We are so excited that the Feast is here again. We would love to see pictures from this Feast. Anyone wanting to share pictures from the Feast on the Members Page feel free to email them to Sabrina Plagenza. Email pictures to coreyandbri@sbcglobal.net
As we draw closer to the Feast days, you will undoubtedly experience disruptions of all sorts. Troubles you couldn’t have foreseen will pop up, causing you concern, anger, even depression. This happens every year in tandem with the Feasts and it doesn’t happen by coincidence. We have an enemy.
Our enemy is well known to most of us who have been in the church any length of time, but for the newer members this nefarious spirit may not be so obvious. Having come out of a world that treats the idea of Satan as though he were a mere blow up toy with a red suit, horns, and a pitch fork, it can be hard to take him seriously. But we all need to…dead seriously.
Everywhere you look these days you see evil afoot. Whether it is in the political arena, worldwide disputes, or in your own neighborhood. Robberies, murders, mayhem of all sorts dominate our daily news. And that fellow characterized as being in the red suit sporting some horns just laughs. It is because from the beginning of our creation he has caused harm to humanity. He deceived Eve, brought Adam down, inspired the death of Abel, and has gone on in like manner ever since. He wants to bring God’s plan to ruin:
Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. NIVNow you should realize the upcoming Feast of Trumpets and the following Feast Day of Atonement are all about his overthrow. Christ qualified to be king over this earth, and he has been preparing a governing body to assist him in setting up the Kingdom that officially belongs to his Father, but is the one he is appointed to rule over. We are that governing body – all the saints who will be resurrected or changed at his coming. Satan hates Christ, and he hates us.
In his wildest dreams, Satan wants to believe he can still defeat Christ. He believes if he could tear down the church completely, right now, or in the near future, he would prevent Christ’s return because Christ clearly taught the church would prevail until he returns. Satan is looking for any means he can use to make that the crucial test as to whether Christ is really fit to rule. Can he defeat Christ? Can he defeat us? No. Unless we cave in:
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; KJVWho is Satan, anyway? We know he was the archangel that stood at God the Father’s very throne. He was created to be beautiful and very talented. If you notice from its description the throne area is very beautiful. It only stands to reason Satan would be beautiful since he served there. But notice, I said he was created. He is not God, but he is a god wanna be. He gave it his best shot many millennia ago, perhaps even millions of years ago, when he persuaded a third of the angels to join with him in a grand scheme to knock God off His throne. But what did Christ say about his effort to overthrow God? “I saw Satan like lightening fall from heaven.” That’s an image similar to how we toss annoying things away, isn’t it. Things haven’t changed, and Satan has no more power today than he did back then.
But what has happened to him since? Look around you. We learn by the things we see about the things we cannot see. We look at our children today, many of whom were quite beautiful when born, but now because of rebelliousness are marred, disfigured, garish and painted with all sorts of emblems and designs they will wear for the rest of their lives because their minds are darkened. That is what happens when we become dark, like Satan. So imagine what he must look like now. Not a pretty picture.
But as I said when I started out, you are probably noticing a lot of small or maybe large events surrounding your life that are causing you problems. Maybe even great big problems. The same one who managed to get Adam and Eve thrown out is the one who is causing you these problems now.
So what should you do? Pray. Just like Christ did. He set us an example of going to seek His Father’s help whenever he faced difficulties. He always received the help he needed.
Besides praying, we can also just flat out resist Satan or his demons whenever we feel they are meddling in our affairs. We can refuse to accept his negative thinking and/or attitudes. Turn on a tape of our church music, listen to a sermon, do a Bible Study. Satan hates anything to do with God. He will leave. Even more prevailing, ask Christ or God the Father to rebuke him. If we resist his efforts to sink our boat, he will leave us alone and go find something else to take his anger out on:
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. KJVYes, the Feast days are coming. Don’t allow the spoiler to keep you from looking forward to God’s Feast days. Maintain your focus and continue to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.” It’s coming closer every day and certainly our enemy hates the very thought of it. Don’t allow him to discourage you. Your problems will go away as you go to God in faith asking for His help.
Have a great Feast!
Does God take a hand in our weather?
Don’t ask that question too loudly, it would be considered inappropriate. However, people are starting to voice their concerns about the escalation of violent and destructive weather. The reports of floods, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes are increasingly difficult to shrug off.
If you believe God’s word, you won’t ignore the problems of weather. The violent weather and all other natural disasters are controlled by the hand of God, as you will see as you read on. That does not mean that every spell of bad weather is brought by God. But it is clear from the Bible, that God does use the weather for His purposes. Right now the number one concern of all western nations is the economy. When we hear the reports of billions of dollars of damage from weather episodes, it is clear the economy is affected by the weather. It is obvious that good weather brings good crops, which make up a large segment of every country’s economy. If a nation or region has a climate that supports agriculture, barring other offsetting problems, it will be a strong prosperous country.
The question is, where does good, crop producing weather come from? The Bible makes it clear:
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God…The Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give you the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God…” (Deut 28:11-13) Unfortunately, we are not, in many areas, seeing these blessings fall down upon us at this time. It is quite the opposite.
When we look to Texas, we see a specific example of how agriculture is being affected by the weather this year. The drought and resulting range fires occurring in Texas are being covered even by international media. These fires have been powerful and destructive, killing people and destroying property. However, few realize that there is a lasting effect from this combination of natural disasters. The cattle industry is being severely damaged, not only in Texas but also in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. Cattlemen are being forced to sell off cattle to the point that many will not have herds in the future. The drought and fires are destroying pastures and grain. According to business reports out of that area, the cattle industry may not recover for many years to come. This will cause a large shortage of beef, which will mean much higher beef prices in the near future. It is happening at a time when the world’s population is seeking more and more high quality food, especially beef. The current drought stricken area is probably the largest beef producing area of the world, and it is being devastated. This is not fulfilling the idea expressed in the above-quoted passage from Deuteronomy where it mentions an “increase of your livestock” for those who are obedient to God.
In the Book of Job after hearing Job’s complaints about God, God asked Job these questions:
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds so that an abundance of water may cover you? Can you send out lightenings, that they may go and say to you, here we are? Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, when the dust hardens in clumps and the clods cling together?” (Job 38:34-38)
By asking these questions, God is opening Job’s mind as to who is in charge, not only of the weather, but also the entire universe. It is a lesson the majority of mankind has never found the answer to. After God’s questioning, and considering what Job’s blessed life had been like and how horrible it was when God removed those blessings, Job was left with only a humble response, “I know you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you…Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand.” (Job 42:1,3) Those who do not think that God is in charge of the weather need to have their eyes opened, like Job did.
According to Bible prophecy, we are quickly approaching the return of Jesus Christ — a time when Christ will bring the nations to heel. And he will use the weather to cause them to bend their knees before him. (Zech. 14:17-28) When mankind is subdued by Christ, there will be a new and agriculture-related industry, the conversion of weapons to agricultural implements. Plowshares for growing crops will be needed, and weapons of war will be converted into such tools. (Isaiah 2:4) It is prophesied the rain will come in due season, and the huge abundance of crops to be harvested will be the challenge, not the struggle we currently face resulting from continual weather disasters.