs.
"Were their needs greater than ours, as you posed in your letter? No. All mankind has the same need—the Spirit of the Living God, miraculously dwelling and working in their hearts and minds. Let us be searching for that lasting miracle, not the fleeting, attention-getting miracles that usually lead no one anywhere.
"As much as miracles are great and wonderful, they never have and never will convert the hard, stony heart of man. Only the miracle of the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit will ever perform that miracle. And that is what God is doing today, through the work of His Church and people, as He offers the opportunity for the miracle of a transformed, Spirit-led life to those who are willing to accept that gift—that miracle." UN