The Good News Magazine - November/December 2015

November-December 2015
M A G A Z I N E
O F
U N D E R S T A N D I N G
Where Did an Evil Spirit World Come From? 8 Coming: A Marvelous New Age 12
Christmas Before Christ 16 Jesus Christ: Creator of the Sabbath Day 19
The Sabbath in History

and Prophecy page 30
Big News About The Good News
or more than 20 years The Good News has been

bringing readers the same good newswhich
is the meaning of the term gospelthat Jesus
Christ brought when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. He came
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and
believe in the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).
We bear that same messagethe message of the Kingdom of
God that Jesus Christ will establish throughout the world following
His return to the earth, and how you and I now, through repentance
and belief in that Kingdom, submit to the rule and way of life of the
King of that Kingdom.
We know that God is working out His plan, and it will

come to pass exaclty as He sees fit. We look forward
to a world and a way of life beyond today.
That is a truly life-transforming message, if we allow our Creator to work within us to change us from the inside out. It is also a
message of great hope, because although we live in a time of great
turmoil and trouble, if God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31).
We know that God is working out His plan, and it will come to
pass exactly as He sees fit. We look forward to a world and a way of
life beyond today.
And that leads to some big news about The Good News. Beginning with the next issue, we are changing the name of The Good
News to Beyond Today to reflect this hope and mindset. This move
is also to better distinguish our publication from others using the
name good news and to link our magazine more closely to our
Beyond Today television program and Internet websites.
Youll still be receiving the same eye-opening articles youre used
to from The Good News, but in a new, more eye-catching package.
The same staff will still be working hard to bring you what our
readers have regularly told us they like bestwhat they need to
make both the Bible and the world around us make sense.
Well continue to bring you in-depth analysis of Gods plan and
purpose for you and your loved ones. Well show how Bible prophecy sheds light on the troubling and dangerous trends shaping our
world and where these are ultimately taking us. Well continue to
explain Gods Word in clear, down-to-earth language to help you
understand and act on what it reveals.
Well give you revealing studies about what the Bible teaches about
various topics relevant to your life, and explain lessons we can learn
from the lives of biblical characters. Most important of all, well
show you how to become the kind of person God wants you to be.
All of these tie in with the name Beyond Today. We want to
share with readers the hope of a new world beyond todaya world
in which the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as
the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). We also want to help you
learn how to start living by the values of that Kingdom and begin
experiencing its blessings now.
You dont need to do anything to continue to receive this renamed
and refreshed magazine. Your subscription will continue as before
with no charge.
We look forward to having you with us as we turn the page on a
new chapter with this magazine. We also hope youll continue to
join us in praying to God, Your Kingdom come!
Scott Ashley, Managing editor
The Good News
Volume 20, Number 6
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Table of Contents
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Cover Feature
Photos, from left: ThinkStock/Shaun Venish, Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons, Thinkstock (2), Shaun Venish, Thinkstock Cover: Thinkstock/Shaun Venish
Kingdoms at War: Powers of the Unseen World

A shocking event from the life of the biblical prophet Daniel opens a window into a different dimensionan
unseen spirit world and beings who play a hidden role in events taking place around us.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
An Evil Spirit World:

Where Did It Come From?
Jesus Christ:
Creator of the Sabbath Day
Gods Word reveals surprising details

about an evil being and his cohorts
who are the enemies of God. . . . . . . 8
As Christians, we know Jesus is our

Savior and perfect example. Should
we observe the Sabbath day like
Hedid? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Coming: A Marvelous New Age

God has planned an amazing future
civilization for all people. Discover
what it will be like! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Wait! You Just Said Jesus

Was Not Born on Dec. 25!
You may not think its important that
Jesus wasnt born on Dec. 25. But
heres why it really does matter! . . . 14
Christmas Before Christ:

The Holidays Origins Unmasked
The Bible doesnt mentionmuch less
sanctifyChristmas. Does it make any
difference as long as its intended to
honor God? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Abortion and Planned Parenthood:

A Cause for Righteous Anger
The Sabbath in History and Prophecy

Learn the inspiring story of a group
of people who found that they must
keep the seventh-daySabbath. . . . . 30
In Everything, Give Thanks

Even at our worst moments, there is
something to be thankful for. . . . . 33
When we see injustice, brutality and sin Making Peace Beyond the Impossible
on this scale, we rightly get angry at the
What can a letter to a slave owner about
evil. How can we ensure were experihis runaway slave teach us about healencing godly, righteous anger instead
of destructive, carnal anger? . . . . . 24 ing broken relationships? . . . . . . . . 34
Iran and the Threat of EMP Attack

In the wake of the Iran nuclear deal,
the question looms about what Iran
might do once it acquires nuclear
weapons. Some are sounding the
alarm about a dangerous scenario
that could fatally wound a nation
in an instant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Master Architect:

His Plan for You and Humanity
Anna Keichline was among the first
women to enter the architectural profession. While she and other successful architects deserve respect for their
work, boundless honor belongs to
the Master Architect of all things! . . 36
Regular Features
Beyond Today Television log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Letters From Our Readers Readers of The Good News share their thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Questions and Answers Answers to your questions about the Bible and Christian living. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Exploring Gods Word
A shocking event from the life of the biblical prophet Daniel opens
a window into a different dimensionan unseen spirit world and
beings who play a hidden role in events taking place around us.
A spirit world behind the scenes

What we learn from the story we just read
in Daniel is there is more to this world than
we see with the eyes and take in through our
other senses. As Shakespeare put into the
by Darris McNeely
mouth of Hamlet, There are more things
in heaven and earth . . . than are dreamt of
in your philosophy. Daniel was trying to
he prophet Daniel had been fastvision refers to many days yet to come
understand the events of his time and world
ing and praying for three weeks.
(verses 13-14).
when God gave him a little glimpse behind
He wanted to understand a divine
This was quite a revelation!
the scenes to show him this truth. Notice
message God had delivered to him.
Living in a time of monumental change
how this is presented in Daniels story.
Drained of strength and energy, he
Daniels prophecy gives us a glimpse into
opened his eyes and made out the image
Consider todays headlines: Russia
these powers of the unseen world.
of a man standing before him. The figure
Invades Ukraine, ISIS Advances in
Daniel continued: Then the one who
blazed with the light of the sun and the
Middle East, Iran Close to Developing
looked like a man touched me again, and I
gleam of gold, jewels and fire. His voice
a Nuclear Weapon, Terrorists Masfelt my strength returning. Dont be afraid,
was loud, strong and commanding.
sacre Hundreds, Scandal Brings Down
he said, for you are very precious to God.
Suddenly a hand touched Daniel. His
Governmentand on and on they go.
Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!
body began to tremble. The angelic figure
All of these events tell of a world going
As he spoke these words to me, I sudaddressed him by name: O Daniel, man
through a period of monumental change.
denly felt stronger and said to him, Please
greatly beloved, understand the words that Big events are happening on the world
I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have scene that are reshaping much of the global speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.
now been sent to you (Daniel 10:11).
order. What does this mean? How are we
He replied, Do you know why I have
The being continued: Do not fear, Dan- to understand what happens in the world in
iel, for from the first day that you set your
light of what the Bible tells us about a God come? Soon I must return to fight against
heart to understand, and to humble yourself who guides human history? Above all, what the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia,
before your God, your words were heard;
does it mean for you, your family and your and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come. Meanwhile, I will
and I have come because of your words.
daily life?
But the Prince of the kingdom of Persia
It can be frightening and upsetting. Wars tell you what is written in the Book of Truth.
withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, and events may seem far away and irrelevant. (No one helps me against these spirit princes
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to
Yet these events impact your life more than except Michael, your spirit prince) (verses
help me, for I have been left alone there
you might realize. And its vital that you dis- 18-21, New Living Translation, 2013).
This translation adds the word spirit to
with the kings of Persia. Now I have come cern the times in which we liveto underclarify what is being spoken ofpowerful
to make you understand what will happen
stand what it means in the light of Bible
to your people in the latter days, for the
prophecy and Gods purpose for human life. spirit beings. Whether we realize it or not,
The Good News
Thinkstock
were told here in Daniel. We see mentioned a prince of Persia and a prince
of Greece. These unseen powers from the
spirit world control the physical kingdoms
of Persia and Greece in this physical world.
These evil spiritual powers influence the
actions and politics of nations even today.
In Daniels day that meant the political,
military, economic and cultural atmosphere
of those nations or kingdoms were actually manipulated and shaped by powerful
unseen spirits. And as we see from this
passage, these beings were determined
to try to thwart the will of Godthough
unsuccessfully.
God had a message for Daniel that ultimately showed the future history of the
region for several hundred yearsand then
into our modern world and the times just
How are we to understand what happens in the

world in light of what the Bible tells us about
a God who guides human history?
or understand it or not, powers and principalities are at work on the spiritual level
influencing physical events in our world.
These unseen spiritual forces ultimately
are behind many of the headlines you and I
read every day. This is a key to understanding great world events and what is happening in our world. The implications are
crucial to your life and mine.
How do we know this? We know this
from not only what Daniels story tells us
but also what we see elsewhere in the Bible.
A glimpse into the spirit dimension
Lets break this down and look at what
ahead of us today. The message revealed to

Daniel foretold events that would lead up
to and include the threshold of the coming
intervention of Jesus Christ into the affairs
of this world and the establishment of the
Kingdom of God on earth.
Daniel was astounded by what he was
shown. This section of the Bible is one that
opens our eyes to the details of history. God
guides and directs the nations according to
His purpose for humanity and the world.
He knows the end from the beginning, and
no power on earth or in heaven will prevent
Him from bringing all of history to the conclusion He has foreordained (Isaiah 46:9-11).
And this little-understood key opens the

door of understanding for us. Step back a
minute and consider what this means for
your life!
The personal struggles of life
We all have our struggles with life. Jobs
we may not be happy with. Relationship
problems with our mates or with our children. We may be uncertain about how the
economy will affect our lives. We may be
anxious about the future.
Do you look at the incessant political
fighting in society, with events at times spiraling out of control? I watch the news and
sometimes wonder if well ever get back to
a stable world scene in this age.
The world can become so distressing that
the best thing to do is to take a step back
and ask: Is something else going on that I
dont see or understand? Is there more here
than meets the eye? The answer is yes,
there often is.
The Bible tells us the struggles of life can
sometimes involve spiritual elements we
dont even see. Notice these revealing words
by the apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians:
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and
in his mighty power. Put on all of Gods
armor so that you will be able to stand firm
against all strategies of the devil. For we
are not fighting against flesh-and-blood
enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty
powers in this dark world, and against evil
spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore,
put on every piece of Gods armor so you
will be able to resist the enemy in the time
of evil. Then after the battle you will still
be standing firm (Ephesians 6:10-13,
NLT, 2013).
This is not a modern-sounding ideathat
we might struggle against wicked unseen
powers and that these powers are behind
some of the frustrations of life at the individual level as well as the highest levels of
world affairs.
But that is what the Bible says! And
its time you begin to read the Bible with
deeper understanding and learn what Gods
purpose is for your life!
Three keys to being a Daniel
Heres how its done. Here are three keys
to being a Daniel in a time when kingdoms
are at war and powers of the unseen world
rule our planet.
First, understand the gods of this world
have no love for you.
The Bible shows us there is a god of this
Exploring Gods Word
The Good News
The Unseen Dimension
Hidden From Human Senses
e look at our world and rightly wonder, Whats going on? We see horrible
things happening, suffering and brutality
unimaginable to our eyes and senses. We watch
terrorist groups rise in the Middle East and Africa
where they brutalize whole populations into fear.
They behead and torture captivesshowing no
shred of decency or humanity.
What we are witnessing is pure evil. What we
see being done to helpless people is not ultimately
of man. We are seeing works of spiritual wickedness being done through men who use religion and
politics as coverings for unspeakable acts against
their fellow human beings.
You wont read about this aspect of events in
news accounts nor hear government leaders or
their spokespersons talk about it in such terms.
I watch a lot of news programs and read a lot
of history books. Every day I read the reporting
and commentary of many intelligent and knowledgeable people who understand a lot about what
happens around the world. But I dont find in any
of this an understanding of why the wars and suffering that afflict this world take place. I dont find
in their sources the spiritual understanding that
something invisiblesomething from the powers
of the unseen worldis involved in the headlines
and events shaping todays world.
We have to go to the Bible to understand the
spiritual dimension that impacts big events in our
world every day. These same forces can be at
work in your lifeprompting and provoking you to
anger, to envy, to crippling emotional weaknesses
that keep you down and hold you back from a
productive, happy and balanced life.
You need to understand that there is something
you can do with this knowledge. You can make a
difference in your life for the good. But you have to
step back from the busy, unfocused direction you
have each day and take a new look at God, this
world and what makes the world work.
Do what Daniel did. Take a step back. Go to God
in focused prayer and even fasting. Daniel wanted
to know the why of his day. His nation had been
resist this power. Daniel did. Lets see how

he did it.
Daniels story opens with a challenge that
to our modern minds seems insignificant
and trivial. Its a story about something we
encounter every dayfood.
Daniel found himself in a strange land
with strange customs he hadnt encountered
in his upbringing. And Daniel wasnt interested in adopting a foreign culture.
defeated, uprooted and removed to Babylon. He

was living in a strange and alien culture. Everything
about Babylon was different from the familiar life
he had known in Jerusalem.
Heres the point: His personal world had
changed, and everything he could see and understand about the bigger world was changing as well.
Daniel found himself at the center of that story and
he wanted to know why.
Daniel decided to take it to God in a focused

time of prayer and fasting. He got his answer,
but he got a lot more! God also led Daniel to a
profound insight in a way that teaches us how to
approach our world. You can get a handle on your
life and be like Daniel and his friendspeople who
walked with God in the midst of a world that didnt
know Daniels God and didnt wish to honor God in
any way. Everything about Babylons culture was
designed to rip faith from a person and replace it
with false gods who could neither see nor hear
nor speak!
Daniel set his mind and heart to resist Babylons
culture. He determined to maintain the faith of the
true God and not lose sight of who he was, nor
the teachings and faith he had learned from his
youth. And the God who helped Daniel to see and
understand his world can likewise help us to see
and understand how to do this today!
Daniel fully understood that all cultures

were not equal! He knew that not all religions were equally righteous. And he did
not believe that all teachings and values
were valid options for ones lifestyle. If
Daniel lived today and tried to make his
way through our schools and our business cultures, he would likely find himself
penalized for not going along!
Daniel found himself in the court of the
Photos, from left: Thinkstock, Clint Porter
ageof this present worldand he blinds

peoples minds from seeing his reality. He
blocks the light of the gospel of the glory
of Christ and prevents it from revealing
his evil and inhuman acts (2 Corinthians
4:4).
Daniel had to contend with this god and
his sinister accomplices. And Daniels
world parallels ours in so many of the same
ways. For all the time that has passed, we
still face the same fundamental enemies
who are dead set against God and all who
would try to seek His will and follow Him.
As we have seen, God revealed this reality to Daniel and it helped him understand
his world and time. That false god, Satan
the devil, still has global reach and influence. And understanding his existence and
how he works is critical to resisting his
world and its impact on you.
Satan is described in Scripture as the
ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30;
16:30). And he has other rulers or princes
ruling under himlike the prince of
Greece and the prince of Persia, as we saw
in Daniels experience.
Moreover, Satan is called the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now
works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). His influence invisibly works
like the communication transmissions that
fly unseen through the air today.
Think about this: All around us are
many communication waves. Radio and
television transmissions surround us. Cell
towers relay our phone calls and texts
around the world. We dont see or hear
these transmissions. But they are real and,
upon our receiving them, they influence
our moods and emotions as we are entertained and informed and interact with
people we know.
Scripture tells us that without knowing
what is happening, we live out our lives
according to the programmed plans put in
place by the prince of the power of the air,
the god of this age and ruler of this world,
who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). He wields powers that move
nations and people to do his evil will
(2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19).
This is the world we inhabit. Things are
not what they seem. Reality is bigger than
what we think we see!
You can understand this, like Daniel did,
and you can get control of your lifecome
alive and live a godly life in the midst of
a world suffering the inhumanity of these
unseen evil powers.
The second key is to set your mind to
king of Babylon. Not only that, but he was

also in line, in a kind of fast track, to be
trained as a civil servant in the government.
He was intelligent and met all the criteria
the Babylonians used to select their best
and brightest.
The kings court was full of food, wine
and delicacies, a place of physical pleasure.
The Babylonians valued eating and drinking and obviously didnt follow biblical
restrictions on what they ate. For Daniel
this wasnt an option. He knew God set certain standards in what to eat. Gods law had
determined how he would live, and there
would be no compromise in his mind.
So after hearing the requirements for his
training in the ways of Babylon, Daniel
was determined not to defile himself by
eating the food and wine given to them by
couldve even reasoned, God no longer

caresmaybe He was overthrown by the
Babylonian gods or was never real to begin
with.
But Daniel didnt rationalize like this.
He held firm to his faith. He held firm to
the life he knew, even down to the food he
ate. And God honored his faith. At the end
of the 10 days the chief of staff allowed for
the physical examination of Daniel and his
friends and found they appeared healthier
than others who had eaten the Babylonians
food. King Nebuchadnezzar interviewed
them and saw that they were fit and ready
for work. God gave them the help and the
gifts needed to excel in service to Babylon.
What is the lesson? Set your mind to
resist the culture of this world when it
conflicts with the culture of the Kingdom
Much more is going on behind todays headlines

than what we read or see. Just as Daniel wanted
to understand the world of his day, so you should
want to understand the world you live in today.
the king. He asked the chief of staff for

permission not to eat these unacceptable
foods (Daniel 1:8, NLT).
Daniel set his heart and mind not to compromise with teaching and laws he knew to
be from God for the sake of convenience
or to just go along with the times. Daniel
could have easily reasoned, My nation
is gone, my way of worship no longer
workslook at us, here in captivity! He
of God. Dont compromise in the face of

adversity.
The third key from Daniels example is
to seek Gods wisdom and understanding.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream.
None of his counselors and staff could
interpret what it meant. This was no ordinary dream. As the story is related in
Daniel 2, it was a dream that foretold world
history from that time down to our day
and beyond. It shook the kings view of his

world, and he knew he had to pull every
shred of meaning from it.
Its hard for us to understand something like this today, but this ancient king
knew his dream was significantalmost
unworldly. It held an important message.
When no one from the kings inner staff
could interpret the dream, it came to Daniels attention, and he stepped forward to
say that with a little time he could explain
the meaning of the dream.
Daniel returned to his home and consulted with his closest friends that they
might seek mercies from the God of heaven
concerning this secret (verse 18). The
secret was then revealed to Daniel, and he
delivered it to the king.
The point here is that we need to seek
Gods wisdom and understanding to
discern the times in which we live.
Our need to seek godly wisdom
and understanding
Spiritual powers are at work behind
the scenes in todays world. Much more is
going on behind todays headlines than
what we read or see.
Just as Daniel wanted to understand
the world of his day, so you should want
to understand the world you live in today.
You can understand what God is doing in
todays world and what that can mean not
just for your understanding of our modern
world but how to make a better life for
yourself today.
Gods hand is guiding events in this
world even when we might see only disorder and confusion. He can take that same
hand in your life and help guide you to
peace and a settled mind. He is not a remote
and distant God, but a close and personal
Creator ready to guide your life today.
Reach out to Him, just as Daniel did, and
come to better understand our times! GN
You need to understand the

spiritual forces at work behind the scenes in our world!
Our free study guide Is There
Really a Devil? explores much
of what the Bible reveals about
Satan and the demons. You
need to understand this vital information! Be sure to
download or request your free copy today!
Contact any of our offices listed on page 2,

or request or download it from our website.
www.GNmagazine.org/booklets
Exploring Gods
Gods Word
Word
Exploring
Where Did It Come From?
hats the primary cause lurking

behind the suffering and tragic
circumstances that afflict so many
people? The Bible reveals that a
powerful, intelligent and vastly
influential being actively orchestrates the wickedness that dominates our planet. The Bible
most often calls him the devil and Satan.
You may have wondered whether he
really exists. After all, to many the devil
seems like a fairy-tale charactera grotesque, blood-red creature with horns, a
pointed tail and bats wings who carries a
pitchfork and inhabits an infernal region of
ever-burning flames. Because he is typically
depicted so fancifully, it isnt surprising that
few take the idea of a devil seriously.
Does such a being exist? Where could
such a creature have come from? What is
his purpose, his goal, his intent? What does
he do? Is he, as many believe, simply a
mythical embodiment of evil?
dependable source is the Bible. Beyond it,

everything concerning Satan and the spirit
world is only mythology and speculation.
It shows us that Satan is an incredibly
powerful spirit being with a pervasive
influence over humanity. Along with his
cohortscalled demons or evil spiritshe
is mentioned frequently in the Scriptures.
He shows up from beginning to end, from
Genesis to Revelation.
A central theme of the Bible is that the
devil is the enemy of all humanity. The
very name Satan, the designation the Bible
uses most for this evil being, helps reveal
his malicious intent. God calls things what
they are. Satan is a Hebrew noun meaning
adversarythe enemy, opponent, antagonist or foe. The verb forms of the noun
mean to accuse, slander and be an
adversary (Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol.
5, 1992, Satan, p. 985).
The other term the Bible most often uses
to describe this being, devil, is similarly
Finding a reliable source of knowledge
revealing. Devil is translated from the
Greek word diabolos, the root from which
To find the answers, we need reliable,
we get the word diabolical, used to describe
accurate information on the spirit world.
Only one source can reveal to us the informa- something wicked or sinister. Diabolos
means an accuser, a slanderer (W.E.
tion we can find nowhere else. That single
The Good News
Vine, Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words,
1985, Devil, Devilish).
Jesus Christ says Satan is a liar and the
father of it and that there is no truth in
him (John 8:44). The Bible reveals the
enormity of his lies and their impact, with
the apostle John stating in Revelation 12:9
that he deceives the whole world.
Satans origins revealed
But where did the devil come from? Did
God purposefully create an evil being? To
understand Satans origin, we must go far
back in time, before human beings existed.
Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth.
However, the Bible doesnt tell the whole
story in one or even several verses. We find
more details elsewhere in the Bible, in this
case in the book of Job.
When Job, beset with terrible calamity
and suffering in spite of being a very
devout follower of God, began to question Gods judgment, God responded with
pointed questions to help him realize he
didnt have the wisdom to question God.
In His response, in the form of questions
to Job, God revealed some details about
His creation of the earth.
Where were you when I laid the earths
foundation? God asked Job. Tell me, if
you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? ... On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstonewhile the
Thinkstock
Whats the source of so much sorrow and suffering in our world?

Gods Word reveals surprising details about a spiritual dimension
the angelic worldand an evil being and his cohorts who are the
enemies of God and those who follow His ways. by Scott Ashley
Verses 5 and 6 discuss the Flood of Noahs

time and the later fiery destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah. But before this, in verse 4,
we read that God did not spare the angels
who sinned, but thrust them down into Tartarus [a condition of restraint], and delivered
them into chains of darkness, being reserved
for judgment (Modern King James Version). When did these angels sin, and what
was their sin?
Again, we must look at other verses to
find the answer. Jude 6 gives us additional
details: And the angels that did not keep
within their original authority, but abandoned their proper sphere [or assigned
place (Good News Translation)], [God]
has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the Judgment of the Great
A beautiful earth becomes a wasteland
Day (Complete Jewish Bible).
We saw earlier that at the earths creation
Some time after the world was formed,
however, the situation dramatically changed. all the angels were happy and joyous, singing and shouting together. Obviously, then,
Genesis 1:2 tells us that, after its creation,
it was at a later time that some sinned
the earth was without form, and void.
destroying the wonderful harmony and
This English translation doesnt adequately
convey the meaning of the original Hebrew. cooperation they had once enjoyed. What
The words tohu va-bohu, translated without was the nature of their sin? They did not
form and void, are better translated waste keep within the limits God had set for them
but abandoned their assigned place. They
and void (Youngs Literal Translation).
However, in Isaiah 45:18, God expressly rebelled against their Maker, the Creator
of both the physical universe and the spirit
says of the earth that He did not create it
in vain. Here the same Hebrew word, tohu, world of angelic beings!
is used. If God did not create the earth in a
state of waste, how did it come to be in that A rebellion against God
In Isaiah 14 we find more information.
condition?
This chapter makes reference to the angelic
Part of the answer is indicated in Genesis
rebellion, identifying its ringleader. It gives
1:2. The Hebrew word hayah, translated
us important details we could learn of in no
was, can also properly be translated
other way.
became, as it is translated in Genesis 2:7
In verse 4 God addresses the king of
and 19:26. The earth was not created waste
and void but became that way at some point Babylon. In Isaiahs time the city-state of
after its creation. In Rotherhams Emphasized Babylon was emerging as the major power
Bible, Genesis 1:2 appropriately reads, Now in that region of the world. Its king was a
warmonger, expanding his empire through
the earth had become waste and empty.
brute force. He enslaved, plundered and
God created the earth in such sparkling
devastated the nations around him. (In conbeauty that the angels were overjoyed at its
text, this passage has dual meaning, in that
creation. But something happened to bring
it also refers to an end-time tyrant who will
it to a condition of devastation and waste.
rule over a final global empire referred to in
Its original beauty was destroyed. God then
Revelation 17 and 18 as Babylon the Great.)
reshaped it, forming it into a beautiful home
The philosophy of the king of Babylon
for the first man and woman, as recorded in
here is satanicacquiring wealth and
the remainder of Genesis 1. But the Genesis
account does not tell us the entire story. Some- power at the expense of others, gaining it
thing else happened between the first two
through violence and bloodshed. The king
verses of Genesis that is not recorded there.
of Babylon thus exemplifies Satan and his
God does give us additional details in
characteristics. Indeed, as we will read more
several other chapters of the Bible regarding about later, Satan is the real power behind
what brought about this condition of waste the throne of the worlds kingdoms (compare Luke 4:5-7; John 12:31; Revelation
and confusion.
12:9; 13:2).
In 2 Peter 2 the Bible records several
In verse 12 the subject shifts from the
examples of Gods judgment for wrongdoing.
morning stars sang together and all the
angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7,
New International Version).
God here reveals information no man
could know, since no human being was
present at creation. God described the earth
at its creation as a dazzlingly beautiful
jewel floating in space. The creation events
were so magnificent that all the angels
shouted for joy.
The angelsspirit beings God had
createdalready existed when God made
the earth. They were united in their joy
when God created the world, singing and
shouting in exultation. They were in perfect
harmony and agreement at that time. So
how does the devil fit into this picture?
physical king to a ruler who is yet higher.

Many scholars recognize that the original
language of this passage is in the form of a
lament, a reflection of Gods mourning and
sense of great loss due to the events being
described:
How you are fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are
cut down to the ground, you who weakened
the nations! For you have said in your heart:
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God; I will also sit
on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds, I will be like the
Most High (verses 12-14).
Who is this being who dares to exalt
himself above the other angels of God (stars
symbolize angels, Revelation 1:20), to challenge God Himself as ruler of the universe?
The Bible reveals more details
In Ezekiel 28 God gives us the answer.
This chapter is written much like Isaiah 14.
God begins by discussing a human ruler,
then shifts to the spiritual power behind the
earthly thronethe behind-the-scenes ruler
who controls the kingdoms of this world.
In Ezekiel 28:2 God addresses the prince
of Tyre. Tyre, a coastal port city north of
ancient Israel on the Mediterranean Sea,
was famous as a major trading center. Its
rulers had grown haughty and presumptuous because of their wealth and influence. In
verses 6-10 God tells this ruler that because
of his arrogance, his might and wealth
would fail and he would be overthrown.
But notice in verse 12 that God begins
to address the king of Tyre rather than
the prince. This figure is the true ruler, the
real power behind the throne. In fact, Gods
description of this king of Tyre makes
it clear that He is speaking to no physical
human being!
You were the seal of perfection, full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in
Eden, the garden of God; every precious
stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz,
and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and
pipes was prepared for you on the day you
were created (verses 12-13).
No mortal man could accurately be
described as being the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. This
entity was brought into being with instant
perfection and wisdomunlike human
beings who must develop in maturity and
wisdom (the only exceptions being Adam
Exploring Gods Word

and Eve). This being had also been in Eden,
the garden of God. Other than Adam and
Eve, no people had been in the Garden of
Eden. God had expelled them, after which He
placed an angel there specifically to prevent
anyone else from entering (Genesis 3:24).
from among the fiery stones (verse 16,

NIV). This once marvelous being sinned
and was expelled from Gods throne,
cast away in disgrace.
Choosing to rebel against God

Satans sin of pride and vanity ultimately
Fall of a superangel
led to outright and open rebellion against
In the next verse God mentions some
God. Isaiah 14:13-14, which we read earlier, states: You said in your heart, I will
of the history of this being: You were the
ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
anointed cherub who covers; I established
you; you were on the holy mountain of God; above the stars [angels] of God; I will sit
enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the
you walked back and forth in the midst of
utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will
fiery stones (Ezekiel 28:14).
ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will
What do these remarkable statements
make myself like the Most High (NIV).
mean? What is a cherub who covers?
This powerful spirit entity decided to
Hebrews 8:5 tells us that the tabernacle
challenge God for control of the universe!
established through Mosesthe portable
What had been an amazingly beautiful,
sanctuary the Israelites carried with them in
their desert wanderingswas a copy and immensely talented spirit being with great
responsibility in Gods angelic order became,
shadow of what is in heaven (NIV).
through his rebellion against Almighty God, a
In Exodus 25:18-20 we find that God
instructed the Israelites to make a represen- reprehensible, despicable creature. Thus, God
tationa physical modelof His throne
did not create the devil. Rather, what God
for the tabernacle they would carry with
created was a magnificent and perfect being.
them in the wilderness. At either side of
But later, this powerful being, by his own will,
the mercy seat, which represented Gods
became the devil and Satanthe adversary,
throne, was a golden cherub with wings
slanderer, accuser and destroyer. He made
extended to cover the mercy seat. The two
himself the enemy of God and humanity!
cherubim, fashioned out of gold, represented
The immense powers he had used in
real angelic beingsthe great superangels
Gods service were turned not to serve God,
whose wings cover Gods throne.
but to try to thwart Gods purposes. This
The being God addressed through Ezekiel is called the cherub who covers,
indicating that he had once been one of the
great angels depicted in the model of Gods
throne. God gave these angels the awesome
distinction of serving at and covering the
very throne of God in heaven!
Many other scriptures say that God dwells creature remains an enormously powerful
between the cherubim, showing that these
spirit being, but now his powers are used for
wondrous creatures accompany and serve
wicked, destructive ends.
Him at His seat of power (1 Samuel 4:4;
As weve seen, so vain and proud did he
2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles
become that he thought he should be ruler
13:6; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 37:16). This magnif- of the universe. His enormous talents and
icent being apparently held a position of high abilities led him to believe he was equal to,
honor and distinction in Gods angelic realm. if not better than, God Himself. His thinking became corrupted. He rebelled against
God also says to this cherub, You were
perfect in your ways from the day you were God and tried to overthrow Him. By his
created, till iniquity was found in you (Eze- rebellion against his Creator, he transformed
kiel 28:15). Like the description in Isaiah
himself into Satan the devil.
14, this passage describes a being created
mature, not a man. This being was extraordi- Other angels join the rebellion
nary, perfect until he sinned, beginning with
Satan was not alone in this rebellion.
pride in his own beauty and splendor, which Millions of other angels joined him in
corrupted his wisdom (Ezekiel 28:17).
rejecting Gods authority and leadership.
... You were filled with violence, and
We find this symbolically described in Revyou sinned. So I drove you in disgrace
elation 12:3-4: And another sign appeared
from the mount of God, and I expelled you, in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon
O guardian [or covering, NKJV] cherub, ... His tail drew a third of the stars of
heaven and threw them to the earth. Verse

9 identifies this dragon as Satan. As we saw
earlier, the Bible uses stars as a symbol for
angels (Revelation 1:20). This apparently
indicates that a third of the angels followed
Satan in this rebellion and were cast down
to the earth with him.
The attempted takeover of heaven was,
of course, not successful. Two thirds of
the angels remained loyal to God and thus
constituted a more numerous force. More
importantly, God is omnipotentall
powerfuland cannot be overthrown.
Jesus said that Satan [fell] like lightning
from heaven (Luke 10:18). It seems likely
that this titanic struggle is what brought
about the chaotic and wasted condition of
the earth described in Genesis 1:2. As mentioned earlier, God then renewed the surface
of the earth in preparation for human habitation, as described in the rest of Genesis 1. Yet
to aid His purpose in developing righteous
character in human beings, God allowed
Satan and his minions to remain on the earth
for the time being. Thus Satan was allowed
to tempt Adam and Eve in the garden.
The Bible refers to Satan and the other
rebellious angels as evil spirits, unclean spirits and demons. They are fallen angelswho
had plummeted from their purpose of serving God and humanity (Hebrews 1:13-14),
reduced to hatred and bitterness toward
The Scriptures make it clear that God is not to blame for

the worlds many chronic problems. They tell us that
Satan the devil is the true ruler of this world.
10
The Good News
God and His holy purpose for humanity.

Causes of humanitys problems
When we understand the magnitude of
Satans deception, we can better grasp the
roots of so many of humanitys problems.
Collectively we have had thousands of years
to experiment with governments, philosophies and ways of living, so why have we
been unable to solve our problems? Why do
so many difficulties persist year after year,
century after century?
Satan has effectively deceived the world
throughout history by influencing human
beings to cut themselves off from Gods
guidance. He has led us into wanting to do
things our own way, to rely on ourselves
rather than God as the ultimate authority.
Although God is always in ultimate control, the Scriptures make it clear that He is
not to blame for the worlds many chronic
Following the Footsteps of
will never be again. If that time of troubles

were not cut short, no living thing could
survive; but for the sake of Gods chosen
it will be cut short (verse 21-22, Revised
English Bible).
he Bible makes it clear that civilizations and societies
Satan will not relinquish his kingdom
are influenced by Satan. The apostle John writes that
without a fight. As the time of Christs
the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked
return draws near, we can read this sobering
one (1 John 5:19). Through his influence Satan has
warning in Revelation 12:12: Woe to the
deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9). The entirety of
inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the
civilization has been seduced by this cunning being through
devil has come down to you, having great
his persuasive deception and insidious lies.
wrath, because he knows that he has a short
The result has been thousands of years of human anguish,
time. Many prophecies go on to detail
misery and suffering. Deceived by his lies, people have willingly
a frenzy of destruction directed at Gods
adopted Satans way of life rather than Gods way. The result of
Church, at the people of Israel, at humanity
following Satans way, which through his deception appears fine
as a whole, and at the returning Jesus Christ.
and well and quite natural to most people, is predictable: There
This coming end of Satans rule over the
is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to
world
will mark the end of this present
death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25, New International Version).
evil age (Galatians 1:4). With the battle for
Satans deception is so complete, so pervasive, that the
control of the earth over, it will at last be
Bible calls him the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4).
time for a new age to begin!
The apostle Paul, in the original Greek, identifies him as the
Jesus Christ will usher in a literal kingtheosthe god, the one who is worshippedof this eon,
dom, the Kingdom of God on earth. Notice
this age, this period in history.
Revelation 11:15: Then the seventh angel
Consider the magnitude of Satans influence over
humanityso great that most of mankind unknowingly
blew his trumpet, and there were loud
worships and follows the devil as its god. That is the incredvoices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of
ible truth revealed in your Bible! Understanding that reality
the world has become the kingdom of our
explains so many of the troubling paradoxes we see in the
Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign
world around us.
for ever and ever (NIV).
Paul explained that as a result of Satans hold on humanRevelation 21:4 tells us what the world
ity, most people do not believe the truth of the Bible. They do
will be like when Satans influence is no
not understand the gospelthe good newsof Gods plan
more: [God] will wipe every tear from
for mankind.
Satans reign will come to an end their eyes. There will be no more death
As he stated in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, But even if our gosor mourning or crying or pain, for the old
Satan will not always
pel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose
order of things has passed away (NIV).
dominate planet earth. Bible
minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest
Is there really a devil? Yes. Absolutely.
prophecy
reveals
that
an
the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
And
other demons besides. But God assures
astounding
series
of
events
of God, should shine on them.
will shake our world as never us the time is coming when Satan, his
demons and their worksthe physical
before and usher in a new
suffering, misery, mental anguish and
agea 1,000-year era under
mourning they bringwill be no more.
the reign of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom
problems. As Jesus Christ said in John
May you have the wisdom, strength and
of God (Matthew 6:10; Luke 21:31).
18:36, My kingdom is not of this world.
This good news of the coming Kingdom love for Gods truth and His ways to resist
God is not at fault for the misery that
Satans deceptions and be there to see that
of God is at the heart of Christs teachplagues our planet. Satan the devil is the
wonderful day! GN
ing: Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the
true ruler of this world (John 12:31;
14:30; 16:11). John tells us that the whole gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying,
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
world lies under the sway of the wicked
one (1 John 5:19). Again, Satan is the god God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel (Mark 1:14-15).
of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Much of this article is conThe transition from Satans domination
Moreover, Satans demonic cohorts also
densed from our free study
guide Is There Really a Devil?
exercise control in this worldeven at times of the earth to Jesus Christs rule will be
This study guide explores in
neither easy nor painless. The prophet Danpowerfully influencing human governmuch greater detail what the
ments. In the book of Daniel, the righteous iel describes it as a time of distress such
Bible reveals about Satan and
the demons. This is vital inforas has not happened from the beginning of
angel Gabriel tells Daniel that he had just
mation that you need to know! Be sure to download
been fighting, with the help of the archangel nations until then (Daniel 12:1, NIV).
or request your free copy today!
The world, Christ said, would grow
Michael, against a powerful spirit personality referred to as the prince of Persiaand increasingly dangerous as His return nears.
that he would soon have to fight another he It will be a time of great distress, He
called the prince of Greece (Daniel 10:13, warned, such as there has never been
20). (See Kingdoms at War: Powers of the before since the beginning of the world, and
a Different God
Unseen World beginning on

page 4).
Of course, these are but subordinates under the devil. In an
attempt to lead Jesus astray in
Matthew 4:8-9, Satan offered
all the kingdoms of the world
and their gloryas they
were truly under his dominion
(compare Luke 4:5-7).
Although we cannot see
Satan, his influence is powerful and pervasive. The devil
thereby spiritually influences
humanity to reject God and
Gods law. Under this influence,
the mind-set of the flesh is
hostile to God because it does
not submit itself to Gods law,
for it is unable do so (Romans
8:7, Holman Christian Standard
Bible).
Separated from God, man
chooses to go his own way
with devastating results. Under
Satans influence, humanity
has rejected Gods revelation
and guidance and built societies and civilizations on wrong
foundations. But it will not be
that way forever!
11
Exploring Gods Word
Coming: A Marvelous
by John LaBissoniere
uman society is confused, distressed and in disarray. Some fear

it is likely on the brink of disaster.
The troubles individuals, families
and nations experience seem to
multiply each day. Many have no real hope
of finding genuine peace, prosperity and
security. Yet something marvelous and exciting will take placebut not through human
strength or effort. The Eternal God offers you
and all people this guarantee: He will bring
about the most positive, fulfilling and magnificent future you could ever imagine!
With this sure promise on the horizon,
Jesus Christ explained that, for the time
being, distressing times will persist and
even grow worse. He told His disciples that
conditions on the earth just prior to His second coming will parallel those of the patriarch Noahs era: But as the days of Noah
were, so also will the coming of the Son of
Man be (Matthew 24:37).
What occurred during that period? Then
the Lord saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every intent
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually (Genesis 6:5, emphasis added
throughout).
Further describing the age just prior to
Christs return, the apostle Paul wrote:
12
The Good News
There will be terrible 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 (2 Timothy 3:1-3, New International Version).
Rescuing a remnant of humanity
As the end of the age approaches,
relationships between nations will grow
exceedingly toxic and vindictive. This will
lead to the most savage and devastating
firestorm of war, violence and brutality the
world has ever seen. It will be so horrible
that unless Jesus Christ comes to earth
to put an end to the escalating death and
destruction, all men, women and children
would perish (Matthew 24:9, 21-22, 29).
Besides physically rescuing a small remnant of humanity at that time, Christ will
terminate the cruel, depraved influence of
Satan the devil. This malicious being and
his corrupt demon cohorts will be cast into
an abyss where they can no longer corrupt
human minds or incite hatred and violence
(Revelation 20:1-3).
When Christ brings the warfare and
destruction to an end, our planet will still
lay in utter ruins. The devastation of civilization will be nearly totalthe progress
of generations virtually wiped out. If not
for His timely and merciful intervention,
humanitys legacy would have amounted to
absolutely nothing!
What is Gods blueprint for humankind
from that point forward? Building literally
on the ashes of a spent, shattered society,
Jesus Christ will create an entirely new civilization and infrastructure. He will begin
implementing His plan by first comforting
and healing the bewildered and terrified
survivors of the just-ended period of global
catastrophe.
With the assistance of His newly resurrected, immortal saints, He will provide
these beleaguered, pitiful individuals with
immediate physical needsincluding food,
shelter, clothing, fresh water and medical
care (Ezekiel 34:12-16; Matthew 6:11; Malachi 4:2). He will assure each of these weary,
mourning people that they are safe and no
longer need to live in fear (Isaiah 44:8).
A divine, benevolent government
and world peace
Jesus Christ will also help them understand that genuine peace has finally arrived
and a new, divine, benevolent government
will serve and support them (Revelation
11:18; Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 33:16). Over
a period of time these people, who had
suffered intense misery and tragedy, will
begin rebuilding their physical and mental
health and strength. The Lord says, I have
seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will
Sebastien Gabriel via Unsplash
The Eternal God has designed and planned an amazing future

civilization for you and all people. Discover when it will come,
what it will be like and why its the best news you could ever hear!
guide them and restore comfort to Israels

mourners (Isaiah 57:18, New International
Version).
Significantly, Jesus will provide people
the true knowledge of His caring and serving way of life (Isaiah 2:3). For the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).
God will grant each person repentance
and the extraordinary gift of His Holy
Spirit (Acts 11:18; Jeremiah 31:33). Ill
place my spirit within you, empowering
you to live according to my regulations and
to keep my just decrees (Ezekiel 36:27,
International Standard Version). With the
human spirit joined with Gods Holy Spirit,
each person will be motivated with a sincere and deep desire to love and obey God
and truly care for others (Galatians 5:2223; Philippians 4:13).
Throughout the 1,000 years of Jesus
reign as Sovereign over the Kingdom of
God on earth, His giving, generous and gracious style of living will set the pattern for
all relationships between people (Revelation 20:6; Psalm 111:4; Luke 10:27). With
society directly and personally guided and
governed by Christ, tremendous peace
previously unknown to humanitywill
comfort and cheer everyone (Isaiah 9:7;
Psalm 119:165).
Contributing to this heart-stirring condition is the fact that education in warfare and
war itself will be utterly abolished (Psalm
46:9-10; Micah 4:3). Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and
destruction of war will end. Salvation will
surround you like city walls, and praise will
be on the lips of all who enter there (Isaiah
60:18, New Living Translation).
Citizens of Gods earthly government
will live serenely and be relieved of all
anxiety. Conflict between races and peoples will be entirely eliminated as former
enemies work together in complete accord
(Isaiah 19:24-25). Peacefulness will not
only be the way of life for all people but it
will also govern the animal world: The
wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the
leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; and a little child shall lead them
(Isaiah 11:6).
Parents will be freed from all apprehension in knowing that their children are safe
in every situation. The nursing child shall
play by the cobras hole, and the weaned
child shall put his hand in the vipers den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My
holy mountain (Isaiah 11:9).
The desert will blossom like a rose

Deserts and former wastelands will turn
green and lush as rainfall reaches them
regularly and in the right amount (Leviticus
26:4). The wilderness and the dry land
will be glad. The desert will rejoice and
blossom like a rose (Isaiah 35:1, World
English Bible).
Rain showers at the proper time will
make it possible for this new, fertile, productive land to become available for eventual human habitation (Isaiah 54:3). Besides
suitable precipitation, springs of water will
also bubble up from the ground creating
clear, sparkling streams and gracefully
flowing rivers (Isaiah 41:18).
Many desolate, ruined cities and towns
will be renovated as young families journey
there to build homes and farms (Ezekiel
36:9-10; 34-36). Moreover, Jesus Christ
will give people their own land to cultivate
and enjoy. Everyone shall sit under his
vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall
make them afraid; for the mouth of the
Lord of hosts has spoken (Micah 4:4).
Farms and gardens will flourish as never
before: The Lord says, the time is coming when there will be all kinds of food.
People will still be harvesting crops when
its time to plow again. People will still be
taking the juice from grapes when its time
to plant again. Wine will drip from the
mountains and pour from the hills (Amos
9:13, New Century Version).
Families will experience blessing after
blessing as they raise abundant crops, fruit
trees and healthy livestock (Isaiah 30:23).
As a result of Gods perfect master plan,
each person will live in good health, be
prosperous, have plenty to eat and feel
comfortable and deeply fulfilled (Jeremiah
31:12).
Spiritual, moral and ethical guidance
and instruction
Not only will Jesus Christ make it possible for people to live in peace, safety
and enjoy great physical abundance, but
He will give them indispensable spiritual,
moral and ethical guidance and instruction.
Assisting Christ in this crucial task will be
Gods resurrected, faithful and wise divine
sons and daughters who will serve as teachers, administrators, judges and leaders
(2 Corinthians 6:18; Isaiah 30:20).
They will diligently coach each person in
Gods way of lifethe foundation of which
is the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy
10:4). If anyone drifts away from following
these vital guidelines they will be quietly,
yet firmly corrected. Your ears shall hear

a word behind you, saying, This is the way,
walk in it, whenever you turn to the right
hand or whenever you turn to the left
(Isaiah 30:21).
By obeying Gods teachings, individuals
and nations will have a solid foundation for
cooperation as they work at harmoniously
serving one another.
Then, after 1,000 years of phenomenal
peace and prosperity, the next phase of
Gods plan will commence (Revelation
5:10). All people who had lived in past
ages, having not known the truth of God,
will be resurrected from their graves to
physical life. They will be given their very
first opportunity to obtain divine salvation
(Ezekiel 37; Revelation 20:11).
Jesus Christ will offer each of them the
gift of His Holy Spirit so that they will not
only fully comprehend spiritual knowledge
and be able to follow Gods ways, but will
have the prospect of obtaining eternal life
(Acts 2:38; Isaiah 65:20-24).
The best news you could ever hear
As these individuals look back on their
former physical existence, they will realize
their previous way of living simply didnt
work compared to the prosperity, tranquility
and joy they experience in Gods bright and
exciting new age. As a result, the vast majority will choose to worship Him, obey His
commandments and later be transformed
into immortal spirit beings in His divine
family (Ephesians 3:15; Hebrews 2:10).
Finally, the Eternal God has designed
the most positive, exciting and marvelous
future for you, your family and all humanity. Built literally on the ashes of a shattered,
failed human society, Jesus Christ will initiate an entirely new civilization and infrastructure. Indeed, its the best news anyone
could ever hear! GN
The message of the coming

Kingdom of God was at the
heart and core of the gospel
the good newsthat Jesus
Christ taught. This article gives
the broad outline of the wonderful good news of that coming Kingdom. But Gods Word reveals much more!
Download or request our helpful study aid The Gospel of the Kingdom. A free copy is waiting for you!

13
Exploring Gods Word
Wait! You Just Said:
Jesus Was Not Born on Dec. 25!

by Darris McNeely
ont you think its about time you

stopped living like a Roman?
Maybe you dont think you live
like a citizen of the greatest
empire of the ancient world. But
you do if you celebrate Dec. 25 as the
birthday of the divine Savior. If you call
yourself Christian, then its time you
started living like a citizen of the Kingdom
of God and not the kingdom of ancient
Rome. And a citizen of the Kingdom of
God does not celebrate Christmas day as
the birthday of Jesus Christ.
Its commonly acknowledged today
that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25. You
can easily find this in many resources
on the Internet (and see Christmas
Before Christ? The Holidays Origins
Unmasked beginning on page 16). Even
many churches readily admit this truth and
openly tell their membership the facts.
I recently had an experience that opened
my eyes to how easily sincere religious
believers gloss right over this core fact. It
was eye-opening. Let me tell you about it.
Echoes of a pagan past
Some colleagues and I recently went on a
study tour of Italy, visiting sites connected
with the story of the apostle Paul and the
early Church. While visiting the ruins of a
farm villa in southern Italy, the childhood
home of Poppea, Emperor Neros wife, our
guide was telling us what everyday life was
like for a Roman.
By the first century A.D., Rome had
declared no less than 80 days as holidays.
The most important of these holidays was
Dec. 25, the birthday of the sun, at the
culmination of a several-days-long festival
called the Saturnalia. Coming in winter,
this festival of lights, food and revelry was
a very popular occasion for all citizens. The
years darkest period was the perfect time
for a party!
14
The Good News
A syncretized Christianity
What I already knew that day in Italy
was dramatically reinforced by the open
admission of a very smart and sincere
teacher. It started me thinking about how
much like the Romans people are today
when it comes to religion. Rome borrowed
the gods and goddesses and religions from
As our guide described this festival he
asked the group, Did Jesus have a birthday Greece, Egypt, Babylon, northern Europe
on Dec. 25? Absolutely not! he quickly and other nations. They mixed them
answered. I caught a glance at a number of together in their version of faith and
went on living their lives.
fellow travelers, all of whom were BibleThe church that succeeded
believing folk, and saw they
to Romes position of power
were nodding their head in
syncretized in adopting
agreement.
many of the pagan
He continued: The
days, chief of which
text shows it was
was Dec. 25 and the
warm and there were
Saturnalia festival.
sheep in the field. In
To their concept of
the winter months
Jesus Christ they
the sheep are all
gave the biggest
indoors and not in
holiday and brought
the field, he went
in elements of the
on to say. But, he
sun god to complete
said, if this new God
an image of a new god
we are serving is the big
made in their image.
God then lets put His
Paganism was baptized
birth date on Dec. 25 and
with a form of biblical
make it a big celebraThis ancient Roman silver disk depicts Sol
tion. So they did. The
Invictus, the Roman sun god whose birthday religion, and the new
church was off and runwas celebrated annually on Dec. 25the
rest is religious history.
Today we have a term date later adopted for the Christmas holiday. ning. False doctrine, a triune god and completely
for thatsyncretism.
foreign forms of worship became accepted
It means a blending of ideas to create
teaching and practice, and ultimately the
something different or new. In this case
tradition to which succeeding generations
they blended a thoroughly pagan idolaof church teachers would subscribe.
trous winter festival into their version of
Christmas today is a mixture of false reliChristianity.
gious teaching and commercialism. Throw
Never mind that a straightforward reading of the biblical account of Christs birth in some new age abstractions and you have
a perfect holiday that adapts itself to just
shows it was not in the dead of winter.
Never mind that a little digging into the his- about any culture on earth today. Even nonChristian nations like China and Japan have
tory behind the Gospel accounts points to
His birth being in the fall of the year. Never parts of the Christmas traditions attached to
mind that the New Testament gives no com- Dec. 25. They may not care about the religious symbols, but they do observe some
mand to observe His birth as a festival or
holiday of any kind. Never mind, as my tour form of the holiday in parts of the countries. Japan does a booming retail business
guide was saying, that Jesus was not born
during the Christmas season.
on Dec. 25 or anywhere close to that date.
So what does all this mean for us in our
Never mind these things because synmodern world? Christmas is the worlds
cretism says we can do whatever we want
single biggest and most lucrative holiday.
when it comes to worshipping God!
Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons
You probably realize Christ was not born on Dec. 25, and you may
not think its important. But it really does matter. And it really is
important that you not celebrate that day as His birthday!
to me that no cultureneither pagan Rome

nor our neo-pagan world todayis exempt
from judgment. Rome and its empire eventually went the way of all empires. Its time
of power was eclipsed by the God of history
whose determined purpose moves forward
toward the day of final judgment (Acts
17:26, 31).
Our tour guide acknowledged that Jesus
wasnt born on Dec. 25, the time of celebration following the end of the ancient Saturnalia. In his few words he admitted what
is commonly known today among those
interested enough to have looked into it. But
he then moved on to another subject as if it
didnt matter. I wanted to say, Waitdo
you realize what you just said?
Can you grasp what this fact means?
God doesnt accept syncretized worship
How can you stand before God the Father
Isaiah the prophet addressed this same
and His Son Jesus Christ and defend workind of matter to Jerusalem and the kingship that is effectively meaningless and
dom of Judah in the seventh century B.C.
even defiant? It doesnt matter how sincere
Judah had adopted customs and worship
you are. No matter how well-intentioned
traditions contrary to what God had given
your Christmas celebration is, worshipping
to them at the beginning of their national
Him with practices taken directly from
history.
paganism is an abomination to God.
In the first chapter of Isaiah God states
No matter how warm and family-oriented
the problem with idolatry and forgetting
your festival is, it is futile and empty before
who He was to them. With verse 12 He
God. Even if you dont care, He does. He is
a God of righteous judgment, and He commands all who hear the truth to repentto
put away such pagan trappings and begin
to worship Him in the joyous meaningful
manner He designed from creation. God is
also merciful, and He desires us to worship
Him in humility and sincerity.
shows a problem with the feasts and SabIt is time to stop living like a citizen of
mean nothing to Me. They trouble Me. I
baths they had altered on the days they
turn My eyes away and do not see. Though ancient Rome and begin living like a citizen
were to appear before Me. Their worship you make many prayers, I do not hear them. of the coming Kingdom of God. This holiresulted in empty rituals on days God had
day season, you should turn things around
Your way results in death and not life
specifically designed and commanded as
(Isaiah 1:12-15).
and begin worshipping God in spirit and in
His appointed feasts (Leviticus 23:1).
This sounds harsh and judgmental to a
truth. God is waiting to receive your sincere
While people in Jerusalem still went to the modern ear. So be it. It is far less than the
worship in spirit and in truth and hear your
temple of God on days He had designated,
reality God visited on Israel and Judah for
prayers! GN
their actions rendered those days effectively their sins. Gods direct judgment on the
meaningless for them. They incorporated
nations has always been fair and not withelements of idolatry into the worship of God, out warning to give anyone who hears the
Do you know the real origins
and their attitude and actions were wrong in opportunity to repent.
of Christmas and other popumany ways. God hated their defilement of
lar holidays? What do holly,
Its
time
to
choose:
Follow
God
or
follow
His time and occasions through living conmistletoe, decorated trees and
a fat old man in a red suit (ridtrary to Him: I cannot endure iniquity and pagan traditions
ing in a sleigh pulled by flying
the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and
Earlier I mentioned the home of Poppea,
reindeer) have to do with the
your appointed feasts My soul hates; they
Neros wife. The home was near Pompeii
coming of the Son of God? You need to know the
answersand why it does matter to God! Downare a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing
and Mount Vesuvius. It was covered with
load or request your free copy of Holidays or Holy
them (Isaiah 1:13-14).
volcanic ash in the devastating eruption of
Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?
Regardless of any additional feast days
A.D. 79.
or their calendar, the fact that they polluted
The home we were in had been excaContact any of our offices listed on page 2,
something sacred to Him made it meanvated, and you could still see the effect of
ingless. That is an important lesson for us
the lava and ash that had covered the villa.
today. Todays Christian world has a festival That place and that event were a reminder
Sales during the Christmas season determine the commercial viability of many
businesses. Eliminating Christmas would
mean a severe economic slump for many
sectors of the economy. This commercialism isnt going away despite the sentiments
of those who desperately want the religious
message to prevail.
In fact, Christ cannot be put back into
Christmas, as many call for, because He
never was in Christmas in the first place!
Further, Jesus wants nothing to do with a
holiday deeply rooted in pagan worship to
which His name was vainly attached. The
fact that most people do not care about this
truth makes it all the more serious when we
consider what God says about such customs!
calendar completely different from the one

God gave to His people for all time. Holidays like Easter and Christmas, to name
only two, are steeped in pagan origins and
symbols. God hates these days. They have
no place in a biblically defined Christian
form of worship!
The people of Isaiahs time did not listen
to the warning. In time God completely
drew back His hand of blessing from them,
and they were invaded by a foreign power.
Their time on the world stage drew to a
close. Their national sovereignty ended.
The same will happen today to any nation
that claims Gods name yet insults that
name with the indignity of pagan trappings.
America, Canada, Australia and Great Britain, along with other nations, will be judged
by God for this and other sins.
Christmas and other pagan days presented as Christian celebrations are an
abomination to God. Lets paraphrase Isaiahs words to hear what God says and feels
about this: I have had enough of your pious
worship and take no delight in what you
offer of your life for Me. You presume to
appear before Me with something I value.
Your offering and worship is empty and
meaningless. Your religious celebrations
No matter how well-intentioned your Christmas

celebration is, worshipping Him with practices taken
directly from paganism is an abomination to God.
15
Exploring Gods Word
The Holidays Origins Unmasked

mas was ever heard of till the third century,
and that not till the fourth century was far
advanced did it gain much observance
(1959, pp.92-93).
As for how Dec. 25 became the date for
Christmas day, virtually any book on the
history of Christmas will explain that this
he popular American comedic
Is there more to these ancient traditions
day was celebrated in the Roman Empire
actor Drew Carey was once interand practices than meets the eye? And,
as the birthday of the sun god.
viewed on an equally popular televi- more important, does it make any differExplaining how Dec. 25 came to be
sion talk show, The View. Mr. Carey ence whether we continuethem?
selected as the supposed birthday of Jesus,
surprised the audience when he
Celebration of the sungod
the book 4000 Years of Christmas says: For
addressed the value of telling children the
that day was sacred, not only to the pagan
It may sound odd that any religious celtruth about SantaClaus.
Romans but to a religion from Persia which,
ebration with Christs name attached to it
I dont think you should tell kids that
could predate Christianity. Yet the holiday in those days, was one of Christianitys
there is a Santa Claus, he said. Thats
the first lie you tell your children. Instead, we know as Christmas long predated Jesus strongest rivals. This Persian religion was
Mithraism, whose followers worshiped the
Tell kids that Santas a character we made Christ. Elements of the celebration can be
up to celebrate a time of the season. Other- traced to ancient Egypt, Babylon and Rome. sun, and celebrated its return to strength on
wise, When kids get to be 5 . . . they real- This fact doesnt cast aspersions on Jesus; it that day (Earl and Alice Count, 1997, p.37).
Not only was Dec. 25 honored as the
does, however, call into question the underize their parents have been lying to them
birthday of the sun, but a festival had long
standing and wisdom of those who, over
their wholelife.
the millennia, have insisted on perpetuating been observed among the heathen to celEarlier that same year the A&E cable
television channel aired a program about
Christmas titled Christmas Unwrapped:
The History of Christmas. The promo for
this programread:
People all over the world celebrate the
birth of Christ on December 25th. But why
is the Saviors nativity marked by gift-giving,
and was He really born on that day? And just an ancient pagan festival that has devolved ebrate the growing amount of daylight after
the winter solstice, the shortest day of the
through much of the world asChristmas.
where did the Christmas tree comefrom?
Members of the early Church would have year. The precursor to Christmas was in
Take an enchanting journey through
fact an idolatrous winter festival characterbeen astonished to think that the customs
the history of the worlds favorite holiday
to learn the origins of some of the Western and practices we associate with Christmas ized by excess and debauchery that
would be incorporated into a celebration of predated Christianity by manycenturies.
worlds most enduring traditions. Trace
Christs birth. Not until several centuries
the emergence of Christmas from pagan
festivals like the Roman Saturnalia, which had passed would Christs name be attached Pre-Christian practicesincorporated
to this popular Romanholiday.
celebrated the wintersolstice.
This ancient festival went by differAs Alexander Hislop explains in his
These two programs addressed the fact
ent names in various cultures. In Rome
that Santa Claus is fictitious and that Christ- book The Two Babylons: It is admitted
it was called the Saturnalia, in honor of
mas and its trappings emanate from pagan by the most learned and candid writers of
Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. The
Roman festivals. By no means are these the all parties that the day of our Lords birth
observance was adopted by early Roman
only sources of information about the back- cannot be determined, and that within the
church leaders and given the name of Christ
Christian Church no such festival as Christ- (Christ mass, or Christmas) to conciliate
ground of Santa Claus andChristmas.
Most people know the Bible doesnt mentionmuch less sanctify

Christmas. Does it make any difference as long as its intended to
honor God and bring families together? by Jerold Aust
The precursor to Christmas was an idolatrous

winter festival characterized by excess and
debauchery that predated Christianity by centuries.
16
The Good News
How Did
Santa Claus
Enter the Picture?
and new moons, and festivals

[the biblical festivals spelled
out in Leviticus 23], once
acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January,
the Brumalia, and Matronalia,
are now frequented; gifts are
carried to and fro, new years
day presents are made with
ow did Santa Claus enter the picture? Why is this
din, and sports and banmythical figure so closely aligned with the Christmas
quets are celebrated
holiday? Here, too, many books are available to shed
with uproar; oh, how
light on the origins of this popularcharacter.
much more faithful
Santa Claus is an American corruption of the Dutch
are the heathen to
form Sinterklaas or Sint Nicolaas, a figure brought to
their religion, who
America by the early Dutch colonists (see The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 19, p. 649,
take special care to
Nicholas, St.). This name, in turn, is said to stem
adopt no solemnity
from St. Nicholas, bishop of the city of Myra in
from the Chrissouthern Asia Minor, a Catholic saint honored
tians (quoted
by the Greeks and the Latins on Dec.6.
by Hislop,
He was bishop of Myra in the time of the
p.93).
Roman emperor Diocletian, was persecuted,
Failing to
tortured for the Catholic faith and kept in
make much
prison until the more tolerant reign of Conheadway in constantine (ibid.). Various stories claim a link
verting the pagans,
from Christmas to St. Nicholas, all of them
the religious leadhaving to do with gift-giving on the eve of
ers of the Roman
St. Nicholas, subsequently transferred to
church
began
Christmas Day(ibid.).
compromising
by
How, we might ask, did a bishop from
dressing
the
heathen
the sunny Mediterranean coast of Turkey
customs in Christiancome to be associated with a red-suited man
looking
garb. But,
who lives at the North Pole and rides in a sleigh pulled by flyrather
than
converting
them to
ingreindeer? Knowing what we have already learned about
the churchs beliefs, the church
the ancient pre-Christian origins of Christmas, we shouldnt
became largely converted to
be surprised to learn that Santa Claus, too, is nothing but a
non-Christian customs in its
figure recycled from ancient paganbeliefs.
own religiouspractices.
The trappings associated with Santa Claushis furtrimmed wardrobe, sleigh and reindeerreveal his origin
Although at first the early
from the cold climates of the far North. Some sources trace
Catholic Church censured this
him to the ancient Northern European gods Woden (or Odin)
celebration, the festival was far
and Thor, from which the days of the week Wednesday
too strongly entrenched in popu(Wodens day) and Thursday (Thors day) get their designalar favor to be abolished, and
tions (Earl and Alice Count, 4000 Years of Christmas, 1997,
the Church finally granted the
pp. 56-64). Others trace him even farther back in time to
necessary recognition, believing
the Roman god Saturn and the Greek god Silenus (William
that if Christmas could not be
Walsh, The Story of Santa Klaus, pp.70-71).
suppressed, it should be preserved in honor of the Christian
God. Once given a Christian
the pagan converts and swell the number of basis the festival became fully established
in Europe with many of its pagan elements
the nominal adherents ofChristianity.
The tendency on the part of third-century undisturbed (Man, Myth & Magic: The
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, ReliCatholic leadership was to meet paganism
gion, and the Unknown, Richard Cavendish,
halfwaya practice made clear in a bitter
lament by one of the early Catholic church editor, 1983, Vol. 2, p. 480,Christmas).
fathers,Tertullian.
Celebration wins out overScripture
In 230 he wrote of the inconsistency of
Some resisted such spiritually poisonprofessing Christians. He contrasted their
ous compromises. Upright men strove to
lax and political practices with the strict
stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts,
fidelity of the pagans to their own beliefs:
the apostasy went on, till the Church, with
By us who are strangers to Sabbaths,
Thinkstock
the exception of a small remnant, was

submerged under Pagan superstition. That
Christmas was originally a Pagan festival
is beyond all doubt. The time of the year,
and the ceremonies with which it is still
celebrated, prove its origin (Hislop, p.93).
The aforementioned Tertullian, for one,
disassociated himself from the Roman
church in an attempt to draw closer to the
teachings of theBible.
He wasnt alone in his disagreement with
such trends. As late as 245 Origen, in his
eighth homily on Leviticus, repudiates as
sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday
of Christ as if he were a king Pharaoh (The
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition,
Vol. 6, p. 293,Christmas).
Christmas was not made a Roman holiday until A.D. 534 (ibid.). It took 300 years
for the new name and symbols of Christmas
to replace the old names and meaning of
the winter festival, a pagan celebration that
reaches back so manycenturies.
Was Jesus born inDecember?
Most Bible scholars who have written
on the subject of Jesus birth conclude that,
based on evidence in the Bible itself, there
is no possible way Christ could have been
born anywhere near Dec.25.
Again we turn to Alexander Hislop:
There is not a word in the Scriptures about
the precise day of [Jesus] birth, or the time
of the year when He was born. What is
recorded there, implies that at what time
soever His birth took place, it could not
have been on the 25th of December. At the
time that the angel announced His birth
to the shepherds of Bethlehem, they were
feeding their flocks by night in the open
fields . . . The climate of Palestine . . . from
December to February, is very piercing, and
it was not the custom for the shepherds of
Judea to watch their flocks in the open
fields later than about the end of October
(Hislop, p. 91, emphasis inoriginal).
He goes on to explain that the autumn
rains beginning in September or October in
Judea would mean that the events surrounding Christs birth recorded in the Scriptures
could not have taken place later than midOctober, so Jesus birth likely took place
earlier in the fall (Hislop, p.92).
Further evidence supporting Jesus birth
in the autumn is that the Romans were
intelligent enough not to set the time for
taxation and travel in the dead of winter,
but during more-favorable conditions. Since
Josephs lineage was from Bethlehem, and
since he had to travel from Nazareth in
17
Exploring Gods Word
What difference does itmake?

The Bible gives us no reasonand certainly no instructionto support the myths
and fables of Christmas and Santa Claus.
They are tied to the ways of this world
and contrary to the ways of Christ and His
holy truth. Do not learn the way of the
Gentiles, God tells us (Jeremiah 10:2).
Professing Christians should examine
the background of the Christmas holiday
symbols and stop telling their children
that Santa Claus and his elves, reindeer
and Christmas gift-giving are connected
with Jesus Christ. Emphatically they are
not! God hates lying. These six things the
Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that
devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in
running to evil, a false witness who speaks
lies, and one who sows discord among
brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).
Christ reveals that Satan the devil is the
father of lies (John 8:44). Parents should
tell their children the truth about God and
this worlds contrary and confusing ways.
If we dont, we only perpetuate the notion
that it is acceptable for parents to lie to
theirchildren.
Can a professing Christian promote a
pagan holiday and its symbols as something
that God or Christ has approved? Lets see
what God thinks about people using customs and practices rooted in false religion
to worship Him and His Son. We find His
views clearly expressed in both the Old and
NewTestament.
God specifically commands His people
not to do what early church leaders did
when they incorporated idolatrous practices
and relabeled them Christian. Before they
entered the Promised Land, God gave the
Israelites a stern warning: Take heed to
yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them [the inhabitants of the land] . . .
and that you do not inquire after their gods,
saying, How did these nations serve their
gods? I also will dolikewise.
You shall not worship the Lord your
God in that way; for every abomination to
the Lord which He hates they have done to
their gods . . . Whatever I command you,
be careful to observe it; you shall not add
to it nor take away from it (Deuteronomy
12:30-32, emphasis addedthroughout).
18
The Good News
Many centuries later the apostle Paul

traveled to and raised up church congregations in many gentile cities. To the members
of the Church of God in Corinth, a city
steeped in idolatry, Paul wrote: What
fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness? And what accord has Christ with
Belial? Or what part has a believer with an
unbeliever? And what agreement has the
We cannot honor God in truth with false

practices adopted from the worship of nonexistentgods or demons posing as gods.
Jesus said: This people honors Me with
their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, teaching
as doctrines the commandments of men
(Mark 7:6-7). With God no substitutes are
acceptable. It makes no difference that
Christians mean well when they observe
Professing Christians should examine the background

of the Christmas holiday symbols and stop telling their
children that Santa Claus and his elves, reindeer and
Christmas gift-giving are connected with Jesus Christ.
temple of God with idols? For you are the
temple of the living God . . .
Therefore Come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch
what is unclean, and I will receive you. . . .
Therefore, having these promises, beloved,
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-17;7:1).
Instead of allowing members to rename
and celebrate customs associated with false
gods, Pauls instructions were clear: They
were to have nothing to do with them. He
similarly told Athenians who were steeped
in idolatry, Truly, these times of ignorance
God overlooked, but now commands all
men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).
God alone has the right to decide the
special days on which we should worship
Him. Jesus Christ plainly tells us that God
is Spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
Christmas. God is not amused orpleased.

The knowledge of how to honor Almighty
God, who made us, preserves us and gives us
eternal life, has been made available to you.
Will you honor God or follow the traditions
of mankind? GN
How much do you know about

the origins of Christmas and
its strange practices? What do
such things as holly, mistletoe,
decorated trees and a man in
a red suit (riding in a sleigh
pulled by flying reindeer) have
to do with the coming of the Son of God? You need
to know the answers! Download or request your
free copy of Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter
Which Days We Observe?

Photos: Thinkstock
Galilee to Bethlehem, and since his expectant wife Mary traveled with him, it would
have been nearly impossible for the two to
make the trip in the winter.
Exploring Gods Word
Jesus Christ
Creator of the Sabbath Day

As Christians, we know Jesus is our Savior and perfect example.
Should we observe the Sabbath day like Hedid? by Steve Myers
was made . . . And the Word became flesh

and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14).
Heres why this passage is so important:
It tells us that, before any physical creation,
ow much are you willing to follow you should rest and worship on the biblical a Being called the Word existed. It also
tells us that the Word became flesh, a physiSabbath?
Jesus Christs example? As the
cal being. That should immediately get our
apostle John tells us, Those who
minds working on making aconnection.
Jesus set the example
say they live in God should live
Heres the key: The Word is the One who
their lives as Jesus did (1 John
Lets notice how Jesus was yesterday
became
Jesus Christthey are one and
2:6, New Living Translation).
in the past. To do that, we have to consider
the
same.
It also tells us that He was with
So why wouldnt you want to follow
a verse that refers to a time before the
Godmeaning
God the Father. And we
Jesus example? Jesus worshipped on the
creation of the earth. Did you know that
find
that
the
Word
was also called God!
SabbathFriday sunset to Saturday sunset the account describing the oldest time in
So
not
only
are
we
told that the Word
and He told us that we shouldtoo.
the Bible is not right at its beginning? This
became Jesus, but were also told what He
But many have a tendency to say things
passage speaks of a time prior to events
was doing. He was makingor creating
like: Well, the Sabbath was an Old Testa- described at the beginning of your Bible
all things in accordance with the perfect
ment thing, or The Sabbath has nothing to in Genesis1.
will of the Father. Not just some things, but
do with salvation, or We have liberty and
Believe it or not, this passage is a key
all things were made throughHim!
arent restricted to a particular day of the
that will help you unlock the answer to
week, or The Sabbath was changed from the Sabbath question. Its a key to underThe Sabbath was holy from creation
Saturday toSunday.
standing not only the Sabbath but also the
Before you jump to conclusions, Id like
entire Bible. And its found in the New
Genesis 2:1 tells us: Thus the heavens
you to notice a simple verse that carries so Testamentat the beginning of the Gospel and the earth were completed in all their
much meaning. Its found in Hebrews 13:8. ofJohn.
vast array. By the seventh day God had
It says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterIn the beginning was the Word, and
finished the work he had been doing; so on
day, today, andforever (emphasis added
the Word was with God, and the Word was the seventh day he rested from all his work.
throughout).
God. All things were made through Him,
Then God blessed the seventh day and
How does this passage help determine if and without Him nothing was made that
made it holy, because on it he rested from
19
Exploring Gods Word
The Sabbath is still holy

Remember the scripture we began with
Hebrews 13:8. It says that Jesus is the
same yesterday, today and forever. Looking back to yesterday, we find that Jesus
created the Sabbath as holy time atcreation.
Since the Scripture must be truethat
Jesus is the samewhat do we find as we
go forward throughtime?
Lets move forward from creation into
the future, to after Jesus Christ returns to
the earth. We find Isaiah prophesying about
worship on the seventh-day Sabbath: From
month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all humanity will come to worship
me, says the Lord (Isaiah 66:23, Common
English Bible).
Isnt that amazing? It may even surprise
you. Jesus our Savior says that the Sab-
20
The Good News
Jesus taught that the Sabbath of the Bible was made

by God for the benefit of all humanity, not just the Jews.
bath is the day He designed for worship.
He made the Sabbath at creation. And
millennia later, after He returns to earth,
its still holy as the day ofworship for all
humanity.
Remember what holy means. This weekly
day of worship is incredibly special and
precious to God. He loves it, and He wants
you to love it too. The Sabbath of worship
and rest He created was not just any day of
the weekand it certainly was notSunday.
But heres the part that may be truly
unexpected: Who will worship God on the
Sabbath day? Isaiah prophesied it wasnt
just a Jewish day of worship. It wasnt made
only for the Israelites. It was designed for
humanityfor you and for mefor everyone. Isaiah tells us that the seventh-day Sabbath continued to be holy from creation and
still is the time for worship for allpeople.
In fact, this wasnt the only place where
Isaiah mentioned this idea. He also speaks
to you and meto people who believe in
God and want a closer relationship with
Him. He instructs us what we shoulddo.
Do you know what he said? He prophe-
sied that all people who love God will come

to worship on Gods Sabbath and serve Him
and that the temple of God would be called
a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah
56:6-8).
The Sabbath is for you
Heres a question: When you hear the
inspired Word of God, do you allow it to
guide you in what you do? Perhaps we
should all ask: If I want to follow Jesus,
when should Iworship?
Many people have many ideas about the
Sabbath and how to worship, but the Bible
makes plain whats right and properwhat
you could call authenticworship.
Is there a particular day of the week
that comes to mind when you hear the
wordSabbath?
We already know that the Wordthe
One who became Jesuscreated the Sabbath day as a day of rest and worship at
creation. He verified it thousands of years
later in Isaiahs prophecies. So should you
follow your own traditionyour opinion
or should you follow Jesusexample?
Photos, clockwise from top left: Thinkstock, Designpics, Thinkstock, UCG
all the work of creating that he had done

(New International Version).
Lets askourselves:
Who made the heavens and earth? The
Word didthe One who became Jesusas
directed by the Father.
Who made the seventh-day Sabbath? The
Word didthe One who becameJesus.
Who blessed and sanctified the seventhday Sabbath? The Word didthe One who
became Jesus.
Who rested from all His work on the
seventh-day Sabbath? The Word didthe
One who becameJesus.
Who made the seventh day holy? The
Word didthe One who became Jesus.
This is a vital key to understanding the
true Sabbath and why it should be important to you. Before Noah, before Abraham,
before Moses, and long before the Old
Covenant, the Wordthe One who became
Jesuscreated the seventh-day Sabbath. It
wasnt just any day. He blessed it, and He
set it apart from every other day.
Do you see how important it is to God?
He designated Friday sunset to Saturday
sunset as holytime (in the Bible, God
counts time from evening to evening
sundown to sundownas shown in Leviticus 23:32 and Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
When something is holy it means that it
is something special and precious to God.
He made the Sabbath unique, and He told
us all to remember this wonderful time that
Hedesigned.
Not only did it become holy time, but we
find Jesus, the Word, setting an example for
all mankindfor youto follow. What did
He do? He rested. He rested from the work
ofcreation.
Choose to follow Jesus Sabbath example

I hope youll determine to find out about
The Sabbath was made for all mankind
this authentic Sabbath that Jesus designed
Today Jesus is still Lord of the Sabbath. for you. The Word of God shows that Jesus
Some might argue that Jesus only observed created, verified and observed the sevenththe Sabbath because He was a Jew. After
day Sabbath, and He taught us that we
all, what else would you expect a good Jew should follow Hisexample.
to do other than keep the Sabbath day?
If you still have doubts about which day
Lets think about that for just amoment.
is the Christian Sabbath, remember that in
In this same section of Scripture, in
the future the Sabbath will be observed by
Mark 2:27, we find something that so many all people during the reign of Christ over all
Christians miss. Its a crucial key to under- nations (Isaiah 66:23).
stand the truth about properworship.
Moreover Hebrews 4 explains that ChrisJesus says, The Sabbath was made for
tians should be observing the seventh-day
man, and not man for the Sabbath. If you
Sabbath today (see our free study guide
read over that phrase quickly you might
Sunset to Sunset: Gods Sabbath Rest).
miss the point. You could think that the
So lets remember the Sabbath. It looks
Sabbath was for Jews onlya burden. But back to creation and reminds us of our
wait! The meaning becomes clear when
Creator. In the present, we keep the seventh
you understand the definition of the word
day holy, and we consider the One who has
man. The Sabbath was made forman. delivered us from the bondage of sin. And
The word Christ used means all of man- finally, the Sabbath looks forward to the
kind, not just the Jews or one single person. return of Jesus Christ and the establishment
The word is translated differently in other
of the Kingdom of God, when there will be
versions. By comparing them, the meaning true rest for allhumanity!
becomes crystal clear. The New Revised
Were all left with a choice. What should
Standard Version states, The Sabbath was you donow?
made for humankind.
Get out your Bible! Start to study into the
Jesus emphasized just how important the true Sabbath day. Gods Word will guide
The Sabbath was never changed
Sabbath is for all people everywhere. He
you to the point where youll have to make
Now heres a tough question: Did Jesus
said, The Sabbath was made for the good a decision. Will you live by every word of
set His example of Sabbath worship so we
of human beings (Mark 2:27, Good News God as Jesusdirected?
dont have to? Should we just disregard the Translation). It wasnt made just for the
There is no doubt that Jesus is Lord of the
way that Jesus worshipped? Sadly, thats
Jews and then done away with or replaced
Sabbath. By observing the seventh-day Sabwhat many ministers teachtoday!
by Sunday, it was made to benefit man
bath, Jesus proved He is the same yesterday,
But Jesus never once told His disciples to (The Living Bible).
today and forever. FollowHim!
ignore His example. He never once said any
So contrary to what most churches teach,
And of course, the United Church of God,
church or any person has the authority to
Sabbath worship was not somehow altered publisher of this magazine, has hundreds
transfer the Sabbath to Sunday. In fact, He or annulled. Jesus is consistent. Hes conof Sabbath-keeping congregations that
taught just the opposite. He said, If anyone stant. Hes the same. He said that the Sab- meet on Saturday across the United States
serves Me, let him follow Me (John 12:26). bath was made for the good of man (Bible and around the world. Go to www.ucg.org/
in Worldwide English). It was the day
This is the same Jesus who was the
churches to find a congregation near you.
made to help people (Expanded Bible).
Word, the One who created the Sabbath.
Call one of our pastors or visit with
Jesus set it apart as holy and told us to fol- It was made to meet the needs of people our members. Theyll help you discover
low Himto live like Him, to think like
(New Living Translation, 2013). It wasnt
more about the biblical command to keep
Him, to worship likeHim.
exclusive to one group of people or for just a GodsSabbath holy! GN
So no wonder He emphasized the point
limited time only. It was the same yesterday
by saying something remarkable. In Mark
and today as well. The Sabbath was made
2:28 we find He said that He is Lord of
for the good of people (Contemporary
theSabbath.
English Version).
The Bible has much more to
say about Gods day of rest and
What day of the week is the Lords day?
Even now authentic Christians take Jesus
worship, the weekly Sabbath.
According to Jesus Christ, its the seventh- words to heart and follow Him by observWeve prepared a free study
ing the seventh-day Sabbath, Friday sunset
day Sabbath! Its not Sunday or any other
guide, Sunset to Sunset: Gods
Sabbath Rest, to help you learn
to Saturday sunset. They worship on the
day of the week. Jesus clearly tells us that
more about this observance.
same day that Jesus did. This isnt a Jewish
He is Lord of the Sabbath day. His day of
Download or request your free copy today!
Sabbath. Its the Christian way of observworship is theSabbath!
ing the true Sabbath over which Jesus
He is consistent (Malachi 3:6). Weve
seen that yesterday, Jesus as the Word cre- isLord. And Christian means one who folated the weekly day of rest and worship lows the example of Jesus Christ, who lives
the seventh-day Sabbathlasting from
as He did.
Lets look back into the first century A.D.

We find Jesusthe Wordis made flesh.
Hes called Immanuel, God with us, God
in the flesh (Matthew 1:23). Jesus Christ
was walking the earth. While this is still
in the past, if Jesus is the same yesterday,
today and forever, we should find Jesus
remaining the same.
So what was Jesus regular practice?
How did He honor God? What day did He
observe? The Bible records Jesus own
routine custom at the start of His ministry:
So He came to Nazareth, where He had
been brought up. And as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath
day, and stood up to read (Luke 4:16).
We shouldnt minimize this. It was Jesus
regular custom to worship on the Sabbath! What day of the week was that? Ever
since that time and for centuries before,
the weekly cycle has been followed. Time
has never been lost. And dont forget, Jesus
knew the right daybecause after all, He
established the day of rest and worship at
creation. Now we see that He validates and
confirms it. Christ not only remembered
the Sabbath day, but He kept it holy, from
sunset Friday through sunsetSaturday.
Friday sunset to Saturdaysunset.
21
by Milan Bizic, Rudy Rangel and Darris McNeely
Setting the stage for EuropeanMideast conflict
he lengthy prophecy of Daniel 11 speaks of

ongoing conflict between rulers to the north
and south of the land of Israel, with verse 45
referring to an end-time King of the South pushing
at a final King of the North. A power from the Middle
East will launch some sort of attack against Europe
that arouses a retaliation and occupation of a large
part of the Middle East, including Israel, by European
forces.
While these specific events are yet to happen, current events in the region help us understand how this
scenario could come to pass. Two recent developments may play into this.
First is the massive wave of refugees out of Syria,
Iraq and Afghanistan into European Union (EU)
states. More than a million have come, and tens of
thousands continue to arrive every day. They made
Russia ups the ante

in Syria
their way through Turkey and the Balkan states, and

for a time in August they collected in Hungary. Not
content with their reception, many began walking
toward Austria, seeking to cross into Germany and
other EU countries.
The open borders of the EU proved to be a means
for passage that began putting pressure on the
receiving nations, none of which were prepared to
take in refugees in such staggering numbers. Germany said it would take 800,000. Hungary refused,
stating that such a humanitarian crisis would cause
the borders of Europe to collapse.
Germany at first welcomed refugees, seeing an
opportunity to erase remaining vestiges of its World
War II reputation for mass genocide. German Prime
Minister Angela Merkel openly welcomed them.
But the inevitable backlash started, and the historic German discontent with foreigners began to
erode her support. European handling of this crisis
is testing current arrangements and perceptions of
the EU at a vulnerable moment. Combined with the
debt crisis in Greece and a real possibility that Great
Britain might withdraw from the union, this influx of
refugees has brought the EU to a turning point. Order
will have to be maintained or the present union will
not continue.
The second event to understand is Russias twin
placement of troops and materiel in Ukraine and
yrian President Bashar al-Assad has been in

power since 2000, stepping into the position previously occupied by his father until his death. In that
time Bashar al-Assad, like his father before him, has
been a very harsh leader, especially to his own people. In 2011, protests over the release of minors, who
were being held for anti-government graffiti, became
deadly after officials open fired on the protestors.
Afterward a civil war began, and chemical weape are not merely on the verge of another Arab
ons were used, though Assads administration denied
uprising against Israel. Its already here. The
using them and blamed the rebels. Then ISIS came
Atlantics Adam Chandler recently reported: In
on the scene and, amid all the fighting, innocent civilrecent months, amid failed peace talks, continued
ians have been making an exodus out of the country
fallout from the latest war in Gaza, politically motiand into Europe seeking refuge. By some estimates
vated riots and car attacks, deadly rock-throwing
up to half of the nations people have been displaced
and deadly responses to rock-throwing, stabfrom their homes.
bings, fatal arson and shootings, clashes at holy
Russia recently stepped in to further shore up the
sites, the expansion of settlements and price-tag
battered Assad regime, as The Guardians Kareem
attacks, the rhetorical canceling of both previous
Shaheen reported: The Syrian push on the ground
peace deals, and the future peace process, the
is the first time President Assads forces have cooranswer seems to increasingly be this: A Third Intidinated with the Russian air force in an attempt to
fada is here and it doesnt resemble the previous
seize lost territory from opposition forces, ushering
two (Ready or Not, the Third Intifada May Be
in some of the fiercest fighting in months in the civil
Here, Oct. 7, 2015).
war, which has now lasted four and a half years and
The Middle East is always a focus in this pubkilled more than a quarter of a million people (Syrlication. Much of Bible prophecy revolves around
ian Troops Launch Ground Offensive Backed by Rusthis part of the world and the nations it comprises.
sian Airstrikes, Oct. 7, 2015).
Its a contentious area because three major reliRussia has been slapped with sanctions in the
gions claim their origin in the Holy Land. In Zechapast year since entering Ukraine with troops and
riah 12:2 we see that God foretold continuing conannexing the Crimean Peninsula. Russia now claims
flict over Jerusalem before Jesus return: Behold,
to be fighting against terrorist groups in Syria. Assad
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all
has many enemies within his own borders. This is
the people round about, when they shall be in the
an opportunity for Vladimir Putin and Russia to gain
some allies and further strengthen its footholds in
the Middle East. This is merely the latest in a series
We see increasing activity on the world scene.
of actions pitting Russia against the Western NATO Nations are vying for power. Western nations are
alliance.
feeling the effects of struggles in the Middle East
Syria. The first is a direct effort to undermine NATO

and keep Ukraine out of the EU orbit. The other,
troops and planes in Syria, is an effort to rattle the
EU, keeping the refugee crisis alive and upsetting any
diplomatic effort from the West aimed at ending the
four-year-long civil war there.
Russia does not have the military or economic
power to do much more than it has, but the long-term
effect of both will show the weakness of the current
political leadership in Europe and the United States.
The world is experiencing a power vacuum in the
Middle East. Russia will not dominate the region, but it
could further stir the religious and sectarian conflicts
that will create a new order in the Middle East.
With Iran on the rise in the region and the collapse
of a century of regional boundaries and power structures, a new Middle East is poised to emerge. Again,
Bible prophecy shows an emergent power called the
King of the South to arise and push, by military, economic or other means, at what is called the King of the
North, a European-centered power, provoking a massive retaliatory response. We may be seeing a leadup to these events in todays headlines. God foretold
what will ultimately occur centuries in advance.
To learn more about what will happen between
Europe and the Middle East, be sure to send for or
download our free study guide The Middle East in
Bible Prophecy.
A third intifada?
22
The Good News
Haifa bus bombing during the second Intifada, 2003.
siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem

(King James Version).
Well see how the current uprisings will play
out as contentions continue. Chandlers Atlantic
article continued: Owing to the violence, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a
trip to Germany where he was set to celebrate 50
years of Israeli-German relations. We are still in
the midst of a wave of terror, Netanyahu said . . .
We have known worse times than this and we will
also overcome this wave of terrorism with determination, responsibility, and unity (ibid.). (Source:
The Atlantic.)
and emerging economies. Russias movement into
Syria is another move on the worlds geopolitical
chessboard. (Source: The Guardian.)
An overview of conditions around the world
Turkish-Kurdish tensions
Chinese espionage
reach boiling point
against America
fter initially remaining uninvolved in the Wests
struggle to contain Islamic State militants in the

Middle East, Turkey recently announced that it would
be supporting U.S. and NATO airstrikes against ISIS
targets in Syria and Iraq. What initially came as welcome news, however, was soured by the reality that
Turkish forces seemed more interested in engaging
Kurdish targets than ISIS militants. The Kurds, for
the record, have to this point been one of the Wests
Photos, from left: Wikimedia (2), Thinkstock
In an already unstable region, a divided

Turkey opens the door for insurgents
like ISIS to take further root.
strongest regional allies in containing and combatting ISIS.
Turks and Kurds have a long and violent history
with one another, but the most recent flare-up has
the potential for far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for the nation of Turkey. Germanys Der
Spiegel magazine reports on the increased violence
in Turkeys troubled and divided eastern region:
The killing continues, especially in Cizre and in
other places in the overwhelmingly Kurdish inhabited southeast. And it wont allow itself to be stopped
again so quickly. Several municipalities have broken
away from Turkey and declared autonomy. There,
young Kurds with Kalashnikovs, Molotov cocktails
and stones are calling the shots. Trenches and barricades made of rocks, rubble and car tires are meant
to prevent the advances of security forces that are
no longer simply responding with tear gas, but also
with live ammunition and snipers (Hasnain Kazim,
We Want a Massacre: Turkish-Kurdish Tensions
Escalate as Election Looms, Sept. 17, 2015).
Many in the country, especially Kurds, are placing
blame for the violent eruption on Turkish President
Recep Erdogan: Critics argue that Erdogan . . . consciously pushed the country into chaos in order to
portray himself as a strong leader. He is risking a civil
war, they claim, in order to win the Nov. 1 elections
(ibid.).
Whether or not Erdogan or other leaders are
engineering a civil war in the country, the human toll
has been and will continue to be large with intense
violence. In an already unstable region, a weaker or
divided Turkey opens the door for insurgents like
ISIS to take further root. Jesus urged His disciples
to watch events in and around Jerusalemthe area
of the Middle Eastin anticipation of His coming
(Matthew 24-25). We should do likewise. (Source:
Der Spiegel.)
The president was essentially saying, I know

you spy on me and my government, but dont even
think about spying on our businesses.
World peace seems so far away when news like
he Chinese are stealing secrets from America. this emerges. All countries steal from others in
Of course, every nation conducts its own bit one way or another. Its disheartening to know that
of espionage against other nations. Earlier this
year there were allegations that the United States
tapped the cell phone of German Chancellor
Angela Merkel. But with no significant evidence,
the Germans dropped their investigations.
Spying seems to be a practice that is assumed
and not talked about. There also seems to be
some guidelines. Recently The Wall Street Journal reported: [President Barack Obama] said
the Chinese governmentlike the U.S. governmentengages in traditional spying against foreign nations, which he acknowledged is a common
practice. But he said he has told the Chinese, That
is fundamentally different from your government or
its proxies engaging directly in industrial espionage the world has to be this way. Nations dontand
and stealing trade secrets, stealing proprietary canttrust one another. This is not the world God
information from companies. That we consider an wanted for His creation. God created a garden of
act of aggression that has to stop (Damian Pal- peace. It was there that man chose to take another
etta, Obama Vows to Press China on Computer path, one that has led up to this point of nation
Attacks, Sept. 16, 2015).
against nation. (Source: The Wall Street Journal.)
St. Louis fire highlights danger of nuclear stockpiling
uclear bombs as weapons of mass destruction

are front and center in public attention once
more with the Iranian nuclear agreement, North
Koreas much-publicized nuclear program and the
ever-present threat of black market and secret proliferation to extremist groups.
Earlier in 2015 the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
moved the world Doomsday Clock up to three minutes to midnight, reflecting the dangers of nuclear
proliferation and the potential of nuclear weapons
Surface fire at St. Louis West Lake landfill in 2014.
falling into villainous hands. A recent development

in the heart of the United States, though, serves as
a chilling reminder of the atomic legacy of the 20th
century.
A landfill in the St. Louis, Missouri, area has contained a smoldering fire underneath its surface since
2010. A burning landfill is, in the best circumstances,
not good for a community. But this is far from the best
circumstances. Jim Salter of U.S. News and World
Report wrote:
Beneath the surface of a St. Louis-area landfill
lurk two things that should never meet: a slow-burning fire and a cache of Cold War-era nuclear waste,
separated by no more than 1,200 feet. Government
officials have quietly adopted an emergency plan in
case the smoldering embers ever reach the waste, a
potentially catastrophic event that could send up a
plume of radioactive smoke over a densely populated
area near the citys main airport (St. Louis Plans for
Catastrophic Nuclear Event, Oct. 6, 2015).
Its a scary prospect for St. Louis residents and a
reminder to all of us of the dangers of nuclear weaponry. Were still dealing with the results of nuclear
development, both from waste and from potential
warfare. (Source: U.S. News and World Report.)
How can you make sense of the news?

So much is happening in the world, and so quickly. Where are todays dramatic and dangerous
trends taking us? What does Bible prophecy reveal about our future? Youre probably very concerned with the direction the world is heading. So are we. Thats one reason we produce the
Beyond Today daily TV commentariesto help you understand the news in the light of Bible
prophecy. These eye-opening presentations offer you a perspective so badly needed in our
confused worldthe perspective of Gods Word. Visit us at ucg.org/beyond-today/daily!
23
World News & Prophecy
Abortion and Planned Parenthood: A Cause for
moneychangers also produces great mercy

every day. The same godly character that
commands care for widows and orphans
commands justice and judgment on those
who reject Gods way.
Psalm 7:12 tells us, God is angry with
the wicked every day. It should come as
no surprise then that God is very angry at
the senseless killing of helpless children.
to Americas abortion crisis, but first lets lay We shouldnt be shocked that God is angry
that people are profiting from the killing of
some groundwork on the complex concept
His precious children. We also shouldnt be
of righteous, godly anger.
afraid to feel some of that anger ourselves
Gods anger is righteous
and to sigh and cry over the evil actions
We dont often think of anger as a Chris- we see (Ezekiel 9:4).
When we read about callous violence and
tian emotionand for the most part, thats
probably a good thing. Christians are to be injustice, its right to be angry. We need to
tread carefully however. Anger is a powerdefined by their relationship with God the
Father and Jesus Christ. They are measured ful and potentially very destructive emotion
that, in the wrong context, wrong frame
by the character of Jesus Himself. And He
perfectly modeled self-control, patience and of mind and wrong spirit, can wreck our
spiritual lives and cause us to hurt others.
mercy. But He was also capable of anger
when the situation called for it.
Is your anger righteous?
All four Gospels record Jesus anger at
Christianity is all about becoming more
the moneychangers in the temple for profaning Gods holy house. Maybe when you and more like God as Jesus modeled His
righteous character for us to follow. Its
think about our Savior shouting, flipping
important that we keep close tabs on our
over tables and using a makeshift whip to
thoughts and actions to make sure that
drive animals out of the temple it makes
were following His lead and not the pulls
you uncomfortable. Maybe you have a difficult time reconciling this very real image of the flesh and allowing human nature to
of Jesus with other very real images of Jesus dictate our responses. Thats why we need to
constantly examine ourselves to make sure
defending the weak, healing the sick and
were staying on the straight and narrow.
taking up the cause of the poor.
If we honestly and humbly read the Bible, How do we know if were right or wrong in
though, well see that this instance of Jesus being angry at something?
Many scriptures show us theres a vast
life is 100 percent, entirely consistent with
gulf separating righteous and unrighteous
His righteous character as its displayed
throughout the Bible. The author of Hebrews anger. In the very beginning of mankinds
history, Cains anger drove him to murder
gives us an essential truth about Jesus: He
his own brother (Genesis 4:8). Unfettered
is the same yesterday, today and forever
(Hebrews 13:8). That means the same godly angeror misdirected angercan lead us
character that produced anger at the temple to great sin. God Himself tells us that it is
Americas abortion debate is a window on one of the countrys

deepest spiritual crises. When we see injustice, brutality and sin
on this scale, we rightly get angry at the evil. How can we ensure
were experiencing godly, righteous anger instead of destructive,
carnal anger? by Milan Bizic
hy should abortionand the

merchandising of the body parts
of murdered babiesfill us with
godly, righteous anger?
Every day I read at least some
news, so I spend my fair share of time feeling sad or shocked or simply perplexed at
the things seemingly regular people do to
other seemingly regular people. Thankfully,
information saturation hasnt numbed me to
human suffering, and I can still get shocked
and upset by what I see. I really wish there
was enough good news to offset the bad, and
I really wish I could walk away from a news
report feeling happy and hopeful for everyone whose stories I read and hear about. It
doesnt happen very often.
Every now and again I read a story that
goes beyond the everyday shock and awe
at the darker sides of human nature. You
probably had the same reaction when you
read about it or watched the videos that were
shared around. Im talking about the revelation that representatives of Planned Parenthood, the United States largest abortion
provider, were caught on video bartering
over body parts from aborted children.
Sure, I was shocked. I felt stunned and
sad. But I felt another emotion as well
something deeper and rawer than sadness
or shock. I was angry.
Was it right for me to be angry? Should
you be angry about abortion? Is it possible
to be angry in a godly way? Ill come back
24
The Good News
good to be angry as long as we dont sin

through misdirected, unrestrained anger
(Ephesians 4:26).
So what is godly anger? One condition of
righteous anger is that it should be directed
toward sin. Just as Jesus was furious at the
profaning of His Fathers house, we should
hate sin and the negative consequences it
brings on peopleespecially the innocent
or helpless.
Proverbs 6 lists seven things that God
actively hates. The common denominator
is sin and its effects on people: These six
things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an
abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying
tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a
heart that devises wicked plans, feet that
anger, we need to follow His lead, being

slow to wrath (James 1:19). In fact, this
quality of God is one of the fruits of His
Holy Spirit that develops in us as we grow
close to God and He begins producing His
character within us. Paul wrote that the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control (Galatians 5:22-23, emphasis
added). Notice here self-controlanother
essential trait of those who dont sin in anger.
A third factor in godly, righteous anger
is that its about justice, not revenge. Do we
get angry at people and hope for the time
when they get theirs? If Im being honest,
I have to admit that sometimes my anger
over horrific events like the mass slaughter
Godly, righteous anger is about justice, not revenge.

are swift in running to evil, a false witness
who speaks lies, and one who sows discord
among brethren (verses 16-19).
A second aspect of godly anger is that it
isnt quickly or easily kindled. Gods anger
at sin isnt explosive. Hes not a walking
time bomb like some people are.
No one likes to be around other people
who have a reputation for their quick tempers. Sometimes people with explosive anger
can be very dangerous. God Himself testifies
to His slow temper: The Lord, the Lord
God, compassionate and gracious, slow to
anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and
truth (Exodus 34:6).
If we want to cultivate only righteous
of infants gets me going down this path.

But that human desire for punishment
isnt even remotely related to Gods promise of true justice for the innocent and the
guilty. Paul tells us that we should give
place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance
is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord
(Romans 12:19). Wait for Gods time of
judgment and justice.
God will ultimately deal with evildoers.
And it helps to always keep in mind what
God is well aware ofthat people are misled in their thinking and actions by a powerful malevolent spiritSatan the devil (see 1
John 5:19 and An Evil Spirit World: Where
Did It Come From? beginning on page 8).
For Those Who Have

Dealt With Abortion
Anger, desperation and heartbrokenness
shouldnt frustrate hope. If youve been negatively affected by abortion in any way, help is
available, first from God. Take your cares and
your sorrows to Him and ask for healing. He is
there to help (1 Peter 5:7).
Also please seek professional counseling
from a reputable Christian counselor. Such
counselors are trained and passionate about
helping you through your trials.
Finally, seek out a trusted pastor who can
give you good spiritual counsel and help guide
you to godly action. Pastors of the United
Church of God, which sponsors this magazine, can help you seek peace and repentance. Please write to [email protected] and ask
for help.
Why be angry about abortion?

Back to the Planned Parenthood controversy: Why should
abortionand the merchandising of the body parts of
murdered babiesfill us with
godly, righteous anger?
Consider that our society
our cultureis murdering,
wholesale, the most precious
and helpless among us. Psalm
127 tells us that children are a
gift from God. They are precious to Him and should be to
us. Theyre not a burden, not
a negative consequence, and
certainly not a parasite in the
womb as some characterize the
unborn.
To say that we can choose
to, at any point in a ninemonth window of time, kill the
next generation of the human
familyall potential members of the divine

family of Godis a great evil and a curse.
We should be furious at the very notion.
Lets be honest: Almost all abortions, by
some estimates more than 99 percent, are
performed for the reason of convenience.
The baby was conceived at an inconvenient time for the parents. No one has yet
explained why a child can be given the death
penalty because of the circumstances of their
conception.
A fairly conservative estimatebased on
numbers collected by the Centers for Disease
Control and Preventionputs the number
of legal abortions performed in the United
States since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973 at approximately 51
million. Thats 51 million lives cut short, 51
million untold stories, immeasurable potential thrown away and sacrificed to the false
god of convenience and personal choice.
Does that make you angry? It should.
Godly anger should lead to repentance
It should make you angry because, as
Ezekiel warned Israel, sin twists peoples
lives (Ezekiel 7:13, New Living Translation). The sin of murder through abortion
twists the lives of those affected. And on
a bigger scale, the widespread acceptance
and support of abortion and organizations
like Planned Parenthood twists the moral
fiber of a people. If Americas national conscience can tolerate the dismembering of
a child and the merchandising of its body
parts, what cant it tolerate?
Theres one last element to godly, righteous anger, and its the most important
element. The anger that comes from God
should convict us to change and become
more like Him. It should motivate us to fix
our problems and turn toward the mercy and
love God desperately wants to extend to us.
God doesnt want people to suffer the
bad consequences that sin produces, and
He doesnt want any nation to suffer these
consequences either. God is patient and not
willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8).
Its not too late for those whose lives have
been twisted by the sin of abortion to repent
and live by Gods high standard of respect
for the sanctity of life. And, while it would
require a great miracle, its also not too
late for America and other countries where
abortion is legal to experience a nationwide
repentance and to turn away from this sin.
God is waiting with arms wide open to
accept those who turn away from sin to seek
Him. Will America respond? Will you? GN
25
n the wake of the announcement of the

nuclear deal with Iran, in which the
Shiite Islamic state is allowed to continue its nuclear program, the Iranian
regime was exultant. At a military ceremony on Aug. 30, 2015, the Iranian defense
minister boasted:
Today, Iran has attained such status
that the superpowers have surrendered to
it, because of its majesty, its steadfastness,
its resistance, and its unity. Despite their
great pride, the regime of the arrogance [the
West, led by the United States] sat humbly
behind the negotiating table and obeyed
the rights of the Iranian nation (quoted in
Iranian Regime Celebrates Its Victory in
the Nuclear Agreement, Middle East Media
Research Institute [MEMRI], Sept. 4, 2015).
Furthermore, a top Iranian general told
troops preparing for a massive military drill
. . . that the U.S. and the Zionists should
know that the Islamic Revolution will continue enhancing its preparedness until it
overthrows Israel and liberates Palestine
(quoted by Paul Alster, Iran Thumbs Nose
at US Even as Obama Rallies Support for
Nuke Deal, Fox News, Sept. 3, 2015).
Meanwhile, former U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney warned in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece that the Obama agreement
will lead to a nuclear armed Iran, a nucleararms race in the Middle East and, more
than likely, the first use of a nuclear weapon
since Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Restoring
American Exceptionalism, Aug. 28, 2015).
Its certainly horrific to imagine Iran or
26
The Good News
munication and no ability to provide food

and water to 300 million Americans.
This is what is referred to as an EMP
attack, and such an attack would effectively
throw America back technologically into the
early 19th century . . .
Common sense would suggest that,
some other power or group using atomic
absent food and water, the number of people
weapons on the tiny Jewish state of Israel or
who could die of deprivation and as a result
on America on the other side of the world. But of social breakdown might run well into
it might end up far worse than we imagine.
the millions. Let us be clear. A successful EMP attack on the U.S. would have a
Worse than nuking a city?
dramatic effect on the country, to say the
A commentary in The Wall Street Journal least. Even one that only affected part of
the country would cripple the economy for
several years ago by Brian Kennedy, at the
time a member of the Independent Working years (What a Single Nuclear Warhead
Could Do, Nov. 24, 2008, emphasis added
Group on Missile Defense, stated: Think
throughout).
about this scenario: An ordinary-looking
freighter ship heading toward New York
Effects of an EMP weapon detonation
or Los Angeles launches a missile from its
hull or from a canister lowered into the sea.
The effects of an EMP detonation depend
It hits a densely populated area. A million
on several factors. One is altitude. The
people are incinerated. The ship is then
Heritage Foundation, which has long tried
sunk. No one claims responsibility. There
to draw peoples attention to the seriousness
is no firm evidence as to who sponsored the of the danger, estimates that a single EMP
attack, and thus no one against whom to
detonation at an altitude of 300 miles over
launch a counterstrike.
Kansas would affect virtually the entire
But as terrible as that scenario sounds,
continental United States.
there is one that is worse. Let us say the
At a height of 120 miles, an EMP burst
freighter ship launches a nuclear-armed
would affect most of the continental United
Shahab-3 missile off the coast of the U.S.
States except for the coastal states. At a
and the missile explodes 300 miles over
30-mile altitude, it would devastate eight to
Chicago. The nuclear detonation in space
10 states (see the graphic at right).
creates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
Other key factors are how powerful the
Gamma rays from the explosion . . .
weapon is and distance. The more powerful
generate three classes of disruptive electrothe weapon, the greater the electromagnetic
magnetic pulses, which permanently destroy surge and thus the greater the damage.
consumer electronics, the electronics in
And the closer the detonation to electrical
some automobiles and, most importantly,
devices, the greater the power of the electrothe hundreds of large transformers that dis- magnetic pulse.
tribute power throughout the U.S. . . . Lights,
Missile-defense experts warn that a relarefrigerators, water-pumping stations, TVs
tively cheap way to inflict terminal damage on
and radios stop running. We have no coma nation as large the United States would be
Map by Shaun Venish
In the wake of the Iran nuclear deal, the question looms about
what Iran might do once it acquires nuclear weapons. Some are
sounding the alarm about a dangerous scenario that could fatally
wound a nation in an instant. by Tom Robinson
to detonate three or four medium-yield EMP

weapons evenly spaced at a suitable altitude
above the countrya capability likely within
reach of Iran and other players like North
Korea within a relatively short time.
Experts warn of the likelihood that many
electrical devices within line of sight of the
detonation of an EMP weapon, unless specifically shielded, would be rendered immediately inoperable. This includes electrical
components of motor vehicles, trains, aircraft, ships, computers, TVs, radios, phones,
appliances, lights, pumps, generators, medical equipment, power tools and the like.
While many devices could be left undamaged, the cumulative impact of many inter-
translated by the Defense Intelligence

Agencys National Intelligence University
. . . , ironically titled Passive Defense
(2010), describes nuclear EMP effects in
detail. It advocates in more than 20 passages an EMP attack to defeat decisively
an adversary.
The official Iranian military textbook
advocates a revolutionary new way of
warfare that combines coordinated attacks
by nuclear and non-nuclear EMP weapons, physical and cyber-attacks against
electric grids to black out and collapse
entire nations . . . Because EMP destroys
electronics directly, but people indirectly,
it is regarded by some as Shariah [Islamic
law]-compliant use of
nuclear weapon [for
AREA OF NORTH AMERICA THAT WOULD amass
killing].
BE AFFECTED BY AN EMP DETONATION
Passive Defense
and other Iranian mili(DEPENDING ON BURST ALTITUDE)
tary writings are well
aware that nuclear
EMP attack is the
most efficient way of
killing people, through
secondary effects,
over the long run. The
rationale appears to be
that people starve to
death, not because of
EMP, but because they
live in materialistic
societies dependent
A single EMP detonation at an altitude of 300 miles would

affect virtually the entire continental United States.
dependent devices failing over huge regions
would be catastrophic. The result would be
unimaginable chaos and vast loss of life.
upon modern technology (A ShariahApproved Nuclear Attack, Aug. 19, 2015,

emphasis added throughout).
For example, Woolsey quotes a 1998
Irans intention to stage an EMP attack
Iranian article on EMP attack that stated:
If the worlds industrial countries fail to
Former CIA director James Woolsey and
devise effective ways to defend themselves
Peter Vincent Pry, who served on the Congressional EMP Commission, have been out- against dangerous electronic assaults, then
spoken about the EMP threat. Woolsey relates they will disintegrate within a few years . . .
in a Washington Times article: The Congres- American soldiers would not be able to find
sional EMP Commission estimated a nation- food to eat nor would they be able to fire a
single shot.
wide blackout lasting one year could kill
Obviously, as Woolsey points out, The
anywhere from two of every three Americans
by a low estimate up to nine of 10 Americans Iranians have done more than just think
about EMP attack.
by starvation and social disruption. This is
In fact, the Congressional EMP Comastoundingly serious and sobering!
mission found that Iran has practiced
Woolsey goes on to say that Death to
launching missiles and fusing warheads
America is more than merely an Iranian
for high-altitude EMP attack, including off
chantTehrans military is planning to be
a freighter. Iran has apparently practiced
able to make a nuclear EMP attack . . .
surprise EMP attacks, orbiting satellites on
An Iranian military textbook, recently
south polar trajectories to evade U.S. radars

and missile defenses, at altitudes consistent
with generating an EMP field covering all
48 contiguous United States. Iran launched
its fourth satellite on such a trajectory as
recently as February 2015. A single nuclear
weapon would complete the list of requirements (ibid.).
Dr. Pry warned in an op-ed at Israel
National News earlier this year: For the
first time in history, a failed state like Iran
could destroy the most successful societies on Earth . . . An Iran with nuclear missiles can topple the existing world order
. . . without firing a shot . . .
The mere capability to make an EMP
attack, the mere threat that a rogue state
like Iran can inflict Assured Destruction on the United States using a single
warhead, cancels the credibility of U.S.
security guarantees . . . Iran with nuclear
missiles is a world crisis comparable to
the Islamic conquests against Christendom during the Dark Ages, the rise of
Nazi Germany, or the Soviet threat during
the Cold War.
In the Iran nuclear agreement, the
subject of Irans program to develop
intercontinental ballistic missiles wasnt
even addressed. Iran already has missiles
capable of striking any nearby enemy in
the Middle East or as far as southeastern
Europe. An obvious question is why they
feel a need to develop missiles which can
carry warheads to other continents
unless the intended target is the United
States, which they repeatedly characterize
as the great Satan?
Iran, North Korea and the merchants of death
Yet the problem is not just Iran. More
Middle Eastern states now want to
develop nuclear weapons as a counterweight to Iranand some of these states
could fall to Islamic extremists and terror
groups. And Muslim Pakistan, with its
own arsenal of dozens of nuclear warheads, is a tempting takeover target for
Islamic fundamentalists both within the
country and in neighboring Afghanistan.
Dr. Pry and Woolsey pointed out in a
Wall Street Journal piece last year: In
2004, the EMP Commission met with
senior Russian military personnel who
warned that Russian scientists had been
recruited by North Korea to help develop
its nuclear arsenal as well as EMP-attack
capabilities. In December 2012, the North
Koreans successfully orbited a satellite,
the KSM-3, compatible with the size and
27
The Iran Nuclear Deal: Spiritual Blindness at Work?
s more and more details

of the Iran nuclear
negotiations unfolded
over recent months, the
questions grew more and
more puzzling. Why were
the worlds leading powers so eager to
cut a deal with an Iranian regime that:
Has been the worlds foremost
sponsor of terrorism,
Repeatedly threatens to eliminate
Israel,
Routinely refers to the United
States as the great Satan (and supports mass rallies where people chant
Death to America!), and
Has leaders who believe they are
divinely destined to initiate a period of
worldwide upheaval that will lead to
their version of fundamentalist Islam
attaining dominance over the entire
world.
The Western powers surrender
to Iranian negotiating demands were
equally puzzling. Why did major Western leaders so eagerly line up behind
the United States to sign off on an
agreement that:
Provides a dictatorial regime
a windfall of more than $100 billion (frozen when Iran took over the
U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 and
imprisoned all embassy personnel for
444 days),
Relieves economic sanctions
(imposed by the UN Security Council
due to Irans refusal to suspend its
nuclear programs),
Bans American and other Western
personnel from inspections of Iranian
sites (and allows Iran to do its own
inspections of sites where its suspected
of carrying out banned activities!),
Allows Iran to purchase advanced
military weaponry in a few years,
Includes secret side deals hidden
from the U.S. Congress, and

Paves Irans way to producing
(and helps finance) nuclear weapons
regardless of whether Iran abides by
the terms of the agreement or chooses
to cheat.
Why agree to such a

one-sided deal?
Why did Western leaders not insist
that Iran make concessions of its own,
such as halting its support of violent
terror groups, freezing or dismantling
its ballistic missile programs, ending
its threatening behavior toward its
neighbors, or truly offering anytime,
anywhere inspections of its nuclear
facilitiesespecially if they really are
entirely for peaceful purposes as Iran
claims?
In light of such facts, why would
anyone support such an agreement
with a foreign power with such a track
record?
Some reasons are evident. The
European participants in the agreement appear to be motivated mostly
by economic greed. They see lifting of
sanctions on Iran as a way for European companies to enter a potentially
lucrative business market, and they
gain access to Iranian oil.
Russia, long familiar with the
Middle Eastern adage the enemy
of my enemy is my friend, sees an
opportunity to strengthen an enemy
of the United States as an opportunity
not to be missed, and it sees a huge
market for advanced Russian military
hardware.
Some believe U.S. President Barack
Obama is motivated primarily by a
desire to add a notable foreign policy
landmark to his presidential legacy,
and possibly another Nobel Peace Prize
to cap his career.
weight of a small nuclear warhead. The

trajectory of the KSM-3 had the characteristics for delivery of a surprise nuclear
EMP attack against the U.S. (The
Growing Threat From an EMP Attack,
Aug. 12, 2014).
Dr. Pry sternly points the finger in his
Israel National News piece at the larger
powers bearing responsibility: World
chaos from nuclear missile-armed Iran and
28
The Good News
In any case, what is really at the

heart of the matter? The Bible reveals
deeper issuesspiritual issues that lie
beyond normal human perception.
Gods Word reveals a spiritual
dimension to international affairs
where unseen spirit beings are at work
behind the scenes shaping the world in
profound ways (see Kingdoms at War
beginning on page 4 and What Are the
Origins of the Evil Spirit World? beginning on page 8).
When we see things on the international stage that make no sense on the
physical levelsuch as an international agreement like this that defies all
logic and common senseit is virtually
guaranteed that something profound is
taking place on the unseen spiritual
level, a spiritual dimension revealed in
the Bible where spirit beings and forces
shape the world to their own ends.
On the physical level, it makes no
sense to provide the worlds greatest
sponsor of terrorism billions of dollars
and a clear path to nuclear weapons
yet that is exactly what world leaders
have done! Spiritual forces are at work.
Albert Einstein once defined insanity
as doing the same thing over and over
again while expecting a different result.
World history has repeatedly shown
that appeasing dangerous tyrants
think Adolf Hitlerleads to only greater
demands and ultimate disaster.
Spiritual blindness
and drunkenness
Another factor ties in closely with
this. Its an additional spiritual component that the Bible calls drunkenness.
The biblical prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah
and Ezekiel all used the same term to
describe the irrational decision-making
of leaders and people who have forsaken and rejected God. They lose their
its partner North Korea is enabled deliberately by their silent partnersRussia and
China. In order to survive, the West must
wake-up to the reality that Iran, North
Korea, China and Russia are all rogue
states tacitly allied against the West, working together to topple the existing world
order . . .
Russia and China have deliberately proliferated missile and nuclear technology to
ability to think rationally and reason

properly because they have turned their
backs on the source of true wisdom.
Notice one such passage in Isaiah
describing this spiritual blindness: Go
ahead and be blind. You are stupid, but
not from wine! You stagger, but not
from liquor! For the Lord has poured
out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He
has closed the eyes of your prophets
and visionaries . . .
And so the Lord says, . . . Because
of this, I will once again astound these
hypocrites with amazing wonders. The
wisdom of the wise will pass away, and
the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear. What sorrow awaits those who
try to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their evil deeds in the dark!
The Lord cant see us, they say. He
doesnt know whats going on! How
foolish can you be? (Isaiah 29:9-16,
New Living Translation, 2013).
Why are people who certainly should
know betterespecially prominent
leaderscaught up in such selfdestructive blindness? The answer
is simple. God says its because they
have removed their hearts far from
Me (verse 13).
A deeper spiritual issue is at work
in the Iran treaty. Western leaders
have been hell-bent on securing this
deal, largely at the behest of President
Obama. In the words of the biblical
prophets, it is as though they have all
become drunk and cannot discern
the reality of the threat and the dangerous times we live in. Our world will
grow only more dangerous as leaders
and people become ever more spiritually blind and intoxicated due to sin.
May you have the wisdom and courage to heed your Creator and turn to
Him before its too late!
Scott Ashley
Iran and North Korea to raise proxy nuclear

missile threats against the U.S. and its allies
on the theory that the enemy of my enemy
is my friend and to promote world chaos.
The real merchants of death live in Moscow
and Beijing.
He goes on to quote Gen. Douglas MacArthur: The history of the failure of war
can almost be summed up in two words:
too late. Too late in comprehending the
deadly purposes of a potential enemy.

Too late in realizing the mortal danger.
Too late in preparedness. Too late in
uniting all possible forces for resistance.
Too late in standing with ones friends.
Pry then reiterates: The West must
understand that Russia and China are
not our friends and do not share our
vision for a stable, peaceful world
order. They are enabling the Iranian
and North Korean nuclear missile
programs to foster world chaos and, if
necessary, our extinction.
And amazingly, unthinkably, the
United States government and other
Western allies are enabling this as well.
indication for the last days appears to be

that one third of the Israelites will die of
disease and famine. Another third will
fall by the sword or military attack, and
another third will be scattered in fleeing
the sword of invasion (Ezekiel 5:12).
Famine from lack of food and nonfunctioning distribution and transportation systems along with diseases accompanying malnutrition and unsanitary conditions would be one major result of an
EMP attack. The scattering and captivity
of survivors that other passages mention
could be a result of outside forces taking
advantage of a devastated nation.
Third, while the massive destruction
the Bible portrays would appear to be the
What Scripture reveals
result of nuclear weapons (such as a third
of mankind being killed as described in
We would do well to keep in mind
some important details from Bible proph- Revelation 9:15), there is still an indication of working electronic communication
ecy when considering the dire threat of
the world over just before Christ returns.
an electromagnetic pulse attack.
We find this in Revelation 11, where
First, the Bible does reveal that America and other modern nations of Israelite Gods end-time two witnesses are killed
in martyrdom. Verse 9 says: And for
descent will see massive devastation in
three and a half days, all peoples, tribes,
the end time (see our free booklet The
United States and Britain in Bible Proph- languages, and nations will stare at their
ecy to understand this heritage). In Eze- bodies (New Living Translation). This
was not possible before the advent of
kiel 6:6 God tells the Israelites that in
all your dwelling places the cities shall be modern electronic communications. Yet
this verse shows that some such commulaid waste.
nications will be functioning at the very
When Ezekiel wrote this prophecy,
end immediately before Jesus Christs
the kingdom of Israel had already been
return. This would seem to mean that any
defeated by the Assyrian Empire and
EMP warfare in the last days will be limtaken into exile well over a century earited and not shut down whole continents.
lier, so this prophecy never applied to
ancient Israel. It refers to their end-time
What does it mean for you?
descendants, who will be punished for
Of course the biggest details of prophtheir grave national sins and rebellion
ecy to keep in mind are that the devastaagainst their Creator.
Second, it is evident that the death toll tion it records is not the end of the story.
While end-time events will be truly
for all of this devastation will not be as
horrifying, a wonderful world will folhigh as the 90 percent some predict for
a worst-case scenario EMP attack. But it low Jesus Christs return to establish the
could be in line with lower estimates. The Kingdom of God over all nations.
No longer will one nation threaten
another, nor nations spend billions of dollars on such horrifying weapons. HumanWhat does Bible prophecy reity will finally learn the way to peace, not
veal about the United States,
Britain, Canada, Australia and
endless war.
other leading English-speakAs for you, we hope youll take very
ing nations at the time of the
seriously the sobering developments
end? Where are todays troubling trends taking the world?
we see in the headlines daily. We live
You need to understand! Download or request
in increasingly dangerous times, just as
your free copy of The United States and Britain in
foretold by Jesus Christ and the biblical
Bible Prophecy today!
prophets. But the good news is that you
can escape or endure the terrible times
ahead and be part of Gods Kingdom
foreverif you are willing to trust in and
submit to God now! GN
Prudent Disaster
Preparedness
xperts warn about the possibility of an electromagnetic pulse attack that could knock out electricity
over vast regions. The grid also could be brought
down for a while by natural disasters such as floods,
fires, severe storms or by other forms of human attacks.
Regardless of the potential effects of unexpected catastrophes, it is wise to be prepared for emergencies.
As Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12 state: A prudent person
foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton
goes blindly on and suffers the consequences (New
Living Translation). We are also to be doing what we
can to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8). So its
important that we give due attention to preparation.
In a Sept. 3, 2015 article titled Survival in the Age of
EMP, Norman Rogers at the American Thinker writes:
The consequences of grid and computer failure could
be horrible, especially because we are totally unprepared
. . . Without electricity for months or years, civilization
collapses. The food chain cannot operate without electricity to power the factories. Transportation, assuming
cars and trucks still run, cannot operate without fuel.
Without refineries and pipelines operating, there will be
no fuel. If it is winter, people will be burning their furniture
for heat. People dependent on drugs to stay alive will die
because the factories that make drugs will be idle.
This new war scenario gives another reason for
individuals to store food . . . Mormons have long been
encouraged to store a years supply of food. The California Earthquake Authority suggests having a 2-week
supply of food. The State of Florida suggests having a
3-day supply of food.
Grocery stores dont store large quantities of food
and are often cleaned out in hours when a hurricane
threatens. The long food chain has to operate to process
and distribute food. That food chain depends on equipment, transportation, the financial system, electricity,
etc. When there is an earthquake or hurricane, massive help is quickly mobilized from outside the affected
area, so food storage needs are small. [This might not
be so easy if an EMP-affected area is huge, as it likely
would be.] . . .
How many people or organizations have thought
about how one would buy (or sell) things when credit
card terminals, bank computers, and ATMs dont work?
. . . Since the government is not doing anything about
an EMP, it may be a good idea for individuals and organizations to make their own plans for emergency food
supplies.
Of course, this must be in balance with all of lifes
priorities. The Bible warns us that if we are just trying
to save our physical lives, we will not ultimately make
it through (Luke 17:33). We should prepare as we are
able for societal disruptions but not go to extremes.
The Bible encourages us to seek first Gods Kingdom
and righteousness and He will take care of our daily
needs (Matthew 6:33)but a part of righteousness is
prudent preparation.
29
TM

and Prophecy
Persecution for Sabbath-keeping
But all wasnt fine and peaceful for these
believers. The Transylvanian Sabbath-keepers had limited protection from the Muslimruled Ottoman Empire to the east. But the
supposedly Christian church authorities
persecuted them for their biblical beliefs. In
translated for the first time into your own
1595, sabbatarianism was outlawed by the
language. You start reading the Bible and
political and religiousestablishment.
realize that much of what youve been
Once their Sabbath-keeping became well
taught doesnt match up with what God
known, Eossi and his followers came under
says. What do youdo?
What about those Christians in Transyl- intense persecution. They faced the confiscation of their property and real estate, their
vania that I mentioned before? What did
writings were collected and burned, and
theydo?
in many cases they were put in prison and
In their search for truth they discovered
beaten for their determination to keep the
one of Christianitys darkest secrets: SunSabbath holy. The persecution from both
day worship (on the first day of the week)
is a man-madenot God-madetradition, Catholic and Protestant authorities would
and the seventh-day Sabbath was observed only worsen overtime.
When the persecution came for the rest
by Jesus and His apostles. Whats more,
of the Sabbatarian community in the midit meant that they, too, needed to keep
1600s it came quickly and somewhat unextheSabbath.
pectedly. Even though Sabbath-keepers were
In large part their story is defined by
often threatened with punishment if they
their leader, a man named Andreas Eossi.
He was a nobleman, rich in real estate, who did not publicly renounce their Sabbathkeeping, it was rare for the authorities to
owned three whole villages, along with
other, smaller estates. In many ways he was follow through on their threats. When the
a sad man with a very sad life. His wife and religious establishment finally did move on
all three of his sons died prematurely, leav- the Sabbatarians, they dealt quickly and
ing him wealthy but lonely. On top of that, harshly withthem.
In almost every case the Sabbath-keepers
Eossis own health was poor. He couldnt
property and possessions were confiscated,
evenwalk.
leaving them homeless anddestitute. The
To fill his time and to heal his mind,
Eossi read the Bible. His studies led him to once large and booming Sabbatarian coma deep conviction that the church establish- munities of Eastern Europe all but disappeared after the widespread persecution.
ment was wrong to have changed the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the Sabbath-keepers were forced into obscurity,
week, toSunday, the first day of the week. hiding among pockets of other minority
Soon Eossi led a flourishing and growing Christians, keeping the Sabbath in secret,
group of Sabbath-keepers in Transylvania. always fearing they would be foundout.
Times have changed. Most people are
At the peak of the movement thousands
not hounded and persecuted for keeping the
of Sabbatarian Christians were living and
Sabbath today. When I began to learn about
teaching in the forests and mountains of
the Sabbath and to keep it, it did create a
EasternEurope.
Learn the inspiring story of a group of people who foundjust by

reading the Biblethat they must keep the seventh-daySabbath.
by Beyond Today host Darris McNeely
magine yourself opening a Bible for the

very first time. You begin to read. And
as you do, you read where God says,
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep
itholy (Exodus 20:8).
You also read where Christ and His disciples kept the Sabbath day, and you see that
it says Jesus is the Lord of theSabbath
(Mark 2:28).
What do you do? Do you follow Jesus,
the Lord of theSabbath?
This is exactly what some people have
done when faced with the clear teaching of
Scripture. Its what followers of Christ will
be doing when He returns.
In her book The Sabbath World: Glimpses
of a Different Order of Time, author Judith
Shulevitz makes an interesting observation:
Whenever people begin reading the Book
[the Bible], they start keeping the Sabbath.
And when they keep the Sabbath they read
theBook (2010, p. 2).
Thats exactly what happened to a group
of believers in Transylvania in the 15001600s. Faced with what the Bible itself says
about the Sabbath day, they realized they
had no choice but to obey God by keeping
the Sabbath as Hecommanded.
The Bible on the hinge of history
Life in medieval Europe was nothing
like life in todays world. Imagine that
your life is completely and totally ruled by
other people. Kings, princes, governors and
priests dictate where you live, what you do
for a living and what youbelieve.
Now into the darkness of your life comes
a bright, burning lightthe Holy Bible,
30
The Good News
Visit us at www.BeyondToday.tv
The medieval Sabbath-keepers in Transylvania realized

that the Sabbath is a biblical key to unlocking the
mystery of the coming Kingdom of God on earth with
Jesus Christ as Lord.
Thinkstock
major change in my life and relationships.

But I experienced nothing like these people
in EasternEurope.
The story of these men and women
who kept the Saturday Sabbath in history is fascinating. It was a time of
religiousawakening.
The Sabbath is a window into hope
What these people saw through the
Beyond Today
Television Log
For the most current airing times, or to
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BROADCAST TV
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View on cable at the following times:
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Sun 11 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. CT, 9 a.m. MT, 8 a.m. PT
The Word Network is available in over 200 countries
reaching viewers in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and
Sabbath truth was a glimpse into the longprophesied Kingdom of God. Their own
writings reveal this insight. As they read
Jesus teachings on the Sabbath, they saw
the Kingdom of God. They saw the Sabbath as a sign between the Creator and His
chosen people. They believed that as they
kept the Sabbath, they entered a covenant
relationship with the same God who delivered the children of Israel from bondage
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New Ulm

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ch. 18, 97-3 Wed 7:30 a.m.

ch. 69, Sun 5 p.m.
in Egypt and made them anation.

This leads us back to an earlier thought.
As people read their Bible they discovered the truth of the seventh-day Sabbath.
People were reading the Bible to gain an
understanding about God and His purpose
for their human life. They were looking for
meaning amid their poor, bleak existence.
In a dark world, the Bible was a dawning
light breaking on a confused and deceived
European culture. Some few, and these
people in Eastern Europe were among
them, came to see the teaching of the Sabbath and embraced its teaching as part
of their life. The Sabbath began to define
their relationship with God and their entire
lifeswork.
They saw that by keeping the commandments on which God made a covenant with
Israel, they themselves entered a spiritual
covenant with God. This New Covenant
was a better covenant with better promises.
It was a covenant based on grace through
Jesus Christ, the same God who made the
first covenant, and who came to earth and
died for our sins, who was resurrected and
lives today as the King of Kings and Lord
ofLords.
As they kept the Sabbath, they gained
understanding and hope of the coming
Kingdom of God. They saw that the rest
that exists for the people of God through
the Sabbath was a critical key to understanding the fullness of the coming Kingdom
of God.
AUSTRALIA
Oregon
Gresham/East Portland ch. 22/23, Sun 7:30 p.m.

Milwaukie
ch. 23, Sun 6 a.m.; Mon 11:30 p.m.,

Wed 4:30 p.m.; Thu 7 a.m.; Fri

5:30 a.m.; Sat 8:30 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.
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ch. 96, Mon 2 p.m.; Tue 7 p.m.;
Wed 2 p.m.
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Sun 8:30 a.m. ch. 263 and open ch. 32, 67
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31
f you like The Good News magazine,

youll love The Good News website at
www.GNmagazine.org.
Youll find past issues of The Good News,

each packed with articles about world
trends and events, family and social issues,
prophecy in the news and The Good News
in-depth perspective of the Bible.
Theres much more too. Explore our large
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We hope youll visit us today to discover
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32
The Good News
They realized that the Sabbath is a biblical key to unlocking the mystery of the
coming Kingdom of God on earth with
Jesus Christ as Lord. You really cannot understand this truth without proper
knowledge and understanding of the
Sabbathday.
Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. He kept
the Sabbath, and He taught us how to keep
it today. He taught us how to enjoy a fuller
life by observing the Sabbath. Far from
doing away with the Sabbath, Jesus showed
us how to live in the world of the Sabbath
and improve the quality of our lives.
When we properly observe this day to
God, we make a spiritual connection that is
real, honest and true. Its the foundation of
the only meaningful relationship that can
endure and see one through the challenges
and trials, highs and lows, triumphs and
tragedies of this mortallife.
When Christ said, I am the way, the
truth and the life (John 14:6), He was
showing the way forward through this
uncertainlife.
of Isaiah God says: If you keep your feet

from breaking the Sabbath and from
doing as you please on my holy day, if you
call the Sabbath a delight and the Lords
holy day honorable, and if you honor it by
not going your own way and not doing as
you please or speaking idle words, then
you will find your joy in the Lord, and
I will cause you to ride in triumph on the
heights (Isaiah 58:13-14, New International Version).
Live by the way of Gods Kingdom today

Gods Kingdom is coming to the earth,
and Christ will rule over all. In the book of
Daniel we find a remarkable prophecy that
tells us when this will occur. The Kingdom
the Messiah will set up will not be left to
other people (Daniel 2:44). Who are those
who receive the Kingdom of God? The
book of Revelation says its those keeping
the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17).
Will you be amongthem?
You will find the same truth that people
for centuries have found. You will find the
The Sabbath is a window into spiritual
Sabbath is a key feature of the Word of
rejuvenation
God. And you will find the same choice
To enter the world of the Sabbath is
they foundto keep the book open, and to
to enter a dimension where God dwells.
keep reading. We hope you will make the
Keeping the Sabbath by worshipping and
change and begin to walk with God on His
fellowshipping with others of like mind is
HolySabbath.
like being with God and Christ in spiritual
You must observe My Sabbaths. This
fellowship. Its a solution to the restlessness will be a sign between Me and you for
of our modern lifestyle.
generations to come (Exodus 31:13).
All of us understand the stresses and
The Sabbath is a key to the Kingdom of
strains of this life. But not everyone under- God. The New Testament book of Hebrews
stands a vital key to getting in sync with
says, There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest
God for the help to cope and manage the
for the people ofGod (Hebrews 4:9, NIV).
extreme stresses of todays culture. KeepJesus and His followers kept the Sabbath,
ing Gods Sabbath is a missing element in
and His followers still do today. God comsuccessful living. To enter the world of the mands us to pause and reflect on His way of
Sabbath is to enter the world ofGod.
life. Take a break from the fast-paced action
There is another point that all Sabbath
of this world. Experience a rejuvenation of
keepers, past and present, learn as they read the mind and grow closer to Him! GN
the Bible. They come to understand that
there is continuity between the Old and the
New Testament. They understand how the
two tell a complete story of Gods grace
Gods Word reveals a great
and offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.
deal more about Gods day of
They understand how to put the Bible
rest and worship, the weekly
together. They also understand prophecy
seventh-day Sabbath. Weve
prepared a free study aid, Sunand how key prophecies of the Old Testaset to Sunset: Gods Sabbath
ment and the New Testament are yet to be
Rest, to help you learn more.
fulfilled in thefuture.
Download or request your free copy today!
Here is the challenge: Prove God by
beginning to keep His Sabbath, the seventh
day. Step out in living faith and prove what
the Bible says about the Sabbath istrue!
In one remarkable statement in the book
In Everything, Give Thanks

Even at our worst moments, there is something to be thankful for.
by Amber Duran
Thinkstock
he last time my mother saw me I

wore a hand-me-down red Kentucky
t-shirt and blue running shorts.
This isnt my normal garb, but
these were the first items I found
after I got the call.
In the early hours of a Tuesday morning,
I was jolted awake by a phone call no one
ever wants to receive. After taking a turn
for the worse, my mother was asking for
usher kids.
We piled in our vehiclemy husband,
brother and sister-in-lawand walked the
bathed-in-blue hallways of the hospital to
my moms room.
She had her moments of recovery that
made me think she might make it through
this one. But it was only hours later that she
went into full organ failure.
personal experience with death. My mom

had been sick for a while, though. I had
time to think about her dying and how I
would handle it, but thankfulness was probably the last thing I thought I would feel.
But if you think about it, that may be the
most natural thing a Christian can feel.
Even in the most mournful moments
following my moms death, I knew, because
God has called me into knowing His merciful
plan, that I had so much to be thankful for.
As Christians, that hope we have in Gods
This kind of contentment, of course, can

only come from our Heavenly Father. Its
not a natural human response to appreciate
or love trials. When Gods Spirit lives in us,
though, its a different story.
Difficult times help us count our blessings
Often, as was the case with me, its in the

difficult times that you can truly see and
count your innumerable blessings and draw
closer to God.
You see, its when we are at our lowest
that our hearts are moldable.
When Paul talks about God calling the
weak of the world and not the high and
mighty, its for a reason (1 Corinthians
1:26). Even David said it was
when he was brought low that God
helped him and worked with him
(Psalm 116:6).
I find comfort in Gods plan of
salvation, knowing that my mom
and the entire world will know
more than the pains of this physiWhat to say in those final moments?
cal life. Theywewill all know
true peace when Gods way is the
In the mere minutes I had with her before
only way.
she died, I tried to warm her cold hands
No, my mom wont be
with mine. The machines keeping her alive
sitting with us this Thanksgivkept a steady toneBeep. Beep. Beep. Air
ing dinner or the many dinners to
was forced in and out of her lungs, somecome, when our table is filled with
thing she could no longer do on her own.
children she never got to meet.
She couldnt open her eyes, and the doctors
Shes no longer here.
told us she was totally unaware. But when we coming Kingdom is priceless and someBut instead of dwelling on the emptispoke, her heart monitor would spike.
thing we can never lose. It is what keeps us
ness I could feel or the great sense of loss,
She could hear us. But what do you say? grounded in unstable times.
I could feel the silence weighing on me.
When Scripture tells us to give thanks in I choose to thank God that Im alive, that
I needed to say something. Everyone talks everything, it doesnt just mean in pleasant Im healthy and, most importantly, that I
will see my mother again. In a moment, in
about last words and how important they
times (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Though that
are, but I didnt have anything profound to can be hard to wrap our minds around, its the twinkling of an eye, we will be changed
and reunited (1 Corinthians 15:52).
say. All that I could express was thanks.
a vital lesson in thanksgiving.
The last time my mother saw me, I wore
I thanked her for being my mother for 26
The Bible doesnt hide the fact that trials
a hand-me-down red Kentucky t-shirt and
years as I wept by her bedside.
happen to us all, but how we handle those
blue running shorts.
My brother was there, too, stroking her
trials shape who we are and, ultimately,
The next time we see each other, her
forehead and whispering in her ear, Its
determines our happiness.
pain and mine over losing her will be gone,
okay. You can relax now. Shh, just relax.
If we can be content and thankful when
In seconds, she let go, and the nurses
we experience pain or loss, then there wont and we will both be clothed in fine linen,
silenced the machines before telling us,
be a moment in life we cant handle. What- white and clean (Revelation 19:8). Theres
nothing I could be more thankful for than
Shes gone.
ever state we are in, we must learn to be
that. GN
It was my first very real, up-close-andcontent (Philippians 4:11).
33
Making Peace
Beyond the Impossible
and bring the runaway slave Onesimus and
the slave owner Philemon back together
again in a classic Humpty Dumpty mess.
Paul begins his letter in verse 1 by
reminding Philemon that Paul himself is
lacking freedom, since he is a prisoner of
o you remember the childhood
mans expression of loving concern towards Christ Jesus and not merely of Rome. This
is the beginning wake-up call to Philemon
rhyme Humpty Dumpty? The
another in encouraging him to pick up the
words went: Humpty Dumpty sat pieces and restore a broken relationship. Its to understand that nothing happens apart
from Gods willeven Pauls physical
on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had
the story of three men who are all Christians. But here lies the rubone was a pris- limitations.
a great fall. All the kings horses
Although he is a prisoner, Paul offers
and all the kings men couldnt put Humpty oner, one was a slave owner, and one was
blessings and gifts not from himself but
his runaway slave.
together again.
from God to the slave owner. He offers the
Its the story of the apostle Paul, a prisBut for some people these words are more
than a rhyme. For them it describes the real- oner in Rome, a slave owner named Phile- blessings of God framed in the two great
greetings of the ancient worldgrace
ity theyre dealing with at this very moment. mon, and a slave named Onesimus. Here
When it comes to human relationships,
we discover the practical application of the (charis in Greek), used by Hellenistic people, and peace (shalom in Hebrew), but
we may be a shattered Humpty Dumpty
wisdom expressed in Proverbs 25:11: A
here translated into Greek as eirene, which
or we may be all the kings men who
word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
feel helpless in putting relationships back
together again. Impossible! may be the
Paul wrote his letter to Philemon encouraging him to
word that sticks in your mind and digs the
hole deeper like a grave in your heart. Thus
accept his runaway slave Onesimus as a brotherand
we just stare at the cracks and fissures that
had Onesimus hand-deliver the letter to Philemon.
separate us from other people rather than
seeking hope in Gods answers.
Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers,
settings of silver. Here we find the spiritual speaks to reconciliation among men.
This is how Paul begins and will end his
for they shall be called the sons of God (Mat- reality in our human world that living in
thew 5:9). Peace isnt manufactured in the vac- Christ is the key to making peace beyond letter, framing his petition within the bookends of Gods gifts. He reminds Philemon
uum of wishful thinking. It has to be made the impossible.
that God has continued divine involvement
one word, one heart, one godly motive, one
How impossible was the situation conin a life that might have stormy moments and
fronting these three men? The Roman
person at a time. And it will cost someone
not merely calm waters, but that the answers
Empire in which they lived had approxithe peacemaker who puts his or her own
will be forthcoming to maintain an inner
skin in the game and heart on the line.
mately 250 million inhabitants. Its estimated that one fourth to half of the popula- peace no matter what may come our way.
But, you might be saying, its too
He goes on to share what Philemon and
late! No its not. You have merely resigned tion were slaves. Some worked in quarries
his family have graciously done by having
or in the galleys, some were household
yourself to failure too soon. The whole of
servants, and some were teachers and even the local church congregation meet in their
Scripture reveals otherwisethat mans
extremities are but the beginning of Gods government bureaucrats, but all were slaves. house (verse 2) and that their reputation is
Aristotle, the noted Greek philosopher, rea- one of love and faith . . . toward the Lord
opportunities to work in us and through us.
soned in his treatise Politics that a slave was Jesus and toward all the saints (verse 5,
So how do we learn to make peace
emphasis added throughout).
beyond the seemingly impossible? How do a piece of property and a tool for action
But Paul makes it plain that such good is
who belonged to others. This accepted culwe adhere to Jesus Christs encouraging
in Christ Jesus (verse 6). Theres sometural classification and driving economic
admonition of Follow Me?
thing at work here beyond mere human
force was kept intact by brutal force.
One mans petition to pick up the pieces
Its here in Pauls letter to Philemon that kindness. Now Paul is going to stretch Philemon far out of his comfort zone. Rememthe apostle must break those bonds of fear
We find Jesus pathway to peace in one
What can a letter to a slave owner about his runaway slave teach
us about healing broken relationships? The answer is that it can
teach us a great deal! by Robin Webber
34
The Good News
My sheep Hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27).
ber Pauls words about Philemons love and
faith . . . toward all the saints? Philemon is
about to find out how encompassing all
really is!
Providence Collection/licensed from GoodSalt.com
Moving bodies or heart

Its only in verses 8-10 that Paul makes
his appeal (not complaint) with gentle wisdom: Therefore, although in Christ I could
be bold and order you to do what you ought
to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of
love . . . for my son [figuratively speaking]
Onesimus, who became my son while I was
in chains (New International Version).
Paul recognized that he had to move
more than bodies on this onehe had to
move hearts!
He shares with Philemon an incredible
turnaround in Onesimus personal life.
Onesimus, whose name literally meant
profitable, only now is truly living up to

it and is mutually beneficial to both Paul
and his concerned masterso much so that
Paul is sending him back and tells Philemon to receive this man whom Paul now
calls my own heart (verses 11-12).
Paul is putting skin in the game
laying his own heart on the line. The apostle
mentions he would actually like to keep
Onesimus with him, but its Philemons
decision alone, and anything must be by his
consent, without compulsion and strictly
voluntary (verse 14).
Paul then adds words that bring to mind
Romans 8:28, which states, All things
work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose. He proposes to Philemon:
Perhaps the reason he [Onesimus] was
separated from you for a little while was
that you might have him back for goodno
Christ is doing something miraculous.

God truly is creating a new identity
and new path forward in how we come to
life and how we deal with those Humpty
Dumpty moments that paralyze us and
prevent us from moving forward. Paul
spells it out in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creHow do we come at life?
ation; old things have passed away; behold,
For Onesimus to go back to his owner and all things have become new.
Paul, the human bridge between two
for Philemon to accept him was incredibly
challenging in that time period. Reclaimed estranged men, begins to conclude by saying to Philemon, Yes, brother, let me have
runaway slaves could be beaten, branded
joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart
with the letters FUG (meaning fugitive,
in the Lord (verse 20). Previously Paul
from the Latin fugitivis), or even killed,
had been refreshed by Philemons previous
some by crucifixion. After all, slaves were
only a tool according to Aristotle, and the reputation, but now the apostle is asking to
be newly refreshed by how Philemon will
system had to be maintained by fear.
Onesimus had everything to lose. Phile- respond to his appeal for reconciliation.
He encourages Philemon forward by statmon, on the other hand, could be ostracized
ing, Having confidence in your obedience,
by his fellow citizens if
he dealt too leniently with I write to you, knowing that you will do
even more than I say (verse 21).
the runaway. His family
or career could be put in
Therefore
jeopardy.
Paul concludes this personally handwritTheres always a human
ten letter (verse 19) by echoing the opening
risk and spiritual challenge in heeding Christs the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
words of Follow Me with your spirit (verse 25). He reminds Philemon that Gods initiative, invitation and
not only then, but also
now as we seek solutions involvement in his life is nothing he could
earn or achieve on his ownits a gift.
as to how to put back
Its good to be reminded where God
together the Humpty
found us, while we were in slavery to sin
Dumpty of broken or
(Romans 6:17, 20, 22). Now it was time to
scarred relationships.
pass it on to Onesimus! Paul, now imprisIts in his appeal
oned where he could lose everything,
towards Philemon as a
including life itself, mustve recognized that
beloved friend and fellow laborer (verse 1),
one of the greatest forms of slavery is being
brother (verse 7), Onesimus as a son
stuck in the past, paralyzed in the present
(verse 10), and once again Philemon, now
and petrified of what might occur in the
as a partner in receiving Onesimus as
future. He appealed to Philemon to think in
you would me (verse 17), that we see the
a way foreign to our human nature.
language, tone and revelation summed up
Paul wrote his letter to Philemon encourelsewhere in Pauls words: For you are all aging him to accept his runaway slave
Onesimus as a brotherand had Onesimus
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
hand-deliver the letter to Philemon.
For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ knew that we would need all the
Christ have put on Christ. There is neither
Jew [Paul] nor Greek, there is neither slave help that we could receive from above in
dealing with the Humpty Dumptys of life
[Onesimus] nor free [Philemon], there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one here below. Thats why He left us with a
promise: Peace I leave with you, My peace
in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-28).
I give to you; not as the world gives do I
The reality at that time in the Roman
Empire made it impractical for Paul and the give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
fledgling fellowship of Christians to confront the exterior culture and circumstances
With such promises in place, I leave you
affecting these two men. But their personal
to fill in the blanks as you allow God to
culture in which they chose to approach and write His story in you, making possible the
deal with one another certainly could be
impossible, as you continue to heed Christs
transformed in recognizing that God through calling of Follow Me! GN
longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as
a dear brother. He is very dear to me but
even dearer to you, both as a man and as a
brother in the Lord (verses 15-16, NIV).
Here Paul stretches Philemons mind and
heart beyond the momentary inconvenience
and the challenges that might lie ahead.
35
The Bible and You
The Master Architect:
His Plan for You and Humanity

Anna Keichline was among the first women to enter the architectural profession. While she and other successful architects deserve
respect for their work, boundless honor belongs to the Master
Architect of all things! by John LaBissoniere
through to a projects completion.

While these are basic requirements for
human architects, they are of supreme
importance to the Eternal God as the
Master Architect of all things visible and
invisible (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). From
start to finish, He has planned meticulously
1927 she patented the K-Brick, which was every detail of His perfect architectural
nna Wagner Keichline was born in
blueprint (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40).
a forerunner of todays standard concrete
1889 and grew up in Bellefonte,
He says: From the beginning I revealed
block.
Pennsylvania. At an early age she
the
end. From long ago I told you things
Although Anna was a gifted inventor,
demonstrated remarkable aptitude
that had not yet happened, saying, My
her unique architectural designs were the
in art and wood crafting. To help
plan will stand, and Ill do everything I
develop these talents, her parents prepared a
intended to do (Isaiah 46:10, Gods Word
small home workshop and equipped it with
Translation).
a variety of carpentry tools.
As you observe the stars sparkling in the
By age 14 Anna won first prize at a
night
sky or view images of galaxies photocounty fair for designing and building a
graphed
by the Hubble Space Telescope, a
small table out of oak. An Oct. 18, 1903,
question
obviously arises: What was Gods
Philadelphia Inquirer article stated that
purpose in designing and constructing the
Annas prizewinning table showed craftsvast universe? And equally important, why
manship comparable to that of a highly
did He create humankind?
skilled mechanic. It further noted, Such
Part of the answer to the first question is
a liking has she taken to industrial art that
that
God fashioned the universe to display
Miss Anna Keichline expects to make it her
His
awesome
majesty and power (Psalm
life study.
8:1).
The
heavens
declare the glory of
After graduating high school in 1906,
God;
the
skies
proclaim
the work of his
Anna advanced toward her goal by regishands (Psalm 19:1, New International
tering at Pennsylvania State College (now
Version).
Penn State University) as the only woman
enrolled in the mechanical engineering proGod is creating His own family
gram. The following year she transferred to
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, to
But why did God create you and all
pursue a degree in architecture.
humanity? The Bible provides the clear,
Anna Keichline, one of the first female architects. exciting answer: Behold what manner of
Among the first women to practice
love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
architecture
mainstay of a vibrant and highly productive should be called children of God (1 John
Graduating in 1911, she became the fifth career. Her successful, pioneering work was 3:1). The Lord Almighty is in fact developwoman to earn that degree from Cornell
honored in 2002 by an official Pennsylvaing His very own family and seeks to share
and was among the first women in the
nia historical marker placed in her homeHis life and creation with His offspring
United States to practice the profession.
town near one of her notable architectural
(Ephesians 3:15; Hebrews 2:10).
Throughout her career Anna designed
creations.
Having formed you in His exact image,
buildings in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washit is His desire that you and all others have
ington, D.C. These included private homes Architecture requires intelligent planning
a special, Father-child relationship with
and apartment buildings, a school, an autoHim throughout eternity (Genesis 1:26-27;
Just as it was in Anna Keichlines time,
mobile dealership, a theatre, a church and
successful architects today must be highly 2 Corinthians 6:18). Scripture explains:
many other commercial structures.
But one has somewhere testified: What
proficient in planning, engineering and
Besides designing buildings, Anna was
is man that You remember him, or the son
communicating their unique ideas to clialso a prolific inventor and was awarded
ents. From the smallest house to the tallest of man that You care for him? You made
several U.S. patents. For example, in 1924
him lower than the angels for a short time;
skyscraper, functional, safe and economishe designed an entire kitchen for conserYou crowned him with glory and honor and
cal architectural creations require intelvation of space and user convenience. In
ligent planning and careful implementation subjected everything under his feet. For in
36
The Good News
Wikimedia
subjecting everything to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we
do not yet see everything subjected to him
(Hebrews 2:6-8, Holman Christian Standard Bible, emphasis added throughout).
This passage not only describes the
works of Gods earthly creation being
overseen by human beings, but implies
that exceedingly greater responsibility
awaits them. The expression everything
is translated from the Greek term ta panta,
which means the all or the universe
meaning the entirety of creation (John 1:3;
Revelation 21:7).
But why will God offer you this breathtaking opportunity? The marvelous answer is
that He not only loves you, but is preparing
you and all people for significantly greater
work and service ahead (1 Corinthians 2:910; 1 John 4:7-8, 16).
Human beings are Gods supreme creation
(Luke 12:7; Exodus 15:13). The Fathers
astonishing architectural plan reveals that
you, on becoming one of His newly resurrected children, will serve with Jesus Christ
when He returns to earth to rule in righteousness and compassion (Ephesians 1:21;
Jeremiah 12:15; 33:16). Everything will be
placed under His jurisdiction, and He will
share His governing duties with all of Gods
devoted, virtuous sons and daughters who
have been granted everlasting life (Matthew
28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:49-53).
The Church is not a physical structure,

but an assembly of people, few in number,
whom God chooses to call out of human
society (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:9).
Through repentance, obedience and baptism, He gives them His matchless gift of
His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
As new disciples, they begin a rewarding
life of growing in character and helping to
spread the good news of Jesus Christ and
the Kingdom of God (Matthew 28:19;
2 Peter 3:18). Like Abraham, they too anticipate the time when they will govern with
Christ as kings and priests in Gods coming
government on earth (Revelation 1:6).
is always the result (Romans 3:10-18). Evidence of this has been witnessed throughout history in the evil, anguish, poverty
and warfare that has afflicted humanity
relentlessly.
God is planning a wonderful future for you

However, God will allow these terrible
conditions to exist for only so long. The
situation will reach a final, defining moment
near the end of human rule on earth when
relationships between nations will grow so
dangerous as to threaten human extinction
(Matthew 24:9, 21-22).
But just before man reaches this point of
self-extermination, Jesus Christ will return
God does not forget or neglect anyone
to the earth in overwhelming power to
While the eternal God is working with
prevent it from happening (Revelation 19:11these few individuals, He certainly does
16). He will do so out of infinite love for
not forget or neglect the multiple billions of humankind and because His loyal, obedient
other people around the world. Although
brethren will be living through that frightful
every one of them will eventually have the period (Matthew 24:22).
opportunity to become a child in Gods
Not only will Christ save humanity from
spiritual household, He has chosen to work destruction, but He will set up the Kingdom
with them in a different manner. This
of God on earth (Matthew 6:10). Jesus will
involves what they experience during their take over the reins of government from
lifetimes, and most importantly, how they
human beings and will rule as King of
later apply what they learned.
Kings with the assistance of His resurrected
While God desires that all people would saints (Revelation 19:16; 1 Thessalonians
choose to obey His commandments, which 3:13). Then the next electrifying phase of
are designed for their good, He has given
Gods architectural plan will begin.
them freedom to decide whether they will
Returning to Anna Keichline, as one
or will not (Deuteronomy 30:19).
of the first women to enter and master
He has an important purpose in grantthe architectural profession, she carefully
The perfect spiritual blueprint
ing human beings free will. He wants
planned and implemented her projects
Similar to how an architect prepares
everyone to ultimately grasp that without
through to completion. While this is fundadrawings to portray what a finished projHis instruction and guidance, their way of mental for successful human architects, it
ect will be like, the Master Architect laid
lifedeciding for themselves what is right is of paramount importance to the Eternal
out His perfect spiritual blueprint long
God as Master Architect of all things.
and wrongleads to only suffering and
before the establishment of the universe
Not only has He designed the perfect
destruction (Matthew 7:13). There is a
(2 Timothy 1:9). However, unlike human
way that seems right to a man, but its end is blueprint to wonderfully transform human
architects, who are not normally builders
the way of death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). society, but He has also designed an exhilaratbut work closely with them, our Creator is
To help people comprehend this critical les- ing future for you and all people. How well are
son, God has, over the centuries, allowed
you preparing now to become a member of
both architect and builder. For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with
nations to form and experience every
Gods coming divine family? GN
foundations, whose architect and builder is conceivable governmental and economic
God (Hebrews 11:10, New International
system.
Version).
Through this lengthy process He is
In preparing for His future family, God
demonstrating that all humanly designed
God is working out His great
plan and purpose for manfirst called a handful of faithful people
governments, including modern democrakindand for you too! But
including Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Joseph, cies, are utterly incapable of equitably and
few really realize what that
uprightly serving and guiding their citizens
David, the biblical prophets and others.
plan is all about. To help you
understand, weve prepared
After working closely with these dedicated (Jeremiah 10:23; 17:9). In a perceptive
a free study aid, What Is Your
observation about human rule, the renowned
individuals, the next phase of His divine
Destiny? Download or request it todaya free copy
World War II-era British prime minister
construction blueprint took place when
is waiting for you!
Jesus Christ came to earth the first time as Winston Churchill wrote: Democracy is
humanitys spiritual Savior (1 Timothy 1:1). the worst form of government, except for
all the others.
And what did Christ begin building
When individuals and nations govern
at that time? He stated: I will build My
themselves without Gods direction, failure
church (Matthew 16:18).
37
Letters From Our Readers

New name for the magazine
the light especially here in Kenya and other parts of the world.
I was very pleased to read of your decision to go with the new title Beyond
Today for your magazine. Your board of directors has carefully and prayerfully
analyzed the best direction to take, and I am confident our Heavenly Father will
bless your efforts immensely. I want to be a part of that good work! Enclosed is
my offering to help cover the costs of publishing and mailing the magazines.
Internet reader in Kenya
Request for booklet from prison
I am currently incarcerated in Louisiana. At my last institution I read your

booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and was astonished by
its teaching. Because the booklet belonged to someone else, I was unable to
Subscriber in Michigan bring it with me when I transferred here. I have told many people about it, and
it has stirred a lot of interest at this prison. Since there are no publications from
Thanks for your encouragement! Beginning with the next issue, the name
will change from The Good News to Beyond Today. Readers can find more
your church at this prison, can you please mail me a copy of The United States
details in the editorial on page 2 of this issue.
and Britain in Bible Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled?
Reader in Louisiana
Grateful for the magazine, TV program and videos
Were glad you found our study guides helpful. Those you requested are on
I enjoy reading your Good News magazine and viewing your Beyond Today
their
way to you.
program. Very uplifting, inspiring and professionalgreat spiritual food. Thank
Looking for a congregation
you for providing this excellent service.
From the Internet
I would like to know if you can refer me to a strict, uncompromising church.

I like your mission statement. It is critical that every true Church of God has a
discipleship program in place to help facilitate the spiritual growth and development of its believers. I am hungry and thirsty to be a member of a true BibleSubscriber in Oklahoma teaching church. I anxiously await your response. Thank you kindly.
Heres to a courageous group of people steadily obeying and pleasing God

by doing His will, and following the instructions laid out in the Holy Bible for all
peoples at all times. Thank you.
Reader in Brooklyn, New York
Thank you for being a blessing to me and every person watching your Bible
study videos and sermons; they are highly appreciated.
I stumbled upon your Beyond Today program and was so glad to find someViewer in South Africa body on TV truly preaching and teaching Gods Word. Can you send your TV
Were glad you appreciate and learn from them! Our Bible studies are avail- schedule and your churchs location?
Viewer in Texas
able online at BeyondToday.tv (click the Webcast tab), and our sermons are
available at www.ucg.org/sermons.
The United Church of God, which sponsors The Good News magazine and
Beyond Today TV program, has congregations around the world, including in
Thanks so much for the publications you sent me. I came in contact with
New York City and multiple locations in Texas. You can find the congregation
your magazine many years ago in a friends house, and subsequently made
closest to you at www.ucg.org/churches. Our Beyond Today program listing can
a request to receive it. When I received some of your booklets, I studied them
be found at BeyondToday.tv under the Television tab.
all. In particular, I had special interest in The Middle East in Bible Prophecy and
I want to know if you have a group here in Riyadh, so that I can enjoy and
The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. I hail from Borno State, Nigeria,
learn your teachings!
which is the epicenter of Boko Haram. A number of my relations were killed
Reader in Saudi Arabia
by this group. As a Christian I asked, Why? Your publications gave me the
biblical answer. Keep up the good work. May God bless your ministry.
Since its illegal for non-Muslim groups to meet or to practice Christianity
Reader in Nigeria in Saudi Arabia, we do not have any congregations there. However, interested
viewers can watch or download sermons from our website at www.ucg.org/
Appreciates abundant website information
sermons. Sabbath services can be accessed live under the Webcast tab.
I am so grateful for the abundance of information you have on your website.
Wondering
how to keep Gods festivals
I am hungry and thirsty for God. Your website seems limitless with clear,
broken-down examples for me to better understand Scripture and connect it
I would like to request the booklet Gods Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope
to my life. God bless you!
for All Mankind. I watched the Beyond Today presentation about them and
Internet reader would like to know how to celebrate them.
Viewer in Christchurch, New Zealand
It is a pleasure to let you know that I have been to your website and have
been so much attracted to learn more for our spiritual growth here. Indeed it is
I have read your booklet Gods Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All
good work done, and you are going to be a blessing to many who have not seen Mankind. I would love to learn more of what I need to do for each of the festivals that God wants us to observe. Is there any way I can learn what to do on
each of these Holy Days that would please God? Thanks!
Visit The Good News on Facebook
From the Internet
Are you on Facebook? If so, visit our

Good News magazine page. See what
other readers are saying. Find links to
interesting articles and Web commentaries. Become a Good News magazine
Facebook fan!
I really enjoy The Good News magazine. It gives a good understanding of
the Bible and highlights information not
given in mainstream Christian faiths. I
highly recommend this magazine to all.
- K.T., Good News magazine Facebook fan
www.facebook.com/GoodNewsMagazine
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The Good News
One important aspect of keeping Gods festivals is, wherever possible, to

assemble with others who also celebrate them. The United Church of God
observes Gods feast days throughout the year. Contact us at the address listed
in the front of this magazine or at www.ucg.org/churches to find out more
about when these festivals are being observed and where.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit?

My mouth dropped at your Beyond Today program Is God a Trinity? Do you
deny the Holy Spirit? Because if you do, that is the only sin not pardonable. God
mentions Himself, His Son, and the Holy Spirit separately. When you believe in
the saving grace by God through his son Jesus, you will receive the Holy Spirit,
which guides us to be like Jesus. How can you not see the Trinity?
Viewer in Toronto, Canada
Q: How does a person receive the Holy Spirit, and how does that tie
in with baptism?
From the Internet
A: The apostle Peter summed up how we receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38:
Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Notice that receiving Gods Spirit involves a process. First, Peter says
we are to repent. To repent means to change your mind and heart to turn
toward God. It means realizing that you have sinned, that sin exists in your
life, that you regret those sins and that you want to leave that way of life
behind to follow God from that point forward. But repentance is not a onetime event; its a way of life. It means constantly turning away from sin and
the temptation to sin to wholeheartedly surrender in obedience to God.
Obeying God is a key requirement. Acts 5:32 tells us that God gives the
Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.
After we take that first step of repentance, we must then be baptized.
Being fully submerged in water makes for a powerful metaphor: We are
burying the old person in a watery grave, and the new person who comes
up out of the water is a new creation (Romans 6:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Being baptized means we are inviting God to live in us through His Holy
Spirit so He can help us make this lifelong change and commitment to follow Him in all we do.
After a person comes up out of the waters of baptism, a minister of
Jesus Christ lays hands on him or her and prays for God to grant the person
the gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17; Hebrews 6:1-2). If the person has
truly repented, God then gives His Holy Spiritand no, it doesnt come
down like a dove or with tongues of fire, these signs for others being
unique instances in Scripture. The baptized person probably wont feel
dramatically different after coming out of the water or after having hands
laid on his or her head. We know we have received Gods Spirit because
God promises to give it to us when we repent in faith and follow the steps
He commands.
Once we have the Holy Spirit, we have access to something incredible
We do not deny the Holy Spirit when we teach from the Bible that it is not a
member of a Trinity. God is a family presently consisting of God the Father and
Jesus Christ. They are adding to that family by calling human beings to become
like Them in the process of conversion. This happens through the power of the
Holy Spirit, which is given to a person at baptism and will guide him or her into
becoming like Jesus Christ, just as you stated (see also the Q&A above).
But the Holy Spirit is not a separate, conscious entityrather, it is the power,
mind and essence of God. We offer a thoroughly researched study guide on this
subject titled Is God a Trinity?available for free at www.ucg.org/booklets. We
urge our readers to thoroughly examine what the Bible actually saysand does
not sayabout the Trinity (a word, incidentally, found nowhere in the Bible).
Support for spreading the Word of God

Your magazine gives so much helpful information for me in my Christian
walk. Thank you for putting out a magazine that has spread the Word of God
so well. My prayers are that youll be able to keep on sending the magazine to
people. Ill be sending a check at the end of the month.
the very power and essence of God. It is a spirit of power and of love and
of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
The power of God is what we can draw on to make bold and dramatic
decisions and changes as we leave our old way of living and thinking to
embark on a new way of life. We know that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) and that he who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6, New
International Version).
The love of God is what we can draw on to reorient our minds from
constantly seeking our own wants to instead thinking more of the needs of
others. It also enables us to let go of the hurts caused by others and to love
them, forgiving them as we have now been forgiven.
The sound mind of God is what we can draw on to be calm, disciplined
and unafraid in the face of the challenging trials of life. With Gods Spirit, we
can lean on God to help overcome the negativity of the world, to shoulder
the worst disappointments, to continue on in the face of opposition, and to
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2
Peter 3:18) as we study to make Gods Word an integral part of our lives.
Notice that with Gods Spirit, we can do all these things. Receiving that
Spirit does not make us perfect. In fact, we may even become discouraged
at times as we see additional sins in our lives and other areas that we need
to change! We all make mistakes and stumble and fall at times. But leading
a life of repentance means we can and should depend on the transforming
power of the Spirit of God every single day to acknowledge those mistakes
and then fix them.
If you are thinking about baptism and see this need to make changes in
your life, the United Church of God has ministers around the world who can
assist you and answer your questions. To find a congregation or minister
near you, go to www.ucg.org/churches. Our ministers can give you good
counsel and guide you through the process of deciding when the time is
right for you to accept Gods gift of salvation by being baptized.
For more on this topic, be sure to download or request our free study aid
Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion at www.GNmagazine.org/
booklets, or contact our office nearest you listed on page 2 of this issue.
be, but the closest congregation to us is not close to where we live. We would
like to send in our tithes to the United Church of God. Today I am sending our
first check. We have learned much from your booklets and try to share with
everyone that we can.
Readers in Georgia
I have Christian friends and relatives who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and your publications have been so helpful in directing them to the scriptures that answer so many of their questions. Seeing their excitement in putting
the pieces together is exciting for me as well, and strengthens my faith. There is
so little I can do physically. Perhaps God has given me more time after surviving
two life-threatening health incidents to plant a few seeds of knowledge in the
hearts of others. I will happily be including the United Church of God in my list of
tithing recipients.
Subscriber in Wisconsin
Published letters may be edited for clarity and space. Address your letters to
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November-December 2015

The Sabbath in History

Big News About The Good News

or more than 20 years The Good News has been

We know that God is working out His plan, and it will

The Good News

Volume 20, Number 6

NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number 40026236.

Kingdoms at War: Powers of the Unseen World

An Evil Spirit World:

Gods Word reveals surprising details

As Christians, we know Jesus is our

Coming: A Marvelous New Age

Wait! You Just Said Jesus

Christmas Before Christ:

Abortion and Planned Parenthood:

The Sabbath in History and Prophecy

In Everything, Give Thanks

Iran and the Threat of EMP Attack

The Master Architect:

Exploring Gods Word

A spirit world behind the scenes

The Good News

How are we to understand what happens in the

ahead of us today. The message revealed to

And this little-understood key opens the

Exploring Gods Word

The Good News

The Unseen Dimension

Hidden From Human Senses

resist this power. Daniel did. Lets see how

defeated, uprooted and removed to Babylon. He

Daniel decided to take it to God in a focused

Daniel fully understood that all cultures

Photos, from left: Thinkstock, Clint Porter

ageof this present worldand he blinds

king of Babylon. Not only that, but he was

couldve even reasoned, God no longer

Much more is going on behind todays headlines

the king. He asked the chief of staff for

of God. Dont compromise in the face of

and beyond. It shook the kings view of his

You need to understand the

Contact any of our offices listed on page 2,

Where Did It Come From?

hats the primary cause lurking

dependable source is the Bible. Beyond it,

The Good News

Whats the source of so much sorrow and suffering in our world?

Verses 5 and 6 discuss the Flood of Noahs

physical king to a ruler who is yet higher.

Exploring Gods Word

from among the fiery stones (verse 16,

Choosing to rebel against God

heaven and threw them to the earth. Verse

The Scriptures make it clear that God is not to blame for

The Good News

God and His holy purpose for humanity.

Following the Footsteps of