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Religion, without Jesus is Missing the Point. Let me explain. Jesus was traveling with his disciples on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday). The disciples were hungry, and they started plucking the heads of grain and eating them as they traveled through the field. The Law of Moses forbid working on the Sabbath and the religious Pharisee’s were watching their every move trying to find a way to trap them.

Was the Law clear and in effect during the time of Jesus? Yes (Exodus 31:15-17). Were Jesus’ disciples breaking the letter of the law? Yes! Then why did Jesus respond to the Pharisees in this way and what is the real purpose of the Law?

Matthew 12:3-5 (NLT)

Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4 He went into the house of God, and they broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.

5 And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?

Do you think those same Pharisees would condemn David for eating the sacred loaves when he was hungry? No, because David was the anointed King of Israel.

Jesus then takes the argument to another level in verse 5. Do you not know that the priests on duty every Sabbath break the Sabbath Law by working on Saturday? Do you think the Pharisee’s would condemn the priests that fulfill their religious duties on Saturday? No, because they were exempt from the Law while they were on duty to fulfill the law.

This is the point that the Pharisee’s were missing. They didn’t see Jesus as the anointed King that had come from the line of David (son of David). They didn’t see Jesus as the High Priest that was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the Law of the Sabbath.

Jesus was the King and Jesus was the Priest in his examples to the Pharisee’s. But they were stuck on religion and missed the point. And what is the point? What was Jesus trying to communicate to the religious Pharisee’s in that day and the church today? What is the point?

Matthew 12:6 (NLT)

I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!

Religion without Jesus is missing the point. One greater than David was standing in front of them, and they are asking Jesus to obey a law that would not have held David accountable to.

One greater than the Temple or the Priest’s that served in the Temple was standing in front of them and they were asking Jesus to obey a law that they would not have held the priests accountable to.

Religion without Jesus is missing the point. Jesus takes this moment to reveal the real point to the Pharisees.

Matthew 12:7-8 (NLT)

But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’

8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

That was the point then and this is the point today…Jesus is Lord, even over the Sabbath. Jesus is the one that gave the Law to Moses. Jesus could certainly interpret it and apply it correctly. The problem then and now is this. They didn’t recognize Jesus as Lord!

Jesus then quotes the Scriptures to the Pharisee’s who are quoting the law to him. Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6.

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

God’s desire for man is not based on religious offerings that miss the point. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offering. God wants us to know and love him more than any offering or service we can render to him. Religion without Jesus misses the point.

This is the main point, and it will never be found by practicing religion. From the time of the Pharisees to the time of the church, the point is still the same.

John 17:3-4 (NLT)

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Religion without Jesus is missing the point.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

There is much mystery about Satan before and after the Garden of Eden. The Serpent-Satan’s “end of days” demise was announced early in the Book of Genesis in what we believe to be the first “end of days” prophecy in the Bible.

Genesis 3:15 (NLT)

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

That prophetic Scripture describes the end of Satan (crushed by Jesus Christ), but what about before the garden? And what happened to Satan after the fall of man? We see a scene in the Book of Job (probably around the time of Abraham) when Satan is allowed access to the heavenly court of God. This doesn’t mean that Satan is a part of the heavenly court at that time, but he is allowed access to the heavenly court.

Job 1:6-7 (NLT)

One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

Satan is patrolling the earth. What do you think he is looking for on the earth? The Book of Isaiah gives us a wider view of Satan. What was going on in heaven before the garden, before the fall of man?

Isaiah 14:12 (NLT)

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.

The Isaiah 14 Scripture describes the fall of Satan (thrown down from heaven). We would assume that this fall occurred before the time of Adam and the Creation event. What did Satan (aka Lucifer) want in heaven? What does Satan/Lucifer want on earth? Do you know?

Satan/Lucifer wants the throne…He wants a throne to rule and reign from!

Isaiah 14:13-14 (NLT)

For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. 14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’

Satan was the Bright Star, and he wanted to be set above the other angels/stars and take the place of God himself…to be like the Most High. Why is that a problem…there is no one like the Most High then and there never will be. But Satan/Lucifer wanted the throne.

Satan wanted the throne of God before the foundations of the earth, and he still wants the throne today. He’s been patrolling the earth since the days of Job, looking for thrones of power to sit and reign upon.

I want you to consider three thrones today. The throne of God, the throne of the earth and the throne of man’s heart. Satan has already attempted to ascend to the throne of God and failed. That leaves two other thrones. Satan has achieved his plan to sit on the throne of this present earth. Jesus reveals that Satan is the prince/ruler of this present world. Satan took that throne from Adam through the deception of Eve.

John 12:31 (NLT)

The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.

Now, he wants the throne of individuals, the throne of the human heart. God’s greatest command and greatest desire for mankind is that we would love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Idolatry is when our heart becomes divided between God and the world, which is actually God and Satan.

If Satan can draw our hearts away from God…he gets another throne to reign over and to reign from. But there is another throne coming to Jerusalem. It will come when the seed of woman (Jesus) will finally crush the serpents head and take back sovereign control and authority over the earth that was lost by Adam.

The Book of Daniel (9:27) prophesies a time when Satan will take possession of a man (the beast or Antichrist-King) and sit on the throne of the rebuilt Jerusalem Temple during the Tribulation. This will be Satan’s final attempt to stop Jesus from regaining control of the whole earth.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

He [Antichrist] will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Satan wants the throne! He wanted the throne of God in heaven, and he was thrown out instead. Satan wanted the throne of this present earth and took it from Adam through the deception of Eve. Now, Satan wants the thrones of individuals on the earth to carry out his deception and authority over this present dark world. Satan’s power will not prevail. Jesus will come and unseat him from the earthly throne at the end of the Tribulation.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

Revelation 20:1-3 (NLT)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

Guard your heart? Satan wants to draw your heart away from God and find a place to sit and reign. Our only hope to overcome the power and deception of Satan is for Jesus to reign over our hearts (to be born again by the Spirit of Christ) in the time of waiting.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Apostle Paul warned us that the church of the last days would turn away from the truth of God and follow after deceptive and demonic spirits, rather than the Word of God (the Bible).

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT) 

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2  These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 

The NASB translation of that same First Timothy Scripture uses these words for verse one…some will fall away from the faith. Turn away, fall away…that phrase can also be defined as apostasy, to turn away from the position that you once held, but have now abandoned. That word “apostasy” is found again in Paul’s prophetic announcement of the rebellious and apostate church that will be operating on the earth before the arrival of the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) and the return of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NASB) 

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasycomes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Some will turn away. Some will fall away. Some will become apostate and rebellious. These are all references to people that once held a position of faith in the church and then departed from that same faith. How does this happen? Some people believe this is a spiritual impossibility (once saved, always saved) even though these Scriptures declare that it will be the reality of the church in the last days before Jesus returns.

How does one fall away? How does a person become apostate? How does a person turn away from their faith in Jesus Christ? They begin the DEADLY DRIFT. Apostasy doesn’t usually happen all at once. It happens with a slow drift, a gradual departure from the Truth step by step. The Hebrew writer also warns about this deadly drift.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (NLT) 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2  For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3  So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4  And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. 

The Hebrew writer warns about this deadly drift. So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. Yes, this drift can be deadly… what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 

The warning is alongside the answer that stops the deadly drift. So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. We must listen very carefully to the Word of Truth, the Bible. The demonic spirits cannot overcome the Word. The false teachings of man can’t overcome the Word. The Word of God will reveal the truth about deceptive spirits at work in the last days. 

This same warning comes from the Apostle Paul to the Colossian church. So many warnings about this deadly drift.

Colossians 1:23 (NLT) 

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. 

Read the Bible. Study the Bible. Memorize the Bible. Meditate on the Scriptures. Test every spirit against the truth of God’s Word (1 John 4:1). This is the best defense against the deadly drift. I encourage you to read and take seriously the Psalm of King David below. He was a man after God’s heart!

Psalm 119:9-16 (NLT) 

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 

10  I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. 

11  I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 

12  I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 

13  I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. 

14  I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. 

15  I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. 

16  I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. 

I was reading from the Bible today when two scenes collided together. One from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. I begin in the Old. It’s God’s very detailed instructions to Aaron (the brother of Moses) who was to become the first High Priest of Israel.

Exodus 28:35 (NLT)

Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die.

It looks like it’s a really bad idea to catch the Lord by surprise when you’re carrying out your priestly duties in the Tabernacle. The Lord required Aaron to wear a special priestly robe with little bells on the fringe that would make an audible sound as he moved around and carried out his priestly duties in the Tabernacle of the Lord.

This is the statement that struck me… If he wears it, he will not die. There was a Robe and a Bell that stood between life and death as Aaron entered the presence of God. The Robe and the Bells were nonnegotiable. This was life and death. These instructions to Moses and Aaron were so very detailed.

Exodus 28:31-35 (NLT)

“Make the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue cloth,

32 with an opening for Aaron’s head in the middle of it. Reinforce the opening with a woven collar so it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem. 35 Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die.

Now for the New Testament. Do you think the dress code will be important when God the Father hosts the upcoming Wedding Banquet for His Only Son Jesus? This is how Jesus describes the upcoming event.

Matthew 22:11-14 (NLT)

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.

13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Robe and the Bells. The Wedding Robe is the righteousness of Christ covering our shameful nakedness and the bell symbolizes that we should never forget that we are now in the Lord’s Presence. If he wears it, he will not die.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

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The Old Testament Book of Genesis ends with Jacob (also known as-Israel) joining his son Joseph in Egypt so their family might survive the famine that has come upon the whole land. The total number of Jacob’s family (children and grandchildren) was 70 when they entered Egypt. The Book of Exodus begins with a 400 year fast forward view of Jacob’s original 70-person family.

Exodus 1:6-7 (NLT)

In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation.

7 But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.

Something supernatural is happening in Egypt. God is multiplying the seed of this covenant family. God is fulfilling the unstoppable promise that He made to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham.

Genesis 15:5 (NLT)

Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

God told Abram (Abraham) about this supernatural multiplication of children before his son Isaac was even conceived. God also told Abraham that his future children would experience 400 years of slavery in a foreign land (Egypt) before they would return to the Promised Land of Canaan (Genesis 15:13).

Back to the future. Back to Exodus and 400 years have passed since Jacob’s family arrived in Egypt. The Hebrews (children of Jacob/Israel) have supernaturally multiplied from 70 to perhaps more than 2 million. The King of Egypt sees the supernatural multiplication of the Hebrews and makes a plan to stop the excessive population growth of the Israelites.

Exodus 1:11-12 (NLT)

So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.

Slavery and hardship cannot stop the unstoppable plan of God. In fact, the Egyptian oppression only caused the Hebrews to become more numerous. Then Pharoah comes up with another plan to stop the multiplication of the stars in the sky.

Exodus 1:15-17 (NLT)

Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

The Hebrew midwives feared God more than Pharoah. The midwives refused to commit infanticide. They refused to participate in the government’s order to abort the male babies at birth. The fear of God was greater than their fear of man. And how did that work out for Shiphrah and Puah (the Hebrew midwives)? And how did that work out for the Hebrews overall? Let’s begin with the Shiphrah and Puah.

Exodus 1:20-21 (NLT)

So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

Were these two women unable to bear children before this test? God gives these two women families of their own. God blessed them greatly because they feared God more than the king.

This unstoppable population increase leads Pharoah to take this next step…murder by drowning. The king ordered that all male Hebrew children be thrown into the Nile River and drowned. Will this order of Pharoah thwart God’s unstoppable covenant promise to Abraham about the stars in the sky?

No, there is no human power that can stop the unstoppable plan of God. There was a Hebrew boy from the tribe of Levi that survived the Nile River drowning order of the king. Do you know his name? Moses…his name means I lifted him out of the water.

Moses would grow up to be the deliverer of Israel. The family of Jacob which entered Egypt as 70 will leave Egypt around 400 years later as 603,550 and that only counts adult males of fighting age.

Numbers 1:44-46 (NLT)

These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. 45 They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. 46 The total number was 603,550.

Unstoppable! Oppression, slavery, beatings, abortion, drowning…nothing was able to stop God from fulfilling the covenant promise to Abraham. And what about us today? What about the church of our day? The unstoppable promises of God are still unstoppable for all who will believe in the name of our Deliverer…Jesus!

Galatians 3:6-7 (NLT)

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

So many children, like the stars in the sky…Unstoppable!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

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I’ve heard it said that God gave man two ears and one mouth so that man would listen twice as much as he speaks. I feel like that is wise counsel today. The art of listening! Listening more than speaking. We should be slow to speak, and quick to listen. Listen first and then speak…that’s the biblical counsel from James, the brother of Jesus.

James 1:19 (NLT)

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

How can we learn to listen and to whom should we be listening to? Jesus dictates to the Apostle John 7 letters to 7 churches in the Revelation. All 7 churches get the same statement from Jesus about listening and to whom we, the church, should be listening to. Jesus tells us to listen so that we might find understanding.

Revelation 2:7 (NLT)

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

There is so much noise around us today that it has become very hard to listen, hear and understand what the Spirit is saying to the church. We must be intentional in our listening to the Spirit. We must make time to listen. We must make room for a quiet place to listen and pray…seeking to hear from God through the Spirit. We must remove the noise and turn our ears and hearts to God so that we might hear from the Good Shepherd-Jesus.

John 10:27 (NLT)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Why is this so important, so urgent? There is another voice that speaks lies to us from the darkness. We must tune our ears to the voice of the Good Shepherd so that we are not deceived by the voice of the devil. The Apostle Paul gives a fearful warning to those who listen to that other voice form the darkness.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NLT)

But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

I suppose God the Father could have spoken anything to Peter, James and John at the transfiguration of Jesus, the Son. But God simply said this…

Matthew 17:5 (NLT)

“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

Listen to Jesus! Listen to the Holy Spirit of Jesus that speaks to the quietness of your surrendered heart. And what if you do listen? You will receive more understanding. And what if you don’t listen? Even what you think you understand will be taken away.

Luke 8:18 (NLT)

“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

We listen to Jesus so that we might understand and know the truth…so that we will not be deceived…as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. We need godly wisdom and understanding now! Those who remain till the end will need an extra measure of godly wisdom and understanding to survive the time of testing that will come upon the whole earth.

Revelation 13:16-18 (NLT)

He [Antichrist/Beast] required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.

17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.

18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Let me begin with a question. If you were helplessly and hopelessly drowning and some man came and saved you by pulling you out of the water…would you find it reasonable and natural to publicly acknowledge and give praise to the man that saved you? What if that man risked his own life to save you from drowning? Would his act of selflessness make you feel even more compelled to publicly acknowledge him for saving you. It seems that this public acknowledgement would be the least one could do after being saved from certain death.

Let me give you a specific real-life example. It was March 2024. A Sysco semi-truck was driving across the George Rogers Clark bridge in Louisville when 3 vehicles slammed together causing the cab of the semi-truck to fall and hang over the edge of the bridge above the cold Ohio River.

The female truck drivers’ name was not released, but the 6-year veteran firefighter’s name was Bryce Carden. Bryce Carden, at the risk of his own life repelled down to the cab of the truck and rescued the female driver from certain death and drowning in the river below. It was an incredible act of heroism that was captured by surrounding camera crews. Carden and the female truck driver both survived the event without any serious injuries.

Now, back to my original question. Would you find it reasonable that the rescued truck driver would want to meet and praise Bryce Carden for saving her from certain death? Can you imagine this truck driver being embarrassed or ashamed to mention Bryce Carden’s name out loud among her friends? That wouldn’t’ make any sense at all.

Luke 12:8-9 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.

9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.

Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus didn’t risk His life to save the world. No, Jesus voluntarily gave up His life on a cross to save the world. Jesus didn’t save us from drowning in the river. No, Jesus saved our souls from eternal suffering in hell. Can you imagine why anyone would be ashamed or embarrassed about the name of Jesus? Can you imagine why anyone would refuse to acknowledge and celebrate Jesus and His true identity as the Savior of the world?

Mark 8:37-38 (NLT)

Is anything worth more than your soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Who would refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Savior? There can only be one answer. They don’t believe! And because they refuse to believe…they are not saved.

John 4:42 (NLT)

Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Do you believe? If you do, you will gladly acknowledge Jesus as your Savior!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Ninevah Christian Church currently has around 2600 people that attend our worship services on some frequency. We are truly a melting pot of humanity. We have people from many Christian denominations and from all kinds of vocations, educational backgrounds and walks of life. This brings up an interesting challenge for the church. How is it possible for so many people from so many different backgrounds to worship together and have Unity in the Body of Christ?

How is it possible for so many different people to gather and get along with each other? The Apostle Paul makes this goal of unity clear to the early church…Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3 NIV).

The goal is clear. We must keep the church unified under the Spirit. This Unity in the Spirit will bring a bond of peace to the church. But how is that possible with so many people?

This is not a new problem for the church. Jesus had the same issue with His first disciples. They were also from many diverse backgrounds and belief systems. How did Jesus get these disciples to find unity in the Spirit through the bond of peace? Jesus prayed to the Father that His followers would become one with each other and one with God. This is Unity in the Spirit through the Bond of Peace.

I want you to notice that Jesus didn’t just pray that prayer for his original 12 disciples. He also prayed for that same unity for all who believed in their message, the message that would be recorded in the New Testament for future generations.

John 17:20-22 (NLT)

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.

What is it that makes us one with each other in the church? What is it that makes us one with Christ and one with the Father? The Holy Spirit! The only way for the church (then and now) to achieve unity and peace from so many different people is to have the same unifying Spirit. Not many spirits, but One Spirit. The Holy Spirit of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:17 (NLT)

And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

Satan, who operates as the spirit of antichrist wants to take away our unity in the Spirit by introducing another spirit into the church. This other spirit takes away our peace and creates division and strife inside the church.

Notice Jesus’ prayer (verse 11 below) that asks the Father to protect and unify the believers by the power of His Name.

John 17:9-11 (NLT)

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.

The Holy Spirit is the only power that can keep the church unified and at peace. The Holy Spirit requires us to be patient with others in matters of opinion. It’s ok to agree to disagree on many trivial issues. Yes, there are truths that we must never compromise, but we must also strive to keep unity in the body and retain the bond of peace. This requires Holy Spirit wisdom inside the church and especially among the church leaders.

Ephesians 4:2-4 (NLT)

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

• Be humble and gentle with others in the church…you don’t have to be right all the time.

• Be patient with each other…there are people around us at all levels of spiritual maturity.

• Make allowances for others faults and weaknesses…show mercy while standing on truth.

• Make every effort to keep the unity in the body of Christ, the church…like family, we must stick together.

• Even with all our differences, we are all called to be a part of ONE BODY and ONE SPIRIT.

There are many things that could separate us, but these two things are here by God’s grace to unite us…ONE BODY and ONE SPIRIT. The church is the Body and the Spirit is Jesus. We must be one.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Have you ever thought about the prophetic calling of John the Baptist and how it aligns with the prophetic calling of the church? Let’s begin with John. John the Baptist is the prophetic fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT)

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!”

That prophecy from Isaiah was written some 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God was announcing the purpose of John the Baptist 700 years in advance. John would come shouting and preaching, but shouting and preaching what?

• Prepare the way in the wilderness…He’s coming!

• Make a straight highway through the wasteland…He’s coming!

• Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills…He’s coming!

• Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places…He’s coming!

• Remove everything that might separate you from God…He’s coming!

Let’s fast forward to the time of John the Baptist as recorded by the Gospel of Matthew. Remember, these two writings are some 700 years apart.

Matthew 3:1-3 (NLT)

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”

Can you see it? Can you see the prophetic call of Isaiah and the prophetic shouts of John the Baptist in the church today? Let me explain.

John was sent by God to prepare the people of Israel for the first coming of Jesus. Prepare the Way…remove everything that might be in the way of Jesus’ arrival. Make a straight path in the wilderness of Israel for the arrival of Jesus. Prepare the way and clear the road…He’s coming.

What about the church? What is our calling today? Is our calling similar to that of John the Baptist and the prophecy of Isaiah? I’ve often thought that the overall mission of the church was like that of John the Baptist. We are to prepare the people around us to meet God, because He’s Coming!

How do we prepare the people of earth to meet God. How do we prepare the way for ourselves and others. First, we must preach the same Holy Spirit message that John preached. John revealed the sin of the people and called them to repentance. This is something that many churches are reluctant to do today. We must remove anything from our lives that separates us from God (make the path straight). John’s message was clear…Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2).

John told the people about the wrath and judgment that was coming to those who refused to repent and believe in Jesus as Messiah. Many churches are reluctant to teach this truth today. This teaching of John was to Prepare the Way for the coming of Jesus and it is the same truth the church must use to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus.

Matthew 3:7-12 (NLT)

But when he [John the Baptist] saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

The church is on a worldwide mission to Prepare the Way for the second coming of Jesus. We are called by God to prepare the people of earth to meet God (through the clouds or through the grave). John’s mission was localized. Our mission is worldwide. John and the Church both received the gift of the Holy Spirit at their birth so that their mission would be fully accomplished.

Did they listen and believe the message of John? Will they listen and believe the message of the church?

Ezekiel 2:4-5 (NLT)

They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ 5 And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.

Prepare the way…Clear the road for Him…He’s Coming!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I like to keep things simple. Yes, simple is always best. Let’s not complicate things any more than we have to. So, today I want to offer this simple, but life changing thought…If They Only Knew About the Wolf. Let’s start there. Do you know about the wolf? Many churches don’t want to talk about the wolf. They want to talk about something more pleasant than the wolf.

The wolf is not so easy to recognize because he likes to dress up like a sheep. This wolf is a cross dresser. He likes to wear sheep clothes and pretends to be a sheep, but he’s definitely a wolf. Jesus gives us this warning about these cleverly disguised wolves.

Matthew 7:15 (NLT)

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

The Apostle Paul tells us that these wolves would come from within the church. Paul charged the church elders with the task of shepherding the sheep (the church flock) protecting them from the wolves. Paul understood that one of his roles was to identify the wolves and protect the sheep from being deceived by the vicious and deadly wolves.

Acts 20:28-31 (NLT)

“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

If They Only Knew About the Wolf. Jesus knew about the wolf. Paul knew about the wolf. King David knew about the wolf when he wrote Psalm 23. Do you know about the wolf?

Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

If you truly knew about the wolf, you would realize your need for the Shepherd. How simple is that thought? If you really knew there was a vicious and deceptive wolf trying to take your soul to hell with him…you would make the LORD you’re shepherd. Yes, it’s that simple and yes, it is also that difficult. Why? Because the wolf doesn’t look like a wolf. The wolf is Satan, and he dresses up like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan is a deceiver. He is the unholy spirit of antichrist working against the Holy Spirit of Christ on the earth today. He is the wolf that comes to kill the sheep. If They Only Knew About the Wolf.

The wolf has been using deception to take people’s eyes off the Good Shepherd Jesus for a long time. The wolf wants us to believe that everyone goes to heaven, and you don’t need a Shepherd to save you. If They Only Knew About the Wolf and how the wolf story ends…they would cry out to the Good Shepherd Jesus to save them. This is the truth about the wolf. If you follow the wolf, you receive a wolf’s reward.

Revelation 14:9-12 (NLT)

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand

10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” 12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

However, if you follow the Good Shepherd-Jesus, you will receive a totally different reward.

Psalm 23:1&6 (NLT)

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need….6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

John chapter 12 reveals the time when Jesus announces that he would soon return to his glorious position with the Father in heaven (after the cross and the resurrection).

John 12:23 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.

Time was running out. Jesus would soon be leaving the earth. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew about the cross of suffering. He knew about the resurrection, and He knew about the glorious ascension to the right hand of the Father. Knowing all this, He was still troubled in his soul.

John 12:27-28 (NLT)

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”

I find this moment in Jesus’ life to be quite comforting to me today. He knew about the resurrected glory that was waiting for him on the other side of suffering. He knew about the empty chair that was waiting for Him at the right hand of the Father! He knew, and yet He was still troubled deep within his soul. Why?

Jesus was a man. Yes, He was the fullness of God wrapped in human flesh, but Jesus was also fully man. The Bible tells us that He was like us humans in every way, so that He could experience and sympathize with our weakness and intercede for us in the times when our souls are troubled.

Hebrews 2:14-18 (NLT)

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. 16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

We will never be able to look at Jesus in our times of trouble souls and say that you don’t understand. He knew in advance about the resurrected glory that belonged to him, but he was still troubled in his soul during the time of suffering. This human experience makes Jesus our every present help and High Priest in times of troubled souls. The Apostle Peter also reveals the same truth to us.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

As Born-Again Believers, we have been told in advance, like Jesus, that following God will bring times of suffering and hardships that will trouble our souls before we receive our resurrected glory. We must find comfort in the fact that these times of suffering are quite normal. And it will all be worth it in the resurrection of the last day.

Hebrews 12:1-4 (NLT)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Jesus endured all the suffering because of the joy that was waiting on the other side. We too must endure suffering and hardships as we wait for the joyous glory of the resurrection of the last day.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Bible is quite clear about the future. A New World Order is coming. It will begin with a manmade New World Order that will fail, bringing much death and misery on the earth.

This soon approaching New World Order will be ruled by a beast, a man who will be inhabited by the spirit of Satan. This New World Order will bring a period of great destruction and tribulation to the whole earth…and he was given authority to rule over every tribe, people and language and nation.

Revelation 13:5-8 (NLT)

Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.

6 And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his temple—that is, those who live in heaven.

7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.

I don’t want to focus on this temporary and deadly New World Order kingdom of antichrist today. The New World Oder that I’m referring to today is an eternal kingdom that will not be ruled by antichrist (a spirit power from heaven) or any group of men who find their origins on this earth.

The New Testament Book of Hebrews makes it clear that, “it is not angels who will control the future world.” If not angels, who? If not men, who find their origins on earth, who? Who will control this future world? Who will be in charge of this New World Order?

Hebrews 2:5-8 (NLT)

And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are people that you should think of them, or a son of man that you should care for him?

7 Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 8 You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.

Yes, it’s true. God made the first man Adam in His own likeness, and God created man a little lower than the angels…and then crowned them with glory and dominion over the created earth. Yes, it’s true. God gave Adam and the sons of Adam authority over all created things of earth.

Genesis 1:28 (NLT)

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

There it is…Reign over the earth. Govern the earth. This was the New World Order at the beginning of creation. There was man (Adam and Eve) and there were angels in the beginning. What happened? We don’t presently see all things under man’s authority. There are still demonic influences and evil rulers from the unseen world at work on earth in our time. These demonic powers are not presently under our authority and control. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that there are heavenly powers operating on the earth outside and beyond the authority of men today.

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

What happened and what are we waiting for… But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. What are we waiting for today? Who are we waiting for today? Who will make it possible for man to reign on the earth without being attacked by the evil spirits from the unseen world?

Hebrews 2:8-9 (NLT)

You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

Jesus’ origin is heaven, not earth. Jesus became a man. God became a man. Jesus became the second and last Adam. Can you see a New World Order yet? There is One that is fully man and fully God inside the same person. He is the One that will bring a New World Order to earth. He is the One that will defeat the antichrist and false prophet, casting them into hell. Jesus will then cast Satan into the Abyss Prison for a thousand years.

Do you know what happens after that? Do you know about the New World Order after that?

Revelation 11:15 (NLT)

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

And how do we become a part of this New World Order of Jesus Christ? How do we make our calling and election sure? Faith and Endurance. This is what the church needs now more than ever…faith and endurance. We find salvation and our place in this eternal kingdom by placing our faith in Jesus as Savior and King. We are spiritually transferred from the kingdom of darkness and death into the eternal Kingdom of Christ.

Colossians 1:11-14 (NLT)

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the following:

Mortal…subject to death.

Immortal…exempt from death.

Immortality…unending existence

Today, I would like to offer two truths and one question.

Truth #1) We are all mortal (subject to death).

Truth #2) We would all desire to be immortal (exempt from death).

Big Question) Is immortality possible and available for mankind (unending existence)?

God’s Word has offered an answer to this incredible question, Is immortality possible and available for mankind.

2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)

And now he [God] has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News [the Gospel message of Jesus Christ].

God has offered immortality (unending existence/eternal life) to mankind by offering Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of man. It was the sin of Adam, the first man, that brought death and mortality to all mankind. It was the sinless sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God-Jesus that brought immortality and the resurrection to mankind.

Immortality requires a supernatural transformation, like being born again. Immortality can only come from One that is immortal. Only God can grant immortality/eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:53-55 (NLT)

For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

But there is another spirit power at work on earth. The Apostle John calls it the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3). The spirit of antichrist (under the authority of Satan) and the Holy Spirit are both operating on the earth presently. The Holy Spirit of Christ offers immortality and now I see movement by the spirit of antichrist to match God’s offer of immortality through artificial intelligence (AI). I believe Artificial Intelligence is the spirit of antichrist plan to replace the One True God and offer a counterfeit immortality to mankind.

I went online and asked GROK2 (the AI initiative of Elon Musk) this question…Is it possible for AI to give immortality to humans. I will list Grok’s response below.

GROK’s Response begins here…The notion of AI providing immortality to humans is a topic of intense speculation, debate, and research within both scientific and philosophical communities. Here are some key points from various perspectives:

Biological Immortality:

• Nanotechnology and Medicine: There's a theory that AI could assist in achieving biological immortality through nanobots or advanced medical technologies. These nanobots, as suggested by futurists like Ray Kurzweil, could repair cellular damage at a microscopic level, potentially halting or reversing aging. The idea is that AI could optimize these nanobots to target and repair the root causes of aging, diseases, and cellular decay.

• Genetic Engineering: AI could play a significant role in genetic research, identifying and editing genes that contribute to aging or disease, thereby extending human lifespan. However, this approach is still theoretical and faces significant ethical and technical challenges.

Digital Immortality:

• Mind Uploading: This concept involves transferring human consciousness into a digital or robotic form, potentially allowing a form of immortality where a digital version of a person could "live" indefinitely. However, this idea is fraught with philosophical questions regarding the nature of consciousness and identity. Critics argue that even if a digital copy exists, it wouldn't be the same as the original person, essentially creating a digital "twin" rather than true immortality.

• Digital Legacy: AI can also create digital replicas or avatars of deceased individuals based on their digital footprint (texts, videos, social media interactions), offering a form of "presence" after death. This isn't true immortality but rather a way to interact with a representation of someone who has passed away, which has psychological and ethical implications.

Ethical and Philosophical Considerations:

• Ethics of Immortality: There's a significant debate about whether immortality would even be desirable. Some argue that the natural cycle of life and death is integral to human experience, identity, and societal evolution. Immortality could lead to overpopulation, resource depletion, and existential questions about the purpose of life without the inevitability of death.

Identity and Consciousness: The philosophical challenge of defining consciousness makes it difficult to assert that digital immortality would be equivalent to human life. If consciousness isn't fully understood, how can we claim to replicate or transfer it?

Current State and Future Possibilities:

• While the technology for true biological or digital immortality does not currently exist, there are ongoing advancements in AI, biotechnology, and neuroscience that could push these boundaries. However, even optimistic predictions like those from Ray Kurzweil about achieving immortality by 2030 or 2045 are met with skepticism due to the complexity of human biology and the human mind.

In conclusion, while AI might not provide literal immortality in the sense of eternal life, it could potentially extend human life significantly through medical and biological enhancements, or offer a semblance of digital immortality. However, these possibilities come with numerous scientific, ethical, and philosophical challenges that remain unresolved. END OF GROK RESPONSE.

I close today’s message with Moses’ challenge to ancient Israel. This life and death offer of God still stands for all who will place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT)

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Immortality requires a supernatural transformation, like being born again. Immortality can only come from One that is immortal. Only God can grant immortality/eternal life.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

A lot of people talk and speculate about the Mark of the Beast or Antichrist from Revelation 13.

Revelation 13:16-17 (NLT)

He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.

17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.

The Mark of the Beast is a mark of ownership. This mark represents eternal death and separation from God. The Mark of the Beast means you belong to Satan, and you will receive the reward of Satan, eternal death in the lake of fire called hell.

But I want to focus on another mark of ownership. This mark represents eternal life, not eternal death. This mark means you belong to God. You are possessed by God. What is this mark? This mark was given by God in the Old Testament to the Jewish people. It was called the mark of circumcision. It was a physical mark that was placed on the flesh of men. A mark of ownership, a mark that proves that they were under the covenant promises of God.

This God marking began with Abraham. This mark was a requirement. Without the mark, you would be cut off from God’s people, cut off from the family of Abraham and the covenant promises of God to Abraham.

Genesis 17:9-14 (NLT)

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.

10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.

11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.

12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.

13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.

14 Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

This mark of circumcision sealed the everlasting covenant relationship between God and Abraham’s children. It was the mark of ownership, to be owned and possessed by God.

But what about today? What happened after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? What is the mark for the church? What is it that shows that we belong to God today? What is the mark of the covenant today? Is there a mark for the church? Is it circumcision?

The Bible tells us that those who place their faith in Jesus will be grafted into the family of Father Abraham, becoming the children of God. Does that make us Jewish? Does that mean that we must all be circumcised? The Apostle Paul answers that question.

Romans 2:28-29 (NLT)

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.

29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

And what is this change of heart? What is this spiritual circumcision of the heart that brings us into the family of Abraham as the children of God. It’s called faith! Specifically, faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Faith is when your heart truly belongs to God. God’s desire for mankind has always been the same. God wants our heart, all of it (Deuteronomy 6:4).

When we place our faith in Jesus, our whole heart belongs to God…we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Mark of God’s ownership in our lives. The Holy Spirit proves that we belong to God. The Holy Spirit is the seal and mark of God’s ownership in our lives.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)

It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,

22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

Those who have the Mark of God’s Holy Spirit do not need to fear the Mark of the Beast. The Mark of the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee, God’s eternal covenant promise that we belong to Him and to Him alone. Purchased and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Welcome to the year 2025. Yesterday’s message at NCC was, “What’s Coming?” Only God knows for sure what will happen in this new year 2025. But we do know this…we are at the beginning of a new year, a new year’s journey with our God.

So, let’s go to another biblical beginning for some perspective today. I was honored to lead a group (with Tim Moore from Lamb & Lion Ministries) of 45 people from NCC to Israel in June of 2023, just 4 months before the Hamas invasion changed everything. Our 10-day pilgrimage included my first visit to Caesarea Philippi. This biblical city sits at the base of Mount Hermon which is also the beginning of the Jordan River that runs through the nation of Israel all the way to the Dead Sea.

Today, Mount Hermon represents the beginning of Israel’s northern border with Syria. Mt. Hermon represents the beginning of the Jordan River. And Caesarea Philippi at the base of Mount Hermon represents the beginning of a question from Jesus that would forever change the world.

Matthew 16:13-15 (NLT)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Jesus’ world changing question began broadly…who do others say that the Son of Man is. Jesus’ disciples gave various answers that represented the sentiment of the crowds that were following Jesus at the time.

But then something happens. Jesus’ question becomes personal. “But who do you say I am?” This question becomes the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of the church. The beginning of the living water. The source of water for Israel and the source of living water for mankind were both revealed at Caesarea Philippi with Jesus’ question and Peter’s answer.

Matthew 16:16 (NLT)

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

There it is…the truth that unlocks the living water of eternal life. This answer wasn’t from the crowd. No, this answer was from Peter personally. Peter publicly proclaimed his faith that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession of faith reveals much about this beginning that will have no end.

Matthew 16:17 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.

This revelation of truth does not come from man or from the kingdoms of men. This blessed revelation of truth about the true identity of Jesus comes from God the Father. Jesus reveals this source of living water truth again in the Gospel of John.

John 6:65 (NLT)

Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

God the Father has revealed the true identity of Jesus to Peter. But this revelation wasn’t just for Peter. No, this was only the beginning. Caesarea Phillipi was a place of beginnings. Jesus was going to build his church on this revelation of his true identity and this public confession of faith.

Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

The Catholic church uses this statement to announce the man- Peter as the Rock that the church would be built upon. I respectfully disagree. Yes, I believe the church was built upon a man, but that man was Jesus, not Peter. I believe it was Peter’s acceptance of the revealed truth of Jesus’ true identity and the public confession of that faith that the church would be built upon.

The Apostle Paul confirms that same thinking when he says this…

Romans 10:8-13 (NLT)

In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:

9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.

13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

So, what does all this have to do with the beginning of a new year 2025. Peter had no idea what would happen after he made that confession of faith in Caesarea Phillipi. It was only the beginning. The unstoppable church would soon follow. But we know this truth today. That beginning has no ending. That beginning, that God revealed truth of the true identity of Jesus and the public confession of that living water faith has no ending, its eternal.

I don’t know what this new year will bring. I feel like there might be very difficult days ahead if the Lord tarries. But I do know this. I know about the beginning that has no ending. I know about a source of water that begins and has no ending. That revealed knowledge leads me to publicly confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God to as many as possible so that they too might find this beginning that has no ending.

John 4:13-14 (NLT)

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.

14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Who do you say that He is? Not the crowd, but you? Who do you say that I am?

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Well, Christmas is over, now what? Those who know me know that I despise the materialism of Christmas. I’ve been labeled “Grinch” by many this time of the year. However, I absolutely love the real focus of Christmas, the first coming of Jesus. This is the part I love and celebrate.

Christmas reveals a time when God left his throne in glory and came to earth. Let that sink in for a moment. God left his throne and moved to the earth. That is the meaning of Jesus’ prophetic name, Immanuel, which literally means, God with us.

Yes, Jesus is God, God in the flesh. Yes, Jesus was with God the Father before the creation of the world. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus is with God the Father in heaven before the creation of the earth. Jesus is also the Word, and the Word makes all this very clear.

John 1:1-5 (NLT)

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.

3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

The Bible tells us specifically that Jesus left the earth some 40 days after the resurrection and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father with all power, authority and dominion.

Acts 2:32-33 (NLT)

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.

33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.

Yes, Jesus returned to the earth in the person of the Holy Spirit some 10 days after his ascension into heaven, but the Bible clearly states that Jesus will return to the earth in person one day.

Christmas declares a time when God came to the earth. Now that the celebration of Christmas is over, what now? Do it again! That’s my prayer and that’s my blessed hope. Do it again!

The Bible tells us that there is a time when Jesus will again leave his glorious throne in heaven and come back to the earth. I pray with all my heart…do it again. Come back to the earth.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

18 So encourage each other with these words.

Do it again Lord! Leave your glorious throne in heaven and come down to the earth in person. Do it again! We wait for you! The true church waits for you! The bride is anxious for the wedding.

The first time, many were caught off guard. They were not expecting Messiah, and they could not receive Messiah. It will be the same when He does it again. The Bible warns us that many will be caught off guard and miss it.

Revelation 16:15 (NLT)

“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

Do it again Lord! Make the bride ready for the wedding and do it again! We are watching and waiting. This is our blessed hope. You are our blessed hope. Do it again!

Titus 2:11-13 (NIV)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Do it again Lord!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

When this weekly word from Terry goes out, I will have completed my 3-part Christmas series at NCC. My series began with Immanuel. Part two was A Great Light and yesterday’s grand finale was The Dragon and the Birthday. Yes, I know that was a crazy title for a Christmas sermon. Today, I would like to share my heart about Christmas and why these three Christmas messages are so urgent today.

Immanuel…God with us. This word, “Immanuel” and it’s meaning, “God with us” was announced through the Prophet Isaiah some 750 years before the birth of Christ. The announcement came from God as a sign. The sign from God was this:

Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

The sign of Immanuel was given to the King of Judah in Jerusalem as a response to the King of Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel’s rebellious plan to take over Jerusalem and install their own king. The Lord and the sign of Immanuel revealed…it will never happen; it will never take place (vs. 7).

Immanuel would be the protection of Jerusalem then and He is the protection of Jerusalem today. The Name and the Throne belong to Immanuel, who is Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God belongs to him alone.

The Great Light…The same Prophet Isaiah announced that a great light would rise in Galilee, an area that was filled with many Gentiles. The Immanuel that was coming to save the Jews and Jerusalem was also coming in the form and person of a Great Light that would save the Gentiles as well.

Matthew 4:15-17 (NLT)

“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,

16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

This Great Light came to the world with a specific message from heaven. “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It’s not a popular message, but the message is attached to the Great Light. It is the message that casts out the darkness of mankind. Much of the world has rejected the message of the Great Light and turned into the darkness of sin, death and grave. Christmas represents the time when Immanuel, the Great Light of Heaven penetrated the darkness of earth.

John 3:18-20 (NLT)

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

The Dragon and the Birthday…Revelation chapter twelve reveals this heavenly scene as an event, two events of great significance.

Revelation 12:1-3 (NLT)

Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.

3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.

The dragon is Satan, and the woman represents the nation of Israel that gave birth to Immanuel-Jesus. This heavenly scene describes the spiritual war that has been raging on the earth since the time of creation. The dragon is attempting to thwart God’s plan to redeem mankind by stopping the arrival of Immanuel (baby Jesus), the Great Light to the world.

The dragon hates Israel (the woman clothed with the sun). The Jews gave us the Bible, and the Jews gave us the Messianic lineage of Abraham. The dragon has persecuted the Jewish people since the time of Isaac. But many Christians are unaware of the dragon’s plan for them. A plan that is revealed in chapter 12.

Revelation 12:17 (NLT)

And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.

The dragon war isn’t just against the Jewish people. The dragon war is against anyone who is connected to the tree of Abraham…all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. The natural branches (Israel) and the branches that have been grafted in (the church). The dragon has declared war against us all.

Immanuel, the Great Light, has come to the earth to defeat the Dragon. I know that doesn’t sound like your average Christmas sermon series, but it is the truth about Christmas. This week, as you celebrate Christmas with your family, understand this truth about the first coming of Jesus.

1 John 3:8 (NLT)

But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

But there is one more truth that I would like you to consider this Christmas. One day, the dragon will be chained and thrown into the abyss. What happens then?

Revelation 11:15 (NLT)

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Immanuel has come and He’s coming again to reign on the earth.

The Great Light has come and He’s coming again to reign on David’s throne in Jerusalem.

The Dragon is angry because the seventh angel will soon blow the trumpet in heaven.

Merry Christmas!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Have you ever taken the time to read carefully the lyrics of one of the most famous Christmas Carols in the world? O Come, O Come, Emmanuel was written somewhere around 1851. Each verse of this classic carol ends with “Shall come to thee, O Israel”.

There was no nation of Israel in 1851. There had not been a formal nation of Israel since their fall to Babylon in 586 BC. Roughly speaking, the nation of Israel had been gone for 2437 years and yet the song ends every verse with, “Shall come to thee, O Israel”. The first verse speaks specifically about Emmanuel/Jesus coming to ransom Israel from their lonely exile.

What was the author of this song trying to communicate? How could he have possibly known that the nation of Israel would be reborn some 97 years later? Was the song referring only to the first coming of Jesus, or was it possibly a prophetic message of the second coming of Jesus as well?

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heav'nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

In ancient times didst give the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

This amazing carol was written 173 years ago. We don’t really know what was in the mind of its author when it was written. It’s a mystery. But we do know this. Israel was reborn in 1948 and today Israel is not only reborn, but the reborn nation of Israel stands center stage in modern day political and human events.

Who knows, maybe the song’s author was reading Apostle Paul’s letter to the Roman church when the song lyrics came to him. Who knows for sure? It’s a mystery.

Romans 11:25-27 (NLT)

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.

26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.

27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Revelation chapter 10 reveals the voice of the Seven Thunders, an unrevealed secret that must remain sealed.

Revelation 10:4 (NLT)

When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”

An unrevealed secret…followed by another angelic revelation that is to be unsealed…not a secret.

Revelation 10:5-6 (NLT)

Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. 6 He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay.

The message of the Seven Thunders was sealed, but what is this next angel announcing to the world? It’s not sealed. What is this next urgent angelic announcement that will occur at the appointed time…There will be no more delay. He’s announcing the Secret and the Seventh Angel. Do you know about the Secret and the Seventh Angel?

Revelation 10:7 (NLT)

When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.”

What is the secret that will finally be revealed and fulfilled by the seventh angel’s trumpet? You can find the answer to that question in in the next chapter of Revelation…right after the Two Witnesses are taken up into heaven.

Revelation 11:15 (NLT)

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Please pay close attention to this announcement by the seventh angel. The kingdoms of men, the kingdoms of this earth, the kingdom of Satan….has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.

Do you think the world knows about this secret? Do you think the world knows about the Kingdom that is coming to the earth…the eternal Kingdom of the Lord and His Christ.

Jesus told the church to pray for this future kingdom to come to earth (Matthew 6:9-10). Jesus gave the church the truth about the future kingdoms of men being transferred into the Kingdom of the Lord and His Christ. We were called by called to reveal this secret to the unknowing world. We were not to seal up this secret, but to reveal it to everyone who remains in the darkness.

Ephesians 3:1-9 (NLT)

When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. 6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. 8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

Now that you know the Secret of the Seventh Angel! What will you do with this secret knowledge?

Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT)

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

And what if you don’t? I ask myself that question a lot when I read the Bible. And what if you don’t? I wonder if John 3:16 is the most recognizable verse in the Bible.

John 3:16 (NLT)

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

But what if you don’t? What if you don’t believe in Jesus? We might want to read John 3:16 and focus on the fact that God loved the whole world. We might want to read John 3:16 and focus on the fact that God only has One “Begotten” Son. We might want to read John 3:16 and focus on the fact that God doesn’t want anyone to perish.

Those are all facts for sure, but what if you don’t. What if you don’t believe in Jesus? How will that affect mankind’s ability to receive eternal life? And what if you don’t…receive eternal life by believing in Jesus? We only need to jump down 20 verses to find the answer to this question, what if you don’t?

John 3:36 (NLT)

And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

And what if you don’t believe in Jesus…you will remain under God’s angry judgment. The NASB translation says, “the wrath of God abides on him." The King James Version translation says, “the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Jesus’ teaching John chapter 3 reveals an eternal truth. All of mankind lives under the grace of God or the angry wrath of God. This is an issue of eternal life vs. eternal death. This is an issue of God’s mercy vs. God’s wrath.

This is why the Gospel of Jesus Christ has always been an urgent message. It must become an urgent message for the church once again. May we never take lightly this divine offer of grace and mercy from God, offered freely to us through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Hebrew writer also declares the urgency of this grace vs. wrath truth.

Hebrews 4:1-3 (NLT)

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.

2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.

3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Acts chapter 2 records the first church sermon preached by the Apostle Peter. It was the Jewish Day of Pentecost, 50-days after the crucifixion of Jesus. The Holy Spirit fell upon the Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem. Peter (under the power of the Holy Spirit) stood up and gave the people a Word from God.

There is so much inside that Day of Pentecost sermon of Peter. But I want to focus on two verses today. Two verses that describe God’s power over the Last Enemy…death. Peter boldly proclaimed the death of Jesus to the crowd… “ With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.” The next line in Peter’s message describes the power of God to overcome the Last Enemy…death.

Acts 2:24 (NIV)

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Death could not hold Jesus. The grave could not hold Jesus. The agony of death could not keep its hold on Jesus. Death released Jesus. The grave released Jesus. It was impossible for death and the grave to keep Jesus longer than God has allowed.

That brings up the second verse in Peter’s message. Peter is quoting the Old Testament and King David.

Acts 2:27 (NIV)

because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Two verses inside Peter’s Holy Spirit sermon. Two verses that reveal a power that is greater than the Last Enemy, greater than the grave. God was going to prove, through the resurrection of Jesus that He had the power and plan to raise people from the dead and give them eternal life.

Some of you might think today, that’s great for Jesus. I believe that’s true for Jesus. But what about me? Why do you think the Holy Spirit was having Peter preach that message. The message wasn’t for Jesus! The message was for the people who would put their faith in Jesus and the resurrection. The Acts chapter 2 message was for us.

This message about the Last Enemy is for the whole world, the whole dying world needs to hear this message. Two verses of hope for the whole world. These Words of God are for us!

(24) But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

(27) Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

God did not abandon Jesus to the grave. And God will not abandon the followers of Jesus to the grave. It’s called the resurrection! It cures death 100% of the time. The resurrection of Jesus Christ has a 100% cure rate! Think about that for a moment. The resurrection overcomes the Last Enemy.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus proves God’s power over sin, death, and the grave. God proved it to mankind by raising Jesus from the dead. Jesus was the first of many resurrections that would follow. I encourage you to read and meditate on these two verses. Receive them personally by faith. After that, I encourage you to read and meditate on this final description (below) of the Last Enemy, when Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to the Father.

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 (NIV)

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I am anxious for the arrival of our King. I think about it all the time. Our Deliverer is coming! I want to be watching and ready when He comes. It’s true that no one knows the day or the hour of our King Jesus’ arrival, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t live with anxious expectancy. Jesus told us clearly that we should always be dressed and ready to meet Him.

Luke 12:35-38 (NLT)

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning,

36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.

37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!

38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

The Bible clearly reveals a future time when there will be a trumpet blast, a commanding loud shout and the voice of the archangel. These three heavenly events will come to announce the Rapture of the Church. The question is this…who will be caught up to be with the Lord in that moment?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

The caught-up people will be those who have been watching and waiting for the King’s arrival. Jesus is coming for those who have been watching for Him and expecting Him. Do you believe that? Jesus’ teaching is very clear about this watching and waiting lifestyle.

Mark 13:34-37 (NLT)

“The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.

35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.

36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.

37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

Don’t be distracted by this temporary world and these temporary kingdoms of men. We are watching and waiting for our eternal King Jesus’ arrival. Don’t be sleeping when He comes for the Bride, the Church. Jesus warns the church at Sardis in Revelation to wake up from their slumber and prepare yourself for the King’s arrival.

Revelation 3:1-3 (NLT)

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.

2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.

3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

Don’t let King Jesus’ arrival catch you sleeping and distracted. Prepare yourself! Watch and wait for the King. Put oil in your lamp and keep your lamp burning. Run the earth! Yes, we must keep running the race on this earth but watch the sky. Our King is coming, and we have no king but Christ.

Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.

36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

If King Jesus is coming for those who are watching, waiting and expecting Him…will you be ready?

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I remember asking a question during a sermon years ago, “Does a weed know they are a weed?” That question came from one of Jesus’ teachings about Satan sowing weed seeds alongside the good seeds of God’s Garden.

Matthew 13:24-30 (NLT)

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.

25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.

26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Do the weeds know they are weeds? The good seeds (wheat) and the weeds were growing alongside each other, in the same field. Do the weeds know they are weeds?

Let’s compare that parable to the real-life story of Jesus’s disciples. Did Judas know that he was a weed? Does the devil have the power to deceive the weeds into thinking they are wheat? Is that possible? If so, how could you know the truth?

The Gospel of Luke reveals that Satan entered into Judas and then he went to betray Jesus. At this point, did Judas know he was a weed, or did Judah think he was wheat?

Luke 22:3-4 (NLT)

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples,

4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.

Did Judas know that Satan had entered into him? What would that feel like? It’s at that point that Jesus announces (Matthew’s Gospel account) that there is a weed in the garden. Jesus’ announcement of the weed in the garden led all His disciples to ask the question… “Am I the one, Lord?” Am I a weed?

Matthew 26:20-22 (NLT)

When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.

21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

Jesus’ announcement of the weed in their garden brought great distress into the room and forced each one of them to examine themselves. Is it possible that I’m a weed and I don’t know it? How will Jesus answer their distress filled question?

Matthew 26:23-25 (NLT)

He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” 25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

Judas didn’t know! Rabbi, am I the one? Judas didn’t know he was a weed! The Scriptures prophesied in advance that a weed would one day come to betray Jesus. It had to happen. It was unstoppable. Did Judas have a choice or was he predestined to be a weed from the beginning? That question has been debated since the time of Jesus. That deception hit its irreversible climax as Satan entered into Judas.

That leads me to a final question today. Will the antichrist (a man inhabited by Satan during the tribulation) know that he is the antichrist? Will he know that he is the prophesied weed, like Judas was a prophesied weed…better to have never been born?

Revelation 13:2-4 (NLT)

And the dragon [Satan] gave the beast [antichrist] his own power and throne and great authority.

3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.

4 They worshiped the dragon [Satan] for giving the beast [antichrist] such power, and they also worshiped the beast [antichrist]. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”

So many questions! How can we know the truth? The weeds are growing alongside the wheat. The weed was inside the twelve disciples and there are weeds inside the church. What do we do? Look at the seed, look at the fruit of the seed! The weeds can’t produce good fruit. Jesus told us to look at the fruit of the seed.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.

19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.

20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Today, could I be a weed and not know it? Rabbi, am I the one?

Matthew 24:4-5 (NLT)

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,

5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Are you and I spirit beings? Can spirits die? What happens to the spirit when the physical body dies? How important do you think these questions are? Does the Bible reveal the truth about the Human Spirit?

Jesus is the way, truth and life. He would be the source of truth on these questions regarding the Human Spirit. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus brings Jairus’ daughter back from the dead. Yes, she was really dead. Her spirit had departed from her physical body.

Jesus tells the people that He is going to heal the child. The people laughed at Jesus because they knew that the little girl had crossed over the red line of death. Her spirit had left her body. She was physically dead. Her spirit had departed from her body. Then something happened. Something that only God can do.

Luke 8:53-55 (NASB)

And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.

54 He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!"

55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.

Yes, we are spirit beings, but we are wrapped in mortal human flesh with expiration dates. Before the flood, people were living very long lifespans. But God announced a change to Noah before the flood. Notice how God words this change to Noah.

Genesis 6:3 (NASB)

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

God was going to reduce the shelf life of the Human Spirit in man. The generations that followed after Noah experienced much shorter lifespans than those before Noah.

Back to the original question. Do spirits die? What happens to the spirit when the physical body dies? Can the Human Spirit die? Jesus ordered the spirit to return to Jairus’ daughter. Jesus has dominion and authority over the spirit realm.

The Human Spirit represents the breath of life that comes from God. When the breath of life departs from the flesh, the spirit departs. But the Human Spirit doesn’t die at that point. The breath of God (the spirit life) is eternal. The question is this…where does the spirit go when the body dies?

This is the reason that God sent His Son-Jesus to the earth…so that the Human Spirit would not have to experience separation from God—eternal death. When a believer dies, the spirit person goes to be with the Lord. The physical body will turn to dust, but the spirit goes to be with God and waits for the resurrection of the last day. That’s when the person’s spirit/soul returns with Jesus for their bodily resurrection. God will bring back with Jesus, the souls of the believers who have died a physical death before the Rapture of the Church.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NLT)

For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

What then? What about the unsaved? Everyone in the grave will hear the voice of Jesus on that day (saved and unsaved).

John 5:28-29 (NLT)

Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,

29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

Jesus is going to do to resurrected believers the same thing that He did to Jairus’ daughter (her spirit returned), except this time, no expiration date. They laughed when Jesus said it then and many are still laughing and mocking Jesus today. But believers aren’t laughing! Believers are watching, waiting, and rejoicing in this great promise of God.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Is it possible to make a deal with the devil? Is that real? Can a person really sell his soul to the devil in exchange for present-day power and wealth? Is that possible? Does the devil really have the power and authority to complete that deadly transaction. Would the devil honor such a deal if a person was foolish enough to enter into such an agreement? So many questions!

Let me be more specific about the question. Was the devil telling the truth when he said this to Jesus in the wilderness?

Luke 4:5-7 (NLT)

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

Is the devil telling the truth? Jesus told us that he was a liar, the father of all lies and there is no truth in him (John 8:44), but is this offer of glory, dominion and kingdom authority true?

Does the devil possess power and authority over the present world, the kingdoms of men? If so, can the devil give positions of power and authority to whomever he chooses inside the earthly kingdom of men? He’s offering it to Jesus in the wilderness temptation. Can the devil make and keep such a promise or is it all a lie?

Yes, the devil has been given authority over this present world, the kingdom of men (literally translated as the inhabited earth). And yes, the devil has the power and authority of this present-day kingdom of men. So, what is the Devil’s Deal?

Conclusion to so many questions…This is not about what the devil has power to give man. It’s about what the devil has the power to take away from man. Satan desired to take away the divinity and power of Jesus by asking Jesus to worship him instead of God the Father. The devil wants to do the same to all mankind today, separating us from God. And what would that devilish deal look like today.

Mark 8:36-38 (NLT)

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The devil wants to take away that which God has freely offered you (Me and my message). But he doesn’t have the power to take it away himself. He must tempt you to give it up (Me and my message) by worshipping him instead of the One True God.

Don’t focus on what the devil’s deal might give you in this present life. That would be a trap. Focus on what the devil’s deal wants to take away from you. And by the way, the answer that Jesus gave the devil that day is the same answer that overcomes the devil’s deal today.

Luke 4:8 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

How does gratitude, thanksgiving and worship affect our walk with Jesus? Is it important to God? Should it be important to us. Let’s look at one of Jesus’ encounters with 10 lepers to answer this question today.

Luke 17:11-16 (NLT)

As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.

12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance,

13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”

16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

One in Ten! That’s not a very good percentage of gratitude, thanksgiving and worship. They were all healed of an incurable disease, but only one returned to “Praise God” for the healing and this one was a Samaritan, a Gentile. The healing from Jesus has led this Samaritan to worship at the feet of Jesus.

The fact that Luke refers to this one as a Samaritan leads us to believe that the rest of them were Jewish. This Samaritan would have the most unlikely of the ten to know the truth about Jesus. This fact is remarkable to Jesus and should be remarkable to us as well. Religion doesn’t always lead us to gratitude, thanksgiving and worship.

Jesus’ response to the one who was filled with gratitude, thanksgiving and worship is important for all of us today.

Luke 17:17-19 (NLT)

Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?

18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

This is the point for today’s word. All ten received physical healing, but only one ended the day understanding the power of faith to receive more than physical healing. “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

By returning to Jesus with thanksgiving, gratitude and worship, the one Samaritan found out the truth about the power of faith to heal, not just the physical, but the spiritual as well. He found what the Apostle Paul would later reveal to the Gentile Church in Rome, the truth about faith.

Romans 1:16-17 (NLT)

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Jesus offered physical healing to all ten lepers that day (Jews and Gentiles). Only one, a Gentile, came back to find the truth about a faith that heals not only leprosy, but also the sin of man. The saving faith that makes peace with God. The leper’s faith revelation began with thanksgiving, gratitude and worship. It ended with the truth about the saving faith of Jesus that redeems us from death itself.

May we be like the one who returned with thanksgiving, praise and worship.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Do you feel anxious about the future? Do you want to know what’s coming? Many people are super anxious about current world events. We have the escalating war between Israel and its neighbors. We have the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine. We have the crushing national debt that now has so many zeros that normal people can’t even comprehend the madness. And if that’s not enough we have the upcoming presidential elections that will surely produce riots and protests regardless of which side wins.

So, let me ask you again…do you want to know what’s coming? The Bible tells us the end of the story of the kingdoms of men. And yes, there will be an end. We don’t know the timing, but God wanted people to know how the story of man and the kingdoms of men would end on the earth.

There are many Scriptures that reveal the details of the end, but there is one that has increasingly become relevant and encouraging to me as I watch the darkness increase upon the earth. One verse inside the Book of Revelation. One verse that reveals the transfer of power from the kingdoms of men to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. One verse that sums up the future of planet earth and all its inhabitants. One verse…

Revelation 11:15 (NLT)

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

I’ve memorized this verse so that I can say it to myself when things look like they are totally out of control. I memorized it so that I would never forget that the outcome of all manmade kingdoms has been announced in advance.

A King and a Kingdom is coming! That one verse is from the Book of Revelation, what we refer to as the end of the Bible. But the Prophet Daniel revealed the same outcome in the Old Testament, some 500 years before the first coming of Jesus to the earth.

Daniel 2:44-45 (NLT)

“During the reigns of those kings [the Gentile kingdoms of men], the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these [earthly] kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.

45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain [JESUS], though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”

It's called faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). Jesus taught us to pray for this Kingdom of Christ to come to the earth and replace the kingdoms of men. This teaching is central to what we call the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:10 (NLT)

May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Jesus also told us that no man would know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36). But Jesus did tell us to look up, keep your heads-up church! Why look up? Because you know what’s coming! Look up, a King and a Kingdom is Coming!

Luke 21:28 (NLT)

So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

As I write this word today, the war between Israel and its enemies is escalating. Worldwide antisemitism is at an all-time high. What is the future for Israel. How can they survive with such hatred surrounding them?

I know it seems hard to believe, but in the end all nations will turn against Israel, and they will be left all alone. But God has said in advance that He would not abandon them. Discipline them, yes! Abandon them, No!

The prophet Zechariah begins chapter 2 with Israel coming out of Babylonian captivity, but then turns to the future when the nations will come against the Apple of God’s eye, His most precious possession, Israel. In that day the Lord will come to their defense.

Zechariah 2:6-13 (NLT)

The LORD says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds.

7 Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”

8 After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession [NIV & NASB…the apple or pupil of the Lord’s eye].

9 I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

10 The LORD says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.

11 Many nations will join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.

12 The land of Judah will be the LORD’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city.

13 Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”

The Prophet Jeremiah also talks about this future time, at the end of the Tribulation, when the Lord will come and fight for Israel. Verse 7 has been referred to as, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble or Distress”. We call it the Great Tribulation.

Jeremiah 30:4-24 (NLT)

This is the message the LORD gave concerning Israel and Judah.

5 This is what the LORD says: “I hear cries of fear; there is terror and no peace.

6 Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like a woman in labor?

7 In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved!

Jesus also describes the horror of these days for Israel and the world during the Tribulation.

Mark 13:19-20 (NLT)

For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again.

20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.

That same chapter in Jeremiah tells us that people will not understand all this until the time of the end.

Jeremiah 30:23-24 (NLT)

Look! The LORD’s anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.

24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this.

So, how will it all end? What’s going to happen to Israel? Can we know today?

Jeremiah 30:16-24 (NLT)

“But all who devour you [Israel] will be devoured, and all your enemies will be sent into exile. All who plunder you will be plundered, and all who attack you will be attacked.

17 I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the LORD. “For you are called an outcast— ‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”

18 This is what the LORD says: “When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the palace reconstructed as before.

19 There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.

20 Their children will prosper as they did long ago. I will establish them as a nation before me, and I will punish anyone who hurts them.

21 They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the LORD, “for who would dare to come unless invited?

22 You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

23 Look! The LORD’s anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.

24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this.

Do not touch the apple of the LORD’s eye. Pray for Israel today. Pray for peace in Jerusalem today. Pray for God to bless Israel and you will receive the blessing of God as well.

Psalm 122:6 (NIV)

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure.

Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT)

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

When the sun sets this Wednesday, October 2nd, the Jews around the world will begin celebrating the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah. It’s the first day of the Jewish New Year 5785 (believed to be 5785 years since God created the earth). It is customary for Jews to confess their sins and repent of those sins before God...before the New Year begins so they can begin the new year with a clean heart toward God.

I have watched several online videos of the Jewish gatherings at Jerusalem’s Western Wall where thousands and thousands of Jews were confessing and repenting of their sins (before Rosh Hashanah). It is a moving scene to see so many people crying out to God in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Ten days after the Feast of Trumpets, on the evening of October 11th, comes the highest of all Jewish Holy days...the Day of Atonement...or Yom Kippur. In the time of Moses, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place of God’s presence (behind the veil) and offer a blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people of Israel. The ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement are called the Days of Awe. It is the time of spiritual preparation...when the people return to God through repentance. Repentance is the physical and spiritual act of returning to God.

Isaiah 30:15 (NLT)

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.

These are called the Days of Awe because they will determine your position with God in relation to the Day of Atonement. Those who have confessed and repented of their sins will find peace with God on the Day of Atonement, but those who refuse to repent...will find His divine judgment instead of divine forgiveness and peace.

Jeremiah 3:21-22 (NLT)

Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 “My wayward children,” says the LORD, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” “Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply, “for you are the LORD our God.

Most of the Jews worshipping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem this week are still waiting for their Messiah. God is currently-prophetically regathering them into the land of Israel from the four corners of the earth, but most of them still don’t believe in Jesus as Messiah/Christ. The Jewish population in Israel has increased from 700,000 in 1948 to over 7 million today.

We (Christians) believe the Jewish Messiah-Jesus has already come to the earth…to give His life as the atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross and He is coming again soon. We believe Jesus was the Messiah/Christ and that He was and is our Day of Atonement. In fact, Jesus was the literal fulfillment of all the spring feasts/festivals of Israel that were revealed by God to Moses.

1.  Jesus was crucified and died on the Jewish Feast of Passover (John 18:28, 1 Cor. 5:7)

2.  Jesus was buried on the Jewish Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 6:47-51, Acts 2:29-32)

3.  Jesus rose from the dead on the Jewish Feast of First Fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

4.  Jesus came to the earth in the form and person of the Holy Spirit on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (Acts 1-2)

Those are the four spring feasts of Israel, and they are followed by three fall feasts that begin with the Feast of Trumpets. There is a summertime “gap” in the center of the 7 Jewish Feasts. Will God use His Son, in some way, to fulfill these 3 fall feasts as well? How will Jesus fulfill the next three Jewish feasts/festivals, and what about the summertime gap, the time before the harvest?

5. The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana)

6. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

7. The Feast of Tabernacles (Succot)

Nobody knows for sure how and when He will do it. But I believe Jesus will literally fulfill these remaining three feasts/festivals in some way. I believe the summertime gap (between Pentecost and Trumpets) is the time of the Church, the time when God has opened up His salvation to the Gentile world. The Apostle Paul reveals this wonderful mystery to the Gentile Church in Rome and Colossae:

Romans 11:25 (NLT)

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.

Colossians 1:26-27 (NLT)

This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

So, what does this all mean to the church in these last days? We should confess our sins before God and repent by turning or returning to Him. We don’t have to travel to the Western Wall of Jerusalem to do this. By God’s grace, we can do this anytime through genuine repentance and placing our faith in the name of Jesus Christ.

We live in the Days of Awe, and we await the last trumpet and that final Day of Atonement when Jesus will come and Tabernacle with (dwell with) each of us who have received His atoning blood sacrifice through faith.

This week, I join with the Jewish people around the world as they prepare to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. I am NOT waiting for the first coming of the Jewish Messiah. I am waiting for Jesus’ second coming, and I am waiting for the sound of a trumpet.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (NLT)

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Gospels record an event between Jesus, the King of the Jews, and the Roman Governor, Pilate. That meeting represents the clash of two powers, two kingdoms. Pilate didn’t know it at the time, but he was representing the kingdoms of men and Jesus was representing the Kingdom of Heaven.

Governor Pilate was indeed troubled by his encounter with Jesus. The Scripture makes it clear that Pilate found no fault in Jesus and desired to release him. Pilates wife even sent a desperate message to her husband proclaiming the innocence of Jesus and begging him to let him go.

Matthew 27:19 (NLT)

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

But the political pressure was too great for Governor Pilate. The private meeting with Jesus and the warning from his wife were not enough to overcome the cry of the people. Politics would overcome common sense as well as the horrible nightmare of Pilate’s wife.

This is when the two kingdoms will clash. The Kingdom of Heaven will clash with the Kingdom of Man.

John 19:12 (NLT)

Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

Do you see it? The Jewish leaders brought politics into this scene. The Jewish leaders were forcing Pilate to look to Caesar and stop looking at Jesus. When Pilate looked at Jesus and the reality of that moment, he desired to release him.

But when the Jews brought politics and Caesar into the scene everything changed. Politics would trump the reality of that moment. Politics would even trump the horrible dream and warning from Pilates wife.

Why would the Jewish leaders say such a thing? It seems to be the opposite of what you would expect to hear from the Jewish leaders who were longing to throw off the oppressive rule of Rome.

John 19:13-14 (NLT)

When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha).

14 It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!”

Some would call it mockery from Pilate, “Look, here is your king!” But the Scripture is clear that Pilate desired to let Jesus go free. The battle between the two kingdoms was raging at that moment. Pilate is offering to give the Jews their King, but they refused Jesus and chose Caeser. Yes, you heard it correctly. When given the opportunity to choose King Jesus, the King of the Jews, the Jewish leaders chose Caesar instead.

John 19:15 (NLT)

“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

Many people would read this today and become confused. Why would the Jewish people reject their Jewish King in favor of Caesar?

Do you see it today? Can you see the same spiritual story unfolding today? God has freely offered the lost world access to the King of the Jews, Jesus. But the world cries out the same words as in the time of Governor Pilate. “We have no king but Caesar”.

You would have expected that statement from the Romans that day, but you would have never expected it from the Jewish leaders. What about today? We would expect the people who belong to this world to cry out for a human king, a modern-day Caesar, in times of trouble. But you would not expect it to come from the church.

The cry from the church should be, “We have no king but Christ”. But there are many in the church today who are seeking after a man, an earthly king to lead them out of troubled times. It’s a trap!

We have no king but Christ. That doesn’t mean we stop participating in our democratic form of government. That doesn’t mean we stop voting or standing for truth and righteousness. It means we have no King but Christ.

I understand the world’s clamor for a king to save them, echoing the words of the Jewish leaders when Jesus was standing in front of them…We have no king but Caesar.

I don’t understand the church’s clamor for a king to save us…because we already have our King standing beside us. We already have our Savior. We have no king but Christ.

It’s a trap! The Apostle John reveals the trap and yes it can become a deadly trap because the desire to hold onto the things of this temporary world are from the other father…the god of this world.

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

I say it again. It’s a trap! Do not be deceived by the politics of our day. We are not looking for a modern-day Caesar or any earthly king to come and save us. It’s a trap.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)

If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

We have no king, but Christ.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Why would you hate a guy that rose from the dead? Why not be excited, amazed and happy for him? This is the story of the man named Lazarus. Lazarus had been dead for some four days when Jesus reveals his supernatural power over death by raising Lazarus from the dead. As you can imagine, this created quite a stir among the people of Israel. The stir is understandable. But what happens next is not so easily understood.

John 12:9-10 (NLT)

9  When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.

10  Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,

Why would the leading priests want to kill a man who had recently and publicly been raised from the dead? Does that make any sense to you? What did Lazarus do that would cause them to seek his life, even after receiving a public resurrection of the dead? The answer to that question is found in the next verse.

John 12:11 (NLT)

11  for it was because of him [Lazarus] that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

Can you see it? If so, you can also see the reason for the persecution of Christians today. The resurrected life of Lazarus was leading people to put their faith in Jesus. Lazarus was a living testimony of one who had encountered Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. The undeniable testimony of Lazarus made him a threat to the dark spirit world and the deception of Satan, also known today as the spirit of antichrist.

Today, when a person is born again into Christ …they are spiritually speaking raised from the dead. Spiritually speaking they have become like Lazarus, and the testimony of their new life becomes an active threat to the spirit of antichrist.

The Apostle Paul talks about our Lazarus moment…when we receive our resurrected new life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Lazarus received a new life from Jesus. We have also received a new life from Jesus. Spiritually speaking we have been raised from the dead, like Lazarus. Our new resurrected life leads people directly to Jesus. This explains why Jesus said these words to Lazarus’ sister shortly before he called Lazarus out of the grave.

John 11:25-26 (NLT)

25  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

26  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.

Jesus wasn’t just talking about Lazarus. Jesus was referring to anyone in the future that would be born again by putting their faith in him as the Son of God. Today, this spiritual resurrection of the dead also makes us an enemy of the spirit of antichrist, just like Lazarus. They hated Lazarus after he was raised, and they will hate us after we have been reborn and raised from our spiritual tomb.

Mark 13:13 (NLT)

13  And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

One last thought on this topic. Jesus gives us a clear announcement of this spiritual transaction that brings life to the walking dead.

John 5:25-27 (NLT)

25  “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead [the walking dead] will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.

26  The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.

27  And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.

That time is here now! When the walking dead will hear the voice of Jesus, the Son of God. They will listen to Jesus’ voice, the Holy Spirit, and find life, the resurrection into eternal life. Jesus told us that this spiritual transaction would also make us like a modern-day Lazarus. They will hate us, and some will even try to kill us. But those who endure to the end will be saved.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

There is an interesting exchange in the Gospel of John between Jesus and his earthly family, specifically his brothers. Opposition to Jesus and his teaching was already on the rise and some of the religious leaders were actually plotting his death when the gospel writer reveals the turmoil between Jesus and his earthly brothers.

John 7:1-4 (NLT)

1 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.

2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,

3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!

4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!”

Do you see it? Was that sarcasm in the voices of Jesus’ brothers? You might not be able to answer that question for sure if it were not for verse 5 that follows.

John 7:5 (NLT)

5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

The Jewish leaders in Judea/Jerusalem were plotting to kill Jesus because he claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God. The Jewish Festival of Shelters was coming and that would require a visit to Jerusalem to participate in the required festival. Were Jesus’ brother actually wanting him to walk into the imminent danger of Jerusalem? Can you feel the tension in those sarcastic words to their brother Jesus?

Do you think Jesus’ brothers would have said that to him if they actually believed he was the Son of God, the Jewish Messiah? Jesus’ answer to his brothers reveals much about what it means to become the spiritual born again brothers of Jesus today. Listen to Jesus’ response.

John 7:6-8 (NLT)

6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime.

7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.

8 You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.”

Do you see it? The world can’t hate those who don’t believe in Jesus. Why? Because refusing to believe in Jesus is to side with the world. No hatred in siding with the world. No hatred in being on the world’s side.

But what if you cross over and join Jesus, becoming a born-again believer and spiritual brother of Jesus? What if a person joins Jesus and the light of Jesus begins to shine into the darkness of the world…and that light begins to accuse the world of doing evil?  That’s when the hatred comes.

John 3:19-21 (NLT)

God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

The Gospel of Mark reveals another family scene when Jesus was again confronted by his earthly family/brothers. And this time, Jesus’ mother was with them.  It’s in this next scene that Jesus reveals his true and eternal family, the blood bought children of God.

Mark 3:31-35 (NLT)

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.

32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”

33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.

35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

We do not choose our earthly family. But the grace of God has given us a choice regarding our heavenly family. We must count the cost and choose carefully, knowing that choosing Jesus will make us an enemy of this world.

But choosing Jesus might also cause us to lose our earthly family as well. Jesus also experienced that truth. Jesus experienced opposition from inside his own family. That’s why Jesus tells us to count the cost beforehand.

Mark 10:29-31 (NLT)

29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,

30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31  But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

What do you think the value of being a blood bought brother or sister of Jesus will be on the last day? Count the cost and choose carefully.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I’ve noticed that many people are easily offended today. Much of the “woke culture” of our time is a human attempt to not offend those who might possibly disagree with us on certain social issues.

Woke is a slang term that means being aware of and attentive to social and racial justice issues. Merriam Webster  

I don’t like to offend people. I get no enjoyment out of offended anyone. But what about the truth? What if the truth offends someone? As Christians, should we compromise the truth in an attempt to not offend people? Let’s look for the answer to that question in the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus travels to a Samaritan village to reveal his true identity as the Jewish Messiah to a Gentile Samaritan woman. This Samaritan woman was from a different culture and there was deep rooted hostility between these two ethnic people groups. Social and racial justice is inside this encounter with Jesus.

He begins by asking this woman for a drink of water. But that was just a conversation starter. Can you see the ethnic tension in their conversation. What happens next gives us a very important look inside the methods of Jesus to get to the real truth about a person’s heart toward God.

John 4:7-9 (NLT)

7  Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”

8  He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9  The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

Jesus then tells her about “living water”, but she was unable to understand Jesus’ offer of spiritual water at the time. Jesus then connects her physical thirst with her soul thirst.

John 4:13-14 (NLT)

13  Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.

14  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

She’s intrigued by Jesus’ living water and thinks this might possibly be a way to stop coming to Jacob’s well so often. Then it happens. Jesus does the unthinkable in today’s woke culture. Jesus asks her a question that is surely going to offend her. But He asked her anyway.

John 4:16-18 (NLT)

16  “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

17  “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—

18  for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

Wow, that seemed pretty insensitive coming from Jesus…or not! Why bring this 5-husbands thing up? Why now? How is this going to help her to find the truth about living water?

He knows! This man that she has never met before knows the truth about her. He knows the whole truth, past, present and future. He knows it all. That revelation of truth makes her look at Jesus differently and now she’s the one asking a spiritual question. Now, she is the one searching for spiritual truth and revelation.

John 4:19-20 (NLT)

19  “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.

20  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

How did Jesus do it? How did Jesus get her to the point where she would seek spiritual truth?  He did it with truth. He did it by revealing the physical and spiritual reality of this woman’s’ life.

Yes, that truth was surely offensive in the moment. But it was truth, and that truth set this woman free and brought her to the knowledge of the Savior of the world and the living water that Jesus came to bring to her.

We must never offend for the sake of offending anyone. But we should never shy away from the truth when sharing the human need for Living Water and the Savior that has offered us a drink. Speak the truth and speak it in love. We trust that Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to do the rest. No woke…just truth!

John 8:31-32 (NLT)

31  Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Isaiah chapter 29 is generally titled, “A Message about Jerusalem”. The chapter begins with sorrow and weeping because Jerusalem is destined to experience the wrath and judgment of God.

Isaiah 29:1-3 (NLT)

1 “What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts.

2 Yet I will bring disaster upon you, and there will be much weeping and sorrow. For Jerusalem will become what her name Ariel means— an altar covered with blood.

3 I will be your enemy, surrounding Jerusalem and attacking its walls. I will build siege towers and destroy it.

Isaiah is prophesying God’s judgment upon Jerusalem, but he also prophesies about the future time when God will no longer fight against Jerusalem…but fight for Jerusalem.

Isaiah 29:5-7 (NLT)

5 “But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust. Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind. Suddenly, in an instant,

6 I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, will act for you with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire.

7 All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream! Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night.

Did the people believe it then (in the time of Isaiah)? Do people believe it now, today? Isaiah addresses these questions as well.

Isaiah 29:9-12 (NLT)

9 Are you amazed and incredulous? Don’t you believe it? Then go ahead and be blind. You are stupid, but not from wine! You stagger, but not from liquor!

10 For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries.

11 All the future events in this vision are like a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, “We can’t read it because it is sealed.”

12 When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, “We don’t know how to read.”

Why couldn’t they see? Why can’t people see today? They read it in the time of Isaiah, and they read it today, but they refuse to receive and believe the Word as Truth. Like blind and stupid drunks, they cannot see or understand.

It’s at this point in chapter 29 that Isaiah writes something that will be quoted by Jesus some 750 years later in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew.

Isaiah 29:13-14 (NLT)

13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

14 Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”

Jesus quoted Isaiah 9 because the people were putting their traditions over the Word of God. The word of man had replaced the Word of God. Like stupid, blind drunks they refused to receive the Truth from the Word of God.

Matthew 15:6 (NLT)

And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.

Today, do you read the Bible with eyes to see that which God has unveiled? Can you see and believe the Bible prophesies about the future of Jerusalem? Do you know how comforting these ancient words of Isaiah would be to the people living in war torn Israel today…if they actually believed it?

Today, do you believe these next verses from Isaiah are the ordained future of Jerusalem and for the whole world?

Isaiah 29:17-24 (NLT)

17 Soon—and it will not be very long— the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.

18 In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.

19 The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 The scoffer will be gone, the arrogant will disappear, and those who plot evil will be killed.

21 Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.

22 That is why the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the people of Israel, “My people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear.

23 For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob.

24 Then the wayward will gain understanding, and complainers will accept instruction.

Then, finally, everyone will have eyes to see and understand the Word of the Lord to be true.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Today is August 12, 2024. When the sun goes down tonight in Israel it will be the 9th of Av, also known as Tish B’Av on the Jewish calendar. Do you know what that means? Does it mean anything for us today?

The Ninth of Av commemorates the day of calamity that brought destruction upon Israel. The Jewish people observe this day of suffering in July/August each year with fasting and mourning. What happened on the Ninth of Av that would cause the Jewish people to fast and mourn and what does that have to do with us today? The answer to that question goes all the way back to Moses and the 12 spies outside the Promised Land around 1500 years before Christ.

Moses sends out 12 men, one from each tribe to spy out the Promised Land and they return to the camp on the 8th day of Av. That night, the 9th of Av, the people cry out to God, and they insist that they go back to Egypt rather than enter the Promised Land and face the giants that live there. Numbers 13:25-33

In this scene, on the Ninth of Av, the people are rejecting the very reason and purpose of the Exodus from Egypt. The people refuse to put their faith and trust in God…and God takes an oath that none of the adult men, except Joshua and Caleb, will ever enter the Promised Land. This brought 40 years of suffering to Israel as they wandered in the wilderness until all the adult men died. Do you see why the Jews set aside the Ninth of Av as a day of fasting and mourning…there is much more.

Do you know what happened next on the Jewish calendar on the Ninth of Av? Let’s fast forward from Moses to 586 BC and the time of the prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Israel has again refused to put their faith and trust in God, but this time they are in the Promised Land, specifically Jerusalem. Israel has fallen into pagan idolatry, and they are sacrificing their children to Molech when God calls for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to come and destroy Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem and carried off the holy vessels that were used in worship there. What day did King Nebuchadnezzar destroy the Jerusalem Temple…the Ninth of Av. Coincidence or revelation of God?

Like Moses in the wilderness…this judgment of God would cause many Jews to die, and the surviving Jewish people would be scattered. This time it will be 70 years, not 40…both begin on the Ninth of Av. God’s mercy will come upon the people again, but his holiness required a response. Jeremiah 29:10-14

This next fact about the Ninth of Av dispels any concept of coincidence. Let’s fast forward from 586 BC to 70 AD when the Romans came and destroyed the rebuilt Jerusalem Temple (Herod’s Temple).

Do you know the date that Rome destroyed Herod’s temple…the Ninth of Av. This time the Jews would not be scattered for 70 years, but 2,000 years and it all began on the Ninth of Av.

The 40 years of wilderness wandering began on the Ninth of Av when the people rebelled against God’s plan and cried out to return to Egypt. The 70 years of Babylonian Exile began on the Ninth of Av when the people turned to pagan idolatry and sacrificed their children to Molech. Why did God allow the Romans to destroy the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. Jesus prophesied it and explained it all in advance.

Luke 19:44 (NLT)

44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Do you see it…do you see the Ninth of Av in context of the other previous events? The 40 years of wilderness wanderings…rejecting God’s plan. The 70-year exile in Babylon…turning to idolatry and child sacrifice. Now they have rejected God’s Messiah…God in the flesh and their house will be abandoned and desolate. Do you see why the Jews fast and mourn on this day? And the terrible thing is this…many of the Jews who observe the Ninth of Av each year still do not accept Jesus as God’s Messiah.

What does this mean to the church today…how should this truth affect us today? We can see God’s hand in our generation…regathering Israel as a nation back to Jerusalem. It’s been 2,000 years now and the Jews are back in the land. Will we be the generation that sees the fulfillment of God’s ultimate promise…Jesus’ return. The Ninth of Av…a time of mourning and fasting, but also a time of hope and celebration.

God has revealed his faithfulness to many generations through the Ninth of Av.

*The 40-year wilderness wanderings…40 years followed by the Promised Land.

*The First Temple destroyed…70 years followed by the return from exile.

*The Second Temple destroyed…the church age began, and the gospel of Christ went to the whole world.

Has the Ninth of Av appeared since then…this next part is amazing to me.

*On the 9th of Av in 1290 all the Jews were expelled from England.

*In 1492 Queen Isabella of Spain issued a decree that all Jews must leave the land by a certain date.

*The Jews of Spain were given 4 months to get their affairs in order and leave the country or die.

*Do you know what that date was…the Ninth of Av…but that’s not the big mystery.

*Do you know what happened on the Tenth of Av…Christopher Columbus departed from Spain with 3 ships (Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria) on the Tenth    of Av, one day after the Jews were expelled.

*Columbus sailed from Spain to find a new world and found America.

*Do you know what country became the largest refuge for the Jewish people during their 2,000 years of exile…America!

Can you see Jesus and the plan of God in the Ninth of Av?

*On the 9th of Av in 1941, Reich Leader of the Nazi Party, Heinrich Himmler, formally received approval from the Nazi Party for the Final Solution and      the Holocaust began…in which one third of the world’s Jewish population perished.

*And by the way…both world wars began on the Ninth of Av.

*World War 2 and the Holocaust, historians conclude, was actually the long drawn-out conclusion of World War 1 that began in 1914. And yes,           amazingly enough, Germany declared war on Russia, effectively catapulting the First World War into motion, on the Ninth of Av, Tisa B’Av.

With all that background, can you see why this headline from August 2nd might be a world changing moment? This is the first line from that article…”Western intelligence sources have revealed that Iran is planning to attack Israel on Tisha B’Av in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and that it will be coordinated with Hezbollah.” You can check out the headline and link below for yourself.

IranPlans to Attack Israel on Tisha B’Av, Western Intelligence Sources Say – TheYeshiva World 

I have no idea what’s going to happen today on the 9th of Av. I’m not making any predictions, just stating the obvious truth about this fateful day in history. I’m actually writing this article a few days ahead of time, on August 7th. But I do know this. One day Jesus will come, and He will come to save those who have put their faith in Him as the Messiah/Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Until then, we will wait and see.

You can watch my entire teaching on the Ninth of Av from our Ninevah Christian Church Roots Session given 11/8/2023 by clicking the link below:

https://www.ninevahchristian.org/media/1214185-4960964-34712735/the-appointed-times-roots-session-11 

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Have you noticed that there are many words that have changed their meanings over time. For example:

*Gay…from happy to homosexual.

*Backlog…from firewood to a pile of work

*Cell…from jail or body part to phone

*Pride…inordinate self-esteem also known as conceited to celebration of same sex attraction

The original definition of the word “pride” from Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary was considered to be a negative term. Pride and the act of being prideful was a cultural no-no. Do you know why?

The Bible tells us that human pride is a deadly sin. Like it or not, our national heritage is based on Judeo-Christian roots which come from the Bible. Human pride is the edification of self over the edification of God and God’s laws. The root of pride is self over God. God has clearly revealed through the Bible that the human sin of pride will be severely dealt with on the day of judgment.

Isaiah 2:11-12 (NLT)

11 Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment.

12 For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted.

The original definition of pride was bad enough to bring the wrath of God upon a person. But now, the word is used to celebrate same sex attractions. Now the word mocks God on two fronts. The edification of self and the abandonment of God’s truth about male and female sexuality.

The use of the word might be different today, but the sin of pride is not new. God warned ancient Israel about the consequences of pride. And we would also do well to heed the warning from God’s Word today.

Isaiah 3:8-9 (NLT)

8 For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face.

9 The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves.

How should the church respond to the darkness of this world today. We must turn on the light and tell the truth. Before we look at others, we must apply the light of truth to our own lives and make sure that human pride has no place in our hearts. Our only hope is the light of truth, which is the Word of God. If we abandon the Word of God and go along with the lie and join the darkness…darkness will overtake everyone, and all will be lost.

We must hold onto God’s Word! Jesus is the Word and Jesus is the Truth. If we abandon the Word of Truth, we abandon Jesus, our only hope and the only hope of this lost and dying world.

I encourage each of you to read these next verses from the Book of James and pray that God would give us the wisdom and strength to face whatever is coming.

James 4:4-10 (NLT)

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?

6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Apostle Paul refers to Timothy as a “Man of God”. Paul then gives clear instructions, even commands, as to how a man of God should live in this present age…while we wait for the return of Christ.

1 Timothy 6:11-14 (NLT)

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate,

14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

How should a man of God live while we wait for Jesus to come again?

*Run from all evil things.

*Pursue righteousness and a godly life.

*Pursue a life of faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

*Fight against lukewarmness and pursue the true faith.

*Hold tight to the promise of eternal life and never shrink back from professing your faith publicly.

Then Paul makes this statement…Obey this command without wavering. Why the command? Why such strong language? Because this is a spiritual war that will have many casualties. Notice the words, “fight and hold tight”.

*Fight the good fight for the true faith…this will be a lifelong battle.

*Hold tightly to the promise of eternal life…this will be a lifelong battle.

Fight and hold tight…do these sound-like passive terms or commands to you?

Commands are given in times of war. Commands are given to save your life and win the battle. Pay close attention to these commands from the Apostle to the Gentile church today. They were given in love to save your life and so that no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus comes again. And may He come soon!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Can you see it? The spirit war is intensifying in the world around us. These are just a few of the headlines from this past week.

*Assassination attempt of former President Trump

*Muhammad Deif (military leader of Hamas) is assassinated by Israel

*Israel prepares for war with Hezbollah and Iran in the North.

*US Secretary Blinken says Iran is one or two weeks from having material for nuclear weapon

*Israel bombs a strategic seaport in Yemen sending the middle east into more chaos.

*The war between Russia and Ukraine enters a new phase.

*President Biden withdraws from election.

Can you see it? Can you see the escalation? The Bible refers to it as birth pains. Things will begin to increase in intensity and frequency, and they will be worldwide, not just localized.

Mark 13:4-8 (NLT)

4 “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 6 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 7 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 8 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

I ask you again, can you see it? These worldwide events are a manifestation of a spiritual war that is raging in the heavenly realms. Do you believe that?

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

But I have some good news today. The good news is about "MORE”. Let me explain. This spiritual battle has been raging in the heavenly realms since the Garden of Eden. The battle between good and evil. The battle between God and Satan. And yes, the nation of Israel is in the middle of that spiritual war. Let me give you an example.

Somewhere around 800 BC, the King of Aram was making war plans to destroy Israel. But God revealed the evil kings plans to the Prophet Elisha in advance, thwarting the king of Aram’s plans to destroy Israel. When the king of Aram found out what the Prophet Elisha was doing, he sent his army to surround Elisha so that they might kill him.

2 Kings 6:14-15 (NLT)

14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God [Elisha] got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

The servant of Elisha could only see the physical realm and that physical realm looked dreadful…What will we do now? But God had given Elisha eyes to see the spiritual realm. Elisha saw that the battle was actually a spirit war, and this is Elisha’s response to his terrified servant.

2 Kings 6:16-17 (NLT)

16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Can you see it? Can you believe it? There are more on our side than on theirs. No matter what it looks like around us today we must know and believe that there are more on our side than on theirs. Don’t be afraid.

Jesus told us to “stand and look up”. Look up when you see the spirit war intensifying around us. Look up because there are more on our side than on theirs.

Luke 21:28 (NLT)

28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

God is always more than Satan. The light is always more than the darkness. The Truth is always more than the lie. In Christ, we will always have more.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

God gave King Solomon extraordinary wisdom, and that wisdom led the king to this final conclusion about life.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (NLT)

10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.

11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Why? Why is all this toil on the earth like chasing the wind? Solomon recognized that everything that man experienced in this life came with an expiration date. Solomon came to realize that everything that he toiled so hard to achieve would eventually be left to someone else. It was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. You think for a moment you’ve caught it, but when you open your hand, it’s gone.

King Solomon lived about 1,000 years before the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Paul comes to a similar conclusion about the toils and cares of this life. But the Apostle Paul had a different conclusion. Paul knew something beyond the wisdom of Solomon. Paul knew Jesus and Paul knew about the resurrection of the dead into eternal life.

Philippians 3:7-11 (NLT)

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul’s conclusion:

*Everything achieved and attained on earth is useless and meaningless (like chasing the wind) apart from knowing Christ.

*It would be better to lose or surrender everything in this temporary chasing the wind life…that we might attain oneness with Christ and the resurrection into eternal life.

*To know Christ in this chasing the wind torn world is the only true treasure.

*Knowing Jesus and becoming one with Him is to finally catch the wind, the wind that is the breath of eternal life.

*All of life’s suffering and hardship will be worth it when we know that we have found and attained oneness with the source of this wind, this breath of eternal life.

John 3:7-8 (NLT) Jesus speaking to Nicodemus

7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Do you find the Bible complicated or confusing? Is it possible for the average person to read the Bible and actually understand it without outside help? There are a lot of people with many opinions about these two questions. So, I would like to focus on two verses from the New Testament Book of First John today…to Keep it Simple.

1 John 5:11-12 (NLT)

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

God looked down at the fallen world of man and saw death. There was death everywhere. Everyone was dying from death. Sin and rebellion against God had brought death to all mankind.

The sin and death of man was preventing man from reaching the glory of God and experiencing His presence. So…God gave us eternal life. God gave us a way, a single and powerful way, to deal with sin and death. God sent eternal life to the fallen kingdoms of men that lived on the earth. That eternal life of God was inside a man named Jesus, the Son of God.

Jesus is life and the eternal source of life. Jesus is literally the resurrection of the dead and Jesus is literally eternal life. Jesus is life and apart from Jesus there is no life. When we place our faith in Jesus as the Son of God something supernatural happens. Jesus, in the person of the Holy Spirit enters into our bodies, forgives our sins and gives us eternal life.

Let’s keep it simple for today. There are only two possibilities for your last day.

1. You will have Jesus and you will have forgiveness of sins and eternal life…you will receive a resurrected and eternal body and you will live forever with God in heaven as one of His children.

2. You will NOT have Jesus and you will spiritually die in your sins, unrepentant and unforgiven. You will experience eternal death because you have rejected the One who is eternal life. And you will be cast out of God’s presence into an eternal prison called hell.

Is it really that simple? Yes, and that’s only two verses!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I grew up in a church that used the word “Gentile” a lot, but never really defined what that word meant. That usually left me a bit confused. So, let’s start with the definition.

Gen'tiles (nations). All the people who were not Jews were so called by them.

Gentiles is a biblical reference to all the nations or peoples of the world that were not Jewish. With that definition in mind, we need to go back to the time when God revealed His Covenant to the first Jew, Abraham.

Genesis 18:17-19 (NLT)

17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the LORD asked.

18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.

19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

God’s original covenant with Abraham included a plan to bless the Gentiles through what He was going to do in and through Abraham. That covenant promise of God to Abraham was some 400 years before Moses and the Law was given.

The Law required the Jewish people to remain separate from the Gentiles because the Gentile nations/peoples were godless and lived in pagan idolatry that would pollute and pervert Israel (the children of Abraham).That was the status of Jew and Gentile all the way up to the time of Jesus.

When Jesus was 8-days old, Mary and Joseph took him to the Jerusalem Temple to fulfill all the requirement of the Law. While they were there, they had an encounter with Simeon, a Jewish man of God who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died.

Simeon prophesied by the Holy Spirit something that day that brings hope to all of us Gentiles today. Remember, up to this point, the Jews were required by the Law to remain separate from the Gentiles.

Luke 2:25-32 (NLT)

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him

26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,

28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.

30 I have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared for all people.

32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Do you see it? Jesus came for both, Jew and Gentile. Jesus was going to be the light to the nations…the Gentiles…the ones who had been living in darkness and idolatry. Simeon, through the Holy Spirit is repeating the prophecy of Isaiah, a prophecy that would be fulfilled by Jesus. It’s recorded later in the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 4:14-17 (NLT)

14 This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,

16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

There it is…the message of Jesus to the Gentiles of the world. There is now a way to receive the promises of God that were given to the first Jew, Abraham. This Gospel message has gone out to the whole Gentile world over these past 2,000 years. The message preached by Jesus himself.

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Today, more than ever, this message of Jesus brings hope and light into the lives of all the Gentile nations of the world. The Kingdom of Heaven is near, and we (the Gentile nations) can enter that Kingdom if we would listen to the message preached by Jesus.

Luke 24:47 (NLT)

47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’

All praise and glory belong to God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. For in His great mercy, He has given us Gentiles the opportunity to become the children of God by placing our faith in Jesus the Son.

Romans 9:24-25 (NLT)

24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. 25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Let’s begin with the word, “sovereign or sovereignty”. God’s sovereignty is the revelation of His authority and Kingdom, His all powerful and eternal Kingdom.

*Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.

*Royal rank, authority, or power.

*Complete independence and self-government.

*Mastery; control; predominance.

And what does God do with His divine sovereignty? Anything He wants, whenever He wants. The Lord chose Jacob/Israel for Himself and who can question His sovereignty in that divine decision?

Psalm 135:3-6 (NLT)

3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.

4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.

5 I know the greatness of the LORD— that our Lord is greater than any other god.

6 The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.

God is accountable to no one at any time or in any circumstance. He is accountable only to Himself. That’s why when He swears or takes an oath…He swears by His own name.

Isaiah 45:22-23 (NLT)

22 Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.

23 I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.”

Humans are not sovereign. We are not born unto ourselves; we do not live unto ourselves, and we will not die unto ourselves. We live, breathe and die under the authority and sovereignty of God.

With that truth in mind, I want to reflect on the current events in the Middle East. It looks like a great war is about to begin between Israel, Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Iran, with the potential for many other nations to become involved.

This battle is being led by the demonic spirit prince of Persia (Iran and its proxies) which operates under the authority of Satan. You can read more about that spirit prince of Persia in Daniel 10:13.

Iran wants to rid the earth of the Jewish Nation of Israel. But there is a big problem. The problem is with the Sovereign, and this is the historical ruling of the Sovereign God of Israel, written in that same Psalm 135 mentioned above.

Psalm 135:8-14 (NLT)

8 He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home, both people and animals.

9 He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his people.

10 He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—

11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.

12 He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.

13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation.

14 For the LORD will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.

The current battle in the Middle East is a spirit war. The Prophet Daniel announced this spirit war some 2500 years ago and revealed the outcome and sovereignty of God in advance. The question for all of us today is this…do you believe?

Daniel 7:23-28 (NLT)

23 Then he said to me, “This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path.

24 Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise [he is the antichrist], different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them.

25 He [the antichrist] will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time [3.5 years].

26 “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.

27 Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom [the Kingdom of Jesus] will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.”

28 That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.

The world stage is being set for the arrival of the antichrist. He is NOT sovereign, and he will be defeated by the Sovereign God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He will be defeated by King Jesus and the sovereignty of God will become the Kingdom of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NLT)

24 After that the end will come, when he [Jesus] will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.

25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.

26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his [Jesus] authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)

28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

All power, dominion and authority has been given to Christ, the Son of God. He is sovereign and the Kingdom belongs to Him. This is what Sovereign Jesus speaks to the church in these last days…words of comfort and truth.

John 14:27 (NLT)

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I was listening to Chad preach a powerful Father’s Day message yesterday about the importance of fathers leaving a godly legacy for their family. In Chad’s message he read from Deuteronomy chapter 6. While he was reading, I immediately saw a foreshadowing of the future in that text. Let me explain. A foreshadowing is a preview or a shadow of events that will one day be fully fulfilled through Jesus in the eternal kingdom.

For example, Moses is a foreshadow of Jesus. Moses was the one chosen by God to deliver the children of Abraham out of bondage and take them to the Promised Land. That story of Moses as the deliverer of Israel really happened, but it is also a foreshadow. Moses in Egypt is a foreshadow of the Ultimate Deliverer-Jesus who will deliver us from the bondage of sin and death and take us to the Promised Land of Heaven.

With that example in mind, I would like to show you the foreshadow from Deuteronomy chapter 6 that Chad read to the church yesterday. The context is this…God is telling Moses to teach “The Shema” (verses 4-9 below) to the people and make sure that the people teach it to their children and all future generations of Israel.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV)

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

By the way, Jesus later quotes the Shema as the Greatest Commandment of God in Matthew 22 and Mark 12. Now, for the foreshadow! The next verse in Deuteronomy is a foreshadow for all who will live under the greatest commandment of God, the Shema.

Deuteronomy 6:10-11 (NLT)

10 “The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.

11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land,

Do you see it? Can you see heaven in that foreshadowing scene?

The foreshadow…The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The promise of Jesus to fulfill the foreshadow…for all who put their trust in God through putting their faith in Jesus Christ as the Son.

John 14:1-3 (NLT)

1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

The foreshadow… It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant.

Can you see it? We won’t build our houses in heaven. Jesus has built them and prepared them for us. Israel went in to occupy the Promised Land that God had prepared for them. God fought for them and gave them the land filled with prosperous cities, houses stocked with goods, cisterns that had fresh water and vineyards and olive trees that they didn’t plant. A land prepared in advance for all who would put their trust in God…the Shema.

But there was a warning attached to the Shema. A warning that also belongs to the church today. The foreshadow comes with a warning:

Deuteronomy 6:11-18 (NLT)

…When you have eaten your fill in this land,

12 be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

13 You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations,

15 for the LORD your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.

16 You must not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah.

17 You must diligently obey the commands of the LORD your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you.

18 Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

Some people today refuse to accept the warnings attached to the Shema. Jesus renews that Shema warning to the churches in the Revelation…specifically the Church at Ephesus.

Revelation 2:4-5 (NLT)

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

Heaven’s Coming! God has prepared a wonderful place for all the children of Abraham who have trusted in God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Those who have lived their lives under the Shema. We love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We take the warning of God seriously. We guard our hearts while we wait for the foreshadow to become our reality in the Promised Land.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I preached a sermon series a couple of weeks ago about The Point of No Return. That series used events of the Old Testament and the New Testament to reveal a point on the road that no longer has any exits. A series of unstoppable end time events will begin to happen. For example, some will go to captivity, and some will be killed. And then you see the words, “patient endurance and faithfulness”.

Revelation 13:9-10 (NIV)

9 He who has an ear, let him hear.

10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

That road (without any more exits) is revealed again in Revelation chapter 22. But this time, there are two roads. One road is walking toward God, and one is walking away from God.

Revelation 22:10-13 (NIV)

10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.

11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

We must understand that all Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. It is unstoppable. Everything written in the Holy Scriptures will happen at just the right time, according to the Word of God. Some things must happen. Yes, even bad things…these things must happen to fulfill Bible prophecy. Listed below is one example from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Isaiah 5:20 (NLT)

20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT)

1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

Some things must happen. They are unstoppable. But what about the church? What about believers? This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

This is my encouragement to the church today. We must patiently endure anything and everything that comes to us in these perilous times…leading up to the return of Christ. The increase of wickedness and lawlessness in the world leading up to the return of Jesus will test our faith. The Hebrew writer gives the church clear instructions about how we should respond. I suggest that you read, meditate, and pray over these next Scriptures and ask God to make you strong enough to stand in the time of testing that is coming upon the whole earth.

Hebrews 10:35-39 (NLT)

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

37 “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.

38 And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Jesus gave us the same counsel at the end of the Olivet Discourse where He describes the events surrounding His return…we should pray this prayer every day in obedience to the counsel of our Lord.

Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)

34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.

36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Everyone knows the Old Testament story of Samson. Samson was born of a supernatural birth by the will of God to deliver Israel out of the hands of the evil Philistines. This is angelic message of God that was given to the mother of Samson before he was conceived.

Judges 13:5 (NLT)

5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”

The Israelites had lived under the dominion and oppression of the Philistines for 40 years.

Judges 13:1 (NLT)

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.

Samson was born for a specific spiritual purpose…to begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines. And where did the Philistines live in the time of Samson? Gaza and Ashkelon!

Judges 16:1-2 (NLT)

1 One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.

2 Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.”

Samson’s spirit war had begun. Samsom was beginning to war with the Philistines in Gaza. Samson would eventually die in Gaza, but not until he killed all the Philistine rulers that had gathered in Gaza to mock him. God’s power would eventually overcome the spirit power of Gaza.

Now, there is some debate about whether or not the modern-day Palestinians who live in Gaza are direct descendants of the ancient Philistines that did battle with Samson and Israel. But one thing is sure. Gaza is still Gaza. The spirit war is real. The battle for the land of Canaan (which includes Gaza) from the people who currently live in Gaza is real! Their battle cry is this, “From the River to the Sea-Palestine will be free”. The spirit war is for the covenant land of Israel.

Samson was a warrior of God in the spirit war for the land and people of Israel. Samson lived about 50 years after the time of Joshua. God specifically told Joshua that the land of Gaza and Ashkelon would belong to Israel.

Joshua 13:1-3 & 6-7 (NLT)

1 When Joshua was an old man, the LORD said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.

2 This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites,

3 and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites …..“I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you. 7 Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

The spirit war for the control of the land. Is it real? Is it ongoing today? Are there spiritual powers in the heavens now battling for possession of the covenant land of Israel…the land that God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Why are the modern-day nations of the world planning to divide the land of Israel with the Palestinians today? And why is Gaza central in this modern-day spirit war.

It all goes back to Abraham and the everlasting covenant of God that He made with Abraham.

Genesis 17:3-8 (NLT)

3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,

4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!

5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.

6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

How will God respond when the nations of the world try to divide the land in this great spirit war of the last days?

Joel 3:1-2 (NLT)

1 “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.

And what about Gaza today? Does the Bible prophecy about Gaza in the last days?

Zephaniah 2:4-7 (NLT)

4 Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned, Ashdod and Ekron torn down.

5 And what sorrow awaits you Philistines who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan, for this judgment is against you, too! The LORD will destroy you until not one of you is left.

6 The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture, a place of shepherd camps and enclosures for sheep and goats.

7 The remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there. They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon. For the LORD their God will visit his people in kindness and restore their prosperity again.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The headline this morning from The Times of Israel | News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World was this: Spain, Norway, Ireland formally recognize Palestinian State; rift with Israel widens.

Do you Understand the Times? Do you Understand the Times of Israel article above? Spain, Norway, and Ireland are joining a long list of world governments that are pushing Israel to divide the land with the Palestinians. It’s called the “Two State Solution”. This plan would transfer East Jerusalem (and other portions of Israel) from Israel to the new Palestinian State.

Do you understand the times? Is this a good thing? Will this finally bring peace to the Middle East? Why are so many nations now rooting for the Palestinians? How did the horrors of the Hamas invasion into Israel on October 7th bring the world to this conclusion…dividing the land of Israel will bring peace and security to the region?

Do you think this is a good idea, dividing the land of Israel? Do you think it’s a good idea for the nations of the world to force Israel to divide the land with the Palestinians? Before you answer, maybe you should read the prophecy of Joel. And by the way, Peter quoted the same Prophet Joel on the Day of Pentecost when the church was born.

Joel 3:1-2 (NLT)

1 “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.

Do you understand the times? Let me make it clear today…God did not support the Two State Solution in the time of Moses and Joshua and God won’t support the Two State Solution today.

Genesis 13:14-17 (NLT)

14 After Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west.

15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.

16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!

17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”

Today, do you understand the times? It’s interesting to me that my morning Bible reading for today was…

Chronicles 12:32 (NLT)

32 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

I hope and pray that the church will be like the tribe of Issachar.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen.

Terry Cooper

The Bible tells us about the time when God transferred the Kingdom of Israel from King Saul to David. I want you to notice the “Spirit role” in this transfer of kingdom power.

1 Samuel 16:13-14 (NLT)

13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

David is receiving the powerful Spirit of the Lord and Saul is receiving a tormenting spirit that fills him with depression and fear. King Saul is losing the Spirit of the Lord and David is receiving the Spirit of the Lord. The kingdom power of God is being transferred to David. The tormenting spirit of depression and fear comes upon King Saul in the absence of the Spirit of the Lord.

It’s important to realize that there was a previous time when Saul had received the Spirit of the Lord in power. God had appointed Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul in power.

1 Samuel 10:9-10 (NLT)

9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.

10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.

The absence of the Spirit of the Lord brought depression and fear to King Saul. Depression and fear lead to madness. That’s what happened to fearful and anxious King Saul when people started seeing the powerful Spirit of the Lord upon David while Saul was still King.

1 Samuel 18:8-11 (NLT)

8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”

9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

10 The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand,

11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

So, what does all this have to do with us today. There are only two spirits. The Holy Spirit of God and the unholy spirit of Satan, the adversary of God. The Apostle John refers to this unholy spirit as the spirit of antichrist. These spirit powers are at war with each other.

The Holy Spirit of God lives in the people who belong to God. The unholy spirit of antichrist lives in the people who belong to the world…and no one is neutral in this spirit war.

1 John 4:4 (NLT)

4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

This spiritual truth should help explain the madness of our world today. The absence of the Holy Spirit of God leaves a person to live under the tormenting and lying spirt of antichrist. Depression, fear, anxiety, and jealousy came upon King Saul when the tormenting spirit came into him. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul gives us a clear distinction between the spirit war of our day.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

God the Father has given His Only Son so that He might enter into our human temples/bodies and reign in us in kingdom power and authority. The absence of the Holy Spirit of Christ will eventually lead to madness, depression, jealousy, fear and anxiety and eventually eternal separation from God.

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I suppose it’s always been true. We need to go along to get along. Going along with the crowd is to get along with the crowd. But what happens when the crowd turns toward the darkness? What happens when the crowd turns away from God?

God has clearly called His children to be different from the world. It began with Israel. They were called out to be different than the world.

Deuteronomy 14:2 (NLT)

2 You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.

Psalm 135:4 (NLT)

4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.

Many of the struggles of the Jewish people are connected to this truth. They were called by God to be different than the world. That has brought great suffering to the Jewish people in the past and that is the root of the recent rush of antisemitism (Jew hatred) today.

But what about the church? Were we also called to be different?

Titus 2:12-14 (NLT)

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Christians were called by God to be a peculiar and distinct people. Why would being a Christian make us peculiar in this world? Because we do not go along to get along with the world. We are different. Like Israel, we are a chosen people. The church has been invited to join in the covenant promises that God made to Abraham…a covenant that would reveal the legitimate children of God.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

9 But you are not like that [the world], for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

We (the church) are the blood bought children of the Most-High God. We are different than the world. We cannot go along with the darkness to get along with the darkness. That would abandon the calling of God upon our life. This truth (refusing to go along to get along) will bring the hatred of the world upon the church…like it has brought the hatred of the world upon the Jewish people. That’s why Jesus told us in advance that we should count the cost before we commit our lives to following Him (Luke 14:28-30). We should seriously consider the cost of being different than the world around us.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT)

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

The generations before us (Jews and Christians) have counted the cost and found it to be expensive and sometimes painful to be different than the world. But the ending of our story will also be different than the world… (vs 18) And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

The Old Testament is filled with animal sacrifices. God sacrificed an animal to make coverings for Adam and Eve after they sinned. Abel sacrificed an animal to bring an acceptable offering to God. Why animal sacrifices?

God tells us that the life of an animal is in their blood. Blood is life and life is represented by blood. God gave the people of Israel strict instructions about blood and animal sacrifices.

Leviticus 17:10-12 (NLT)

10 “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,

11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.

12 That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’

“I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you.” God established blood as the only acceptable payment for sin. Only a blood sacrifice could purify a person in the eyes of God. Only a blood sacrifice could make that person right with God. The blood of the animal would pay for the life of the person in the sacrifice. The animal was unwillingly giving its life in exchange for the person that was offering the sacrifice. Life in exchange for life…it was God’s way of making sinful man right with God in the Old Testament.

The Bible tells us that God knows every animal on earth. Yes, God values every animal. But God made a way in the Old Testament for animal life to be exchanged for the life of men. God didn’t need or desire the animal sacrifices, but mankind surely did.

Psalm 50:9-15 (NLT)

9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.

10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.

13 Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?

14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.

15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

God expected the people to bring thanksgiving to Him when they offered a animal sacrifice….understanding that the life of that animal was given by God as an atonement for the sins of man.

How much more thanksgiving does God expect from us today when we are covered by the blood of the Lamb-Jesus. How can we comprehend the value of the blood of the perfect, spotless Lamb of God-Jesus that was sacrificed to purify the church?

The New Testament Book of Hebrews reveals that all the Old Testament animal sacrifices were only a shadow of what God was going to do through Jesus on the cross. I encourage each of you to take some time and read carefully these 10 verses from Hebrews chapter ten. When you are finished, I encourage you to give thanksgiving to God for this marvelous gift of blood from His Only Begotten Son…His life for our life.

Hebrews 10:1-10 (NLT)

1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year.

4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.

6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”

8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses).

9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.

10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

With all the riots and protests taking place on college campuses here and in Europe, I think it would be a good time to look at the Old Testament Book of Joshua. Joshua was the one chosen by God to lead the Children of Israel over the Jordan River to take possession of the Promised Land, the land that is currently being disputed by many on these college campuses today.

This land thing was God’s idea, not Moses and not Joshua. It was 100% God’s idea. Yes, there were people living there at the time and yes, the Lord had a plan to remove them and give it to Israel. This plan of God was part of the original covenant that God made with the original Jewish man named Abram/Abraham some 430 years earlier.

Genesis 15:17-21 (NLT)

17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses.

18 So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—

19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

430-years later, Joshua steps over the Jordan River to take possession of the Land and the Promise of God. I say it again…yes there were people living there before Israel arrived. But the Lord had a plan to remove them and give the land to Israel. It was not the idea of any Israelite. It was 100% the plan of God.

I’m sure the seven nations that lived there when Joshua arrived would think that this land grab was unjust and unfair. But I’m not really sure about which court they would appeal the decision to. We must never forget the One who was the original owner of the land. This is the message of God to Israel and Egypt when they were preparing to begin their original journey to the Promised Land.

Exodus 9:29 (NLT)

29 “All right,” Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD.

If the whole earth belongs to the Lord its reasonable to assume that He can give the land to whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses. We might not agree with it, but that doesn’t change the identity and right of the original owner to do that which is pleasing to Him.

That leads me back to the riots and protests on many college campuses today. They are shouting these words, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free”. Most of those rioting students have no idea what they are saying. The river is the Jordan River, and the Sea is the Mediterranean. If you look at the map you would soon see that the River to the Sea is the entire land of Israel today.

Maybe these protests have more to do with God than Israel. Maybe they have more to do with the original owner of the land than the people that live there today. What if this battle is really a spiritual war that has its origins in the heavenly realms far above the kingdoms of men.

There is surely a demonic spirit at work in these riots and protests around the world today. They are trying to stop Almighty God from fulfilling His Word regarding the Land and the Promise. How foolish! They didn’t stop God in the time of Joshua, and they won’t stop God today. God gave the Land and God gave the Promise. It was 100% God’s idea.

Joshua 21:43-45 (NLT)

43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.

44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD helped them conquer all their enemies.

45 Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

The question for us today is this…whose side will you be on when all this is finished? Joshua also answers that one.

Joshua 24:14-15 (NLT)

14 “So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.

15 But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

There is so much talk going around about the Red Heifer that is supposedly going to be sacrificed in Israel to purify the Jewish people and make a way for Israel to build the Third Temple. I don’t know if this Red Heifer sacrifice is actually going to happen or not, but I do know that there will be a Third Temple. First, let me give you some context and history.

The first Jerusalem Temple was built by King Solomon. It was later destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The second Jewish Temple was built by Zerubbabel after the Jews returned from 70 years of Babylonian exile. That Zerubbabel Temple experienced a significant upgrade by King Herod just before the time of Christ. The second Jerusalem Temple (known as Herod’s temple) was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, approximately 37 years after Jesus returned to heaven. There has not been a Jewish Temple standing in Jerusalem for some 2,000 years now. Does the Bible reveal a Third Temple in Jerusalem?

Yes, the Bible tells us that there will be a physical Third Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:2-8) The Prophet Ezekiel gives the last eight chapters of his book to a new Jerusalem Third Temple that Jesus himself will reign from during the millennial (1,000 year) kingdom of Christ on this present earth after Satan has been locked away in prison.

But today, I would like to focus on another Third Temple. This Temple is not a physical structure in Jerusalem, but it is a Temple that King Jesus will reign in and reign from. The Third Temple that I’m referring to today is us…the born-again, Holy Spirit filled, Church of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, your body is a type of Third Temple on the earth during the church age. Jesus reigns today in the person of the Holy Spirit from inside the physical bodies of born-again believers. We are Jesus’ present-day temples. Jesus’ promise in the Great Commission is that He will personally be with us until the end of the age. He will be with us in the person of the Holy Spirit…living inside our human bodies/temples until the church age ends.

Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Yes, I believe there will one day be a physical Third Temple built in Jerusalem with Jesus reigning there as Prophet, Priest and King. But, until then, Jesus desires to reign (in the person and power of the Holy Spirit) in and through the physical lives of the church (living inside our human flesh temple) while we wait for Jesus to reign in the flesh on this present earth.

Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

There are four verses at the very end of the letter of First John that reveal “Three We Knows” that every believer should know as absolute truth. It’s like the Apostle John summarizes his letter’s conclusion in these final verses.

With all the trouble in Israel and in our own country, I think it would be good for the church to examine these Three We Knows today to make sure that we still know them to be true in our lives. Knowing these Three We Knows as absolute truth will go a long way in keeping us focused and full of joy as we journey through this troublesome wilderness journey on our way to the Promised Land.

I encourage each of you to read each one carefully and check yourself today. Do you truly know all three?

1. We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

2. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

3. We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

1 John 5:18-20 (NLT)

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

And after you come to grips with these Three We Knows…John gives us a warning. The last verse of First John is a powerful and convicting warning to the children of God.

1 John 5:21 (NLT)

21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

Oh, the power of the Word of God. It enters into our dry and thirsty soul and gives us a drink of cool fresh living water, renewing our strength, purpose and perseverance.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen.

Terry Cooper

The Apostle Paul was given a unique and special look into the future of all mankind, including the last days. God revealed mysteries to Paul that had been previously hidden.

Ephesians 3:3-5 (NLT)

3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.

4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

One of these mysteries revealed by God was regarding the apostasy or rebellion that would occur in the last days, revealing the antichrist (man of lawlessness) and bringing the return of Christ to this earth. The NASB version of the Bible uses the word “apostasy” and the NIV/NLT translations use the word “rebellion”. The word means, “to depart from one’s stand or state of standing”. By the way, its difficult to depart from something that you’ve never stood upon...which means this rebellion will come from within the church.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NLT)

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.

2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion [APOSTASY] against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica is clearly talking about events that will lead up to the return of Christ in the final days of man...when everything will change. Paul, under special revelation from the Lord, said that day (the coming of the Lord) would not come until there was a rebellion (apostasy). Paul also revealed this same topic in his letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT)

1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

These people will abandon and turn away from true faith and follow demons. So, what are these people rebelling against? What are these people departing from that will bring the antichrist and the return of Jesus Christ in the last days? God revealed the last days apostasy/rebellion to Paul, but what are they actually rebelling against? What are these people turning their backs on, falling away from? Do you know? Do you think it’s important to know?

I’ve always found it interesting and powerful that the Old and New Testaments begin in the same way. Do you know what the key words are? “GOD SAID...THE WORD”.

Genesis 1:3-5 (NLT)

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

John 1:1-5 (NLT)

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.

3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

The Word (God said) is the beginning of the Old Testament/Covenant and The Word is the beginning of the New Testament/Covenant. The Word actually became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and moved from heaven to earth. The Word says that Jesus will return one day and His name on that day will be “The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). So, what do you suppose the rebellion will rebel against in the last days of man? The Word...God said!

Paul told Timothy that they would turn away from the true faith in the last days...setting the world stage for the man of lawlessness to be revealed and take control. Is it possible to have true faith without the Word of God? The Bible says that true faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

I am watching this rebellion take place in our generation. I’m watching church after church rebel against the authority of Scripture, turning away from the Word, the Truth. Every week I read a new story about another church that has rejected the authority of Scripture and turned to the deceptive teaching of demons. These are churches that have previously stood upon the authority of Scripture, but now they stand in the midst of the apostasy, the rebellion.

So, what do we do? Is there any hope? God gave this special revelation to Paul and Paul has revealed it to the world. It’s unstoppable! Right? It’s going to happen in the last days! Right? Yes, it’s going to happen and yes, the final days rebellion is unstoppable, but you don’t have to be a part of the rebellion. You can be a part of the resistance and stand upon the Word of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Take this personal Word from Jesus as your encouragement today:

Matthew 24:9-14 (NLT)

9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.

10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.

11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

We MUST NOT rebel against the Word of God/God said. We MUST be those who endure to the end. We MUST be a people of THE WORD and by doing so...we refuse to join the apostasy of these last days. Yes, we will face opposition. This is a spiritual war, and this is a battle for life and death that finds its origin in the heavenly realms. This battle will have eternal consequences. Our only offensive weapon in this battle is a Sword. But this Sword is very powerful. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God...put it on and stand your ground church!

Ephesians 6:14-17 (NLT)

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

By the time you get to Numbers chapters 13 &14, Moses and the Israelites are just outside the Promised Land. Moses had sent out 12 men to spy out the Promised Land and they return with the majority of the spies totally filled with fear. Only 2, Joshua and Caleb, had the faith to believe God and cross over into the Promised Land.

Numbers 13:30-33 (NLT)

30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”

32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.

33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

They were so-so close to receiving the promises of God, when they become fearful, and that fear caused them to turn away from God and look back toward Egypt. Looking back at Egypt was an offense to God, the One who had come to set them free from their Egyptian bondage.

Numbers 14:1-4 (NLT)

1 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.

2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained.

3 “Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”

4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

That was the last straw! They were going to turn against Moses, their deliverer, and choose another leader to take them back to the bondage of Egypt. That event would bring the judgment of God upon an entire generation of Israel.

Moses tried and tried to turn the people’s hearts back to God, but it didn’t work. The bad report from the fearful-10 caused the people to rebel against Moses and God. The fearful-10 majority even turned on the faithful-2 that refused to vote with them, Joshua and Caleb. They were making plans to stone them for trusting in God’s promises about the Promised Land when God suddenly intervenes.

Numbers 14:10 (NLT)

10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.

That brings me to today and this ancient Word of God to the people of Israel just outside the Promised Land. One verse that crosses over to our time.

Numbers 14:11 (NLT)

11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?

I fear that much of the American Church is repeating this same scene today. Fear and doubt just outside the Promised Land. Fear and doubt that causes people to look back at Egypt…back at their former life of sin and bondage.

How many signs did the people of Israel experience on their way from Egypt to the border of the Promised Land? How many signs has the church received from God on our way to the Promised Land today? Do you really need more signs than those that are appearing around us today?

Matthew 16:2-4 (NLT)

2 He [Jesus] replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow;

3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!

4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.

So-so close, but they didn’t make it. God turned that generation around and took them back into the wilderness where most of them would die…just outside the Promised Land. What can the church learn from this horrible scene today.

God has given us a Deliverer. His name is Jesus. He came to break the bondage of sin and death and His Spirit is leading us now through the wilderness on our way to the Promised Land. Do not test the Spirit or rebel against the Word.

All who place their faith and trust in Jesus will enter that glorious Promised Land of God’s presence. There are many fears and doubts in the wilderness and the lure of Egypt and sin is powerful. We must be the Joshua’s and Caleb’s of our generation. We must hold fast to the promises of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 10:35-39 (NLT)

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

37 “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.

38 And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

The signs are all around us today. The day of the Lord’s return is soon. Be strong and very courageous church…we’re going to make it!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

You could say that the fall of man can be illustrated by the closing of a gate. That gate was on the east side of the Garden of Eden. The closing of that gate was the separation of man from the presence of God. The sin of man caused the gate into God’s presence to be closed.

Genesis 3:23-24 (NLT)

23 So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

The closed gate kept man from eating from the Tree of Life and living forever in sin. But more importantly the closed gate kept man from fully experiencing the presence of God. God closed that gate and what God closes; no mortal man can open.

That brings me to Psalm 24, a prophetic Psalm of King David (written some 3,000 years after the Garden Gate closed) about God’s plan to one day open the closed gate. God was going to open the gate to the Tree of Life and into His Holy Presence again.

Psalm 24:7-10 (NLT)

7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.

9 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

10 Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory.

How was God going to open the closed ancient gate? God would become a man. A sinless man would be able to walk through that closed gate. God sent His Only Begotten Son-Jesus to become the Second or Last Adam. Jesus’ sinless life would open the gate that Adam’s sin closed, making a way for all who put their faith in Him to follow Him through that open gate. Through Jesus, the Tree of Life and the very presence of God would be opened again to all mankind.

The life and the choices of the first man (Adam) closed the gate. The life and the choices of the second man (Jesus) opened the gate. And what’s on the other side of that gate that Jesus opened by becoming the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God on the cross. The answer to that question is the first part of Psalm 24.

Psalm 24:1-6 (NLT)

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.

3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.

5 They will receive the LORD’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.

6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.

Everything…is on the other side of the gate that Jesus opened. Everything, and that includes the Tree of Life that gives man eternal life!

Revelation 22:14-15 (NLT)

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

Rejoice today church…the gate to the Tree of Life and the very presence of God now stands open for all who will put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Does it feel like the whole world is shaking these days? It seems like the foundational institutions of our society are all shaking and crumbling beneath our feet. We long for safety and security, but we live in a very unsafe and insecure world. We long for solid rock foundations, but we seem to be standing on shaking/sinking sand.

What’s going on? Governmental institutions are shaking. Financial institutions are shaking. Even the bedrock institution of family is shaking. What’s going on? Does the Bible talk about this shaking?

First, the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel talks about the end of days shaking that will occur at the battle of Gog and Magog. This prophesied battle will occur when Russia, Iran, Turkey and other nations come to make war against a reestablished Israel in the last days. That means, this Ezekiel prophecy would have to take place after 1948, when Israel became a nation again after some 2,000 years of absence.

Ezekiel 38:17-23 (NLT)

17 “This is what the Sovereign LORD asks: Are you the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel’s prophets that in the future I would bring you against my people?

18 But this is what the Sovereign LORD says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over!

19 In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day.

20 All living things—the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people on earth—will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth.

21 I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn their swords against each other.

22 I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!

23 In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Are the current events between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, 2023 a prelude to Ezekiel’s Gog/Magog war? No one knows for sure, but the political alliance that is currently forming between Russia, Iran and Turkey sure looks like something prophetic is happening in our time. Does this present-day conflict with Israel help us understand our current worldwide shaking.

That Ezekiel prophecy was given some 600 years before Christ. That’s been some 2600 years ago for us and we’re still here. What does the New Testament say about this end of days shaking that will reveal God to the entire world? What is God’s instruction and warning to the people who live in the church age?

Hebrews 12:25-29 (NLT)

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”

27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

29 For our God is a devouring fire.

Yes, the earthly kingdoms of men are shaking, and they will eventually fall. They fall because they refuse to listen to the One who is speaking to us from heaven. There is no escape for those who refuse to listen to the Word of God…the Word that has announced this shaking in advance.

God’s Word announces a future time when He will shake the heavens and the earth. The Gospel of Jesus announces a way of escaping this prophesied end of days shaking by becoming part of the Kingdom of Christ that is unshakeable. Those believers who have found their place inside this unshakeable Kingdom of Jesus will live with a sense peace and security that makes no sense to the rest of the world. They will also live with great expectancy, as they worship God with fear and awe.

Why fear and awe? Because our God is a consuming and devouring fire. The shaking belongs to Him. But know this…the unshakeable things also belong to Him. That’s why we worship Him with fear and awe.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

It took Moses and the people of Israel about one year (after leaving Egypt) to finish the construction of all the articles needed for the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle would be the place where the glorious presence of God would dwell among the people of Israel. The work was extremely detailed, and the work was hard, but finally “It is Finished”. The Tabernacle that would house the presence of God was finished and ready to be set up for the first time.

Exodus 40:16-19 (NLT)

16 Moses proceeded to do everything just as the LORD had commanded him.

17 So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year.

18 Moses erected the Tabernacle by setting down its bases, inserting the frames, attaching the crossbars, and setting up the posts.

19 Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the protective layers, just as the LORD had commanded him.

This Tabernacle, sometimes called the Tent of Meeting would allow the presence of God to travel with Israel on their way to the Promised Land…where there would eventually be a permanent Temple structure built in Jerusalem.

This is all revealed in the final chapter of Exodus. Can you imagine the joy in the camp as Moses assembled the final pieces of the Tabernacle and turned to the people and said, “It Is Finished”?

Exodus 40:33 (NLT)

33 Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work.

Now, God will be able to travel with the people as they move out toward the Promised Land. Can you imagine the faces of the people as this next scene unfolds in front of them?

Exodus 40:34-38 (NLT)

34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle.

35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle.

36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it.

37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted.

38 The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

Can you see Jesus in this “It Is Finished” scene back in the time of Moses? Jesus is our Moses and Jesus is our Tabernacle, our guide to the Promised Land. When Jesus said “It Is Finished” on the cross, the veil of the Jerusalem Temple was torn from top to bottom, opening a way into the glorious presence of God (Matthew 27:51, John 19:29). This is Jesus’ prayer to the Father before the He went to the cross.

John 17:4 (NLT)

4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Moses completed the work that God had given him to do. Jesus completed the work that the Father had given Him to do. Jesus became the Tabernacle, the way to dwell with and to experience the glorious presence of God.

Hebrews 10:20 (NLT)

20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

We must follow the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ is traveling with us through the wilderness as we make our way toward the Promised Land of God’s glorious presence. We must follow the Spirit’s leading just like Moses followed the glorious cloud over the Tabernacle. The Spirit is leading us so that we might find our way home to the Father.

We must be very careful in our wilderness journey because the spirit of antichrist is also working and deceiving those who are on this journey toward the Promised Land.

John 16:13-14 (NLT)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.

1 John 4:6 (NLT)

6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

As announced yesterday, NCC will open up a new 3rd Worship Service on Sunday evenings at 5:00 PM starting April 7th. We’re asking 150 of our current people to commit 6 months to seed the new Sunday night 5:00 service. This is the link to make that commitment:  Ninevah Christian Church 5:00 Service Sign Up

One of the first things that God did after bringing Moses and the Children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage was to establish a priesthood. God appointed Aaron (Moses’ brother) to become the first High Priest of Israel. Aaron’s sons were also appointed to carry on the priestly line. These priests would stand between Israel and God. God gave Moses and the priesthood very specific instructions that would make a way for the people of Israel to experience the presence of God.

The High Priest would have to wear a priestly garment that was specifically designed by God and communicated to Moses. The details of this garment are incredible, and this is just a portion of the priestly garment design.

Exodus 28:33-34 (NLT)

33 Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them.

34 The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem.

There would be a gold bell and then a woven pomegranate alternating and surrounding the hem of Aaron’s robe, 72 in all. The bells would tinkle as Aaron walked around the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. The next verse describes how important it was to wear this priestly garment into the presence of God.

Exodus 28:35 (NLT)

35 Aaron will wear this robe whenever he ministers before the LORD, and the bells will tinkle as he goes in and out of the LORD’s presence in the Holy Place. If he wears it, he will not die.

This priestly garment would protect Aaron from the holiness of God. If he wears it, he will not die. You’ve heard me say for years that everything in the Old Testament reveals Jesus in some way. Can you see it in the priestly garment of Aaron?

Aaron was required to put on a garment that had been specifically designed by God, not man. Aaron must wear that priestly garment as he approached the presence of God, or he would surely die. What about us today? Is there a priestly garment, designed by God, that we must put on before we can approach the presence of God…or we will surely die?

The Prophet Isaiah reveals God’s future plan that would make a way for Jew and Gentile to put on the Priestly Robe of Righteousness, which is Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 61:10-11 (NLT)

10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.

11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.

The Prophet Isaiah equates this priestly garment to a bridegroom in a wedding garment. Jesus comes later with a similar comparison. Jesus tells about a great wedding that the King has planned for His Son. The King has invited the whole world (Jews and Gentiles) to the Wedding Feast for His Son. But there is a specific garment that is required to attend the wedding.

Matthew 22:8-14 (NLT)

8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor.

9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’

10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.

12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.

13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Can you see the priest, Aaron, with his robe of pomegranates and bells in that scene from Jesus? Maybe this will help you put it all together.

1 Peter 2:5-9 (NLT)

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

6 As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

There is a Holy Priestly Garment required to enter the presence of God and the Wedding Feast. That garment is Christ. Jesus is our High Priest and when we place our faith in Jesus, He becomes our holy wedding garment.

Revelation 1:6-7 (NLT)

6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Luke chapter 23 describes Jesus walking with the cross to the place of his execution. Luke tells us that there was a large crowd following Jesus that day, including many grieving, weeping, and wailing women.

Luke 23:27-31 (NLT)

27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.

28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’

30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’

31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

The tree was green the day that Jesus died. Jesus’ public ministry lasted about three years and those three years had led Jesus to his ultimate goal, the cross. In this scene, Jesus tells the weeping women of Jerusalem to not weep for him, but to weep for themselves. Why? For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

It was about 40 years later (70 AD) that the Roman army came and completely destroyed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that 1.1 million people, the majority of them Jewish, were killed during the siege.

The horrible events that brought the fall of the Jewish people and Jerusalem in 70 AD all happened while the tree was relatively green. What will happen when it is dry?

Today, we live some 2,000 years after the green tree events of Jesus…the cross, and the destruction and scattering of the Jewish people. It is easy to assume today that the wood in Jesus’ statement is now very dry.

So, let me again ask Jesus’ question for all of us living today. What will happen when it is dry? Jesus answers his own question in the previous verse (30) when He spoke to the weeping women of Jerusalem.

Luke 23:30-31 (NLT)

30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’

31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Does verse 30 sound familiar to any of you today? Is this what will happen when all the moisture and life is gone from the wood (tree) and the wood becomes very dry? Jesus revealed the final outcome of the dry wood to the Apostle John in the Revelation.

Revelation 6:15-17 (NLT)

15 Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

The horrible events of Jerusalem in 70 AD were just a shadow of the even more horrible events that will occur when the wood has become totally dry before God. That 70 AD event was focused only on Jerusalem and Judea. This next dry wood event will be worldwide.

And who is able to survive? The survivors of this final dry wood judgment of God will be those who have not been trying to hide from the Lamb. No, these survivors are those who have been living and longing for the Lamb of God. Living, longing and proclaiming the Word of the Lamb to all who will listen while the wood is dry.

Luke 24:46-47 (NLT)

46 And he [Jesus] said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.

47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

God gave the Israelites regulations concerning warfare. God knew His chosen people would become afraid when faced by armies more powerful than they were. So, God gave them specific instructions for war. I encourage you to read these instructions carefully because they have application to the spiritual wars of today.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (NLT)

1 “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!

2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops.

3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.

4 For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’

If you go down a few verses in that same chapter, there are instructions about how to deal with people that are overwhelmed with fear in times of war.

Deuteronomy 20:8 (NLT)

8 “Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’

Fear is a deadly trait in times of war. Fear has a way of spreading and fear can lead to certain defeat. Fear is not trusting in God’s promise to fight for His chosen people. God told the chosen people to not be afraid because He would go with them into battle. God instructed the priests to go out and address the army and remind them that God was going into battle with them, and the battle belongs to God. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’ (verse 4 above)

This is why it was so important to inquire of the Lord before the chosen people went into battle. If the Lord was with them…the battle belonged to the Lord, and they need not be afraid. King Hezekiah was a righteous king, and this is what he told the chosen people when the battle with Assyria was at hand.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (NLT)

7 “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!

8 He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

I have carefully used the term “chosen people”. God promises to fight for His chosen people because they belong to Him, He has chosen them. God tells us that He will fight for all that belongs to Him. So, that brings up the next question. What is it that belongs to God?

The Name, The Land and The Chosen People. They all belong to God. God has chosen Jerusalem to forever bear His Holy Name. God will fight for His name and for Jerusalem because they belong to Him, they are His.

2 Kings 21:7 (NLT)

7 Manasseh even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple, the very place where the LORD had told David and his son Solomon: “My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.

You might say that the earth is God’s and everything in it belongs to God, and you would be right (Psalm 24;1). But there are certain things that God has promised to fight for. The land belongs to God and He has promised the Holy Land to the chosen people as an eternal covenant. It should not be divided among the nations. God will fight against any nation that tries to divide His land.

Joel 3:1-2 (NLT)

1 “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.

Joel chapter 3 is a prophetic announcement of God’s plan to fight against the nations that:

Harmed His chosen people, His special possession.

Scattered His chosen people among the nations.

Divided the land that belonged to God, the Holy Land of Israel and Jerusalem.

The Bible (Romans 9-11) is clear that God has not given up on Israel, the people, the land, or Jerusalem, the place of His Name and Throne. God will fight for them because they belong to Him. God will fight for all that belongs to Him.

Do you belong to God? Does the church belong to God? Did the church join God’s chosen people and the family of Abraham by placing their faith in Jesus the Jewish Messiah? YES! If you belong to Christ the Son, you belong to God the Father…and you are now chosen heirs with Abraham, heirs according to the covenant promise.

Galatians 3:26-29 (NLT)

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes.

28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to not be afraid because the Father is happy to give us the Kingdom because we belong to Him.

Luke 12:32 (NLT)

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Do not be afraid Church! God will fight for you. God is fighting for you today in this spiritual war. And one day, when Jesus stands again on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The final battle will take place.

Zechariah 14:3-5 (NLT)

3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past.

4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.

5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.

Be encouraged today. Yes, the Battle is real, but the Battle belongs to God. He will fight for us!

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

I don’t know about you, but these dark days of winter get to me sometimes. I now understand why some people, like birds, fly south for the winter. I usually mark my calendar for December 21, the Winter Solstice. That’s the day when the amount of sunlight begins to increase each day.

We’re getting about 2 minutes more daylight per day now and that will increase to 3 minutes per day around the 20th of February. This increase in light makes me very happy. There is something about the long/dark days that begin to weigh heavy on the human heart.

Could this actually be a spiritual thing? Does the amount of light or the absence of light affect the human heart/mind? First, we must understand this truth about God…

1 John 1:5 (NLT)

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

The presence of God is light, and the absence of God is darkness. That truth helps explain why we are so affected by light and its absence. This is indeed a spiritual issue. The Bible tells us that God made light to shine upon the earth on the first day of creation, before He made the sun, moon and stars in day four. What was that light? Do you know?

Genesis 1:1-5 (NLT)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

God called the light “day” and isn’t it interesting that the Apostle Paul defines believers in Jesus as “children of the day, the children of light”.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NLT)

5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.

God’s light is God’s presence. God’s presence was hovering over the deep darkness. And it was good. God’s light is good! The absence of God’s light is darkness. No one wants to experience the absence of God, which would be total darkness.

But something happened…sin brought darkness to our world. Sin caused a separation between God and man. God’s presence is our light and God’s absence is our darkness. God sent a prophet named John the Baptist to proclaim the truth about a new light that was coming to the earth. This was the same Light that was there in the beginning, but now the Light would come in the flesh. The Light would become a man and His name would be Jesus. This Light was coming to take away our darkness and give us access to eternal light…making us the children of the light and the children of the day.

John 1:5-9 (NLT)

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,

7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.

9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Jesus came! Light came into our dark world! But the darkness didn’t want the Light. The Light exposed the darkness, and the darkness rejected the Light. And now, the future judgment of all mankind would hang in the balance. The balance between Light and darkness, between His presence and His absence.

John 3:19-21 (NLT)

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

I pray today that this Light is every increasing in your life. I pray today that you have passed your spiritual Winter Solstice, and His light is increasing in your life day by day. But I also tell you that one day, there will be no more darkness. No more separation from God. No more spiritual winter, only Light.

Revelation 22:3-5 (NLT)

3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.

4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

Let’s go back a few years. My son, Michael, was a toddler and we were visiting my home Church, Corinth Christian for their revival services. The preacher at the time was a dear friend, Gene Koons, who has since gone on to be with the Lord. The congregation was standing and singing when Gene Koons called on me to pray. That would normally not be a problem, but it turned out to be quite a problem that day. I was holding my youngest son Michael on my hip when Gene asked me to pray.

I did what anyone would do in that situation. I held tight to Michael and began to pray. I had gone for about 10 seconds when I heard Michael, who was facing backwards at the time, shout out in his loudest voice these words, “You people close your eyes back there, my daddy’s praying”.

I didn’t know what to do at that point. So, I decided to continue and try to stay dignified and finish as soon as possible. But it got worse. Michael then placed his hand on my jaw and attempted to turn my face toward him to say, “Those people back there have their eyes open”. It was in that moment that my prayer came to an abrupt halt, and I sat down to the sound of much laughter around me.

Michael had this habit of wanting to be heard when he speaks. That part of Michael still exists today. Michael would often grab my jaw and forcibly try to turn my face to look at him so that I would be listening to what he was about to say.

That’s been many years ago and now. Michael and our other two children have grown and given us 8 wonderful grandchildren. One of those grandchildren has picked up where Michael left off. Her name is Remington, or Remi, for short. Remi also has this habit of grabbing my jaw or the jaw of those whom she wants to communicate and forcibly turning their face toward her.

What is this trait of “face turning" that has now passed down from my son Michael to Remi? What is this all about? They want to be heard! They want to be heard and they feel like the person to whom they are speaking is not listening. The “face turning” is their attempt to force that person to listen.

These are wonderful and humorous memories for me (past and present) and I’m glad that they wanted me to hear them. I’m not offended at all. I’m glad that they wanted my attention in those moments. They sincerely desired to connect with me in those moments.

That brings me to the church and the role of church attendance in our society. Jesus, the head of the Church, desperately wants each of us to hear Him…to turn our face toward Him, to listen to Him and give Him our complete attention. But what about the assembly, what about the times when the church gathers together?

Acts 20:7 (NLT)

On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight.

God had a plan for believers (those who had turned their face toward God) in the church age. The plan was for them to regularly meet together so that the church (the whole assembly) might turn their face away from the world and turn their face toward God and listen. This weekly gathering would protect the church from becoming worldly and distracted. The church gathering would be a form of recalibration, setting their face and heart toward God. The church would be in the business of “face turning”.

Each Sunday the people would assemble and turn their face to God by remembering the sacrifice of Jesus and to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Each Sunday the church would turn their face away from the world and face God by listening to the Word of God through preaching and teaching. Jesus, the head of the church is using the assembly to take hold of our jaws are turn our face to Him so that we might listen and hear from Him. He is the Head and He wants us to turn our face toward Him, individually and then as a whole.

What happens when people stop going to church services and only face the world? There comes a point where it is very difficult to turn their face to God anymore, and they drop out of church altogether. This is happening all over our country today. Church attendance is down and that leaves people to face the world without the powerful light of truth and hope.

According to Pew Research, one in five churchgoers in 2022 participated in virtual church once a month. And 57% did not attend in person or watch online. This stat is not for the general population, it’s for Americans who typically attend services monthly. So, you can’t assume that people not attending in person are watching online. The majority are not attending any services at all.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

We need each other now, more than ever. Jesus uses these church meetings to turn our face toward Him and hear from Him. These meetings force us to turn and face God instead of the world, so that we might stand strong in the darkness of this fallen world.

One day, we will all face God. The church is here to turn our face toward His mercy, grace and truth before we meet Him face to face.

1 Peter 4:5 (NLT)

5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

How would you like to grow up as a little brother to Jesus? Can you hear Mary say, “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” The Bible doesn’t give us much detail about all of Jesus’ siblings. In fact, the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus had no brothers or sisters. They teach that Mary remained a virgin her entire life. It’s difficult to hold to that position when the Bible speaks clearly of Jesus having siblings.

Mark 3:31-32 (NLT)

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”

Not just brothers, but sisters as well.

Matthew 13:54-56 (NLT)

54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?”

55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?”

Again, how would you like to be the little brother or little sister of Jesus? This is where the story of Jesus and His brothers gets interesting. Jesus’ teachings have made Him the enemy of the Jewish leaders of that day. In fact, they were plotting to kill Jesus when this next scene unfolds with Jesus and His brothers.

John 7:1-5 (NLT)

1 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,

3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

As you can see…Jesus’ brothers were mocking him when they said, “You can’t become famous if you hide like this.” Verse 5 reveals their true feelings about their brother Jesus…For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

We don’t know how, but we do know that James came to the truth about his brother Jesus. It is clear that Jesus revealed Himself to His brother James after His resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:5-7 (NLT)

5 He [resurrected Jesus] was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

Maybe that was it…seeing his brother Jesus after the resurrection. Seeing any man raised from the dead would be a defining moment of truth for all of us. Right? James would go on to be one of the leaders of the Jerusalem Church (Galatians 1:18-19, 2:9, 2:12, Acts 15:13, Acts 12:17).

James would also go on to write one of the Books of the New Testament that bears his name, “James”. This is the first verse of the Book of James.

James 1:1 (NLT)

1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!

James has gone from an unbeliever to…A slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s quite a change, don’t you think? That takes me back to James’ time of unbelief. It’s the scene when Jesus’ whole family (mother and brothers) were trying to get in to see him. This scene should be powerful to all of us who believe in Jesus today.

Mark 3:32-35 (NLT)

32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” 33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.

35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Do you see it? You and I are the little brothers and sisters of Jesus now. Now, it’s our turn. How would you like to be a little brother or sister of Jesus? Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters today. I pray that we will never be ashamed to serve Him and to call our Brother-Lord!

Hebrews 2:10-12 (NLT)

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

12 For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.”

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen,

Terry Cooper

There is a scene in the Old Testament that I have always found interesting. It’s when Moses was leading Israel through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. God was giving His Law to Israel and explaining how Israel must walk in obedience in order to receive the blessed promises of God in the land of promise. In that context God tells Israel to “Be Careful”. Why does God tell them to be careful? Be careful of what?

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (NIV)

16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

17 Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.

God knew that their hearts could be drawn away to follow other gods. God knew that these people could be easily deceived and led away into idolatry and fall victim to Satan’s lies. God gave them a warning of the consequences from allowing their hearts to be turned away from God. So God gave an instruction that would prevent their hearts from being led away from the One True God. This is the verse that I’ve always found amazing...