Another cycle of God's festivals have come and gone. After the Feast of Tabernacles a new spiritual year begins.I always come away from the Feast of Tabernacles with a plans to make a few positive changes in my life. The 8 days I spend away from my routine and my stuff allow me to step outside of myself... make a few critical observations... rather like new years resolutions.Most new years resolutions die after a short burst of application. Then folks slide back into the pattern of life they are most accustomed to. We love changing our hairstyles, fashion, TV shows, maybe we'll strike out in a new direction by growing a mustache. But, changing our ideas, our habits, is a different matter. We resist change on these... To admit we're wrong and to make necessary corrections... makes us feels foolish, insignificant, and threatens our notions of self worth.A great deal of human reasoning is put to work to resist real change... by justifying, rationalizing, and plain old "making excuses".In the year that has passed we each received a lot of good information about eternal life, reward, and salvation. Resolve this year to be a Year of Change! Believe and act upon what you have heard!A New Beginning2 Corinthians 13:5 Has the past year brought you to see yourself more clearly? As you really are rather than how you wish to be or be seen? As God sees you?Have you sized yourself up by means of His word? Have you seen how you have fallen short or the glory of God?Are you ready to surrender those strongholds in your mind rather than protecting them like a mama bear with her cubs?Common Strongholds: thoughts, music, substance abuse, perverted sex, occult, money matters, authority issues, psychological dysfunction (such as stress, anxiety, depression).Prevention is the best remedy... however, if a stronghold has already been established: 1. Admit where you are: stop denial and self delusion ("its just entertainment", "I can stop anytime once I set my mind to it", "its not me its the system")2. Possibly share  your situation with a trusted individual3. Seek help4. Change your environment (bad company ruins good morals)5. Set your will to do the right thing (you gotta exert some effort)6. Go to the source of the problem (what trigger gets you started)7. Bathe your mind in the word of God - (it provides the only objective standard against which you can measure your current situation, then measure your improvement, and keep you oriented toward the right goals)God gives favor to the humble... humble people are willing to change. God wants change, change that's permanent with no turning back!Give Yourself To God CompletelyLive by every word of God. Make this your goal above all else: above family, friends, even your own life. Matthew 10:37-39 think of losing your life as letting go of those mental strongholds in your mind that are guarded, armed and ready to repel any intrusion by God. What good does it do you to hang on to what is temporary  at the risk of that which is everlasting? Instead: "seek first the kingdom of God".Everything Begins With ChangeJesus gave His life to pay the penalty for your sins. But you access the power of this salvation through a change of mind and thinking... "repent and be baptized so your sins may be forgiven and you may receive the Holy Spirit".The changing of mind and attitude does not end at the beginning. The active renewing of your mind after the pattern of Jesus Christ continues throughout your whole life.Winning requires ongoing effort 1 Timothy 6:12; 1:18-19, 2 Timothy 2:3-4A life successfully lived... is a battle won 2 Timothy 4:6-8Godly Change Means Doing Battle With 3 Deadly Enemies1. Yourself - your human nature2. The world - 3. Satan - the accuser, tempter, and liar1. YourselfYour flesh and blood mind has an instinct for reproduction and self preservation... neither of these is intrinsically bad. No one faults a moose for wanting to pass

The end times… the end of the age… the days when Christ returns… we think of mighty armies at war, horrible religious repression, greed, violence, arrogance and so forth. Have you ever thought of faithas an issue related to the end times?Luke 18:8 Jesus positions faith as a question for the end times… when He returns. His question Jesus asks you to think about the possible answers. What is the answer? Yes or No? Are we close to that end time? If so, what do we see? What would faith look like?If you consider faith as simply belief in any entity; a body of teachings, an institution, or perhaps even a person, then on you could argue people show plenty of faith.in all the various religious dogmas out there [belief and confidence they have truth]in science & technology [belief and confidence in observable data]in political ideologies [belief and confidence their way will work]in persons of fame and talent [belief and confidence the right person can get it done]Yet, all these objects of faith are fickle and with enough passage of time prove unreliable.Our age also shows a great loss of faith… in marriage, in government, in the military, in journalism, in education… a loss of faith that truth even exists and is knowable… a loss of faith that there is meaning and purpose to life… a loss of faith in any kind of positive future.Many people are turned off and tuned out… immersing themselves in alternate worlds of drugs, social media, entertainment, and sex. Our young are taught life is merely a series of highly personal choices and experiences, each person alone and adrift. Captain of your own ship… but going nowhere.The Faith We Need [You Need] is Active Living FaithLiving faith is an active living trust in, and relationship with, your Father Creator. that is the faith we are here to learn more about. Living faith is not all in your head, or in your heart… its also in your hands and your feet. Living faith takes what you think and feel and puts it into action. Lets start with a simple example:Will you worship God YES/NO? If yes, then how does that become active and living...Will you worship God as He has instructed or as you please? Will you get up out of your sofa and come before Him at the time He has appointed?… to do as He has instructed, rather than how you please, is active living faith in God.Luke 18:1-8 another example of active living faith. Why is this active living faith? [answer: perseverance]Was her confidence that the judge’s better self would eventually shine forth? No, the circumstances and situation indicated she would fail. The judge was unjust, he didn’t care about people. She won out through sheer endurance. How much more should we expect an answer to a request made to God the righteous judge in accordance with His will!God promises “I will answer”… at the right time and in the right way to get you to the point where you can achieve the fullness of your potential as a child of God. Have confidence that this is so! Have active living faith!Question: When the Son of Man comes… will He find people with active living faith?I started off listing things humanity commonly puts their faith in, science, politics, religious dogma, human goodness etc. The very idea of faith presupposes some ideal outcome, some goal, or end game.Humans want to “feel good” or “be happy”. That future happiness usually takes place in a setting of prosperity, health, and peace [a setting without fear or worry]. We hear a lot about this goal of peace.People light candles for peace, they hold seminars for peace, they propose treaties for peace, they protest for peace… even beauty contestants tell us that what they want is world peace and an end to hunger. It seems like a universally desired outcome.Imagine Miss Universe [as the representative of humanity, Serena Strawman] standing before God… “we want peace, and an end to world hunger”.God says: ok, I’ll show you how to have world peace, but all of you have to do the stuff I tell you to do.Serena:

Jesus promised He would establish an assembly of followers on a rock solid foundation and that assembly (church) would not die out. So, its reasonable to expect there to always be an assembly of His… active somewhere in this mixed up world. Can it be identified?Jesus also told us many imposters would come in His name, and they would lead many people astray. When they come before Him saying look what we did! His reply to them will be “I never knew you. Get away from me you lawless people”.Matthew 7:20-27 in that same section of His teaching Jesus tells us we can know the true from the false. His church will be an assembly of people who “do the will of the Father”. That is the rock solid foundation.Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:9-14The Pharisee is a man of obvious religious practice with an impressive list of good works. He tithes, he spurns injustice and immorality, he prays regularly, he fasts frequently, he is thankful to God for making him a righteous person.The tax collector would have been a person despised by most people. Because of his profession people would naturally assume he was a greedy, corrupt, extortioner. Now consider how this man he sees himself. He sees his faults, how he appears in God’s sight, how much he has fallen short of God’s standards. With this realistic view of himself he seeks God’s forgiveness. If you didn’t know what these men were thinking and praying, if all you could see was the clothes they wore and the badges of social standing they wore… you would probably make some superficial assumptions about which was most pleasing to God.But, Jesus uses the imaginative power of a parable to give you a God’s eye view of what the two men are thinking and praying:One is confident and self assured… convinced that his approach is correct… not examining his life for ways he needs to change but exalting himself before God.The other comes before God, not expecting acceptance and praise, but asking forgiveness.With this insight into their thoughts… which of these two would you imagine would be more willing to adjust his outlook, and his actions, to make the changes needed to please God… to really do His will?Beyond the world of parables we don’t get to know what people really think, and pray, and feel. God does… God can enter into thought, mind, and feeling [1 Samuel 16:7 God looks into the heart]Paul Was a Real Live PhariseeThe Pharisee of the parable was a fiction. But Saul of Tarsus was a real Pharisee before his transformation into Paul an Appostleof Jesus Christ. What does Paul say?Philippians 3:4-6Romans 10:1-3 Paul says the religious Jews are fired up about God, butnot according to proper understanding [epignosis]. Paul tells us part of their problem was they substituted their own ideas and religious practices in place of what God desires, or God’s will.1 Timothy 1:12-13 super religious Paul, spoke evil of the church, did bodily harm to members of the church. Paul the Pharisee, and others like him, considered themselves righteous, zealously doing what they assumed was the work of God… Paul the Pharisee was sincere, but sincerely wrong. He says he did what he did because he did to not knowing any better, and did not believe the teaching of the Messiah. People can be Very Religious But Lack Proper UnderstandingToday, we live in a world where many know the general outline and purpose of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Enough to be dangerous… We live in a world where many read scripture regularly and sincerely… but not according to proper understanding [epignosis]. Most have been tricked into ignoring obedience to God’s commands… yet sincerely convinced they are somehow doing God’s will.God Gives Credit Where Credit Is DuePeople, nations, cultures that have contact with God’s word, whether in small measure or large measure, have an advantage by that contact and interaction. Those who practice even a part of what God’s word says have an even greater advantage. However, if we mix

Over a billion people consider themselves christian. Most often they are born into it. The family may be church goers… they may live in a society where bible and church are cultural norms... perhaps christianity is the state religion. Current data tells us christianity is still the largest religious group on earth. Somewhere between 1-2 billion are loosely categorized, christian.This vast group of people have a wide variety of divergent teachings, but have some core teachings in common. But what this vast majority believe and teach is very different from what the Church of God, and groups like the United Church of God teach.The Differences Go Way Beyond The SabbathKeeping the 4th commandment instruction to observe a Sabbath rest each 7th day certainly makes us stick out in a very visible way. But the differences between the Church of God and the vast majority are more than what you see on the surface. Consider these 3 weighty questions:What is humanity? [immortal soul going to heaven or hell vs. finite being who must be raised to eternal life or remain permanently dead]Who and what is God? [an expanding family vs. an unfathomable 3 sided box]What does God expect of humanity? [must we do as God commands or may we make our own decisions about what commands are valid]On each of these points you will get a very different answer here than you will from the vast majority of christian churches that dominate the world scene.People and churches that believe and teach like the United Church of God are so small, so few. To the human mind’s way of reasoning you would expect that teachings with greater numbers of believers are more likely to be true. Might makes right.Matthew 7:13, 21-23 [explain anomia] not everyone who accepts, proclaims, or teaches about Jesus is a true follower. Jesus Christ does not recognize those who practice, or teach, a “no-law” message… no matter what else they say or do in His name [either good or bad].The teachings and the prophecies of Jesus indicate that something would appear that looks deceptively like a church representing Him. This church would dominate human affairs up to the very end, yet this it would be a misrepresentation of what He actually taught. They would come with a message of lawlessness. Jesus has warned you about it in advance.Matthew 24:4-5 people will come forth in the name of Jesus and proclaim Him to be the Christ or Messiah… yet lead large numbers of people astray [verses 11-12 tell you how]Where Do Most Christian Churches Get Their Teachings & Practises?You would assume they get their teachings from God’s own word. What they say sounds very biblesque. But if you go back to the 3 core teachings mentioned earlier, immortality of the soul, a triad of co-equal God beings, the place of God’s law in your life… what you are really hearing is human imagination and reasoning, human desires and goals, and doctrines of demons. Scripture is then distorted and read out of context to comply with these human ideas and philosophies. It sounds very biblesque… yet teaches an approach to life, an understanding of God, and false hope that are simply not found in scripture. I believe this is a very serous way in which humanity violates the commandment that warns “do not use my name in ways that are false, empty, and worthless”? Don’t attach my name to your worthless ideas!What Are Churches Supposed To Teach?Matthew 28:20 we are to teach what Jesus taughtMatthew 19:16-17 obedience to God’s commandments leads to eternal lifeThis is the same message taught by the apostles and the Church of God!Romans 1:15 teach the obedience that comes from faith [Romans 3:31]Colossians 2:6-8 stick with this and don’t be fooled by deceptive philosophy [human reason, human imagination and ideas]. Error, Confusion, and Deception Are Always At The Church’s DoorPeter, Paul, John and others went forth filled with zeal, faith, and truth. The church of God grew rapidly and spread out all over the Roman empire. Those were the da

Will science ever find a way to allow us to live forever? With all that humanity is able to accomplish the hope that we may one day eliminate death seems almost possible. Each year new breakthroughs and technologies are introduced in our search for ways to prolong life and perhaps even to live forever. The dream of living forever is part of how we humans think. Our creator has put this notion of eternity into our minds. But He has not built into us the knowledge or power to make eternal life happen (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The eternity we long for can only come from God our Father who does have the knowledge and power to make eternal life happen.The good news is God your Father very much wants you to have life everlasting. He wants you to go from here to eternity.Romans 6:23Yes, eternal life is a gift God wants to give to you. All He asks is that you trust Him and work with Him through the process He has planned for you. It’s a process designed to get you from here… to eternity. Getting from here to thereWhen moving from one place to another place you often must go through a passage way to come out on the other side... like a door, or a hallway. And for a short period of time you are no longer in the place you started nor are you in the place you are headed.In the same way you can imagine God’s process for getting you from here to eternity. The here is your temporary life that lasts only a short while then ends… the destination is eternal life that never ends. To get to your destination you leave where you are and begin moving towards your destination.What is that passage way?To get from your dead-end life to an eternal life you must enter into something else. You must pass through a life under the judgment and careful assessment of God. Judgment is a bit of a dirty word these days so it warrants a bit of explanation:Discuss Krisis (evaluation)… and Krinos (v)/Krima (n) (decision or verdict)  use analogy of test driving a sports carPossible verdicts would be to condemn or find guilty (katakrino) or to acquit… to find not guilty (dikaioo) or justified.There are two ways you can enter into this process… one is by invitation and it is happening now… the second is offered to everyone and occurs much later – in fact not until after Christ returns and reigns on earth for 1000 years. The first and best way to get started is to receive and accept God’s invitation now. God calls and draws you to Him by the power of His Holy Spirit. You can accept His invitation through repentance and baptism. After baptism and the laying on of hands you will receive the power that makes eternal life possible… God’s Holy Spirit.1 Peter 4:12-17 the members of God’s household have entered into their time of judgment with the most holy God…. See also 1 Corinthians 11:32-33Living a life under judgmentWith God’s empowering Holy Spirit and the knowledge from His word you will live out your days. God will watch you, evaluate you, test you, guide you and determine if you are willing to live by the principles of eternal life found in His word. If you demonstrate through your way of living that you can be trusted with eternal life and remain faithful to its principles… then you have an everlasting future. God will confirm the gift of eternal life He has begun in you through the life giving Holy Spirit.Colossians 3:1-10… verse 1 risen (baptism/physical resurrection)… appear in glory (resurrection to a glorious spiritual body)… read more about it in 1 Corinthians 15This first option will place you among the blessed and holy who share in the first resurrection to eternal life Revelation 20:6. It’s the better option and offers many positive rewards. So, if God is calling you now you should respond!God’s Holy Festivals teach us about the steps in His plan of salvation for humanity and this day when Christ returns to resurrect the firstfruits and bring them into the fullness of their inheritance in the family of God is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets.What happens to eve

If I ask you, “does God have enemies” you might think first of Satan, who popular imagination presents as God’s arch enemy, but what about people? Are there human beings who are God’s ENEMIES!That might conjure up an image of some fiendish villain like Adolph Hitler, or perhaps an angry atheist media celebrity sputtering forth with accusations, demeaning jokes, or sarcasm. The painful reality is that there are far more enemies of God than you could have ever imagined.Romans 8:7 the mind of flesh is hostile toward God. It does not allow itself to be ruled by the law of God… nor is it even able to. Let that sink in…it means that every human being … by their very nature, by the very way their mind operates is an enemy of God!Cuz, Baby you were born that way… [Note: you were not born a wrong doer or under a penalty for crimes you had not yet committed, but you were born with a mind made of flesh that cannot and will not submit itself to the laws of God… so you quickly wandered off into disobedience to God’s laws… and the penalty for that is that you are cut off from eternal life]. Your whole way of thinking and acting is a state of conflict with your creator God. Its a core conflict… it doesn’t just stay in your head… it’s a way of thinking and acting that creates the war, violence, oppression we see in the world. Divorce, anger, bitter disagreement, and resentment are everywhere… even reaching into the church of God.How Do I Fix This Way Of Thinking?First, your relationship with God your creator must be fixed. You and God are enemies until that hostility begins to be addressed. But, before God can get to work on you... we have to deal with the penalty stuff [cut off from God, cut off from eternal life]. That’s what the Passover… and baptism are all about.Colossians 1:21-22 our hostile relationship with God can be set on a path toward, friendship, love, grace, peace… good stuff like that. After that we move to fix our relationships with our fellow humans. But, it begins with Christ. He takes that penalty away… and you are no longer cut off from God. That free access opens up all kinds of wonderful opportunities.Romans 5: 8-10 - God is the peacemaker. God makes the first move. He sets an example for us of proactive reconciliation which we can [and must] then use to repair and maintain our human relationships.Matthew 5:9 God’s goal for us is that we become like Him. We become peacemakers at work, in our neighborhoods, in our marriages, in our church, among our friends.How Can I Identify This Way Of Thinking?The way of thinking that leads to hostility with God and conflict with others builds on top of our natural needs and desires… but does so in a way that leads to bad results. Pride – an exaggerated view of self… to see the rightness or wrongness of a situation by how it affects me, how others are treating me… rather than how am I contribution to this problem or how do I treat others. The only acceptable outcome of a proud mindset is that I get what I want… I win. But, where does that leave the other party? Whether God or man. Emotional need to have others heal me and my feelings rather than take the process of reconciliation into our own hands. Who will say I’m sorry first. Combine this with point #1 and you have a you could have a standoff… someone has to make the first move. Quest for happiness – looking for others to provide us with feelings of happiness, or emotional satisfaction, a sense of stability and justice… Problem because other people fall short of our expectations… and we end up in conflict Think of the love languages… you express love through gifts, so you are expecting and wanting gifts. She expresses love through acts of service. She shows you love in a way that is important to her… you are disappointed because you are expecting gifts. The emotional needs are legit… but how we seek to fulfill them can drive conflict. Because we start to see that other person as an obstacle in the path towards our personal fulfillm

Life that is truly life, life that is full, abundant, joyful… is the gift that God wants to give to you.Life with no further fear of death, no sorrow, no tears for all that is lost… is the future that awaits you.Life that is firmly set in a warm fellowship of justice, righteousness, love is… is the promise for the children of God.You who have been drawn to Christ through God the Father, who have entered into a newness of life, You who have received the Holy Spirit, the down payment, the seed, the guarantee of God’s gift… have been given a glimpse, a foretaste, a sneak peek at what lays ahead.You have been very blessed.1 Corinthians 15:50 but you cannot experience, fully know, or possess what is promised except beyond the grave. Let’s read verses 51—58 Death is not meant to be the conclusion of human existence. Death is an enemy introduced through the deception of Satan and the disobedience of man.But for those who are in Christ it is the final putting off of the old man, the corruptible, the temporary, the needy, the dependent, the vulnerable, the deceptive. We long to put all these weaknesses and pains away. We long to put on the new… to take on eternal life, to come into the fullness of son-ship in the family of God. What We Are Given to KnowWe hear about people who have died… then come back. They say stuff like, “I saw light”, “I felt great peace”. There is a certain fascination about reports like this. In my opinion these can largely be attributed to the final neural activity of the brain as it shuts down after the heart stops beating and sending blood to the brain. I am convinced by scripture that the dead know nothing and have no consciousness. These stories are human imagination at work. They tell us nothing about the quality or nature of the life to come. But humans are curious and they want to have something to look forward to, even if they have to make stuff up. Our only true source of information about the life to come is through what God has given us to know from scripture.The Quality of Resurrected Life1 Corinthians 13:12 our greatest source of knowledge about the quality and nature of the life to come is through our knowledge of God our Father, through Christ the Son. We can know something of what we will be like because we know what God is like… and we know that we shall be like Him. For example, consider the context:we know God is lovewe know love is patient, love is kind… etc read verses 4-7so we know that our life to come we are kind, patient, humble, not rude or selfish, rejoicing in truth.Knowledge of, understanding of, experiencing of these qualities of God are a form of knowing, understanding and experiencing the life to come. There is much more to be said on this.The Resurrection BodyBut someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? Paul’s answer to this question is basically… that’s a silly question. Then He goes on to give an analogy that says the relationship of our present physical body to our future body is like the relationship between a seed and a fully sprouted plant.1 Corinthians 15:47,49 we will be raised to bodies like the resurrected Jesus1 Corinthians 15:45 we will have a spiritual body that has the power of life built in! We are resurrected to a body, we are not some form of energy or mind floating around. We put off the physical body, our spirit returns to God but it is not alive, at the time appointed by God we will be raised to life with a new body with different qualities and attributes. Without some form of body there is no life, no reality of existence. The spirit that returns to God does not have a body, it does not live. Why does this matter? Why do I keep coming back to this point?Eternal life retains your individuality, your person-hood, your unique identity and existence. You are not like a line of code in a vast computer program, you are not like a cell in a body that is greater than you.This ongoing person-hood or identity is expressed throug

The prophetic portions of God’s word give the nation of Israel a lot of attention. Is He playing favorites? Is He ignoring all the other nations and people on earth?3,500 years back people believed gods were local. Such gods had jurisdiction only over a particular territory or a particular race. When you went to a different place you had better make an effort to appease the god of that section of country to gain their favor. A mindset that even Israel struggled with.The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the God of scripture) is the Creator/Ruler/Father of ALL nations… not just Israel. He is the God of all the earth, not just a patch of land in the middle east. The prophecies He has caused to be recorded affect all nations and peoples of the earth. Genesis 12:3 Israel’s mission was to be a blessing to ALL the nations of the earth.Exodus 22:21 Deuteronomy 10:17-19Deuteronomy 27:19 Ezekiel 47:22These scriptures give us the mind of God on the matter. He loves those of other nations and wants the people He has chosen to think and act the same way. God judges each person by how they respond to His instructions. Some have received a lot and some have received very little.Romans 9:4 Israel received a lot. In return God expects a lot from them. The same equation is at work in the church, the spiritual nation, the Israel of God. “to whom much is given, much is expected in return”. Therefor this principel is at work for you and me also.In the days of the Old Covenant God used Israel as a sort of middle-man. He delivered His word directly to them… they were to take it to the rest of the world, living it, speaking of it in their streets and homes. The same equation is at work in the church, the spiritual nation, the Israel of God… to speak, to teach, and to reach.It may be that Israel’s shortcomings kept their neighbors from seeing the light of God’s commands. It may be that the shortcomings of the church keep others from seeing the light of God’s truth. [woe unto us if that be the case].Israel is First in LineThe physical descendants of Abraham may have been the first to received the good things of God. They are also first in line to receive His discipline and punishment. Luke 21:20-24 when the Day of The Lord comes Christ will deal out punishment and discipline to all the nations of the earth… Israel is also to be punished and disciplined. But their punishment and discipline comes even before the Christ’s return.Before Christ’s return there is a time of great tribulation. God will punish Israel for their rebellion and rejection by allowing the nations to have their way with Israel. The results won’t be pretty. God completely removes all protection from Israel, they are viciously attacked by al the other nations with Satan goading them on. The descendants of Abraham are killed in huge number and the rest are taken as slaves. It is “the time of Jacob’s trouble’Jeremiah 30:6-10.Note: Jesus uses same terminology [pain of childbirth, no time like it in history] in His long prophecy in Matthew 24: 6-8 [painof childbirth], 21 [no time like it]. Very likely one of the prophetic writings He was referring to was the time of Jacob’s trouble.So… the time of Jacob’s trouble comes right before the return of Christ when He will forcefully discipline all nations, all cultures, and people… but the process of punishment will have already begun with Israel.God starts with Israel: He revealed Himself first to Israel, Israel is punished and disciplined first, and Israel is the first nation and people to be restored when the Kingdom of God and the 1,000 year rule of Christ begin.God Does Not Forget Rest of HumanityIsaiah 66:18-23Acts 10:34-35 The church began with a remnant of believers drawn out of Israel, Peter, John, the 120 disciples, the 5,000 baptized on Pentecost, Paul… and on that base God is drawing to Himself people from all nations. The situation in this verse is referring specifically to the church. But is also a template for how Christ will opera

What is the point of prophecy?On one hand people don’t like uncertainty… where will I get the money for rent next month?... will the stock market crash and wipe out my retirement savings? … will my son get home safely tonight?On the other hand many of us dislike the idea of a future where everything is already decided. Statements like: “I have no choice in the matter”… “its inevitable”… “I can’t change anything”, are statements of despair not confidence.God’s word gives us a way of understanding life that is a balance between a future that is reliable and true and a future that is changeable based on the choices we make. For example:Kingdom of God – the coming rule of God on earth and in the universe is set and will not change.Salvation & Reward – your relationship to the Kingdom of God is based on the choices you make. Both these aspects of the future are addressed by the word of God.God’s word shines a light on the path you must actively choose if you want to live, and receive reward in the kingdom of God.God’s word provides you with prophecies and promises of the certain and inevitable future. Note: by definitions that future has not yet happened. SO… God’s word also provides contains prophecies of events that happened just as they were foretold… Knowing these “past prophecies” gives you greater confidence in what has not yet come to pass.2 Timothy 3:16 – anyone can claim their writing is supernaturally inspired. Telling about a future event and then making it actually happen is what makes an audacious claim like “this is the word of God” believable. You will not find fulifilled prophecy in other supposed holy writings (Koran, Mormon, Hindu or Buddist literature, etc.). Prophecy and fulfillment is what sets the word of God from Genesis to Revelation apart. Isaiah 46:9-11 the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob not only claims to reveal the future… He proves Himself by demonstrating the power to make it happen.2 Peter 1:19-21 … its in your best interest to give propehcy attention!ProphetsA prophet is one through whom God speaks to humanity. There have been many prophets throughout human history… the greatest of all the prophets sent by God is Jesus Hebrews 1:1-2. [Luke 13:33 refers to self as a prophet].Jesus’ teaching was about the kingdom of God. It had the elements of certainty and choice:a kingdom of God way of living you must choosea sure outcome of human history ie. the rule of God on earth.Note: Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection is also the most extensive and greatest fulfillment of events foretold centuries before in the word of God. Both Scripture and human history speak to the credibility, and reliability, of scripture. A sobering thought when consideringthe future...Gut check: What is You First Reaction to Prophecy?You might see only strange beasts, cryptic coded messages, riddles, or confusing chronologies… unappealing and unrelated to life as we know it. How does prophecy help me find personal happiness? How does prophecy help me become a better person?If you take time to study and understand the prophecies of scripture they can give greater personal clarity as to why the life decisions you make matter. And help you see the choices you make as incremental steps toward a very positive future.To get this kind of perspective on prophecy lets step back and take a big picture view of scripture. What are the consistent (an persistent) core messages… what are the consistent threads of events found in scripture? How do these interact with history?We’ll get to those in coming weeks… but today let’s go over nine guiding principles to help us to understand prophecy:Guiding Principles of ProphecyRole of the Messiah – the key player in almost all prophecy is the Messiah and His intervention in human affairs… what He hasdone, and what He is going to do in the future Luke 24:44.Kingdom of God – almost all prophecy is in some way related to the establishment of the Messiah’s rule over humanity on earth Daniel 7:1

A promise from God is a prophecy from God. If God says He is going to do something you can be sure He will do it. Not only is your Creator faithful and reliable… He wants you to enjoy the feeling of security in His faithfulness… and He wants to enjoy your confidence in Him. Trust & Confidence: the foundation of a healthy relationship.God’s word speaks His promises to you [and to all humanity]… from beginning to end.Genesis 3:15 God’s first promise to humanity is a prophecy directed at the adversary… the serpent… the morning star Lucifer who by his own choice became God’s enemy.God promises a solution to the problems and suffering humanity have brought upon themselves. A choice to go their own way apart from God. A choice with no good future.God tells Satan [the serpent] that from the descendants of Eve there will come a “Seed” or descendant who would step/stomp on his head and crush it. Satan would be permitted to attack the foot of the “Seed” and temporarily disable, harass and impede His work [a reference to the execution of the Messiah and the 3 days in the tomb, also a reference to the continued harassment of the present body of Christ as they bring the true gospel to the world]. But the end is decided and certain. Satan gets stomped.Scripture begins with a promise: God will send a “Seed”, a Son of Man, a descendant born of woman, to restore humanity from the pain, suffering, and death they chose… He will crush and replace Satan, and take charge of the course of humanity on earth. The rest of prophecy expands and elaborates on this promise.Promises to AbrahamGod calls Abraham and sets him apart. And He makes some promises to Abraham that show how the original promise from Genesis 3:15 will happen.Genesis 12:1-3 from Abraham will come a nation through which God will bring good to all humanityGenesis 22:18 from Abraham will come the “Seed” or descendant who will bring good things, and the promise of a brighter future to all humanity.Through Abraham God reveals a new pathway for humanity. On one hand we have the path set by Adam, to follow our own heart, our humanly devised sense of what is right and true. Its the way of all physically created beings, but it has no future. Physical life comes to an end after about 75 to 90 years. Without God there is nothing to look forward to. Just nothingness. [there is a way that seems right to a man but the end is death]On the other hand we have the path set by Abraham, to believe God, have confidence in His promises and to live by His word [obey His voice] because of that confidence. This is the way of spiritual creation. To have the mind of God built in you… a way with a bright a glorious future beyond those 75 to 90 years… a hope of eternal life in the family of God. The promise to Abraham is an example of one prophecy fulfilled in multiple ways [duality]: The Messiah would be born as a descendant [or seed] of Abraham Abraham’s millions of descendants would become a nation. God would make known a better way of living through that nation… His commandments, judgments, and statues… a way of mercy, faith, holiness and righteousness All who believe God and follow the path of faithful obedience would be of the same spiritual family as Abraham Galatians 3:16The Nation of IsraelWhen Abraham was old enough to be a great grandfather, and his wife was decades past menopause, they had a son Isaac. Isaac had two sons: Esau the oldest son & Jacob the younger. Against all tradition and precedent Jacob [the younger] was chosen to receive the promise over Esau [the elder]. These children were the beginning of God making good on his promises. The circumstances sent a message about how God works: God starts things small and causes them to grow larger. God’s blessing is a miracle… over-riding the laws of physics and biology. Isaac was a miracle baby Passing the promises along to Jacob was God’s choice. It was not deserved or earned. However, God does expect a positive response from us in returnJa