Activated 002a_Bible

ctivated CHANGE YOUR LIFE. CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

NAVIGATING LIFE The one sure guide to successful living

PROOF AT LAST! Only God could have known

THE FUTURE FORETOLD More signs of the end

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Activated Ministries P.O. Box 462805 Escondido, CA 92046-2805 USA info@activatedministries.org (1–877) 862–3228 (toll-free) Activated Europe Bramingham Pk. Business Ctr. Enterprise Way Luton, Beds. LU3 4BU England activatedEurope@activated.org (07801) 442–317 Activated Africa P.O. Box 2150 Westville 3630 South Africa ActivatedAfrica@activated.org 083 55 68 213 Activated India P.O. Box 5215 G.P.O. Bangalore – 560 001 India activatedIndia@activated.org EDITOR Keith Phillips DESIGN Giselle LeFavre

personally speaking

For a wide range of books and audio and video productions to feed your soul, lift your spirit, strengthen your family, and provide fun learning times for your children, please contact one of our distributors below, or visit our Web site at www.activated.org

Genuine, lasting friendship is built on communication.

You know how it is with a close friend—you share your thoughts, they understand you, you understand them. That’s how Jesus wants to be with us. He wants our close friendship, not merely a distant relationship. And for that friendship to grow, communication is essential. Directing our thoughts and needs to the Lord in prayer is one side of this communication; hearing from Him is the other. He reveals His thoughts to us through His Words—both the recorded Word in the Bible and the living Words that He speaks to our hearts when we listen to Him while praying.

The Lord’s Words to us are a precious gift of His love and a special token of His friendship. They are not only for our information and instruction, but they are also an invaluable reservoir of courage, strength, faith, hope, and life. If ever you’re feeling depressed or confused or just plain weary, nothing lifts your spirits like taking a few minutes to read a couple of Psalms or a chapter from the Gospels or a Christian publication based on the Scriptures.

We hope that this edition of Activated will encourage you to build a closer relationship with Jesus by reading more of His Words.

Don’t miss “To You, With Love” on the back cover of this magazine. It’s a beautiful personal message from Jesus to you. May God bless and keep you!

ILLUSTRATIONS Hugh Westphal, Ana Fields PRODUCTION Francisco Lopez

Keith Phillips For your Activated family

VOL 1, ISSUE 3 © 2002 Aurora Production AG All Rights Reserved Printed in Thailand

P.S.: We welcome your comments about Activated, and look forward to hearing from you!

www.auroraproduction.com Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in Activated are from the New King James Version of the Bible © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2

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lost and sinking ON THE

AMAZON

By Marilia Guterres

I WAS SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT, and it

I was on the piranhainfested Amazon River, and I didn’t know how to swim!

was another of those unbearably hot summers in northern Brazil, near the equator. Michael, a fellow volunteer from the Family, and I were taking a riverboat up the Amazon to share God’s Word and love with the people in another town. The trip would be dangerous, we knew, because the riverboats were old and notoriously unsafe and the river was full of piranhas—small carnivorous fish with ravenous appetites and sharp teeth, which in large numbers often attack living animals much larger than themselves.

We were traveling at night, so we were each given a hammock to sleep in. I tucked in my four-year-old son who was traveling with us, then settled in for the night. For the first several hours everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then for no apparent reason the boat stopped.

After some time, Michael decided to go and try to find out what the problem was.

Down below, he found the crew frantically bailing water from the bilge. The boat had hit something that had torn a hole in the hull. The boat was sinking! To make matters even worse, the sailors explained, they had lost their way and didn’t know where we were on the river.

The crew members were desperate and frightened, so as Michael helped bail, he prayed with them

and tried to encourage them to have faith in God and His ability to protect those who call on Him. I still didn’t know what was going on, but as time passed and Michael didn’t return, I concluded that something must be terribly wrong. I couldn’t remember ever having cried out to the Lord so desperately. Here I was, carrying an unborn baby, with one of my three children with me on a boat that was obviously in distress (the other two children were safe at home, thank God), somewhere on the piranhainfested Amazon River, and I didn’t know how to swim!

Moments after that heartfelt prayer, a huge boat, filled with light, appeared directly in front of us. One man came aboard our boat and quietly helped the crew repair our hull, then showed them which way to go to find a dock.

Then, just as mysteriously as the man had come, he left. The crew, other passengers, and I all looked for him to thank him, but he and his boat were nowhere in sight! But how?! There was no way a boat that size could have left our sight in only a few seconds. Could that man and the others with him on that boat have been angels? However God chose to do it, what really matters is that He answered our prayers and saved our lives that night! •

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IF YOU WERE GOING ON A LONG VOYAGE,

you would bring along a navigational chart, wouldn’t you?

Well, you are on a long voyage— life—and the One who knows the way has instructed some of His men to draw a detailed chart to help you make it safely to your final destination. To say you don’t have time to read God’s chart, the Bible, is like a sailor heading out to sea and saying, “Well, I’m in such a hurry to get where I’m going that I don’t have time to look at the nautical chart!”

But if you’ll just take the Bible and simply read it, believe it, and follow

In the Bible you can find almost anything: drama, romance, poetry, prophecy, history, mystery, and much more. But most important, the Bible contains the very Spirit and life of God Himself (John 4:24; 6:63). It’s the means by which God activates us with His life, light, and power.

It works!

A skeptic and a Christian were discussing whether the Bible was truly a divinely inspired book. The skeptic was convinced that since no

The Bible has the power to effect positive change in each of our lives.

Navigating Life

The One Sure Guide to Successful Living

it, you will be on the right course and wind up at the right place!

The most amazing book The Bible is the most marvelous book in the whole world. It not only tells us where we’re going, but also how we got here, why we’re here, how to survive and be happy while here, and how to have love, happiness, joy, and peace forever.

Yet so many people today ignore the Bible completely. Even many of those who have been through years of higher education and have read hundreds and hundreds of books of all kinds have never read the most fascinating book of all, the Bible.

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one had ever seen God and there was no scientific proof of His existence, how could anyone believe the Bible was truly inspired by Him? “Is the compiler of the multiplication table known?” the Christian asked.

“No.” “Then of course you do not believe in it.”

“Oh, yes, I believe in it because it works,” replied the skeptic.

“So does the Bible.”

The fact that the Bible has the power to effect positive change in each of our lives, no matter what our situation or need, is the greatest proof that the Bible is the supernatural Word of God Himself. As you read the Bible you will find that it is activated issue 3

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an absolutely inexhaustible source of wisdom and knowledge, out of which you will constantly find treasures new and old (Matthew 13:52).

And the most wonderful thing about the Bible is that, through its words, we can get to know its author, for the Bible is God’s great love letter to us. Its life-giving words make it the greatest book in the world, with the only author in the world who can guarantee life and love and happiness and Heaven forever through simply reading it and believing in its main character, the One who loved us so much that He gave His own life to save us—Jesus Christ, the Son of God! If you sincerely pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your Word,” you won’t be disappointed (Psalm 119:18).

Soul food

The only author in the world who can guarantee life and love and happiness ...

Jesus said, “The Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). They give us spiritual life and nourishment and strength and health, which is why a good, wholesome, balanced diet of God’s Word is essential if you wish to grow and stay close to Him. Just like you have to eat in order to have physical strength, you have to feed on the Word to have spiritual strength.

The Bible tells us that just like newborn babies desire to be fed, we should desire the pure milk of the Word, so we may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). Like a baby needs milk to be healthy and grow or even survive, you must be fed spiritually in order to stay healthy and grow spiritually.

And just like a baby has an instinctive and irrepressible desire to be fed, so we should hunger for the pure milk of God’s Word.

The Prophet Jeremiah said, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).

There’s nothing more important to your spiritual life than the Word!

Word time In Luke, chapter 10, we read the story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to visit, Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His Word,” but Martha was too busy trying to be a good hostess. She tried so hard to get everything done just right for Jesus that she didn’t have time to listen to Him. So Jesus gently scolded her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).

What is the “good part” that Mary chose?—The Word! She sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His words.

“But,” you say, “I’ve got so much work and many other things to do.

How am I ever going to find time to read the Word every day?” Well, if you put the Word first, the Lord will always help you find the time to take care of those other things. When you see the difference it makes in your life, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it! • (If you would like to learn more about God’s Word and how to apply it to your life today, order the booklet Understanding God’s Word from one of the addresses on page 2 of this magazine.)

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By Mónica de Marini

Struggling to get ahead financially, I worked nonstop in our family business.

Perhaps I felt that things would make me happy.

I’d had a hard childhood. After my mother died, my father became an alcoholic and was unable to take care of my two brothers and me.

Through those difficult years, I would talk with the Lord and He comforted me. Jesus has always been with me, but, sad to say, I wasn’t always with Him. Hard work brought respectability and material benefits, and those seemed decent goals. But as these pursuits took up more and more of my life, I thought less and less about Jesus. In time, God blessed me with a wonderful husband and two beautiful children.

One day a stranger knocked at my door and talked with me about the Lord. I was really happy to have a Christian friend like him. We kept in touch by mail, and he sent me Christian literature regularly. I enjoyed reading that literature, but I was too busy with the affairs of this world to pay serious attention to its admonitions. Taking care of our shop was my priority. By working long, hard

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hours, we were able to purchase the things we wanted—a nice car, a fancy TV, music equipment, a computer, etc.

Then one day in October 1988, I got a phone call at the shop. My house was burning! When I arrived home, I could hardly believe my eyes. My home and all the material possessions I’d worked so hard for were going up in smoke. How I wept over these losses as I stood in the street with my children, dressed in the only clothes we had left, and watched the fruits of years of sacrifice be reduced to ashes before my eyes!

Some time later, the company my husband works for set us up in another house. Little by little, we overcame the shock.

Then one day my best friend from our former neighborhood told me that she had something that belonged to me—something from our house that had burned down. We thought that nothing had survived those flames. What could it be?

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GO BY THE

BOOK ANY THINKING PERSON thoroughly studies the instructions to a valuable new machine before they attempt to operate it, and as a result, they save themselves a lot of time and trouble and possible permanent damage to their equipment. But those who are too impatient or too sure of themselves to read the instruction booklet first usually have nothing but trouble.

Why struggle through life needlessly when your Manufacturer, God, has had some men of His write a maker’s instruction manual with definite diagrams and already

stated specifications for the complicated business of living? You could waste an awful lot of time and do an awful lot of damage to yourself and others. Don’t take chances. Read and follow the Book.

Build to Last Just as no good building is without a good foundation, there is no faith without the Word, because faith in God is built on His Word. So if you feel like you’re weak in faith, there’s a simple cure: God’s Word will increase your faith.

Then she produced my Bible. How could that be possible? I had walked through the ruins myself and had seen the very spot where my Bible had been. The bookshelf and all that had been on it—all the other books, the computer, the music equipment and many other valuables—had either been totally consumed by the fire or had been melted and charred beyond recognition.

My friend’s husband had been put in charge of checking through the ruins to see if anything was left, she explained, and as he was doing so, something amid the ashes and debris caught his eye—my Bible.

That my Bible was the one thing that survived that inferno was inconceivable. It couldn’t have been a coincidence! God was giving me an outstanding message about what He considers really

Faith comes, it grows, by hearing the Word of God. As you faithfully read and study the Word, as you meditate on it and even memorize it, every word will inspire, strengthen, and increase your faith. Fill your mind and heart with positive, encouraging, strengthening, faith-building thoughts from His Word, and you’ll soon be amazed at the faith you’ll have—true faith, the kind that can stand any test, the kind that works miracles, and the kind that lasts, built on the solid-rock foundation of His truth.

—David Brandt Berg

important and long-lasting, and I had to do something about it.

I began to read that Bible regularly, studied the Christian literature my missionary friend kept sending me, and sincerely tried to remodel my life according to God’s loving principles.

Today, I am very happy. I have exchanged my material goals for spiritual ones, and now I have a deep hunger for the Lord’s Word and ways. My life is now built on His truth, which cannot be touched by flame or calamity. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

And yes, I still have that Bible today. It’s missing its covers and it is a little singed on the edges, but the Word, God’s truth, is still there! •

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PROOF

Born to a virgin In 750 B.C., the prophet Isaiah made the following prediction:

PROOF AT LAST! Prophecy Fulfilled Birth Foretold: 750 B.C. Isaiah 7:14 Fulfilled: Luke 1:26-35 Location Foretold: 710 B.C. Micah 5:2 Fulfilled: Matthew 2:1 Proven: Yes

ONE VERY OUTSTANDING AND UNDENIABLY UNIQUE

aspect of Jesus’ life is that it fulfilled literally hundreds of predictions and prophecies written in the Bible. Made by ancient prophets and seers— many of them centuries before He was born— these prophecies gave specific details regarding His birth, life, and death that no mere mortal could possibly have fulfilled.

In the first books of the Bible, over 300 such predictions about the “Messiah” or “Savior” can be found. Twentieth-century archaeological discoveries of hundreds of ancient Old Testament manuscripts have proven without a doubt that these prophecies were indeed written centuries before Jesus was born. Here are only a few of them:

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“The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14).

Seven and a half centuries later, a young virgin in Israel named Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would bear a Son. The Gospel of Luke tells us that Mary asked the angel how this could be, seeing she had not had intercourse with any man. And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (See Luke 1:26–35.)

Birthplace A full 700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Micah foretold the exact town where the Messiah would be born: “You, Bethlehem, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

Though Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, in northern Israel, they were forced to travel to Bethlehem at the time Mary was about to give birth, in order to take part in a nationwide census. It was during their time in Bethlehem that Jesus was born.

Crucifixion Another outstanding prophecy regarding the Messiah was made by Israel’s King David around the year activated issue 3

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1000 B.C. In his prophecy, David gave details of a cruel and agonizing death which he himself never suffered: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within me.… Dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.… They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:14–18).

King David died a peaceful, natural death, so we know he was not talking about himself in this passage of Scripture. But also being a prophet, David predicted with uncanny accuracy the circumstances surrounding the cruel death on the cross of the Messiah, the Christ that was to come: “I am poured out like water.…my heart is melted within me.” Jesus not only poured out His life for us spiritually, but the New Testament tells us that shortly after He died, while He was still hanging on the cross, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (See John 19:34.)

“All my bones are out of joint.”

This describes one of the horrors of death by crucifixion: The weight of the victim’s body literally pulls his arms out of their sockets.

“Dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me.” The New Testament tells us that Jesus’ wicked and vengeful religious enemies, the Scribes and the Pharisees, gathered around Him as He was nailed on the cross, mocking and reviling Him. (See Matthew 27:39–44.)

“They pierced my hands and my feet.” This is probably the most astounding prediction within this prophecy. Crucifixion was not practiced by the Jews of David’s time.

Their religious laws demanded that criminals comdemned to die be stoned to death. But God showed His prophet, David, how the Messiah would die 10 centuries later, executed at the hands of an empire that did not even exist in David’s day—Rome—whose principal means of executing criminals was crucifixion.

“They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” In the Gospels we find the fulfillment of this prophecy: “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be’” (John 19:23–24).

750 BC

Jesus fulfilled over 300 specific predictions regarding His birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection!

... “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name, Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Fulfilled seven and a half centuries later.

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Betrayal In 487 B.C., the prophet Zechariah wrote: “Then I said to them, ‘If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.’ So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12).

On the night that Jesus was arrested by His enemies, the New Testament tells us that Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:14–15).

Imagine!—Five hundred years before the event took place, God’s prophet, Zechariah, predicted the exact price that Jesus’ enemies would pay to His traitorous disciple, Judas!

What mere human can choose his own birthplace? Or what mortal man can—or would—cause the officials of a foreign government to order his death by a terribly agonizing execution? How could anyone manipulate his bitter enemies to pay a specific price for his betrayal, mock and revile him as he was dying, and cause a band of soldiers to pierce his side after he had died and gamble for his clothing?

Yet Jesus willingly suffered these things for you and me. He took on our sins through His death at the cross, so that we, through believing on Him, might be saved. And in so doing, He fulfilled over 300 specific predictions regarding His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection! Truly He was—and is—unique in every sense of the word!

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If you’re the son of God, come down from the cross!

Yeah, save yourself now, Jesus!

What about His robe?

Let’s cast lots for it.

All this is also irrefutable evidence that the Bible is indeed a source of truth and wisdom. And since the many prophecies foretelling Jesus’ birth and life were fulfilled, we can only conclude that the many other prophecies in the Bible about Jesus’ return to Earth, to rule and reign in love, will be fulfilled as well! •

Prayer for the Day Dear Jesus …

Thank You so much for Your Words. They’re so meaningful and pure and exciting and satisfying. They give me light and strength and hope. I know You gave them to make me happy, and they do, Jesus! I know they are working wonders in my life, because You promised they would and I’m beginning to see it already. I need them more than anything in life.

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your new life of love

DAILY WORD One of the very best habits you can ever form is that of spending a little time each day reading and studying the Bible and Bible-based Christian literature. Start by devoting 15 minutes a day, and then increase it to 30 minutes, or more as time goes on.

As you read God’s Word and try to follow it, your life will become deeper, you’ll be happier and have more peace of mind, and you’ll have more love for and understanding of others. It doesn’t all happen in one day, but it does happen!

Having an ongoing reading project—reading through all four Gospels or the New Testament or the Book of Psalms, for example—will help you get the most out of your daily Word time. One idea of a daily study plan that offers some variety is as follows: When reading through the Bible, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you read, but don’t worry if you don’t understand everything the first time you read it; no one does. Keep at it. The more you read the Word, the more you will understand, and often when going back to reread a certain passage, you’ll find new meanings and “treasures” that you hadn’t noticed before.

In order to help you understand the amazing truths in the Bible and get the most out of God’s Word, we’ve put together some books and booklets that cover the various aspects of Christian life. The object of these publications is to help you know how to improve your life by applying God’s Word in practical ways, and how to develop a more peractivated issue 3

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sonal relationship with Him which will give you the strength of spirit that you need to face the ups and downs of life. Books available include Discovering Truth: A Topical Bible Guide, From Jesus With Love, and the Get Activated! series, among others. (See accompanying order form for details.) ❖ With all that’s been said in this issue of Activated about the importance of reading the Word, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that you’d better get a Bible of your own, if you don’t already have one. But that raises an important question: What version of the Bible is best? Here’s our recommendation: The King James Version (also called the Authorized Version) is considered by a great many to be the most accurate, the most inspired, the most fundamental, the most poetic, and the most authoritative English translation. It is also the most well-known and widely recognized, having been around for nearly 400 years. One drawback is that it’s written in seventeenth-century Elizabethan English, which some people find rather difficult to understand.

The next best English translation is probably the New King James Version. It’s based on the original King James Version, but the antiquated words and punctuation have been changed to modern English.

(For the reasons just given, this is the version usually quoted in Activated.)

Other translations are generally not as inspired nor as true to the original Hebrew and Greek texts, and some modern versions have serious flaws. It’s best to stick with the version which has been the standard for hundreds of years! •

Daily Dose for Optimum Growth ➠ One chapter from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). ➠ One chapter from Psalms. ➠ Half a chapter from Proverbs. ➠ One page from the Daily Might, From Jesus With Love, or part of a section from Discovering Truth.

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Answers to your questions...

Q: HOW CAN I GET MORE DONE? IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE AREN’T ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY, AND I FIND MYSELF PUTTING OFF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I NEED TO DO. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED TO LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR TIME BETTER. If procrastination is what

keeps you from reaching your goals, then planning and scheduling your time could help speed you toward them. It takes time to plan, but it saves time and work in the long run.

You’ll also have a lot more peace of mind knowing that the priorities are being taken care of. The following tips have been tried and proven.

Efficiency: To be most efficient, select the most important task on your list and do it first.

Making the right choices about how you’ll use your time is more important than efficiently doing whatever job happens to be around.

Self-discipline: Working wisely requires an investment of thought, self-discipline, and change. You must be willing to carefully examine your attitudes and work habits, and to change whatever thinking and behavior is holding you back.

Management by objectives: This means thinking in terms of specific goals rather than in terms of procedures and regulations. Ask questions. “Exactly what are we trying to accomplish?” “Why should we be doing this?”

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to set goals and formulate plans to reach those goals. Writing down your goals—long-range, mid-range and short-range—requires you to be specific. That’s the first step.

Be realistic: Keep your goals practical and attainable. And remember, while some goals may be realistic when you set them, life and circumstances change. You haven’t “failed” if you shift a goal or change a plan when necessary.

The Big Five: One way to help yourself determine your priorities and stick to them is to list your top five goals and outline the necessary steps to achieve them. Tape this list to your mirror or put it in your work area, where you will be sure to see it every day. Keep a second copy in your pocket or purse.

Ask the Lord! The real secret of success, of course, is to pray each step of the way. If you will ask God to show you what to work on next and how to go about it, He will. He will also give you the wisdom and strength you need to get the job done, if you ask Him. Keep trying! Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen all at once. Old habits die hard, but every day is a new chance to do better than the day before!

Start today! What are you waiting for? • activated issue 3

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part three

the

FUTURE FORETOLD IN THIS ARTICLE WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY of Jesus’ amazing predictions of the events that will occur shortly before His return to Earth!

The “me” generation “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, KJV).

This is how Jesus described the callous condition of people’s hearts in the days just before His return.

One of the more dramatic manifestations of humanity’s increased selfishness is in the “missing children.” A United Nations study concludes: “The size of the family is shrinking all over the world because women in most countries want fewer children.”1 Worldwide, over 30 million abortions are performed every year, and more than a quarter of all pregnancies end in abortion.2 Previous generations would be appalled by such statistics, but not ours. Surely the predicted days have arrived when hearts would grow cold and natural affection would fade away.

Sodom and Gomorrah revisited “As it was also in the days of Lot … even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:28–30).

Another modern trend foretold by Jesus that again underscores how much today’s world is “without natural affection” is the prevalence and acceptance of male homosexuality, or sodomy. activated issue 3

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The good news goes global “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the End will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Unlike the rise in wars, famine, plagues, earthquakes, etc., Jesus said that this particular sign would indicate when the actual End—Christ’s Second Coming—would be upon the world.

The entire Bible or parts thereof are now available to about 98 percent of the world’s population, having been translated partially or entirely into some 2,092 different languages.4 According to The Almanac of the Christian World,3 Christians and Christian churches now exist in every country of the world. Four billion Gospel tracts are printed each year. Never before has the Gospel been preached “in all the world” as it is today via the modern mediums of radio, television and the Internet.

Globe trotters and jet-setters “Many shall run to and fro …” (Daniel 12:4).

In 534 B.C., the prophet Daniel received an outstanding revelation, which God later told him was for those living in the Time of the End: “Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).

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Many running to and fro literally means “speeding about, here and there,” or as The Living Bible renders this verse, “travel shall be vastly increased.”

When you consider that people’s means of transportation—horse and buggy, wagons, camels, sailboats, etc.— did not change substantially for thousands of years until just over one hundred years ago, you can appreciate the significance of this prophecy. Today we drive and fly at speeds unimaginable to our ancestors. Travel and tourism is now the biggest and the most energetic industry in the world.5

Info overload “[In] the time of the end … knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4).

It is with good cause that the term “information overload” was coined in recent years. Consider these facts: ➢ Every minute 2,000 pages are added to man’s scientific knowledge. ➢ Every day, the equivalent of hundreds of millions of pages of text are sent over the Internet. ➢ The most basic building block of computer technology, the transistor, was invented only 50 years ago.

There are now wristwatches that wield more computing ability than some 1970s mainframe computers, and ordinary cars today have more “intelligence” than the original lunar lander.6 ➢ Human knowledge is currently doubling approximately every eight years.

At that rate, by the time a child born today would be fifty years old, 97 percent of everything known in the world would have been learned in his lifetime.7

Sympathy for the Devil “The [Holy] Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and 14

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follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NIV).

In Jesus’ discourse about the signs that would precede His return, three times He told His disciples that numerous false prophets would arise on the world scene, and that they would attract huge followings. (See Matthew 24:5, 11, 24.)

Of course, the Devil doesn’t always show himself to be the evil and destructive spiritual force that he is. Quite the contrary. He and his agents frequently portray themselves as messengers of light and goodness: “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14–15). He is the arch-deceiver.

Not only are many people unknowingly falling for Satan’s deceptions, but increasing numbers are following rank Satanism. Witchcraft is flourishing to the point where it’s being called a “renaissance in witchcraft,” and open schools in witchcraft have been founded.8 The most shameless acts of blasphemy and desecration are now socially acceptable in the name of audio-visual entertainment and “freedom of expression.” • (To be continued in the next issue of Activated— “The Beast Is Yet to Come!”)

Excerpted from The Future Foretold, by Michael Roy, available from Activated.

1. “Study: Women Want Less Kids,” AP, New York, 23 Aug 1995 2. “Women Worldwide Having Fewer Children, Study Finds,” Reuters, New York, 23 Aug 1995 3. The Almanac of the Christian World.

Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1990 4. “Bible translated into 2,092 languages,” Agence France-Presse, Paris, 21 Feb 1995; and National and International Religion Report, Volume 9, Number 9, 17 Apr 1995 5. Naisbitt, John. Megatrends 2000: Ten New Directions for the 1990s. New York: Morrow, 1990 6. “Future Computers Will Talk to Owners-Study,” Reuters, 4 Jun 1995 7. Willmington, H.L. Signs of the Times.

8. Gibson, Helen. “Renaissance in Witchcraft,” Time, N.A.

As these awesome final events of the Endtime begin to unfold, you don’t have to be in fear or confusion.

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Coming next ...

Feeding Reading The parables of Jesus When Jesus spoke to the multitudes, He often explained deep truths by means of parables— stories about common events, circumstances and things that His listeners could easily relate to. Times have changed, but the timeless truths contained in the parables of Jesus are just as relevant today and just as feeding to our souls as they were to those who first heard them 2,000 years ago! Bon appétit!

The Parable of the Sower The seed of God’s Word Matthew 13:3–8,18–23 The Good Samaritan “Who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:25–37 The Prodigal Son God’s everlasting love Luke 15:11–32 The Parable of the Talents The wise investor Matthew 25:14–30 The Two Houses What is your foundation?

Matthew 7:24–27 The Lost Sheep Seeking the lost Luke 15:3–7 The Wise and Foolish Virgins Will you be ready when He comes?

Matthew 25:1–13 The Unmerciful Servant A lesson in forgiveness Matthew 18:23–34 The Pharisee and the Publican God’s idea of righteousness Luke 18:9–14

What is prayer? It’s simply communicating with Jesus, just like you would talk to a good friend.

You don’t have to follow any routine for Him to hear you. To be effective, prayer doesn’t depend on the position of your body, but the position of your heart.

Just tell Jesus what’s on your mind. He loves to listen to you.

He’ll either solve the problems that you face, or give you the strength to make it through them.

Lots can be said about prayer, but here are a few tips that help get results: 1) Be wholehearted: The intensity with which you request God’s help is often reflected in the answer you receive.

2) Be specific: Tell Jesus exactly what the problem is and what you want Him to do about it.

3) Claim God’s promises: God has made many promises in the Bible that He will keep in answer to prayer. He wants you to hold Him to them.

4) Thank God for answering: Thank Him for the answer, even before it arrives. Praise moves God to act on your behalf.

The next issue of Activated explains how prayer can put God’s promises to work for you. Don’t miss it—subscribe now!

The Rich Fool Share—don’t hoard Luke 12:16–21 activated issue 3

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To you, with love

Look at the gifts that I have for you! So many gifts! Such wonderful gifts!

The gift of My Words—Words that teach you truth, Words that give you strength, Words that bring you to Me, Words that help you find My plan for your life. Don’t let them slip through your fingers, but read them, follow them, and be thankful for them.

The gift of My love—more love than you can contain, love that overflows on others.

The gift of prayer—of knowing that you always have My ear and heart.

The gift of hearing My voice—the voice of your Father beside you saying, “This is the way to go.”

The gift of closeness to Me—of lying in My arms as we share the secrets of our hearts.

The gifts of the Spirit—wisdom, knowledge, understanding, the practical gifts that help you day to day, the gift of faith, the gift of hope.

The gift of others—a needy world around you with whom you can share all that I’ve given you.

Oh, what wonderful gifts these are!

—Jesus

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