Published by the Bible Advocate Press

(http://home.cog7.org/publications)

Have you ever asked yourself, “Where am I going to spend eternity?” Interestingly, many people make elaborate plans for their short life on earth, but sometimes fail to plan beyond the here and now. Yet planning for eternity is what accepting God’s plan of salvation is about.

Salvation represents the work of God to rescue humanity from eternal ruin and death caused by sin. It means dealing with the causes of our being “lost” or being separated from and out of contact with God because of sin.

Salvation leads to eternal life. It is the work of God to find lost humanity, and is free .when we take the few steps described in the Bible to receive this glorious gift of grace, we must never consider it our work instead of God’s. Therefore, when we accept God’s offer of salvation, we are accepting His gift of eternal life.

What, then, must we do to be saved?

Salvation Begins with faith?

The New Testament tells the good news of Jesus Christ that salvation depends on believing in Christ and accepting Him as our saviour.

Salvation is made possible only through Jesus, the S on of God. These quotations from the New Testament illustrate this basic and important truth:

To all who received him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish have eternal life (John 3:16)

We must express our belief in Jesus as God’s Son and as the one who redeems us from our sins. Sin leads to death, but God sent Jesus into the world to deliver us from our sins and their penalty, the wrath of God:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will see life, for God’s wrath remains on him (John 3:36)

The Gospel of John was written as a record of the many wonderful things that Jesus said and did, to give a basis for believing in Him:

These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the S on of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31).

Faith is confidence and trust in the existence of God and the work of salvation He has completed on our behalf through Jesus Christ. Therefore we are called to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that by His death, burial and resurrection from the dead, we are forgiven of our sins.

Can you believe this great truth? If so, you can be saved. The apostle Paul wrote:

If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)

Faith leads to Repentance and Baptism

In Acts 2, Peter, a disciple of Christ called upon the people to believe in Jesus. Acts 2:37 informs us that Peter’s words conviction to the people’s heart.

They cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

In verse 38, Peter told them they must do two things: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, In the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”.

In this one verse Peter lists two important responses necessary to receive eternal life. When we realise that God has worked out our salvation through his dear son, we feel sorrow for our sins. The sorrow leads us to confess our sins to God .We can be sure he will forgive and purify us.

if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (! John1:9).

The process of feeling sorry for our sins and confessing them is called repentance. Genuine repentance always brings about change. Paul writes, “Godly sorrow bring repentance that leads salvation and leaves no regrets” (2 Corinthians 7:10a).In other words, God uses the sorrow we feels in recognising our sinfulness to lead us to a change of heart. Before we repent we accept him as a normal way of life. But when we see how serious sin is, that it brings death, we repent. An awareness of God’s will for our live goes beyond recompense. It spells out the way to live in contrast to the former sinful life. This concept is supported by Paul, who preached to repentant sinners “that they should repent turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds”. (Acts 26:20)

Paul says repentance should bring about a change in us: obedience to do the word of God. Our deeds demonstrate that we have turned from our sinful ways to obey and serve God.

The next step after repentance is baptism in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2 :38).we must express faith in Jesus Christ as the son of God our saviour, we may be sorry for our sin and confess that we are sinners, we may determine to obey God’s words. But until we baptise in water in the name of Jesus, our response to God’s offer of eternal life is incomplete.

Jesus taught that believers should be baptized. Just before his ascension to heaven, he told the apostles:

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son and of the holy spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you ( Matthew28:19,20).

In the New Testament, Christian baptism is described as a burial. Paul wrote, [you have] been buried with him [Christ] in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12).

Baptism is an English word translated directly from a word used in the New Testament that means “immerse” or “put under”. The Bible’s symbolic picture of baptism as a burial is not mere coincidence. It describes the act of baptism as a complete immersion in water, symbolizing the believer’s participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father,

We too may live a new, life (Romans 6:3, 4).

Paul uses this symbolism to teach us the true significance of baptism. In Romans 6:5-7, he explains that through baptism, the believer illustrates the death of his sinful nature by burying it, then rising to live a new life in harmony with God’s word. Paul wrote:

If we have been united with him [Christ] like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Accept God’s Gift

If you have taken time to prepare for a long, happy life on earth, why not take the time and necessary steps to receive God’s gift of eternal life? Through faith in Christ, repentance, and baptism, you can respond to God’s offer of salvation.

We invite you to repeat the following prayer sincerely:

Lord Jesus, come into my heart right now, I confess that I am a sinner. As a believer, I ask my life to you and ask you to lead me and direct ma in all my ways.

Thank you for accepting me and for forgiving my sin.

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

10. The bible, in both Old and New Testaments, consistently calls the seventh day of the week (Saturday) the Sabbath. The first day of the week (Sunday) is never so designated.

9. God himself instituted the Sabbath at Creation by doing three things:
a. He “rested” (literally, ceased) from His creative work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2).
b. He “blessed” (conferred favor or approval) on the seventh day (v.3).
c. He “Sanctified” (set apart for special care or use) the seventh day (v.3).

8. The Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In Exodus 20 the Sabbath serves as a symbol of Creation – a day to remember God as Creator: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work……….. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

In Deuteronomy 5 the Sabbath also serves as a symbol of redemption – a day to remember God as Redeemer: “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy….. and remember that you were a slave n the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5: 12-15).

7. Jesus affirmed that the Sabbath was a Creation ordinance that God intended for the benefit of humanity: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Jesus’ use of the words made and man link the Sabbath to Creation just as His use of the same words identify marriage as a Creation ordinance: “But at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:6-9). The divine intent of the Sabbath is as universally applicable as is the institution of marriage.

6. Jesus also affirmed the redemptive aspect of the Sabbath through His own ministry. As God gave the Hebrews rest from Egyptian bondage, so Jesus has given those who trust in Him rest from the bondage of sin: “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28). To illustrate His redemptive work, Jesus performed many of His healing miracles on the Sabbath, thus setting the captives free from their infirmities and declaring that “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). He did this on the basis of His divine authority as the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).

As the Sabbath reminded the Hebrews of their deliverance from Egypt, so it reminds many Christians of their deliverance from sin. Both events were solely the work of God, rather than human effort. Therefore, the Sabbath as a symbol of redemption teaches us to rest in Christ as if all our work were done in Him.

5. The weekly Sabbath is also a symbol of the coming kingdom of God, when believers will enjoy unending Sabbath-rest (see Hebrews 4: 1-10, especially verse 9, which speaks of the eternal rest that still awaits the people of God). Each weekly observance is an earthly foretaste of the heavenly rest, peace, and fellowship to come.

4. As a regular practice, Jesus observed the Sabbath throughout His ministry (Luke 4:16). Apostle Paul and the early church, including Gentile believers, also used the Sabbath as a day for worship, preaching, prayer, and evangelism (Acts 13:42-44; 16:13; 13:2-4; 18:1, 4, 11).

3. The Sabbath offers a practical benefit for human wellness – time off for physical, mental, and spiritual rest. The weekly cycle of the seventh day liberates us from the tyrannies of modern life: tension from the clock, overtime, rushing to and fro, business and busyness, buying and selling, producing and consuming, work and worry. It’s a day to let go, to be free from the necessity of doing and to enjoy just being, a day of divine rest for human restlessness, a gift to renew and refresh body and soul.

2. By freeing us from the demands of the work week, the Sabbath offers another important benefit: time to cultivate and restore human relationships. Life is most worthwhile and fulfilling through contact and interaction with others. However, due to hectic schedules, we often neglect the very relationships essential to our human existence. The Sabbath allows us to slow down and touch the lives of others in meaningful ways. It affords quality time to bond with family and friends and to fellowship with the community of faith. As a symbol of rest and release from bondage, the Sabbath also invites us to reach out to the community-at-large, to help neighbors who are hurting by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. After all, cultivating and restoring human relationships is what Jesus had in mind when He said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12).

1. Finally, the Sabbath provides an opportunity to cultivate the most important relationship in our lives – our relationship with God. While we may attempt to worship God throughout the week, our human tendency is to rush along, offering Him a fleeting nod here and there. That’s why the Sabbath (which literally means “to cease”) calls on us to make a purposeful decision to cease from our worldly activities and care and to focus our attention on God, to commune with Him through worship, prayer, and Bible reading. By spending uninterrupted time with Him, we become more sensitive to His presence and are reminded of His claim on our lives. We see that the whole of our existence is wrapped up in Him – our past, present, and future – because He is our Creator, Redeemer, and coming King. Therefore, when we observe the Sabbath, we are actually pausing to remember that we belong to God. It is not the Sabbath that we worship but the God behind the Sabbath. The Sabbath is merely a time memorial, a needful tool to help us focus our attention on the Source of all things. And when we look to the Source for our existence, and then all the other things in our lives are put into perspective.

2001 – 3- 20 – 8.2005

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from The new King James Version, copyright © 1982, 1983, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission.

First edition, January 2001
Second printing, November 2002
Third printing, August 2005.

© Bible Advocate Press, Post Office Box 3367, Denver, Colorado 80233-0677.

Waiting for the moment of truth at such appointments can create deal of anxiety! Regardless of your hectic schedule or your age, god has scheduled you for two specific appointments with Him. What you are now, what you do now, and what you believe now will directly affect the outcome of these divine appointments.

Your predestined appointments with God are summarised in one succinct verse of scripture: ‘It is an appointed unto men to die once, but after this the judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Death and judgement – these are the two inescapable appointments with God, and you cannot avoid them!

Are you ready for these two appointments? If you die today, are you ready to meet your Maker? Are you prepared to be judged for eternity?

Awesome Judgement:

The certainty of a final day of judgement for every human being is one of the central teachings of the Bible. Consider these verses:

- “He (God) has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31).

- “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from his goats” (Mathew 25:32)

- I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened…. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things that were written in the books (Revelation 20:12)

- We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he ahs done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

- So each of us will give account of himself to God (Romans 14:12)

The certainty of coming before a Holy God to be judged should sober us all. Because we all have sinned and deserved to be condemned! (Romans 3:23; 6:23). We may successfully hide many of our sins from others in this life, but we cannot hide them from God; and the ultimate wages for sin is death. Scripture call this the second death, destruction in the lake of fire (revelation 20: 14&15).

Whether we think about it or not, we all face the certainty pf physical death at the end of this life, followed by the judgment of God which will determine our eternal destiny. No one escapes the first death, but God provides a way for all Human beings to stand guiltless in the judgement and to escape the second death. But someone must pay the wages of sin.

One way out:

The only way to face the certain death and final and judgement to come is by having out sins forgiven through Jesus Christ! The good news stems from God’s Great love for all human beings, created in His image:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)

We were all sinners destined to eternal death, but Jesus Christ came to make a way for us to live forever. How do we obtain this gift of eternal life that God wants us to give? The Bible’s answer is clear: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Or, as the apostle Peter put it to the crowd of Jews gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Repent, and let everyone of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

To repent means we turn away form our sins, even as we turn Jesus for the hope He has promised. It means that we find a new way of life- a way of obedience to the will of God as revealed in His word. It means that we invite Jesus t be the Lord of our lives.

It’s your choice:

At this very moment, you must have one the greatest human privileges – the privilege of choice. You can either choose the way of faith in Christ, of repentance from sins and of eternity with God, or …

You can choose to continue living you own way apart from God, trying to enjoy your sins and moral irresponsibly, moving ever onward toward certain physical death and judgement- the eternal death to follow. The choice is fully up to you, but we can tell you what God wants: he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9). Jesus loves you so much He paid the penalty for sins by dying on the Cross. Though He was completely sinless, He offered Himself as your substitute. he dies so you will not have to (Hebrews 2:9).Only through accepting His death in your place can you receive forgiveness of your sins (Ephesians 1:7). There is no other way to escape eternal death because there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4: 12). Today you have the opportunity of erasing your sinful past, in the eyes of God, and beginning all over again over again as though you had never sinned (Colossians 1:21,22).
Sure things Sure Faith

You have probably heard someone say there are only two sure things –death and taxes. That is only half right. The whole truth is that there are two things for certain: Death and Judgement before God to follow.

These two appointments will surely take place, and you will be there when they do. The only escape from the second death is to repent form all your sins and accept Jesus as the Saviour and lord of your life. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the son of God does not have life (1John 5:12).

Where do you stand?

Never deceive yourself into thinking that you have no need of repentance from your sins or that you have no need of Jesus in your life. To deny your sin and the reality of your need for forgiveness is to assume that you know more about life and death that the God who has created you.

Why not approach the Judge and get things straightened out today? His bench is easily approached, and he listened sympathetically to those who throw themselves on the mercy of His Court. His loving invitation is clear:

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Mathew 11: 28-30).

Keeping in mind you two unavoidable appointments with god – death and judgement, what more important business could you possibly have than to accept this offer Jesus make to you now.

Carefully consider your decision. This prayer can help you get started toward your two appointments; “Dear God I need you. I know that I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I ask for Jesus to come into my life right now and cleanse me. I trust Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus name Amen.”

________________________________________________________________
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

R2006-1-20-6.2006

Revised first edition, March 200
Second printing, March 2001
Third printing, October 2002
Fourth printing, March 2004
Second Edition, June 2006

For the saints, Jesus’ return will be a time of great joy, but for sinners a time of great sorrow and judgment. How do you feel about Jesus’ return? Are you uncomfortable thinking about it? Do you have sense of peace about it, or does it stir your emotions to anxiety or even panic?
Some people are not eager for Jesus to come. A couple may be planning their wedding; they want to experience married life before He comes.
An expectant mother and her husband may wish to hold their first child.
Students may want to graduate and begin their careers before this age ends.
Then there are those who are apprehensive about the unknown factors of His coming.
References are frequently made to battle of Armageddon; the Antichrist; the mark of the beast; final judgment; and need to avoid the number 666 in your zip code, telephone number, or car tags. Taken by themselves, these cast the Second Advent in a foreboding light. But they do not tell the whole story!
Jesus does not want believers worry over the thought of His coming. He said: “do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me…. I will come back and take you to be with me….” (John 14:1, 3b). If we trust God, we realize we can also trust Jesus. We are not to fret over the details. We can do nothing to hasten or delay the event. Our assignment is, “Be ready!” our beloved Savior and Redeemer will come in person to receive all the saints into His glorious, never-ending kingdom. What a comforting thought!
Chaotic world
Generally, when we hear something about the second coming of Jesus, it is shrouded in terms of war, death, destruction, persecution, and chaos in the natural, political, social and religious worlds. Prophetic texts refer to these things, and many of them seem to be tied to Jesus’ coming. For the most part, the events represent Satan’s ongoing assault on God and His people or God’s judgment upon a godless, wicked world.
However, as closely related to the second coming of Jesus as they may seem to be, they are events beyond the control of the saints of God. They are strictly in God’s hands and represent a “cause and effect” that will result in the judgment God brings upon the world prior to Jesus’ return. This is the reason Jesus gives the injunction “Trust in God; trust also in me.”
Christians need not become alarmed by Jesus’ description of an ongoing series of natural and man-made disasters that signal His return:

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains (Matthew 24:6-8).

We who have placed our faith in God and await Jesus’ return need not worry or fear the chaotic conditions around us. They are leading us ever closer to the Second Advent, but they are not, in themselves, signs of the nearness of Jesus’ coming. We can be sure that God is in control and will keep watch over us. Jesus spoke of the attention God gives to his saints:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your father. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29, 31)

We can also be reassured by the words of the psalmist:

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and the deadly pestilence …. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you (Psalm 91:3-7).

We have to realize that the multiple disasters overtaking the world and its people are necessary. God uses them to move this world onward and closer to Jesus’ return. They need not be a threat to our Second Advent hope.

Three Descriptions of Christ’s Return

The New Testament uses three words to describe the return of Christ. Each paints a glorious word picture, capturing the manner, purpose, beauty, and awe of His coming.
The word most commonly used is Parousia. It has been adopted into the English language, unchanged from the Greek. It means “presence,” inferring arrival, advent, or coming. Parousia, in common use, indicates the visit of a prince to one of his provinces. In the context of the Second Advent, it encompasses the coming of Jesus as the Lord of lords and Kings of kings (Revelation 17:14); the gathering of his subjects to Himself (Matthew 24:31); coming unexpectedly (vv. 36, 37); raising the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16); marking righteous judgments (2 Corinthians 5:10); putting all His enemies under His authority (1 Corinthians 15:25); and subduing the kingdoms of the earth and setting up eternal kingdom of God (Revelation 11:15).

The use of Parousia in reference to the Second Coming is appropriate because it includes all that is accomplished by His coming. Believers can look forward joyfully to Jesus’ arrival to welcome us into His kingdom.
Our focus should be a prince who will receive His subject: “well done, good and faithful servant!… Come and share your master’s happiness!”(Matthew 25:21).
The Greek word epiphaneia literally means “appearing”. In the context of the Second Advent it describes the appearing of Jesus as a king assuming His throne. In the first advent of Christ, when he appeared to bring salvation for humanity. It anticipates his return from heaven to appear both to those who believe and are looking for him and to unprepared sinners. His appearance will be like that of a king who will come to reward and to judge. The reward expected by Paul and by all his fellow believers is a crown of righteousness:

There is in store foe me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
William Barclay, The Daily study Bible series, Westminster Press, “The Letters of James and Peter,” p.122.
Ibid.
Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).

Judgment is inseparable from the Second Advent: “…the lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom” (v.1, KJV). This is evident in Paul’s reminder to the Thessalonians, who were zealous for, but misinformed about, the Lord’s return. He informed them that “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7,8), who was already beginning to manifest himself (v.7), is to be given opportunity to assert himself against God and the saints before Jesus returns (vv. 3-12):

And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor [brightness, KJV] of his coming [epiphaneia] (v.8).

All the world’s system will be judge and brought under the control of kings Jesus: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15b).
The saints of God have nothing to fear by the appearance of Jesus and the judgment he metes out at his coming. They will behold him as their king who establishes his throne to rule over a world where their personhood is respected and their righteous values prevail.

We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty . . . . You have taken your great power and have begun to reign . . . The time has come for judging the dead and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name . . . . (vv.17, 18b).
3. The third word used in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ second coming is apokalupsis. It means a “revelation” an “unveiling”, a “laying bare”. The Greek name for the book of Revelation is Apokalupsis. When used to refer to the Second Advent, it describes the glory with which Christ is revealed in the clouds of heaven: “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed (apokalupsei) from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angles” (2 Thessalonians 1: 7b). Jesus’ birth was announced with a heavenly host in a display of glory: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them [shepherds], and the glory of the lord shone around them ….” (Luke 2:9).
His second advent will be marked by an even greater display of glory: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30b), accompanied by “. . . . a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God . . . .” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and with a brightness yet unseen by mankind:
God will bring about [the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ] in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the king of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see . . . . (1 Timothy 6:15, 16a).

New Testament writers paint three vivid
3. Ibid.
pictures of second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is arriving King; He appears to and rewards His people and assumes His throne in the full, unveiled blaze of God’s glory.
What a picture! How wonderful it will be to behold a victorious Christ coming in glory and reigning on His throne. It is something to look forward to! It will be the greatest and most glorious spectacle humanity ever beheld.

The Resurrection of the Saints
When we discuss the resurrection, we refer to God restoring a dead person to life again. This differs from creation or birth.
Resurrection is not to be mistaken with the unbiblical idea of reincarnation, which suggests that upon death, animate beings are reborn in new bodies or in a different form of life.
Job perfectly described what the resurrection means:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skins has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27).
New Testament writers present a reassuring account of the resurrection of the saints. The resurrection is inseparable from the Second Coming, taking place simultaneously with his descent from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
The Thessalonians anticipated the return of Jesus but worried about the future of believers who had passed away. Paul assured them their loved ones would not be forgotten: “He [Jesus] died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (5:10).
Earlier in this letter, Paul described the resurrection of the dead as occurring at the Second Advent:
According to the lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (4:15-17).
From this text we can ascertain these facts:

Some saints will be alive and well at the return of Jesus.
The living will not be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus before the resurrection of the dead. Both will meet Jesus together.
Both the living and the dead will behold the return of Jesus. The dead saints will not be deprived of observing His glorious return.
Both the living and the resurrected will dwell with Jesus from that time throughout eternity.
Paul gave additional details of the resurrection in his letter to the Corinthians:
Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

Adding these details to those already revealed to us, we observe:
The great and wonderful gift of eternal life will be bestowed upon the living and dead saints at the return of Jesus, at the moment of the resurrection. These events are simultaneous.
The translation of saints from mortality to immortality will be instantaneous.
Paul considered the translation of the saints as their ultimate victory in Christ: “Death has been swallowed up in victory”.
The resurrection of the dead and their change or translation along with those still living are hope of every Christian. Paul wrote about this to Titus:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-13).
Peter wrote:
Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us . . . . an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-5,9).

Paul wrote the Ephesians that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our translation to immortality:

Having believed, you were marked in him with seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13b, 14).

The resurrection of the dead represents the means by which the dead are given life and consciousness. There is no consciousness in death: “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing . . . .” (John 5:28, 29a).
The Bible teaches that the dead wait in the grave for the resurrection. Job understood this truth: “ if a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hand service [appointed time, KJV] I will wait for my renewal to come” (Job 14:14). One reason the second coming of Jesus is so precious to every believer is that Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25). He will give all the saints eternal life at his appearance.

Judgment of the saints

Many different ideas circulate in religious circles about the judgment of the world when Jesus comes. Some suggest that everything a person has done, every word he has spoken, and every thought that has crossed his mind will become known to the universe. Judgment is thorough, no one escapes! Therefore, many are unable to anticipate the return of Jesus with joy. Who wants their thoughts, words, and actions to be announced to the world?
We anticipate better things than that. Under Old Testament accounting for sins, God’s complete forgiveness reflected better things than bringing such shame upon His people: “All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath less would those made righteous through the blood of Christ be held up to shame!
God’s judgment will be universal: “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” (Romans 14:10b); “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10b).
The writer of Hebrews observed, “. . . . . man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment . . . .”(Hebrews 9:27). Though no one will escape the judgment of God, all people will not be judged in the same manner.
Regarding the saints, the psalmist wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions form us” (Psalm 103:12), indicating that God does not confront believers with sins.
New Testament writers make a difference in how the saints and sinners are judged at the advent of Jesus. Paul spoke of the righteous dead being called from their graves and joining the living to meet Jesus in the air as he descends from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).
He described how the dead and living saints will be clothed in immortality instantaneously, at the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:52, 53). All this will happen “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (v.52).
There doesn’t appear to be a pause in Jesus’ coming to permit Him to convene a lengthy judgment of individual saints.
Why? Do the saints of God escape judgment? Jesus revealed the thorough nature of the judgment of the dead:
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done evil will rise to be condemned (John 5:28,29) .a
Belief in and commitment to serve God through faith in Christ make us guiltless in the eyes of God. Romans 8:1 spells it out: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There is more: “He was delivered over the death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification [acquittal]” (4:25). Because we are justified – acquitted – of all our sins through faith in Jesus Christ, we stand guiltless before God.
Our relationship with Christ makes us righteous: “God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Because of our faith and trust in Jesus, God credits (imputes) the righteousness of Christ to us. As God looks at us through the blood of Christ, He sees the righteousness of Christ in us. Further, consider Colossians 1:21, 22: “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight without blemish and free from accusation”. In Christ we are holy, without blemish or accusation in the sight of God!
Because of the imputed righteousness of God, we will already have been judged righteous when Jesus comes. If we are presented holy and without accusation before God, we do not need to stand before him in judgment as sinners do. We can be secure in the knowledge that God knows us:
The lord knows those who are his . . . . . (2 Timothy 2:19b).
The righteous have passed from death to life . . . . Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done (Revelation 22:12).
The good news for the saints of God is there is no accusatorial judgment awaiting them when Jesus comes in the magnificent display of His glory. Let us rejoice and anticipate the return of our savior!

Judgment of Sinners

Any fear of the Second Advent should only be sinners facing judgment. Unbelievers have good reason to be fearful. Their judgment will be a sorrowful experience. Jesus described it:
There will be weeping there, and gnashing teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out (Luke 13:28)
God wanted it known who would be the judge: “He has commanded us….to testify that he [Jesus] is one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42).
Paul expressed the dual purpose of God’s judgment in Romans 2:5-9a: But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done’. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. Paul warned the sinner, “For the wages of sin is death” (6:23a).God’s righteous and vindicate them: God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled. . . . This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10a).
There are three outstanding considerations here: 1) God will avenge his people from those who oppress them. 2) The unbelieving will be annihilated. 3) The vindication of the righteous is share in the glory of their coming Lord – to be embraced by his presence. Revelation 20; 11- 14 pictures the Great White Throne judgment. This judgment results in the “second death”- the eternal destruction of sinners: “The lake of fire is the second death” (v.14b). Earlier in the chapter the righteous are pictured as having already been given everlasting life; they are not subject to the “second death” (v.6). “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into lake of fire” (v.15). How dreadful it will be to perish for eternity! That’s why it is so important to prepare now, while you still have life! To escape this terrible fate, all you have to do is confess faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God; acknowledge His death, burial and resurrection as atonement for your sins (Romans 10:9); repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38); and live a self – controlled, upright, and godly life (Titus 2:12) under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16).

Time of Jesus’ Return

No one knows the year or day of the return of Christ. Jesus’ own words about the time of his return appear in three texts: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father. . . . The son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:36, 44) and “it is not for you to know the times or dates the father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). Despite his clear, definite statements, some people are foolish enough to think they can discern what only God knows but is not known even by angels or the Son of God!
Isn’t it blasphemous to claim to know something God has reserved for himself? Those who predict the date of the Lord’s return discredit the Word of God, discourage those who are eagerly looking for Second Advent, and disgrace themselves.
The generic signs Jesus gave the disciples Matthew 24 cannot be used to determine when he is coming: “You will hear or wars and rumors of wars . . . Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine and earthquakes in various places” (vv.6a, 7). He advised, “See to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (v. 6b) and, “All these are the beginning of birth pangs” (v.8). These signs are not intended to signal the nearness of Christ’s coming. Rather, they serve to keep believers watchful for his return. Every generation of saints may observe upheavals in the political, social, economic, and religious worlds. Those events merely indicate that history is moving ever closer to Christ’s return. They help to keep our Second Advent hope alive, but they do not tell us when it will occur.
Other more specific prophecies are thought by many believers to signal Christ’s second coming: the anticipated Great Tribulation, the possible revival of the beast powers of Revelation 13, and the enforcement of the mark of the beast – 666 (vv.16-18). Surely the last war, Armageddon, will herald Jesus’ coming! Sorry to disappoint you, but it is unlikely that all of these events will occur just prior to Christ’s return. In fact, a strong possibility exists that at least some of them are already history. But suppose that some of them are yet to come. The question is, How long or short a time will they occur before the Second Advent? Consider that in 1948, when Israel became an independent state, many advocates predicted that Jesus must come within a generation of that event. “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34). Many predicted that Jesus had to return by 1988. That would be 40 years or approximately one generation. Well, we are now in a new millennium, and Jesus has not returned yet!
Jesus was adamant about the time of his return: “No one knows about that day or hour”. Prophecy is important, but care must be taken not to use it to predict tomorrow morning’s headlines, or to scare people into acknowledging Christ as Lord our fear. Prophetic events considered to have to occur before Christ’s return are not accurate barometers of when the Second Coming will occur. Jesus laid down a principle for interpreting Bible prophecy in his discourse to the disciples about his betrayal: “I am telling you now before it happens, so that I am he” (John 13:19). This text suggests that we are to match the prophecy with an event just past, rather than try to predict when that event will actually happen.
It is a mistake to risk your hope of eternal life, waiting to prepare for God’s kingdom until you see prophecies associated with Christ’s return being fulfilled.
Many prophecies may come to pass differently than we suppose they will, thus rendering them unrecognizable. Any idea that biblical prophecy reveals the year, month, week, day, or hour of his coming is not biblical!
Accept Jesus’ plain statement that no one knows about the day or hour. Notice how Jesus answered the Pharisees’ inquiry about when the kingdom of God would come: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation” (Luke 17:20b). This is precisely the reason that Jesus instructed his saints “Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1). It is out of our hands. We do well to look to God in faith of the Second Coming without expecting that we can know when will occur.
If the day and the hour of Christ’s coming is known only to the father, then every believer’s life must be devoted to constant preparedness. Jesus instructed believers to live every moment as if it were the last before his coming:
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. . . . So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him (Matthew 24:42, 44).
Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. . . . What I say to you, I say to everyone: “watch!” (Mark 13:33, 37).
To emphasize the necessity of watchfulness, Jesus related five parables to encourage believers to watch and engage in activity of eternal worth. In Matthew 24:45-51 he told the parable of the wise and faithful servant. The parable of the ten virgins follow in 25:1-13; the parable of the talents is in verses 14-30, and the parable of the sheep and the goats close the chapter in verse 31-46. The parable of a man taking a journey is related in Mark 13:34-36.
Three of these parables instruct believers to be on guard every moment because they never know when their time will come. It could come in death or when Jesus appears in the clouds of heaven to establish his kingdom. In either case, everyone needs to be prepared to meet the Lord.
The parable of the talents instructs believers to occupy themselves until Jesus returns. They are not to abandon life’s pursuits just because they anticipate Jesus’ return. “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13, KJV).
The parable of the sheep and the goats instructs us in the kind of activity we should be engaged in while we await his return.
These latter parables direct us to engage in endeavors that fulfill Jesus’ instructions: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . .” (Matthew 6:20).
Many instructions throughout the writings of the apostles tell how Christians are to live in anticipation of Christ’s return:
James: Be patient, stand firm (in the faith), don’t grumble (James 5:7-9).
Peter: Be clear minded, self-controlled; love each other deeply, and offer hospitality to one another. Use your gift to serve others (1 Peter 4:7-10).
John: Continue in him [Jesus] (1 John 2:28); live a pure life (3:3).
Jude: Build yourself up in your most holy faith; pray; keep yourselves in God’s love (vv.20, 21).
Paul: Let God strengthen your hearts so you will be blameless and holy (1 Thessalonians 3:13); be alert and self- controlled; seek to be blameless (5:6, 23); put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:11-14). Say no to ungodliness, and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2:12). Let your gentleness be known to all men (Philippians 4:5).
Hebrews: Hold fast to the hope you profess. Consider how you can inspire love in one another, and remain in fellowship with your fellow saints (10:23-25)
Contrary to what many believe, Jesus taught that it was more important to live in a state of continual readiness than to seek to know when Christ will return. The fact is, it really doesn’t matter when he comes if we are ready to meet him when he arrives!

Scoffers

The apostle admonished believers more than once to be patient as they anticipate the return of Christ, but waiting is not always easy. Trying circumstances arise that cause saints to long for that day. However, many perceive a delay in the Lord’s coming as an excuse to scoff at the idea that it will ever happen:

You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is there ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since the fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3, 4).
A lesson is to be learned from this text. By misinterpreting prophecies of the coming of the Lord, some become discouraged and lose faith in his return. Others may become cynical and begin doubting because they have been disappointed in a failed prediction of the Second Coming. Then some do not want their lives interrupted by Christ’s return because of their unbelief or their pursuit of earthly goals. Jesus warned, “
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighted down with dissipation [intemperate living], drunkenness and the anxieties of life. . .” (Luke 21:34). The apostles also encouraged their readers to be faithful and patient.
Not accepting the Son of God as your personal Savior is equally disastrous as standing in the place of the scoffer. Knowing that he is coming and not preparing for his arrival is defiant rejection of God’s love and saving grace. Scoffers and defiant persons forget two things: 1) that God destroyed the ancient world by water because of its wickedness and rebellion and 2) that God will likewise judge and destroy the ungodly of this world when Jesus comes (2 Peter 3:5-7).
Perhaps scoffers fail to recognize that his delay in coming shows God’s longsuffering, patience, and love Peter explains:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The lord is slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (vv.8, 9).
There is a message in this for everyone. Paul wrote:
As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2).
It is essential that everyone prepare for the Lord’s return. If you think you can wait until you observe that he is coming, you have waited too long. Read the words of Jesus about this matter:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away, that is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37-39).
Jesus revealed this in the context of instructing every believer to live in constant preparedness for his return. It necessitates the surrender of your life to God through believing in Christ before his return. Today is the day of salvation. Believe it! Act on it!

Characteristics of the kingdom

As evidence that nothing can be known of God’s kingdom, 1 Corinthians 2:9 is frequently quoted: “As it is written: ‘No eye has seen no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” Taken by itself, the saints apparently are left in the dark about the kingdom and could easily conclude that we are not informed about it.
But if we read on, we realize that God has revealed several aspects about his kingdom to the saints “by his spirit” (v.10). Admittedly, we do not know everything about the kingdom, but without speculating we can report what the scriptures tell us about eternity:
• The living and dead saints will receive eternal life at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
• The saints will be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus as he comes to the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
• Jesus and the saints will return to the earth (1 Thessalonians 3:13).
• The saints will inherit the earth (Psalms 115:16).
• God himself will dwell with the saints throughout eternity(21:3).
• There will be no tears, death, mourning, crying, or pain because they have all passed away (v.4).
• There will be no need for temple because God the father and Christ are the temple (v.22).
• The glory of God gives light (v.23).
• There is no night there (v.25).
• The saints dwell securely because its gates will never be closed (v.25).
• Nothing that is impure, shameful, or deceitful will ever enter it (v.27).
Peter gave an apt summary of the kingdom:
“We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
The hymn, “Amazing Grace,” says it well: when we’ve been there a thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.
Truly, God’s kingdom is more than we can fully comprehend. However, he has revealed enough to make us long to be in it. Consider the wonders of God’s love and favor. His glorious kingdom belongs to those who have placed their faith and confidence in him by accepting the redemption made possible by Jesus Christ, his Son. All of this will come to pass when Jesus appears in his glory. It will be worth every effort to be among those he gathers into his kingdom. Paul summed it up well in Romans 8:18:
I consider that our present sufferings are wroth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Jesus said, “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). May our response be “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”.

2003-3-10m-2003

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Published by the Bible Advocate Press

(http://home.cog7.org/publications)

Introduction

The Church of God seventh day endeavours to carry out the Great commission by discipling people for the Lord Jesus Christ through evangelism and instruction from the Word of God. Below are the twelve statements of belief to introduce the church’s teaching and practice.
While the church has always maintained an open creed, these statements preserve its theological heritage, and present its latest and best understanding of Scripture.

1. The Holy Bible

The bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament, is God’s inspired Word. Inerrant in its original writing, the Bible is the only authoritative and infallible rule of faith and conduct for humanity.

2. The Deity

The sovereign deity of the universe is God Almighty, who is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. He is eternal, infinite, holy, self existent Spirit who created, sustains, rules redeems and judges His creation. He is one in nature, essence and being. God is revealed in Scripture as Father and Son.

GOD THE FATHER
God the father of whom are all things, whom no one has seen nor can see, reign in the heavens and transcends our complete knowing. He is revealed as our loving heavenly Father by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, God the Father will restore perfect peace to all creation through Christ and reign eternally over the redeemed.

JESUS THE SON
Jesus Christ is God’s one and only begotten Son. As begotten, not created, he shares the nature, name and attributes of God with the Father. As Son, not Father, Jesus is subordinate to His Father in rank. From eternity, the Son was with the Father, shared the Fathers glory as the pre-incarnate Word, and with Him created and sustains all things. Jesus the Christ (messiah) was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus uniting two natures – human and divine. Jesus lived without sin, died as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was entombed for three days and three nights, was resurrected bodily, and ascended to His Father to serve as a mediator and high priest. He reigns as Lord in heaven and will return to earth as judge and king. Now it pleases the Father that the Son is pre-eminent in all things and receives our worship.

THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the promised divine helper who proceeds from the Father and Son. The Spirit of God’s presence and power in the world and indwells believers. By the Holy Spirit, God inspired and illuminates the scriptures: convicts and regenerates sinners; sanctifies, teaches, comforts guide and preserves believer; and empowers them for service. Evidences of Holy Spirit in the believer’s life are faith in Christ, obedience to God, and the spiritual fruit of love.

3. Man, Satan, sin and Death

Humanity was created in the image of God: sinless, though not naturally immortal. Through Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience, all human beings became sinners by nature and by choice. The penalty for our sin is alienation from God, physical death (without consciousness), and, ultimately, eternal death for those who do not receive the salvation offered by Christ. It was Satan, the adversary of God, who tempted our first parents in the garden. The Devil is still capable of transforming himself into an angel of light but will finally be destroyed in the lake of fire.

4. Man, Salvation, and Life

Sinful humanity may be saved from the penalty of eternal death and receive eternal life instead, solely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from human merit, works or ceremonies. Atonement from sins, with its attendant promise of eternal life, comes through Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf and is received in human experience by faith and repentance.

5. The church

The church of God scripture is a spiritual body of believers who hold the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. Under the lordship of Christ and the authority if His Word, the church exists universally and locally for purposes of worshipping God, preaching the gospel, nurturing believers and serving humanity. Christian should participate in the church’s mission by service to others and fellowship with believers.

6. Christian Ordinances

Christ prescribed two ordinances that confirm faith in Him: 1) baptism, preceded by a confession of faith in Christ and repentance, symbolising the believer’s initial union with Christ by death to sins, burial (immersion) in water, and rising to new life; and 2) Lord’s Supper an annual memorial of Christ’s death in which believers eat the bread and drink from the cup – symbols of His body and blood. We extend charity towards those who may observe communion at other times. This communion service demonstrates fellowship with our Saviour until He comes again. It is accompanied by foot washing.

7. The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments were known and obeyed by faithful people before the law was given at Sinai. Later incorporated into the new covenant by the example and teaching of Christ, they constitute the basic moral code for humanity and are obeyed to demonstrate the believer’s love for God and his fellowman.

8. The Sabbath

The seventh – day Sabbath is God’s gift to humanity from creation, was written into the Ten Commandments by God’s finger, kept and taught by Jesus, and observed by the apostolic church. A memorial of both creation and redemption, the Sabbath should be faithfully celebrated by believers now as a day of rest, worship, and well-doing.
9. Marriage

Marriage is an institution of God and is an exclusive lifetime union between one woman and one woman for the purpose of perpetuating humanity and enriching human experience. Reflecting the bond between Christ and His church, marriage may be broken only by sexual immorality .Like the Sabbath, marriage dates to Creation week, is intrinsic to the moral law, is reformed in Christ’s teachings, and finds its ultimate meaning at His return.

10. Christian Living

Christian are called to holiness in thought, word and deed and to express faith in Christ through devotion to God and godly interaction with others. as a result –not a cause-of redemption, believers should 1) develop relationship with God through Bible reading and study, prayer, fasting, worship, and obedience;2)relieve the physical and spiritual needs of humanity by compassionate social action and gospel witness; 3)oppose pride, envy, indolence, lust covetousness, and other evils in the spirit ; 4) refuse immoral amusement and practices such as pornography, sexual immorality, and homosexual in the flesh ;and 5) observe these bible principles: give tithes and freewill offerings for the support of the church and its gospel ministry; eat for food only those meats the Bible describes as “clean”; regard participation in physical warfare as contrary to a Christian’s humanitarian calling; avoid intermixing Christianity with extra- biblical practices, as in the common observances of Sunday, Christmas, Easter, Lent, and Halloween.

11. Prophecy

Bible prophecy preserves and strengthens a believer’s hope for the Second Advent. It identifies religious, social, and political trends and events, including the rebirth of the nation of Israel, which point to the imminent return of Christ and the eventual establishment of God’s eternal Kingdom on earth.

12. The Kingdom of God
The kingdom of God (Kingdom of heaven) is realized in three phases:

THE PRESENT KINGDOM
The spiritual kingdom of grace exists now as God rules in the lives of obedient believers. This kingdom was announced and revealed through the prophets and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We enter this kingdom when we turn from sin to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ.

THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST
Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead, bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living, righteous, avenge the saints, and be glorified in them. His earthly reign of one thousand years will be universal kingdom I which all principalities, powers and enemies are overcome. At its conclusion, the unrighteous will be resurrected to suffer annihilation at the great white throne judgement.

THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD
God’s eternal kingdom will begin when Jesus Christ, having put all enemies under His feet, turns kingdom over to the Father. God will dwell with the redeemed in a new heaven and a new earth where no disappointment, defilement, or death can enter and where righteousness and peace will prevail forever.

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

(http://home.cog7.org/publications)

Take the kids to school or day care
Do the grocery shopping
Run errands
Fight the rush hour
Sit in meetings
Work overtime…

We don’t have to go far nowadays to encounter stress, do we? Everyday wear and tear leaves us physically drained.
But daily routine is rarely the only source of stress. Divorce or the death of a spouse brings a life of loneliness; a job layoff tightens the budget; a natural disaster cuts a path of destruction; a pat of abuse haunts the present; wrong choices reap a bitter harvest of consequences; chronic illness or an accident steals the quality of life and perhaps threatens death.
These circumstances prompt questions about the future:
“Will the pain of loss ever go away?”
“Can I trust anyone again?”
“What will I do without a place to live?”
“Can I face tomorrow without promise of income or good health?”
“How can I face death when it comes?”

Searching of relief

It’s not surprising that many of us search for relief –something that will bring peace of mind. It’s also not surprising that we can supposedly find relief from a number of sources. Some religions suggest meditation and yoga. Health gurus tout natural herbs that calm the body. And of course there are tranquilizers, sleeping pills, alcohol, and psycho-therapy –anything to shut out life or help us cope with it.
There’s just one problem with these solutions: After we’ve tried anyone of them, reality still awaits us. Stress and worry remain; all we’ve accomplished is momentary escape.
God never intends us to be overwhelmed by stress. He knows we can’t cope with the enormity of life by ourselves. Because He wants to bear our burdens God tells us, “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned”(Isaiah 43:2).

Divine and human

How is the divine god able to understand the sufferings and stress o f human beings?
Through his Son, Jesus Christ.
When Jesus lived on earth almost 2000 years ago, he had a human body just like ours. He suffered physical pain and was worn out from a busy schedule. He slept; He ate. He had times when He just wanted to get away.
Jesus also had human emotions like ours. He felt compassion for a widow who son had died. He cried when He visited the grave of His friend, Lazarus. Sounds a lot like us, doesn’t it? Jesus knew firsthand that life on earth was no picnic. That’s why He gave us this assurance: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Notice that Jesus said “My peace”-not what the world offers through herbs and meditation and such. The peace of Jesus has more to do with the heart than the head.

Lifting the weight

We can carry an enormous weight of sin inside us. Sin isn’t confined to such thing as indecent actions, lies, murder, and stealing. It is deep down rebellion against God. We want to do our own thing our own way. This rebellion causes disharmony with God and robs us of inner peace. We can’t ignore sin or cover it up. No matter how many ways we divert our minds, the burden of discord inevitably crushes us. As one biblical writer put it, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3).
But through His son‘s death on the cross, God make s people right with Himself .it is God’s gift to us- a free gift of salvation. We must accept this gift to enjoy harmony with God. It isn’t enough to acknowledge Jesus as a great teacher or prophet. We must believe in Christ, placing our full confidence in Him. We must place our sin on Him, knowing that he is the only Saviour who can lift the weight and set us free.

God’s grace

The grace of God makes this salvation possible. Grace is God’s way of looking past our sin to our need for deliverance. He accepts us as his very own children without approving of our sinful behaviour. God’s grace is favour that we didn’t deserve – like a pardon granted to a death row inmate just before his execution. We can contribute time and money to charity; we can’t help the less fortunate; we can’t even attend church and follow a set of rules. The only way to enjoy God’s grace is to receive it as a gift through believing in Jesus Christ.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God workmanship” (Ephesians 2:8-10a).
What does all this have to do with finding peace of mind? Everything. The Bible says that when we believe in Christ, we are made right with God (Romans 3:24).being brought into this right relationship is the first step to finding peace of mind. As the Bible puts it, “we have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1).

Is that all there is?

Once we place our faith in Christ and have peace with God, we can trust God with our everyday problems and catastrophes. He urges us not be anxious about anything that happens, but to bring all our troubles to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6).the Bible goes on to say. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v.7). In this passage we can see an importance characteristic of God’s peace that comes in response to praying: internal protection. The word guard is a military term meaning “to garrison.” The peace of God stations itself to defend against any attack on our hearts and minds. It holds us secure on the inside regardless of what upsets us secure on the outside. No wonder Philippians 4:7 says that this peace is beyond our human comprehension!

However, telling God our concerns through prayer is not enough. We must set our minds on Him alone, regardless of what troubles we face. In other words, we won’t try other options that promise peace. Isaiah 26:3 says that God “will keep in perfect him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you (the Lord).” Here, then, is another characteristic of God’s peace: it is perfect, or complete; nothing needs to be added to it. It comes in response to our trusting solely in God, confident that He isn’t trying to harm us but will help us. No matter what happens, He is working for our good (Romans 8:28).

Conclusion

Unfortunately, problems are part of the fabric of this world. The good news is that Jesus Christ is the way to finding true peace of mind by offering peace of heart first. That’s the kind of peace we should be looking for – the kind that dwells in the core of our being. It helps us deal with life outwardly because God has dealt with us inwardly first.

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Bad to Worse

America entered the 21st century still not understanding why immigrants from other countries wish to come here and shape America into system like the one they fled. But we try to accommodate and tolerate most any custom they wish to import, even if it’s destructive to the very attractiveness that brings them here. The persecuted still want to come; through we rank high in divorce rates, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, murder, crime, AIDS, and law suits.
This unrest in society was predicted almost 2,000 years ago as a prelude to the end of the world. The Bible talks about a time when people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control ,brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than of God”
(2 Timothy 3:1-4).this moral tailspin has one hope of resolution: the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Return and Resurrection

When He lived on this earth, Jesus promised to return:
I go to prepare a place for you .and if I go to prepare a place for you,
I will come again to receive you unto Myself;
That where I am, there you may be also (John14:2,3)

Jesus also promised a resurrection of the dead at the time of His return:

Marvel not at this; for an hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth; they that have done good ,unto the resurrection

of life and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.(John 5:28,29)

Apostle Peter wrote:
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.
Searching to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you,
in these thing which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things into which the angels long to look (1 Peter 1:10-12)

Peter explained that the prophets’ predictions of the Messiah’s suffering, death, and resurrection were not to be fulfilled in the time of the prophets, but that a significant part of those prophecies came to pass during his generation. The Messiah’s return –the final revelation of Jesus Christ –is yet to be fulfilled.

Through faith [we] are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed on the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
that the trial of your faith bring much more precious than gold that perisheth , though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:5-7).

Ready and Waiting

How can we be ready for the Second coming if we don’t’ know when it will happen? By watching signs to know when to prepare? No, for that implies waiting to prepare until the last minute. We are maintained constant readiness for His coming by faith in Christ, obedience to His teachings, and godly living. Jesus compared our readiness for His return to a wise and a faithful servant whose master put him in charge of the other servants “to give then their food at the proper time”(Matthew 24:45).Jesus said, “it will be good for that servant whose master find him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth; he will put him in charge of all his possessions” (v.47).
Jesus also told the story of the ten virgins who expected to attend a wedding feast. They did not know when it was to begin, so when the bridegroom arrived, five of then were welcomed to the feast because they were ready to meet the bridegroom. But five were turned away because they were not ready. The point Jesus made was “Keep watching, you know not the day or the hour of His return.”(see Matthew 25:1-13).
Admission to the kingdom, which Jesus compared to a wedding banquet, depends on being prepared. in the story, preparation was not just a lamp but a lamp of oil, trimmed and ready burning at the time bridegroom came. Notice who were not ready had lamps. They were trimmed and even burning but were going out! Those virgins were not allowed to enter even after they purchased oil (v,8,10,11).
The five rejected virgins were negligent; they had been prepared but did not stay prepared. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.” This the reason Apostle Paul appeals to us, “we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain… I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2). In other words, we must not delay in accepting the grace of God, which leads to eternal life; and we must not accept it in vain. As we warned in Hebrews 2:3, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

In today’s culture, admission to fine restaurants and private clubs requires ties and jackets for men and dresses for ladies. Likewise, the wedding banquet in the coming kingdom certain dress: “‘Fine linen, bright and clean….’ (Fine linen stand for the righteous acts of the saints)” (revelation 19:8).Godly character forms the attire worn by those who enter Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus tells the predicament of those who don’t “dress” properly for the wedding banquet: “when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘friend’ he asked, How did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless” (Matthew 22:11, 12).
As a result, the man was cast out of the wedding banquet (v.13) and was not given additional time to prepare himself after the banquet begun.

What’s in It for You?

How will beimg prepared for the Second coming affect your personality? The bible states that the dead in Christ (Christian asleep in their graves) will rise from the dead at Jesus return,and those “alive and in Christ” also will be changed at His coming.
This change will rob death of its sting:
 The mortal (people subject to death)will become immortal
 The perishable (body subject to decay) will become imperishable, this is the way death will be “swallowed up in victory” (see1 Corinthians 15:51-58).

Tent Dwellers

Paul wrote of the hard knocks he had experienced. He said he had “… worked much harder, been in prisons more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea; I have been constantly on the move, I have been in dangers from rivers, in dangers form bandits, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in danger in the country, in danger in the sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked (2 Corinthians 11:23b-27).

Paul portrayed the difference between out present life and eternal life. He said our present bodies are like tents – a contrast to the “many mansions” Jesus said await the children of God (John 14:2,3). As long as we live in these “tents,” we will long to live in our heavenly dwelling (in Paul’s analogy, our temporary bodies contrasted with our immortal bodies, see 2 Corinthians 5:1-6).
When Jesus returns, this temporary life will be replaced by eternal life. Tents are temporary dwellings; the place Jesus goes away to prepare for us is eternal. Paul wrote:
For while we are in th is tent , we groan and we are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:4,5)
Life pulls at you .Life may wear you down. As if hearing our frustration,paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
All your lumps, bumps and blemishes, all your imperfections will be replaced with eternal perfection. The best is yet to be revealed! What’s in it for you?Colossians 3:4 summarises it: “when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

A sure Thing: Jesus is coming!

Who will enter the New Jerusalem one day? Those “who…have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Simply put, they had heard the gospel of salvation, believed Jesus died for their sins, accepted Him as Lord, and been baptised. Their filthy rag-like, sinful lives had been replaced with clean clothes (the righteousness of Christ and obedience to God).they had been fitted with garments suitable for the represents of Christ our King:
“the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)(Revelation 19:7b,8).

The result of being dressed and ready for Jesus’ return will be resurrection with the righteous and a joyful welcome into the kingdom of God. Don’t doubt; believe it and live! Are you weary of society’s problems or have you grown used to them? Do struggles with various situations keep you unprepared to meet Jesus? If so, the return of Christ will catch you off guard. He is the bridegroom in the story who found some not ready. They expected Him to come, but not then. Jesus promised to return. He is coming. Get ready!
If you want to become ready, we invite you to sincerely pray the following:
“Lord Jesus, I need you. I know that I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I ask You to come into my life right now and cleanse me. I trust You as my Lord and Saviour: In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Basic principles of financial stewardship

When understood, these basic principles make the financial support of gospel ministry a blessing and privilege, rather than a burden and mere obligation. All Christian stewardship begins with the following Bible truths:
1. God is creator and has entrusted the dominion of the earth to humanity. All abilities, opportunities, and possessions come from Him. “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
The Bible begins by affirming that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) and gave dominion over all created things (vv.27, 28)
Because God created us, we must depend on Him. In his address to the Greeks on Mars hill, the apostle Paul spoke of this: “ The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:24, 28).

2. The earth and all it contains belong to God:

The earth is the lord’s and everything in it the world, and all who live in it (psalms 24:1).

Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine (psalm 50:10, 11).
The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty (Haggai 2:8).

If God owns all things, then humanity is not an owner but a steward. All we possess belongs to God. He has entrusted what He created to the human race for our sustenance, well-being, and comfort (Genesis 1:28).
3. Christian’s stewardship, when reviewed through the gospel, is giving. Giving originated with God has given humanity life and his creation. Subsequent to that, He gave his and only son for the sins of the world.
The joyful message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that God loved us and redeemed us from our sins. By His unconditional love, He forgives us, removes our guilt, reconciles us to himself, and offers us new life. Here are a few New Testament texts that confirm this blessed truths:
For God so love that world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24).
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has come! All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, 18).
This is where stewardship begins: our response to the love of God is gratitude. “ We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Christian stewardship is not motivated by self-interest or by the demands of biblical law but by our gratitude for a loving, merciful God. We give to God because he first gave to us.
Christian stewardship is more than just giving tithe and offerings. It encompasses the complete commitment of our life, time, abilities, and possessions to God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Roman 12:1).

What is the tithe?
The biblical definition of tithes is ‘one tenth of a person’s increase’.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year’ Deuteronomy 14:22.tithes included all increase, no matter its source, such as grain, fruit ,or herds and flocks (Leviticus 27:30,32)
The Church chooses to have its gospel ministries supported by both tithes and offerings, though the Old Testament tithing laws for Israelites are no longer in force. Instead of giving tithes as an obligation of law, believers now give tithes as an offering in gratitude for God’s bountiful and indescribable blessing and in recognition of God’s ownership of all things.
Most of the world’s economy is now based on monetary system rather than on agrarian values as in biblical times. Thus, the church considers a tithe to be a tenth one’s net earnings.
The History of tithing
Tithing is the oldest system of giving on record for religious purposes. Even before Israel became a nation, people tithed one tenth of their material possessions to God. The first mention of tithing in the bible is when Abraham was met by Melchizedek while returning from battles from the Canaanite kings. Melchizedek was “king of Salem” and “priest of God”. Upon receiving the blessing of Melchizedek, Abraham, “gave him a tenth [tithe] of everything” (Genesis 14:18- 20).
The next instance occurs after Jacob dreamed of the stairway to heaven. In the God renewed His vow to give the Promised Land to Jacob and his descendants (Genesis 28:10-22).Jacob then vowed to tithe all the Lord would give him. With Abraham and Jacob, tithing was an act of worship to God in gratitude fir His deliverance and promise of blessing. It is particularly important to notice that these were voluntary acts of devotion to God – perhaps singular acts of worship at the time not mandated by Old Testament law.
As Israel became a nation, tithing became a legal obligation: “bring the best of the first fruit of your soul to the house of the Lord your God” (Exodus 23:19).The tithe whether produced of the field, fruit of a tree, or animals – was declared to “belong to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27: 30, 32).

The tithe was a part of Israel’s stewardship responsibility. They were instructed to take the tithe to the house of God (tabernacle of temple) as a means of accomplishing God’s work and purpose on earth. The tithe was the inheritance of the Levites, who performed religious service before God on behalf of Israel. “It is the Levites who were are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle and later temple) and bear the responsibility for offences against it… They will receive no inheritance amongst Israel. Instead, I will give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithe the Israelite present as an offering to the Lord”. (Numbers 18:23.24).
This systematic and proportionate giving was part of the law Israel observed. When Israel tithed, they prospered spiritually and materially. When Israel neglected the tithe they showed their spiritual indifference towards God and brought upon themselves.
Malachi the prophet charged Israel with robbing God when the people withheld their tithe (Malachi 3:7, 8).This is a sad note on which the prophet brought the Old Testament writing to a close.
Tithing in the New Testament

Three scriptures in the New Testament refer to tithe.
1. Jesus commented on the practice of the Pharisees, who tithed on the smallest of their produce (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). Giving tithe was an established practice then and was not to be neglected while pursuing other important godly concerns. While Jesus condemned the Pharisees for various things, including neglect of justice and mercy, He commended them for tithing.

2. Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector, who were praying in the Temple. The Pharisee boasted to God about his lifestyle, including his tithing practice (Luke 18:12).

3. Hebrews 7:4-9 mentions Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek, as it points out the greatness of the latter’s priesthood – a type of the greater, benevolent priesthood of Jesus Christ.

None of these references indicates that tithing continues as a law under the new covenant.

Jesus and stewardship

Jesus said much about Christian steward ship and our material possessions.
1. He did not condemn material possessions. Without hesitation, Jesus attended a great banquet, held in his honor by Levi – an obvious display of Levi’s wealth (Luke 5:29).
2. Jesus warned against greed in the well-known parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21): “watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (v.15).
3. Jesus said our primary concern should be the kingdom of God. He assured His followers that God would provide for life’s needs. “So do not worry, saying, ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For pagans run after all these things, and you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33).
4. Jesus taught that our greatness is not measured by wealth but by our service to others. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43).
5. Jesus explained that total Christian stewardship is the complete surrender of ourselves to God. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39) and “any sake of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
Jesus recognized and praised those who Master in his home, Zacchaeus declared, my possessions to poor.”
Jesus responded,” Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:8, 9).
When Jesus saw the poor widow put two small copper coins in the temple treasury, He commended her not because she gave a tenth but because “she out of her poverty put in all she had live on” (21:4).
Jesus taught that giving material possessions in itself is inadequate to express our gratitude and devotion to God. Christian stewardship, in the mind of Christ, means we dedicate to God all we are as people and all we possess. Once we achieve this attitude in our hearts, we give spontaneously.

When he sent the twelve disciples and then the 70 to the village of Palestine, Jesus told them not to take extra clothing or supplies with them. Jesus was saying that the people they ministered to should provide the disciples’ needs while they were on their tour: “a worker is worthy of his food” (Matthew 10:10); “the labourer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7)

The Teachings of the Apostle
Paul followed Christ’s teaching on stewardship. As a steward of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he said to the Corinthians, “so I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well” (2 Corinthians 12:15a).Paul gave us the most direct instruction found in the New Testament concerning the financial stewardship of the gospel ministry:
Who serves as a soldier as his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not the muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the ploughman ploughs and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material harvest from you? Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple? And those who serve at the altar shares what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel? (1 Corinthians 9:7-11).

This text makes financial support of the gospel minister responsibility of the Christian. Paul appealed to a principle that transcends law. He presented three analogies from the practice of making a living through warfare, farming, and shepherding as an argument for supporting the gospel minister. Paul Quoted from the law (Deuteronomy 25:4), that forbids that oxen should be muzzled while they treat out the grain, as a means to ask, “Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us….” His point is that if oxen should not be muzzled as they go about their work, neither should those who labour for the gospel be prevented from making a living from the support of those they serve. This goes beyond the limits of law and makes stewardship a matter of principle.
Then in verse 13 and 14 Paul referred specifically to those who performed the spiritual work under the old covenant:

Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13, 14).
Paul said the Levites and priests received their living from their “work in the temple” and service “at the altar”. The tithe and offerings contributed by the other eleven tribes of Israel were the inheritance of the Levites (Numbers 18:23, 24), providing their livelihood. Paul was commending tithe and offerings as a means of support for the gospel ministry of the New Testament church. He declared that Christian ministers should be supported “in the same way” as the Levites and priests.
The Christian’s support of the gospel ministry should stem from gratitude for God’s grace, received through the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Support of the church’s ministry is not an option. Paul emphasized the validity of this truth in his writing to Timothy:
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the scripture says, ‘do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘the worker deserves his wages’
(1 Timothy 5:17, 18).He used the same words that Jesus used in Luke 10:7: “the worker deserves his wages.”
Here are Paul’s instructions to the Christian church regarding stewardship responsibility in supporting the gospel ministry. Paul did not appeal to law but, more importantly, to a timeless and universal principle: the simple but fair rule that a worker, regardless of whether he sows the seed or harvests the crop, is entitled to his wages. Thus, Christians should give freely and generously so that gospel workers might receive their wages.
Proportionate giving is needed no less under the terms of the new covenant that it was under the old covenant. Financial support is needed for the Christian church to carry out the Great Commission:
“Go and make disciples of all nations …” (Matthew 28:19), just as financial support was needed to support the Levites who performed the service before the altar in Israel’s time (Numbers 18:23).The people of God must exercise the God-approved principle of stewardship as a part of their worship and support of the gospel ministry.

The Blessedness of Giving

In addition to appealing for financial support for gospel workers, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give offerings for the poor saints in Jerusalem (Romans 15:23-26). He challenged them to give as generously as did the Macedonian churches:
I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond there ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will (2 Corinthians 8:3-5).
The thought that stands out in Paul’s reflection on the Macedonian churches’ generosity is their liberality: “They gave … even beyond their ability” (v. 2). They gave sacrificially. Next, he observed that they were so generous because they had given themselves to God first (v.5). This is in reality the true beginning of responsible Christian stewardship.
In 2 Corinthians 9 Paul enumerated the benefits that the Corinthians 9 Paul enumerated the benefits that the Corinthians were to receive as a result of their generous giving:
1. Abundant blessings. The law of the harvest was at work-giving generously results in abundant blessings.
2. God’s love. Go loves those who give cheerfully.
3. God’s grace. God would make his grace abound toward them so all their needs would be supplied.
4. A grateful heart. Their generosity expressed a grateful heart that would prompt others to praise and thank God (vv.6-8, 11-13). Paul taught that first, Christians must give themselves to the Lord, then give sacrificially to the church and to the needs of others. We, too, must give freely out of a cheerful, grateful heart. Paul’s instruction regarding financial stewardship and the Macedonian churches’ example of providing for the poor saints in Jerusalem give ample biblical support for the present-day church’s appeal for financial support for its needs and the needs of others.

Practical Reasons for Financial Stewardship

The foregoing pages reviewed the biblical support for Christian stewardship, including tithing, as an appropriate means to support the gospel ministry. We will now review some practical reasons that support the concept of tithing.
1. The tithe is proportionate giving. It is fair in that it is calculated
on one’s income regardless of whether it is large or small.
2. As we earn income, we tithe to provide regular, stable support for the church’s ministry.
3. Through our tithe, we participate in the greater ministry of the church. While all Christians are to witness for Christ in one way or another, not everyone can be directly involved in the church’s evangelistic or pastoral ministry. Our tithe and offerings combined with those of other Christians enable the church to perform a greater ministry than we can individually.
4. Participating in the church’s gospel ministry through faithful stewardship brings us joy. When Paul reported to the elders in Jerusalem “what God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry …..they praised God” (Acts 21:19, 20). We, too, can praise God for the many who are converted to Christ through the ministry we have helped to make possible.

Conclusion

Throughout the pages of the Bible, God’s people have honoured him with gifts from their material possessions. From early times, they gave tithe and offerings cheerfully and freely to God, recognizing him as creator, owner, and benevolent giver of himself to humanity. In the days of Israel, the tithe and offering of God’s people supported the religious service carried out by the Levites on behalf of the nation. Today we believe our generous contributions should support the gospel minister.
Paul instructed the church that just as any other person should expect to receive his living from his work, the gospel minister is to receive his living from believers who are being served by him ( 1 Corinthians 9:14).
We should give our tithe and offering out of gratitude for love and grace God has so freely given us and not by compulsion of law.
We give freely and cheerfully because God gave to us first!
We believe our complete stewardship responsibility can only be fulfilled when we yield our life, time, abilities, and possessions to God. However, tithing our income to support God’s work is essential to Christian stewardship. It provides a regular, dependable source of income for spreading the gospel.
The church’s motivation in addressing financial stewardship may be summed up on Paul’s expression to the Philippian church, who had repeatedly contributed to support his work: “ not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” ( Philippians 4:17).
Because a faithful steward of all God has given you so that your account may be credited with God’s richest blessing!

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson , Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Note: Published by Bible Advocate Press http://cog7.org/ba