He is coming

Forgiveness

2011-10-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

In discipleship sessions with Noura and her daughter Sabrina, we frequently talked about their family and friends. It became clear that each woman had encounters with family members that had resulted in bitterness and continued anger. When I suggested forgiveness, their reply was that this would be impossible. Noura would say. “I know that I should but you don’t know what the person did to me”. Sabrina would say, “I try but my sister-in-law continues to do the same things. I can’t keep forgiving her repeated misdeeds against me, can I”? It became increasingly clear that we needed to do some intense Bible study on this subject. This is the lesson that has needed to be repeated several times as new problems have occurred. Both women have made efforts to follow Jesus’ teachings regarding forgiveness.

By presenting the biblical concept of forgiveness we can, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, create a desire to follow Christ’s teachings regarding the forgiving of those who have harmed us in some way. Biblical examples of forgiveness demonstrate that even in very difficult circumstances, ordinary people can forgive.

Three lessons of forgiveness are provided. Occasionally it may be necessary to do further study on one point that seems to give difficulty. It will be important for the teacher to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in deciding when to advance and when to stay longer with one point. The teacher should also help the new Christian understand that every Christian has a problem with forgiveness at some point in her life. Hopefully she will have the examples around her of Christians who have successfully forgiven others as well as those who are in the process of forgiving. She may also see some who are ignoring this teaching of Bible. Encourage her to pray for these individuals rather than judge them. She will also need to learn that forgiveness is a lifelong struggle for the Christian. This study provides the biblical teachings on forgiveness as well as the consequences of an unforgiving spirit. By studying both, the new Christian will be better able to choose for herself the ways that God would have her choose.

Stories Jesus Told

2011-10-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

There are several points about the story of the Prodigal Son that would be significant for a Muslim. Inheritance is given when the father dies. Therefore, to ask for the inheritance is the same as wanting the father to die and is, therefore, a dishonorable act. When a child dishonors the family, this child is usually cast out of the family and treated as dead. A human father would refuse to receive again a child who had dishonored the family. Therefore, most Muslims would see the father’s action in this story as humiliating and degrading both for himself and for the family. To them the son has disgraced the family and should not be welcomed again into the family circle. The contrast between the actions of human father and the actions of our Heavenly Father has a powerful impact on the Muslim.

The new Christian would be aware of these cultural factors in her family background. Therefore, these stories of repentance and consequent rejoicing by God would be an important contrast to her own experience with her family and culture. She would have learned as a small child not to admit wrongdoing in order to avoid the disgrace that would come as a result of public admission of fault. Through the teachings of Jesus, she learns that God expects and rejoices when a different behavior is learned and practiced. These stories emphasize the importance of repentance.

The new Christian would also need to learn that God already knows her attitudes and actions. Through previous studies she would have learned that sin leads to a broken relationship with God. Repentance is necessary in order to restore the relationship. As she studies these stories, help her to understand that God truly wants the relationship with her and that rejoicing does occur when that happens.

Repentance

2011-10-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

This lesson studies the lives of Saul and David. After reading the two stories, note the following similarities. Each was a king who was chosen by God and who knew the commandments of God. Each king had a personal relationship with God. Saul had received a specific order from God while David had the Ten Commandments to follow. Each king was disobedient. Each repented. Why was Saul’s repentance rejected while David’s was accepted? What was the difference? What type of repentance does God desire? Note that even though God accepted David’s repentance, God did not remove the consequences of David’s sin.

While studying this lesson, the Christian should be guided into thinking of various times that she might disobey God, repent and be forgiven, and yet the consequences remain. Some examples would include: gossip or slander, sexual sin, child abuse, substance abuse, lying, etc. Attitudes that result in actions such as envy or jealousy, anger, resentment, etc. should also explore. The Christian have a desire to apply this lesson to her own everyday life.

Repentance is essential to a relationship with God. In the Old Testament story of Saul, God removed His spirit when Saul refused to accept responsibility for his actions and repent.

David repented and asked that God not take His Spirit away. (Psalm 51:11) David would have been aware of what had happened to Saul. Jesus included confession and asking for forgiveness in His model prayer. (Matthew 6:12) He told parables that emphasized the need for repentance and the rejoicing that occurs in heaven when someone repents. Even though a Christian’s sins have been forgiven and she has assurance of salvation, 1 John 1:9 seems to indicate that God still expects ongoing repentance from each Christian.

Repentance restores the Christian to fellowship with God. Repentance does not remove the physical consequences of disobedience. David’s son died. The prodigal son’s inheritance was gone.

Through the use of case studies, the Christian begins to understand that God wants each person to accept responsibility for her actions and to repent. The case studies illustrate the consequences of disobedience. They also illustrate the desire of each person to have God’s Spirit within. God rejoices when one of His children repents. As a result of having studied these lessons, the Christian will recognize her disobedience and will confess it to God without offering excuses.

Some of the questions in these lesson assume that the Christian understands sin as being disobedient to God in thoughts, attitudes or actions. Sin should not be understood to be simply breaking one of a list of cultural rules.

Identify Problems In The Christian Life

2011-10-19T06:28:00.001-07:00

This lesson is more abstract and may need some illustrations to help clarify for the readers the role of “light” in the Christian’s life. John 1:1-18 refers to Jesus as the Light. John 3:16-21 explains why those who sin love the darkness. These passages can also be studied as a part of this lesson if needed for further explanation. It might be helpful to use some practical illustrations from everyday living that show how dust and dirt are hidden in darkness but easily seen in the light. She can then compare this to the way that sin is hidden when not compared with Jesus.

During this lesson, help the new Christian to learn to compare her own thoughts, attitudes and actions to Christ. As she prayerfully reads and meditates on the Scriptures, God will show here where she needs to confess, repent and grow as a Christian. She needs to understand that as an individual, God will deal with her differently from others. However, God will always expect obedience. Failure to obey God is sin. Try to help the new Christian to understand that her growth will be a lifelong process.

As the new Christian has studied this lesson, her definition of sin has hopefully grown from that of doing certain forbidden things to include anything that is obedience to God. Eventually she will need to understand that she has a sin nature that makes her want to disobey and put self first. This sin nature is in constant battle with the new nature that she has in Christ. This sin nature is in constant battle with the new nature that she has in Christ. Romans 7:16-25 explains this concept. However, this lesson would probably be better left for a mature Christian.

Jesus Anointed By A Sinful Woman

2011-10-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

Many aspects of this story are similar to present day Islamic culture. A practicing Muslim like the Pharisee won’t touch anyone or anything unclean. To do so renders him unclean and he must undergo a ritual of purification before being able to pray. Women in many Islamic countries and cultures keep their hair hidden from all men except those in the immediate family. The rules of hospitality are strict and are designed to honor the guest. To ignore these rules shows disrespect and a lack of honor.

This story shows us what is required for salvation:

1. Approach Jesus with an attitude of repentance for sin.

2. Have faith that Jesus can and will forgive those sins.

The Pharisees considered sin to be an action. This lesson teaches that sins involve attitudes as well as actions. Hopefully, she will come to understand that sin is disobedience of God’s word whether in actions or attitudes.

Try to help the new Christian recognize the difference in the attitudes of Simon and Jesus towards the woman. He was condemning her and saw her as unworthy and a nuisance. Jesus was loving, kind and accepted her as she was. He recognized her value as a person. He did not condemn her but helped her to find salvation.

What Is Sin?

2011-10-18T00:12:00.001-07:00

As we read the New Testament, we find that belief in Jesus as the Son of God results in Salvation. We also learn that the early Christians needed further teaching on how to live like a Christlike life. Many Muslim converts come to Jesus as Paul did in Acts 9 and, like Paul, they need an Ananias and a Barnabas to help them grow in their faith and in their relationship with God. Others come to Jesus through a belief in His power to save them from evil spirits and that through Him they can have eternal life. Few seem to come with an understanding of themselves as sinners needing forgiveness.

Jesus and the early Church taught that sin is a continuing problem for the Christian. Sin interferes with Christian growth. It also hinders the Christian testimony. The Christian who does not recognize the sin in her life does not confess it and, therefore, does not have the vital, growing relationship with God is stunted, and her Christian life is empty. Because of unconfessed sin, she lacks the vital, direct communication with God that enables her to bear fruit in her life.

Confession of sin and repentance are closely related. The Christian growth should occur in all aspects of a Christian’s life. The Christian will be able to define sin as disobedience to God. Disobedience may occur by an action or failure to act or by an attitude. The Christian will describe her as having a sin nature. She will able to explain the importance of confession of sin to her growth into a mature Christian and to her Christian testimony.

These passages review the origins of sin and its consequences. Help the new Christian to discover that on each occasion God gave instructions and then allowed the individual free choice regarding obedience. God came and saw what was happening and then punished the individuals involved. The sinner did not escape punishment. The desire to disobey came from within the individual and each person bore responsibility for his attitudes and actions.

Depending of the individual involved, it may be necessary to add some of the Old Testament stories that describe sin and its consequences. For example a comparison between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife and David and Bathsheba may help the new Christian to understand that obedience is a choice. The number of stories read and discussed would depend on the ability of the new Christian to grasp the concept of the sin nature of mankind.

The New Testament Teachings About Fasting

2011-10-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

The teachings of Jesus touch on the form of manner of fasting as well as the appropriate time. Without giving the details of how fast was done, the book of Acts gives several examples of fasting and praying by the early church members. The teacher’s goal is to help the new believer to discover for herself when and how to fast accordance with the teachings of Jesus.

Summary: According to Bible, fasting can be done for several different reasons. All have the same common factor of drawing closer to God. There are no guidelines given in the Bible as to how often, how long, when or in what circumstances a person should fast. Jesus did give specific instructions regarding the behavior of the person during a fast. There is evidence that the New Testament church fasted to seek divine guidance for certain task. Fasting for the Christian, therefore, would be a personal decision done for a specific purpose and time should follow the guidelines given by Jesus.

Biblical fasting is always combined with meditation and prayer. Fasting is an appropriate spiritual exercise when used in combination with meditation and prayer for the purpose of focusing the individual’s total attention on God and His will. It should not become a ritual or a ceremony or be seen as way of forcing God to take certain actions which would turn fasting into a form of magic. The challenge for the former Muslim who has experienced the Ramadan fast as a cultural/religious event will be to find an appropriate Christian way to participate with her family and friends in a cultural event. To fast or not to fast is a personal decision based on the individual’s current desired relationship with God.

While most of Jesus’ teachings seems to indicate that fasting a personal and private experience, examples of large group fasting are found in the New Testament. This would seem to indicate that fasting to show solidarity with the poor or a day of fasting and prayer for a group of people are also appropriate. Church leaders may call a period of fasting and prayer for a specific purpose but it would always be the individual’s personal decision to participate or not to participate.

Fasting

2011-10-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

Sabrina, a new Christian, faced a dilemma during Ramadan. Her husband, who did not know what she was a believer in Jesus, wanted her to keep the fast with him. She wondered how could she obey her husband and not disobey God. Imaan is the only Christian in her family. During Ramadan, she said, “My mother doesn’t believe in Jesus. She is purifying herself by fasting. Since I have accepted Jesus, I don’t need to fast in order to be accepted by God”. Fatima’s father-in-law was critically ill. She asked if fasting would help him be healed. Each of these women had as adults faithfully followed the rules of Ramadan even when they had not practiced the other pillars of Islam. Now as a Christians, each woman needed to understand fasting from a biblical perspective.

Fasting was a common occurrence during Bible times. No rules for fasting were given in the Old Testament. However, the Old Testament includes many stories of fasts that were done for different reasons and in different ways. Since Jesus seemed to assume that His followers would fast, His rules were only for the procedure. There are also many stories in the New Testament regarding the fasting of Jesus and later the Christians. The question for the Muslim convert often seems to revolve around how to fast in a manner of pleasing to God.

The Old Testament lesson provides a list of fasts that seem to have been performed around three different purposes. Examples of fasts that support each purpose have been selected for study. There are many other stories of fasts in the Old Testament. A concordance will provide references for those who wish to have more examples. The New Testament lesson focuses on the teachings of Jesus and the examples of fasts by Jesus and the early Church. These are intended to be a guide to help the Christian decide when, how and for what purpose to fast. The teacher should keep in mind that neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament commands fasting.

God Helps The Christian Who Faces Temptation

2011-10-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

The previous lesson have explained why the Christian is not to use magic, charms or sorcery, etc. the primary defense of the Christian, which is the armor God, was presented. Lessons covered the personal experience of Jesus with temptation, Jesus’ power over evil spirits and the example that Jesus has the power of healing but objects do not. The experience of Saul demonstrates that even though Saul had been obedient by removing the mediums from the country, he was tempted to consult one when he was in trouble rather than renew his relationship with God. As with Jesus, the temptation came at a time when Saul was physically tired and hungry. The Christian needs to be aware of her vulnerable times.

This last lesson in this series studies Scriptures that give promise and guidance to the Christian. She is directed toward spiritual things. She has the promise that God will help her. By learning that everyone is tempted, she can gain strength for standing firm. She also learns what to do when she does fall into temptation. Through confession, repentance, and cleansing, she keeps her vital, close and growing relationship with God. She also develops into a more mature Christian with a testimony that brings others to Christ.

King Saul Returns To Forbidden Practices

2011-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

The woman who has abandoned her folk practices to follow Jesus needs to understand that she will frequently be tempted to return to those practices. This lesson is a case study of individual who had obeyed God and gotten rid of all practices forbidden by God. There was nothing left in his whole kingdom. However, he had disobeyed God and had not repented of his sin. Therefore, when he needed a communication from God, he went back to his old practices. Even so, in the story we find that God gave him the opportunity to stop and return to being faithful.

It probably will be necessary for the teacher to review the life of Saul and be able to explain in a few sentences what had happened to him before this lesson starts. First Samuel 13 and 15 explain his disobedience of God’s commands that resulted in his separation from God. Saul did not take the necessary steps to restore his relationship with God. The Christian may enjoy reading this story at home but there will not be time during the lesson session to review all of the past history that makes this story so important. Satan knew Saul’s weakness and he tempted Saul at a time when he was tired and hungry and had allowed himself to be separated from God. It is important for the new Christian to identify the reason for Saul’s vulnerability as well as to recognize that God provided Saul with several opportunities to repent and stop his evil practice before he went too far.

The concept of shame and bringing shame on oneself or one’s family is important for the Muslim. Most have been taught that honor is very important and the worst thing that can be done is to bring shame onto the family name. For this reason, the Muslim convert will able to understand why Saul tries to disguise himself so that he would not be recognized. However, this lesson that one cannot hide from God and the shame of having disobeyed God.

The Power of Jesus Over Physical Illness

2011-10-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

This lesson becomes even more powerful when the readers understand what this woman’s life would have been like for 12 years of her illness. Islam has the same laws regarding menstrual impurity as those given in the Old Testament. Help the readers to imagine the difficulties of this woman’s life. This review should also help the student to understand the courage needed for this woman to come forward and confess what she had done.

There is no evidence in this story that the woman used any folk practices for healing during the years of her illness. However, it would good to discuss what practices a woman would have used to “cure” this illness. It is important that they understand the point that it was this woman’s faith that healed her and not her touching the robe. It is also important to note that while no cause for the illness is given, the woman does not seem to think that it was caused by the “evil eye” or other folk causes.

Jesus took the time to be sure that the woman understood that her faith and not His garment had healed her. The new Christian who has converted from Islam will be tempted again and again to use amulets and charms for protection of herself and her family. Plan to spend enough time on this lesson to make sure that she understands that healing comes from God without the aid of any object or substance or magic.

God created medicine and medical treatment. God guides doctors and nurses in their care. Most people who are sick are healed through the use of medicine and procedures created by God. While occasionally God heals someone miraculously (cannot explained medically), He expects His people to use what He has provided. We cannot find in the Scriptures that He wants us to deny ourselves medical treatment while asking for miracle. It will be important for the new Christian to understand that Satan may tempt her to refuse medical treatment.

A secondary teaching found in this lesson, is the value of women in God’s eyes. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus cares for women and considers women to be person of worth. This lesson also helps her to understand that women are loved and valued in God’s kingdom. For many new Christians, this will be a new concept and very different from what was taught in their previous religion.

The Power Of Jesus Over Evil

2011-10-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Most of the religious life of Muslim has been spent in trying to protect herself and her loved ones from the influence of the evil spirits. These evil spirits are a real force in the world around her. Since her view of God has been that of a disinterested person who is far away, she will need help in understanding that Jesus is more powerful than the evil spirits. The evil spirits must obey His authority. The teacher will want to use this Bible study to show that Jesus overcame evil in His own life when He was tempted, and He overcame the evil in the lives of others. The new believer will learn that being tempted is not a sin.

In studying Mathew 4:1-11, try to get the student to recognize that temptation came when Jesus was in a difficult place. He was tired, hungry and alone. Help her to use this in identifying when she is most likely to be tempted by Satan. Satan attacked Jesus through several different domains. Knowing this should help the Christian be more alert to temptation coming from more than one direction. Satan will attempt the Christian just as he tempted Jesus. He will know and use the Christian’s personal weak areas and will tempt her during difficult circumstances. A Christian who has memorized Scripture would be “carrying her sword with her at all times” and would be able with the help of the Holy Spirit to use this Scripture in defeating Satan.

Christian Armor And How It Works

2011-10-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

In Genesis 3, we meet the serpent who personifies evil. It is the serpent who tempus Eve to disobey God. Later in the Bible, evil is identified by names such as Satan or the Devil and terms such as evil spirits. We continue to use these names today to identify the presence of evil forces around us. The individual faces a continual battle within herself to follow God or to follow the forces of evil (Romans 7:15-20).

Just as a physical armor protects a soldier going into war, the spiritual armor protects the Christian who is engaged in a spiritual battle. The new Christian needs to understand the purpose of each piece of armor. With her armor in place, she can protect herself from enemy and with her weapons she can defend herself when attack comes.

A soldier seldom goes into battle alone. He stands with other soldiers to make a strong army capable of defeating enemy. However, the strength of the army is based on each soldier being responsible for putting on his own armor and taking his position as a prepared and fit soldier ready for the battle. The new Christian should understand that while she is one of many fighting in the battle, she alone has responsibility for ensuring that her armor is in place and intact. God has provided the weapons and defense needed. It is the Christian’s choice to use what has been provided.

The study of this lesson would be greatly enhanced by the use of a simple drawing of a soldier wearing the armor described. The soldier could be surrounded by other figures similarly dressed but his armor should be clearly defined. Simple line drawings using stick figures would be sufficient.

After having completed this lesson, the student should be able to describe each piece of armor and its proper use. She should be counseled to practice putting on her armor each morning as part of her devotional time. An individual troubled by bad dreams could try putting on her armor before sleeping. The image of a prepared soldier ready for battle or a surprise attack at every minute of the day and night is powerful one.

God's Laws Regarding Folk Practices

2011-10-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some of the folk practices that a Muslim woman would have seen, and may have used include: using the evil eye, practicing sorcery, wearing amulets, going to a medium, marabout or spiritist, visiting a saint’s tomb and praying there, visiting special shrines, trying to divine the future through the use of certain objects or rituals, the use of special charms or specific actions to provide personal protection from evil spirits, etc. The teacher will need to have these practices in mind as she works with her disciple during this lesson. It would be rare to find a Muslim woman who has not used several of these folk practices. She might need a guided discussion to help her recognize that has been an accepted part of her culture/religion but which has been forbidden by God. Occasionally the student will need evidence that the teacher knows about these practices before she feels free to talk about them.

The child learns religious practices by observing those around him, especially his mother. In most households, the mother is the one who spend the most time with the child and models for him the accepted behavior of culture. In this way, folk practices are passed without special teaching to the next generations. The Christian will need to develop some self-awareness of her behavior and actions at home and the testimony that these give to others including her children.

The teacher should be careful to ensure that her own jewelry doesn’t give a false idea of protection. For example, wearing a cross continuously may be perceived by others as being worn for protection.

Learning To Listen To God

2011-10-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Prayer is dialogue with God. A dialogue means that two people are talking and listening to each other. The new Christian needs to learn to listen to what God is telling her.

Encourage the new Christian to read one prayer each day. Ask her to think about the prayer, the circumstances in which it was prayed, and how it can be used as a model for her prayer life. When she comes for the next, discuss her reactions and thoughts regarding each prayer read. These prayers were chosen for study together to illustrate the many different situations that arise and need prayer.

Many times God uses His word to help us know His will. Therefore, prayer time included with a devotional time of reading and meditating on God’s word is important. God’s answer is always consistent with His written word. The Christians needs to learn to compare what she believes God is telling her with the Bible. However, the teacher should explain the danger of proof-texting: selecting a verse out of context to prove a point.

The study section of this lesson is purposefully short. The teacher should plan to spend at least half of this study session as a model of prayer, Bible study, meditation and prayer. Help the new Christian to understand what God is saying to her. This is not going into a trance or a mystical experience but rather is a time of trying to apply God’s word to her own life.

You might also want to spend a few minutes helping your disciple prepare a prayer journal. You could suggest keeping a record of prayer request, when each was prayed, and the answer from God. Remind her that’s God answer may be “no” or maybe “not yet”. Prayer is not bargaining or commanding. As Christians, we accept God’s will in faith.

Jesus Shows Us How To Pray

2011-10-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Selma has been a Christian for several years. Selma loves to pray. She spends a great deal of time telling God what she wants Him to do for her, her family and her friends. However, Selma doesn’t appear to listen to what God is telling her. To her, prayer is repeating request until God grants her. Selma has a great deal to learn about prayer.

By studying the teachings of Jesus and the examples given of His prayers, the Christian can begin to develop an understanding of how to communicate with God. Prayers of the early church as well as prayers from the Old Testament provide examples of individuals coming to God for many different reasons but always with assurance of being heard. In addition, the new Christians learn that God doesn’t require a specific posture, position or words. She is free to tell God al that is in her heart at any time, in any place and in any position.

Jesus tells us to avoid meaningless repetitions. One form of repetitious prayer that the new Christian might have seen would be some Muslims repeating the name of God until they fall into a trance. Others will repeat the name of God or some other religious word or phrase as a means of divining the future or finding the answer to a question. While the new Christian may not herself have practiced this, she probably knows someone who does. Help her to understand why God isn’t pleased with these actions.

This lesson deals with the teachings of Jesus regarding prayer. Some of the public prayers of Jesus are included for study. The student is then asked to apply what Jesus taught and His example to her own life. Although she was uncomfortable with this at first, I encouraged Selma to pray aloud with me. She prayed in her own language and gradually grew more at ease with public prayer.

How To Take A Stand

2011-10-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

By using case studies the individual can see acted out the individual response to opposition. Two stories were chosen study. The story of Daniel shows that one can be faithful to God in a difficult situation and even when the law of the land forbids it. Help the student to understand that laws should be obeyed in the most circumstances. Daniel only broke a law that interfered with his worship of God and tried to compel him to worship a false god. Because of his high position in the government, we can assume that Daniel was normally a law abiding citizen. In addition, rather than cause a confrontation, he disobeyed in private. He did not go out actively seeking a confrontation with those opposing him. Rather, he went to his room and bowed down before open windows where those actively looking for him could possibly see him. Be careful not to give the impression that God always saves the life of individual as He saved Daniel’s. Stephen is an example of one who gave his life rather than abandon his faith. If an additional for study is needed, Daniel 3:1-30 may be added.

The man born blind faced a very public confrontation with the religious leaders without a support of his family. When the leaders approached them the family sent them back to deal with the son. They offered no help or support. The man gave short factual answers. He told exactly what had happened to him. He avoided a debate on religion and did not drawn into arguing. He eventually was totally rejected by religious leaders who did not want to hear of his personal experiences with Jesus. This can also be a model for a Christian who faces opposition. She can plan to remain nonconfrontational, give factual answers of her own personal experience and, in doing so, present a testimony that can’t be refuted by heaters. While this man did not have the opportunity to plan his answers, the new Christian can learn from his experience and prepare herself for opposition when it comes.

Opposition

2011-10-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

Aisha and her daughter who live in the large metropolitan area became believers as the result of the testimony of Aisha's sister-in-law. Aisha loved to attend the weekly neighborhood Bible study that met near her place of business. However, she told her husband that she was attending a business meeting every week. Aisha particularly liked the praise and prayer part of the service. When she was approached about the idea of Baptism, she said that she needed to wait longer because she needed to be really sure that Jesus was the Savior.

When Aisha's husband found out that she was attending Christian meetings he became very angry with her. When he threatened her with divorce if she continued to practice Christianity, Aisha immediately cut off all relationships with her Christian friends. She stopped reading her Bible and removed all Christian literature from her home. When contacted by her pastor, she told him that she was doing what she needed to do at this time. Aisha's daughter, Samira, who is married and has her own home, testimony of their faith in Jesus at their place of work. However, both stopped out of fear that someone would tell Aisha's husband.

Christians through the centuries have experienced opposition and persecution for their faith. For some, this has resulted in a stronger faith and growth as a Christian with a resulting testimony that helps lead others to Christ. For others, it has resulted in a falling away from their faith as a Christian. Jesus used the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23 to explain that some would fall away during difficult times. According to Jesus, the person who falls away has no strong root that he will hold during difficult times. By studying about others who experienced opposition and continued in their faith, the new Christian can prepare herself for the opposition when it comes.

The Biblical Basis For Sharing The Gospel

2011-10-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

The verses selected for study are a brief outline threat presents the lostness of man and the way to have salvation. Some of these may be selected for memorization and used in witnessing to others. In any case, the new believer can make a list of these verses in her Bible in order to be ready at all times to share the plan of salvation to someone.

The story of Adam and Eve illustrates that only one act of disobedience separates forever man and woman from God. The story of Lazarus teaches that salvation must be obtained before death. Both of these are important concept for the new Christian to understand as she tries to begin to tell others about her new faith. This lesson will help the new Christian to understand why she should witness to others and give her some of the basic tools necessary for such an endeavor.

Encourage the new Christian to begin memorizing selected verses that she can use for sharing the gospel with others. Encourage her to begin praying for her family and friends. Talk about lifestyle witness and encourage her to begin sharing her faith in appropriate ways with her family and friends.

In most cases it is better to avoid questions requiring a simple "yes" or "no" as the answer. However, deliberately uses some questions of this type in order to emphasize the truth being taught in the verse.

Three People Who Met Jesus

2011-10-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

These stories of three encounters of Jesus and the witness that each gave afterwards. Encourage the MBB to recognize that each person in the story who met Jesus gave testimony to what Jesus has done for her. Each had a life-changing experience with Jesus and the testimony of this experience brought others to Jesus. Notice that the testimony was immediate, specific and stimulated others want to know more. Those around the individual could readily see that a life-changing experience had occurred. Encourage the new Christian to use the individuals as a model for developing her own testimony to be used with non-Christians.

Many witness encounters with Muslim result in a debate. The Christian should avoid if possible debating with her Muslim friend. Once a debate has started, meaningful dialogue stops because the main purpose is to win the argument. Help the new Christian to see that Jesus did not debate and resisted the attempts by others to start one. The Samaritan woman is a perfect example of how He kept to the main issue and kept the conversation personal. Encourage the new Christian to follow Jesus example.

In the story of Jesus Healing the blind man, Jesus tell us that a child born with a handicap is not the result of sin. While this is an important concept, it is not central point of this lesson. The lesson on sin deals with the consequences that may come as a result of a sin committed. If your Christian friend has a difficulty with this idea, study the lesson on sin with her. During this lesson, your goal is to help her develop her testimony for sharing with others.

A Strange Persecution

2011-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Two hundred and forty human torches cast a horrifying light across the palace gardens. From his balcony emperor scene of death. The agonizing screams of the Christmas tore the air as they burned to death. There only crime: to believe in Jesus and obey His word.

Two years earlier (A.D. 303) Diocletian had come to power. At first he ordered every copy of scripture burned and churches torn down. Those who refused to renounce their faith where to be killed and their houses burnt. History records that the emperor ordered a monument built with inscription: "In honor of the extermination of the Christian superstition". It was one of the cruelest persecutions of history.

The events of the first centuries of the Christian era are sad fragments of a story that no one enjoys recalling. But they never be repeated, right? No, wrong! Persecution appeared again in the Middle Ages. This time the Christian Church itself persecuted groups of believers who insisted on studying and obeying the Bible as they only rule of faith and doctrine. Labeled as heretics, they faced judgement and death for their obedience to the Word of God.

That was hundred of years ago. Today it seems highly unlikely that someone would be persecuted for his or her religious convictions. Nevertheless, Jesus categorically declared that shortly before His return to earth a group of Christians would once again endure persecution because of their insistence on obeying the Bible and the Bible only.

When we looked at natural catastrophes, we saw that Jesus announced that extra ordinary signs would appear in the sun, moon, and the stars. "But in those days, after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken". The Master stated that such thing would happen "after the tribulation". He Himself explained: "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name".

Does it mean that before the coming of Christ the world will experience a renewal of persecution? What type of persecution will it be? And what will cause it? No one who loves the truth can remain indifferent on this matter. It is something that has to do with the eternal destiny of every human being.

Before we go on on this subject, we need to remember that throughout history God has always had an enemy who specialized in deception. He attempted to gain control of the human race through his lies. The book of Revelation identifies him as devil and Satan. John depicts him under the symbol of a dragon. The dragon uses seduction to achieve his ends. Through his lies he manages to deceived many, including, if it were possible, "the chosen ones", according to the words of Lord Jesus Himself. But although seduction and deceit give him good results, there remains a group of people who study the Bible and don't fall for his deceptions. What can the enemy do with them? Overcome with rage, he persecutes them. What he doesn't achieve one way, he will attempt to do by another.

The book of Revelation speaks of that persecution and Jesus mentions it as one of the last signs of His return to earth. John says that he saw in vision: "So the dragon was enraged with a woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus". Who is this woman persecuted by the dragon? Whom that she represent? In the Bible a woman often serves a symbol of a church. A pure woman, clothed in white, depicts the church of God. An impure woman, clothed with scarlet, stands for that part of the church that has become God's enemy.

The persecuted woman is the symbol of those in the church who remain loyal to God. John himself described her in this way: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars".

This woman [church] has endured persecution from the dragon [Satan] throughout history. He attacked her with better hatred because she refused to fall for his lies. She held fast to the Word of God. John himself, exiled to the island of Patmos is one example. It was there that he wrote the book of Revelation: "I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus".

Notice two reasons for John's exile: The Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. In reality, we could summarize both causes as one: his love of Jesus. If you love the Lord, it is logical that you will be faithful to His Word. And if you respect His Word, there is no way that you will accept the deceptions and lies that the dragon may invent. This makes the enemy furious. It is why he persecutes those who insist on obeying the teachings of the Bible.

Such persecution is not against those who merely carry the name of Christians. If I am a Christian but I am ignorant of truth, and follow the false teachings of the enemy, he has no reason to trouble me. He leaves me alone. persecution is only for those who reject deception and insist on obeying what the Bible teaches.

The majority at the time will choose the path of least resistance. Meanwhile, those who cling to the teachings of the Bible will begin to be seen as radicals, stubborn, and politically incorrect. Could there be in our time anyone more worthy of rejection than a politically incorrect person? And whom could you call more politically incorrect than those who refuse to lower their values, who will not negotiate principles, who do not believe what the majority believes and refuse to accept what they accept?

The stubbornness of these persecuted people has do mainly with a matter that the great majority considers a foolish detail. In Revelation 12:17 the dragon persecutes the woman and also the "remnant of her seed", that is the last-day church, because they insist on obeying God according to His Word. Notice that the church at the time of the end has two characteristics: it keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus. They are the same reasons that led to John's exile on the island of Patmos---loyalty and obedience to God and His Word.

Today many consider God's commandments to be of no use to Christians. Many assume that the law was nailed to the cross of Calvary and therefore the Christian should no longer be concerned about keeping it. Nevertheless, the remnant stands out from the crowd precisely because they insist on being faithful to Jesus and obeying the commandments. It may seem like a trivial detail, but obedience to the eternal principles of the Word of God is not negotiable.

In Revelation 13 the dragon appears once again. Here he hands over hi power to a strange new beast. In prophecy a "beast" symbolizes a kingdom or power. John says of this new beast: "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him".

The new power begins to persecute God's people. Since people worship it, it is obviously a religious power. "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written...in the book of life of the Lamb".

According to the book of Revelation, during the last days a special religious power will acquire great authority. It will be loved and respected by multitudes, followed and praised by kings and princes. But at the same time will persecute those who do not accept its authority and submit themselves to it. Who will reject the authority of the beast? Those who insist on being faithful to Jesus and His Word.

But notice more: The prophecy also states that in the last days of our world there will arise a political power that will support the false religious one. It is the second beast of revelation 13, the one that received its authority from the dragon. The apostle John describe it: "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth.... and he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name".

People will not even be able to buy or sell unless they have "the mark of the beast". To understand this it is necessary to know first the identity of the "mark of God". If it is true that the dragon marks his followers, it is also true that God does the same with His faithful and obedient children, the ones that He calls "saints".

Earlier, John had declared: "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree". This refers to the final destruction of the earth at the second coming of Christ. Four angels hold back the winds of destruction. Why? The next verse give us the answer: "And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads'''. Notice that the angel tells the first four to "hold back the destruction until God's servants are sealed".

Today, as you read this, we are standing at one of the most important moments in the history of the world, a fact that sadly few realize. Those who receive the seal of God will escape the final destruction, whereas John says that "if anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God".

The book of Revelation depicts two great commanders. Both have their followers. And both identify their people. The dragon places the mark of the beast on his people. Jesus mark His with seal of God.

But what is the seal of God? If we discover that we can know the nature of the mark of the beast. A seal is an identifying mark. It carries the name or position of responsibility of the person and the extent of his or her authority.

Behind the seal of God lies His authority--- His law and the eternal principles of His divine government. Behind the mark of the beast you can also find a supposed authority---the decrees and deceitful principles of the enemy. Behind the seal of God is His desire to save. And behind the mark of the beast lurks the intention to destroy. Behind the seal of God are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while behind the mark of the beast are the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The seal of God is placed in the life of those who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". The mark of the beast gets placed in the life of those who worship of the deceiving power that claims to have divine authority without any right to do so.

The Bible contains a number of verses that explain the nature of the seal of God. One of them declares: "Sanctify my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God". According to this passage, the Sabbath is a sign of obedience for the Christian church. God did not give the Sabbath to Israel alone. He instituted it at Creation, and God's people observed it even before the Lord presented the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Jesus kept it. The apostles honored it both before the cross and then after Jesus was resurrected and returned to heaven. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says "For he has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works',... there remains before a Sabbath rest for the people of God".

The enemy knows the Bible. He recognizes what the Word of God says. But he is a liar from the beginning, the enemy of the truth. So what does he do? Camouflaging the truth, he mixes it with a lie and then presents it using his method, which is seduction. The result: multitudes follow him, obeying and believing what he teaches. But another group of people love Jesus and obey His commandments. They are not deceived.

The price of obedience to the Word of God and faithfulness to Jesus will be a very high one. The dragon will vent all his anger against them. Using religious and political coercion he will initiate the greatest religious persecution of all time. Because it has been prophesied, there is no way to avoid it. It will be yet another evidence of the nearness of Christ's return. The prophet Daniel said: "There will be a time distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time".

According to Jesus Himself, this persecution will take place before great natural phenomena that will be manifested in the sun, moon, and the stars. Luke tells it this way: "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you,... bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.... But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put you some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name". Notice the extent and cruelty of such persecution. Brothers and sisters will betray one another, as will parents and children, and friends will turn against friends.

It is true that, originally, Jesus was speaking of the persecution of Christians who would suffer under the Romans during the first century of the Christian era, but it is also true that the persecution will repeat itself in the last days of the world's history. Remember that the Master was responding to the questions that the disciples had asked with regard to the destruction of the Temple and the end of the world.

This last persecution will be worst and cruelest of all time. Innocent people will be humiliated and made victims because they refuse to obey the dominant religious power. Political authority will enforce the campaign. And behind both of them will be the dragon.

Let's again consider the seal of God. As we have seen, the Bibles says that it is the Sabbath, the day commonly called Saturday, the seventh day of the week. This brings us to the vital questions of the nature of the mark of the beast. To understand it we return to Revelation 13. Remember that it speaks here both religious power and political power that "deceives those who dwell on earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on earth to make an image to the beast".

Please notice that another symbolic figure now appears on the stage: an image of the beast. An image is a representation or symbols that stand for something else. When you think the colors of your country's flag, it reminds you of what country you belong to, because behind the flag there exist a country. In the same way, if the authority of God expresses itself in a seal and the seal of God is the Sabbath seal---another worship day.

First of all, we must keep in mind that the Bible does not contain a single text that says the seventh day is no longer the true day of rest. At some point in history something appeared that pretended to have divine authority and changed the observance of Sabbath for that of a different day---Sunday. Many people sincerely believe that they honor Sunday because Jesus rose on that day. It is true that Resurrection did take place on Sunday, But the Bible never says that because of that reason the Sabbath is no longer sacred and that now Sunday is the current day rest and worship.

A day of worship does not necessarily mean that particular days i better than any other. It is not simply a matter of days. What really at stake is what those days represent. The seventh day belong to Christ. It is a sign of His power and His authority. He Himself declared: "So the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath". Through the prophet Ezekiel He also said: "Sanctify My sabbaths;... that you may know that I am the Lord your God".

To honor the first day of the week as a day of rest is a human invention. It is an attack on the authority of Jesus. But to keep the seventh day is a sign of loyalty to Christ. Observing the first day of the week ultimately means disloyalty. If we will respect the Sabbath we must walk in the way that Jesus did. Whenever anyone substitutes Sunday for the day that God ordained they turn aside from the teaching of the Bible. The prophet Hosea reminds us: "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things. Who is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right. And the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them".

As you look at the world you may feel that persecution as a sign of the return of Christ will never be fulfilled. Who would dare persecute someone today for their faith. We live in a time of much religious freedom. The human race has never had greater respect for human rights. In much of the world countless social movements defend the rights of minorities. How would it be possible for someone to be persecuted only because they keep the Sabbath? From a human viewpoint it may seem impossible. Nevertheless, the Bibles says that such persecution will be almost the last sign that will happen just before the glorious return of Jesus. It will be something surprising and unexpected. But it will be real.

Are you fearful of the persecution the Scripture predicts? You don't need to be. The Lord Jesus will take care of His faithful children. read the marvelous promise regarding His infinite care for you: "Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary".

Do you know what God will do for you beside taking care of you and giving you strength? Read what He Himself says: "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, God personally promises you that He will shorten the time of suffering in the last days for the sake of His people.

All the signs of the return of Christ that we have studied so far have been in the process of being fulfilled. So will this one also, even though to many it may seem at first glance incredible. When the persecution comes, where will you be? To which of the two groups will you belong? Will you be with the persecutors or the persecuted?

The answer is yours alone.

When Will He Come?

2011-10-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

A lot of people wonder that Jesus didn't tells us the exact day and hour of His return. I believe the reason lies in the nature of the human heart. If we knew the exact time, we would ignore His counsels about how we should live. Then a few hours before His scheduled appearance we would hurriedly try to get ready. He Himself said: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone".

Some time ago I spoke with a person who knew nothing about the Bible. As we rode together in an airplane the conversation turned to spiritual questions. We shared the concept each of us had about life. I told him I believed in the return of Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.

"I prefer to live in the present reality", he told me. "Heaven is to abstract, and it's in a distant future. I don't know if I'll even be alive when that day comes".

A typical person of our time, the man thought only of the here and now. As far as he was concerned, it was not worth while trying to think about heaven while interesting things where constantly happening here on earth.

"Life is short", he told me in a conclusion", and we can't waste it on utopian dreams. We need to be realistic".

We need to be realistic? Then, borrowing an illustration from another writer, allow me to reason with you. Suppose we live 100 years and come to an end of our days. And we discover that the man who spoke with me that day was right. Heaven does not exist. The coming of Christ is a utopian dream. There is no eternal life. Nothing. Then what will I have lost if there is nothing. But let's suppose at the end of our days we discover that the Bible was right. Heaven is real, eternal life is a reality, and Christ does come back to take with Him those who are ready. Well, then, my friend in the plane will have lost everything. It's that simple. But it is also real and true.

Very soon the day is approaching when human beings will awake, just as they always have, to go about their daily round of activities. In factories employees will be carrying out their assigned duties. The clubs and entertainment centers will be filled. People will be doing good or evil, chasing as they always have after their dreams. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing different. Just as it was in the days of Noah.

Suddenly, in the midst of the sky, will appear a small cloud. It will grow larger by the second. The earth will shake to the very foundations. John described the scene this way. "I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree cast its unripe figs when shaken by great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand'?

While some people running around terrified, those who believed in the Second Coming and prepared themselves for that day will raise their arms and exclaim: "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is our Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation".

One cold morning in the concentration camp during 1942 a young man looked through the barbed-wire fence and saw a girl that he thought of as beautiful as the sunlight itself. The young woman spotted him, too, and her heart leaped up. Wanting to express her feelings, she threw a red apple over the fence. Somehow the apple brought him life, hope, and love. As the boy picked it up a ray of sunshine illuminated his dark world. The angelic face and the timid smile of that young woman lingered in his mind.

The next day he was eager to see her again. When he approached the fence, to his delight there she was. Waiting for the arrival of the young man who had touched her heart, she stood there with another red apple in her hand.

It was extremely cold and the freezing wind moaned sadly. Despite that, two hearts were warmed by love as the apple crossed the fence.

The incidence repeated itself for several days. Two young people , on opposites side of a fence, briefly looked for one another. Only for an instant each day. The encounter was a little more than a flickering flame.

One day the young man announced with a sad expression, "Don't bring me the apple tomorrow. I won't be here any more. They are sending me to another concentration camp".

That afternoon the boy left with a broken heart. From that day on the beautiful image of the girl would fill his mind during moments of sorrow. Her eyes, the few words they had exchanged, the red apple. For him it was a spark of joy in the midst of unending sadness. His family perished in the war and his life was nearly destroyed, but even in the darkest hours of the image of the girl with the timid smile brought him joy, courage, and hope.

Years passed. One day in the United States two adults met by chance in a restaurant and began to talk about their lives. "Where were you during the war"? the woman asked.

"I was in concentration camp in Germany", he answered.

"I remember throwing apples over the fence to a young man who was also in the concentration camp," she recalled.

With his heart in his throat, the man stammered: "And did that young man say to you one day: "Tomorrow don't bring me the apple, because they are sending me to another concentration camp""?

"Yes, but how could you have know that"?

Looking into her eyes, as if he was gazing at a star, he said, "I was that young man".

A moment of silence. So many memories, so much nostalgia, such joy at seeing her again. The words almost refused to come out, but he went on: "They separated me from you that day, but I never lost the hope of seeing you again. Will you marry me"?

As he held her close she whispered in his ear, "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes".

The world is a ripe fruit, ready to be harvested. Christ is coming back to put an end to the long sad history of sin. He is coming to take you home, coming to tell you that He never lost the hope of seeing you safe with Him for all eternity. There is a place in heaven for you, and it will never be the same without your presence. You are the most precious thing that Jesus has on earth. Just as you are, with your joys and sorrows, with your struggles and conflicts, with your good points and mistakes you are important to Jesus. So important that He came to die for you on the cross of Calvary, and is returning to take you home again with Him. Are you ready?

The answer is your alone.

The Preaching of the Gospel

2011-10-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

The voice of the flight attendant woke me up. Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was 6:05 a.m., London time. In half and hour more the plane would land at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. I was arriving in Russia to direct an evangelistic campaign.

A I looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the Russian capital, there came to my mind the difficulties that people had faced in the old Soviet Union when they had wanted to study the Bible and serve God. Whoever had dared to preach the good news of Jesus ran the risk of going to prison . But the fall of the Iron Curtain and the perestroika of Mikhail Gorbachev had opened the door for the message of the gospel.

In 1992 pastor and speaker Mark Finley with an evangelistic team from the television program It Is Written did something that would go down as a landmark in the history of preaching. He held an evangelistic series in the Kremlin, the place where the former government had passed laws attempting to make God disappear from the lives of the Russian people. During Pastor Finley's meeting almost 3,000 people accepted Jesus and were baptized. Today Russia is a fertile soil for the gospel seed. It is part of the fulfillment of another of the signs of the coming of Jesus: the preaching of the gospel of the world.

Enormous challenges still remain, however. A number of countries and areas have yet to hear the saving message of Jesus. From the human standpoint it seems that for now, at least, it impossible for the gospel to go to such regions. But as we look at the recent past and remember such places as Russia and elsewhere that were once apparently impenetrable and yet today are open, we have the assurance that one day there will be no place in the world where the gospel does not reach. The church is moving forward with strength in fulfilling its mission.

During the eight days I spent in Siberia, I saw spiritual hunger everywhere. People fervently wanted to hear God's message. Every night I witnessed dozens of them accepting Christ as their personal Savior. I saw them restored by the transforming power of Jesus.

The purpose of the gospel is to raise fallen men and women and return to them the lost image of the creator. Human beings of all times and in all places have always needed the gospel. But if there ever was a point in history when we should preach the good news of Jesus with force, it is today. Never before have people been so desperate and lost in the shadows of their own reasoning. And never before have human beings so sought urgently to make sense of life.

Jesus loves such people and seeks to save them. He longs to show them the road to peace and joy. That is why one of the signs that tells us we are living in the time of the end is preaching of the gospel to everyone every where: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come".

Right now, while you read these words, millions of fervent Christians are going going one to one, preaching the good news of the gospels in both cities and towns and in remote areas of the planet. The word is going out through radio, television, and Internet as well as being printed in countless books and magazines. Millions of people invite friends and neighbors to their homes to share with them the world of hope. They direct evangelistic series of all sizes and give Bible studies in people's homes. The sign that Jesus mentioned as evidence of His return is being fulfilled in an extraordinary way.

In recent years I have traveled to different countries of the world to preach in stadiums, in the open air, and in churches, rented halls, cinemas, theaters, etc. I have seen how this prophecy has become reality as people have been baptized by thousands. They join the church of God and express their desire to prepare for the return of Jesus.

It was not only Jesus who mentioned the preaching of the gospel as a sign of the time of the end. We find the message in the prophetic book of revelation in which John records what he saw in symbolic vision: "I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live in the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said in a loud voice. 'Fear God, and give Him glory, because the Hour of His judgement has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters".

The passage makes it clear that the gospel that the world needs to hear during the time of the end is not a modified message or something altered or watered down. The gospel that Adam and Eve heard in Eden is the same as that announced at Sinai. The good new at Sinai was the same as in the time of Jesus. The Master of Galilee preached the same gospel as the apostle Paul. The gospel of the New Testament is identical to that of the Middle Ages and our postmodern era. The good news that Jesus Christ---what He did, does, and will do for the human race. It is news of forgiveness and restoration. Humanity needs to hear it. Therefore, God sends an angel flying in midheaven to preach this message to a suffering world now with more emphasis that ever.

Who is this angel? Whom does he represent? An angel symbolizes a messenger or a group of messengers. The prophecy of Revelations 14 means that before the return of Christ God will raise up a group of messengers to proclaim the eternal gospel to the whole world. Prophetically those messengers would begin their activity after the persecution of the obedient church, the period would last for 1,260 years.

The prophecy says that the group of messenger would preach "with a loud voice". It means that the message is to be clear and distinct, one might be startle or alarm or even be politically incorrect, going against the thinking of majority.

The message begins like this: "Fear God, and give Him glory". Why? Because the message has to be proclaimed at a time when the human being prefers to worship the creature rather than the Creator. It is for this reason that the angel points out the mighty works of God creation. He emphasizes the sovereignty of God as a Creator that He is infinitely greater than the things He created. He "made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters". Therefore, the creatures must not direct their attention to created things but to God Himself.

The messengers symbolized by this angel call on human beings to worship the Creator God. And they justify the demand by declaring that "the hour of His judgement has come". The world urgently needs to abandon the ways of idolatry and worship the only true God, because the judgement hour has come.

What judgement is it speaking about here? When Christian thinks of divine judgement, they generally look to the future. They relate the judgement to the coming of Christ and the destruction of the world. But the angel says that the hour of God's judgement has already come. Therefore, it cannot be a future matter, but one of the past and present.

The prophet Daniel describe the judgement in the following way: "I keep looking until thrones where set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool.... A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened". So you see, the "books" were opened to begin the judgement. A careful study of Bible prophecy indicates that it would commence in 1844. Otherwise, how could Jesus reward the just at His second coming if He had not already examine the case of every person.

Speaking of the judgement terrifies people. Even the thought of it makes them uncomfortable, because people equate the judgement with destruction. And if it is destruction, how it is part of the eternal gospel? The gospel is "good news", not unhappy news. Most of us need encouragement and not fear, don't you think?

How should we view the judgement? Consider this: suppose that someone was trying to steal possessions of your house. Both of you go to court about the problem. When the matter comes for the judgement, who needs to be afraid? You, who are going to get your house back, or the individual who has taken it away unjustly? Therefore, the judgement is news that brings fear and desperation.

According to Bible, the judgement is part of the gospel of salvation for a simple reason: the Lord Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit, said: "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin righteousness and judgement". Here we find the components of the message of the whole gospel. First, I am a sinner and I can do nothing in my own strength to free myself from the condemnation to which my sins have subjected me. Second, justice comes only from Jesus. Therefore, He died for me on the cross and offers me freely His grace. Third, if I fail to take advantage of the marvelous provisions of God's mercy and grace, I will have to give an account for my decision in the judicial process when I face the judgement bar of God.

Bible prophecy affirms that in 1844 two important things took place in the universe. The first took place in heaven. there the judgement began. The second happened on the earth. God raised a group of messengers to preach the eternal gospel, announcing that the judgement begun and calling on men and women everywhere to renew their worship of God as the Creator.

This group of messengers formed a remnant church, the descendant of the woman of the revelation. The prophecy announces that God has summoned a church to give the last message to human beings. Because the church's mission is urgent, Scripture symbolizes it by the angel flying through the heavens. And because its message is important, the angel speaks "with a loud voice".

Through them and many other communications other methods, the gospel is reaching people even in the remotest and distant places. The other day I received a letter from a man who said. "Pastor, I will never have an opportunity to meet you in person in this life. I just want to thank you because one day, over the radio, I heard the good news of the gospel as I listened to the message you were presenting. At the time my home was destroyed and I had just made two attempts at suicide. I had come to the point that life made no sense. I was suffering a strange anguish that had plunged me into desperation. I couldn't sleep. I would pass hours of the night awake. I had gone to many doctors and specialist in emotional problems, but no one had been able to help me.

"Early in the morning I turned on the radio and heard you preach. I had never believed in the gospel, Jesus, or the Bible. A rational man, I was agnostic and considered religion something for weak people. I had no need for such crutches. But suddenly I don't know what happened in my life. I began to lose the taste for everything. Nothing made sense anymore, and I was sinking deeper and deeper in a sea of despair until that early morning when I heard you speak on the radio, In its darkness and silence the Spirit of God spoke to my heart, showed me reality, and made me see my need for Jesus. I accepted Him, and today I rejoice in sharing the news that has filled my life with people who don't know Jesus. I am a happy man".

The preaching of the gospel is fulfilling its purpose: to rescue people from death. The sign of the return of Christ is being fulfilled and the world is being prepared for the final harvest.

Very soon, according to God's timetable, the day will come in which the Father will say to the Son: "Go and bring home My redeemed children, whose who believe in Me and are willing to obey Me even at the risk of losing their lives. I don't want see them suffering, and I don't want to live anymore without them. The table is ready, the banquet is prepared. Only the guest are lacking. Please, go and bring them".

When that day arrives, will you be ready to go with Jesus?

The answer is yours alone.

Economic Recession

2011-10-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

The city of Sao Paulo was dazzling that night as I stared across it from the balcony of the Italia Building. Entering the restaurant, I looked around. The receptionist, a tall blond young man with artificial manners, asked, as he knew me, "Mr Bulloon?"

I nodded with a smile and he took me to a private table in the rear. the person I was looking for was there, waiting for me. As he arose we exchanged greetings, and after a brief trivial conversation, he got to the point.

"You know I have money", he said, taking charge the situation at once. "I can buy whatever I want, travel in any place in the world, and make things happen that most people just dream about; but when night comes, I can't sleep. I feel as if I were in debt to someone. Some nights I remain awake until dawn. Tell me what I'm missing, but please don't ask me to become a member of your church and don't talk to me about Jesus".

His attitude surprised me. Although a giant in the world of business, he sat there almost begging for help, but he didn't want me to talk to him about Jesus.

"You know that I am a minister", I said.

"Yes, but can't ministers talk about anything else but religion"?

"Of course we can. I could discuss the stock market or the present exchange rate for dollars. I could talk to you about sports or about the culture of the different countries I have visited, but you have just asked me a specific question. You want to know what you are lacking and I am sure it is not stocks and bonds, travel, or culture. What you need is a spiritual sense for your life, but you don't want me to talk to you about Jesus. What can I do? If I were to tell you the solution to your problem is in India and that it would cost you a million dollars, you wouldn't hesitate a minute. You would get your private jet ready and go there immediately to look for the solution. Am I mistaken"? The man blinked several times, took a sip of water, and didn't know what to say. He was aware of the emptiness of his life. Something was seriously wrong. At the beginning of his career, when he was still young and filled with dreams and ambition, he believed that he needed money to be happy. he concentrated all his efforts on getting it and had achieved his objective. By now he was a multimillionaire and, according to his original plan, should have been satisfied but he wasn't. Instead, he felt constant anguish and couldn't identify the cause. Although looking for help, he didn't want to hear anything about God.

We talked a bit more, then said without coming to any conclusion. The classic portrait of a modern man, he had made money his god. But in spite of all his money he was empty and distraught.

"Money is a powerful horse", says the proverb. And people have always given themselves body and soul to getting as much as possible of it. "Money is the lever that moves the world", repeated the gold seekers as they risked their lives in the Amazon jungles searching for the precious metal.

The mad race for money dominates today's culture. it destroys lives, corrupts consciences, and leads to the overthrowing of governments. Yet people think that if they only had more money they would be happy, and therefore spare no effort or time to get it.

The man who spoke with me that night had discovered that money failed to bring happiness. But many, in their desperate attempt to fill the void that money cannot, fall into greed: the idolatry of money.

Greedy people live just for the getting. They accumulate riches they can't use. Afraid to spend and terrified of being poor, they never had enough. They care about no one but themselves. The apostle Paul describes this kind of people as one of the signs of the last days: "In the last days... men will be lovers of self, lovers of money".

The desire to accumulate riches makes human beings lose their sense of values. Things come to be more important than people. Always wanting to be richer, the wealthy will lie, exploit, extort, corrupt and be corrupted without caring about others. Such individuals exist in every field of human endeavor: in business, in the government, and even in churches.

It is the poor and weak who is especially suffer the consequences of the greed of others. Every day they have fewer opportunities and more poverty and misery. One evidence that the return of Christ is near is the increasing wealth for a few and extreme poverty so many.

According to the report of the UN Hunger Project, every second someone dies on the planet because of hunger. Seventy percent of them are children under 5.

November 13-17, 1996, the World Food Summit convened in Rome. one hundred eighty-five nations sent their representatives. They proposed to end hunger by 2015. Since then hunger has instead dramatically increased.

most of the deaths caused by hunger result from chronic malnutrition. Families simply don't get the food they need to survive. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that at least 820 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

The Bible says that in the last days the outcry of the impoverished would lead to terrible conflicts between capital and labor. The Apostle James says: "Come now, you rich, weep, and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and you silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you.... it is in the last days that you have stored up you treasures! behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you".

Exploitation will turn those without God into loaded weapons, and time will pull the trigger. hunger is the incubator of war everywhere in the world. Constant poverty and prolonged oppression drive people into aggression and terrorism.

The struggle to survive particularly affects those living in rural areas and the edges of the great cities. Seven out of every 10 poor people, some of whom earn less than a dollar a day, dwell in such places and are especially vulnerable to being recruited for revolutionary guerrilla movements that claim to promote social justice but, unfortunately, too often end up destroying what remains of the already impoverished economy of under classes. Other victims of poverty slide into drug trafficking, and organized crime.

Careful studies of the most critical social conflicts of our time reveal that in the poorest and neediest countries revolutionary convulsions and delinquency reflect a lack of economic programs to meet the needs of growing populations. People who for decades have been without any way to improve their lives reach the place where they can't stand any more, and they end up challenging all established authority.

The majority of the modern world's social conflicts have their roots in the sense of frustration, injustice, and desperation that more and more people feel. mix in the widespread inequality and discrimination prevalent in many cultures and desperation that more and discrimination prevalent in many cultures and you have the class struggle foretold in the Bible as one of the signs of the return of the Christ.

To make matters even worse, people today are more aware of inequality and injustice than ever before. Almost everyone has access to radio, television, and other forms of communication. The media stimulate consumerism among those who have the resources to buy while at the same time flaunting an ostentatious life style beyond the reach of the great majority. The globalization of information feeds the growing anger of the neediest social classes.

No longer does most of the world just passively accept the old argument that most are destined to be poor and that they have no choice in the matter. Today, people want to change the order of things. Unfortunately, they don't realize that armed struggle is not the remedy for the problem.

The social struggle continues. It is the result of injustice, avarice, and collective selfishness. But it doesn't stop there. When the apostle James said that the wages of the workers would cry out for what they had not been paid, he was also referring to strikes and labors militancy.

As I write these lines strikes have swept the nation of Spain. The country is nearly paralyzed because public transportation workers are demanding better wages. The strikes has extended to other sectors, including funeral services and the employees of the Ministry of Justice.

Germany recently went through a chaos in which the German labor union Verdi announced that it would continue definitely its service strike in airports and railways.

In the United States General Motors announced the closing of a number of its plants and a cutback of production at others, because of a strike at one of its principal suppliers.

The same thing happened in Brazil. The Rio de Janeiro police stopped work to demand better working conditions, while in Peru to protest economic conditions. In Bolivia strikers armed with sticks were stopping traffic in five states.

Strikes constantly fill world news. The Bible long ago foretold the struggle between capital and labor. It is one of the signs of the return of Jesus Christ.

However, the Bible does not say that rich people will howl only because of the strikes. Economic turmoil keeps sweeping around the world. The United States has been going through one of the most critical times in its financial history. The stock market has gone through repeated ups and downs. Unemployment has risen, and families are losing their homes to foreclosure. In an emergency attempt to reduce the crisis, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank repeatedly lowered interest rates until inflation became a threat, because of rising oil prices.

many people in the United States keep asking: What is happening? Few know the greater dangers that could be looming on the horizon. According to Isaac Joshua, director of Conference on Economics at the University of Paris, the uncertain situation of the three strongest economies of the world is one of the most frightening aspects of the present outlook. Japan and the United States have been struggling with sluggish economies, and the outlook for Europe is gloomy. Under such conditions one cannot automatically dismiss the possibility of a worldwide economic recession. it is a financial tsunami that threatens to destroy everything in its path.

According to the specialist, the present alternatives are either a violent crisis or one that is less intense but more prolonged. And if this is a reality for the three greatest economies of the world, imagine what would happen to the developing nations that directly or indirectly depend on the stronger financial powers.

As is so often the case it is the poor who suffer the most. At least they know what it means to suffer. Remember that nearly 800 million people go to bed hungry every night. But think about the rich, who have never known want and who cling to money as a source of security. No wonder the prophecy says they will howl because their riches will be useless to them.

When the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929 a number millionaires lost everything in a flash, and a few ended up taking their own lives. It took years for the country to overcome the trauma.

Money is important, but when human beings find themselves far from God they live permanently dissatisfied. then wealth becomes an obsession. They cling to it as if it were the only source of security. But it is nothing but unstable sand.

Jesus said: "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that house; and it fell and great was its fall".

Dangerous times are coming. Financial winds are starting to blow across the earth. The Bible said that it would be so. When these times arrive, where will you have built your house?

The answer is your alone.

A Sex-Obsessed Generation

2011-10-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday in Amsterdam. The sun is like a ball of fire, resplendent in the infinite blue of the sky. Bright tulips nod in the garden and adorn the party. Throngs of people converse and celebrate. In the center of all excitement, holding hands and exchanging caresses, the happy couple tells journalist details of their recent wedding. The newlyweds say they plan to adopt a child. from time to time they give each other passionate glances and smiles. The cameras of the international press record it all and send the news around the world by satellite.

Such an event would attract little journalistic interest if the focus of such attention had been an ordinary couple. But they were two men who had just come out of the church after receiving a "nuptial blessing".

The event happened in Holland in 2001. Similar incidents would later occur in Belgium, Canada, and the United States. At first, people in many countries protested them in defense of the family values and morality. To many people in it seemed like the end of the world. Today, a few years later, "gay" marriages and legally recognized civil unions of homosexual couples are common in Argentina, Denmark, Germany, France and Portugal. And, as often happens, the newest fad soon become the custom and the custom becomes part of the culture.

A recent parade of homosexuals and lesbians in Brazil brought two and a half million individuals into the streets. The city of Sao Paulo had never seen such a large mobilization of people. It seemed like a carnival, happy and colorful with floats, and banners displaying slogans. The same thing is happening every year in other great capitals of the world. Homosexuals who formerly hid their lifestyle today don't hesitate to take to the streets to advocate their position. They have rights, they say, just like everyone else. What is interesting and significant about this is dramatic way in which it fulfills Bible prophecy. The Lord Jesus had said that in the last days such behavior would be part of the popular culture.

If the matter just involved people who have nothing to do with Christianity, it would be easier to understand. After all, someone who doesn't believe in the Judeo-Christian God has no biblical conduct to adhere to.

But even in Christian circles voices such as that of Mario Ribas defend the idea that "a sensible analysis of the Bible shows that all people, regardless of race, gender and sexual orientation were received by Jesus, and therefore, I don't see why homosexuals and lesbians are wrong in their way of being". Ribas, a theologian, graduated from Princeton University in New England and is pastor of a large evangelical church.

What is happening in the christian world? Why has something that the Bible classifies as "sin" suddenly become normal? Why have some started referring to the acceptance of homosexuality as "an expression of the grace of Christ"? The words of Jesus recorded in the Bible announce that in the last days it would be like this: "It was the same as happened in the last days of Lot. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed".

How were the "days of Lot"? We find the record in the book of Genesis. The inhabitants of Sodom tried to break down Lot's door to seize two men who were his guest in his home to have sex with them. That is why the word "sodomy" is sometimes used as a synonym for homosexuality was acceptable. In the days of Lot homosexuality is acceptable, and God showed His disagreement with that kind of human behavior.

Jesus foretold that the last days would be like the days of Lot.

The Bible teaches that God loves everyone. Homosexuals like every other human being are objects of His love and mercy. But Jesus came to our world not only to forgive sinners but also to transform them and make them new creatures. The apostle Paul explains it simply that God gave life to you "when you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world,... indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were "darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn in Christ in the way,... In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,... and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Here the apostle speaks of transformation. Every human being, no matter what their sin is, needs to undergo the miracle of conversion. Conversion involves repentance, forgiveness, and putting off the old way living. In the light of what the apostle Paul says, it is impossible to accept the politically correct idea that because of God is love He will accept any and all deviations of human conduct.

God described His character to Moses: "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished".

The word guilty in the original language does not refer to people who sometimes do what is evil, but those who insist on living that way.

Evidently, social pressure to accept something that the Bible condemns is another fulfillment of the signs of the end. The open proliferation of homosexuality and the argument that it is just "a different type of sexual orientation" is an evidence that we live in the last days.

Some years ago the Natural Museum of Oslo presented an exhibit on homosexuality in the animal world. It argued that if homosexuality exist among the animals, and seems perfectly natural among them, then sexual deviation is also natural among human beings and if it's natural, then it can't be sin.

The dictionary defines the word "natural" as something done according to the property of things. The key word here is "property". What are the natural properties of things? It is natural to eat through my ears I am perfectly free to do so, but I cannot expect people to accept my idea, as something natural, normal and proper.

Our generation has lost touch with it's own nature. It lives almost entirely for physical pleasure. In the United States alone it spends every year the fabulous sum of $13 billion on pornography. You can hardly turn on your computer anymore without receiving an invitation to look at pornography. Most of the music and movies written, composed and produced now have sex as the central theme. You seldom find an advertisement that does not use sex appeal to sell the product.

What is the problem with this? Humans are physical, mental and spiritual beings. They cannot be split into separate segments. In order for what people do in life to make sense they need to do it with a complete unity of their being. To divide or fragment is fatal. If they try it they will open deep wounds in their unconscious world. Wounds that their rationalism cannot cure. No matter how often we tell ourselves that it's OK, that it's good as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, and that your private life is a matter of personal choice or preference, the reality is different. Your nature as a human being, with physical, mental and spiritual faculties, cannot cope with this. It maybe that, swept along by uncontrolled instinct, it can tolerate a distortion and perversion of its physical dimension; and perhaps our mental aspect can be convince by its own arguments that this is acceptable, but the spiritual nature rejects it.

"I am not spiritual", a man said to me one day when I visited him in prison.

he was there because he had tried to live a life without restrictions. Although unwilling to recognize it, he was still a spiritual being. If not, he would not have insisted so much on having me visit him.

Humanity's problem in our time is that we do not recognize our spiritual nature. Nevertheless, the fact that we attempt to ignore it does not change reality, Spirituality is not something we choose to be or not to be. It is beyond our control, because it came from the hands of the Creator. Our life will only be complete as we live in harmony with Him and respect the integrity and unity of how He made us.

Here is an illustration: Take a bird and put in a golden cage covered with diamonds. Put plenty of food and water in the cage, and if you like, give it air conditioning adapted to its needs. Do you think it will someday be happy? Never! it has a bird's nature and was born to be free---to fly. it is true that it needs water and food, but what makes it happy is freedom.

People think that they are free because they can do whatever they want, but they are prisoners of pleasure. Mario Veloso, poet, author, and personal friend states that formal freedom is not enough to be truly happy. A country or government can guarantee the freedom of the body, but not of the soul.

Those who live under totalitarian regimes suffer no more than those who live in societies with full freedom. Why? Because human being are prisoners of their complexes, tendencies, selfishness, ambitions, envies, and everything that constitutes the dark side of human psychology.

Such captives can never be truly happy. In their frustration many of them turn a life of pleasures and give free rein to immorality. Those who attempt to leave out the spiritual dimension of live are welding the bars of their own prison. As incredible as it may seem, the factors the imprison modern people are, according to Veloso, obscenity, pornography, violence, and homosexuality.

David Levy published a book titled Love and Sex wit Robots. After investigating the possibility of relationships between humans and robots, the author concluded that people unable to establish satisfactory relationships with other humans should substitute relationships with machines. He was not joking.

Levy's intention may be all right: but for sex to be fully satisfying and make a person happy, it has to be physical, mental, and spiritual act. I sex is only physical, it is frustrating and leads to emptiness and dissatisfaction.

So what do people do to respond to the cry of the needy heart? They plunge into all kinds of perversions and depravity. As the Bible says: "God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error".

What is the "penalty of their error" That the apostle here speaks about? he refers to all the plagues and illnesses that strike the modern world. A study carried out by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows the 19 million people in the United States become infected every year with Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and 65 million live permanently with such diseases in their bodies. AIDS is decimating humanity. At present, 43 million people live with AIDS. Last year alone it infected and additional 4.8 million. Worse yet, 2,000 babies acquire the disease in their mothers wombs.

The Bible foretold that all of this would be an indication that we are living at the end of time. Jesus declared: "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts its forth its leaves, you know the summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door".

It was late afternoon of a sad day as her life seemed to have come to it's end. Her dreams had killed her, Men had condemned her as flagrant sinner. Mistakes had filled her life, and she had loved in the wrong way. Although she had longed to be loved in return, she had only been used, leaving her with open wounds that no one could heal.

What can a person do or say when she knows that she has made mistakes and deserved to be punished for it? She can repeat what she was already doing, so that the pain she believes she deserves will be even worse. The woman had chosen this way---one that plunged her to the bottom of the pit and made her feel like trash. Although she knew that she ought to change her way of life, she didn't have the strength.

It was then that the men had caught her in the very act of sin and dragged her to the presence of Jesus. She knew she deserved to be stoned. The implacable law offered neither mercy or forgiveness. There she was. Her past was ugly. Her present, horrible. And her future non existent. Then there appeared the wonderful person of Jesus. thank God He always shows up just when we need Him most. That's how God is: he always looks for you, calls, and waits for your response.

The teacher from Galilee silently began t write in the sand, and the accusers of the poor woman disappeared one by one. Then the voice of Jesus broke the sudden silence. "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her".

No one dared, and soon the street was deserted.

"Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you"? Jesus asked.

"They're all gone", she replied, not daring even to look up.

"Neither do I condemn you" the Lord told her. "Go your way. From now on sin no more".

Twenty centuries have come and gone since the day. the voice of the Master is still heard coming down to us. His promise is "Give me your heart, and I will make it new".

What a wonderful invitation! Do you believe it? What will you do about it?

The answer is your alone.