This past Sabbath our Church family went out to reach our brothers and sisters around the BadeLu area by giving tracks and survey questionnaires for 60 minutes. Though we’ve been doing this for quite sometime, we were overwhelmed for the response we received this time. I realized two things: (1) there were many people out there who were hungering and thirsting to know the truth and (2) to partake of this grand work was a privilege given to humans like us. It is a gracious act of God for allowing sinful human beings to be a part of the gospel work, which angels desire to do.

The apostle Paul was right when he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

Our prayer requests:
1. Let’s pray for those people who signified their interest to know God’s Word and for more workers in the field.
2. Pray for those whose heart the Holy Spirit touches, especially those in Church, those who are struggling with the truth.
3. Pray for the sick:
Mr. Munsey’s Father – he is in the hospital now
my father (Romeo) – he’s colon problem has been fixed, but his liver is seriously ill
Sister Pilimi – she had been suffering from hypertension and heart problem,

Message this Sabbath: “Almost Christian”

“Almost Christian”? It’s quite strange that a Christian is nearly a Christian, this is simply saying that in all appearances he “looks like” but in reality is not a Christian at all. How can we “look like” Christians but not a Christian?  Benjamin Ng, chaplain of TAPA, presented how can this becomes possible.

“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, … having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Roman 8:9) It’s plain. If the Spirit of Christ, or simply the Holy Spirit, does not dwell in us we are not true Christians. Then how we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us? “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth“. (2 Thess. 2:13, emphasis added) “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Jesus is the Truth. In the pages of the Holy Bible are written the very truth about who God really is. It is a revelation of God through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Unless the Spirit quickens the mind and heart, a mere reading of its passages will not bring sanctification to the soul. We are to make every effort to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us. This is sanctification by the Word.

How many of us have a clear understanding of what true Christianity comprises? The Lord clearly prophesied of us in Revelations 3:14-22, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot…” As hard as these words and the following might seem for us, yet let us remember that He who has spoken these words is the “true and faithful Witness”. He does not lie.

Our mere outward service cannot do us anything good unless an inward change is wrought. The heart and soul must be fully surrendered. Love should be the prevailing principle in every action and impulse. Because God showed His love for us, this will draw us to Him.

“Some seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl but never find it. They do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They seem to be always drawing near – always Christians, yet not fully Christians – but never entering the kingdom of heaven. “Almost saved” means to be wholly lost.” (H. E. Douglass, Love Makes a Way, p260)

May we learn to be wholly saved to be wholly Christians.

God bless your week.

It’s summer time now in Taiwan and most of our members are on vacation.

For the Garden of Prayer time, we do not have open prayer requests as much as thanksgivings. But there are silent prayers from each heart and our Church is encouraging everyone to write their requests on a sheet of paper and drop them inside a box labeled “Prayer Request”. I don’t have that list right now. So let us just pray for those silent requests.

I simply want us to pray for the many sick people around us. When I went home to the Philippines, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of sickness and disease in every place I went to. I wish I could do something to ease their pain and sufferings. Their body, soul and spirit are sick. Only Jesus can heal them. Let us pray for all these souls around us. We may be well, but could we keep silent when others are crying out for the Water of Life? They need the Lord.

Message this Week:

It is hard for me to summarize the messages for the past 7 Sabbaths, so let me just give you a synopsis of the latest one. Brother Daniel had presented his view about how God authenticated His own Word. Based on the original Hebrew, there were encrypted messages in the Holy Scriptures. It was interesting to know that only in the original Hebrew and Greek languages are these messages could be seen.

But most importantly, the truth of God’s word had been authenticated by Jesus Himself. He, who had inspired the prophets and apostles to write these messages, came in human flesh, seen, heard and touched by people living in His time. What great light did those people had, when He spoke those very words in the Scriptures!

Yet to us living in the last days, though we had not seen Him in person, we have much greater light now. The scientific evidence proclaiming the verify of God’s words can silence even the most skeptic person. Only pride and unbelief could bar us out heaven. If we refuse to believe these truths now, then there’s nothing left for us to stand on.

God will never remove our doubts, but He will provide us ample evidence to put our faith into. “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” (Matthew 11:6)

This week, I experienced the truth of the words of the prophets I quoted above. It’s when we are weak that we are strong. It’s when we have nothing then we have everything. It’s when we are sorrowing that there is gladness. Only if we learn to throw ourselves before His feet and are willing to forget our selves that we really experience who God is.

I hope that you meditate upon these words.

We don’t have a list of prayers last Sabbath, rather special requests:

1. Banqiao and Ylan churches – they needed foreign missionaries to work with the pastors and local members there

2. Dr. Ko’s father – he had a near death experience while undergoing dialysis treatment; though stable, he has lost a lot of oxygen in the brain and this might have damage the cells. Please pray for God’s will and comfort for the family in this time of crisis

3. Pray for all the sick people. I really feel so sorry about the many sick people and the prevailing diseases. There is no greater need now but for them to learn that the only cure is to follow the 8 laws of health, i.e. to trust in the Divine Power.

4. Secret prayers of our members. Each one has his/her own daily burden. As long as we are still on this planet, we shall be beset by these annoying temptations and problems. Let us pray for strength of the Spirit for each other because this is good and the will of our Father.

Thanksgiving:
Thank you for praying for my dad, he is getting better as soon as we started following the 8 laws of health. He stopped all medications and the use of poisonous drugs. He is fast recuperating. But continue,to pray for his willingness to accept the vegan diet for this is the best for him.

Message this week: “Come To Me”

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

We have so long been into this lonely planet that it seems sin is a matter of theological issue. But the fact that there is death and sorrow and sufferings, would not this raise questions of the reality of sin? Dr. Steve Adams presented the reality of sin, its effect and its only cure.

The direct effect of sin is death. This is very clear from the Romans 6:23.

Once a friend told me: “I don’t believe that there is a Supreme Being. If there is a God, why would there be sufferings and death?”  “Well,” I replied, “the fact that these things exist, I believe that there is God.”

How do we know that God is real? Because He sent His on begotten Son to die for us. He had been misrepresented, despised, mocked. But His love remains.

Collectively, this planet has turned its face from the only Source of life, the only cure of the disease called sin. Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. If we keep denying the truth, and continue to lie to ourselves that we do not die, we are fooling ourselves. Death is a reality.

So is the fact that a Supreme Being loves us that He would rather die than to see us be lost forever.

The eternal life God offers is a free gift. Nothing on this earth can buy it. It is given to us despite ourselves. It is a rare thing that somebody would give his life for a dear friend. But to die for someone who hates you, that I think is the ultimate sacrifice. There is nothing we can do to merit the gift of salvation, neither to repay it. It is just what it is – a gift.

Oh! Heaven is so cheap, yet so expensive! It bought with such a great price, yet it is given to us freely, without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1). What is keeping us from taking it? All we need is simple faith. Because God has done it, it is now ours.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Let us not deny this free offer. Soon the probation will close. Let us not lose this chance so freely given at the great expense on the side of God.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelations 22:17)

God bless us all.

Let us pray with perseverance that we may not lose the price waiting for us in the home God is preparing.

Please include the following to you list:

Dave R. – thanksgiving for the week of prayer in TAAS and for the children who are leading

Mike M. – thanksgiving for the DVD Victor shared, which touched his heart to open his home to share with somebody about the truth of the gospel

Steve Jin – thanksgiving for his daughter, who graduated and found a job in LA; also for his son who passed the Washington State Law Exams; prayer request for God’s leading for his plan of a second career

Daniel – prayer for the camping trip on March 22 at Fulong Beach

Oseana – prayer for a sick friend

Uleana – prayer for teachers to have the endurance until the end of the year

Message this week: “Discover: America In Prophecy”

This is the 20th of the lecture series in New Life, and this past Sabbath Pastor Robbie tackled America’s role in prophecy. How will this nation play a part in bringing the final event in the great issue of the conflict of ages?

Many may not believe, but the birth of the United States as a nation was ascertained from the dawn of Christianity. In a vision to John, the Lord revealed to us what, where and how this country would come. In Revelations 13, right after the demise of the first beast (we now know as the Rome Church-State), a second beast arose. This second beast was unlike the first, for it came out from the earth (sparsely populated area), with two lamb-like horns (Christian principles; civil and religious liberties), came after the first beast (arises around 1798), but speaks like the dragon (with a character similar to the devil).

It is easy to identify the first three characteristics of the beast, but the last, “speaks like the dragon”, is a hard thing to understand. How could a nation whose constitution, which was founded upon the principles of the Bible could become like the dragon in character?

We must remember that the issue of the great controversy between God and Satan is worship. During the first 1,260 years of reign of the first beast, all nations were deceived by its religious guise. By enacting laws contrary to God’s, it forced everyone to worship the dragon. The same sinister power behind this beast is working now through the second beast, in the appearance of zeal for God and his honor.

God’s government is founded upon liberty of conscience, the freedom to choose and follow the convictions of our hearts. This is the foundation of the Constitution of the United States of America. This is the secret of its phenomenal growth from an uninhabited land to a world superpower it is now. God bless America!

How could such blessed nation becomes an enemy to God’s people? Through its compromise with the enemy of righteousness, little by little, this nation becomes what God had predicted it to be. It is so sad, that a blessed nation such as the US can become an instrument for unrighteousness. It is no secret to all what is happening now to Protestant America. Still a more sinister thing it will do in behalf of the first beast: “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” (Revelations 13:14)

Through its power to legislate, America will give life to the first beast by passing a law that will force everyone to worship on the false Sabbath, the mark of the beast. The mark of the first beast is the claim of Rome to change God’s law and be above His Word, the Bible. By extending its hand to the first beast and accepting its claims, this nation (the US) will make an “image of the first beast”, and speaking on its behalf, it can now became its prophet (Revelations 16:13). It is too lengthy to outline here the efforts the US (through its leaders) is doing to bring about the fulfillment of this prophecy, nevertheless, any one watching the world events and is a diligent student of the prophecies can discern the sign of the times.

No one has the mark of the beast yet. Not until the law is passed to force everyone to worship on the false sabbath, could the prophecy of Revelations 13 be fulfilled in its entirety. Everyone is yet to make his/her decision.

Yet if our daily conversation is not of Christ, and our thoughts were not of His goodness and the beauty of holiness, how could we expect to pass the test? Every decision we make will bear its influence on the final day, whether we be of God or of this world. I pray that it will be the former.

We are at the verge of this earth’s history, the signs of the times are not lying to us. We need an experience with the Lord much deeper that what we now have. Let us look at the cross of Jesus daily, that though we face the end of all things, we have nothing to fear. God is our refuge and ever will be. “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” (Isaiah 25:4)

We have mostly praise and thanksgiving this week. Please include the following to your list:
Thanksgiving:
Ulena – thanksgiving and praise for the visitors who came, and the opportunity to share with them the Lord’s goodness

Karina – Nestor had met an accident; praise and thanksgiving to the Lord that nothing serious had happened to Him

Luis – last Friday night was the last I-meet in TAPA; praise and thanksgiving for the whole year; may the Lord bless those students who attended

Dave R. – thanksgiving for the week of prayer in TAAS

Peggy N.- thanksgiving for Bryan, their son, who came to Taiwan to visit them

Request:
Loida – Dr. Ho was in the U.S. to attend a conference but was delayed on his trip back to Taiwan; prayer for safe trip

Rob P. – please pray for his father-in-law who had colon cancer and now undergoing medical treatment; he also thank the Lord for having the impulse to pray for the sick and suffering as he passed by the hospital last Sabbath morning

Message this week: “Discover: How Not to Get the Mark of the Beast“

The 19th in the series of lectures, Pastor Robbie had delineated how to get God’s seal and to avoid getting the beast’s mark. As the truth about who the beast is unraveled, his “mark” of authority  is just a simple matter to understand. The only necessary thing now is a willing heart to accept what the Lord had revealed to us in His Word.

Before we can understand the beast’s mark, it is more important to understand what is God’s mark. To avoid getting the mark of the beast, we must have the seal of God.

In Revelations Chapter 7, God seals His people. “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” (Revelations 7:2-3) In Chapter 14, those who are sealed “follow the Lamb” wherever He goes (verse 4). They know Him; they commune with Him. They have obtained pardon, and know by experience the life of self-sacrifice He offers. They know the Lamb by name; they are acquainted with His works; so that, they are sealed by His name, His character, His Law.

In the center of the Decalogue, the seal of the living God is found. Written by His own finger, God revealed His character to man. Is it a small thing that the living God placed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment in the center of His Law? In earthly matters, no ruler has ever changed his decree; much so with the Sovereign of heaven.

When God met and spoke with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, why do you think He introduced Himself as “the LORD”? Why did He state His law? Because this is His seal, a sign that He owns us, we are His.

However, God forces no one. We can have His seal in our “foreheads”, meaning we have to decide intelligently and willingly. His government is based on justice and judgment. Force and deception is alien to His kingdom.

On the other hand, the mark of the beast is exactly the opposite. It opposes the Law of God, tries to replace it with the traditions of man, and by deception makes it appear as if God Himself had made the change.

The motive of the enemy is to get all humans to worship him. We need to ponder, what is it that opposes the Sabbath of the fourth commandment? Sunday. In both religious and secular world, this tradition had been passed unnoticed. But those whose heart has the desire to know Him shall understand and be enlightened with the Sabbath truth. Shining from the Cross at Calvary is the truth of the immutability or unchanging nature of God’s Law – His character.

God’s character, His name, His Law are one. We should understand this and must be wiling to accept that to deny the truth is a matter of life and death.

I pray that God shall lead us more to understand the “truth as it is in Jesus”.

Please include the following to your prayer list:

Pilimi – (we are happy to see her back) pray for her friends in their country who had been earning their living from illegal drugs; thanksgiving for her family’s well-being while she was gone, also her mother in New Zealand

Chu-Mei – pray for her Aunt’s family that they may learn about the love of God

Robbie – pray for his dad, who had been sick and always fall down

Ulena – for her dad, the gout feel better

Oseana – for Uncle Mark

Also please pray for the sick and sorrowing, especially those around us. I felt we need to be more compassionate with others’ needs.

Please pray for my father, who had been suffering of constipation for more than a month. He is now in the hospital, and the doctors are giving him fearful diagnosis (they said that he had either a liver cancer or prostate inflammation), yet all turned negative. I trust the Lord alone. I told my family to trust God only and not the doctors.

Just sharing: I learned a lesson this week, that though people should reject our effort to help them, it doesn’t negate the fact that they are in need. People tend to deny their needs because of pride but those who know it better should bear patiently with prayers and love. With this experience I understood well our Lord’s predicament when we refuse the offer of mercy. He has all the power to save us, but if we are unwilling to cooperate with Him, He cannot do anything. I feel sad when my friends refuse my effort to help them, but I feel sadder when people refuse the Holy Spirit’s voice to repent.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ” (Galatians 6:9)

Message this week: “Discover: The Good News About Hell”

Many preachers had been presenting the topic about death and hell as if it is something to be afraid of. Rightly so, because the Bible describes it as the final destination of the wicked. But do you know, there is good news about hell that had not been revealed to us? This is the focus of Pastor Robbie’s presentation this Sabbath.

The truth about the judgment had been discussed in previous presentations (see the videos), and we learned that Jesus is right now establishing His eternal kingdom when He entered the Most Holy Place (God’s throne) to clean up the record of the saints, His people, in heaven. After the work of blotting out of sins, He will come back to earth to claim the subjects of that kingdom and with Him are the host of heaven (the angels) to escort Him.

But who will be those that will be the people of that kingdom? Surely, they are the righteous from the time of Adam to the last generation of those living on earth, who had washed themselves clean with His blood and put on the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Here is the truth about the resurrection of the dead. Yet there are more.

The book of Revelations tells us that there will be two resurrections that will happen at two separate distinct periods. The first will happen when Jesus comes again, and the second one at the end of the 1000 years of peace (the earth’s Sabbath as described by the prophet Isaiah).

What will happen when Jesus comes? In Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth, he revealed that there are people still living when Jesus comes for the second time, and these would be divided to two groups – the righteous and the wicked. Those who have died before Jesus comes remain in the grave, some will wake up to eternal life at the second coming and go to heaven with Jesus. How about the wicked dead? They will remain in their graves during the 1000 years of the earth’s Sabbath.

During the 1000 years of the earth’s desolation, Satan shall be bound in “chains of circumstances”. The wicked, who had been the subject of his sport and wicked government, will be sleeping and he has no one to tempt and influence, while the righteous will be with Jesus in heaven. This earth is to him the “abyss”, a bottomless pit. At this time, he and the fallen angels who rebelled with him will be given time to reflect on their works of evil. In silent, fearful waiting, he will see the Earth desolate and the bones of the dead men and beasts scattered on it. Through this scenes before him, he will shudder of the thought of his own destruction, he will realize that it was his own works that brought these.

The pen of inspiration described this fearful scene (see Isaiah 24), yet none of the righteous shall be among those left on earth. Everyone who had placed their trust in the Lord and on the Sacrifice shall reign with Jesus and will be judging the dead who will not be found worthy to take part of the first resurrection during this millennium. The saints will also judge the angels who had rebelled with Satan, and everyone shall see the justice of God in dealing with sin and sinners.

At the end of the millennium, Jesus will come back on Earth together with the saints and the New Jerusalem, the Paradise regained, the Eden home of Adam’s innocence, as Christ’s “bride” (Revelations 21), to be the eternal home of the redeemed of ages. She will be adorned as “a bride”, more beautiful than before the fall.

Then the wicked dead shall rise again. For the first and last time, all those who had ever inhabited the earth shall see each other face-to-face. The wicked shall see the righteous in the city of Jerusalem, and at Satan’s instigation and leading they will encompass the Holy City. Satan “shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” (Revelations 20:8-9)  Inside the city, the saints shall watch and weep for the last time for the unrepentant outside, who received the just punishment of their rebellion. The fire from Heaven, from God, shall devour them, the “root” (Satan) and the “branch” (the children of disobedience) (Malachi 4:1). This is the “lake of fire“, the second death (Revelations 20:14).

The punishment of Satan and the wicked shall be as that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The fire shall burn them up forever for every trace of sin on earth shall be consumed and reduced to ashes. Their punishment shall be eternal, that is they shall not rise again. Through their choice, they shall cease to exist forever, this is the eternal death. How long shall the fire devour? Until there are still sin to consume. Here God reveals His hatred of sin.

Yet inside the city will be the redeemed. They have made themselves pure by the washing of the blood, the Lamb’s sinless life and atoning sacrifice. By faith, they had followed the Lamb wherever He went. They traced His steps from the Cross to the Most Holy, availed themselves of the offer of mercy, and lived as He lived. They are worthy to receive eternal life because they have kept the patience of the Lord, and loved not their lives.

The good news about it all is: the second death is not for us, we don’t need to suffer it. It is “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Revelations 25:41), because their rebellion of God is a work of their own. They had seen God’s glory, and are witnesses of His character. But we had been deceived, God had prepared the kingdom for you and me “from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 24:34), because the plan of redemption had been at work from the time God created the Earth. Jesus is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelations 13:8).

At the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced the “second death” for us. He brave death at the Cross and went to the grave for you and me. All because God loves us. We don’t have to be in hell. Don’t choose it. Jesus came so you and me can have the right to enter the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. He won the battle for us, all we need to do is to choose Him. All power in heaven and earth is made available to us because our Lord is right now at God’s throne, presenting His sinless life – for you. Shall we neglect such great grace?

If we keep our eyes at Jesus, follow Him from Cross to the Most Holy, we would see as never before the plan of redemption unfolded, of the Love that love not His life. God, in His Son, had sacrificed all. If we neglect this last chance, there is no more sacrifice left after this .

Let us choose to be inside the City. The call is now given: “Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelations 22:17)

Yes, we have this hope, because God had put it in our hearts. We share the joy of knowing that our Savior lives forever and ever. His tomb is empty and He is even at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, cleansing our records in the books of heaven and making available for us every power in heaven and on earth to overcome our daily struggles and trials.

This is our hope and no one can take it from us. So, let us not grow weary in well-doing. Let us encourage each other in prayer and praises.

We have mostly praises this week:

Luis – God did marvelous things in the hearts of the students who went with the mission trip in China; both them and the people they served had experienced God’s love; it was an amazing experience

Mike Munsey – Frank’s son, Ken, was baptized this Sabbath

Narissa – for learning two lessons this week: first, if we refuse to tell God’s praise, even animals can; second, God can work in the hearts of people, even non-Christians, through His Word

Other prayers:
1. Let us pray for peace in the hearts of all that even through sorrow and grief, they might have the assurance of God’s love, and these things shall soon pass away.
2. Pray for those who are sick or not feeling well, especially our brethren. The weather had not been profitable, so we need to be more careful.

Message this week: “Discover: How To Face Death Unafraid”

As I alluded above, this Sabbath’s presentation is so thrilling and powerful. If taken by heart, it can invigorate the soul with the knowledge so powerful that it can transform us and that no power either in heaven, or on earth can separate us from the love of the Father that is in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Brother Zach Timothy presented the issue of death, the resurrection from the dead and the eternal hope of the living saints.

Most religions, including Christianity, try to explain what happens when a person dies. Some say, when a person dies the soul leaves the body and goes somewhere (in heaven or hell), or it goes back to the earth in another form or body (reincarnation), or simply becomes just a spirit or ghost in the netherworld or flying aimlessly on the surface of the world. We have heard of people who tell stories of the “near-death” experience, or the apparitions of dead people, like Mary or some saints in the past. There had been many theories and hypotheses on what death is, yet none of these can be nearer to the truth.

But what is truth about death? Like we had studied in the past weeks, we must not be easily deceived by what we merely see, hear, or feel. We have only one sure foundation on what is truth – God’s word, the Bible.

Isn’t it that the Bible speaks of  “departed souls”? What is the spirit that leaves when a person dies? It is interesting, but when I looked at the concordance I didn’t find a single text that says a soul is the spirit of a dead person. There are referrals to the souls of those who had been beheaded or slain for their faith in Jesus (Revelations 6:9; 20:4), but the context implied that they had been dead but live again.

So what does the Bible say about death? What is a soul? What is a spirit? “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) To say it simply:  dust (body) + spirit (breath)  = living soul (being). Thus, soul is the living person, you and me. Anything that has life in it is called a soul. Therefore, when the spirit (breath) of man leaves the body and goes back to God, what’s left is just a lifeless body (cadaver). Death is creation in reverse!

This fact is important. Because a misunderstanding of the truth about the state of the dead can lead one to believe in Satan’s lie that the soul is immortal. “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4), was his first lie and had been perpetuated through all generations and theories in all religious sect. This is the foundation of spiritualism, the purported communication with spirits of the dead. Of truth, those who appear as dead are the spirits of the devils (Revelations 16:14).

For those whose loved ones had died, this seems a hard fact to believe. And for those of us living, there seem to be a fearful looking for nothing in the future. So what now? Shall we just eat, drink and be merry, for soon we shall all die in vain? No one had ever escaped death and lived forever. Death is inevitable, a fate that we all must face. Therefore, it is something that all must seriously consider. I believe, many of us are afraid of dying because we don’t know what will happen to us.

Actually, death is not something to be afraid of. Jesus likened death to sleep (John 11:11-14). Like in sleep, we lost all consciousness when we die (Ecclesiastes 9: 5, 6, 10). We simply sleep. If we are willing to believe it, our dead loved ones are neither in heaven or hell right know. They are in still in the grave, sleeping until the resurrection day (John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55).

There is a resurrection of the dead!  Jesus, when He died and rose again the third day, was the only Person who defeated death and the grave. Triumphant from the grave, He conquered death and now lives forever. He holds the keys of hell (Hebrew “hades“, meaning pit or grave) and death (Revelations 1:18). For those who looked to Him in faith, death is a conquered foe. We may sleep the sleep of death, yes, but this is only temporary. Because He lives, we shall also live. Jesus is the secret to immortality.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Let us know the Savior, our Redeemer, who is mighty to save and to deliver, our only hope of eternal life. When He shall come with His glory, with the glory of His Father and of all the holy angels, we shall see Him face to face, and live with Him forever. No, not our imagination, but with our very own eyes we shall see Him.

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 25:8) Amen. Be is so, Lord.

Therefore, brethren, be faithful till the end.

This is my prayer for all.

There’s just one prayer request last Sabbath but I want to send you three below. Please include them in your daily prayers.

Jo – prayer for Daniella who lost her boyfriend; strength to face this crisis in her life
YA – please pray for their plans for outreach to other churches and programs
Rofe – pray for a friend’s family (Yllano family) who is grieving for the lost of  their father today (April 15)

Message this week: “Discover: When Will the Final Judgment Take Place?”

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

This week’s message is the third in the series of three lectures presented by Dr. Ho on the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 9 about the 2,300 days prophetic days. We learned from the previous lectures that the first 490 day-period was cut-off from this longest time prophecy. The 490 days refer to the 490 years of probation given to the Jews, God’s people, and pertain to the time when the Messiah must begin His earthly ministry and fulfill the prophecies concerning Himself. We also learned that these were fulfilled in the life, ministry and death of Jesus Christ in AD 27-31.

But from the time of Jesus’ death, there is still remaining 3 1/2 years in the probation given to the Jews. The fate of the Jewish nation as God’s church on earth was sealed when they stoned Stephen in AD 34. From then, the gospel has been preached to all nations, and God’s church does not only include the Jews but also the Gentiles.

How about the remaining years of the 2300? When did it end? If we take the 2300 years and the 490 years began at the same time, this prophecy began in 457 BC (the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall as commanded by King Artaxerxes) and ended in 1844. Why is it so important? Because the end of the 2300 years is the beginning of “cleansing of the sanctuary”. What and where is the sanctuary? The referral of sanctuary in the Bible is the original in heaven, of which the earthly is only a copy (please read the whole book of Hebrews to understand this). But why should the sanctuary in heaven, God’s throne, must be cleansed? It’s unthinkable that a place of purity and holiness could ever be polluted. There is only one thing that could pollute or defile heaven, SIN.

In the Hebrew economy, the daily sacrifice of the people required blood to be brought inside the tabernacle and sprinkled in front of the curtain separating the Holy from the Most Holy Place. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). When the people confess their sins on the sacrificial animal, in effect the sin of the sinner has been transferred to the animal, and it became a substitute. The animal’s death and blood now atone for the sinner’s behalf. The blood represents sin and death. Thus, the record of Israel’s sins comes before God. Once a year, the high priest went into the Most Holy place to purge it from the sins of the people. This purging is known as the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur). It was one of the most solemn feasts of the people of Israel. There was a deep searching of the heart among God’s people.

God in His providence had made us understand that there is a “purging” of sins of spiritual Israel. During this time, our great High Priest, Jesus, must enter into the third and final phase of His work of redemption, to blot out the transgressions of His people from the records of heaven. Like the typical Day of Atonement of the Hebrew people, God’s people on earth must be judged according to their works (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

To state it simply, we are standing in the “true” Day of Atonement. God, in the person of His Son, stand both as our Judge and Advocate.  Those who have accepted the sacrifice He had made on the cross are judged accordingly, on their favor. So, it is important to know Him and familiarize ourselves with what He is now doing in our behalf. There must be a daily searching of our hearts. Only them, who had followed Him from the cross to God’s throne, will pass unscathed on the Day of Atonement.

After the high priest had left God’s presence, the people’s sins had been purged and there was much rejoicing in Israel. In the same way, when Jesus finishes atoning for the sins of His people, God’s work is done. When Jesus finished the first phase of His work as our Sacrifice at Calvary He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). So in the last phase He will also said, “It is done” (Revelations 16:7). At last, they are purified! Ready to see Him in all His glory. Then He will come back to take His people with Him. Where? Wherever He is (John 14:3).

With what greater thought must all saints look unto this important Day! Yet most Christians have taken for granted the work that Jesus is doing on their behalf. No. Let nothing on this earth separate us from our Savior. His death is sufficient to pay for all our sins, we should follow Him by faith before God’s throne as He ministers for us. Let us search our hearts, confess our sins and make it right with God now that Jesus, our Great High Priest, is still inside God’s sanctuary.

This judgment is for our own sake. Let us not despise the sacrifice and work of our Savior. If we value our lives, then we should value Him.

Let us learn more the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. You can never imagine what it can do for you. I know… for it is doing for me…right now.

Last night I was blessed to watch and hear the testimony of Steve Green (the singer who popularize such songs as “People Need the Lord” and “God and God Alone”) in Youtube. For years, I have been blessed by his music, but more blessed I am to know that he also learned how to be broken before the Rock. Yes, we need to be broken before we can be made whole. Our selves, our confidence, our pride all are as dung. Only Christ matters.

We must learn to look beyond ourselves, beyond people or any material things on this present world, and fix our gaze upon God – upon the Cross at Calvary. It should be the meditation of our souls. And as we marvel upon it, the Cross will lift us up from this world to where Christ is. Then nothing else matters except Jesus.

I pray that you include the following to your prayer list this week:

Rachel G. – praise for the Jesus has risen; last week was the celebration of holy week (for most Christians)

Let us surrender our lives to Him, for He loves us so.

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