Points of Truth Newsletter Jan./Feb. 2003


	POINTS OF TRUTH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

Newsletter

Crusade Church of God

Volume VI, Number 1

Jan./Feb. 2003

Jesus, the Heart of the Gospel
By: Larry R. Lasiter

If you put your hand on your chest you will feel your heart beating. In anxious moments, we have all felt the strong thumping of this muscle as it pumps blood throughout our system. We may hold our breath momentarily, but we cannot stop the heart. Anyone who has experienced a problem with their heart understands how important this tiny organ is to their well-being, though it is no bigger than your fist and weighs less than a pound.

Our heart beats an average of 72 times each minute, which is about 100,000 times each day. In a 24-hour period it will have pumped the equivalent of 1,800 gallons of blood through more than 60,000 miles of our circulation system. Without its labor life could not be sustained.

On the last day of March 2002, my father passed away in his sleep while watching TV. He had lived with me for the last four years of his life. He was already expired when the paramedics came, but still they worked valiantly to restart his heart. They knew that a beating heart means life to the body. He was pronounced dead only when it became evident that they could not get a heartbeat.

The Bible says that the life of a person is in the blood. And it is the heart which pumps this life throughout the body. If any part of our body is deprived of the blood, it soon withers and dies.

Even in everyday life, when someone is really serious, they may find themselves saying,- "Come on! Let's get to the "heart" of the matter!" So, just what is the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Most of the Christian world believes that the true gospel is a message about Christ and his crucifixion. But many of our fellow Sabbath keeping congregations teach a different message as the gospel.

Under the leadership of Herbert W. Armstrong the worldwide church of God taught that the one and only true gospel of Jesus Christ was a message of a coming kingdom or government which will be established on the earth at the return of Jesus. This church broke into many pieces in the 1990s because of massive doctrinal changes. This in turn, produced a multitude of congregations. Some affiliated with an off-shoot organization and some, like us, became independent. Most all of these churches continued to hold the belief that to teach Christ, and Him crucified constituted preaching a false gospel.

Notice this from"Mystery of the Ages," by Herbert W. Armstrong,- "What is the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ? It has not been preached for 19 centuries, strange as that may seem. . . It is necessary to believe that gospel to be saved! And how can you believe it, unless you know what it is? And for 1900 years, the world did not know. That gospel was suppressed and replaced by man's gospel about Christ." (P. 295)Roderick C. Meredith, founder of the Living Church of God in his booklet "Do You Believe the True Gospel?"calls the teaching of Christ, and Him crucified a "false gospel." Notice, - "Frankly, millions of sincere men and women have put up with a false gospel." Mr. Meredith begins the booklet saying -"Your eternity depends on your willingness to understand and believe the true gospel!"

Perhaps I should say here that I believe the Bible teaches a coming kingdom where Jesus will establish the Government of God on the earth. However, I believe "Kingdom" has to be Scripturally defined, a message of a future Kingdom is not the central theme of the gospel in the New Testament Scriptures.

Those who believe that a future kingdom is the main message of the gospel are quick to point out that Jesus said, -"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" The emphasis is always put on "of." This is meant to say, that the true gospel is a message "of" Christ, not a message "about"Christ.

After His death, the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples and commissioned them to take the gospel to the whole world, notice -"go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you."(Matthew 28: 19 -20)

We can look in the Bible and see what the heart of their teaching was. Surely they knew what message was to be preached. Also, it is important for us to understand what the purpose of the gospel is. Is it to simply announce a future event as a witness? Or is it a message which has the power to save those who receive it from their sins at the time they hear it? And one must ask the question, how does announcing a future event redeem anyone from the penalty of their sins?

The first place in Scripture where we see an apostle preaching the gospel is in Acts chapter 2. This of course, is Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost. In verse 21 Peter says that all who will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. In verses 22 -24, Peter tells the Jews that they had killed the Son of God, but that God had raised him from the dead. In verse 36, he tells them -"God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." It verses 37 -41, the Jews cried out -"what shall we do?" Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. In verse 40, we see Peter exhorting them saying -"Be saved from this perverse generation!"

In his entire message, not once did Peter mention a gospel of a coming kingdom. Yet we see that 3000 souls were saved that day as they received the message of Christ and Him crucified.

Now, let's take a look at what Paul taught, notice 1 Cor.15:1-4, -"Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried , and that he was raised on the third day."

Here, the apostle Paul is clearly identifying what gospel he preached, again there is no mention of a message of a soon coming government being established on the earth, just the saving message of Christ dying for our sins.

Notice also, that Paul said that he had delivered to them what was of "first importance" saying that he had received it from Christ. In his letter to the Galatians Paul said that he preached what Jesus had taught him personally by revelation. In chapter 2, he reminded them that he had gone up to Jerusalem and presented to Peter, James and John what gospel he was preaching to the Gentiles, and said that they had added nothing to him.

Earlier in his letter to the Corinthians he said, -"And when I came to you brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1 -2)

Here again we see the apostle Paul preaching the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified, even saying that this was the only message that he had delivered to them in the beginning. Clearly they received salvation through hearing and receiving the message that God had become a man and was crucified for our sins.

Notice also, -"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."(1 Cor.1:17-18) "For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness."(1 Cor.1:22-23)

Here we find an apostle of Jesus Christ preaching a message, the true gospel, - Christ crucified. It is this message that has the power to save souls. All who are lost in sin, which includes everyone who has ever lived except Jesus, are in need of a Savior. A righteous Savior who was willing to give his life, by shedding His blood to blot out the sins of all who would receive His sacrifice. An announcement of what Jesus is going to do on the earth at His return is not relevant, nor is it good news to those who are lost in sin.

A "witness message" cannot save, it can only warn or announce. As Paul said the gospel is the power of salvation to all who hear and receive it.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul said that if the gospel was veiled, it was veiled to those who are perishing. He goes on to say that they are blinded by their unbelief and cannot see the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) Again we find the subject of the gospel is Jesus.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said that he was set apart to preach the gospel concerning the Son of God who was resurrected from the dead. (Romans 1:1-4) Now notice verses 16 and 17, -"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." Only the gospel of God becoming a man and giving his righteous life for unrighteous sinners has the power to save those who believe.

Paul told the Hebrews that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness for sins.(Hebrews 9:22) He goes on to say that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (10:4) Paul then reveals the righteous offering, a holy sacrifice had been made once and for all, and his name was Jesus.(10:10)

When Paul wrote the Philippians he told them that since he had been in prison greater progress had been made in spreading the gospel (1:12) He said that the "cause of Christ" had become well-known throughout the whole praetorian guard. As a result, people had far more courage to speak the gospel without fear.

Paul admits that some were teaching "Christ" out of selfish ambition, but said that even in this he would rejoice because "Christ was preached." Once again, we find the heart of the gospel message was about the person Jesus Christ. Paul did not say he rejoiced because a message of a "coming kingdom" was being preached, but that "Christ was being preached."

In the book of Acts, chapter 8, we read the story where Philip preached the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch. He had come across the eunuch reading the book of Isaiah. More specifically, he was reading chapter 53 which is the prophecy of Messiah as a suffering servant. Notice, -"He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth." (Acts 8:32 / Isaiah 53:7) The Ethiopian confessed to Philip that he did not know the meaning of this Scripture and asked if the Prophet was speaking of himself or someone else. In verse 35 we see that Philip "preached Jesus to him." After receiving this message of Christ and him crucified, the man asked -"What prevents me from being baptized?" Now notice what Philip said,-"If you believe with all your heart, you may." And the man answered Philip and said,-"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."(Acts 8:36-37)

Notice that Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart" you may be baptized. Did Philip mean that this Ethiopian must believe a "gospel" that Jesus would establish a government on the earth in 2000 years in order to be baptized and saved? What was it that this man said he did believe? Wasn't it that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and had been crucified for the sins of the world? Isn't that what Isaiah chapter 53 is all about? And didn't this man receive salvation through the message of the suffering servant? Once again, we find that the subject of the gospel is Jesus crucified. And once again, we find nothing about a "gospel" of a coming kingdom connected to the salvation of this sinner.

Even when the angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he proclaimed, -"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, (Heb."Yeshua" meaning "Salvation") for it is He who will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) The purpose for this child coming into the world was to "save His people from their sins." The angel did not say, "To announce a future world-ruling kingdom."

In Acts 5 we read where the Apostles were arrested by the Jewish Religious leaders for "Preaching Jesus Crucified." When those men forbade them to teach Jesus Peter replied, "We must obey God rather than men." (Verse 29) He goes on to remind them that they had killed Jesus by "hanging Him on a cross." (Verse 30) He testifies in the next verse that this Jesus is "Savior" and in Him alone can one be saved. Afterwards these Jewish leaders had the Apostles beaten, warned them against preaching Jesus, and released them. Notice the result,- they "rejoiced", "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ." (Verse 42)

Paul told Timothy,- "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David according to MY GOSPEL, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the Word of God is not imprisoned." (2 Tim. 2:8-9) This was the message for which Paul suffered persecution. And this was the "gospel" which he delivered.

"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time. And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle." (1 Tim. 2:5-7)

In chapter 1 of Galatians Paul warns of a curse for those who would preach or receive a different gospel than the one which he taught. I do not know what this curse is, or will be, but since it is in the word of God I believe it is very real. Personally, I want to make sure that I have received, confess, and proclaim the true gospel of Christ, for I want no part of a curse. Even then there were those who were perverting the gospel of Christ. Even today, some teach that Paul was warning against receiving a gospel of "Christ crucified"other than the "true" message of a "coming kingdom." But where do we find Paul saying this? We have seen clearly, by the apostle's own words that he preached Christ crucified and resurrected as the gospel message.

Now, the Bible does teach that at the return of Jesus He will establish a kingdom upon the earth and reign for 1000 years. But when Jesus was on earth as a man he said that the kingdom of God was at hand. Was he referring to a kingdom thousands of years away, to Himself as king of the kingdom, or was he saying that a kingdom was really then "at hand?"

In Luke chapter 17 the Pharisees questioned Jesus as to when the kingdom of God was coming. He answered them and said,-"The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say 'Look, here it is!' or ' There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (verses 20-21) I am quoting from the NAS but the KJV renders this,-"Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." There are some who teach that Jesus was only referring to Himself because He would be the king of the kingdom when He established the kingdom at His return in glory. But Jesus taught that the kingdom was something that the Jewish religious leaders of His day could have entered into but were unwilling to. Notice,- "But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matthew 23: 13)

A high-ranking Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus by night inquiring about the Kingdom of God. This man held the belief that this Kingdom would be established upon the earth when Israel was exalted to power under the leadership of a Messiah. But Jesus told him, "You must be born again to see the Kingdom." (John 3:3) Jesus was saying that it is not enough to be born of Abraham's natural seed to inherit the Kingdom of God. One must be born of the "spirit." Jesus said, "Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." (Verse 5) When Nicodemus confessed that he still did not understand, Jesus replied,- "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (Verse 12) Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is a "heavenly thing," not a "earthly thing."

Now notice what Paul taught the Corinthians,- "Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 15:50)

If one "cannot see" the Kingdom unless he be "born again", and if "flesh and blood" cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, then the Kingdom must be more than a physical government on the earth enforced by spiritual beings on the earth. The nations which will be forced to obey God after the return of Christ cannot enter nor inherit the Kingdom of God because they will be flesh. Though these nations will be ruled by the Kingdom of God, they cannot enter the Kingdom of God, because one must be "born again" of the "spirit" to even "see" it.

Can one enter the kingdom of God now? Notice what John said in Revelation chapter 1, verses 5 and 6,-"To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by his blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father." We see here that those who are released from their sins by the blood of Jesus then become a kingdom, and priests to God.

In Revelation chapter 5, verses 9 and 10 we read the words of a new song sang in heaven saying,-"Worthy are You to take the book and break its seals; for You were slain and did purchase for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Now, concerning a kingdom which can be entered into now, notice what Paul said in this letter to the Colossians,-"For He (Father) delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (1:13-14)

From these "Kingdom" Scriptures, we see that those who are "born again" of the "spirit", "become a Kingdom" or are "transferred into the Kingdom of God."

At the return of Jesus in glory, the dead in Christ shall rise in His glorious image, (1 John 3) spirit and immortal, then those who are alive shall be changed also with a "twinkling of an eye" and shall all meet the Lord in the sky. Then they shall descend with Jesus to the Mount of Olives. (1 Cor 15 / 1 Thes. 4 / Zech. 14) This Body of believers are the spiritual entity spoken of in Scripture, the Kingdom of God coming in all its glory to the earth.

Did Jesus merely come to reveal the Father and announce a far in the distance kingdom? Let us allow Jesus to speak for himself,-"Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say,-Father save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came." (John 12: 27) Here we find Jesus telling us why he came into the world. At this time He was preparing to suffer an agonizing death on the cross for those lost in sin, and He was deeply troubled. God, the Son had come into the world as a man that He might die to redeem the lost.

Those who deny that the gospel is about Jesus and Him crucified, going so far as to believe that this is a "false gospel" cannot feel free to adore Him. Though they know that He suffered horribly and died for their sins, it is difficult for them to openly worship Him or publicly profess their love and appreciation for His sacrifice. The label "counterfeit gospel" attached to the person Jesus is like a dark cloud that hangs over their minds. They may love Jesus, but they do not feel free to publicly express it. They feel awkward just lovingly saying "Thank You Jesus."

Though Christians should not be driven by emotion, they should feel free to express proper emotion. The apostle Paul once said,- "If we are beside ourselves, it is for God and because of Christ. If we are of sound mind it is for your sake. "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all died ;and He died for all the that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."(2 Cor. 5:13-15)

To understand that Jesus, our Savior, loves us with a love so great that he suffered and died for us, should cause us to be literally overwhelmed with deep gratitude and appreciation. I never get tired of the gospel of Jesus Christ, or find it burdensome to regularly express my adoration to Him who gave His life for mine.

Recently, during a Friday evening Praise and Prayer service here, a young man was suddenly filled with the joy of the Lord and could not help but proclaim the wonderful name of "Jesus" over and over as he publicly prayed a prayer of gratitude for His sacrifice. He had been raised in a church which taught that "Christ Crucified" was a "false gospel." He never felt comfortable saying "Jesus" so he would usually say "God" or "Christ." To call Him "Jesus" was just too personal for him,- until that night.

He now feels that he has entered a "new chapter" of his life. It was like he was literally released from some invisible chains which held him in bondage. He now feels free to express with his lips what he has been feeling in his heart for some time. Now he wants everyone to feel the joy that he is experiencing in Jesus.

There is power in the blood of Jesus, the power to blot out sin. Where sin is blotted out there remains no longer a penalty, only freedom. As Jesus said in his first message in the synagogue when He began His ministry,-"He anointed Me to preach the gospel. . To proclaim release to the captives. . . To set free those who are downtrodden. . . Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4: 18-21)

The gospel of Jesus Christ does set free those who are downtrodden and releases those who were once held captive by sin. It is the liberating and lifesaving message that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) 2000 Years ago the love of God displayed its might on a hill called Calvary. That is a life changing message, the real heart of the gospel, -and the best news sinful man could ever receive.

Testimony: "Whom the Lord has set Free. . ."

By: Treon Lasiter

In 1995, about seven years ago, my family and I went through an unusually difficult trial. During this time I made some decisions concerning my oldest daughter that I grew to terribly regret because of the eventual consequences that followed.

When I came to realize my mistakes I repented deeply, because I felt I had not only let my family down by not being a stronger Christian mother, but also my heavenly Father. I had raised all my children in church and we as a family had taught them God's principles and ways every day of their lives. But now I felt as if I had failed to be strong enough for my firstborn when she needed me to give her wise counsel. To make things even worse I was in opposition to my husband in the matter when I knew the Word of God told me to submit to his judgment.

I went to God in tears asking for forgiveness in prayer. I was afraid I had helped cause a child of God to fall away. I hated those mistakes and vowed before God to be faithful. But I began to feel overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, shame and unforgiveness. Every time I would kneel to God in prayer I would bitterly weep and sob, and ask to be forgiven all over again.

Soon, I began to feel it was hopeless for me and that I had even lost eternal life. I felt that God did not love me anymore. I contemplated suicide, but I had young children at home and couldn't stand to think of what this would do to them. I would simply have to live in condemnation until the judgment, where I felt sure that I would not be accounted worthy to receive eternal life.

Even in all this, having all these terrible feelings, no one else knew I felt this way. No one knew I was experiencing guilt, shame and feelings of condemnation. When I was delivered and later gave my testimony to the congregation, everyone was shocked. Several said,- "But you are a wonderful example of what it is to be a godly wife and mother." Everyone said they had no idea that I was having such trouble, including my husband and children.

This went on until a Friday night praise service almost two years ago. I was having an unusually difficult time. The devil would whisper in my ear; " you don't belong here, you should just run away, etc... After we had been singing for about an hour, we turned the lights down low , and all went to our private places to pray. My husband and I often pray in opposite corners as it was this night.

I was so distraught , I could only pray silently,- "God, help me!" It was at that point I felt someone's gentle hands on my head and I heard my husband praying in a tongue I could not understand, but I began to feel a tremendous JOY and HAPPINESS and RELEASE that I had never experienced before! I knew now that the Lord did love me and had forgiven me all along. I was free from those shackles of guilt, shame and condemnation for the first time in years!

My husband said that as he was praying the Lord spoke to him in the spirit and said,- "Go to your wife." He did not know exactly where I was so he proceeded slowly in the dim lighting. As I was silently praying, I felt his hand take my arm and pull me toward him. It was at this time that he began touching my head and praying in tongues. But it did not seem to be his hands but the Lord's. It was as if the Lord, Himself was just caressing and loving me.

My husband later told me that he felt as though he could feel the Lord's hands on me. He did not know all the meaning of the prayer he prayed over me except that at one point the Lord said,- "You are a blessed mother." At the time he did not know I had been secretly struggling for years.

The next morning I went outside to pray and read my Bible. As I sat down in our yard swing, I began to joyfully thank God for His presence the night before, and out of habit, I began to repent again of the same thing, but this time, before I even got the word "forgive" out of my mouth, I heard the Lord's unmistakable voice say firmly, "Don't bring that up to Me again!" I shouted Hallelujah! And after reading a while I went inside to share what had happened with my family.

When I told my husband, he rejoiced with me and said, "She whom the Lord sets free, is free indeed!"Since that day of deliverance I have been walking in freedom and victory, knowing My heavenly Father loves me. He not only proved it by giving His only Son that I might be saved from the penalty of my sins and be with Him forever,- but also by reaching down and touching me with His healing hand of deliverance.

Since that night two years ago I have felt for the first time that I could claim what Proverbs says,- "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she SMILES AT THE FUTURE." (Chapter 31, Verse 25)

God Rejects an Evil Heart!

By: Wayne Schatzle

I once saw a bumper sticker which I guess was intended to be funny. It said, "I'm not prejudiced, I hate everyone!"
Maybe if it wasn't such a serious subject it may have been funny. To hate someone because of skin color makes a hopeless situation because there's nothing you can do about it, we're stuck with the look God gave us.

But just how important is racism? In Matthew 5, Jesus said, "Whoever would be angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment and if you bring a gift to the altar and remember the offense you have, leave the gift there and go and reconcile first, then come back and offer the gift."

Do we grasp the magnitude of that verse? If we are not willing to solve the racism problem in our minds, we shouldn't waste time by going to church and save that money from the collection plate. God will not accept worship from such an evil heart. Furthermore, the Bible declares you can't love God who you have never seen, and hate your brother whom you have seen.

Someone has probably said by now, "That scripture doesn't apply to me, the race I hate is not my brother." Think on this: Eve is the mother of all men, and all races as well. Eve had the capacity within her to be the mother of all races.

This is the only conclusion left to us if we believe the Bible. Also, according to a recent summary of modern biological knowledge on human racial characteristics, the difference in human genes linked to race is only .012 percent.

Humans all have the cellular machinery to make them very white or very black. What color you are reflects only on trivial genetic differences. In transplant surgery, an organ from a white donor can make a more acceptable match for a black patient, and vice versa.

Racism reduces people to objects of hate rather than individuals created in the image of God and blurs commendable actions of others.

In Germany, in 1935, the racism theme was given legislative expression by the enactment of the Nurnberg Laws. Jews were formally excommunicated from German societys legalized racism. They were hated regardless of the kind of citizens they were.

The people who hated them were Christians, followers of Jesus, a Jew. They venerated his mother, also a Jew, held sacred the Bible, written by Jews, and belong to a church formed by Jews.

Can we pick and choose whom will be our object of hate and our object of love? Not so, according to that same Jesus Christ we find written about in that same Bible. Matthew 22 says: "You shall love God with your whole being, this is the first great commandment and the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself".

On these two commandments hang all. the laws and prophets". That's amazing - love God and others as yourself and the rest of the laws will take care of themselves.

Loving all people requires help from God. We need His Holy Spirit for us to show genuine love for others. May God speed the day when His kingdom comes and we can finally live in peace and harmony with each other.

"If there is a God, I need You Now!"

Testimony: By Barry - Australia

My first memories of Jesus are very fond. Up to the age of five I remember feeling this overpowering love for the Lord. As a young child I remember my favorite songs were hymns. I would spend hours looking through my Uncles illustrated Bibles. I would draw the crucifixion scene over. Even at the age of five or six I remember thinking that I would very much like to go to heaven.

My family were strong Catholics. That meant that we went to mass, had statues and medals in our house and that was it. The only time my father ever struck me was when I used the Lords name in vain.

I remember that my dad had accrued many books on evolution during his science degree. He spent many hours teaching me about evolution. His favorite movie was 2001 a space odyssey. He declared that one day we would evolve again into a higher level of existence just like the end of the movie. He taught me that the old testament was a hoax because science disproved it. He took me to see movies like "chariots of the Gods" at the age of six to show me that we had to be the remnant of some older alien civilization. Dad also became involved in the occult - Tarot cards, clairvoyance, astral projecting and witchcraft.

So my childhood view of the world changed from awe at Christ to an eclectic evolution/science fiction/occult view of the meaning of life. But the bottom line was this mix gave life no meaning.
I spent my primary school years convincing kids at my Catholic school that the bible was false. I spent my high school years laughing at the stupidity and morality of Christians. I spent the ages of 22 - 27 ripping apart my Christian sister in law and other family members claims that Christ was the only way. I believed that all religions were valid and all paths led to God. I used the leverage of my worldly education to try to shoot holes in their beliefs.

In 1999 two days before my second child was born, our Doctor called me. I was working three hours from home. He informed me that the vital signs were dropping off and that it was likely that the child could die.

The first thing I did was hit the floor on my knees. I cried out "Lord, if you are real, please save my daughter. I promise I will walk with you all my life and raise my children in a Christian home". A cry from the heart of a sinner who never acknowledged his Father. I felt this overwhelming sense that the true and living God was with me, even though I spent my life rejecting him.

I got home as quickly as possible. At the induced delivery I expected the worst - a stillborn or brain damaged child. Four hours into labor a perfect baby girl was born. I was overjoyed. The doctor dragged me into the corner."Have a look at this" he held a kidney dish before me. In it were the black remnants of some rotten organ."What is it?" I enquired. "This is your wife's placenta. It is a miracle that this child lived".

Two months later I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at an altar call at our church. My wife also did the same that day. That year my brother, brother-in-law and mother-in-law were also saved. Right before his death my father-in-law was saved. I have seen more miracles in one year than I would have believed possible. In a strange twist I am now teaching scripture to children one day a month at primary school. Twenty years before I was leading children from the Lord.

My dad died when I was fifteen. Only God knows what was in his heart when he died. Jesus has changed my life so much. Before I was saved I already had a senior position with a good salary and all the things the world holds dear. But this never made me happy. Now I gladly give it to the Lord - everything I have is his. I feel strangely not at home in the world yet happy to serve the Lord in it until He calls me home.

If somebody is reading this who considers themselves an intellectual as I did wants to laugh the testimony off I would encourage them to try this. Pray everyday for three months that God will reveal Himself in your life. Lay down your pride in your knowledge and beliefs and ask that if Jesus is Lord, could He touch your life. I was a person full of pride because of my achievements in life - yet at the peak of this I felt at my most hollow. It was only when I realized that it was because of God that my life was blessed that I gave Him the glory. .

Beware the Wolf!

By: Larry R. Lasiter

Perhaps no animal has captured the imagination of man like the wolf. The wolf has permeated the mind of man in legendary proportions. Thus, his folklore is full of stories about the wolf. The wolf's bad reputation is not without foundation, former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once called the wolf, the "beast of waste and desolation". This statement was a result of observing the seemingly senseless slaughter of sheep by wolves. Why do they kill so much more than they can eat? This is contrary to the nature of predator and prey.

Wolves are intelligent creatures, as animals go, they are playful and protective parents to their young. They kill many animals for food, but slaughter sheep compulsively. Notice this quote from Senator Kendrick of Wyoming in the late 1890's -"Recently I've received quite a few letters from university people insisting, as I recall, on moderate action in connection with the extermination of predatory animals, but I am unable to conceive of anyone making that plea who had a personal acquaintance with either the terrific disaster wrought upon herds and flocks by wolves...or with the method employed by these animals in connection with the destruction of their prey. It is the most barbarous thing imaginable. No doubt the motives of these people are the best, but I believe they are uniformed."

Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of hell (Greek "hades" -grave) would not prevail over it. Jesus, and other inspired writers of the New Testament called the church the "flock of God". Notice Luke 12:32 -"Do not be afraid, LITTLE FLOCK, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." In John chapter 10, Jesus says that He is the true Shepherd of His flock, and that unlike a hireling, paid to oversee the flock, He will not flee when danger comes, but protect the flock even risking His own life for them. Notice Verses 11-13 -"I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not owner of the sheep, beholds the WOLF coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the WOLF snatches them, and SCATTERS THEM. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep." The Apostle Peter instructed those that God had made under-shepherds of Christ, to -"Shepherd the FLOCK among you.." (1 Peter 5:2)

And like real sheep, the flock of God has formidable enemies also. These enemies of the church are called different things, but when likened to the animal kingdom, they are referred to as "ravenous wolves". Notice Jesus' warning in Matthew 7:15 -"BEWARE of the FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in SHEEP'S CLOTHING, but inwardly are RAVENOUS WOLVES."

Paul Said -"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the FLOCK, among which the holy spirit has made you OVERSEERS, to SHEPHERD the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure SAVAGE WOLVES will come in among you, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears."Acts 20:28-31

Wolves are instruments of their leader, the Devil! They may not realize it, they may be deceived themselves, but nonetheless, they do the work of Satan. He seeks to scatter the FLOCK from the TRUE SHEPHERD. The sheep are safe if they remain close to the Shepherd, but are in danger if they stray away. Wolves that are false teachers will try to entice the sheep to follow them, in order to lead them to slaughter. Again, wolves usually don't know they are wolves, and are being used as instruments of the Devil, but their fruits tell the tale. Matthew 7:15 says they come in "sheep's clothing". In verse 16, Jesus tells that we will know them by their "fruits".

Wolves among the flock want to stop the Christian in his tracks. Since he is driven by the spirit of the Devil, he will use the same tactics. He will seek to engender doubt, and attempt to spread the feeling of hopelessness while the believer is enduring a trial. He will often act as an accuser of the brethren. While with you he will poison you with accusations of another brother or sister, while with someone else, he will use your own words against you. He seeks to cause division and strife in the assembly of the Lord.He may comfort you in a wrong way, causing you to believe you are justified in your sin, hampering you from coming to real repentance.

Wolves are sometimes true Christians that have said "No" to God. God has tried to take them through bitter places and they have refused to go. Rather than overcome a bitter trial, they allow themselves to be overcome with bitterness. They have lost their joy. They can no longer rejoice in their trials, as Jesus said. They can't rejoice, because they are no longer living for tomorrow, but for today. By becoming a friend of the world, they have become enemies of Christ.(James 4:4) Have you ever tried to worship God, while being critical, or a fault-finder of others?

There may have been sin in their life that was difficult to repent of. Satan may have continually accused them because of it, causing doubt and discouragement, and eventually hopelessness to the point of tempting them to give up. They have said "No" to the dealing of their sin when God asked for everything. Remember, one of Satan's tactics is applying constant pressure. He attempts to wear down the patience of the saints.(Daniel 7:25)

After giving up on God, and giving in to the Devil, they will focus on the sins of others, whether real or imagined. To cover their own guilt, they will blame others for whatever problems they have. They may put on a front of joy and happiness, especially in the assembly, but it is only an illusion. It is not there the rest of the week. By quenching the spirit of God, they are becoming a hollow shell.

Without true repentance, in time they will become a wolf, in the assembly. They will have lost their true salvation, so they will to recreate the terms of salvation. Not based upon the holy Word of God, but by the dictates of their own deceived heart.

By creating their own terms of salvation, they destroy the standard of God. All that is left is a spirit of delusion. They become bent on leading others into their permissive behavior. They become haters of truth and light, and lovers of deceit and darkness. They may appear righteous on the outside as the Scribes and Pharisees who Jesus called hypocrites, but there is no longer any light in them.

Somewhere in their life they have said to God, -"This is as far as I'm willing to go!" They have failed to count the cost of being a Christian, or have determined the cost is too high. They are not willing to pay the price of salvation, which is a life of resisting sin. Like the church at Ephesus, they usually do not suddenly stop professing Christ. But by this point, they have already began denying His Way of life, the only Way that leads to salvation.

Remember, wolves come in sheep's clothing. He will seek to befriend you, especially if you are a new convert, spiritually weak or going through a severe trial. Soon, like tares, they will begin to entangle you with their roots. One of the most effective tools of the wolf is gossip. With gossip he will poison the minds of the unsuspecting. He may come to you with the words, -"Just between me and you". Then proceed to poison your mind toward another brother or sister that is not there to defend themself. The wolf will say he is telling you because "you need to know" and because he is "deeply concerned". What he tells you may be 100% true or some truth mixed with lies. But his real purpose is to get your mind off holiness. By enticing you into critical evaluations and conversations of other brethren, he will succeed in hampering your prayers, thus achieving the first step in separating you from your Savior, and true Shepherd. Again, the wolf probably is not aware of his own motives, he has been given a spirit of delusion.(2 Thes. 2:11)

The Bible is clear in its instruction toward helping a brother or sister if you see him practicing sin. You are to go to him directly in a spirit of love and humility, motivated to restore your brother. To reconnect him to the Vine.

The wolf will not follow this Biblical procedure, because he is not really motivated by the spirit of restoration of the brother or sister. He may offer various excuses, such as, -"I would talk to him, but I'm sure he won't listen to me", or "That person thinks he knows it all". And like the Pharisees who would not accept Jesus, and would not allow others to either, the wolf will not want you to go try to help the person he is accusing, even though he says he is concerned for them. He may say, "I'm going to tell you this, but please don't tell anyone I said it."

You may give your word to keep it confidential, then receive into your being poison that would eventually destroy your soul. You won't really know if it is true, and now you won't have a means of finding out. You may never look at that brother or sister in the same way again. You will have received "seeds" of division. Notice Paul's instruction toward them in Romans 16:17-18 -"Now I URGE YOU, brethren, keep your eye on those who CAUSE DISSENSIONS and HINDRANCES contrary to the teaching which you learned, and TURN AWAY FROM THEM. For such are SLAVES not of our Lord Christ but of THEIR OWN APPETITES; and by their smooth and flattering speech they DECEIVE the hearts of the unsuspecting."

God gives the Christian a spirit of unity not division. They are to be separate from the world, but united in Christ and their love for one another.

Here are some "WOLF CHASERS" for the suspected wolf among the brethren, or the possible tare that may be attempting to entangle themselves into your "root system". "Why are you telling me this about brother so and so?" How do you know what you are telling me is true?" Why haven't you gone to him privately as the Scripture says?" "If you are really concerned, do something about it other than telling others about it." "Can I quote what you are telling me?" "Let's you and I go to that person and help restore him." "Even if what you say is true, isn't it still gossip?"

Notice Matthew 12:36-37 -"And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For BY YOUR WORDS you shall be JUSTIFIED, and BY YOUR WORDS you shall BE CONDEMNED."Beware the Wolf!

News, Letters & Odds n Ends</SPAN>

Dear Pastor
I am a Christian and I have raised my family to acknowledge the truth of why we celebrate Christmas. My pastor teaches the same thing that you do and your article "Where Did We Get Christmas?" only confirms his revelation. My questions are as follows: Why do Christians of other denominations not know the truth about this pagan holiday? They read and study the same Bible that we do. Are their eyes closed to the matter? Knowing the truth, not getting into the decoration or anything, is it wrong to give your children gifts on this day? L.Sing

Dear Friend, Warmest of Greetings in the Mighty and Majestic Name of our Heavenly Father and His Glorious Son Jesus Christ. I hope this letter finds you well and prospering in the love, grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior.

I am sure that there are a number of different reasons why Christians observe Christmas. Probably most do understand that the way that it is observed today, along with its symbols date back to ancient pagan times. Even the phrases commonly used such as "Yuletide Greetings" or "Seasonal Greetings" serve as reminders of its ancient past. But most Christians simply do not believe that any of that matters. They believe that the holiday has been "Christianized" and that today it is observed to honor the birth of Christ. Many Christians view this as a "triumph" over paganism. Yes, Christians read the same Bible, but "Christmas" is not specifically mentioned nor forbade in Scripture.

I do not observe Christmas because the Lord did specifically instruct those who lay a claim to godliness to not seek to worship Him in the same way that the pagans worshiped their gods. Deuteronomy 12:29-32, -"When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations (pagan nations) which you are going to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, BEWARE that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying -"How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?"You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God...(Verse 32) Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add or take away from it."

I see this Scripture as teaching a principle that we as Christians should follow, that is to not try to "Christianize" a celebration that was created to honor pagan gods which were and still an abomination to the Lord. We cannot truly honor God by worshipping Him in disobedience. King Saul's sacrifice to God was not received because it was offered in disobedience. Saul was commanded to wait for Samuel to do the offering, but when Samuel was delayed and the battle was impending, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. As a result Saul was removed as King and God took His holy spirit from him. When Saul argued with Samuel over the matter Samuel asked,- "Does God desire obedience or sacrifice? Disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft."

Simply put, God cannot use a person who is unfaithful. We are all accountable for what we understand. Not all Christians have the same understanding and God not only knows this, but allows this to be. Christians must faithfully come to have their own personal convictions concerning things such as this. What one Christian believes today may change tomorrow. The point is, devoted Christians are in continual pursuit of God's will for every facet of their lives. As they learn, they make changes. When I was a young adult I observed Christmas, but when I learned of its origin and the meaning of its symbols I stopped. I had no motivation to stop before that because I believed God readily accepted its observance as a Christian holiday.

Let me say here, most Christians are not truly devoted fully to their faith. Most simply "go along to get along." Christmas is an established celebration in America and it is very attractive to most people. There is a difficulty in giving it up even when one comes to understand the truth of it and the truth that God does not wish to be honored by dredging up an ancient demonic relic and stamping the name of Christ on it. They may initially be convicted to change, but they really don't want to. That would mean problems in the family. Many wrestle with the thoughts, "How can I tell my family I am not observing Christmas any more?" "What are my parents and in-laws going to say when I tell them that they cannot give gifts to their grandchildren anymore?" "What will people think about me?" "What about the Christmas parties at school and at work?" "How will the kids take it?" "Will they feel left out and different than the other kids?" So they look around and see the whole Christian world deep into its observance and just put their initial "conviction" aside and "go along to get along." Actually, this shows that they never had a "conviction" only a "Preference." They "preferred" not to celebrate Christmas, but since the world around them does, they do. Where as a "conviction" is such a strong belief that one obeys God and leaves the consequences of that obedience to God.

You asked, "Are their eyes closed to the matter?" Only when one is given an understanding and yet rejects it for carnal or unrighteous reasons. When a Christian does this he is in danger of being given a spirit of strong delusion that would actually cause him to believe a lie. (2 Thes. 2) This usually takes a period of time. God continually convicts their heart yet they desire what is unlawful. In this case the struggle is not against sin, but against what is true and right. Christians have to learn that God wants them to love what He loves and hate what He hates.

In 30 years I have raised 5 children in the Lord. They range in age from 28years to 14 years. The oldest is married and the other four still live in our home. My wife and I have never celebrated Christmas in any way in our home. My children have never received Christmas gifts. I have had relatives attempt to give them a gift a month early saying that it wasn't a "Christmas" gift, but we always refused, because it was really just an early "Christmas" gift. My children nor my wife and I have never felt deprived in any way because of this. We were happy to serve God faithfully according to the understanding He had given to us.

Most people whom I have known who do not fully celebrate Christmas but do provide gifts for their children, did so because they felt a sense of guilt that their children were being deprived. All whom I know who did this through the years lost their children to the world when they grew up. I believe it was because their children saw their parents attempting to "straddle the fence" and did not see any real convictions without apology for having them. I believe it is a serious mistake to say Christmas observance is wrong and yet celebrate it in part by exchanging gifts. If we treat this day differently we are acknowledging its observance in our lives.

God gives His festivals to us for observance, they are listed in Leviticus 23 and re-affirmed in the New Testament. Christians observe these meaningful annual feasts with rich Christ-centered meaning. The Feast of Tabernacles, an eight-day (including Last Great Day) Feast is most enjoyable. There are feast sites one may travel to located all over the world. Those of us who have kept these holy days could not so easily go back to the traditional holidays like Christmas. The children find Tabernacles far superior to that of Christmas observance and look forward to it all year long. Many of our greatest memories are "Feast memories."

I truly hope that I have been helpful to you. I pray that God will richly bless and keep you always in His loving Grace.Your Friend in Christ's Service, Brother Larry

REFLECTIONS, by Sarah

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ our Lord,

Praise Him forever and ever. First, I want to thank God for the sacrifice of His Son, for the way of suffering and for His everlasting tenderness and unfailing love, without which we would never see the Lord.

The Bible tells us that our Savior suffered all things even as we do. He knows your hurt. The trials, the temptations. Troubles are inevitable. But please know, brethren, that God is always there to hold you and give you reassurance of His love when you are seeking Him and His grace.

You feel betrayed, you feel as though doubt consumes your mind, you feel alone sometimes, but never forget, hope is the anchor of your soul. There's a rainbow in the mist and when you see it, you know without a single doubt, God is there and He's faithful.

He created your heart and He knows what it will take for there to be healing and restoration. If some people think they are unloved, I praise Jesus because they will be proven wrong. The love of God is the most amazing thing you will ever experience. Just when you think he's surely had enough of you. Just when you're "filled up" with emptiness inside. Jesus passes by. And you know, there's hope yet. You see, it's His love that brings us to repentance. If it weren't for God loving us first, we might never know there is someone for us to love, adore, worship, live for.

Acts 17:27 says that people should seek God. Even if they have to grope for Him, draw near blindly, to find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. If you need a touch, your Father in heaven is eager. So don't delay and don't neglect to ask. We need Jesus. When He said, "I AM THE LIFE," He meant it. Because Jesus lives in us, we live. Because Jesus is peace, we know peace.

We can come to a place where Jesus lives abundantly in us. A Place where we say, "Live freely in me! Fall upon Me! Fill me with your holy presence!

We can live free from the encumbrances of our own weaknesses. We can be His hands, His feet and His heart can even beat in us. Oh, to have the fulness of Jesus in this dark world! Living in that place, we will find deliverance from every evil thing, and restoration for every wounded, bleeding soul. I have seen our congregation grow more and more close to that blessed place. As we come ever nearer I find that I can hardly wait! Let us pray for the fulness of Jesus to abide in us.

Let us seek our blessed Lord with our whole heart. He will surely leave Heaven to meet us there. He would rather spend a day with His chosen children than many days with the heavenly host, that is how great a love He has for us. The Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praise of His saints. How wonderful that He would leave the perfection of His Angelic Choir when He hears the tiny voices of His children praising Him on earth. As He said, "Out of the mouths of babes and suckling He has perfected praise."

There is but one Body and we are many members. May the fulness of Jesus fill all in all. Brethren, confess your sins to one another, forgiving one another as the need comes, lest you be judged according to your own sins. Love one another until you see the Son of man coming in glory. Remind yourselves to never lose hope. I praise God who is worthy today and always. In the Name of the Lord, Sarah Lasiter

Dear Pastor Lasiter I'm Elder Daniel R. Bernardin and I'm incorporating my ministry today as the House of El we're a Messianic (Christian) group of believers in Miami. I Would like to know more about you and your ministry.

Dear Elder, Greetings in the Mighty Name of our Heavenly Father and His Glorious Son Jesus Christ! What would you like to know specifically about our church and ministry? Have you visited our Web Site? We are a Sabbath-keeping, holy day keeping church which also observes the laws of clean and unclean meats. We use the Hebrew calendar to determine the dates. We are charismatic in that we earnestly seek all the spiritual gifts we are told to pray for in the book of I Corinthians.

Our services are filled with praise and worshipful songs. We have a Friday evening praise and prayer service, Tuesday evening Bible study and all day services on Sabbath. Though we are not anti-semitic, we are not messianic nor do we hold that the Church of Jesus Christ truly has "Jewish or Hebrew roots."

Though the early converts were Jews by nature, after being born of the Holy Seed they became new creatures in Christ. As Paul said, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ but a new Creature." We don't look to the natural seed of Judah for a greater understanding of the holy Seed of God which is Jesus, because Paul said that they have been veiled and are unable to see the light of Christ until His return in glory.

We have evangelistic outreaches in Africa and India. I held 34 crusades in five weeks in Kenya in October-November 2001. We also have a Christian Music ministry. We are friendly and do not feel we need to perfectly agree with others who may differ, in order to extend the right hand of fellowship. We are "Christ-Centered" in our mindset and have a heart to bring others to Christ.

Blessings, Your Friend in Christ's Service,Brother Larry

Hello my name is Matt, I'm 17 and reside in Flint, MI. My question is this: if say someone in Africa has never heard of God, as in the one and only God, and that person died never hearing a word about Christ what do u think will happen to that person when they die? they never heard of Christianity , God, Christ or anything of the sort so how could they be held responsible for that. that is a question a friend of mine asked me . he said " if your God is just then explain that to me ". he also said 40% of animals in nature are homosexual..??? and went on to say that people are born gay which I know they are not. if you could answer those two questions I would appreciate it.
thanks, Matt E.

Hi Matt, Warm Greetings in the Mighty and Majestic Name of our Heavenly Father and His Glorious Son Jesus Christ!

Concerning animals being homosexual, I think you know this is nonsense. There is no such thing as "casual" or "recreational" sex in the animal kingdom. Animals engage in sex only to mate and only during times when the female is fertile. This is, of course, to produce offspring. I have a male
border collie and he is never interested in sex unless he is stimulated by a female dog in heat. This is the case throughout the animal kingdom. Two male animals or two female animals, like two of the same sex in humans cannot produce offspring.

There are some humans born with more of a temper than others, some less patient than others, and some with more sex drive than others, etc. There may be some humans which feel an attraction to the same sex, but this does not mean it is right to pursue those desires, anymore than it would be right
to lash out in anger because you feel more aggression than others.
In the Bible, God says to resist the pulls of the flesh when they are unlawful by His standards. Cain felt a need to comfort himself by murdering his brother Abel, but God told him he must overcome that evil desire. God told him - "Sin is crouching at the door, you must master it!" (Genesis 4:7)

God understands the fleshly desires people have but expects those who live to please Him to work at overcoming them.
Those who practice homosexuality have chosen to practice a lifestyle which God in His Word condemns. They will not be able to say to God at judgment "Let me in the Kingdom - Save me from the flames of Hell, because I only practiced homosexuality because I felt strong feelings toward the same
sex" anymore than Cain could say "I am not guilty, I only murdered my brother because I felt strong feelings of jealousy."

Homosexuals need forgiveness, to receive it they must repent of practicing this sin and indeed renounce all other sins in their lives. Without repentance there can be no forgiveness. God has already judged all homosexuals and has sentenced them to the Lake of Fire.(Romans 1:21-32) (1Corinthians 6:9-11) (1 Timothy 1:8-11) (Ephesians 5:3-11) (Revelation21:7-8) All who refuse to repent and continue to practice what God defines as sin will one day be cast as profane into the Lake of Fire. It is truly a shame and need not be. Our American society, the world, and even many of our Christian Churches may continue to bend to the pressure of accepting this lifestyle as "normal behavior" - but God will not because He has already spoken and made His judgment. In Malachi 3 God declares "I change not!" God
will not change, sinners must do the changing.

Concerning your question about the fate of those who have lived and died without even truly knowing God or our Savior Jesus Christ, the answer is - this is not the only day of salvation. I have a booklet on the subject entitled "Is There Hope for the Dead?" You can read it at our web sitewww.pointsoftruth.com/hope.html.

Blessings, Brother Larry

Delivered From Smoking

I started smoking cigarettes when I was 17 years old. By July of 2000 I was 39 and had been addicted for over half my life. I had been raised in a church which did not permit smoking but I was able to keep this problem hidden for many years. Though I attended church services and all activities faithfully since I was a young child, I do not consider myself a real Christian until 1995. So in July 2000 I felt I had been a real Christian for five years, but even then I still struggled with smoking and still kept it a secret. I would try to quit and would be able to for short periods of time, but though I had the desire it seemed as though I did not have the power. The real problem was, I had not given it to Jesus. Then during a praise and prayer service at the Crusade Church of God in Russellville on July 6 the Lord touched me in a way that I had never experienced before. It was so wonderful that I felt as if I thirsted for more, I had a hunger for another intimate encounter with God.

It was at this time that I realized that my addiction to cigarettes was in the way, and the Lord was piercing my heart to make the commitment to quit in faith. On the way home that night I finally truly surrendered to Him and asked for help. Jesus promised that whenever we asked the Father in His name we would receive it. He tells us to let Him bear our burdens, and His Word is absolutely true. Praise the Lord! He set me free! I found how sweet it is to have Jesus in me, and to be in Him. And I have found that there are no addictions in Jesus! Thank you Jesus! Earlene Donelson

A Healing and a Witness

A friend of mine and I had recently begun Bible studies together. We worked together in a classroom with one other co-worker. On this particular day, our co-worker was not in class because her young daughter was not well. Not knowing any details, when we started our Bible study that afternoon, we prayed for this child. We carried on and studied the Word until it was time for me to come home.

Later that night, I received an instant message from the co-worker whose daughter was ill. She told me she'd be back at work the next day because her daughter was fine. I asked what the problem was, and she explained that her child had a shunt in the back of her neck and there was severe swelling around it which could be very dangerous. As we were about to sign off, she mentioned that the swelling started to decrease at exactly 5:30. I didn't realize it immediately, but in a moment or two I felt God's power on me, and I recalled that was the precise time my friend and I had prayed for this child's healing. This woman is not a practicing Christian, so it was a great opportunity for me to witness of God's healing power and compassion. Jennifer Lasiter

Fall 2002: Our Lord does wonderful blessings. And they come in all shapes and sizes. One night my wife was preparing sloppy Joe's for dinner. She had made the sauce in the skillet and asked if I would take it off the table. On my way to the stove the Lord spoke to me and told me that the handle on the skillet was going to break off! I was both surprised and puzzled, not only because I heard the Lord, but also because this was our good skillet. Because I had heard the voice of the Lord I carefully lifted the skillet and moved it slightly off the stove. As I did this the handle did break off. If I had picked the skillet up as I normally would have, the hot, steaming Sloppy Joe mix would have poured all over my bare feet and my wife's legs! So I thank the Lord for all this blessings. Donald Turner

The BEAST Arises

By: Larry R. Lasiter

For those of us who have been reading our Bibles for many years, there is little doubt that we are now living in the last days leading up to the Great Tribulation and the consequent return of Christ in glory. I have long believed and taught that the End-Time "Beast" of the Book of Daniel and Revelation would be a united Europe led by Germany. The Book of Daniel teaches that there would be only four world-ruling empires which would arise and come out of the "Great Sea", the body of water we call the Mediterranean Sea today. This identifies the location of these empires which is why the Beast will not be Russia, China, the United States or an Arabic Federation.

The fourth and last Beast has already risen. It came upon the world scene when Rome conquered Greece and then the known world before the time of Christ. The Bible says nothing of a fifth Beast, so the End-Time Beast must be a resurrection of the fourth Beast which would be centered in Europe.

In Daniel 2 we see these four kingdoms in succession pictured by a statue of a man with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass and legs of iron with ten toes being a mixture of iron and clay. The Bible identifies these kingdoms as Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greece and Rome.

The prophecy goes on to say that in the time of the reign of the fourth Beast that Christ would return and establish a world-ruling kingdom on the earth which would never expire.A "Stone" cut without human hands from the "Mountain of God" is sent downward and strikes the toes of the statue, because it is during the time of these ten kings of Europe headed by the Anti-Christ himself in which the Lord returns. Then all of man's kingdoms fall and give way to Christ's reign of righteousness and peace. Notice that although Nebuchadnezzar is dead and buried, his kingdom falls along with all the other conquered kingdoms when the Stone strikes the End-Time kingdom.

Let's look at some things which help us to understand that this new United States of Europe is the resurrection of the fourth beast. In December 2000 Europe opened their new Parliament building in Strasbourg, France. It cost 12 billions dollars to build and is patterned after a Dutch artist's famous painting of the Tower of Babel. In the old painting, the Tower is unfinished because it is still under construction. The new EU building is built to appear unfinished just like the painting. It is also a tower with an open courtyard in the middle. Looking upward one can see the sky.

When the EU were recruiting other nations to join them, they sent out posters and brochures with this old painting of the tower on the front cover. The slogan on them says, "Many Tongues, One Voice." The politicians of Europe view the coming together of the union as a reconstruction of Babel. Throughout the Bible the Tower of Babel is a symbol of ultimate rebellion against God which is why He stopped its construction before it was completed by confusing the languages.

The other European Parliament building is in Brussels, Belgium and has a new statue of the goddess Europa riding a white Bull. According to mythology, this Bull represents the pagan god Zeus who carried Europa through the Mediterranean Sea to the island of Crete where he raped her. The statue outside the building depicts a woman riding a beast. So, the two symbols of the new EU are the rebuilding of the Tower of Babel and the rape of Europe.

In 1898 the Germans took two significant things from Babylon and Turkey. The Seat of Satan mentioned in Revelation 2, from Pergamon in Turkey, and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. In 1913 the reconstruction of the Seat of Satan was completed in Berlin and was followed by a tremendous opening ceremony of dedication. Within one year Germany was at war. Prior to WWII, Hitler built a model of the altar of the Seat of Satan in Nuremberg from which he made some of his famous speeches, including the one declaring extermination of the Jews.

The Ishtar Gate was the gateway to go to the Tower of Babel. When the Jews went into captivity in Babylon they passed through this gate. The gate had pictures of 337 demons, the Babylonian snake-gods. 337 in Hebrew numerology means "Hell." Therefore, the Jews called this gate the "Gateway to Hell." The Germans took this gate from Babylon and rebuilt it in Berlin where it can be seen today.

According to Revelation 13, the whole earth will be amazed and follow the Beast and worship the "dragon" (Satan) because of him. He will cause all to receive his mark without which no one can buy or sell. It will be a time of trouble like no other in history. A time when literally billions will die. Those who receive his mark will be cast into the Lake of Fire, those who don't may starve, be tortured or killed if not they are not protected by God. Jesus said, "Pray that you will be accounted worthy to escape all these things." (Luke 21:36 If you have been holding back from being fully committed to God He will hold back from you. Now is the time to get real about your relationship with Him. We will all reap whatever we have sown. Having the information I have given you will not spare you nor save you if you are not faithful. Prove yourself faithful.

Do You Need Fire Protection?

Each year, countless billions of dollars are spent to recover losses due to fires. Everything from forests, high-rise buildings and homes, even automobiles are destroyed by fire. To protect it's citizens, every city has its own fire enforcement code to help prevent fires, and Fire Department to fight them when they break out. Needless to say, thousands die each year by fire. Most fatalities are caused because the victims do not have their houses in order. Many die because of neglect. Fire detectors with dead batteries, falling asleep while smoking, faulty wiring, -to just plain carelessness. Every home is required to have fire protection insurance.

The very first benefit of salvation in Christ Jesus is fire protection. Not fire protection for your house, car or business, but for your soul. The Bible says that all sinners will have their part in a burning Lake of Fire where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. When asked if many were being saved Jesus replied, "Wide is the road to destruction and many will follow it, but straight and narrow is the road to life and few will enter."

Many people who drag their feet in making a commitment to God, do so because they are thinking about what they may have to give up. Usually it's things like sex outside of marriage, drugs or alcoholism or even a job that a Christian should not have. They may not want to share their wealth with a church, or perhaps they just don't want to let go of their pride and admit that they need a Savior.

They should understand that when they receive Christ the very first thing that they have given up is their insistence in following Satan to the Lake of Fire. In giving up sin they have given up his right to their souls. The Blood of Jesus has washed away all of their sins. And because Jesus paid the penalty for them Himself, the devil no longer has a charge to make against them.

Though they may have given up some trivial things, they will have received a real eternal fire protection plan, paid for in full by the Lord Himself. If you have not received salvation through the blood of Jesus, please do so today. Do not find yourself numbered with those who through neglect, have no fire protection.

Email: lasiter@pointsoftruth.com


	Points of Truth Christian Ministries Crusade Church of God P.O. Box 102, Russellville, AR 72811 USA 479-498-4524


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