good news press september/october 2012

8/9/2019 Good News Press September/October 2012

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Go o d News Press East Bay Edition More Q & A @ : www.goodnewspress.us September/October 2012

Sharing the good news of God’s Love through his son to our local community and world!

God’s Plan of Salvation: John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave hisonly begotten Son, that whosoever shall be-

lieve in him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life.

Romans 10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth theLord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised him from the dead, thoushalt be saved.

A Message FromGood News Press

Good News Press is an out-reach publication. The Christianmessage is often referred to as

the "Gospel," which means

"good news." Specifically, it isthe good news about Jesus — who he is, whathe has done, and what he offers. Essentially,the message is that Jesus was God in the flesh,that he came into the world to reconcile hu-manity to himself, and that his salvation isfreely offered to each person who will re-spond in faith. The Gospel message explainsthat salvation is only possible through theCrucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Thoughthousands of books have been written aboutthese events, the core idea is that, through hissacrifice, Jesus paid the price for our sinful-ness (rebellion against God), thus offering usforgiveness. Then through his Resurrection heconquered death, removing it as the penaltyfor our sin and replacing it with the offer ofeternal life that is only available from him toall those that place their faith in him.

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Pres. Obama & Romney’s Spiritual.. 2

National Day of Repentance 3

Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer” 4

Frequently Asked Questions 5

The Importance of Bible Prophecy 6

Poetry 7

Advertisements 8

In This Issue

(Left) Governor Mitt Romney during a campaign stop in Philadelphia. (Right) Obama greets friends and neighbors as he arrives to vote at hispolling place in Kenwood. RNS photos by Roger Barone

By Daniel Burke(RNS) President Obama says it’s not his job to defend his Christian faith againstdoubters who suspect he’s Muslim. HisGOP challenger, Mitt Romney, saysreligion is “integral” to his life, even as

often he avoids mentioning his Mor-

mon faith by name.In interviews published Tuesday (Aug.21) by Cathedral Age, the magazine ofthe Washington National Cathedral,the candidates responded in writing tonine questions about their faith.

Religion has been a tricky political is-

sue thus far for both men. A recentPew Research Center poll found thatonly 49 percent of Americans can cor-rectly identify Obama as a Christian.More Americans know that Romney isMormon, but a significant minority (30

Continued on Page 4

Obama and Romney Offer Rare Glimpse of their Spiritual Lives

National Day of Repentance In these very difficult times politicsalone can't resolve our problems.Many of our problems nationally arespiritual, requiring a spiritual solution.One such solution was often employedby our nation's founders -- a nationalday not just of prayer, but also of per-sonal, and national, repentance. Thereis a growing movement, an awakeningwithin the body of Christ, event after

event, in these next 90 days, pointingout that we believers in Christ need topray and repent so that the Lord canstep in with His miracles, which ournation now desperately needs. Manyprayer events are planned, but a focuson repentance is vital for their success.

In local Christian churches and minis-tries across denominations and across

the nation just such a National Day ofRepentance is set to take place fromsundown Tuesday, September 25through sundown Wednesday, Sep-tember 26. To emphasize the valueGod places on repentance, this datewill coincide with the 3,450-year-oldJewish holy day of atonement, YomKippur. Continued on Page 2

Connie Woods


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By Adelle M. Banks(RNS) At Charity MissionaryBaptist Church in NorthCharleston, S.C., the Rev.Nelson B. Rivers III supportsand follows his African-American congregation’s

policy: They will only con-

duct marriages betweenone man and one woman.

But the vice president of theNAACP also backed his civilrights organization’s recentstatement supporting“marriage equality.”

“We see no conflict in that,”Rivers said, “because I amthe leader of the r-i-t-e atmy church, the rites, but I’malso a strong advocate ofthe r-i-g-h-t-s of my mem-bers.’’

President Obama's supportfor gay marriage, followedquickly by the NAACP's, hasput some black clergy in a

bind, torn between theirpolitical loyalties and theirreligious beliefs. For some,like Rivers, it's been aboth/and proposition, whileothers say they can supportthe president without en-dorsing his position on gaymarriage.

But the issue has high-lighted that the black churchhas never been monolithic.The black church's responseis further complicated bythe fact that people in thepew may not always goalong with what pastors inthe pulpit preach.“You’vegot to balance religious con-victions with all of your

other interests, your racialinterests, your economicinterests,” said Andra Gilles-

pie, an associate professorof politics at Emory Univer-sity who studies African-American politics.

Most blacks still prioritizetheir rights as African-Americans and economicissues over social issues, shesaid.

Drawing the same distinc-tion as Rivers, the AfricanMethodist Episcopal ZionChurch issued a statementat its recent quadrennialmeeting declaring that itschurches cannot performsame-sex rituals. But it alsonoted that while it differedwith Obama on gay mar-riage, his positions onhealth care and studentloans are “consistent withthe interests of our congre-gant members.”

“We do not believe in same -sex marriage but we do notbelieve that’s the only is-sue,” explained AME ZionBishop Darryl Starnes.“There is more in the scrip-tures about treating thepoor right and championingthe cause of the oppressed

than some of these otherissues.”

Likewise, the PentecostalAssemblies of the World hassaid it is “in conflict” withthe president’s stance butapplauds Obama for “hismany achievements in im-proving the quality of life forall Americans.”Overall, Afri-

can-Americans remainone of the groups mostopposed to gay mar-riage: 51 percent areopposed, while 40 per-cent support it, accord-ing to a recent poll bythe Pew Forum on Re-

ligion & Public Life. Thatsupport, however, hasedged up from 26 per-cent just four years ago.Among black Protes-tants, opposition isslightly higher, at 54percent.

Pew researchers said

Obama's support hasn'tnoticeably shifted opinion ineither direction, but somesmaller groups are seekingto galvanize lingering blackskepticism over gay mar-riage to make it a wedgeissue for African-Americanvoters this November.

“I would hope that thepresident would becomewise, come to his sensesand know that he has madea mistake,” said the Rev.William Owens, president ofthe fledgling Coalition ofAfrican-American Pastors, ata recent National Press Clubnews conference. His groupis circulating an online peti-

tion to ask Obama to“repudiate his assertion that

gay marriage is a civil right.”

Still others, including theWashington-based groupMany Voices, are working toreshape the notion that allblack churches are againstgay rights. Rather, many

clergy are thinking carefully

about their stance, said theRev. Cedric Harmon, co-director of the three-year-old nonprofit.

“They’re weighing this out;they’re considering who

they know, what they be-lieve,” he said. “They don’twant to be mean. Theydon’t want to be hateful.”

Rivers said while his churchdoesn’t sanction same -sexceremonies, another acrosstown might conduct them. Ifgay members were to re-quest such a service fromhim, he said he would rec-ommend they find such acongregation for a cere-mony because it is theirright to have one.

“On the issues of justice,fairness and equality andthe prophetic role of clergyand standing up for what isright, there is much consen-sus,” he said. “On the otherissues, how you interpretdoctrine, that’s up to your

church.”

Black Churches Split Over GayMarriage and Obama

National Day ofRepentance from Page 1

The purpose of the NationalDay of Repentance is tobless the body of Christ, byfocusing on repentance inour own lives, on this onekey day; pull away from theworld, and join many othersacross the nation, in local

churches, homes, or minis-tries. We encourage thebody of Christ to pray, tofast, and to do one's ownspiritual inventory with Godour Creator during a Na-tional Day of Repentance.We believe this will openheaven for the Lord to for-give our sin and heal our

land. A website,www.dayofrepentance.org,has been created to fosterparticipation at the grass-roots level.

The event is calling pastors,priests, intercessors, churchleaders, prayer "warriors,"those with the ability todiscern the times like thesons of Issachar [1 Chroni-cles 12:32], those with spiri-tual discernment [1 Corin-thians 12:9], those whounderstand the spiritualpower of repentance indi-vidually, and for a nation.Our Founding Fathers un-derstood the power of re-pentance and declared Daysof "Fasting, Prayer and Hu-miliation" as a key spiritualtool to establish and pre-serve this nation. When theRevolutionary War lookedmost bleak, John Adams,asked if he believed wecould nonetheless defeatGreat Britain, said: "Yes, ifwe fear God and repent of

our sins."

This National Day of Repen-tance is set to coincide withYom Kippur, the Jewish Dayof Atonement. Holding thisevent on Yom Kippur, is inno way meant to preemptor replace what Yom Kippurmeans for the Jewish peo-

ple, but is meant to honorthe Jewish people's divinelymandated calendar (Lev23:1-2), and to honor theholiness and seriousness ofthat day. It also honors theJewish roots of the Christianfaith in Romans 1:16. TheLord Himself said [Leviticus23:27-31] that the Day of

Atonement would be a"holy convocation", a day to"afflict" one's soul, to do nowork; a "statute foreverthroughout your genera-tions in all your dwellings."

Although 2 Chronicles 7:14applies to Israel primarily, italso applies to all believersas a way to heal the na-tions, including our nation,in 2012. "If My people, whoare called by My name, willhumble themselves, andpray, and seek My face, andturn from their wickedways, then I will hear fromheaven, and will forgivetheir sin and heal theirland."This is a nonprofit project,for the body of Christ,across all denominations,initiated by a small groupof pastors nationwide. Formore information pleasecontact Pastor Jeff Daly,Director, National Day ofRepentance, (707) 987-9082, [email protected],www.dayofrepentance.org.

At Charity Missionary Baptist Church inNorth Charleston, S.C., the Rev. Nelson B.Rivers III supports and follows his Af rican-

American congregation’s policy: They will onlyconduct marriages between one man andone woman. RNS photo courtesy of Charity MissBaptist Church.


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Being A Pastor and Speaking Out in Today’s Culture

- Commentary by Dr. MichaelA. Milton

A pastor I know recently told

me that he was criticized forbeing "too political." He hasheard such an indictmentthroughout his ministry, hesaid. Today he leads a majorministry in the U.S. battlingdaily for the rights of pastorsto speak so that believers canspeak. His prophetic wordupsets the establishment. Hisvoice is prophetic. His heart is

pastoral. Can the two coexist?

I have heard similar charges inmy ministry through the years.I accept the critique. However,if the matter is important, I amcompelled to address it inpreaching or writing, and Ibelieve that is just being pas-toral to God's people. I cannotcompartmentalize the Lord-ship of Christ to only one areaof life. He is Lord of all.

Is it right that pastors shouldremain silent about importantmatters in society that arebeing debated in the publicsquare because someone istrying to establish in our cul-ture that there is no place inpolitics for religious beliefs or

moral convictions that havebeen born out of a faith com-mitment? Because peoplesquirm when sin is exposed inpolitics or culture, does itmean we should refrain frompreaching? No. It may mean

just the opposite.

Is a pastor solely limited tosharing the gospel to his flockon Sunday mornings? Or wasthe late Dr. John Stott rightthat one of our identities asgospel preachers, in a faithfulbiblical portrait of a pastor, is a"herald"? The pastor is not aprophet, yet he most certainlydoes carry a prophetic voiceand speaks with biblical au-

thority to other Beast-likepowers when there are soulsat risk or the honor of Christand His Church is under siege.

I have an intuitive concern thatthe liberal professor whowon't let the young believerraise her hand in a state uni-versity and speak from herconviction is now trying to

govern public discourse. Well,I am not governed by politicalcorrectness that has beenborn out of a liberal educa-tional system or by the pres-sure of a liberal press but bythe one and only true God.The public square is not theuniversity professor's class-room nor is it the TV newsstudio. This is my Father'sworld. Therefore, I speak, andI speak publicly, as the Lordgives an open door, throughmedia, because I am compelledby compassion for souls thatmay be victims of systems thatwill ultimately enslave them.

I believe that pastors mustspeak to our declining culture.I am pastorally concerned that

that there are dangerous idolsmasquerading under the ban-ner of politics in this increas-ingly secularized culture. Theseheaven-rejected powers preferthat we keep quiet. But whenthe powers move beyond theMachiavellian machinations ofpolitics to the advocacy of

principles at odds with God'sWord we must call them out.

The prophets and church fa-thers of old spoke forth con-cerning the actions of govern-ments, individuals yieldingpower, and the idols of cul-ture. Our Lord Jesus did whenhe said of Herod "Go tell thatFox" (Luke 13:32), St. Paul did,

the church fathers did, and theReformers did. In the 20thCentury I thank God that J.Gresham Machen (1881-1937)was not afraid to speak to theungodliness in his culture (readStephen Nichols' fine biogra-phy). And what of Bonhoeffer?Solzenitchen? Martin LutherKing, Jr.? Today pastors likeUgandan Archbishop Henry

Luke Orombi preach againstthe powers of darkness, ex-pose evil in government, andeven in churches in our ownnation as missionaries toAmerica, and warn peoplewhile compassionately invitingthem to Christ. Why? Becausepastors are like watchmen onthe wall (Ezekiel 33) requiredby God to sometimes warn ofcoming danger, even if otherscry "Off limits!" To do other-wise is to be disobedient toour calling. God says if there isharm to his people becausethe watchmen were silent theywill have the blood of the peo-ple on their hands. This is asobering warning to pastorsand trumps any criticism of

being "too political."

Yet the challenge of dis-cernment is acknowl-edged. What must wedo?

(1) Pastors must repre-sent no man but Godand no party but HisKingdom. We therefore

refuse to be used aspawns by any politicalparty. We are aware ofPsalms 2 that the rulersof this world conspireagainst God and His Son.We study. We pray. Wespeak, therefore, whenwe must, on behalf of thetruths of God's Word tohelp people.

(2) Pastors must diag-nose the presenting ill todiscover the real issuebeneath it. Only then dowe speak. Diagnosis re-quires prayer, wisdom,courage, and the leadingof the Lord. Speakingrequires courage andcounting the cost. If it is

a real or potential spiri-tual harm coming fromthe presenting issues ofculture or politics, thenwe must deliver the diag-nosis and offer the curein the Person of JesusChrist and His Word. If Ihappen to yell"Warning!" and the de-mon under the cloak ofculture is a straw-manthen I have expended mypastoral capitol, perhapscompromising my abilityto preach into real ormore critical situations.But if it is not a straw-man, and instead an in-strument of the "devil,the flesh or the world"

that would further mar

the image of God in manor further distance usfrom God, then woe tome if I speak not.

So we must preach, evenwhen the culture labelsour message "off limits."We will live with thatcriticism because we arepastors and we followChrist and His discipleswho also were criticized(and crucified) for assum-ing an authority thatchallenged theirs.

(3) Pastors must pray foreach situation that star-tles our shepherdinginstincts, and weighwhether a given issue isan assault on our con-science worth exposing.It is understood thatsome matters are justpolitics or a reflection ofa sick culture, and a pa-thology more ably ad-dressed by other menand women.

(4) Pastors must groundtheir preaching in God'sWord, the Bible. Wehave no authority apartfrom His Word. Wemust also always offerthe way out through thegospel of Jesus Christ.To do less is to be em-broiled in the political

debate. But preachingwith a conclusion thatleads to freedom inChrist is above thestorm, where it shouldbe.My pulpit and my writ-ings are not for sale toany political party. I carenot a whit for using myposition to promote apolitical agenda. I do care

for souls. That is my job.And I will preach. That ismy calling.

Dangers exist on all sidesfor the pastor. But, whosaid the job would beeasy? Yet to silence thepastor in any realm is tocause the Church toretreat into a secludedghetto where we can nolonger be salt and light inthe world. And that can-not be. We comfort theafflicted and on occasionmay afflict the comfort-able, as it is sometimesput. The ground of ourministry is love from a

pure conscience. Let usnot abandon our post aslong as God gives us thestrength to stand. Let usbe silent no more.

Michael Anthony Milton(Ph.D., University ofWales) serves as thechancellor/CEO of Re-formed TheologicalSeminary (one of thelargest accredited semi-naries in the country), aU.S. Army chaplain(instructing at the ArmedForces Chaplain School)and the James M. Baird

Jr. chair of pastoral the-ology at RTS/Charlotte.He is an author, song-writer, singer, ordainedminister, former pastorof First PresbyterianChurch in Chattanooga,Tenn., and he previously

served as the presidentof RTS/Charlotte. Dr.Milton also hosts a na-tional Bible teaching tele-vision program, Faith ForLiving, broadcast on theNRB Television Net-work, and a radio pro-gram broadcast on sev-eral stations in thesoutheast. For 16 yearshe served in the businessworld and served as atop-secret Navy linguist.


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Filmmaker Spike Lee focuses on faith in “Red Hook Summer” Adelle M. BanksWASHINGTON (RNS) SpikeLee is not about to give upfilmmaking but -- at least for amoment or two -- he soundeda bit like an expert on thechallenges facing the church ashe promoted his new movie"Red Hook Summer."

"Any church whose membersare senior citizens and there'sno youth coming behind,

they're going to die out," Leesaid in a roundtable discussionwith reporters.

"Now that goes for syna-gogues, mosques, temples too-- any institution," Lee contin-ued. "You got to always try tohave that infusion of youth.They might not be as smart butyouth has energy."

"Red Hook Summer" opensFriday (Aug. 24) in cities suchas Washington, Chicago, At-lanta and Los Angeles. Themovie's main character echoesLee's call to get young peopleto church, but he also has aparticular drive to evangelizehis grandson, who traveledfrom suburban Atlanta tospend the summer in the strug-gling Red Hook neighborhoodof Brooklyn, N.Y.

"The good Bishop EnochRouse is trying to rally hisflock, his congregation, in thiscruel and harsh world," saidLee of the character played byactor Clarke Peters. "He'sfinally getting a chance to meet

his grandson. They never seteyes on each other before andhe's desperately trying to gethim to accept God."

But Flik Royale, the iPad-totinggrandson, goes to the LittlePiece of Heaven BaptistChurch "kicking and scream-ing," said Lee.

"You embarrass me," Royale,played by Jules Brown, toldRouse, a character who even-tually is revealedto have a secretpast.

"You need Jesus inyour life, son," hisgrandfather re-sponds.

For his part, Leewasn't raised achurchgoer but hesays he's not to-tally unfamiliar

with the blackchurch, havingvisited congrega-tions such as NewYork's AbyssinianBaptist Church.

"We're very re-spectful of thechurch," said Lee,who sharedscreenwriting credits withauthor James McBride.McBride's mother co-foundedthe Brooklyn church where the

movie was filmed.

He and McBride capture the

vibrant worship -- rollickingorgan, tambourine playing andclapping congregation -- at theservices of the small Baptistchurch. And they also reflectthe practice in some blackchurches of adorning the wallswith images of a white Jesus.

Is Lee for or against that depic-tion?

"Can I go scriptural on you?"asked Lee. "Jesus wept."

Lee and his siblings competedto recite the short Bible versewhen asked for one duringchildhood visits to their South-

ern grandparents."Me and my brothers would

fight for that one," he said."Jesus wept -- two words.Can't go wrong with that,right?"

There are aspects of somereal-life churches that clearlydisturb Lee, especially prosper-ity gospel ministers in "25,000-seat arenas" passing around"garbage cans" instead of offer-ing plates.

"The politics of give me your

money and I'll put it in mypocket," he said. "I'm going tobe honest: I'm not a fan of thisprosperity. Not having it."

But he quickly adds: "I'm notsaying I don't love Jesus."

percent) does not believethat the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints isChristian.

Asked about people whoquestion the sincerity of hisfaith, Obama responded:“You know, there’s not muchI can do about it. I have a jobto do as president, and thatdoes not involve convincingfolks that my faith in Jesus islegitimate and real.”

Answering the same ques-

tion, Romney said: “I amoften asked about my faithand my beliefs about JesusChrist. I believe that JesusChrist is the Son of God andthe Savior of mankind. Everyreligion has its own uniquedoctrines and history. Theseshould not be bases for criti-cism but rather a test of ourtolerance.”

Both men said that politicalcandidates should be judgedby their works, not faith.

“A political leader’s faith cantell us a great deal or noth-ing,” Romney said. “So muchdepends on what lies behindthat faith. And so much de-pends on deeds, not words.”

Both also men said that re-ligion is central to their lives.

“My Christian faith gives mea perspective and securitythat I don’t think I would

have otherwise: That I amloved. That, at the end of the

day, God is in control,”

Obama said.

Romney said that “faith isintegral to my life. I haveserved as a lay pastor in my

church. I faithfully follow itsprecepts.”

The men differed slightly onthe role of faith in public life.

Obama highlighted religion’scontributions to the suf-frage, abolition and civilrights movements. He alsosaid that faith provides a

Spike Lee sits on the set of his film "Red Hook Summer" with actors ToniLysaith and Jules Brown. RNS photo courtesy Variance Films

“moral framework and

vocabulary” for the coun-try in times of crisis.

Romney said the countryshould “acknowledge theCreator, as did the Foun-ders -- in ceremony andword.”

God should remain pre-sent in American cur-rency, the Pledge of Alle-giance and history lessons,as well as nativity scenes

and menorahs in publicplaces, he added.

“In recent years, the no-tion of the separation ofchurch and state has beentaken by some well be-yond its original mean-ing," Romney said. “Theyseek to remove from thepublic domain any ac-knowledgment of God.“

President Obama and Romney continued from Page 1


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How can I really knowGod?

The idea of knowing theGod of the universe in a

personal way is unfathom-able to the human mind. Heis God, this ethereal, elusive,untouchable being that hasmore important things to dothan be with you. Right?

The truth is that there isnothing that will completeyour life more, or be moresatisfying to you, than hav-ing a personal relationshipwith God. Believe it or not,there is nothing more satis-fying to Him, as well. 2Timothy 2:19a says, “TheLord knows those who arehis.” And Exodus 33:13

says, “If you are pleasedwith me, teach me yourways so I may know youand continue to find favorwith you.” And Philippians3:10, “I want to know Christand the power of his resur-rection and the fellowship ofsharing in his sufferings,

becoming like him in hisdeath. “ From those verses,we begin to see that this

relationship with God isreciprocal. He knows us; weknow Him.

We are not talking aboutknowledge of God. Satanknows a lot about God andthe Bible, but there is nointimacy. Many people thinkthat they know God, whenin reality, they know a lotabout Him, but have yet to

forge an intimate bond withtheir loving Creator. Jesuswarns about this misunder-standing in Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me onthat day, ‘Lord, Lord, didwe not prophecy in yourname, and in your namedrive out demons and per-form many miracles?’ ThenI will tell them plainly, ‘Inever knew you. Away from

me you evildoers!” He was

talking about people whoworked so hard that theythought they were earningGod’s favor. They nevertook the time to sit at Hisfeet, to really know Him.

How do you do that? In theExodus verse above, itshows that one way to knowGod is to understand His

ways. We can do that bystudying His word and pay-ing attention to the way Heworks in our lives. Theverse found in Philippiansasserts that we know God bysharing in His work and Hissuffering. That basicallymeans sharing His heart forthe lost. Daily time spentwith God, however, is themost crucial way to assureyour intimacy with the Lord.This needs to be time spentalone, in prayer, seekingGod’s presence in your life.1 Chronicles 28:9 promises,“If you seek him, he will befound by you; but if youforsake him, he will rejectyou forever.”

What exactly is the tribu-lation?

The word "tribulation," usedas a prophetic term, comesfrom Jesus' Olivet discourse,during which He laid out thefuture course of human his-tory all the way to its climaxat His Second Coming. TheLord said, in response to Hisdisciples’ question, "Whatshall be the sign of thy com-ing, and of the end of the

world?"

"For then shall be greattribulation, such as was notsince the beginning of theworld to this time, no, norever shall be" (Matt. 24:21).

"Tribulation" is the term forthe general era of God's

judgment on a rebelliousworld of earth-dwellers. It is

a time that will begin with

Antichrist signing a seven-year covenant guaranteeingIsrael's peace and security(Dan. 9:27). This era iskicked off, symbolically,

beginning with the firsthorseman of the Apocalypse(Rev. 6:1).

"Great Tribulation" is con-sidered to be the last three

and one-half years of thatseven-year period known as"Daniel's seventieth week."The last three and one-halfyears is called "the time ofJacob's trouble" in Jeremiah30:7, when God's most hor-rific, but totally righteous,wrath is poured directlyupon the rebels of planetEarth. These judgments are

portrayed and precisely out-lined in Revelation, chapters6 through 19. The Tribula-tion will end when Christreturns from Heaven to de-feat God's enemies and setup His Millennial Kingdomon earth (Rev. 19:11-16).

What will happen to mem-bers of non-Christianfaiths?

If the Word of God is true,Christianity is the only wayto achieve eternal life. Ac-cepting Jesus as your per-sonal savior is the only wayto obtain salvation. It maynot be politically correct tosay this, but if Jesus is trulythe Son of God, then neitherIslam, Buddhism, Hinduism,nor any other faith can re-deem your eternal soul.

In John 14:6, Jesus made itvery clear that He is the onlymediator who can span thesin-rift that exists betweenGod and man: "I am theway, the truth, and the life:no man cometh unto theFather, but by me."

(Frequently asked questionsthis issue courtesy of Rap-tureready.com)

Frequently Asked Questions


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By David R. ReaganAlthough prophecy consti-tutes almost one-third ofthe Bible, its importance isconstantly downplayed bythose who dismiss it ashaving no practical signifi-cance or by those who ob- ject to it on the groundsthat it is a "fad" that takespeople's eyes off Jesus.

Revelation 19:10 says that"the testimony of Jesus isthe spirit of prophecy."Thus, if prophecy is prop-

erly taught, there is no rea-son for it to divert any-one's attention away fromJesus. In fact, it shouldserve to emphasize thecentrality of Jesus.

Is prophecy practical? Con-sider that all the New Tes-

tament writers testify tothe fact that the study ofprophecy will motivateholy living. What could bemore practical than that?

Prophecy does not have tobe either faddish, other-worldly, or impractical iftaught properly. Nor doesit have to be a playgroundfor fanatics. It can andshould be green pasturesfor disciples.

Reasons for Study

1) Validator of Scripture — Fulfilled prophecy is one of

the best evidences I know

of that the Bible is the in-spired Word of God. TheBible contains hundreds offulfilled secular propheciespertaining to cities, na-tions, empires, and indi-viduals. Jeremiah predictedthe Babylonian captivitywould last 70 years(Jeremiah 25:11-12). Isaiahstated that the children ofIsrael would be sent homefrom Babylon by a mannamed Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28;Ezra 1:1). Daniel predi-cated the precise order offour great Gentile empires(Daniel 2 and 7). The de-struction of Babylon wasforetold by a number ofthe Hebrew prophets(Isaiah 13). In the New Tes-tament, Jesus predictedthe complete destructionof Jerusalem 40 years be-fore it actually occurred(Luke 21:6).

2) Validator of Jesus — TheBible contains more than300 prophecies about thefirst coming of Jesus, all ofwhich were literally ful-filled (see Appendix 1).

Every aspect of the life ofJesus was prophesied — the place of His birth, thenature of His birth, thequality of His ministry, thepurpose of His life, and theagony of His death. Con-sider, for example, theprophecy in Psalm 22:16

that the Messiah's handsand feet would be pierced.That prophecy was writtenby David about a thousandyears before the birth ofJesus. It was written 700years before the inventionof crucifixion as a form ofexecution. The literal fulfill-ment of so many prophe-cies in the life of one indi-vidual transcends anymere coincidence andserves to validate that Je-sus was who He said Hewas — the divine Son ofGod.

3) Revealer of the Future— Prophecy serves to tellus some things that Godwants us to know aboutthe future (Deuteronomy29:29; Amos 3:7). Goddoes not want us to know

everything about the fu-ture, but there are somethings we must know if weare to have a dynamichope. Thus, prophecy as-sures us that Jesus is com-ing back, that He will resur-rect us, and that He willtake us to live forever with

Him and God the Father. Inthis regard, Peter likensprophecy to "a lamp shin-ing in a dark place" (2 Pe-ter 1:19). Paul makes thesame point in 1 Corinthianschapter 2. He begins byobserving that no eye hasseen, no ear has heard, nor

The Importance of Bible ProphecyA Playground for fanatics or Green Pastures for Disciples?

has the mind of man

conceived, what Godhas prepared for thosewho love Him. But inthe next verse Paulsays those things havebeen revealed to us byGod through His Spirit(1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

4) Tool of Evangelism— Prophecy can beused as a very effec-tive tool of evangel-ism, as illustrated inthe story of Philip andthe Eunuch (Acts8:26ff). Philip usedIsaiah's great sufferinglamb passage (Isaiah53) to teach that Jesusis the lamb who wasslain for the sins of theworld. Matthew andPeter both used ful-filled prophecy in thelife of Jesus as one oftheir basic evangelistictools. In fact, Peterreferred to prophecyconstantly in his firstgospel sermon on theDay of Pentecost (Acts2:14-39). He preachedthat Jesus had beencrucified and resur-rected in fulfillment ofHebrew prophecies.Later, Peter referredto fulfilled prophecy asone of the greatestevidences that Jesuswas truly the Son ofGod (2 Peter 1:16-19).

5) Tool of MoralTeaching — People

often overlook the fact

that the Hebrewprophets wereforthtellers as well asforetellers. In fact, theprophets spent mostof their time usingGod's Word to spot-light societal prob-lems. They called their

listeners to repen-tance, true worship,social justice, and per-sonal holiness. One ofthe great recurringthemes of the proph-ets is that "obedienceis better than sacri-fice" (1 Samuel 15:22

and Hosea 6:6). Thatstatement means thatin God's eyes, obedi-ence to His commandsis more importantthan outward religiouspractices such as offer-ing sacrifices. Proph-ecy is thus a great re-

pository of moralteaching, and thosemoral principles arestill relevant today.(See Amos 5:21-24;Micah 6:8; Isaiah 58:3-9.)

6) Generator of Spiri-tual Growth — Pro-phetic knowledge en-courages patient wait-ing (James 5:7- 8); pro-vokes earnest watch-ing (Matthew24:36,42); inspiresdedicated work (2Timothy 4:7-8); andenhances our hope

(Titus 2:11-14). The

result is holy living.Paul exhorts us to"behave properly as inthe day," because thetime is at hand whenthe Lord will return(Romans 13:12-13).Likewise, Peter calls usto gird up our minds

and be sober and holyas we look forward tothe revelation of Jesus(1 Peter 1:13-15).

Advice & Counsel

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Paul writes that all ofGod's Word is"profitable for teach-ing, for reproof, forcorrection, and fortraining in righteous-ness." That includesGod's Prophetic Word.In 1 Thessalonians

5:20 the apostle Paulpleads with us to treatprophecy with respect.

Peter warns us in hissecond epistle, thatone of the signs of theend times will be theappearance of"scoffers" who willcast scorn and ridiculeon the promise of ourLord's return (2 Peter3:3ff). The great trag-edy of our day is thatmany of the loudestscoffers are religiousleaders who profess tofollow Christ. Such


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(Romans 8:38-39)

The one who makes the day will save, and who he saveswill praise and worship him (Psalm 118:24).If you call his name you will always be heard and in re-turn you will find safety in his word (Acts 2:21; Prov-erbs 1:33).

His reward is not fame, silver, nor Gold, he not onlysaves lives, He saves souls (Luke 9:56).He will come and bring light in the darkest hour andlove, truth, and righteousness is his power.

No weapon formed against him shall prosper and all hisenemies shall be conquered (Isaiah 54:17).If you have faith, love, and hope in him and it neverwaivers, you will know he’s not only a hero, but JesusChrist our Lord and Savior (Romans 3: 22 to 26).

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leaders crucified Jesus the

first time He came. Theynow scoff at His promise toreturn.

A good example of whatI'm talking about is the"Jesus Seminar" that hasbeen operating for the pastfew years. It is composedof forty New Testament"scholars" from a great va-riety of Christian seminar-ies in America.The seminar has beenmeeting every six monthsto vote on the sayings ofJesus as recorded in thefour gospels. They hope toproduce a new version ofthe gospels in which thesayings of Jesus will becolor coded: red, if He saidit; pink, if He may have saidit; grey, if He probably didnot say it; and black, if Hedefinitely did not say it.

When they voted on the

sayings of Jesus regardingHis Second Coming, theyvoted that all the sayingswere spurious and hadprobably been "made up"by His disciples. What apos-tasy!

Spiritual Food

God's Prophetic Word isfood for our spiritualgrowth. We need to take itoff the shelf. We need toopen it up and feast uponit, and we need to do sowith believing hearts.

The book of Revelation

promises blessings to those

who read it (or hear it read)

and who obey it(Revelation 1:3). It is theonly book of the Bible topromise such a specificblessing, but all God'sWord is designed to blessus spiritually (Psalm 119),and that includes the Pro-phetic Word.

Key Scriptures aboutProphecy

Let's conclude with a re-minder of what the Wordof God itself says about thevalue of prophecy. In thisway we can be assured thatthe effort we expend in

looking at the propheticScriptures will be time ex-tremely well spent.

"The secret things belongto the Lord our God; butthe things that are revealedbelong to us and to oursons forever."(Deuteronomy 29:29)

"Surely the Lord God doesnothing, unless He revealsHis secret counsel to Hisservants the prophets."(Amos 3:7)

"I am God, and there is noother; I am God, and there

is no one like Me, declaringthe end from the beginningand from ancient t imesthings which have not beendone. . . I have spoken;truly I will bring it to pass. Ihave planned it, surely Iwill do it." (Isaiah 46:9-11)

"[Jesus said] 'Do not think

that I have come to abolish

the Law or the Prophets; Idid not come to abolish,but to fulfill.'" (Matthew5:17)

"[Jesus] said to them,'These are My words whichI spoke to you while I wasstill with you, that all thingswhich are written aboutMe in the Law of Mosesand the Prophets and thePsalms must be fulfilled.'"(Luke 24:44)

"Of Him [Jesus] all theprophets bear witness thatthrough His name everyonewho believes in Him re-

ceives forgiveness of sins."(Acts 10:43)

"The prophets who prophe-sied of the grace thatwould come to you madecareful search and inquiry,seeking to know what per-son or time the Spirit ofChrist within them was in-dicating as He predictedthe sufferings of Christ andthe glories to follow." (1Peter 1:10-11)

"But know this first of all,that no prophecy of Scrip-ture is a matter of one'sown interpretation, for no

prophecy was ever madeby an act of human will,but men moved by theHoly Spirit spoke fromGod." (2 Peter 1:20-21)

"The testimony of Jesus isthe spirit of prophecy."(Revelation 19:10)


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