Samuele Bacchiocchi - Divine Rest For Human Restlessness

The late Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi, professor emeritus of Andrew University presenting a talk entitled, Divine Rest For Human Restlessness. In a world full of restlessness due to the hectic pace of activities and competition for first place most of us are stressed and depressed and need rest. The Bible presents a God who mandated a rest called Sabbath when man is called upon to rest and find time to focus on the source of all things and creator of all things, the God of heaven.

 

This talk will give you confidence that God is indeed a God of love and prepared in advance for the need for man to rest both physically and spiritually. If only we had remembered to keep the Sabbath, incidences of stress and depression could have been almost negligible. Unfortunately man forgot and thinks that this mandate no  longer applies this side of the cross.

They Shall See His Face

"When you get to heaven, Billy, what do you want to see most?" a Christian teacher asked one of her first graders.

Billy thought for a moment. There was much his little heart longed for. He had heard the blessed land with its beauties, its treasures, its delicacies, spoken of frequently.

"Please, teacher," the little fellow replied, "I want to see the lions, the mansions, and the angels, but most of all I want to see Jesus."

Fanny J. Crosby, the hymn writer, expresses the same longing in these words:

"Through the gates to the city, in a robe of spotless white, He will lead me where no tears shall ever fall; In the glad song of ages I shall mingle with delight; But I long to meet my Savior first of all."

What Christian heart has not filled with the same desire? In the midst of life's turmoil and stresses have you not also longed to see your Savior?

The precious promise to the redeemed is, "The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it;.....and they shall see his face." Revelation 22:3,4.

Yes, Jesus will be there, and He "shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters." (Revelation 7:17.) We shall be like Him at his appearing (1John 3:2), and we shall be with Him throughout the ages of eternity.

Of the redeemed, the author of Revelation says, "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Revelation 14:4. It was a wonderful privilege the disciples of Jesus enjoyed as they lived with him during His three year ministry on earth. They saw His mighty healing power. They listened to the words of life as they fell from His lips and penetrated their hearts.

The prospect before us is even more glorious. Not for three brief years will we be with Christ, but throughout eternity. The disciples were forced to witness His scourging and crucifixion. You and I may witness His coronation - His glorious rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. They had hoped to see Him end the iron rule of Rome. We will see Him end the reign of sin.

The disciples could follow Jesus over only a comparatively few square miles, but you and I have the prospect of following our Lord from planet to planet.We may follow Him "whithersoever he goeth."

There are some sobering facts we must not lose sight of, some conditions for entry to heaven as outlined in this passage: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8. If we expect to see Him in the hereafter, our hearts must be pure here. The blood of the Lamb must cleanse our hearts now if we hope to see Him then. Sin must be confessed and forsaken. Only clean men and women can see, and have fellowship with, a holy Savior.

If you and I expect to "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" in the earth made new, we must begin following Him now in this earth.

The Sabbath Under Attack

If there's one bible doctrine that has been attached than any other then it is the Sabbath. You only have to look in history to see all sorts of attacks against it. Starting from the time the church decided to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, the sabbath has been under constant attack or crossfire.

For instance, recently a number of Sunday keeping scholars have produced scholarly articles which promote the view that the abrogation of the Sabbath was made by the apostles in the New Testament.  Some former Sabbath keeping  churches such as the worldwide Church of God have also abandoned the Sabbath and adopted Sunday arguing that it is the apostles who changed the day of worship in the New Testament.

Even recent efforts by the church to promote the observance of the Sabbath have, instead of going back to original Sabbath which is Saturday, promoted the observance of Sunday as the Sabbath. And as history of the Christian church has shown, it is disastrous to call upon the politicians to enforce the observance of sacred christian days or christian beliefs. Such efforts in the past have led to the persecution of those who hold contrary opinions to the majority.

In the video below, Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi presents the various attacks on the Sabbath in history and in our day. The title is the Sabbath Under Crossfire.

My Search For The Sabbath At The Vatican University

In the 1970's an Italian Seventh Adventist scholar, Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi became the first non Catholic to be allowed to Study at the Pontifical Gregorian University at the Vatican. Dr Bacchiocchi chose as his study the history of the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. He later published a book titled From Sabbath to Sunday : A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity. The book details his findings from his search for the Sabbath at the Vatican University. In the video below Dr Bacchiocchi details his search for the Sabbath at the Vatican.

How Did The Sabbath Change From Saturday to Sunday In Christendom?

Have you wondered how the early Christian church decided to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday? This has been a contentious issue between the few Christians who still worship on Saturday and the majority who worship on Sunday. Most Sunday keepers say that it was the apostles who decided to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection which took place on a Sunday. On the other side, those who worship on Saturday insist that it was not made by the apostles but much later by an apostate church and that there is no scriptural basis for doing so. They say this is exactly what Christ warned about when he said, 'in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men'. If the change is man made then those who worship on Sunday better heed the warning of Christ on worshiping in vain by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

 To find out how the change occurred Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi spent five years at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome examining most ancient documents available. His investigation established that the change from Saturday to Sunday began approximately one century after the death of Christ as a result of an interplay of political, social, pagan and Christian factors. The results of this research are presented in the book From Sabbath to Sunday. This book which originally Dr Bacchiocchi's dissertation has the distinction of being the first book written by a non-Catholic ever to be published by a Pontifical press Catholic approval. Hundreds of scholars have praised Dr Bacchiocchi's book and consider it definitive study on the history of the change of the Lord's day.

What The Bible Says About Gays or Homosexuals

A lot has been said about how Christians should relate to gays, lesbians or homosexuals leading to fierce debates among Christians and non Christians alike. But what does the bible really say about gays? In the video below Dr Dwight Nelson, Senior Pastor of Pioneer memorial SDA Church delves into this contentious issue to reveal the biblical position on homosexuality.

Hindrances To Answered Prayer - Richard O'fill

Most people have the feeling that their prayers do not go beyond the 'ceiling of their homes'. We are all looking to the reasons why our prayers do not appear to be answered by God. In the video below Richard O'Ffill goes through hindrances on answered prayer. This video will open your eyes to the secrets of a dynamic prayer life that will bring rich dividends to your spiritual life.

 

There are various hindrances to answered prayer that can be found in the bible. Among those hindrances are disobedience to God, marital or home discord, unbelief, unforgiveness, idolatry, cherished sin etc. (Deut. 4:30, 31; Prov. 28:9; Isa. 1:15, 19, 20; Zech. 7:13; Gen. 22:18; Ps. 66:18; Isa. 59:1, 2; Mark 11:24; Heb. 11:6; James 1:6, 7)

 

 

The Bible and Health - David Ascherick

We all want to have good health, unfortunately it is much easier to eat whatever we like and whatever we like is mostly junk food that will harm our health. Does the Bible have anything to say about health. In the video below David Asscherick of ARISE ministry goes through some bible texts that teach us how to take care of our bodies. You will be surprised at how the bible offers some sound principles of health that were ahead of the knowledge at that time. The more you read these tips on health the more your faith will grow in the divine inspiration of the  bible.

 

God's desire is that we should prosper both in spirit and in health as well. It is with this in mind that the bible offers some tips on how we can pospone our funeral by following some principles. Principles that most christians have abandoned and have resulted in His people suffering from the same lifestyle diseases that are wreaking havoc in the lives of modern men.

The bible says our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit and should be taken care of intelligently. This means that we need to have enough rest and follow good principles of health. To show the importance of rest God mandated his people to have one day of rest which He called the Sabbath. Most people nowadays are suffering from diseases that result from lack of enough rest. If man had obeyed God in keeping the seventh day as a Sabbath on top of the rest we need everyday man would have prevented most of these diseases from shortening his life.

The Bible also calls upon us to avoid certain foods and some substances that can destroy our  bodies. (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)

The title of the video below is titled, How To Postpone Your Funeral.
 

our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness. (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)

If God Is A Baby - Pastor John Nixon

Pastor John Nixon preaching at the 2011 Oakwood College evangelism Council. The sermon is titled, If God Is A Baby. It is based on the birth of Jesus Christ as a poor baby in Nazareth. Jesus who was and is God humbled himself to be born as a child in a very poor part of Israel. He went even further to choose a poor virgin girl who had committed her ways to the Lord. How that was done is a mystery we can never understand but Christ was born as a poor helpless baby. Instead of picking a royal family or rich family he chose the poorest of the poor.

We also see that after Christ was born the message is relayed by angels to poor shepherds and not to the respected religious leaders of his day. To show his impartiality and as a no respecter of persons, it is also the magi from the east who were led by a star to Jerusalem. These magi were non Jews from Arabia. The sons of Ishmael. These magi were perhaps chosen because of their humility as they were humble enough to worship a child. It takes a poverty of spirit to worship a child. What a lesson to those of us who think of ourselves as the only people with whom God can communicate. God always surprises with his choices. Look at how Jesus pointed out that there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha but it was Naaman the Syrian who was killed.

Below is a video of Pastor John Nixon's sermon.

9T8VMP5APC78

Baptism of The Holy Spirit : Early Rain

In the middle East, the farmers look for two types of  rains i.e. the early and latter rain. The early rain falls on newly planted seeds causing the seeds to sprout and to grow and the latter rain prepares the grain for harvest. Farming was very important in ancient Israel as the whole economy and life itself depended on good rain seasons It is therefore not surprising that in the Bible, God uses the symbolism of rain to represent the  outpouring of the Holy Spirit on his people. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us in everything we do as Christians from repentance to growth in Christ.

For instance one of the passages that talk of rain to represent God is Joel 2:23 "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before." Another one is Hosea 6:3 "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." Both of these passages are talking about the Holy Spirit.  This is confirmed by the apostle Peter who in a sermon during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost pointed out that this outpouring was the fulfillment of  Joel chapter 2:28-32 prophecy.

 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was a 'curtain raiser' for the big outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the very end of time. God promises to pour His Spirit on His people before the final harvest of the earth. But just as the latter rain is useless if the early rain has not been sufficient enough to sprout the seed and to grow the plants, in the same way we need to receive the Holy Spirit now if we are to receive this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the end of the world. 

In the following video, G Edward Reid talks about this important topic of receiving the early rain baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Lord's Day or Sabbath in The New Testament - E E Cleveland

Most Christians believe that the Sabbath or Lord's day was changed from Saturday to Sunday in the New Testament. They say that the Christian church decided to change the day of worship to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. In the video below, E E Cleveland goes through the various verses in the New Testament that mention Sunday to see if there is any evidence that the Christian church during the time of the apostles had decided to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.

While this issue may seem to be a simple issue to some, it is not because Christ warned against the danger of following traditions of men rather than the commandments of God. Christ said in Matthew 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men." If there is no evidence for the change then millions might be worshiping God in vain by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Sabbath: A Day of Liberty - Walter Pearson

In the video sermon below, Pastor Walter L Pearson Jr. of the Breath of Life Telecast preaches on the topic, A Day of Liberty. It is a sermon based on the request by Moses to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, that he should let the Israelites go to worship the Lord in the wilderness. He says the request was really about the Israelites requesting that they be allowed to observe the holy day of the Sabbath. To show that God is so particular about the Sabbath, God allowed plagues to fall on the Egyptians when the Pharaoh refused to grant their request.

Observance of the Sabbath, far from being legalistic and a burden actually signifies a day of liberty. It represents freedom from sin that Christ offers us and is a day we rest from labor and our efforts to not only provide for ourselves but also to save ourselves. The Sabbath is a day we recognise that God is the source of all things whether they be physical or spiritual. It shows that He alone is the one that matters in our relationship and is the source of our strength and success. As one writer puts it, had the world faithfully continued to observe the Sabbath, there would be no atheists around. Unfortunately in substituting Sunday for Saturday as a day of worship the Christian church lost out on the benefits that come from obeying the Lord by worshipping  Him on the day that He appointed and not on one that man  decided.

The Great Controversy - Ivor Myers

In the following discussion, Ivor Myers and his wife Atonte discuss the unseen powers behind what is happening in this world. Most people are unaware of the Great controversy that started in heaven when Lucifer rebelled against God. Lucifer and his supporters were expelled from heaven and decided to settle here on earth where they deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit resulting in the fall of man. Since then the battle has continued  between the forces of good and the forces of evil  through various means at their disposal. Most people are unaware that both forces use means such as music, soaps, etc to win adherents to their side. 

There are no neutrals in this battle. You are either for God or for the devil. All humanity is involved in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Christ sends the Holy Spirit and loyal angels to assist His people by protecting, guiding and sustaining them in the way of salvation. 

Stewardship : Life's True Priorities

During her long lifetime of 94 years, Fanny J.  Crosby, the  famed  blind  composer  of  many  religious  hymns,  often recounted  the  story  of  a  minister  who  spoke  as  a  guest  in a  church  one  morning.  He was  accompanied  by  his  little son.

After  the  worship  service  the  minister  recalled  that  no offering  had  been  taken, and,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of never going to  the Lord's house without  presenting an  offering,  he left a  coin  in  the offering box  that he  noticed  beside the  door.  As  he  and  his son  walked  away  from  the  church, one of  the  church officers  came running after them,  saying, "It  is  our custom  here  to  give  to  the  preacher whatever  we find  in  the  offering  box  after  the  service."  And  the  man handed  to  the  minister  the  coin  he  himself  had  left  there. Whereupon the little boy looked up into  his father's face and  observed,  "Papa,  if  you  had  given  more,  you  would

have gotten more, wouldn't you?"

In  his  simple,  but striking  comment,  the  little  boy  underlined  the  Biblical  principle  given  by  inspiration  and penned  by  the  wise  writer  centuries  ago:  "A  man  may spend freely  and yet grow richer;  another is  sparing beyond measure,  yet  ends in  poverty."  (Proverbs 11:24, N.E.B.)* Jesus  made  it  clear  that  the  last  days  would  be  dominated by men  having  a  strong materialistic  attitude.  Eating, drinking,  building,  and  hoarding  money  would  be  central in  the  thinking,  talking,  and  doings  of  men.  We  who  live in  the  seventies  when  so  many  other  of  the  last  signs  are being  fulfilled,  can  hardly  avoid  noticing  the  realization also  of  those  prophecies.  And  further:  We  find  it  difficult to  avoid  being  influenced  by  the  same  attitudes  ourselves.

The Lord's Sacred Claims

First of all:  There is.  no  question  about  the  fact  that God  calls  us  to  be  stewards.  "As  every  man  hath  received the  gift,  even  so  minister  the same  to  one  another,  as  good stewards of  the  manifold grace  of God"  (I  Peter 4:10).  "You are  not  your  own;  your  Lord  has  sacred  claims  upon  your supreme  affections  and  the  very  highest  services  of  your life  ... to  the  fullest  extent  of  your  capabilities,  for  His own  honor  and  glory."—Counsels on Health, p.  385. Notice how wide the scope  of our responsibility is:  "Stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of  God"  and  the  "Lord  has sacred  claims  upon  your  supreme  affections  and  the  very highest services  .  .  .  ."  The  totality of  life  is  included:  "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly;  and I  pray God your whole spirit  and soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless  unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:23).

This  part  of  a  Christian's  relationship  to  God  is  closely knit  to  the  atonement.  He bought us with all that we are and have.  He  did  this,  not  only  to  free  us  from  our  transgressions  and  their  consequences,  but  also  for  a  purpose while  serving  Him  here:  "What?  know  ye  not  that  your body is  the temple of  the  Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye  have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not  your  own?  For  ye  are bought  with  a  price:  therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body" (I  Corinthians  6:19,  20).  To glorify God because  we  are bought  with  a  price  takes  in  much  more  than  we  usually consider.  Note this:  "I will enforce truth on the conscience, and  men  shall  be  My  witnesses,  throughout  the  world  asserting  my  claims  on  man's  time,  his  money,  his  intellect. All these I purchased on the cross of Calvary."—Testimonies, VII, 159.

May  these  words  sink  into  our  minds:  On  the  cross Christ  paid  the  price,  first  of  all  for  our sins,  but  He  also bought  our  time,  money,  and  intellect.  Everything  now belongs  to  Him,  even  though  he  left  the  administration  to us.  Therefore,  when  we  see  the  fuller meaning of  the  cross, it  leads  to  humility,  thankfulness,  acceptance,  and  even dedication.

When  Graf  von  Zinzendorf,  as  a  rich  young  man  in Germany,  stood  one  day  before  a  painting of  the  suffering of Christ on  the  cross,  he  noted  the words written under it: "All  this  I  suffered  for  you.  What have you done for me?" The picture and the message touched his heart.  Then  and there  he  decided  to  give his  life  and  all  that  he  had  to  the Master's  service.  He  became  the  founder  of  the  Hernhut Brudergemeine  (Renewed  Brotherhood),  a  missionary  and religious leader.  His strong influence throughout his life was due to his deep personal devotion to Christ.

God's Only Way

"God  permits us  to show  our appreciation of His mercies by  self-sacrificing  efforts  to  extend  the  same  to  others.  This is  the  only  way  in  which  it  is  possible  for  us  to  manifest our gratitude  and love  to  God.  He has provided no other." —Counsels on Stewardship, pp.  18, 19.

Sometimes  we  may  wonder  why  God  chose  "self-sacrificing  efforts"  in  order  to  bring  God's  grace  to  others,  as "the only way" in which we  can show  our love  to  God. Why did he provide “no other” way?  Here  is  at  least  part  of  the answer:  "God  could  have  reached  his  object  in  saving  sinners without our  aid;  but in  order for  us  to  develop  a  character  like  Christ's,  we  must  share  in  His  work.  In  order  to enter into  His  joy—the joy of seeing souls redeemed  by  His sacrifice—we  must  participate  in  His  labors  for  their  redemption."—The Desire of Ages, p.  142.

In  other words:  The greatest  blessings  flow  back  to  ourselves  as  we  try  to  follow  God's  plan.  The  following  words of Jesus  that  did  not  get  into  the  Gospels  but  which  Dr. Luke  placed  in  the  Book  of  Acts,  express  the  experience  of many  of  God's  children:  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to receive"  (Acts  20:35).

In  the  light  of  this  instruction  from  Jesus,  we  see  that life  is  not meant to  be  a  grab bag from which  we  take  those things  we  desire.  If that is our philosophy, we shall indeed be deeply disappointed.  Life is rather an opportunity to share.  It will  then  go  out  and multiply  and return  to  us  in forms  we  need,  to  our  own  joy  and  growth  in  Christian experience.

Stewardship,  in  its  deep  spiritual  and  practical  meaning,  is  not  only  acts  or good  deeds.  It is much more.  It is an experience. We share ourselves in the transactions. When this philosophy dominates our lives,  we  open  doors to  blessings  we  could  not  obtain  in  any  other  way.  STEWARD-SHIP DAY,  therefore,  offers  us  an  invitation  to  stop  and  consider  life's  true  priorities.

by ALF  LOHNE ,Vice President General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Why I Am A Seventh Day Adventist - John Carter

In a world of thousands of christian denomination, why would someone choose to be a Seventh-day Adventist? It is one of the smallest christian churches around but Adventist believe that God has set them apart to call people back to the Bible. They believe that the Bible should be the rule of faith and that traditions have no place in the Christianity. They further believe that they are part of the movement presenting the three angels message found in the book of Revelation 14:6-9. They believe that God has called them to proclaim God's judgement hour and to prepare the people for Christ's second coming.

These are bold claims and definitely need to be examined. In the video below John Carter of the Carter Report presents the reasons why he is a Seventh-day Adventist. Listen to what he says and make up your mind as to whether the claims above and others do make sense for you. I would also urge you to prayerfully consider what you hear in the video.

Pentecost : How To Have Baptism of The Holy Spirit

In Acts chapter 2, the Bible records the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and other disciples of Christ who had assembled in Jerusalem. With the sound like of a strong wind, sound like the blowing of a violent wind filling the whole house, the Holy Spirit came down in the room and later what seemed like tongues of fire that rested on each of the people in that room the Holy Spirit baptized the disciples. As they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples began to speak in other languages, that they had never spoken before.

Out of this experience the disciples emerged to shake the world with the gospel message. In an instant disciples who had full of fear after losing their savior came out with boldness and delivered the message without fear. They came out filled with the love of God that was so strong that they were willing to die while spreading this message.

O! how much we need that fire of the Holy Spirit in these days. But the bible promises in the book of Joel that in the last days the Spirit will once again come down with power. That is why we need to pray earnestly for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to finish the spreading of the gospel as a witness before Christ comes.

In the following video, Dr Dwight Nelson, of Andrews University teaches on how to receive this baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Temple On Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

□ Leviticus 16:29-24—Yom Kippur

□ Hebrews 9—Yom Kippur

• Angel Rodriguez: "Cleansing as an image of atonement presupposes that we understand sin as a contaminating agent that needs to be removed in order to restore things to their pristine original state. This is particularly the case in the book of Hebrews, in which the image of cleansing  reaches an important level of significance within salvation history. The idea that Christ made purification for sins is central in the Epistle to the Hebrews." (Spanning the Abyss: How the Atonement Brings God and Humanity Together 145) 

• Hebrews 1:3—through his life and death Christ has brought about purification or cleansing (Gk: katharismos—"catharsis") from sin. 

• The three essential cleansings of Christ's sacrifice: 

ƒ Cleansing #1—for past sin. 

o Hebrews 9:15 

ƒ Cleansing #2—for present sin. 

o Hebrews 9:14 

ƒ Cleansing #3—for future judgment. 

o Hebrews 9:22-28 binds together the ancient Day of Atonement with a 

future day of judgment,. 

o What Calvary provided is the once for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God that would eventually cleanse the record of sin from God's sanctuary  above and the presence of sin in God's people  below. 

o Clearly there is a Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement cleansing  that comes at the end of time—in the judgment immediately preceding the return of Christ. 

ƒ Rodriguez: "In Hebrews the cleansing of the sanctuary refers to the realities of the final judgment, the consummation of the salvation of God's people, and the ultimate defeat of evil power. Thus the epistle unveils the typological significance of the Day of Atonement, enriching our understanding of the work of Christ for us." (149) 

□ Daniel 7, 8 and 9—Yom Kippur 

• Daniel 8:14—"And he said to me, 'For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.'" 

• Daniel 8:26—"'The vision concerns the distant future.'" 

• In what the English physicist and Bible scholar, Isaac Newton, would later call "the crown jewel of the Old Testament," Gabriel gives to Daniel the stunning prophetic timeline for the Messiah's coming to Daniel's people (Dan 9:24-27) as the beginning point for the even more astounding timeline for the commencement of God's final Yom Kippur judgment in heaven (Dan 8:14). 

• For a detailed video study of this prophecy, go to video click on to "The Spectacular Prophecy Nostradamus Missed" 

• Rodriguez: "Contextual analysis allows the interpreter of the prophecy to determine the 2300-day period as beginning in 457 B.C. and ending in A.D. 1844. Many Christians consider that aspect of the apocalyptic vision offensive. Such an attitude is understandable although not acceptable. It is understandable in that those who have grown under the influence of the rationalism of modernism are unwilling to accept that a human being could make predictions that received their fulfillment 2,300 years later. But that attitude is not acceptable, because Scripture should determine the assumptions and presuppositions of the reader and not the other way around. The interpretation of prophecy is not arbitrary. It has been reaffirmed on exegetical and theological grounds." (145)

If My People Who Are Called By My Name - Dr Dwight Nelson

Have you ever felt that your prayers don't go beyond the ceiling? If that is the case then this video sermon by Dr Dwight Nelson of Andrews University's Pioneer Memorial Church is definitely for you. The sermon is based on 2 chronicles 7:14 - if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

In 2 chronicles 7:14 God spells out the conditions under which the prayer of the Israelis would be answered to avert the consequences of their sins. This was in response to King Solomon's prayer during the dedication of the newly built Temple in Jerusalem. In the prayer Solomon requested God to respond to the prayers of His people when they called to Him in the newly dedicated temple. The principles God presented in this dream are however universal to all prayers. If our prayers are to be answered we need to heed the conditions presented in this verse. The sermon below will expound on the various phrases presented in this 

Pastor John Nixon - Desperate Housewives

In a sermon title based on the US television comedy series, Desperate Housewives, Pastor John Nixon preaches on how husbands should relate to their wives. He offers some advice on how we can use  differences between men and women to complement each other other than using them to bring friction in a marriage. It is really a powerful and informative marriage counseling sermon that all men ought to watch.

John S. Nixon joined the faculty of the School of Religion at Southern Adventist University in 2010 after having served as senior pastor of the Collegedale Church for four years. For more than thirty years he has served in parish ministry, primarily in major cities, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and also on two other college campuses, Atlantic Union College and Oakwood University.

David Asscherick - The War Behind All Wars

Have you ever wondered why we have all these wars and all sorts of calamities on earth? How can a God of love allow all these wars and diseases to exist? These questions and more are answered in this sermon. David Asscherick, cofounder of ARISE Institute goes behind the scenes to reveal the first war that led to all these wars and reveals the major players in these wars.

The book of revelation lifts the veil and reveals that there was war in heaven between the forces of God led by Michael and the forces of evil led by the dragon or Satan. The devil lost this war and was cast out of heaven. He later found home on earth after deceiving our first parents, Adam and Eve. The fall of Adam and  Eve resulted in the earth suffering the consequences of sin such as wars, diseases, etc. To put a stop to this decay, God sent His son who came and died on the cross of calvary for the sins of the world, thus paying in full the penalty for sin. This then started a chain of events that will culminate in the end of sin and its consequences.