The Plain Truth about Easter

Written by David Ben-Ariel


Continued from page 1

God isn't fooled by such baptized paganism, such whitewashed heathen customs (Deut. 12:30). He commands us to commemorate Jesus' death every Passover and recognize His atoning work of redemption as our resurrected High Priest in Heaven, unleavening our lives of sin (I Cor. 5:7-8). The early Church followed Jesus' Jewish example for several hundred years until Gentile opposition (from false converts) threatened them with a death sentence if they didn't bow before Easter observances (the Quarto-Deciman controversy)!

A growing number now know, understand and believerepparttar biblical account that we're to observe Passover and that Jesus was resurrected before sunrise Sunday, "when it was yet dark" (Jn. 10:1). Others prefer to reject this light of understanding to remain in their traditional darkness (John 3:19).

Thankfully, every generation has those chosen few who are willing to "earnestly contend forrepparttar 149688 faith once delivered" (Jude 3). Hopefully, this will cause you to question your beliefs and provide some kosher food for thought!

David Ben-Ariel, an American author who has travelled widely and who has lived throughout Israel, shares a special focus on the Middle East and great interest in Jerusalem, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out www.benariel.com


Worldwide All Over Again?

Written by David Ben-Ariel


Continued from page 1

Didn't Mr. Flurry warn that we were slipping into a Laodicean attitude when he had his unfortunate incident with alcohol? Didn't he say, after prayerfully wracking his brains to understand why God had allowed that to happen, that we have to be careful not to get proud due to our abundance of revelation (II Cor. 12:6-7)? Have we learned that lesson? Has he? With his preoccupation with all his religious titles and self-promotion, we really have to wonder and be most concerned!

Holy, righteous CHARACTER is more important to God than allrepparttar revelation inrepparttar 149687 world! We definitely needrepparttar 149688 gifts ofrepparttar 149689 Holy Spirit, but God says we should wantrepparttar 149690 FRUITS of his Holy Spirit even more! GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT! (I Cor. 14:1) I'm convinced God's about to empower His people like never before, but wants us to be spiritually ready (having learned fromrepparttar 149691 Corinthians' mistakes), and our ministers mature enough not to get inrepparttar 149692 way! (Joel 2:28; I Thes. 5:19)

As far as revelations go, God can inspire unconverted men like Caiphas and speak through donkeys! All truth is from and belongs to God, so why should some become puffed up with pride that they're something special rather than just an instrument serving God's purpose? And why get bloated with self-importance when God can quickly pop that balloon? (I Cor. 4:6-7).

Warnings from History

If what happened inrepparttar 149693 Church duringrepparttar 149694 70's was a warning of what could happen inrepparttar 149695 80's what aboutrepparttar 149696 90's? Having survived our Worldwide ordeal, are we now home safe (Jude 5)? Let us pray and examine ourselves this new century: Do we love God or fear men (Acts 5:29)?

God has an ordained government for His Church, but it can graduallly fall to Satan - made over in some man's image - if we blindly follow it and forget that it's also a means to an end, and not and end in itself! Isn't that how God's Church got off track? The Mother spoon fedrepparttar 149697 brain-dead! We needrepparttar 149698 Father! When Church government stops directing us to God and substitutes doctrines or a personality cult instead (III John 9), and refuses correction, God's glory has left such a bankrupt administration! Will God destroyrepparttar 149699 very government He's installed because we've failed to use it properly? Some are actually worshippingrepparttar 149700 government rather thanrepparttar 149701 Governor!

Didn't God level His Temple, stoprepparttar 149702 sacrifices, and disbandrepparttar 149703 priesthood? Didn't he emptyrepparttar 149704 House of Israel and scatter Judah? Wasn't Jerusalem-headquarters forcibly shut down? Even Hezekiah had to destroyrepparttar 149705 brass serpent God told Moses to make, because they had perverted its purpose (II Kings 18:4). Too often, that which God had intended to become a blessing, became a curse! Such historical warnings don't curry favor with "the top brass, " but it's evident God would rather work through a very faithful few than let many misrepresent Him! (Jer. 26:18; Eze. 5:3-4)

What have we learned from our WCG experience? Haven't some since scrambled for positions of power, while others claim we're all equal? (Num. 16:3; I Tim. 1:7; James 3:1) God isn't an anarchist, and neither should we be. We mustn't throw outrepparttar 149706 baby withrepparttar 149707 bathwater, just because of abuses of power! Proper leadership encourages us to "be all we can be," within God's law; it encourages us to think and become like our leaders, and able to teach what we've been taught—after all we're PRIEST-KINGS IN TRAINING. (Matt. 10:25; Heb. 5:12; 2 Tim. 2:2, 15).

The proper use of God's government never plays politics or acts jealous, but truly has everyones' best interests at heart. (I Cor. 14:26) We're all members of God's Royal Family, therefore we ought to respect each others' part in God's plan and place in God's Church. (I Cor. 12:18)

I truly believe in GOVERNMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN—and it starts with GOD THE FATHER! That's why we must always OBEY GOD, even if it means we must disobey men! Wasn't it ministers who told you to throw Malachi's Message away? Wasn't it Church leaders who threw outrepparttar 149708 faithful? Didn't we just take their word for it, rather than check out what GOD had to say? Don't be fooled again! Do you now CONSULT CHRIST, or are you still playing "followrepparttar 149709 leader"? Which is truly learning how to follow God's government? Have you finally learned this lesson? Or did you ask your minister for permission to read Beyond Babylon? Worldwide all over again? Not if you continue to read and apply Malachi's Message to yourself! That'srepparttar 149710 only way to prevent a "repeat performance". Hopefully, once was enough!

David Ben-Ariel, an American author who has travelled widely and who has lived throughout Israel, shares a special focus on the Middle East and great interest in Jerusalem, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out www.benariel.com


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