It is through the crucifixion of Jesus, our sacrificial lamb, that our sins of the past, present and future are forgiven. We are washed clean by His blood and can be in right standing with God (2 Corinthians 5: 21). But if it weren’t for the resurrection, the cross would have no power. In this article, we will discuss how Christ’s resurrection makes it possible for us to know Him and be transformed by Him. We will also take a deeper look into the politics that played a role on the day, resulting in a terrible lie about His resurrection.

Proof that Christ is the King

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. (Matthew 28:1-6)

Without the events on resurrection Sunday, the death of Christ would have been the greatest tragedy the world has ever seen. The devil would have won the war for our souls. Indeed, we would have no reason to believe that Jesus was who He said He was. The single act of His resurrection proves to mankind and all the heavenly hosts that He was no mere man, no false prophet. He rose from the grave, He defeated death. This was the ultimate test of His authority. Life and death are both under His command.

The gates of grace are opened

What does the resurrection mean for the gentile world? In His letter to the Romans, Paul captures the essence of the resurrection to the follower of Christ.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6: 5 - 8)
Christ was not alone on that cross, all of our sins were with Him. Our old sinful selves were crucified along with Him after which we were resurrected with Him. Our new spiritual selves were raised up with Him. We emerged from the grave as new beings, victorious over death. The only thing we need to do to access this new life, is to give our lives to Jesus.
Once we surrender our lives to Him, something inexplicable happens in us. We are changed, made new. This is not something we have any control over, we hardly understand what happens to us and in us, but we can feel that we are radically different from before..
This moment of our resurrection, our salvation is followed immediately by our sanctification. Sanctification is a lifelong process by which we are made more Christ-like. In a way it is God’s project with the ultimate goal of making us holy, like His son. Like salvation, our sanctification is entirely an act of God. If we try to speed it up, we get as far as hamsters running in a wheel. If we try to resist it, we will experience a burning conviction which can only result in repentance and further sanctification. This miraculous transformation is made possible by the resurrection of Jesus and is triggered by the simple step of surrendering our hearts to Him.
Does it sound too simple? In this world, there aren’t any freebies. Life is hard and it does not owe us anything, we have accepted that. But the most important gift you will ever receive is absolutely free. Our salvation and sanctification is a gift out of God’s grace, made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Am I a child of God or the world?

And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” (Matthew 28: 12-14)

Politics and religion have always been intertwined. The Pharisees bribed the guards to keep quiet about what they had witnessed. The earthquake, the opening of the grave and the angel sitting on the entry rock rattled them. The grave was empty. If this was exposed, all would know that the Pharisees crucified their own promised Messiah. The Pharisees’ rule would be over. This simple bribe birthed a lie that is believed among Jews to this day; that the disciples stole Jesus’ body.

But how was it so easy for the multitudes singing Hosanna, the thousands who witnessed Jesus’s miracles, to just grow quiet? They were the Pharisees’ puppets, without a voice or a mind of their own. By the time of the Pentecost, there were only 120 believers of Christ.

Are you appalled by the spineless Jewish citizens? Before you dismiss them as no better than their Pharisee leaders, do some self - reflection. How willing are you to speak out against evil today, when most of our churches won’t speak out against our government’s corruption? Most of our churches are influenced by national politics. People don’t have the guts to go against the stream and risk social ostracization.

How many of us are willing to believe that God does the unimaginable, that He performs miracles? Sadly, many Christians diminish God’s power by refusing to believe that God is still the same miracle worker that He used to be in the times of the New Testament. They read about miracles as if they were fairy tales.

So if Jesus was crucified and resurrected today, to which camp would you belong? The 120 believers or the fearful silent majority?

Without realising it, most of us are puppets to society. Let’s take a modern day example to illustrate our weakness. Until the 20th century adults were not milk drinkers. Babies would have milk bottles but it wasn’t a part of our general cuisine. All of this changed when American cow breeders lobbied together, planning to make money by hooking people on milk. Television advertisements brainwashed millions into drinking a full glass of milk with breakfast to ensure adequate calcium consumption. The world was quickly taken by milk mania.

People are easily manipulated, just like puppets on a string. We need to be honest with ourselves, would we boldly stand for Jesus when no one else did? Make the choice today to live unto Christ’s purposes and not to the world.

My identity in Christ?

As a born again Christian, your identity is not in this world . It is in Christ alone. Let’s revisit Romans 6 to find out what it means to have our identity in Christ.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6: 8-11)

We know that our old sinful identities were nailed to the cross with Christ and that we were born again by the power of His resurrection. He is alive, not as a human being, but as a glorified king, by God and for God. Just as Christ lives to God, we live to Him. We are His craftsmanship, made for His kingdom and not for the world. Our identities are bound to Him and a glorious inheritance awaits us.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6: 22)

Our eternal lives begin now and it is very different from our old worldly lives. We already enjoy fellowship with God. Even though we are not original heirs of His promised kingdom to the Jews, we are already experiencing it through our fellowship with Him and the truth He makes known to us. Although we were not God’s own children, we were adopted by Jesus. No longer orphans, we have jumped the line and can experience the King and His kingdom.

Through His resurrection, Christ proved to all of heaven and earth that He is the king. Death cannot stop Him. As His adopted children, we live our lives in Him. Although we still inhabit this world, we are not to be friends with it. Our old lives have passed away on the cross and we cannot return to it. We are resurrected and eternally alive in Christ and for Christ. Therefore we must resist the power of the world and not allow it to control us. Do not be slaves to this sinful world. It wants to hide the truth, like the Pharisees hid Jesus’ resurrection. Instead, be the light which exposes the secrets of this dark world (Ephesians 5: 11 - 14).

This article is summarised by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Ps Marko Kiroglu on 31 March 2024

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All South Africans have asked this question at one point or the other. Every time we approach another election, our country’s politics become more volatile. Our politicians are corrupt and the infrastructure and economy is collapsing.  Life on the Australian coastline becomes more and more attractive. The problems we face, particularly the problem of violent crime, are truly serious problems. Therefore we cannot make light of the question of immigration and no one can prescribe the answer to another. You will not find a straight yes or no answer in this article. Rather, we are going to explore Biblical principles to apply to our individual circumstances. 

Live by faith, not fear

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear is a very real emotion. We struggle with it daily. But if it is not from God, from whom is it? Anything that is not from God, is from the enemy. Fear is the devil’s strongest weapon against us. Although we might never be rid of fear, we can decide not to let it rule us. If we make decisions based on fear, the devil has us in his power. He can manipulate us and pull us away from our purpose in God.

On the other hand “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights” (James 1:17). The father of lights, our God,  gives us the gift to combat fear: faith. It is our trust in Him. The knowledge that He is good and in full control, that disables fear. 

History's most famous emigration story can teach us about living by faith. God commanded the Israelites to leave Egypt for the promised land. After their journey through the Red Sea and the desert, Moses died. Joshua was suddenly promoted to be the leader of Israelites. He had to lead them into Cannan, a land where frightening giants roamed. No doubt, the devil rejoiced in the fear that Joshua experienced. But God told him, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Joshua took heart, he was encouraged and strengthened in the knowledge that God would keep them. God promised to be with them. He stopped the waters of the Jordan so they could cross safely and let the walls of Jericho crumble at the sound of their voices. He defied nature and crushed Israel’s enemies. 

As followers of Jesus, we should  have Joshua’s courage. This courage is not found in our own abilities, but in trusting God. He will protect us. Wherever we are in the world, there He will be with us. He can defeat any enemy. God called the Israelites to move from the safety of Egypt into the dangerous wilderness. In His wisdom, He placed you in South Africa. Wherever God calls you to be, He will be with you. 

Pursue God’s will for your life

We are tempted to design our own lives. With air travel, we can make the voyage to greener grass within days. With the reputation of being hard workers, we are sought after by other countries. But we cannot run from this essential truth: As born again Christians we are at enmity with the world. Jesus said to His disciples, “ If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first” (John 18:15). We belong to God and the devil will plot against us. The godless world, under the influence of the devil, will judge us. This is true of every corner of the world. At best we will be treated like outcasts, but in some countries we might even be persecuted for our faith. The devil will orchestrate a plan for our suffering wherever we are, so that we should fail in our mission to serve God.

With this truth in mind, we must approach our futures differently. Instead of asking how we can make our lives more comfortable we should ask how we can serve God where we are. For mothers, it is to faithfully disciple their children in the ways of the Lord. For businessmen it is to bring some of God’s justice and mercy into the world of business. Wherever we are, we can be salt and light in a dark and decaying world. We can counter the corruption and crime in our country by being honest and standing for justice.  

Jesus’ audience for the sermon on the mount was worried about money. Jesus redirected their focus to God, assuring them that God is working behind the scenes to take care of their needs. They should use their energy instead to  “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (as) all these things will be added to (them).” (Matthew 6: 33). These words still ring true. Instead of worrying about crime and corruption, we should focus our attention on God, His righteousness and His Kingdom. 

God  has placed you in South Africa. He has a particular purpose for you here, and unless He instructs you to leave, He wants you to stay. Choose to make decisions based on faith, not fear. Your safety and comfort should not determine where you live. Instead, allow God to rule in you and through you. Seek to serve God and live out His purposes for your life. Apostle Paul proclaims; “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord.” (Romans 14:8). In the same way in South Africa, we must live, serve and die unto the Lord. 

This article is written by Christine Van Reenen.

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How shall we define the world we are living in? It is a far cry from Louis Armstrong’s “wonderful world”. Crime and corruption, war and poverty, divorce and gender confusion confronts us around every corner. The moral decay of our global society should come as no surprise. If we put our Bibles under the microscope we will clearly see that these things are signs of the end times, of Christ’s soon approaching return. In this article we will explore how the symptoms of the end times align with the depravity of our world; and find our hope in instructions for Christian living in these perilous times.

Our society in the end times:

Prophet Jeremiah predicted that the Israeli nation would be exiled in Babylon for 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). While the Israelites were exiled in Babylon, Daniel studied the scrolls of Jeremiah, believing Jeremiah to be a true prophet of God. To his amazement he discovered that they were in their 69th year of exile. Daniel prayed for the fulfillment of this prophecy and the very next year it was done (Daniel 9: 2 - 19).The Israelites were released from captivity

Let us adopt the same attitude as Daniel as we study the prophecy in 2 Timothy 3. Of course we were not given a calendar date for Christ’s return, but just as we recognise that summer is near by looking at the tender branches and new leaves of a fig tree, so we will recognise the timing of Christ’s return by looking at the world around us (Matthew 24: 32 -33). 

2 Timothy 3: 1 - 5:

“But mark this: there will be perilous times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power”.

Let ‘s unpack the details of these verses.

Indeed, times are perilous. War rages in Europe and in the Middle East. People are brutal and abusive, the crime rates in South Africa are not unique. Crime and political corruption reigns globally and leads to poverty. According to Habitat for Humanity around 1.6 billion people around the world live without adequate shelter. 

People are lovers of self like never before. T-shirt slogans such as “self love first” or “the self love club” are inspired by the recent trend in psychology that encourages individuals to love themselves before they can love others. After all, no one can pour from an empty cup. According to these psychologists, people are tired, anxious and depressed because they give too much of themselves to others instead of taking care of themselves. From this secular view point, God is not our source of strength and regeneration. The world does not believe its “cup runs over” (Psalm 23:5) with God’s protection and help. Instead it encourages us to be selfish and so fill our own cups.  

As we live in a post Christian society, blasphemy is no longer a taboo. Anyone who listens to the radio or has seen home makeover TV shows will agree. Vulgar and crass language has become the norm. Only a generation ago, our media was very different. The world wanted to do away with media censorship for political transparency, and with it all protection against vulgarity was also lost.

Divorce is commonplace all around the world. When the natural family structure breaks, family hierarchy is undermined and parents lose their authority. Children do not obey parents and parents are no longer in touch with their children’s needs. 

God released mankind to its own depravity:

The foundation of our global society’s beliefs is science. Science rejects God and any form of morality. Instead science views humans predominantly as mammals, not as spiritual beings. When the world embraced science as their new religion, God responded in the same way he did with the Ancient Romans. They  “... did not see it fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind” (Romans 1:28) . God gave the world over to their senseless depraved minds.

Now we are left with the results; a world where men and women do not know their own gender, where people put all their energy into fighting for animal conservation and protection, but have no love or time for their neighbours. 

Europe is facing a serious threat to their population, crafted by their own foolish and depraved minds. Their population is at a serious decline as a result of their self - centered culture. For generations people have been concerned only with their own promotion in life, resisting marriage and aborting unwanted babies. 

These global problems are the fruit of man-made self - destructive decisions.

How to live in the end times as followers of Jesus

There is no country, no community left that lives according to Biblical principles. Wherever you go on this big round planet you, as a follower of Jesus, will be the minority. South Africans all consider immigration at one point or the other, but the grass is never greener on the other side, at least not for Christians. The question is then, what do we do as followers of Jesus? How do we live? The answer can be found in Romans 1: 16:

“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.”

This verse contains two plans for us as Christians. Firstly, we are to live for the gospel and secondly, we must live by faith.

Nothing we can build can withstand the world. Everything we invest in will crumble. The only truth that will survive every blow the world gives it, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the only worthy investment of our time and strength, is proclaiming the Gospel of grace of Jesus Christ to the world. This is probably why we are still on this earth. Prior to the rapture, we are to spread the Word and stand firmly on it. We cannot fix this broken world and its broken institutions, but we can carry the gospel to people by proclaiming Jesus and discipling them in the hope that they will receive their salvation.

God is our only anchor. In the Psalms we read that He is a stronghold and a rock. He is dependable, impenetrable and sturdy. That is why we do not trust our politicians, our society or even ourselves. We trust Him and live by faith in Him. We hold on to His promises, knowing that “in all things He works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28) He is faithful and although we “will have trouble in this world … we know  (He) has overcome the world” (John 16:33). While surrounded by turmoil and depravity, we will keep our eyes fixed on Him until the day of His return.

The insanity and suffering of our world is not an accident, it is the fulfillment of prophecy. As the six o’clock news becomes more and more depressing and bizarre, we should not become anxious. War, poverty, divorce and gender-confusion should not shock us. Instead, we should turn to our Bibles to make sense of it. When mankind rejected God, the world entered the end times. In these dark days, the followers of Christ must remain faithful in proclaiming the gospel grace so that more people will be ready for His soon approaching return. We can take heart, knowing that He is our personal salvation, our rock and fortress. 

This article is written by Christine Van Reenen on 5 March 2024

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Can you mark the moment in your life where hearing the Word of God was no longer dull and dreary, but full of life giving power? You might have been exposed to the Gospel previously, but it had no effect on your heart. It was as though the seeds of the Word of God fell by the wayside where birds pecked it up or were sown among rocks and thorns. The Word had no power in your life and the worries and lusts of the world carried it away. Then one day, it was different. The seeds of the Word of God fell on good ground and yielded fruit. (Matthew 13: 4-9) Your ears were opened, your heart was touched and you received faith. The sermon was not better, the Word of God had not changed, but you did. You received the gift of faith and with that salvation. That heart change was a gift from the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17) and try as you may, you could not have generated it for yourself. 

You cannot generate faith

To understand the mystery of this gift of faith, we will look at another illustration. One day a very famous preacher was preparing to deliver a crusade at a large venue. Chairs were packed out, microphones, speakers and dramatic lighting was rigged for the event. The crowds rushed in in their thousands and the long awaited event began. It was an enormous success. After the preacher drove away in his limousine and the crowds left, the backstage crew was busy packing up chairs. A man rushed in, desperate and out of breath. “What is going on? Where is the Crusade?” he asked. “It is over, you missed it” replied the crew. “I so wanted to be here. What do I do now, how can I be saved?” the man asked desperately. The crew replied, “ Nothing. It is finished.” This echoes Jesus' final words on the cross; “It is finished”. His suffering and dying on the cross was His most important work for us. It was the work of our salvation by the forgiveness of our sins, the gift of our righteousness by His blood. There is therefore nothing we can do. He did it all for us. 

Just as a drowning man cannot pull himself by his own collar from stormy waters, so we cannot generate faith within ourselves. It is an act of God, a gift. We cannot buy it or order it. It is God himself who plants the seed of faith in our hearts. One man can stand next to you and hear the same message or prayer, but not be touched by it in any way. There is nothing you can do to convince him, you cannot give him the gift of faith any more than you could give it to yourself. It is entirely from God. You cannot generate it by studying the scriptures or engaging in theological debates. 

You cannot brag about your faith

If faith is a gift from God and we have no idea what His criteria is for giving it to us, then we simply cannot boast in it. We must remember that we once walked aimlessly in darkness and can therefore not be haughty and arrogant for having faith now. The appropriate reaction to our faith is abundant gratitude. Knowing that we have nothing to do with our own faith inevitably leads us to wondering why God chose us. As we could not attain it by any works, we do not deserve it. It is out of His abundant grace that we received this gift. 

If we tried to generate our own faith, we would lie to ourselves and become slaves to our own lies. We would live according to rules that we do not understand, attend church and pray empty words. Christianity would seem like an endless list of do’s and don'ts and be very laborious. We would eventually grow weary and depressed. Elijah challenged the Baal worshiping Israelites by pointing out how absurd it is that they worshiped a god that couldn't even talk. Indeed, if we would worship a god who could not communicate his love and devotion to us, we would worship a lie that we fabricated for ourselves. We would fall victim to our own propaganda. But unlike Baal, our God speaks. He did it through the prophets and today He does it through His Word and the Holy Spirit. The Bible reveals who our God is, what His purpose for this planet and His followers are. In a sense, the Bible is the written declaration of His goodwill unto us. It is the evidence that our God lives and that He loves us. However, we can only see this evidence before us once the Holy Spirit gives us faith. Without faith, we cannot view the Bible for the truth that it is. 

Faith is a beautiful gift from God

The book of Hebrews sheds light on the mysterious gift of faith. It is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The subject of our hope is God himself. We know that He is for us, that He holds our future. Even if we perish in this world, He has us in the one beyond. We have access to His promises. In a world where seeing is believing, we have assurance in the unseen. 

Faith is a gift from God. It is a seed planted in us by the Holy Spirit. If God didn’t instigate our understanding and opened our eyes and hearts, we would read and hear the Word without finding Him in it. We would be like infertile, rocky or thorny ground. The seed of His Word would not penetrate our hearts and bear fruit. Therefore faith is a miracle, a beautiful and mysterious gift from God that we must live out in gratitude. We cannot earn it, and if we try to generate it, we create a false reality for ourselves to live (and suffer) by. We can only be grateful as we are blessed with faith through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. 


This article is summarised by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Ps Marko Kiroglu on 25 February 2024


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What is the most repeated instruction in the Bible? Don’t reach for your phone, not even Google can answer this question. This instruction is repeated in different words and most often it is implied rather than spoken directly. It is to praise the Lord. Sometimes the words worship, extol, honour, glorify and serve are used as synonyms for praise. In some instances the Bible instructs us to give our lives to the Lord or commands us not to worship idols. It all boils down to praise. In this article, we will explore praise as the purpose of our existence, learn from the examples of Biblical men and women who made a lifestyle of praising Him as well as practical examples of what praise looks like in our everyday lives. 

1. We were created to praise the Lord

Nowhere in the Bible are we called to praise God more than in the Psalms. King David repeatedly reminds himself and calls God’s people to do so. You would probably find more than a hundred examples like these:

Psalm 95:6 : “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”

Psalm 150:6 : “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 99:5 : “Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!”

King David understood that our holy and mighty God is deserving of great praise.  Everything that has breath, referring to humans who received our breath from His mouth and all other living beings, exist to praise Him. 

God Himself reveals this intention through the Prophet Isiah:

Isaiah 43:21 : “The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

But why does God require our praise above all else? He is certainly worthy, but there is more to it than that. For the answer, we need to dig deep into Biblical history. 

We know that Satan was already on earth and entered the Garden of Eden in the form of the snake who tempted Eve. Why do you think he was here on earth at the first place? This is because earth was the territory of the devil before the creation of mankind. Satan and a third of the angels were cast from heaven to earth for their rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12 -17). This is why Satan is referred to as “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). His evil reign was on earth before God created and placed man on earth. God’s plan was and still is to defeat Satan. Out of the dust of the earth on a planet ruled by evil, He created us, a people whose sole purpose is to praise Him. We were placed behind enemy lines to bring light with our praise, to proclaim God as ruler even in the darkness. Our spiritual weapon is our praise. 

When we understand the dark history of our planet, we are reminded that we are sojourners and that earth is not our home. We are created for the heavens. Our purpose to praise God on this planet will have eternal consequences. 

When we get distracted by the mundane tasks of our daily lives, the grocery lists and tax forms, we forget to live for God. The sun sets and we say our evening prayers, painfully aware that this is perhaps the first bit of time we are setting aside to be with God. Life can pull us away from our purpose, to praise God. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our praise can be in prayer and song, but it can be so much more. We can make a lifestyle of praise, by focusing on God and turning our hearts to Him even in the midst of our everyday work. 

2. God's great people had a life-sytle of praising God

The Bible contains chapters entirely dedicated to telling the stories of men and women who committed their entire lives to praising God. They show us different ways of praising God, by song and prayer, but also by submitting to God’s will and living for Him. Some of them made great sacrifices and got into great danger for staying faithful to God.   

David:

We have already touched on the Psalms and the praise of King David. In Psalm 34 we see that he is determined and committed to praising God “ at all times”, it is his primary priority in life. He put this into practice by penning hundreds of Psalms to praise God . 

Psalm 34:1-3: “ I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
  My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
  Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.”

King David and his musicians

King David also funded and maintained a 24/7 worship project by the tent of the Lord. He employed musicians to make music with the purpose of praising God without ceasing. 

1 Chro 25:6-7:  “Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king. Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the LORD, they numbered 288.”

Paul and Silas

Acts 16:25 - 26: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.”

Paul and Silas understood God is eternally worthy of praise. Even while they were imprisoned in Philippi and must have felt afraid or even angry, they sang to Him and exalted His name. God rewarded their praise and performed a miracle to free them. It is important to note that these verses do not say that they asked God to free them, nor did they use praise to manipulate Him. Praise to God must not come with agendas, instead our hearts must be in a constant state of praise, regardless of our circumstances.

Mary and Joseph 

The young virgin Mary was believed to be between the ages of twelve and fourteen, a child by today's standards. When the angel Gabriel  gave her the news that she would soon be pregnant with Jesus, she could have found many reasons to object to her sentence. Instead of being afraid of being cast off by her future husband and by society for her apparently illegitimate pregnancy, she replied with these simple and humble words:

Luke 1:38:  “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.

With such unwavering faith in the Lord, it is no wonder Gabriel said that the Lord is well pleased with her (Luke 1:28).

After Garbiel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he was just as committed to walk in obedience and praise the Lord. 

3. God is praised in Heaven

Revelation 4:8-11: “And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory, honour, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.””

John’s vision of heaven reveals the extent of praise that our God deserves. As He is the source of all life, He is worthy of constant unceasing praise. These heavenly beings are created for this purpose and so are we. Our praise looks different in our daily lives, after all we need to eat, drink, sleep and work. But our hearts must reflect the kind of praise displayed in heaven.

4 Come before Him with praise

Psalm 100: “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.”

Psalm 100 tells us how to approach God. God is not our magic 8 - ball or our genie in a bottle. We do not use Him to answer our questions or grant our wishes. When we approach Him, we are approaching the King of kings. We must enter His gates with thanksgiving. We should honour and praise Him, not only as a prelude to a request, but as the main subject of our prayers. When we ask Him what we need with a heart that is truly in praise and gratitude, He hears us and answers us.

We were created to praise the Lord. This is not a mystery. Mary and Joseph knew it when they instantly submitted to God and gave their lives for His purposes. Paul and Silas didn’t need to feel joyful to praise and sing hymns and David used his talent for music to praise the Lord. As men and women of God we should enter His gates with thanksgiving. Our lives should be characterised by praise, as God placed us on earth with the distinct purpose of worshipping Him and being His light on a dark and evil planet.  Our praise should be without ceasing, “whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do . . . we do it all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) We must live with a posture of praise, with our hearts always turned to the Lord.

This article is summarised by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Ps Marko Kiroglu on 18 February 2024

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What does your church life look like? If you nod politely to your fellow church members, go through the motions of singing, listening and praying with your thoughts wandering to Sunday lunch; something is missing. You are missing out on fruitful Christian living, connection and growth in Christ. This may come as a surprise, but you need to adhere to some requirements of the church to become fruitful, to serve in the body and grow closer to God. Read on and discover how your fellowship with Christians and walk with Jesus can be transformed by applying the five requirements of church life.

1. Agreement on Faith and Doctrine in Humility

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

1st Corinthians 1:10

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1-3

Paul calls to the churches in Corinth and Phillipi to be united. To achieve unity agreement is necessary. Church members must submit to the leadership of the church and be in agreement about doctrine and theology. Contrary ideas and views cause division, which is the very opposite of the unity and like mindedness that Paul is preaching. Our agreement must be loving and humble, therefore there will be no place for haughtiness or forcefulness when it comes to matters of faith and doctrine. We must carry one another’s interests and burdens with sincerity and be gentle in dealing with differences.

3 - Commitment to Gathering and Encouraging One Another.  

Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

No man is an island. If life is generally lived best with companions, our faith lives can be no different. We are the bride of Christ, a body of believers. There is no space for singularity in these definitions. If we are to encourage each other, as Paul suggests, we must build relationships with one another. Regular church meetings is a definite requirement. Church must be high on our list of priorities. It is not somewhere to go when we have no other plans. We must grow together in prayer, laughter and tears. To carry and be carried by one another in this way is sure to be a blessing to us all.

3 - Teachable and Humble Attitude

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

(Psalm 143:10)

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

(Psalm 86:11)

These are the words of King David. Even as a great king, David had a humble and teachable attitude before the Lord.  Can you and I say that we are this humble and teachable? Are we prepared to be vulnerable, admitting that we do not know all  the answers and being willing to receive correction? If king David could do this, so can we. 

In order to walk out of church meetings refreshed and perhaps a little wiser, we must empty ourselves of arrogance and our “know it all” attitudes and receive God’s teaching with a teachable and humble attitude. If we are arrogant and stubborn, we will surely gain nothing.

4 - Servanthood and Humility

The greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 

Matthew 23:11-12

To be a Christian means to be a servant. In John 13 : 1 - 5 Jesus sets the blueprint of servanthood in washing the feet of His disciples. The King of kings, our Lord and saviour bows down and does the work of the lowliest servant. He commands His disciples to do the same. In Matthew 23: 11 - 12, He equates greatness with servanthood. The Church will be a place of growth and greatness, if we can use our various gifts to serve one another. Whether it is through welcoming someone at the door, teaching or cooking, we must all use the gifts God gave us to serve in His church. God made us unique. This is where the metaphor of believers as the body of Christ is very effective. As each of our body parts have a unique and important function, so each child of God has a different role to play in the body of Christ. Some people serve by teaching, others with prayer and encouragement. Some of us are more practical and serve in areas such as hosting or organising. Our service to God is also not limited to actual church meetings. In some stages of our lives, we are called to parent our young children, in others we might nurse an elderly family member. 

5 - Love and care for one another

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 

John 13:34-35

Our greatest acts of service would be empty, if we did not have love. Love needs to be the intention and motivation behind all of these requirements. Without love, you would agree on doctrine only to keep the peace. Your church attendance would be to please people, your humility and encouragement would be false. 

Love must be the foundation of our church lives. If we are a body, the one hand cannot enjoy riches and pleasure if the other hand is suffering. We must have sincere love for our fellow church members. Their spiritual, physical and even financial well being must be a priority to us. True biblical love is self - sacrificial, it aims to give and not receive. The world loves whatever or whoever they stand to gain something from. But we are called to love in a radically different way. It is easy to say we love one another, but do we pay attention to the rest of Jesus’ words in John 13: 34 -35? We must love as Jesus loved us. He gave His life. He withheld nothing from us. So we too must love genuinely and sacrificially as Jesus did. By this genuine and sacrificial love the world will know that we belong to Jesus.  This love is the difference between someone who merely knows their Bible front to back and can debate theology all day long and someone who loves with the love of Jesus. Let us be characterised by this kind of love.

Conclusion

For some, church is a mandatory tradition. For others it is just another option on a Sunday morning. But for those who wish to mature in Christ, it is an indispensable anchor. These people know the value of attending regularly, submitting and being teachable, they are humble and serve where they can. Above all, they act in sincere love, seeking not only for their own interests but the best interests of others as well.   

This article is summarised by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Ps Marko Kiroglu on 11 February 2024


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What is the church? Maybe this seems like a senseless question. Isn’t it the building with the tall tower, glazed windows and wooden pews? Perhaps it is any type of meeting place for Christians. The church is in fact living and breathing, it moves - shrinks and expands. It is the actual body of believers. It carries out the functions of Christ on earth. It is you and I.

BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

     In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit was showered out in flaming tongues over the heads of the disciples. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2: 4 NIV). Jews and converted Jews from all over the world heard of the wonders of God in their own languages. “Those who accepted (Peter’s) message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day . . .They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2: 41 -42). This is the birth, the nature and the very essence of the church of Christ. The Holy Spirit lit the flame and by its power, people believed and became the adopted children of God.

DEFINITION / IDENTITY OF THE CHURCH

“Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia. –  It literally means “assembly,” “congregation,” or “meeting.” The word ekklesia was used in the Gospels only two times (Matt 16:18 and Matt 1817). However in the Book of Acts it was mentioned twenty two times. In the New Testament, no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.” The term always referred to the Christian assembly and, in the New Testament, it was used for both the local community of believers and the overall collection of Christians.The church of Christ can therefore not be found within four walls. But what then is the church? Is it tangible, where do we find it? This question brings us to the book of Ephesians.

THE CHURCH IS THE BODY AND BRIDE OF CHRIST 

In Ephesians 5:22-33 we read that husbands must love their wives as Christ loves the church. Christ “loved the church and gave himself up for her”, “cleansing her . . . to present her to himself as a radiant church . . .holy and blameless.” We are called Christ’s body. Paul elaborates on the body of Christ to the church of Corinth, explaining that all believers in Christ are members of the same body. Just as an ekklesia or assembly cannot consist of one member, an eye or an ear cannot be a body in itself. An individual believer in Christ is not the church. The believers of Christ in unity together make up the church. The purposes and functions of the church as a unified body, is somewhat mysterious to us. Each individual will have specific functions for the service of the body as a whole. 

    “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free … “ (1Corinthians12:12 - 14 NIV) 

    THE RAPTURE AND THE GLORIFICATION OF THE CHURCH 

    The church’s destiny is even more mysterious and profound than the idea of the body and bride. It is unfathomable, completely out of reach for the wildest of imaginations. 

      “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable will clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. “ (1 Cort 15:51-53 NIV)

      “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. “ (1 Thes 4:16-18 NIV)

      This is what we wait for, our hope lies in this truth. Apostle Paul says to “encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thes 4:18 NIV) For as the church of Christ, we have a promise from God. We will be raptured to the clouds in glorified bodies. Our old decaying bodies will be gone and for a period of seven years we will be away from this earth. We will only return once the great tribulation, the period of time where the antiChrist is allowed to rule on earth, is over. We will be glorified and protected. 

      THE CHURCH WILL RULE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST 

      “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”  (Revelation 20:4-6 NIV)

        Within these words lie our ultimate purpose as the church. We do not have the details, but it is clear that we who persist in the faith will reign with Christ on earth in the Millennial Kingdom. Dressed in our imperishable eternal glorified bodies we will make decisions for the good of God’s world. We will be the executors of Christ’s perfect plans for humanity and we will do it perfectly, for our will and minds will be perfectly unified with His. 

        THE CHURCH IS NOT

        Now that we know who the church is and when it started, we can easily expel the myths that some Christians believe. Many churches believe that the church of Christ started either with Abraham or with Noah, that as God’s people, they were automatically a part of God’s church. Yes, they were God’s people, beloved and set apart by Him. But the Jews are a separate entity from the church. God’s plan for Israel ,His prophetic nation, is not to be raptured at the start of the seven year tribulation. Neither is His plan for His church, the gentile nations, to be under the covenant with Abraham and the laws of the Israelites as given by Moses.

          CONCLUSION

          Why is it important for us to know what the church is and when it started? Once we can acknowledge the day of Pentecost as the birthday of the church, we know how to read and understand our bibles. We know who we are; gentiles, adopted children of God. Not children of God’s covenant with Israel. We can look forward to God’s specific promises to us and our future in Him.

          We, the church, are held together by Jesus Christ, our bridegroom. He is the glue that fastens individual members into a single unified body, His body. The church, not God’s people in the Mosaic covenant, started on the Pentecost, and could not have come into existence if it were not for the Holy Spirit that inhabited the new believers. God’s plan for His church is unique and Holy, we are to be taken by Jesus up into the sky and to return with Him and reign under Him on earth, carrying out His perfect will and plans for the world. Our identity and future is certain.

          This article is summarised by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Marko Kiroglu on 21 January 2024

          by Marko Kiroglu

          South Africa vs Israel and God

          What will happen if a country lifts its hand against the almighty God?

          After 30 years of growing anti-semitic sentiments, the South African government has launched a legal war against Israel, God’s prophetically chosen nation, in favour of terrorists. 

          The demotion of our national cricket Under-19 team captain, David Teeger, from his position only because he happens to be of Jewish origin is yet another horrible atrocity committed against Jews of our country lately. This blatantly anti-semitic move by Cricket South Africa sent shockwaves across our country and set a horrible precedent. The message is loudly and clearly broadcasted: No Jew is welcome in public leadership positions in South Africa any longer. We are now officially an anti-semitic country just like Nazi-Germany.

          It is a terrible day indeed.

          The Jewish community, who has always felt relatively safe in our country, are now frogs in boiling water. Many of them are noticing the heat and packing up. As most of our Jewry happens to be hard working business people and investors it is not difficult to predict the economic domino effect after their departure. This is indeed a very sad day in South Africa. As a nation we have now plunged ourselves into new moral and spiritual lows by turning against God's own people. 

          It is very sad to see that in a country like South Africa where more than 80% of the population claims to be Bible believing Christians, our government, many academics and even some churches choose to fight against Israel and her Jews. It is now obvious that our so-called Christian nation does not read the Bible and does not care about what God says. So after all, it is now undeniably clear that this is no longer a Bible believing Christian nation, but a Jew hating paganist nation.

          The Bible makes it very clear that to stand against Israel is the surest way of calling for God’s wrath instead of His blessings. In other words, to fight against Israel is to fight against God. 

          Through His prophet Zechariah (2:8-9), God makes a very serious warning in regards to the dealings of nations with Israel:

           "For he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely, I will shake My hand against them and they shall become spoil for their servants"

          There will be severe heavenly repercussions on this government and on our country for our treatment of God's people. 

          God is The Protector of Israel

          The Israelites were invaded and exiled multiple times throughout history and eventually scattered all over the world. They were left without a country and subjected to the holocaust. Miraculously, after nearly two thousand years, God brought them back to their homeland in 1948. They became a sovereign nation again in fulfilment of ancient prophecies such as Ezekiel 36-37. 

          What about nations and powers that tried to exterminate them? Have you heard from the Amorites, Philistines, Babylonians, Assirians and Nazis lately? God wiped them out and preserved His first born nation against all odds. He has a role for the nation of Israel and He promised them the kingdom of Messiah on earth for 1000 years. All the enemies of Israel will be dealt with by God Himself but Israel will one day become the prime nation of the 1000 year long Messianic kingdom of God in accordance with Bible prophecies such as Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19-20.  God remains faithful to the promises and covenants He made to Abraham, Moses and David with regards to the children of Israel. In Spite of Israel’s rebellion, God continues to keep His covenants. 

          Persecution of Christians coming to South Africa

          There is a trend in history that predicts the fall of Christianity in countries where the Jews have been expelled. This trend can be observed in the recent history of the Middle Eastern nations, Europe and Russia. When nations and governments excel in their anti-semitic rhetoric to the point that all their Jewry either gets expelled or are forced to leave to  survive. However, even after the Jews are gone, the momentum of hatred and evil that began with anti-semitism does not stop with the extermination of the Jewish population. 

          Historically, the nations that have exterminated their Jewish population have turned against their Christians after the Jews became extinct in their countries. The only Christians that could survive in those countries are the ones who willingly accepted to become the political puppets of their nations to save themselves from total extermination or expulsion. This is precisely what happened in all the Middle Eastern nations, most of Europe and the Russian speaking world.

          In light of this trend in the recent history of nations, growing anti-semtism and Jew hatred in South Africa signals approaching days of persecution and oppression of Christians in our country. 

          Trust in God in these uncertain times

          You are probably becoming a bit sweaty under the collar while reading all of this. This is frightening news. But what are we called to do with our fear? We must bring it to the feet of God. Remind ourselves what we know about our Almighty God from His word. 

          God is good. He loves His children, and if you have given your life to Him, that includes you. Romans 8:28 assures us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him “ All things include even this terrible situation. Even when you are surrounded by evil and are being scorched by God’s wrath on those around you, you will not burn. He will sustain you.

          Perhaps His love and faithfulness is not enough assurance for you. As we face our uncertain futures, our greatest comfort should be that He who loves us and He is sovereign. His might and authority knows no end, there is never a situation in which He is powerless.

          In Psalm 135:6 we read that 

          “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all depths.”

          Proverbs 21:1 reminds us:

           The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

          Kings, in our case our government, have no power beyond which God allows them. 

          Psalm 2 is a great reminder of how God sees the demonic hatred and evil plans of the kings of the earth against His anointed one and God laughs at them and their evil plot.

          Now you are probably asking yourself, how can a loving God allow the wicked plots of the devil to rule in our country? In our broken sinful world, God works His good and perfect will in mysterious ways. We know that God has gone before us and as He is all knowing and wise, we must trust Him. 

          In the story of Job we see God’s sovereignty over evil. Job was a righteous God fearing man. He even went so far as to make regular sacrifices for sins that his children might have committed. Satan had to travel from earth to the Heavens to get God’s permission to torment Job. He approached God’s throne and accused Job of being good and faithful only as far as his fortune was great and his life was prosperous. God knew this was not true. He allowed Satan to do as he liked with Job, but forbade him to touch the man himself. After Satan killed Job’s livestock and all his children, Job was left in mourning and poverty. But still he remained faithful to God. Satan persisted and God permitted him to take his torment even further. Eventually Job suffered day and night with sickness. Though miserable and angry, Job still did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Job was rewarded, God gave back everything he lost, and doubled it. Through it all, God was faithful and sovereign.

          Like Job, we too are at the mercy of God. Try as we may, we cannot create our own fortunes and our own destinies. God is sovereign over our health, life and death. If we surrender to Him, we can rest in His faithfulness. We can brave the storm. Knowing that all would be well, Jesus lay sleeping in the storm tossed boat while the accompanying disciples feared for their lives. (Matthew 8:23-27) We do not have to toss water out of the boat, doubt the Lord and accuse Him of not caring. We can be calm in the midst of it all, trusting in Him.

          Whether we embrace it or not, our lives are in the hands of the almighty and loving God. Remember who He is as he tells you

           “I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39)

          Let the Holy Spirit Lead You

          We must not forget that we have the power of the resurrection in us, the Holy Spirit who “will teach us all things” (John 14:26). We must allow Him to guide us.

          There is great power in prayer. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will exalt us (James 4:10). Let us humbly ask for the forgiveness of our country’s sin against the Jews and for God’s mercy for those who do not associate themselves with anti-Semitism. Let us separate ourselves from them in the eyes of the Lord. 

          ‘‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). 

          We know that it is God’s will for us to bless Israel, as He promised Abraham in Genesis 12: 1 - 3. Now we are not only being called to pray for Jews thousands of kilometres away, but for those right on our doorstep. We must pray for their safety, but moreover for God’s good and perfect plans for them to be executed. We must pray for their salvation.

          Most of our Western lives have been fairly comfortable, we have not been confronted with serious political crises. We need to page back in history, to the remarkable life of Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie was a young Dutch woman from a Godly Christian family under Nazi rule in the Netherlands. Supported by her father and sister, she risked her life to hide Jews in a secret room attached to her own. Her whole family was arrested, taken to prison and later to various concentration camps. After years of imprisonment in Revensbruck, Corrie was released as the result of a clerical error. A week later all the women in her section were sent to the gas chambers. No doubt, this was God’s blessing to Corrie for her self-sacrificial service to His people, the Jews. Corrie’s sacrifice echoes Jesus’ explanation of love to His disciples:

          “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13:)

          Although we face uncertain and frightening times, we are also presented with a wonderful opportunity. We have the opportunity to step out of passive and comfortable Christian lifestyles and into real service of the almighty God. By serving His people and persisting in our faith in dark times, we can say that we truly are running the race. In the end we will receive our crowns. (1 Corinthians 9: 24)

          This article is compiled by Christine Van Reenen from the semon of Marko Kiroglu on 21 January 2024

          by Marko Kiroglu

          Picture a holy person. What comes to mind? Perhaps someone pure and sinless, devoting themselves to the church every day. Someone with the faint glow of a halo around their heads. If you are having trouble thinking of someone like this, it’s because there is no such a person on earth. Yet Jesus calls us to be holy. 

          In truth, to be holy is not to be sinless. It is to be set apart for God, for His purposes, to be committed to Him. This requires the complete surrender of our own will and desires, of our very identity. The word holy is derived from the word, “whole”. It suggests that we give our whole selves to God. We lay every plan and dream at his feet, we even surrender the desire to live to Him . Our existence is solely for God. For the apostle Paul, “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21, NIV). From his Roman prison cell Paul did not long to be free from prison cuisine, his only desire to continue living was so that he could do the work of the Lord and support his brothers and sisters in Christ. 

          We are to “make every effort to live in peace and be holy (as) without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, NIV). In Matthew 7: 21 - 23 Jesus warns us: “Not everyone who says to me,  ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  If we fail in this, he will tell us “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

          If we believe in Him, we must be His. We are God’s property. Besides being a beloved child of God, we are His bondservants. However, we cannot become holy out of fear of being rejected by Him. Our desire for the kingdom of heaven must not be to save our skins from the fire of hell, it should be the desire for the constant presence of God and for service to Him. We are instrumental in the kingdom of heaven, we have the purpose of serving and honouring God. Heaven is not a holiday. Therefore, in order for us to be useful to God in heaven, we must be useful to Him on earth. Not by works or by our pure and sinless conduct, but by the complete surrender of our entire lives to Him. Our lives will no longer be our own. Our concern can no longer primarily be what we earn, where we live, how we look and how to impress people around us. Our concern is for the glory of God and for our usefulness to Him.

          The only sin free holy man to have walked the earth, is Jesus. He was willingly born into poverty, served in ministry for about three years and was then publicly disgraced, tortured and murdered on a cross. All this He endured willingly, for God’s sake. 

          How about God’s mere mortal children, were any among them holy? In Genesis 12:1-3 we read that Abraham was uprooted from his life. God told him to leave his family and his father’s home and all that was familiar to him, to follow God into the wilderness. He had no idea what his future would look like, whether he would be prospering or suffering. He didn't even have the promise of survival. How did Abraham do this? Firstly, he needed to choose to be holy and secondly he had to trust God. Indeed, it is impossible to choose holy surrender and commitment to God without trusting Him. Holiness requires faith, without which trust is impossible. As an outpouring of our unwavering faith and trust in God, we can w/holy surrender our lives to Him and be of service to Christ in this world and eventually the next. It is this holy service to Christ that is our ultimate purpose, our reason for existence. What was Abraham’s reward for his unwavering faith in God, for blindly following Him into the unknown? It was tremendous. God called him friend. Imagine the almighty God calling you His friend, not just His servant, but His friend. This relationship is an enormous gift and it is one only God can instigate. We have no claim over God and therefore cannot extend a hand of friendship to Him, but we can take His. In spite of Abraham’s sinful nature God repeatedly called Abraham friend, even long after his death. (See 2 Chronicles 20: 7 , Isaiah 41: 8 and James 2: 23.) God commended Abraham’s faith and commitment, not his pure conduct.

          How about you? Can you say that you have faith like Abraham, that God will commend your selfless commitment and complete faith in Him? If your answer is no, you have not decided to be holy unto God.

          Another example of a holy man in scripture is Moses. Moses grew up in splendour and wealth but lost it after murdering an Egyptian. He spent decades hiding in the wilderness, shepherding livestock. God came to him when he was a broken man, calling himself nothing, not believing he could speak in front of people, let alone stand up to Pharoah. But he agreed. He surrendered, he trusted God, and in his old age he led the Hebrew people to their freedom. When he became arrogant and proud, God punished him by not allowing him to enter the promised land. Nevertheless, God was a friend to him and had fellowship with him in the tabernacle. 

          Do you long for God to call you His good and faithful servant? Perhaps even His friend? Challenge yourself. Do not scroll on before looking into your own heart. You can choose to be an apathetic Christian, one who knows Jesus but lives according to the beat of your own drum. Or you can choose holiness. There is no inbetween.

          This article is Compiled by Christine Van Reenen from the sermon by Marko Kiroglu on 14 January 2024

          By Dr. David R. Reagan

          1) “Set Palestine Free From the River to the Sea.”

          Based on the interviews of people chanting this slogan, it appears that many have no idea what it means. In the first place, Americans who have always been geographically challenged, have expressed no knowledge of what river or sea they are talking about!
          And when they are told that the chant refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, they still don’t get the point that it is talking about the annihilation of the state of Israel. It’s just a nice-sounding chant that rhymes.
          For those who do understand the meaning of the slogan, it is an expression of appalling anti-Semitism.

          2) “End Apartheid in Israel!”

          This is a slogan that garners massive support, but the slogan expresses a total lie. There is no Apartheid in Israel. None! Zilch! Nada!
          Two million Palestinians live in Israel. They are citizens of Israel, and as such, they have complete freedom to live where they please and to use any hospital or means of transportation. There is no enforced separation of Jews and Arabs of any type that exists in Israel.
          Arab Israelis have the right to vote and to serve in the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). They also have access to all the welfare services of the state. They have every freedom that the Jews have. In fact, they have been given a freedom Jews do not have! All Jews, except the small percentage of Ultra-Orthodox, are required to serve in the military — both men and women. Palestinian citizens are exempted from this requirement, although some voluntarily serve in non-combat positions.
          The only Apartheid that exists in the Middle East is in the Arab countries where all their Jewish populations were forcibly evicted after the Suez War in 1956. The fact of the matter is that no Jews are allowed to live in Arab nations. That is true Apartheid!

          3) “Free Palestine from Colonial Oppression.”

          This is sheer nonsense. The Jewish people are not colonialists. They are not outsiders who have taken over someone else’s land. The land they currently occupy (and much more they do not yet occupy) was given to them by God as an eternal possession (Genesis 12:1-3, 7, 14-15; 16:18-21; 26:3; 28:4, 13; 35:10-12; Exodus 6:7-8 and Psalm 105:8-11).
          The Jews occupied this gift of God 3,500 years ago and lived there for 1,500 years until they were forcibly ejected from the land by the Assyrians and the Romans. After their final ejection in 70AD, the land laid vacant and desolate for 2,000 years. The few Arabs who lived there considered themselves to be Syrians because most of the land was owned by absentee Syrian landlords.
          During this long time span, the land was never an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. In short, there was never a Palestinian state with a Palestinian government. Nor was there a Palestinian language or culture.
          When the Jews began to return to their homeland in the late 1890s, they bought the land at exorbitant prices. The land was so desolate that the Arabs could not figure out why the Jews wanted it so badly. For example, by 1900 nearly all the trees in Israel had been cut down. This was due to the fact that the Turkish empire taxed trees. In the 20th century, as the returning Jews began to reclaim the land, they started replacing the forests and ended up planting more than 250 million trees during the century!

          4) “End 75 Years of Occupation.”

          Israel is not an occupying power. The land they are “occupying” was not only given to them by God, it was also legally granted to them by the United Nations.
          At the end of World War I, the area which was known as Palestine was simply a province of the Ottoman Empire of Turkey. Since the Turks sided with Germany during World War I, the victorious allies decided to dismantle the Ottoman Empire by dividing its pieces between the British and the French. The area called Palestine was assigned to the British and they later began to rule it as a League of Nations Mandate.
          A year before the end of World War I, the British issued the Balfour Declaration in November of 1917. In it they made it clear that their intention was to make Palestine into a homeland for the Jewish people. At that time, Palestine consisted of the territory that today includes Israel plus Jordan.
          But in 1921, the British Colonial Secretary, Winston Churchill, decided to give two-thirds of Palestine to the Arabs to establish the Mandate of Transjordan. This area received its full freedom in 1946 when it was reconstituted as the state of Jordan.
          When Churchill made his decision, the Jewish people felt betrayed by the British, but they expected to receive what was left of Palestine as their state. The remainder was a small sliver of land 270 miles long, with a width ranging from 9 to 85 miles.
          In November of 1947, the United Nations voted to divide this sliver of land even further, dividing it between the Jews and Arabs in order to create a state for each one. Again, the Jews felt betrayed, but they accepted the offer. The Arabs refused.
          Israel came back into existence as a state on May 14, 1948. On that same day, the Arabs could have taken advantage of the UN resolution and created a Palestinian state for themselves. But they wanted all the land, so they attacked the new Jewish state with the intention of driving the Jews into the sea.

          Throughout the history of the area since it was cut away from the Ottoman Empire in 1918, there have been five times when the Arabs were given the opportunity to create a state of their own, and each time, they have refused:


          1) In 1936, the British government appointed the Peel Commission to recommend a solution to Jewish and Arab conflict in the area. The commission offered the Arabs 80% of the land. The Arabs said, “No!”
          2) In 1947, The United Nations approved a partition of the land into two states. The Jews received 56%. Again, the Arabs said, “No!”
          3) In 1967, after the Six Day War, the Jews offered to allow the Arabs to create a state that would include Gaza and the West Bank. The Arab League responded with “The Three Nos” — No peace with Israel. No recognition of Israel. No negotiation with Israel.
          4) In 2000, the most liberal Prime Minister in Israel’s history, Ehud Barak, offered Yassir Arafat the opportunity to create a state that would include Gaza, 94% of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The moderator of the conference, President Bill Clinton, said that all Arafat could say from the beginning to the end of the negotiations was, “No!”
          5) In 2008, Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, offered Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the PLO, the opportunity to create a state that included even more of the West Bank. Abbas said, “No!”


          With this history in mind, you can understand what Israel’s most famous diplomat, Abba Eban, once said: “The Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

          5) “Free Gaza!”

          This is another nonsensical slogan. Israel granted complete sovereignty to Gaza in 2005, and did so at great social and financial cost. The Israeli army forcibly evicted 9,000 Jews from their homes in 25 settlements and turned the entire area over to the Palestinians.
          Jews had to blow up their synagogues to keep them from being desecrated by the Arabs. They also had to dig up their cemeteries and move the bodies of their loved ones to keep the graves from being desecrated. The removal cost the Israeli government $900 million. Further loses included $120 million in annual flower production and 15% of Israel’s agricultural exports, including 60% of its tomato and herb exports. Also lost was 70% of Israel’s organic produce.
          After Israel’s withdrawal, hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign aid flowed into Gaza from many nations, including the United States. This money was for humanitarian assistance and the rebuilding of the area’s infrastructure, particularly hospitals and schools. But when Hamas took over in 2007, these donations were diverted to the purchase of military weapons and the construction of over 300 miles of concrete tunnels for launching attacks into Israel.
          The Palestinian people were left to scrape out a living as best they could while Hamas built up its military with the intention of attacking Israel. Also, the Hamas leaders confiscated much of the financial aid for themselves personally, using it to live extravagant lives of leisure in the Arab Emirate of Qatar. It is estimated that the top leaders of Hamas have a combined worth of a staggering $11 billion.

          “Free Gaza” is an appropriate and true slogan only if it is referring to freeing Gaza from Hamas!

          6) “Stop the Israeli Genocide!”

          This would be an appropriate slogan if it were addressed to Hamas because the goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel and kill all its Jewish population. But the slogan is greatly misdirected when aimed at Israel.

          Israel’s desire is to live at peace with the Arabs. The only war Israel has ever started is the Six-Day War in 1967, and it did so because the surrounding Arab nations declared that they were going to attack and annihilate the Jewish state. Israel decided its only hope for survival was a pre-emptive attack.
          The Israeli military has a long established reputation for being the most humane in the world. When Israel goes to war, it always does everything possible to protect civilians. Israel drops leaflets, makes phone calls and sends emails to announce targets so that civilians will have time to evacuate. Also, Israel focuses its attacks on military targets and not civilians. Yes, mistakes sometimes occur, but mistakes are not war crimes.
          In stark contrast, Hamas uses its civilians as human shields. Thus, it launches rockets from the roofs of hospitals and schools, and when Israel announces targets, Hamas forces civilians to the target areas so that they can use their dead bodies for propaganda purposes. As one expert has put it, “Israel uses its military to protect its citizens whereas Hamas uses its citizens to protect its military.”
          Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has long summed up the situation in the Middle East
          with these words: “If the Arabs were to disarm, there would be peace. If Israel were to disarm, we
          would cease to exist.”

          7) “Gas the Jews!”

          This slogan has actually been used by the Pro-Palestinian protesters. It is nothing but a horrendous expression of naked Anti-Semitism. It is just one indication that the true aim of the Palestinians is not to create another Palestinian state. No! The real aim is the annihilation of Israel.
          And when I refer to “another Palestinian state,” I mean that a Palestinian state already exists. It
          is the state of Jordan. The state itself was carved out of the Palestinian province of the Ottoman
          Empire, and one-half of its population is Palestinian.

          Conclusion

          The outbreak of massive, irrational Anti-Semitism worldwide is a supernatural event orchestrated by Satan. He hates the Jewish people with a passion because they are God’s Chosen People through whom God gave the Scriptures and the Messiah, Jesus. Satan also hates God’s promise to bring a great remnant of the Jews to salvation through faith in Jesus (Isaiah 10:21-22, Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 9:27).
          Satan’s determination to annihilate the Jews is what the Holocaust was all about. It is the reason he will motivate the Antichrist to focus the second half of the Tribulation on picking up where Hitler left off in ridding the world of the Jewish people.


          But Satan will not succeed:
          “He who touches Israel, touches the apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8).
          “He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4).
          “In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a fiery laver among pieces of wood and a fiery torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem will again be inhabited in its own place — in Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:6).
          “And it will be in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against
          Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).


          God has regathered the Jewish people to their homeland for a reason. He is going the bring the whole world against them (Zechariah 12:3), not because He hates them, but because He loves them. They have been a stubborn and stiff-necked people throughout their relationship with Him. When in trouble in Old Testament times, they always turned to Egypt for help. In modern times, they have relied on the United States. God has always wanted them to rely on Him.
          In these end times, as the whole world turns against them, they will be forced to come to the end of themselves, and in their desperation, they will turn to God for their help, and they will finally accept His Son as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).
          What a day that will be! Jesus mentioned it when he rode into Jerusalem at the climax of His life. He said He would not return to this earth until the Jewish people were willing to say, “Baruch Haba B’shem Adonai,” meaning “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”
          Maranatha! (1 Corinthians 16:22).

          [Dr. Reagan earned a doctorate degree in International Law and Politics from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, a school of international relations that is owned and operated by Tufts and Harvard Universities. After a 20 year career teaching international politics at various universities, he resigned his academic career in 1980 and established Lamb & Lion Ministries — a Bible prophecy ministry that focuses on end time prophecies concerning the return of Jesus. In 2021, he retired from the ministry after 41 years of service and has since focused on writing books about Bible prophecy.]

          By Marko Kiroglu

          I recently had a conversation with someone who loves the Lord and who reads the Bible on a regular basis. During our conversation, this person told me that they thought of Bible prophecy and the end times as a fearful subject. That it's difficult to deal with and that they don’t want to get involved in it or hear anything about it. That it only gives fear to people.

          I thought to myself – what a great misunderstanding. This person has not been introduced to the subject of Bible prophecy and although they love the Lord and walk with the Lord, they do not really understand the big picture of Bible prophecy.

          In this article I will discuss 7 amazing positive reasons why Bible prophecy is a subject that every Christian needs to study.

          1. BIBLE PROPHECY SHOWS THAT GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL

          In the whole of the Bible, more than any other aspect of the Bible, the subject of Bible prophecy clearly shows us that God is in control. How? Bible prophecies, prophesy how world events will evolve and what will happen. They prophesy which nation God will use and in what way. Bible prophecies show us how God will deal with different generations and different dispensations of people. All of that is prophesied in the Bible.

          The Bible prophesies that God will send the Messiah at a specific time to a specific place. The Bible tells us about the entire life and ministry of the Messiah, up to His second coming.

          And then, when we look at the history of humanity, we realise that everything really played out exactly as the Bible had prophesied. In light of this amazing discovery, we realise that God is indeed in full control of the entire universe, of our entire world, and even of the entire human history.

          Now I want to take it one step further.

          Yes, God is in control of all human politics and even diplomacy. This is not to say that corrupt politicians and wicked people are empowered by God, but rather that God knows what's going to happen and He allows it for as long as He wants to allow it. If there comes a time when God says that He will not allow this any further, then He stops it. Nations, kings, rulers, no one is outside of the total control of God. God is in full control of human history, of the world, of the nations, of everyone and everything.

          This is the first conclusion we can draw from studying Bible prophecy and then also looking at human history or human interactions, even today.

          2. EVERYTHING PLAYS OUT EXACTLY AS PROPHESIED IN THE BIBLE

          Secondly, studying Bible prophecies clearly shows us that no matter how much people want to do what they want to do, they end up playing into the hands of God.

          This is in perfect agreement with what we read in Psalm chapter 2. No matter what people want to do, no matter what people plot, and no matter what people plan, at the end of the day, God's will gets carried out. People can only do as much as God allows them to do.

          Yes, people have the freedom to choose, but even their choices are subject to God's permission. This again shows that no matter what happens in this world, no matter what happens in our lives, it's all playing into the hands of God. God looks from heaven, looks at the wicked works of the rulers of the world, looks at how they are rebelling against Him, at how they are plotting against Him with each other, and God just laughs at them. Because He is in control and no matter what people do, it only plays into the hands of God, into the plans of God, and into the prophecies of the Bible.

          This is the second amazing point because of which I find the subject of Bible prophecy both very encouraging as a follower of Jesus Christ, and also liberating, because I don't have to worry. It all plays into the hands of God, according to the plans of God, according to the prophecies of the Bible. God is in total control. This is an amazing concept for me, I hope it is amazing for you too.

          3. GOD LOVES THIS WORLD AND THESE PEOPLE THAT HE CREATED IN HIS OWN IMAGE

          Thirdly, I would like to point out that God really loves this world, and He loves these people whom He has created in His own image.

          Just consider this - God, knows the future before it happens, knows the hearts of all people, and from the beginning knew how these people that He had created in his own image would rebel against Him when they got the chance. God knew about all of the wickedness and all the corruption, all the evil, all the wicked deeds every human was going to possibly execute. God knew all of that, from the very beginning, before those people were born. And yet, in light of this knowledge, God did not choose to hate them, but instead to love them no matter what. Because of this amazing love, God sent us his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, to pay the penalty for all the sins that people had yet to commit.

          Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins before you were even born, before you committed your sins. That should tell you volumes and volumes about God's amazing love. God foreknew all the wickedness that mankind was going to commit one day, and in spite of that, God loved them and God provided a way to wipe away their sins and forgive them and provide for them an eternal life and an eternal relationship with God himself. God provided Jesus Christ as a redeemer for the world, not just for people, but also for the world.

          That's why John 3:16 says:

          "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (KJV)

          This third point, that God loves the world, makes more complete sense if you understand Bible prophecy. God prophesied the arrival of the Messiah. God sent the Messiah because He knew that humanity was going to rebel against Him in such a bad way. So God provided the solution before humanity rebelled against Him.

          4. GOD HAS AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL PLANS FOR HIS PEOPLE

          God has amazing plans, wonderful plans, mind-boggling plans, plans that no eye has seen, no mind has comprehended, for those who love Him, for those who walk with Him, who choose to believe in Him, and who choose to acknowledge him as their God and Saviour.

          Apostle Paul wrote about this extensively in Romans chapter 8.

          If you study Bible prophecy as a subject you begin to receive this revelation, you begin to comprehend that throughout the ages, throughout the generations of humanity across the whole world, through many different nations, God is constantly trying to implement His good plans for people. God's love for people is an amazing thing that I still don't comprehend myself and I don't think you do either, because it's such a huge thing that I don't think we are able to comprehend it yet.

          Studying the subject of Bible prophecy reveals all of that and shows you that God is in control. Everything plays out into the hands of God and into the plans of God. God loves this world. God loves the people that He created and God wants to save them through His son Jesus Christ. God has good plans for them - for their future, for their families, for their homes, for their cities, and for their countries. That's amazing. That's mind-boggling. You begin to comprehend these things on a deeper level when you study the subject of Bible prophecy.

          5. A PROPHESIED TRANSITION: DECLINE OF CHRISTIANITY, RISE OF ISRAEL IN PROMINENCE.

          Bible prophecies tell us that this age of grace, the church age, as we call it, will one day come to an end. But before it ends, God will gradually bring the Jewish people back to their homeland. From there God will bring them back to the global arena, to the global high position of God's representatives.

          The Bible prophecies clearly show us that there is going to come a time of transition. The church will diminish and move out of the global arena and Israel will come into the picture. The Jewish people will become God's prophetic voice once again, as it was before the church age. For some Christians this doesn't sound like an exciting thing, because they don't understand the Bible prophecies. If you understand the Bible prophecies, you realise that what these developments mean, is the soon return of Jesus Christ, to fetch His bride out of this church. Apostle Paul talked about this subject as the blessed hope. For the Jewish people, it means that their centuries-long yearning to go back to their homeland and become a nation that represents God to the world will become a reality, and that desire was put in their hearts by God Himself.

          Again, the subject of Bible prophecy shows that God is in control. He moves nations from one part of the world to another, just as He wishes. He takes them there and brings them back, He lets kingdoms rise and He makes kingdoms fall. God is in control of everything.

          6. GOD WILL FULFIL ALL OF HIS PROMISES TO ISRAEL

          God will fulfil his promises to the nation of Israel. Some Christians think that Christians are now the spiritual Israel. We don't understand the scriptures that way. Scripture is very clear - we are Gentiles and saved by grace. We don't replace Israel, Israel is still Israel. There are very specific promises that God has made unto them. Many of those promises pertaining to the last days, begin with one key promise, that one day God will bring them back and make them a mighty nation again. That promise was fulfilled, when in 1948 and 1949, Israel came back to their homeland and became an independent nation.

          Since that day, until now, one after another God is fulfilling his other promises to this nation, making them a really mighty nation in a part of the world where there is no peace. God will continue to fulfil His promises unto them, including the prophecies that they will be attacked by nations of the world and they will be brought to the end of their prideful self and they will turn to God and say “baruch haba b'shem adonai” - they will call unto the Messiah and ask Him to come.

          All of that is prophesied in the Bible and these prophecies will be fulfilled. That is what the Bible prophecies show. That is what the character of God reveals - God fulfils whatever He prophesies or promises. It's going to happen.

          7. GOD WILL FULFIL HIS PROMISE TO THE CHURCH AND THE RAPTURE IS IMMINENT. 

          This is the most important aspect of all for the believers of Christ. Apostle Paul talked about it extensively - we have a blessed hope. Bible prophecy is a subject of hope. It gives you hope for today and tomorrow.

          If you look at the world today, if you turn on your TV, if you look at the newspapers - there is no good news, not anywhere. All they are telling you about is what crises are developing, what disasters are happening, what new political problems are emerging, and what wars are brewing. It's just bad news. But if you study the subject of Bible prophecy, there is one loud message - there is hope for today and tomorrow, for those who believe in Jesus.

          What is our hope?

          Number 1 - Although the world seems to be going crazy and everything seems to be going downwards and backwards, God is in control. Don't be afraid of anything.

          Number 2 - Although the enemies of God are plotting plans against God and his people, don't worry, and don't be afraid. God is in control and those people who rebel against God cannot do anything more than what He allows them to do.

          Number 3 - God loves you, because God created you in His own image. No matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, what language you speak, or what sins you have committed - if there is breath in your lungs, that means you have the breath of God in your lungs. That means God still loves you and He is still waiting on you to respond to His love.

          Number 4 - God has amazing plans for you. God has amazing good plans for you today and tomorrow. Turn to God and tap into these plans of His. Enjoy a life of blessed abundance that God will provide for you. When I talk about abundance I'm not necessarily talking about money only, I'm talking about an abundant relationship with God from whom flows every aspect of life, not just money, but every aspect of life flows from God. Without God there is no life, only in God there is life. God loves you and God is waiting on you to respond to His love, so that you can receive from Him the life He has in store for you.

          Number 5 - Don't worry, even though the church age is going to come to an end. We're seeing it happen with our own eyes as it has been prophesied in the Bible. Churches are disintegrating, pastors are moving away from the biblical truth, and churches are becoming social clubs. These things are all prophesied in the Bible as signs of the last days. In light of this, rather rejoice, because everything is playing out as it has been prophesied in the Bible. God is in control, you hold on to God. 

          Numbers 6&7 - The nation of Israel is going to continue walking according to the prophecies God made about them. They are going to continue to become a mighty nation, only to frustrate the anger of their enemies - enemies who are already named by God in the Bible. Eventually, those enemies of Israel will come and attack Israel. They will bring Israel to the point of total breakdown, but they will not be able to exterminate the Jews. Then the Jews will turn to Jesus and say: “Come save us, oh Messiah!” Then Jesus will come and deliver to the Jews their promised kingdom. Remember, God promised a kingdom to them.

          Before we get to the kingdom, before that time, God will take his church, his believers, you and me, out of this world as God prophesied in the Bible. That, we call the Rapture, that we call the blessed hope. After that, there will be seven years of terrible wrath from God on Earth, for the Nations of this world, for their rebellion against God, and for rejecting the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel will be severely persecuted, only one-third will survive. But that remaining one-third will turn to the Messiah and cry out to him. At the end of those seven years, the Messiah will come, save the nation of Israel, destroy the dominion of Satan, and finally establish the Millennial Kingdom. This kingdom was promised to the Jewish nation all the way back in the days of Abraham, in the days of King David - the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied about this kingdom. For many generations, Jews have been waiting for this kingdom and they are still waiting. Finally, at the end of the seven-year tribulation, the remaining one-third of the Jews will receive this promised kingdom. And that kingdom will last for a thousand years. Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem for a thousand years and that will be a kingdom like no other. It will be a kingdom of true righteousness, true peace, true harmony, with true blessings of God.

          My friends, God has good plans for you, God is in control. That is the most beautiful overarching message of the subject of Bible prophecy. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ.

          By Marko Kiroglu

          SALVATION & JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

          Justification in the presence of God and salvation from the consequences of our rebellious and sinful nature is the need of every person.

          In Romans 7 Apostle Paul reminds us that all of humanity struggles with a sinful nature. Paul was one of the most learned men of his time. He knew the law of God and the Holy Scripture very well. And still, he says that he cannot help himself in regards his sinful human nature. In spite of all his learning and service unto the Lord, he struggled with his sinful nature, his sinful flesh. This is true for all of us. 

          And I want to remind you of this. Maybe you are struggling with various frustrating sinful things in your life, just like Apostle Paul. You know what is right. You know what God expects of you. You know what the Bible says. But in spite of the fact that you know all of that, you still cannot completely stop doing what is wrong, and still fail to do what is right. That is the frustrating and disappointing point Apostle Paul is making in Romans chapter 7.  At the end of this chapter, after Paul explains his frustration, he then asks who will save him from his wretched body, from his wretched flesh within which he dwells? And that is so true for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. 

          If we’re honest with ourselves, we will realise we are exactly in the same place where Apostle Paul was. None of us is any better than him in this regard. The more we read the Bible, the more time we spend with God, the more we learn about the character of God and the standards of God - God’s holiness and what God expects from us. But this knowledge alone cannot automatically transform us. On the one hand we learn about God and His expectations, but on the other hand we still struggle to get there. In fact, the more we try, the more we realise that we are failing. That is the problem we all face just like Paul in Romans chapter 7.

          And then we come to Romans chapter 8. In the first verse of Romans 8 we read this: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. (NIV) This verse, in the light of the discussion in chapter 7, simply says that in spite of the fact that we now know what God expects of us and we fail to meet God's expectations, we are not under condemnation because of our faith Christ. In other words, although, we want to do what is right, we cannot keep doing what is right, instead we keep doing what is wrong, even though we hate what is wrong. In spite of this great problem we face with our sinful nature, Romans 8:1 says that there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ. 

          This fits perfectly in the narrative of the rest of the Bible. Previously we learned - that we are saved by grace, because Christ died on the cross for our sins. Not because of our good works. Not because of our religious perfection. Not because we are doing some things better than other people. No, not at all. Any person is saved through faith in Jesus Christ by the grace of God as we read in Ephesian 2:8-9: 

          "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." 

          Furthermore, here is what God says in Romans 10:9-10:

           "if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved."

          SANCTIFICATION & GOOD WORKS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

          Salvation and justification is by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or religious perfection. However, on top of salvation and justification by faith, the believer also needs to go through sanctification and doing the good works and deeds that God expects from us. That, my friends, that great and miraculous work of sanctification can only be done by the Holy Spirit. No human, by his own religious efforts and performance can sanctify himself or please God by his good works. Even Apostle Paul could not succeed in doing it as we have seen in Romans 7. 

          In Romans 8 from verse 2 to 11 we read that - if we walk by the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us and transforming our hearts, we will start doing the works of the Holy Spirit. 

          In other words, sanctification is the work of transformation, or as some would say, "regeneration" that the Holy Spirit performs in believers who would allow Him. 

          This is very important. It’s so deep in its essence that it’s difficult to summarise it. Basically these 10 verses (Rom 8:2-11) say that anything good and beautiful that we can possibly do, is actually because of the Holy Spirit that is in us and that is changing our hearts and that is leading us to do what is good and what is beautiful unto God.

          In Galatians 5, we are reminded again how all the natural works of a human is sin and rebellion in the light of God's holiness. As we have seen in Romans 7, even after some become a believer, that sinful human nature is still there in total rebellion against God. However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, fills him and begins the work of transformation in him, only then can he/she begin to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Pay attention to the wording in the verses below, all that is good and acceptable unto God is not the work of human flesh nor human efforts but the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

          I want to remind you of Galatians 5:16-26:

          "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

          The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

          But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

          Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another."

          This is also perfectly in line with what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and what happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Even the apostles and first followers of Christ who walked, talked and even shared a meal with Christ did not have the ability or the power to transform themselves or to be witnesses of Christ until the Holy Spirit came upon them. When the Holy Spirit came, He began the work of transformation (regeneration) in them and also empowered them to be the witnesses of Christ, in other words, to do the good works that God expected from them. The same truth goes also for you and me today. Without the Holy Spirit coming and working in our hearts we cannot experience transformation (regeneration) nor can we produce any good works. Thus all and any good fruit or works a believer produces is not due to his abilities or personal efforts but by the power of the Holy Spirit alone. 

          No one, not even the believers of Jesus Christ who are saved and sanctified by faith and through the grace of God, has the ability to please God without the work of the Holy Spirit in their heart. This is important to understand. Nobody can please God by their own religious acts. None of us can do what is right and what is good in the eyes of God with our own efforts, with our own religious discipline or religious rigor. We don’t have what it takes to be able to do that. Instead we will only end up doing what is wrong and what is detested by God. 

          But the moment the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and fills us, He starts working in our hearts, gradually, slowly but surely. The Holy Spirit makes saints and servants of God from sinful people who have been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. 

          So then, in the light of this truth you can see that, baptism of the Holy Spirit and thereafter walking or living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit is an indispensable part and parcel of the life of anyone who wants to please God and live holy. 

          In other words, no true holiness can be attained without the Holy Spirit. Although salvation and justification can be attained by faith in Christ by anyone, holiness and pleasing service unto God can be achieved by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

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