The Feast of Trumpets: A Turning Point in History

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Feast of Trumpets: A Turning Point in History

The Feast of Trumpets depicts the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish the Kingdom of God.



The Feast of Trumpets introduces the autumn festivals—representing the culmination of the present age of man and the beginning of an incredible time during which God will play a much more direct part in world events. The previous festivals constitute personal responses to the workings of God in the people He calls and chooses. But the Day of Trumpets heralds the intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis. This Holy Day represents a dramatic turning point in world history.



This particular festival also marks the beginning of the third and final feast season (Exodus 23:14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.



See All...; Deuteronomy 16:16Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:



See All...), which includes the final four Holy Days of the year.



The return of Jesus Christ!



The Feast of Trumpets depicts nothing less than the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God! The book of Revelation reveals a sequence of earth-shaking events heralded by angels sounding a series of seven trumpet blasts. The seventh angel's sounding of the last trumpet signifies that "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" (Revelation 11:15And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.



See All..., NIV). The Bible foretells that at this time Jesus Christ will at last return to the earth. Of all the prophecies in the Bible, this one surely heralds the most exciting news possible for this weary, sin-filled world!



The Feast of Trumpets also marks the future fulfillment of the many Old Testament prophecies that speak of a Messiah coming as a king of the line of David who will sit on the throne of Israel and rule with power and authority over all nations. The concept of a conquering Messiah was on the minds of the apostles immediately after Jesus' resurrection. When He appeared to them in those early days, they asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?



See All...).



Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus had spoken of distinctions between His first and second comings. When Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, questioned Him just before the crucifixion, Jesus stated clearly that He had not come to rule at that time.



"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus told the governor. "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." So Pilate asked Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered in the affirmative: "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth" (John 18:36-37 [36] Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

[37] Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.





See All...).



After Christ's resurrection, the apostles excitedly anticipated the fulfillment of Jesus' promises. They were aware of messianic prophecies such as Isaiah's that describe a time during which "the government will be upon His shoulder" and "of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7 [6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.





See All...).



In answer to the apostles' question as to whether He would soon establish the Kingdom, Jesus told them it was not for them to know the "times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.



See All...). Instead, Christ told them to focus on spreading the gospel—the good news—throughout the world. Later, in due time, the apostles realized that Christ's second coming was not necessarily imminent. Numerous scriptures describe the saints as eagerly looking forward to His return.



Why the symbolism of trumpets?



The excitement of this Holy Day, picturing these monumental events, is captured in the symbolism of this festival. Ancient Israel celebrated it with "a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 23:24Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.



See All..., NIV).



Actually, the word "trumpet" does not appear in this verse. The phrase "trumpet blasts" translates a single Hebrew word, teruah , which means a loud, resounding noise—a great shout or blaring, or an awakening blast. This was the sound of a "trumpet," but not the metal, musical kind also used by the Israelites. The God's Word Translation renders this phrase as "a holy assembly announced by the blowing of ram's horns." In that day a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, was used to communicate important messages.



Such horns, blaring an alarm like a modern air-raid or tornado siren, were used to warn of impending danger, such as imminent war. As the prophet Jeremiah lamented: "O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet [ shofar ], the alarm of war" (Jeremiah 4:19My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.



See All...; compare Amos 3:6Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?



See All...).



This ties in with the fact that the events of the Day of the Lord that will usher in Christ's return will be cataclysmic, announced, as already mentioned, with angels blowing trumpets (Revelation 8-9; compare Zephaniah 1:14-16 [14] The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

[15] That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

[16] A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.





See All...).



With their ability to transmit sound over great distances, trumpets were in ancient times excellent instruments for attracting people's attention. God even used the sound of a shofar to herald His meeting with Israel when He descended on Mount Sinai to speak the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:16And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.



See All...). Moreover, the shofar was used in coronation ceremonies (1 Kings 1:34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.



See All..., 39), and we've already seen that Christ assumes rule over the earth at the last trumpet.In connection with this Feast Day, Psalm 81:3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.



See All... exhorts, "Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon . . . on our solemn feast day."



Amplification of the meaning of trumpets



The writers of the New Testament revealed additional understanding of the significance of the blowing of trumpets. Notice Paul's description of the return of Jesus Christ: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.





See All...).



Paul also spoke of the day when the firstfruits pictured by Pentecost will be resurrected to immortal life. In 1 Corinthians 15:52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.



See All... he says this will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Thus the awakening blast of this last trumpet will awaken the dead!



Although the Trumpets festival isn't mentioned by name in the New Testament, we have no valid reason for assuming that this Holy Day should not be observed today. On the contrary, the early Church used the Hebrew Scriptures as the foundation for doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All...). Like the Ten Commandments (James 2:10-11 [10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

[11] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.





See All...), each of God's festivals is intimately and intricately related to the others. By keeping all of them, we can understand God's remarkable plan for humanity as it unfolds. We should not ignore some of His Holy Days while observing others.



Jesus' prophetic teaching



Near the end of Christ's earthly ministry, the apostles asked Him about the end of the present era. Notice Matthew 24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?



See All...: "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'"



Earlier, Daniel had prophesied about the establishment of the Kingdom of God and how the saints, or God's people, would inherit that Kingdom (Daniel 2:44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.



See All...; 7:18). Like the disciples, however, Daniel did not understand when the Kingdom would come.



Jesus, in response to His disciples' questions, laid out for them a series of events that would lead up to His return. He mentioned to them religious deception, wars, famines, disease, earthquakes and other calamities (Matthew 24:4-13 [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

[6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

[7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

[8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.

[9] Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

[10] And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

[11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

[12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.





See All...). He characterized the time of His return as an era of hatred and lawlessness. In this setting Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (verse 14).



More details in the book of Revelation



Later Jesus Christ revealed many more details about this pivotal time. The book of Revelation is described as "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:



See All...). Here Christ repeated through the apostle John the same events He had described to His disciples decades earlier. Now, however, Jesus used the symbolism of a series of seals He would open one by one (Revelation 6).



After this, at the beginning of God's anger against the disobedient nations, seven plagues will be poured out on a sinning world, with a trumpet blast announcing each, as we've seen (Revelation 8-9). Finally God will send two "witnesses," or "prophets," to proclaim His truth to a rebellious world (Revelation 11). Such prophetic witness is compared to a trumpet warning (Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.



See All...). Tragically, the godless society of the last days will reject these two servants of God and kill them (verses 7-10).



These dramatic events set the stage for the seventh angel's trumpet sounding and Jesus Christ's return to begin the rule of His government over the entire earth (Revelation 11:15And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.



See All...).



Of this same scenario, Matthew 24 says that "immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (verses 29-31).



Unprecedented events at Christ's return



Incredibly, when Jesus Christ returns to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the nations of the earth will gather to fight against Him (Zechariah 14:1-4 [1] Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

[2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

[3] Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

[4] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.





See All...). Revelation 19:19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.



See All... describes this impending battle: "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Jesus Christ] who sat on the horse and against His army."



Why would anyone want to fight the Messiah? The armies will try to destroy Christ because Satan has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All...). The devil's influence will inspire the nations to fight against Jesus when He returns.



Also at the time of Christ's return, His faithful followers will be resurrected to immortality. Revelation 20:5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.



See All... describes this as the "first resurrection," which is also a "better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:



See All...). This change to immortal life was the hope of early Christians and remains the fervent hope of those who understand God's plan.



In the book of Romans, Paul depicts this resurrection as a glorious deliverance from bondage: "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God . . . because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God . . . And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.



See All..., 21, 23).



We see that, even though tragic events lie ahead, the good news is that God will intervene to save humanity and guide mankind into His abundant way of life.



Jesus Christ will return to raise His followers from death and establish God's perfect rule over the earth. This is the wonderful, inspiring meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. Christ taught us to pray to the Father, "Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.



See All..., KJV). How urgently we need the answer to that prayer!

Debate About Islam Continues: Is It a Religion of Peace?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Debate About Islam Continues: Is It a Religion of Peace?

article by Cecil Maranville





Muslim officials have declared their peaceful intentions through messages at their annual hajj. U.S. President Bush and British Prime Minister Blair have publicly praised Islam as a religion of peace. Others challenge that assertion, as the debate goes on.



Muslims' annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which ended Feb. 24, provided Saudi Arabia with an opportunity to distance Islam from the black deeds of Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda Islamic militants. King Fahd sought to strike the desired tone in his address to the pilgrims: "The Muslim in this universe has a positive role to play in endeavors to fulfill it. The objective of this role is to work for the good of mankind and protect the means of life and achieve stability" ("Defending Islam Was the Theme of Hajj" by Hamca Hendawi, AP, Feb. 24, 2002).



The pilgrimage is required of each able-bodied Muslim male at least once in his life; estimates indicate over 2 million visited Saudi Arabia in 2002's hajj. The world focused upon the words of a sermon given there by Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Al al-Sheik, Saudi Arabia's top cleric. "How can terrorism fit in a religion that gives peace precedence over war?" asked the sheik. He continued, "How could terrorism fit in a faith that calls for the respective agreements, the offering of pacts?"



Hendawi described the collective messages as a mix of defensiveness and defiance, noting that the Saudi kingdom feels it is under a cloud of suspicion for a presumed guilt-by-association role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (Of the 19 airline hijackers, 15 were from Saudi Arabia, as is bin Laden himself.)



The hajj ended with a symbolic "stoning of the devil" in which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims threw pebbles at three stone pillars in the valley of Mina, outside Mecca.



Harsh words against Islam



Coincidental with the hajj, a different type of "stoning the devil" was taking place in the United States. Television evangelist Pat Robertson artlessly disputed the soothing comments of Muslims, along with those of Britain's and America's top politicians, about Islam being a religion of peace on his Feb. 22 Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club.



Making no allowances for Muslims who do not share his interpretation of the Koran, Robertson generalized, "The Koran makes it very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him."



Reporting on Robertson's biting analysis, Alan Cooperman of The Washington Post quotes Robertson's conclusion--that Islam "is not a peaceful religion that wants to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate and then if need be destroy" ("Robertson Calls Islam a Religion of Violence, Mayhem," Feb. 22, 2002).



A firestorm of protest erupted from the American Muslim community, as well as from numerous pundits. In addition to the perceived gracelessness of his current comments, Robertson is tainted by an off-the-cuff commentary he made last September on the same program with associated TV preacher, Jerry Falwell. Within days of the attacks suffered by New York City and Washington, D.C., the two offered opinions on why they believed God's protection had been removed from the United States, citing examples of sins and sinners. They came across as judgmental, callous and self-righteous to many.



Ellis Henican of Newsday rolled Robertson's most recent statements about Islam in with the inelegant remarks the two ministers made in mid-September. "These bizarre remarks were met with the expected eye rolling. And, eventually, Falwell and Robertson sort of apologized. But you don't think they learned anything from their brush with utter stupidity? I can promise you Robertson didn't. Because here he was again this past week, on the very same TV show, talking terror again. This time, he didn't limit his blame to the actual suicide hijackers or to the terror groups that backed them. Or even to the governments that trained and financed the terror groups. He took what we might call a broader approach. He blamed the whole Islamic world. He blamed Islam itself" ("Pat Robertson Is at It Again," Feb. 24, 2002).



CBN did not apologize this time. Instead, the network charged The Washington Post with inaccurate reporting, failing, for example, to spotlight "the bulk of Arab Muslim opinion that supports terrorist actions as an expression of their faith." CBN's defense included anecdotes from interviews conducted by an Arabic-speaking CBN reporter at the recent annual convention of American-Muslims.



The reporter related opinions from a Muslim-American attending the conference, an Egyptian Muslim and an Algerian Muslim--also presumably attending the conference, although CBN's statement was unclear on this point. The composite of the interviews is a defense of terrorism and sharp criticism of American foreign policy, but the identities of the speakers weren't given other than what is noted above. Because such anecdotal evidence can't be confirmed, it keeps the debate in the realm of arguing over opinions and hearsay.



Anti-Semitic element to Muslim message



We should stick to the facts, and let them speak for themselves.



The Muslim faithful heard many other sermons during this year's hajj, besides the one quoted above. While clerics generally followed the orders of the royal family to stay away from politics, Sheik Osama Abdullah Khayyat preached to the faithful: "God give your glory but to Islam and Moslems. The Lord...defeat those tyrant Jews" ("No 'Sermon on the Mount' From Mecca" by Don Feder, Creators Syndicate, Feb. 25, 2002, emphasis added).



Words expressed by at least one Saudi official before the hajj weren't as carefully crafted for international consumption. An official of the Saudi ministry of Islamic affairs, Abdullah bin Matruk al-Haddal, called Jews "brothers of the apes and pigs." He declared that the World Trade Center attack was the product of a Jewish-Zionist conspiracy and advised the United States to "get rid of the Jews" (Feder, p. 1).



A recent Zogby poll of Muslim-Americans shows that the community doesn't support the current U.S. military action. Seven percent endorsed the use of military force in the war against terrorism, while 67 percent chose "changing America's Middle East policy" as the best way to do the job, in their opinion. Clearly, that means that they believe the United States should withdraw from supporting Israel.



What the Koran says



Are there statements in the Koran that could be taken as incitements to violence? Let's take an objective look at the Koran, allowing it to speak for itself instead of debating personal opinions. The following are quotes from the Koran, as translated by Yusuf Ali (http://db.islam.org:81/Quran/FMPro  , emphasis added).



"Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): 'I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil [sic] terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.' Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them)...And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do" ("Spoils of War," 12, 39).



"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an[d] seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)" ("The Repentance," 5).



"Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority: their abode will be the Fire: And evil is the home of the wrong-doers!" ("The Family of Imran," 151.)



"When ye travel through the earth, there is no blame on you if ye shorten your prayers, for fear the Unbelievers May attack you: For the Unbelievers are unto you open enemies...For the Unbelievers Allah hath prepared a humiliating punishment" ("Women," 101-102).



These passages certainly have a violent tone and seem to direct the faithful to make war on, mutilate and kill unbelievers.



One might argue that it's like Christians have taken selected verses out of the Bible to justify opinions that the Bible as a whole does not endorse. Again, to keep from merely debating over words, let's ask and answer this fair question: How are such passages generally interpreted by teachers of Islam?



An Islamic journalist speaks out



Amir Taheri, an Iranian journalist and author, is the editor of the Paris-based Politique Internationale (International Politics). He is also a Muslim, meaning his words cannot be dismissed as those of an ultraconservative Christian or Jew with political prejudices. He wrote a startlingly frank editorial for the Internet edition of the Wall Street Journal last Oct. 27. (An important word of qualification: More moderate Muslim leaders do not always interpret the Koran in the manner mentioned below.)



"Al Queda did not materialize out of thin air. Nor have they been operating in a vacuum. Bin Laden belongs to a prominent Yemeni-Saudi family that makes much of its Islamic credentials. He began his militant career in 1984 as a fund-raiser for Afghans fighting the communist regime in Kabul in the name of Islam. He had offices in a dozen Muslim countries, none of which regarded his activities as un-Islamic...



"Anyone familiar with text books in most Muslim countries would know the twisted view of the world they propagate and the hatred they promote. Anyone who follows the media in the Muslim world would know that the verbal version of the Sept. 11 attacks is almost daily fare. Go to the Internet and check the editorials of virtually any Muslim paper on Sept. 10 and see what they were saying about the West in general and the U.S. in particular. Anyone listening to a sermon in virtually any mosque, including many in the West, would be shocked by the vehemence of the anti-Western, especially anti-American, sentiments expressed.



"It is both dishonest and dangerous for Muslims to remain in a state of denial. And yet a state of denial is what we have...



"The Muslim world today is full of bigotry, fanaticism, hypocrisy and plain ignorance--all of which create a breeding ground for criminals like bin Laden. The principal victims of these criminals are Muslims, who were prevented from developing a modern political culture without which they cannot reform their societies and rebuild their economies."



These are powerful and sobering words, coming from a Muslim about his own faith.



Not the means to the desired end



The present mix of defensiveness, suspicions, accusations and political papering over real differences isn't going to result in the harmonious world that most claim they would like to see, regardless of their religious persuasion. World peace will come, neither by proselytizing nor by persecuting, but rather through the intervention of the Creator God. Not surprisingly, based upon the chaos we see in today's world, neither Christian nor Muslim has realized the plan He has in mind.



Few can appreciate how different the Church Jesus built is from the mosques, temples and churches that dot the present-day's landscape. Do you know? Read our booklet, The Church Jesus Built. WNP

.

A Drug User's Story

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

My Story

by Jayn Keller





"Hi, my name is Jayn, and I am an alcoholic/addict" are words that I never thought I would ever hear; much less have come out of my own mouth. They must have been meant for the person behind me. Yet they have come out of my mouth over and over again in the past four years. Truth be told I have been an addict since birth and didn't know it. Being an undiagnosed bipolar has all kinds of attendant problems—addictions of all kinds being among them.



I started drinking alcohol when I was in elementary school with friends on weekends. I liked the taste and the warm glow that I felt and couldn't wait for another weekend to come around so I could do it again. As I got older, I began to sneak alcohol from my father's cabinet. By the time I was 16 I could drink almost anyone under the table, and I was the life of all the parties.



Slowly my circle of friends narrowed to only those who drank and did drugs. I was introduced to amphetamines in my junior year of high school, and I took to them like a fish to water. Several of my drinking friends were rich kids who stole diet pills from their parents' medicine cabinets and passed them around at parties, and I was hooked from my first pill. The quest was on to keep an ever-flowing source of pills coming in (to get the alcohol was no problem).



I married young, had a family and was too preoccupied with husband and children to think about my selfish wants and needs of alcohol and drugs. It wasn't until after my divorce that I began to self-medicate to ease the pain of a broken and fractured family. It was easier to do that than to face life head-on and get on with it. My parents who lived in denial, enabled me to continue to live in my alcoholic/drug-filled lifestyle; they would babysit my children while I was out in pursuit of life, liberty, alcohol and drugs.



The 1970's were a blur, and the early '80s saw me starting to get my life together, and by the mid '80s God's Church had found me. I was baptized in 1986 and the need for alcohol and drugs had left me, or so I thought. Don't get me wrong, there were times in my life when the need for alcohol and drugs were totally absent. I would go for many months or even several years without drinking or doing drugs, and then suddenly one day the urges would return as suddenly as they had gone. Little did I know that this was the bipolar part of me. Had I known that this was the problem would I have done something about it? I doubt it. I felt as though God had not truly dealt with me yet.



Almost 20 years saw me alcohol and drug free. Since I missed out on college I decided to return as a full-time student when I was 53 years old in 1999. By that time I had a lot of life experience behind me and was able to maintain a 4.0 grade average, and was sought out by lesser grade average students to do their homework or papers. It started innocently enough, a few dollars here and a few dollars there, until one day a student offered me some methamphetamine, and another a bottle of scotch, and I was off and running, again.



I had seen the breakup of my Church in the mid 80's, and the break up of the splinter groups into the 90's, but even that was not enough to set off my drinking and drugging. Yet something as worldly as college did. I guess it was an effort on my part to fit in. I even took up smoking so I could be part of the crowd. I was still attending Sabbath services, so I had to learn ways to hide all my addictions from the brethren, which I became very adept at. Looking back, it seems to me that God was setting me up for my fall from grace, which was yet to come.



Slowly I began to put my spiritual life on the back burner and to withdraw from the Church and the brethren, thinking I could deal with my life and its attendant problems on my own. Over time, God was the furthest thing from my mind, and He let me know what He thought about that. Only I was still too blind to see it. I felt as though God was slapping me upside the head with a two by four and literally bringing me to my knees before I finally got it.



It started with the alienation of my immediate family, which I love more than my own life, especially my grandsons. Then came the loss of income and eventually I ended up homeless. But this was still not enough in God's eyes. I had yet more to go through and to learn. Even this much did not stop my drinking and drugging because I self-medicated to ease my problems instead of doing anything about them. Being forced to live in shelters and on the streets put me closer to what I thought I needed. What it finally took was me being so drunk, suicidal and full of enough drugs to get 10 men and a boy high to bring me down, not to mention the loss of everything I owned in the world.



God knew that I needed the help that He was going to provide, so it was up to me to accept it or not; and believe me, half dead and scared witless, I was in no condition to fight it. So He opened the floodgate of blessings. First I was sent to a psychiatric crisis house where I was diagnosed as being bipolar, put on medication and could detoxify from the alcohol and drugs. The crisis house also helped me to apply to a rehabilitation house for women and to an outpatient psychiatric center for therapy and medication.



A mandatory part of the rehabilitation program was that I attend three Alcoholic Anonymous meetings a week, plus the house meeting. Or one Narcotics Anonymous meeting and two Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, plus the house meeting, and I had to have a sponsor within the first month of being there. All of which I complied with. I did so well there that I was elected to the house peer council, a group of women who oversee how the house is run. The Crossroads Program is two and a half years long, and I managed seven months. I wanted to stay the whole term, but my daughter had cancer and needed me to come home and take care of my grandsons. I believe that this was also God's doing that my daughter trusted me enough to do that.



While staying with my daughter this last time, I rejoined the Church, this time with United. The church I was with before United would not accept me back because I was too great a sinner. The United congregation in San Diego has accepted me warts and all and could care less about my past, and accepts my entire positive input. I am greatly blessed to be in the United Church of God. I also applied for Social Security Disability, which finally came through in November of 2005, and I moved into my own apartment in August of 2006. My financial situation at the time was very tenuous, but again God opened the blessing floodgate and I am making it. I still go to twice weekly meetings, take my medication on a daily basis and talk with my sponsor as often as necessary, work my steps over and over and pray on a daily basis that I never find myself in that position ever again. It takes some of us longer than others to finally get it, and I now get it and do not plan to forget it or let it go.



Now when I hear the words "Hi, my name is Jayn, I am an alcoholic/addict," I know that it is me I am talking about and that I can truly be proud of the fact that I am in the company of other people who are in the various stages of recovery. Although many of them are worldly, we all have one factor in common: we rely on the God of our understanding for our strength to overcome; and as long as I rely on God, my sponsor and keep working my program, I will stay clean and sober.







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Heading Off the Four Major Steps to Divorce

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Heading Off the Four Major Steps to Divorce

article by Rex Sexton





Marriage is in a sad state in the Western world.



Marriage is in a sad state in the Western world. Divorce rates skyrocketed from barely 2 percent of marriages in 1900 to nearly 50 percent by the year 1990. In more recent years these rates have leveled off, not because larger numbers of people are successful in marriage, but because so many couples today simply "cohabit"—bypassing the commitment of marriage.



What are the primary reasons the initial joy, passion and commitment of marriage evaporate? What leads couples who have vowed dedication to each other to abandon their marriage relationship?



The four most common steps in a marriage's progression to divorce are:



1. Breakdown of communication.



2. Buildup of resentments.



3. Open conflict, laced with harmful behaviors.



4. Final separation.



For years marriage counselors concentrated almost entirely on step number 3. My early training in this field was in how to "create peace" by teaching self-control and awareness. In my naiveté I thought what I was doing would solve the problem. I learned later that most couples reverted back to their old habits. What they really needed was assistance in dealing with the root cause of their problems, not just the symptoms.



Couples normally seek help from ministers and professional counselors only when they are well into the final stage of alienation—with their marriage at the breaking point. In most cases, by the time a couple seeks assistance to save their marriage, they are already doing too many harmful things to each other—either with words or deeds. Salvaging the relationship at this point is always difficult. But, in my experience, it can be achieved if both husband and wife are willing to learn how to communicate with each other appropriately.



In recent years counseling professionals have recognized the importance of teaching communication skills to couples in trouble. Ceasing harmful behaviors toward each other is always important, but unless a couple learns how to communicate in a healthy, beneficial and regular manner, the pause in marital warfare will only be temporary.



These four destructive steps also apply to other relationships: children, employers, employees and, believe it or not, even in our relationship with our Creator. To have a meaningful relationship with God we need to stay in contact with Him through prayer and personal Bible study. The Scriptures tell us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.



See All...).



A good marriage is nourished by lots of regular and positive communication. However, the very nature of our present society seems to keep us from learning how to really communicate or to even make time to communicate. We live very busy lives. We work and hurry constantly but never seem to have enough time for each other.



Relaxation time is often spent watching televised entertainment. Television may do more harm than good to relationships because it is an easy escape from reality.



Also, we are often tethered to gadgets such as computers and cell phones, even when we are at home. Rush, hurry, focus, get it done! If these words describe your daily routine, then perhaps, in your marriage, you are well into step number 1 and are not even aware of it.



The best insurance we have for marriage is learning how to communicate with each other in a respectful and loving manner. We then need to make sure we always do it. The Bible admonishes us to love and respect one another: "Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband" (Ephesians 5:33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.



See All..., NRSV). Love and respect cannot be built or maintained in a marriage unless there is regular and consistent give and take of feelings, ideas, shared goals, needs and observations.



Marriage can and should be a mutual admiration relationship. Make it a habit to spend time alone together. Ideally, at the end of each day it is good to make time to relax together and communicate. Yes, you may miss a day or two occasionally but work at keeping those interruptions of your private communication time to a bare minimum.



So what I'm saying is this: Do whatever it takes to guarantee that you have a regular time and place to communicate with your spouse! Don't just hope that it will happen—make sure it does. The key to avoiding the four steps that end in divorce is to never let step number 1 rear its ugly head. Learn how to communicate with your mate regularly and effectively. UN

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Are the Koran and Islam similar to the Bible and Christianity?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.


Are the Koran and Islam similar to the Bible and Christianity?


Are they inspired writings?



Answer:



To answer your question, lets look at how Islam came to be. Quoting from the World Book Encyclopedia :



"Islam is the name given to the religion preached by the Prophet, Mohammed [also spelled Muhammad] in the A.D. 600s. Mohammed was an Arab who was born in Mecca about A.D. 570. He believed he had been sent to warn and guide his people and to call them to worship God (Allah). Mohammed preached that there is only one God and that he, Mohammed, was Gods messenger. Mohammed began preaching in Mecca about A.D. 610. He made slow progress at first. Most of the rich and powerful citizens scorned him and his preaching. His preaching angered and frightened the Meccans, and some of them even plotted to kill him.



"In 622, Mohammed fled to the city of Medina, where a group of people received and helped him. In 630, Mohammed and his followers returned to Mecca and occupied the city. They destroyed all the idols in the heathen temple, the Kaaba, and turned the area surrounding the Kaaba into a mosque (Moslem [Muslim] house of worship). The Meccans then accepted Islam and acknowledged Mohammed as a prophet. Mecca and Medina became the sacred cities of Islam.



"The companions of Mohammed preserved his revelations by memorizing them or writing them down during his lifetime. Moslem scholars believe Mohammed approved these teachings. Later, the materials were combined to form the holy book of the Moslems. It is called the Koran. Moslems consider the Koran the words of God Himself, spoken to Mohammed by an angel. Parts of the Koran resemble the Bible, the Apocrypha, and the Talmud. The Koran also has stories from the New Testament about Jesus Christ, whom it calls the Word of God.



"The Koran teaches the absolute unity and power of God, the creator of the whole universe. It also teaches that God is just and merciful, and wishes man to repent and purify himself while on earth so that he can attain Paradise after death. Therefore God sends prophets with sacred books to teach man his duty to God and his fellow man. The Moslems believe Mohammed was the last of the prophets. Jesus and the Old Testament prophets were his predecessors."



This just scratches the surface of the information that is available about Islam, but through reading the information above, you can see both similarities to and differences from what the Bible teaches.



Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but that He was only a human being and not the Son of God who has existed with God since the beginning (John 1:1-3 [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[2] The same was in the beginning with God.

[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.





See All..., 14). They do not recognize Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind, whose shed blood cleanses us before God and permits us to enter into a relationship with our Father in heaven. Islam also teaches that, since the Bible and the Koran disagree on many points, the Bible became corrupted and was superceded by the Koran.



Various religions possess bits and pieces of truth, as do both Islam and Judaism. But neither understands the role of Jesus Christ in our lives. The book of 1 John discusses the absolute necessity of Jesus Christs involvement in our worship of God.



Notice 1 John 2:21-23 [21] I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

[22] Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

[23] Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.





See All...: "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."



If we accept the authority of the Bible as the Word of God, then by reading this passage we come to the conclusion that Islam, because it denies the divinity of Jesus Christ, cannot be of God. There are many other beliefs of Islam that contradict the Bible that you can find in your own studies. We encourage you to read the entire book of 1 John as well as our booklet titled Is the Bible True?

What the West Doesn't Realize: It's in a Fight for Survival

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

What the West Doesn't Realize: It's in a Fight for Survival

article by Melvin Rhodes





Islamic fundamentalism became front-page news after Sept. 11. There certainly had been plenty of warning, although nobody could have predicted the precise way in which terrorists would get the West's attention. Few would have listened anyway.



Parviz Radji was the Iranian ambassador to London in the years leading up to the overthrow of the shah in January 1979, a few weeks before British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to office. Before that, Mrs. Thatcher was the leader of the opposition Conservative Party.



In his book In the Service of the Peacock Throne, Mr. Radji recounts a dinner with Mrs. Thatcher before a visit she was to make to Tehran, capital of Iran. The account from his diary entry of Wednesday, April 26, 1978, reads: "I try to impress Mrs. Thatcher with my analysis of the Iranian/Middle Eastern situation but I suspect that I somehow fail. There is, to be sure, 'perfect understanding,' to use the hackneyed diplomatic phrase, on such subjects as the dangers of world communist expansionism, the need for strong defenses, and a firm hand in dealing with terrorism. But on less clear-cut issues, such as the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and its anti-Western bias, I don't believe I retain her interest" (1983, p. 172, emphasis added).



As we see here, even some of the greatest leaders can make serious misjudgments. It's easy to understand why in this case. The post-Christian West no longer takes religion seriously, so it is difficult for Western leaders to comprehend the threat that could come to the West from non-Christian religions.



A few months after that dinner, America learned firsthand the threat of Islamic fundamentalism when Iranian students, followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini, whose supporters overthrew the shah, stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held embassy staffers as hostages for 444 days. For the next two decades Americans would look back and blame the drawn-out affair on the perceived weakness of their president.



Sadly, the West lost an opportunity to prepare for a major assault by the forces of Islamic fundamentalism. Even more sadly, there still seems to be little understanding of the serious threat to the free world that Islamic fundamentalist terrorism poses. Sometimes the problem is simply a failure to connect the dots, to put two and two together.



Increased challenges for allies

For months now there has been talk of forcibly replacing Saddam Hussein as president of Iraq. While talk of the ambitious military action this would require has continued, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has flared up with a new, even more deadly round of violence. Coincidence? Not when you consider that Saddam has offered to pay the families of Palestinian suicide bombers $25,000, a lot of money to people who have spent decades in refugee camps with little prospect of an end to their misery.



As long as the heightened tensions continue in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it is more difficult for the United States to act against Saddam. To say that this is a victory for Saddam does not detract from the reality that he is a despotic tyrant who poses a major threat to the West. Try telling that to the Europeans, who are busily making money from trade ties to Iraq and other Mideast nations that sponsor terrorism.



Consider also Kashmir, the mountainous region of northern India. Attacks by Kashmir-based Islamic militants on Indian villages and military camps have brought Pakistan (whose sympathies lie with the militants) and India to the brink of another military conflict—one that this time could go nuclear. Any outbreak of hostilities between these two powers will automatically put a stop to any allied efforts to find Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and any leftover al-Qaeda diehards who might still roam the mountains of the Hindu Kush. This will be another victory for the forces of militant Islamic fundamentalism.



A further victory for Islam became apparent during President Bush's visit to Europe several months ago. The deterioration in relations between Europe and America since Sept. 11 is extraordinary. The Bush administration, reacting to the biggest attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor, understandably has made the war on terror a top priority. But many Europeans have a different perspective. A few even think the United States deserved what happened on Sept. 11. Demonstrators accused the president of being a "cowboy," ready to aggressively attack poor and backward nations to pursue American interests.



It's difficult for Americans to understand this attitude. Earlier this year French nationals were killed in a terrorist attack on a bus in Pakistan and German tourists died in Tunisia in an attack on a synagogue. But perhaps the tendency toward appeasement goes back to the end of the colonial period, when Western Europeans began to sympathize with nationalist movements rebelling against the ruling Western powers.



Also part of the equation is Europeans' sense of guilt over their wealth in contrast to the relative poverty of some of their former colonies.



In reality, the Soviet Union was the greatest imperialist power of the latter half of the 20th century. Liberal (socialist) ideas swept across Europe in advance of the Soviet army. But reality has little to do with perception, particularly when many of the news media are dominated by left-leaning reporters with their own agenda. The Palestinians are usually portrayed as poor, oppressed, subject peoples, while the Israelis seem like the big, bad Western colonialists. In reality, Israel is a small country with a small population surrounded by hostile powers having vastly larger populations.



Just as Europe and America are drifting apart, Americans themselves are increasingly divided. Some in the United States realize terrorism poses perhaps the greatest threat to the American republic ever. Increasingly, others believe in business as usual, wanting to return to the party politics of personal self-aggrandizement and the pursuit of their own interests.



My own local newspaper in Michigan is back to long articles on the rights of gays and minorities, including Muslims. Perhaps it's simply a case of denial, a refusal deep down to contemplate the realities facing the United States. One American commentator described the United States as the only country that suffers from national ADD (attention-deficit disorder). Nine months after Sept. 11 a growing number of Americans just want to put it all behind them and forget about it.



Fight for survival

Not so for conservative columnist Cal Thomas. In a May editorial titled "U.S. Is in Fight for Its Survival," he wrote about Vice President Dick Cheney's warning one week earlier that "another terror attack on the United States is 'inevitable'" and the warning from the FBI director that it's only a matter of time until suicide bombers attack America again.



Reminding readers that the Senate Intelligence Committee estimates that 100 al-Qaeda terrorist cells exist in the United States, Mr. Thomas asks how the U.S. government will react when the terrorists in these cells "decide to simultaneously blow themselves up in shopping malls, apartment buildings, a mega church, a synagogue and several airports all on the same day, killing thousands of people?"



Continuing, Mr. Thomas writes: "An acquaintance of mine predicts 'vigilante-ism of a kind like we've never seen before' following any new terrorist attacks." In proposing solutions, he adds: "We must find new ways of keeping people out of America who come from regions of the world with a record of exporting death. That means no more 'students' from Middle Eastern countries and no more immigration until we can do a better job of profiling those who come here. If that means stationing troops along both borders, electric fences, high walls, guarding our ports and installing listening devices, so be it."



In summation he adds: "Should another terrorist attack occur, we'd better be prepared to strike at home and abroad without warning, without hesitation and with the full force of American military, political and moral might." The point is that, if America's will to win falters, the advantage then shifts to the terrorists.



The ailing 82-year-old pope also sees the impending threat, though his concern is not focused on the United States. Visiting Azerbaijan the day before President Bush recently arrived in Europe, the pope again reached out to Islam in the hope of averting further religious conflict. With only 150 Catholics in the country, his visit was not to his own flock. It was political. The Catholic Church has all too often been at the center of the 1,400-year-old struggle between Islam and Christianity.



Others see the increasing threat too. First France and then the Netherlands were shocked at recent election results that saw big gains for the extreme-right political parties. They join Austria, Italy and Denmark, making five ancient European nations whose citizens show an increased fear of foreigners and, in particular since Sept. 11, Muslims.



It will be interesting to see who wins the next German election. Germany's Social Democratic government may be replaced by conservatives led by the Bavarian Edmund Stoiber, whose mentor was Munich-born Franz Josef Strauss (1915-1988), once prominent in the West German government.



Russia also sees the threat from Islamic fundamentalists. The deaths of Russian veterans and children in a terrorist bomb blast on Victory Day, commemorating the end of World War II, visibly angered President Putin, who blamed Chechen rebels—Muslims supported by al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.



Prophesied Mideast threat

Bible prophecy is interesting in the light of these developments.



Daniel 11 gives us an overview of the Middle East in prophecy. Although most of the chapter was fulfilled more than 2,000 years ago in the centuries after Daniel's death, the last few verses are yet to be fulfilled. With no Jewish nation in the Middle East from the time of the Romans until the restoration of a Jewish homeland in 1948, this chapter reflects a long time gap. Suddenly in verse 40 we read: "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships ..."



A power to the south of Jerusalem is prophesied to attack ("push at," KJV) a power to the north of Jerusalem. Remember that directions are relative. The king of the south in ancient times was Egypt under the Ptolemaic dynasty; the king of the north was Syria under the Seleucids. These two powers often fought over Jerusalem and its environs, as did the later Roman Empire. Their repeated invasions followed the Middle East's ancient invasion routes from the south and the north.



Could the modern king of the south be associated with resurgent Islam? For two centuries the Western colonial powers dominated the Middle East. Since World War II the West has been progressively pushed out of the area as first Arab nationalism and then Islamic fundamentalism took over. The biggest single turning point was the rebirth of the Jewish homeland in May 1948. Immediately five Arab armies surrounded Israel and tried to crush the half million Jews who were the controlling occupants of the new nation. They failed. But their failure has not stopped attempts to destroy the Jewish state.



The humiliation of the Arab armies led to revolutions in some Arab nations. In 1952 King Farouk of Egypt was overthrown. Six years later the king of Iraq and most of his family were murdered in a bloody military coup that led in time to Saddam Hussein's coming to power. Many attempts were made on the life of the late King Hussein of Jordan.



The British were pushed out of Aden and withdrew from the Gulf states; the French lost Algeria. King Idris of Libya was overthrown in 1969 by the fanatical nationalist Muammar Gadhafi. Ten years later Islamic fundamentalism overthrew the non-Arab shah of Iran. One after the other, pro-Western governments were replaced by more-radical regimes, either Arab nationalist or Islamic fundamentalist.



Now we see the two coming together. Though Saddam Hussein is an Arab nationalist, he was never seen as a religious man—until now. Since Sept. 11 he is increasingly portrayed at prayer on Iraqi television and billboards and is lavishly spending millions of dollars to build the biggest mosque in the world. He offers total support to the Palestinians in their struggle with Israel, as does Osama bin Laden. The distinction between nationalists and fundamentalists is increasingly blurred.



At the same time, cooperation between al-Qaeda leaders and the leaders of the Islamic nations is on the rise as peoples throughout the Islamic world are increasingly incensed at what is seen as Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.



Why now? Satellite television, that's why. Until four years ago there was no Arabic-language satellite TV station. Now there is. Now Muslims across the region can see Palestinians suffering 18 hours a day broadcast from Abu Dhabi. Naturally, there is no film of Israelis suffering daily homicide bombings.



American newscaster Ted Koppel, monitoring the al-Jazeera television network shortly after the September terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, was shocked at how anti-American all callers into a four-hour phone-in program were. Graphically illustrated was a simple logic: "Israel is trying to kill the Palestinians. Israel must die. America supports Israel. America must die."



Whether he is dead or alive, Osama bin Laden's perceived victories against the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1989 and against the United States in September 2001 have inspired Muslims across the world to push against the West.



This attitude had been building for some time. J.T. Caruso, assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, told a congressional committee on Dec. 18 that "al-Qaida had supported 'Islamic fighters' in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Chechnya and the Philippines" (Neil Clark, "Colonial Wars," The Spectator (UK), April 13, p. 24). And, yes, your memory is working correctly—the United States was on the same side as al-Qaeda, helping it, in fact, in the first three of those five conflicts.



The future troubles. Islamic fundamentalism is obviously on the rise. Ironically, if the United States can remove Saddam from power, the most likely eventual replacement for his regime will be an Islamic-fundamentalist government—though that could perhaps be forestalled for a while.



The same is true in other nations across Islam. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable in this area. Islamic, or sharia, law is already in force in the country, as it also is in distant northern Nigeria, where Christian meeting places have been burned to the ground with worshipers inside them. The Sudanese civil war continues with the ruling northern Muslims persecuting southern Christians and even taking them as slaves. Indonesia, too, has seen Muslims attack Christians.



Perception lags behind reality

Connecting the dots, we see that Islamic forces across the globe are increasingly cooperating, working together to defeat their common enemy, the West. Those jubilant crowds on the streets of the Islamic world within minutes of the successful terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 were not atypical. What we see here is the beginning of another world war, in the sense that the conflict is international, with outbreaks of violence occurring on four continents.



Meanwhile, the West has scarcely moved on since that Iranian ambassador's dinner with Mrs. Thatcher in 1978. Western governments still maintain that the threat is not Islam in general but a few militants in particular. Immigration policies remain largely unchanged, allowing the internal threat to worsen with every arriving plane. Hollywood still churns out entertainment garbage that only feeds the universal hatred of Western values. Little if anything is done anywhere to reduce dependence on Middle Eastern oil.



George Orwell, author of the classic works 1984 and Animal Farm, is acknowledged as one of the great writers of the 20th century. Orwell involved himself in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) on the side of the leftist republicans against the fascists aided by Nazi Germany and Italy's Mussolini. Vainly trying to warn the dominant Western power of the time, Great Britain, Orwell wrote an essay called "While England Sleeps," warning of the impending threat from fascism. Meanwhile, Britain's prime minister was negotiating with Hitler and promising "peace in our time."



The West is still asleep to the crisis that is building daily. Today almost all the wars that dominate our nightly news have a certain commonality that can be summed up in one word: Islam. Events are moving inexorably closer to the emergence of a final king of the South.



We may be seeing the prophesied biblical scenario coming to pass before our eyes. GN

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A Confused Glenn Beck

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

A Confused Glenn Beck



Last week I was watching Glen Beck’s popular news program on CNN. Glen is a conservative and engaging and articulate commentator. I enjoy his perspective and his enthusiasm.



On this night he interviewed Dr. James Dobson about the state of American morality. It was a good interview with several interesting statements about the trends talking morality down. Particular notice was given to the success of the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, the wildly popular video game where one can hire a prostitute, engage in sexual relations and then kill her. Afterwards the virtual character can go down the street killing cops. Innocent fun for kids and adults to share together.



Both Beck and Dobson clearly agreed such violent games added nothing to the social character. Right on Glen. But what struck me was the next guest Beck interviewed and the praise he heaped on her.



Next up was Stephanie Meyer, a popular author of a series of vampire books for teens. You know what a vampire is, the living dead who prey on the blood of victims, usually attractive women victims. Meyer has written another book that deals with the possession of human bodies by alien beings. All these books are best sellers with a growing audience. Meyer has been called the American version of J.K. Rowling.



What struck me was Glen Beck’s fawning praise for Meyers books. How can you go from criticizing the state of American morality in one segment to praising the fascination for literary worrks about vampires and spiritism? Doesn’t he understand the connection? Tales of evil spirits dressed in fanciful literary garb and sweetened with romance and nice people are just as corrosive to morals as virtual immorality and murder.



But it seems Mr. Beck is oblivious to this and little wonder. Even the most astute among us are unable to see the complete depth of deception our world is under. Isaiah says there would be those “who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!



See All...).



Evil and sin distorts our ability to clearly discern. Slowly over time even the most astute social observers can blur the lines and miss the point of understanding how insidious and pervasive is the evil in this world. Be clear and certain about your course. Keep the lines between evil and good clear in your own mind.







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Celebrity Culture: The Distorted Mirror

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Celebrity Culture: The Distorted Mirror

article by Gary Petty





Magazines, TV and the Internet are obsessed with celebrities and celebrity culture. How does society's fascination with celebrity culture affect you and your children? How can you counter its negative influence?







Source: Wikimedia CommonsI remember, as a child, watching the Jackson Five perform on television. Young Michael Jackson's stage presence, voice and talent were mesmerizing. Years later, as I watched his "Thriller" music video, a full-blown movie production with Hollywood special effects turning Michael into a monster, it was clear to me that his persona was very different from the earlier child sensation belting out puppy love lyrics to bubblegum rock.



He seemed to have it all—fame, money, adoring fans. We also know a little of the other Michael Jackson—strange disfigurement, broken marriages and self-destructive behavior. Whether it was his performing genius or bizarre lifestyle, love him or hate him, the public could not get enough. He remains very popular well after his untimely death in June 2009.



Michael Jackson was both messenger and victim of a celebrity culture defining the spirit of an age. People envy the fame and money of celebrities and imitate them as role models. At the grocery store checkout, people grab the latest celeb magazine to revel in their sexual exploits and bad-boy or bad-girl experimentation with drugs and alcohol.



Many hold them up as glimmering stars until they come crashing down in the latest Internet sex video scandal or announcement that they have just entered a rehab center. Fans worship celebrities until they become parodies of themselves, and then the media turns them into cartoon characters.



In reality, many celebrities live emotionally and spiritually destructive lives. With 24/7 media coverage and the need for young people to have role models, the celebrity lifestyle of glamour and thrills seems attractive to many children, teens and young adults.



A culture of narcissism

Drs. Drew Pinsky and Mark Young describe a societal trend towards narcissism in their book The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America.



The term narcissism comes from ancient Greek mythology. The tale is of a handsome young man named Narcissus, who is so consumed by his own desires that he is unable to love others. Narcissus sees his own reflection in a pool of water and falls hopelessly and madly in love with himself. Of course, every time he tries to touch the watery image it dissolves. He eventually dies of a broken heart.



Pinsky, a TV personality himself who is better known as Dr. Drew, explains: "For the narcissist, the whole world is a mirror; life is spent in constant pursuit of a gratifying reflection, a beautiful self-image to stave off feelings of internal emptiness. The modern narcissist seeks those reflections in the pages of glossy magazines, and on the screens of their TVs and computers. The celebrity-media looking glass responds with images of a privileged life where participants are beautiful, charismatic, powerful and free to act as they choose.



"The mirror of celebrity reinforces every narcissist's belief that a world of constant admiring attention is possible. All you need to do is to act sexy, play the diva, demand privileges, and party with abandon" (2009, p. 88).



This dysfunctional view of life leads to dangerous behavior. In spite of public emotional meltdowns, drug addiction and broken relationships, millions of young people see celebrities as quintessential images of the good life. Therefore, "all you need to do is act sexy, play the diva, demand privileges, and party with abandon" and you will find true happiness.



It's true that people have always been enamored with the lives of the rich and the famous, but never before has society been bombarded with an endless stream of information about celebrities.



Tabloids and tabloid TV, celebrity magazines and Internet sites, and even mainstream news to an unwarranted degree have become "mirrors" for celebrities living dysfunctional lives. And they have to continue perpetrating sordid behavior in order to maintain fame and thereby keep these mirrors in operation.



The drugs, raw sexuality, broken and cyclical relationships, bouts in rehab and emotional meltdowns are eagerly watched by impressionable young people—along with many who are not so young—who are led to believe that those moving images and glossy, airbrushed pictures reflect success and happiness. Desiring this for themselves, many of those watching end up modeling their own lives accordingly, becoming mirrors themselves of those they essentially idolize.



Hence "the mirror effect." Everyone, it seems, is narcissistically preoccupied with modeling himself or herself into the image of other narcissists who will do anything to maintain fame. People throughout society have become so in love with themselves that they are losing the ability to love others.



Helping children navigate the celebrity culture

Being mildly fascinated with celebrities, especially as a teen, is not necessarily harmful, but parents have to help their children navigate the traps of the dysfunctional celebrity culture.



The following are some symptoms your child may exhibit if he or she is adversely affected by the celebrity culture:



• Excessive fascination with celebrities.



• Obsession with wanting to dress or model the behavior of a celebrity.



• Hypersexuality.



• Dangerous behavior like drug or alcohol abuse.



• Acting out wrong behavior on the Internet.



As noted, not just young children or teens are entranced with celebrities. According to one poll, 51 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds said that being famous was their generation's most important or second most important life goal.



According to Dr. Drew, young people first begin to feed their curiosity and emotional needs with a constant diet of celebrity media, and then they begin to see the celebrity narcissistic, dysfunctional behavior as normal and desirable. The next step is mimicking the celebrity behavior in daily life. Eventually, the young person may begin to mirror the celebrity behavior by broadcasting his or her own wrong behavior on the Internet.



Countering the negative influences

You, as a parent, grandparent or concerned adult, must take positive steps in helping children develop a strong sense of healthy identity, a positive set of internal values and a sense of belonging to family and community.



The place to start is to help them understand that there is a Creator God. You must personally get involved in teaching your children the stories and messages of the Bible. When children understand the people of the Bible as real human beings, with feelings just like them, the biblical stories become personal. Positive biblical characters become heroes worth imitating.



The most powerful, life-changing message for any human being is the understanding that:



• He or she is made in the image of God.



• God loves him or her and has a purpose for his or her life.



• The problems in life are a result of people not living the way God intended them to live.



• There is real good and evil, and there are terrible consequences for choosing evil.



• Jesus Christ is the Savior who died for our sins and helps us to live as God directs.



You must also limit the time your children spend surfing the Internet, watching television and reading celebrity magazines. This may be a real battle at the beginning. The rags-to-fame-to-riches-to-partying-to-meltdown story has a strong appeal to young people who have bought into the idea that uninhibited spending of money, partying, sex with a myriad of glamorous people, and fame are the measures of success.



You are competing for your child's mind with media programmers who know how to manipulate that appeal. Here is just part of a casting call put out by MTV: "Do you long to strut into the world's most elite hotspots without a care in the world except how fabulous you are? Ever wish the velvet ropes didn't exclude you from the social circle of the A-list? How about the fantasy of jet setting around the world with the ultimate BFF [best friend forever], whose fierce style, charisma and star power is only matched by your own?" ( quoted by Pinsky and Young, p. 135.)



Reality shows are designed to attract young people to the make-believe world of social stardom. It's like a mind drug, and withdrawal can be difficult. That is why, if you limit TV and Internet time without replacing it with other activities, you'll have bored and angry children.



The solutions to the pulls of the celebrity culture on children are developing healthy relationships with parents, positive experiences with personal growth and achievement, and knowing that there is something more important in life than the immediate gratification of selfish desires.



Here are some actions parents can take to help children avoid the dangers of imitating celebrity culture:



• Eat meals together and talk to each other.



• Play games with your children.



• Organize regular family experiences: Learn to play a musical instrument together, go camping or take up a hobby that fits the interests of your child.



• Get involved with service projects like volunteering your family to serve at a nursing home once a week.



• Have them participate in a church youth group that does service projects.



• Help them develop positive relationships with grandparents and other adults.



• Give them regular chores so that they develop a sense of accomplishment in work.



We have to help children learn that happiness is more than acting sexy, demanding privileges and partying with abandon.



A much better life is possible

We excuse professional athletes who use illegal steroids as long as they perform. When they can no longer thrill us with hitting the baseball out of the park, we turn on them in hypocritical condemnation. People like to hitch their wagons to the latest rising teenage singing star. When he or she predictably has a breakdown, they shake their heads in disgust.



At the same time, all too many young people see the celebrity lifestyle of fast money, easy sex and fame as the ultimate measure of success and happiness. The results are empty and many times tragic.



God has a purpose for you and your children. Real success is rooted in a strong sense of identity as a child of God and living by His rules of life. Ask God to come into your life and forgive you for living a way based on a wrong viewpoint of how life works. The teachings of Jesus Christ will show you the real, eternal ways to happiness and success. GN

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World News and Trends: Adultery and divorce stalk China

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.


World News and Trends: Adultery and divorce stalk China






article by John Ross Schroeder, Scott Ashley





In China the ratio of divorce to marriage has quadrupled in the last decade.



In addition, prostitution is now a boom industry in large Chinese cities. Family violence against women has also become a major problem.



Until 1980 adulterers could be sent to jail or punished by the neighborhood communes or companies for conduct unbecoming a Chinese citizen and employee. China's economic boom is not without its unwanted social spin-offs. (Source: The Independent on Sunday .)

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Why Prophecy?

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Why Prophecy?

Prophecy is an integral part of the Bible, God's inspired revelation to mankind. Through it God reveals Himself, His plan for humanity and why we are here.



We strive for security, long for stability and dream of a glowing and predictable future for ourselves and our posterity. But for most of us these hopes and desires are far from certain to be realized. Our world is filled with rapid and often perilous change.



We could easily fall victim to an accident, act of violence, debilitating disease or natural disaster. The turbulent winds of economic and social change threaten our financial stability. Wars and acts of terrorism threaten to endanger the fabric of society and make even more elusive the security we seek.



Uncertainty is a way of life.



No confidence



Consider today's youth. A lack of confidence in the future is a major cause of anxiety among teenagers. Thousands are convinced the good life will evaporate before they're old enough to enjoy it. They crave assurance and purpose. Nihilism—the absence of confidence and hope in anything—is epidemic. The staggering number of teen suicides illustrates their disillusionment. Some vent their anger and frustration by setting up an alternative society of gangs.



But teens aren't the only ones anxious about their future. Adults turn to psychics and astrological readings in unprecedented numbers, attempting to peer into the murkiness of the future. Books about the future are best sellers. Millions of people long for reassurance that some kind of light shines at the end of the tunnel. King Solomon's observation that "man is greatly troubled by ignorance of the future" (Ecclesiastes 8:7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?



See All..., Revised English Bible) holds true today.



Why is our world so uncertain? Have we no alternative? Is nothing predictable? Must we live in ignorance of our future? Can we discover a source for information about where this world is headed?



Indeed we can, and it tells us a great deal about what lies ahead. We can also know the cause of our uncertainty and the amazing turn of events that could change it for the better.



Where can we find answers?



The answers have been waiting for us all along. They're in the pages of the Holy Bible.



The Bible is unique among all literature. Though penned by many writers from varied cultures over a span of 15 centuries, it is the masterpiece of a single author, the Creator of the universe.



For centuries Bible students have marveled that so many writers, from strikingly dissimilar backgrounds, could maintain the consistent message and purpose found in the pages of Scripture. No other compilation of writings from such varied authors could compare with the Bible's continuity and harmony.



This consistency gives the Bible unrivaled distinction among literary works. This constancy is one of the proofs of its divine inspiration. As the Bible itself powerfully proclaims about its origin: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All..., emphasis added throughout).



Much of this remarkable book is prophetic. Its prophecies reveal crucial information about the future of mankind. When we realize that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then we begin to realize the significance of its prophecies. They are reliable because God Himself inspired them.



What does the Creator tell us about Himself and the future? "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done … Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11 [9] Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

[10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

[11] Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.





See All...). God not only claims to reveal the future, He has the power to bring to pass what He has foretold!



The apostle Peter advises us to pay attention to the words of the biblical prophets: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:19-21 [19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

[20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

[21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.





See All...).



The Prophet of prophets



A prophet is one through whom God speaks—one appointed to reveal the will of God to His people. One of the greatest of these prophets was God's own Son, Jesus Christ: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2 [1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;





See All...).



People seldom think of Jesus Christ as a prophet, but a prophet He was (Luke 13:33Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.



See All...; 24:19; John 6:14Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.



See All...). His message—"the gospel of the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,



See All...)—is filled with prophecy. His message explains and clarifies the destiny of mankind, revealing the way God will accomplish His master plan.



The record of Jesus Christ's birth, life, ministry and death is one of history's most powerful confirmations of the reliability and accuracy of Bible prophecy.



Precise details about Jesus' birth, ministry and crucifixion were accurately foretold hundreds, even thousands, of years before He was born. Specific events and circumstances foretold centuries earlier came to pass exactly as the Hebrew prophets had predicted, providing compelling evidence of their credibility and substantiating the accuracy of their messages.



Could their words hold meaning for us today? Did you know those same prophets tell us what Jesus Christ has planned for the future— your future?



You probably already know that Jesus promised to return to earth. That promise is an excellent example of prophecy. He also promised to finish the work He began at His first coming. Throughout the Bible the life and mission of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, are depicted as examples of His devotion to the welfare of people. Many prophecies yet to be fulfilled are directly related to the future work and mission of Jesus Christ.



A right perspective



Many people regard prophecy as mystical, strange and unreal, with no relevance to their lives. They have almost no understanding of what prophecy is all about. Others, having encountered grossly distorted interpretations of Bible prophecy, have grown skeptical and disillusioned.



However, when properly understood, the Bible speaks with a clear, consistent and reliable message that is just as appropriate for us as it was for the people of ancient Israel.



Whether you are unsure of the value of the Bible's prophecies or regard them with deep respect, this booklet is meant to help you accurately understand prophecy. We want you to see the true scope of prophecy—how it links mankind's past, present and future. A knowledge of prophecy can provide you with a balanced perspective revealed by the Creator.



God's promises: the foundation of prophecy



Prophecy is not merely a series of unrelated predictions randomly scattered throughout the Bible. It has a structure; it is set on a firm foundation. To understand the foundation, we must realize the overall purpose of the Bible, its themes and the threads of its stories.



One overall theme is that the Bible is the tale of two families. The first is the family of Adam, the human father of all mankind. The second is the family of Abraham, the father of those who are faithful to God (Romans 4:9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.



See All..., 11). God regards people who become, in a spiritual sense, like faithful Abraham as His own personal family, His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.



See All...).



The Bible begins with the creation of the universe and a world fashioned to support Adam's, and then all humanity's, existence. The story of Scripture will not be complete until all of the descendants of Adam receive an eternal inheritance in refashioned heavens and earth or—if they unequivocally refuse God's way of loving others as themselves—eternal death in the final judgment (Revelation 20:14-15 [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.





See All...).



It is to Abraham and his descendants that God gave the promise of an eternal inheritance. Only members of the family of Adam whom God grafts into the family, or "seed," of Abraham (through the sacrificed Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth) may partake of that eternal inheritance (Galatians 3:29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.



See All...).



Between the creation of Adam and God's final judgment is the story of God's relationship with us, His creation. The Bible, in its account of Adam, explains the reason for our nature. It tells us how and why sin, evil and suffering entered the world and reveals God's solution to that problem. It reveals the purpose of our existence, explaining why God made human beings and the incredible future He has in store for us.



At the heart of God's plan for us are many amazing promises. In a greater sense, God offers us one magnificent promise, which He first expressed to Adam and Eve and amplifies and expands throughout the Bible. God promises He will make available everything we need to establish and maintain an eternal relationship with Him as His children—that our salvation will always be His greatest concern.



Read on to learn how prophecy fills in the details of God's wonderful plan for humanity. You will discover the reason people suffer and the lessons they should learn from it. You will see that God, who inspired prophecy, cares for people—that He has designed a logical and realistic master plan for solving the suffering and dilemmas that (as history well shows) we cannot resolve on our own.



You will also learn why the life, work and mission of Jesus, as the Messiah, was planned even "before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,



See All...)—and why His continuing efforts are crucial to the success of God's plan and purpose for our future.



Come with us on a journey to explore and understand Bible prophecy.