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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Does the Bible Speak of Hellfire That Lasts Forever?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about hell. This follows this post about transgenders. This follows this post about the Devil. 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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Does the Bible Speak of Hellfire That Lasts Forever?

http://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets

by United Church of God Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

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First, notice the setting to which they refer—when Jesus “comes in His glory” (Matthew 25:31-32). We are told that He separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep represent the righteous (Matthew 25:34-40). At His return He sets the sheep at His right hand. The goats in this instance represent sinners. They are appointed to assemble on Jesus’ left hand. He then consigns the goats to “the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
The word everlasting is translated from the Greek word aionios. The key to understanding this verse is knowing what will occur everlastingly. Does it refer to a fire that tortures without end, or does it have another meaning?
In Matthew 25:46 Jesus spoke in a single sentence of everlasting ( aionios ) punishment and of life eternal ( aionios ). Since the righteous will be given eternal, or everlasting, life, many theologians believe the punishing of the wicked must last as long as the life given to the righteous. But this cannot be reconciled with the statement that those cast into the lake of fire perish— they are killed. As explained elsewhere, they suffer death—the second death (Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6, Revelation 14:1-20 1 And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. 6 And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from now on: Yes, said the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud one sat like to the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle, and reap: for the time is come for you to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even to the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
American King James Version; Revelation 21:8).
A plain and simple meaning of Matthew 25:46 that fits with the rest of the Bible is that the wicked are cast into a fire that annihilates them—renders them forever extinct. The resulting punishment of being cast into the aionios fire is a one-time event. It is a permanent punishment , the results of which will remain forever—that is, eternal death. It is not ongoing punishing that continues forever without end. This is the only explanation that agrees with the rest of the Scriptures.
An additional point needs to be made regarding the meaning of aionios. Genesis 19 describes God’s destruction of two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, for their wickedness: “Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah” (Genesis 19:24). They were utterly destroyed—consumed by fire.
In the New Testament, the book of Jude describes these cities as “suffering the vengeance of eternal [ aionios ] fire” (Jude 1:7). Yet it is obvious that the fires that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning. In the case of these cities and in the case of the wicked, who are consigned to aionios fire, the fire burns and completely destroys. But the eternal aspect of the fire is its everlasting effect, not how long it actually burns.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Mindsets A Set Mind

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about mindsets. This follows this post about abortion. This follows this post about evolution. 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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Mindsets A Set Mind

by Robert Berendt 1 comment

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I am sure all of us have experienced meeting people with something so deeply etched in their minds that they find it virtually impossible to erase that impression. I know a woman who was caught under a wooden raft on a pond for a few minutes before being rescued. She developed paranoia of water. People have phobias about heights, snakes or spiders, the dark, a closed-in space, crowds of people and a whole list of other very real and debilitating fears. Paranoia is defined in Chamber’s Concise Dictionary as: “a form of mental disorder characterized by fixed delusions, esp. of grandeur, pride, persecution, intense fear or suspicion.”
Phobia is: “a fear, aversion or hatred, esp. morbid and irrational.” It is somewhat bewildering to see the tremendous grip such a fear has on the mind. We seem to develop a mindset towards things happening which frighten us and we do the same towards ideas and concepts impacting us in culture, education, etc.
The really frightening aspect of a fear so deep and so often not understood at all is that trying to correct the mind in this matter takes so much effort that people usually just learn to live with it. Worse yet, it seems if we do not tackle our fears and phobias, they only get worse. Often one fear induces another and another.
A person can be afraid of spiders and soon, it seems, he’ll avoid places where spiders might be, and even a spider’s web invokes the same terrified response. Years ago, a scientist named Pavlov wrote about his experiments with dogs. He would set up a series of lights or other effects and at the end of the series, a bit of food would drop out for a dog. The dog salivated as soon as he saw the food. It did not take long, however, before the dog began salivating as soon as one of the lights came on.
I was taken by surprise when I visited the home of a brother-in-law. The moment he stood up from his special comfortable chair, all the fish in his aquarium swam over against the glass. They were already anticipating food the moment he arose. My son’s family has a dog that gets fed once a day. On the odd occasion I have been in the home, I have broken off just a half of a dog’s milk biscuit from the box in the pantry. I do not go over terribly often, but now just as soon as the dog sees me coming, he greets me at the door and makes a bee-line for the pantry door, stands there with one paw in the air and looks only at the door. He has developed a mindset about me—and his mind is really set!
I have observed the pain many people carry with them from abuse they may have received as a child. An abusive teacher, for example, can turn a student off of education. An overly critical coach can hinder an athlete’s performance. Parents who constantly tell their children, “You are dumb,” or, “You will never amount to anything,” often instill an attitude that hampers a child for the rest of their lives. From those areas, we can only imagine the deep wounds that are left in children who are born with fetal-alcohol syndrome, drug addiction or other similar problems.
Abusive, alcoholic, violent or even absent parents all impact a child. Many people reach adult lives with thought patterns that are deeply ingrained and certainly not asked for. Some have no idea why they think and feel as they do. There are always reasons, but we cannot always find them—and even knowing the reasons does not always help in making things better.

Putting the past behind us

I am greatly encouraged when I read the statement Paul was inspired to write in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” The word “were” is vital in this sentence. Almighty God is able to erase and remove every painful fear that has been etched into our minds. He is able to heal us completely. He does not turn from those who are suffering, but His love leads us to have faith and trust in His forgiveness—and to leave the past behind us. We may not lose every painful memory or developed phobia, but He eases our load.
We all know through experience those fighting alcoholism must abstain from drinking any alcoholic beverages. They fight this battle on a day by day basis. It is a battle of the mind and certainly is not easy. I have come to realize how difficult it is for people who smoke to drop the habit. There are still far, far more difficult habits, emotions and actions that we may have to fight with. All of the categories Paul listed as not being allowed into the kingdom of God are present in our society. The word “were” indicates that a person is no longer in the grip of that “category.” It does not mean the battle against the mind and or the emotions is over—it only means that the person no longer fornicates, worships idols, commits adultery, etc. He or she has this under control.
In some extreme cases a person may have to live alone and avoid any situation compromising his struggle. Jesus made a strong point as to the value of our struggles when he said, “if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into [Gehenna] fire” (Mark 9:47). C.S. Lewis wrote, “You cannot take all luggage with you on all journeys; on one journey even your right hand and your right eye may be among the things you have to leave behind.” Naturally, we know it is not the eye that makes us offend—it is our mind and our mindset.
It is that which may be deep within our minds and provides the thrust in certain directions. Mark does not mean to remove an eye—his words basically tell us to take whatever steps needed in order not to sin. We are not to remain in the categories to which the kingdom of God is barred. We cannot stay in them. We may have to fight the good fight every day—but it is worth it a thousand times over.

Changing the inner man

The battle or struggle is not going to be easy—but then the goal is worth far more than any effort we may need to expend. Added to our effort, God offers strength and help through His Holy Spirit. He does not do the work for us, but He is there to give us rest, direction and encouragement. What is being changed is the “inner man”—that which makes you the person you are. All of us—every human being who plans to enter into the kingdom of God one day needs to change anything and everything contrary to God. We need to “walk in newness of life” as we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That path is not easy for anyone, but you will have plenty of company.
After many trying times for David, at one point, he is overcome by the realization that things will turn out all right. Why? Because of God’s love for him. Psalm 103 expresses his deep feelings at understanding the depth of God’s forgiveness, patience and mercy.
There is one important point that we need to know. We need to want to change the habits or mindset that hurts us so and which confronts God. God gives us choices and He gives us help, but we need to want to change and we need to determine (with His help) to do whatever is needed. We need to learn about ourselves and seek the steps leading to freedom. Every one of us needs God in our lives and every one of us needs to conform our minds into the mind of Christ. We need a new mindset on which to set our minds. That focus ought to be on the kingdom of God. Make that real in your life.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Beware of Prophecies! Such as Nostradamus!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about "prophecies." This follows this post about China. This follows this post about weakened police. 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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Beware of Prophecies!

by Cecil Maranville

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Interest in prophecy has skyrocketed since September 11. Religious authors aggressively market their prophetic books, and preachers push the theme on their television programs. Even secular publications feature articles on the subject. With the Internet now a part of everyday life, e-mail circulates ancient prophecies with a speed that would mystify their long-dead authors.
One of the most popular “prophecies” being circulated by e-mail is a message said to have been written by the 16th-century doctor cum prophet, Nostradamus. You may have read it: “'In the City of God there will be a great thunder, two brothers torn apart by chaos, while the fortress and doers, the great leader will succumb, the third big war will begin in the big city is burning' (Nostradamus, 1654).”
A different version of this message is also being circulated in which “the City of York” replaces “the City of God.” Still another adds the following: “On the 11th day of the 9th month, two metal birds will crash into two tall statues in the new city, and the world will end soon after.” There are other versions, but you get the idea. The messages are obviously intended to demonstrate that Nostradamus foretold the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Glaring problems challenge this assertion. The first is, Nostradamus died in 1566! Obviously, he didn't write anything in 1654! But, beyond that, he didn't write anything like the above messages or the several variations of them that are making the rounds of private e-mail lists.
A similar message to the first one noted above actually was written-not by Nostradamus-but by Neil Marshall, a Canadian university student. Mr. Marshall wrote it in an essay about Nostradamus in 1997 to demonstrate how easily his “prophecies” could be manipulated to say virtually anything (Urban Legends Reference Page, © 1995-2001 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson). Probably, someone carelessly did a word search for “Nostradamus” and pulled up this essay without bothering to read it in context. It was cut and pasted into an e-mail-and off it went around the cyber world, repeatedly!
Even if Nostradamus was a true prophet (and he wasn't), and even if his predictions came true (and they haven't), these factors would still not qualify him as someone whose writings you should read and heed. Why not? We'll explain the answer later in this article.
Malachy's “prophecies”
Another man whom some think of as a prophet is having his prophecies circulated widely. An Irishman named Malachy O'Morgair was a Catholic archbishop in the 12th century. He had a series of visions in 1140, which he wrote down and presented to the pope. For whatever reason, his 111 prophecies were placed in the Vatican's archives, where they were forgotten for the next four and a half centuries.
When they were “discovered,” people with creative imaginations claimed that they prophesied the names of every pope from Innocent II through to the present. No pope was actually named, of course, because Malachy's “prophecies” were written in the same type of non-specific language as those of Nostradamus. It's therefore easy to read meanings into them.
You may have heard about a “prophecy” that claims the present pope is the next-to-the-last one, without realizing that it comes from Malachy's “prophecies.” Again, failing to look at the man and his messages in the broader context has caused many people to stumble into giving this single “prophecy” unjustified credibility.
The non-specific language of his messages is only one of the discrediting features. His list also includes so-called anti-popes-men who were not recognized as popes by the Catholic Church! As for those who are inclined to say that his list proves the next pope will be the last one, not even the Catholic Encyclopedia makes that claim. “It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus , who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, but the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor…. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before 'Peter the Roman'” (“Prophecy”).
(Lest we leave you curious about what Malachy foretold about the last pope, he only pulled together a few words from prophecies you can read in the book of Revelation. The Bible, by the way, is much more specific than Malachy was.)
In spite of the facts, you will likely hear a great deal more about Malachy's prophecies. A major movie on Malachy is currently in the planning stages and is scheduled to be released in 2002. End of Time features a renegade monk (to be played by Martin Sheen) who tries to block the election of the final pope. The plot centers on this monk's belief in Malachy's prophecies, which, of course, the moviemakers portray as 100 percent valid. The lowly monk must convince the great political leaders of the world of the disaster they will invite if they fail to block the appointment of “the last pope.”
Sometimes fiction imitates truth. Students of Bible prophecy know that the Bible actually does predict that a religious leader will play a prominent part in the crescendo of human history at the end of the age. It's a shame that the Bible's message is potentially overshadowed or denigrated by a fraud and a movie about him. (See our booklet You Can Understand Bible Prophecy for a presentation of the truth of the subject.)
That's why we need to beware of (some) prophecies!
Purpose of prophecy
What good is prophecy? What purpose does it serve? If a genuine prophet with bona fide “credentials” walked into your life today and could tell you what was going to happen tomorrow, what difference would it make to you? Why do people want to know the future?
Clearly, after September 11, many people want to know what disasters are impending, so they can save themselves and their families. Where will the next bomb be detonated? Where will the next anthrax-tainted letter be delivered? These are reasonable concerns, but the purpose of biblical prophecy does not speak to them. In one congregation I pastored, two brothers would occasionally invite me to their home to answer their questions about the Bible.
Their questions always centered on the same theme: What's going to happen next in Bible prophecy?
Their lives were not in imminent danger; nothing like September 11 had occurred. Their motivation to learn about prophecy was different. Their interest was similar to that of the millions who will line up to see End of Time —it holds entertainment value. People want to be intrigued by the mysterious aspects and frightened by the terrifying portions of the Bible that encompass prophecy. Those young men learned the basic framework of what the Bible predicts. But, like so many people today, they didn't grasp the reason for Bible prophecy .
Do you know what it is?
In the simplest of terms, its purpose is to motivate people who hear it to change the way they live. It's not intended that they should merely change their investments or their physical location for their own safety and well-being. Neither is it intended to be “a last warning” so people can “get right with God” before they die. It's intended to motivate them to change the way they live in normal times.
In broader terms, biblical prophecy is targeted to the principal descendants of the ancient tribes of Israel. It forecasts their future and, by extension, the future of all nations. It's framed in terms of the unique, personal relationship that Israel of old had with the Creator. As the people of Israel abandoned the covenant relationship into which God had invited them, they began to incur the consequences of going it alone.
Far from being merely an anecdote of ancient history, the messages to Old Testament Israel extend through the present and into the future. Superficial readers of the Bible do not realize that the prophet Jesus Christ spoke the same language that the Old Testament prophets spoke. That is, He preached a message of a personal relationship with God within the same framework-that of a covenant.
The Old Testament, including its prophetic messages, should help us understand how to be a Christian. Sadly, most religious teachers possess and convey only a shallow understanding of its profound truths.
When a man or woman actually can predict the future
In this article, we have exposed two frauds. Can anyone predict the future? What should we do if we encounter a man or a woman who actually can tell us what is going to happen tomorrow? Wouldn't that mean that this person is someone to whom we should pay attention?
Surprisingly, no, it wouldn't.
Read what God counseled His people on this matter: “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place , and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 13:1-4, NIV).
Do you perceive the heart of the matter? We must discern prophecy from the point of view of where it takes us-specifically, if it helps us to fulfill our covenant obligations to God. It is a tragic mistake to view prophecy from the singular perspective of “will it come true?”
The apostle John repeats the message with the admonition: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
Please read beyond verse 4 of Deuteronomy 13 to find the shocking instruction on how Old Testament Israel was to deal with these prophets. They were frauds, not because they could not predict the future, but because their predictions led people into spiritual traps. Rather than have their prophecies published and widely circulated, those false prophets faced the death penalty-literally.
While we understand that this penalty phase of God's law isn't administered today, shouldn't we take direction from the principle that is so clearly expressed? Beware of prophecies. WNP

Friday, October 31, 2014

Should You Keep Halloween, Holyween, or All Saints Day?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Halloween. This follows this post about homosexuality. This follows this post about the attack in Canada. This follows this post about diseases. This follows this post about Supreme Court nominees. 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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Should You Keep Halloween, Holyween, or All Saints Day?

by Randy Stiver

Source: freeimages.com/dejure

The answer is that you should keep none of the above. But why?
During this last week of October the Vatican hosted a conference of The International Association of Exorcists (IAE) formed in 1990 by a group of Catholic priests who specialize in exorcising (casting out) demons (fallen angels who are now evil). Reports indicate that Pope Francis praised their work in the battle against the Devil.
The Association itself also advocated replacing Halloween with “Holyween” where Catholic children dress up as saints presumably as a compliment to the existing Roman Church festival on November 1^st of All Saints Day—also called All Hallows or Hallowmas.
In the early 1500s Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, officially rejected the traditional Catholic doctrine that the faithful go to heaven where they act on behalf of those who pray to them. Saints were and are typically canonized by the Vatican some length of time after their deaths by adding them to the official list. However, Protestantism has generally sanctioned the perpetuation of the holiday we know as Halloween—although it has much more ancient roots in many pagan and later Celtic annual celebrations. The bulk of today’s Halloween symbols devolve from its ancient roots.
Interestingly, Pope Francis and leaders of the IAE denounced the traditional Halloween festival which glorifies Satan, demonic spirits, so-called ghosts and all manner of evil—which prompted the Holyween alternative.
How does a true Bible student make sense of Halloween, Holyween or All Saints Day? What’s true? What isn’t true? And what does God expect of you?
1. Humans do not have immortal souls. “…The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel:18:4, 20). If souls were immortal, then they couldn’t die. However, since souls (meaning the person) can die, then to live forever in God’s Kingdom they must be given immortality at some future point. “So when…this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians:15:54).
2. True saints are not in heaven, but in the grave until the first resurrection of the dead which occurs at Jesus Christ’s return to earth. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians:4:16).
3. Satan the Devil and his demonic fallen angels do exist and are evil—but we do not glorify them with a celebration or party! Laughing at or celebrating evil is the first step to accepting and embracing it. The true Christian’s reaction to the Devil is “Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” (1 Peter:5:9).
4. True Christians observe God’s Holy Days from the Bible and reject and avoid the pagan-based holidays of the world no matter what religious label of acceptance is attached to them. God’s sanctioned days are cataloged in Leviticus 23 starting with the weekly Sabbath and followed by His annual Festivals or Feasts. The reason that choosing the right days of official worship is that a true follower of Jesus Christ seeks what is true—and true only. Jesus specifically stated, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John:4:23).
If you seek to be a “true worshiper” of God the Father and Jesus Christ, then you choose to directly reject any semblance of Halloween, Holyween, All Saints Day or Hallowmas in your life’s activities and in your worship of God.

Blog posts do not undergo review by the doctrinal review team of the United Church of God. This post represents the personal opinion of the author and should not be considered the official stance of the United Church of God. If you have any questions or concerns please direct them to webmaster@ucg.org.

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Halloween. This follows this post about Supreme Court nominees. This follows this post about Ebola. 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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Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

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A commentary by Larry Walker

Halloween is a major holiday in the Western world for people of various backgrounds. Can Halloween celebrations be reconciled with a Christian worldview and lifestyle? The Bible holds the answer.

Jack-O'-Lantern
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Monday night millions of children around the nation will be donning costumes, ringing doorbells and uttering the traditional "trick or treat" Halloween greeting. Most people consider this a harmless, fun activity for children. Others condemn the entire occasion because of the pagan origin of the day and connect it with demonism and the occult.
An article from a prominent Christian magazine suggested that "Christians should embrace the 'devilish' holiday with gusto—and laughter." The author suggests that Halloween presents us with an opportunity to "mock" and "laugh at" Satan and "the forces of evil."
A local pastor, writing wistfully of his past childhood Halloween celebration, said, "I enjoyed being a devil." He asserted that "a child doesn’t think of a red devil as an enemy of God or the apostle of hate and destruction." He went on to defend wearing costumes as merely superficial, and suggested that opposition to celebrating Halloween stems from lack of confidence in Christian beliefs.

Really only harmless fun?

Wait a minute! Is it unchristian for parents not to want their children to dress up as the Devil? Or does Satan theDevil even exist? According to a recent Barna survey, nearly 50 percent of professing Christians do not believe that Satan is a living being. For these folks, the whole question must be a moot point. But perhaps the rest of us ought to reconsider our perspective regarding Halloween.
Would anyone dare to suggest applying this reasoning to Hitler? Would wearing Hitler masks and swastikas and dressing like the skeletal remains of his victims be an appropriate way to "laugh at" Hitler and "mock" the diabolical evils of Nazism?
Is Satan a laughing matter? Does God want our children to associate fun and treats with the forces of evil?
I am not implying that a child who puts on a Halloween mask is dabbling in the occult or is in danger of demon possession. I am simply questioning the suggestion that Halloween serves a positive Christian purpose.
According to Deuteronomy:12:31-32 God does not approve of recycling, reconstituting and relabeling pagan customs to celebrate Christian events.

Carnal holidays trumped by God's Holy Days

My wife and I just finished celebrating eight fun-filled days of the Feast of Tabernacles with more than 700 men, women and children here in Central Oregon. I so much wish all of Christianity could share the joy of this meaningfuloccasion. Here is a God-ordained festival that was observed by Jesus, Paul and the apostolic Church and is still celebrated today by many Christians. It is one of seven annual Holy Days that foreshadow future events in God's plan (Colossians:2:16-17) rather than focusing on the powers of darkness that form the legacy of Halloween.
Anyone who dares express objections to Halloween has two strikes against him: 1. It is fun for the kids, and 2. It is a long-standing, firmly entrenched custom in our culture.
But the Feast of Tabernacles has Halloween beat in both categories: 1. It is fun for kids and the whole family and is eight days long, and 2. It was established thousands of years ago by God Himself. And most importantly, it and all of Holy Days of the Bible teach valuable lessons about the plan of God.
For more information, I invite you to read our free booklets, Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe? and Is There Really a Devil?

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Is Halloween Only A "Cultural" Event?

BLOGGERS NOTE: I WILL BE MOVING FROM FACEBOOK TO TWITTER AND BLOGSPOT SOON!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the culture of Halloween. This follows this post about atheism. This follows this post about changes after the Berlin Wall came down. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

Is Halloween Only A "Cultural" Event?

And what does God say about coming out of a culture?

[Darris McNeely] Today's the day that everyone's going to be coming out with all of their costumes and robes, colors that represent the prince of darkness, the dead, the undead. All Souls' Eve coming up, and up and down the streets of America we will see people coming and going in all kinds of costumes like that and others representing darkness, representing evil, representing death. Again, as I said yesterday , it's amazing to consider the rational and the arguments that people will use to justify this. I was reading on one article that talked about the fact that Halloween today has nothing to do with religion and the relics of its past. It has become a cultural event, and therefore it's okay for a Christian to take part in Halloween festivities as long as their conscience is not offended by such an event. And so I asked the question: Is Halloween something that's just cultural, and if it is, is it okay to participate in?

It doesn't take much of a research genius to go through the stories and find the underpinnings, the background, the origins of Halloween festivities. All Souls' Eve, the night that the people did what they could to keep the dead away from their own houses and their own lives. And such a non-Christian, thoroughly pagan festival, centuries old, represents things that in the Bible from the beginning in Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation God tells His people to stay away from.

But sometimes you see a little different twist like you do when you say, "Well, it's just cultural today" as if in our modern, to our modern mind and times we have changed it by our own good, by our own rational and reasoning that it's not religious. It's just cultural, therefore it's okay. As if the God who in the Bible says He doesn't change (Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

See All...). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever would change His view on something dealing with the dead, things that would be and are completely unclean.

There's one scripture that came to mind when I was thinking about this, and it's in Revelation chapter 18 where it talks about Babylon. Revelation 18 and beginning in verse 2 in this story about Babylon, a system portrayed throughout scripture as the antithesis of the Kingdom of God and anything dealing with the culture and the way of God and His holiness and His righteous life. And in Revelation 18:2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

See All... it is recorded that "He cried mightily with a loud voice saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!'" And so this picture of a future system called Babylon that is described here in the Bible as a dwelling place of demons and a prison for every foul spirit. Something that later on in the chapter here, verse 4, God says, "Come out of her My people lest you share in her sins and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Revelation 18:4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

See All...). The system called Babylon at the time of the end makes one last effort to thwart the purpose and plan of God is here described as being the place, the repository of every demon and every foul spirit.

And so when we look around our culture today and we see demons and we see foul spirits, and we see people reveling in that and dressing up and laughing and partying in a cultural manner, do we ask the question: Is it okay? I think that it is not, and I think that because of what scripture says. It's not my judgment. It's God's judgment.

And when you read the rest of the story here in Revelation 18 about Babylon there will be a time of judgment upon an entire system that flies in the face of God, out of which God says, "Come out. Take no part in what she does" (Revelation 18:4-8 [4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

[5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

[6] Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

[7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

[8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

See All...). And so you can say something has been sanitized and changed because of the way a culture and a time looks at it, but God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever still has the same point of view. And so the lesson is there for us and the decision is up to you and to me.

That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

What Memory or Legacy Will You Leave Behind?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about one’s legacy. This follows this post about Communism. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

What Memory or Legacy Will You Leave Behind?

by Janet Treadway

Funerals seem to be a time of reflection. It is a time to reflect on the memories of the person who died. You either have great memories of that person, or sadly, not so much!

It seems all the memories, of the deceased, come out at a funeral. The preacher seems to bring out the positives. Sad to say, sometimes it can be very hard to have good memories of some individuals. However, a funeral is not the time to be brutally honest about someone if their character was bad. But their character will not escape our memory. We all hold memories in our heart of an individual’s character, legacies that they left.

Funerals are also the place where reality hits us squarely in the face, reminding us of our appointment with death. For a moment we are forced to focus on death and the reality that we will not live forever. And yes, none of us will escape the ending of our physical life. In Genesis 3:19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

See All... it says, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

As we age, and death becomes more of a reality, we begin to focus on making a will. Deciding what material things we will leave behind and to whom. Having things in order when we die is love for our loved ones. But do we give it much thought as to what legacy, character or good memory we will leave behind? Material things fade away, but the legacy that you leave will transfer on to your children, friends, and those you have touched while you were alive.

So what memories will you leave behind, for people to reflect on when you die? And what legacy will you leave behind for your children to carry on and hand on to their children? This is an important question to ask if you want your children to be blessed.

It must start with your devotion to God. Your legacy begins in your heart and your response to God. Psalm 112:1-2 [1] Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

[2] His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

See All... reads, "How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed."

The Ten Commandments -- which are not the “Ten Suggestions” or “Ten Opinions” -- is our blueprint for life in how to build good memories with our families, co-workers, neighbors, church, communities and most of all with God. “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (Psalm 112:1-2 [1] Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

[2] His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

See All... NIV).

And young people, it is not too early for you to give thought to the legacy you will leave behind. In Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

See All... it reminds us, “Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." Sadly, too often, a young person’s life is cut short for various reasons. God admonishes you to remember Him as you live your life because you will give an account for your actions.

Yes, what will people think of you at your funeral? What legacy will you leave your love ones? Here are two quotes to consider:

“Your story is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends. It’s the longest-lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.” - Steve Saint

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” - Shannon L. Alder

Live a life that fears, loves, obeys and respects your Creator, God the Father. If you do this you will leave a great legacy for your family, friends, and neighbors -- and great will be your reward in God’s Kingdom.

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brianlee

Tuesday, October 20, 2015