Vertical Thought: April - June 2010

8/9/2019 Vertical Thought: April - June 2010

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AnswersFrom GenesisPROOF JESUS EXISTED Heart of Stone

CounteringMedia Infuence

Serving in the

Middle East

Lie on Campus:Godly Service

Coping With Cliques

Identity TeftVictim: Jesus Christ

a magazine o understanding or tomorrows leaders

AprilJune 2010


2/242 Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 20 10 Ve r t i c a l T h o ug h t .o r g

One measure of greatness is the impact a person makes on the world. In our stud-

ies most of us have been introduced to the contributions of the Greek thinker

Pythagoras to mathematics, of Galileo Galilei to astronomy, of Sir Isaac Newton to

physics, of Florence Nightingale to nursing and of Louis Pasteur to medicine.

How Will Jesus Impact You?

Although all o these distinguished people havelong since died, their scientic work and serviceensures that they will not be orgotten. Tis istheir legacy.

Jesus o Nazareth also has a legacy. From His eter-nal, divine preexistence and His miraculous virginbirth to the miracles He perormed, the teachingsHe proclaimed, the immense sacrice He made

and His death-deying resurrection to lie again asa divine spirit Being, He has no human equal. Hisbrie, 33-year stint as a man has aected the worldin proound ways.

Jesus is credited with changing the status owomen in the Western world rom that o ineriornonpersons to respected members o society. Hisideals have been cited by nations in their oun-dational documents o government. His teachingthat every person is to be respected was an infu-ential underpinning in the abolition o slavery inBritain and the United States.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus advocatedloving our enemies and doing good to those whomistreat us. His infuence was so strong that todayapproximately 2 billion people describe them-selves as Christiansollowers o Him.

Yet or all His infuence, there is a surprisingamount o conusion regarding His lie and howHe would have us live. Many dont know how todeal with the act that Jesus was a Jew and thatHe lived accordingly. Refecting this conusion,it has been estimated that there are more than38,000 Christian denominations in the worldtoday, each with its own understanding o Jesuslie and teaching.

Some see no problem with all these competingversions o Christianity. As long as we all believein Jesus, it doesnt really matter what we think ordo is a common belie. But that isnt what Jesustaught. In Matthew 7:21 the Man Himsel said,Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shallenter the kingdom o heaven, but he who does thewill o My Father in heaven.

Jesus point is that He isnt just interested in beingremembered or His social impact on the world. Healso wants people to enter Gods Kingdom through

obedience to Gods instructions. As the Bibleexplains, Jesus is seeking children o God who willlive orever in the Kingdom (John 1:12; Galatians3:26). Now thats a legacy!

In this issue we address the important matterso the real, authentic Jesus and His expectationso you. Dont believe in a countereit Jesus. Dontaccept an altered gospel. Live like Jesus lived, and

youll become part o the enduring legacy He isstill passing on to mankind.

Vertical Thoughtis a biblically based magazine of understanding foryoung people aged 12-22. Our name, Vertical Thought, is derived fromColossians 3:1-2, which tells us to think about godly things which areabove, where Christ is. Vertical Thoughtis published quarterly by theUnited Church of God, an International Association, 555 TechnecenterDrive, Milford, OH 45150. 2010 United Church of God, an Internationa l

Association. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reser ved. Reproduction in anyform without written permission is prohibited.

Publisher: United Church of God, an International AssociationCouncil of Elders:Scott Ashley, David Baker, Bob Berendt, Aaron

Dean, Bill Eddington, Jim Franks, Roy Holladay (chairman), Doug

Horchak, Victor Kubik, Darris McNeely, Melvin Rhodes, Robin

Webber Church president: Clyde Kilough Media operations manager:

Larry Salyer Managing editor: David Treybig

Staff: Dan Dowd, Larry Greider, Doug Horchak, Mario Seiglie,

Amanda Stiver, Randy Stiver, Ken Treybig, Kristin Yarbrough

Graphic Art: Shaun Venish Copy editors: Becky Bennett, Mike

Bennett, Tom Robinson Proofreader: Debbie Pennington

Web design: Aaron Booth Editorial reviewers: James Capo,Todd Carey, Paul Luecke, Doug Johnson, Jim Servidio

Jesus advocated loving our enemies

and doing good to those who mistreat

us. His inuence was so strong that

today approximately 2 billion people

describe themselves as His ollowers.

Vantage Point David Treybig, Managing Editor

2 Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 20 10 Ve r t i c a l T h o ug h t .o r g


3/24Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 20 10 3

To request a free subscription to Vertical Thought,

visit our Web site at www.verticalthought.org to

locate the ofce nearest you.

Vertical Thoughtis sent free to all who request it.

Your subscription is provided by the voluntary con-

tributions of members of the United Church of God,

an International Association, and others. Donations

are gratefully accepted and are tax-deductible in theUnited States and Canada. Scriptural references are

from the New King James Version (1988 Thomas

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Unsolicited materials: Due to stafng limitations,

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authors agree that submitted materials become the

property of the United Church of God, an Inter-

national Association, to use as it sees fit. Thisagreement is controlled by California law.

Jesus Christ: Victim o

Stolen IdentityMany believers have fallen for thedeception. Are you also a victim?

Proo Jesus ExistedModerns are questioning Jesus

existence and choosing their own

destiny apart from God.

Countering MediaInfuenceHow can we resist the relentless

pressure to conform?

Serving in JordanWhat ae ve Ameicans ing inJan an entie yea?

Answers rom Genesis

Part 8Te book of Genesis is known asthe book of origins. Here are more

frequently asked questions.

Coping with CliquesHere is valuable information to

help you respond to cliques.

Heart o StoneUnearthing the Mysteries of the

Plagues of Egypt.

Gods Feasts Answerthe Big Questions Part 1Trough His Feasts, God provides

a lesson plan for humanity.

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Contents

Features2 Vantage Point

20 Lie on Campus

22 In the News

6

8

10

16Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 01 0 3


4/244 Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 01 0 Ve r t i c a l T h ou g h t .o r g

P h o t o s : W a y n e S o l u m

i S t o c k p h o t o c o m

n that ateul ay when Jesus physicallie hung in the balance, the peple Jeusalem ha an pptunity task the elease eithe Jesus Baabbas, a cnvicte eln. On thesuace, thee was an appeaance

ainess. Pntius Pilate, the Rman

gven Juea, was ging t let thepeple Jeusalem ecie wh shul eceive apan.

agically, bth Jesus an the citizens thatancient city wee the victims an eective anealy campaign. Te eligius leaes ha skill-ully evise thei plan t eliminate the Onewh was expsing thei hypcisy an une-mining thei pivilege psitin in the mins the ppulace. Tey wee angy, an m theipespective they wee justie in taking actin.

Ealie, ne them ha suggeste that it might

be necessay ne man t ie the g thenatin (Jhn 11:50-51). It sune s nble anpatitic.

But mst the peple ha n iea what was eallyging n an what was cming.

Ten, ate Jesus aest an illegal tia l, whichthey hel at night s the ppulace wulnt see hea what tanspie, the ets the chiepiests an eles tk n incease intensity. Teypesuae the multitues that they shul ask Baabbas an esty Jesus (Matthew 27:20).

At the en the ay, the eligius leaes hawn. Te cw ha been manipulate, anJesus ha been put t eath by cucixin. Buteventually, the tuth came ut.

ay, peple knw that Jesus Nazaeth wasput t eath ve jealusy an alse chages. Butwhat mst nt knw is that Jesus human liewasnt the nly thing lst. Ove time, Jesus wasalso robbed of His identity. Te esult is that manynw unknwingly wship a counterfeit Jesus anbelieve an altered gospel.

Te same campaign t istt Jesus an Hismessage cntinues tay, an it is quite ps-sible that yulike the citizens st-centuy

b y D a v i d T r e y b i g

Most people understand that

Jesus died or our sins, and the

details o His illegal crucixion

are well known. But ew know

that ater Jesus death His

identity was stolen! Many well-

intentioned believers have

allen or the deception.

Are you also a victim?

O

4 Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 2 0 10



Jeusalemae als a victim this eceptin. Yu nee tknw the est the sty!

A total makeover o His identityMen ientity thet has becme a wlwie pblemaecting an estimate 3 pecent citizens in the UniteStates evey yea, plus similaly lage numbes peple inthe cunties. Tieves knw n natinal bunaies.

ay when a thie steals a pesns pivate inmatin,it is quite cmmn him t use this ata t get a iveslicense an/ aitinal cumentatin with his wnpictue an aess. Tis gives the thie the appeaance legitimacy all kins aitinal thet, which can eveninclue taking ut lans in the victims name.

Tse wh stle Jesus ientity llwe a simila pcess.Ove time, Jesus eceive a ttal makeve that alteeHis lk, change His bithay an blue His cultualbackgun.

Cnsie Jesus appeaance. When peple think Jesustay, many pictue a lng-haie, eeminate-lking manwalking aun with a hal ve His hea. Yet nthing culbe uthe m the tuth. Te eal Jesus ha n haltheseae simply atists inventinsan He lke like the theJewish men the st centuy.

Histy tells us that the men at that time ha sht, cppehai. Te Jews the st centuy cnsiee it a shameul

pactice a man t have lng hai. Reecting this pespec-tive, Paul easne with membes the chuch in Cinthsaying, Des nt even natue itsel teach yu that i a manhas lng hai, it is a ishn t him? (1 Cinthians 11:14).

O cuse, sht hai n men was als quite cmmn in thethe leaing cultues the st centuy. Statues an cinsm that time shw Geek an Rman men with simila hai-cuts. Te act that Jesus ha sht hai like the the Jewishmen mae it pssible Him n tw ieent ccasins tisappea int the cw (Luke 4:28-30; Jhn 8:59).

Even thugh peple wee tying t kill Him, Jesus gt awaybecause He lke like eveyne else. Lng hai, a halaun His hea a st, eminine appeaance wul havebeen a ea giveaway.

Te Bible tells us that Jesus was knwn t be a capente(Mak 6:3), the Geek w tekton hee actually meaninga buile atisan invlve in maj cnstuctin (such

as stne masny), an that He hung ut with cmmecialshemen. As such, He unubtely spent a lt time inthe uts an was a mans man. He simply int appeaas s many atists have mistakenly pesente Him.

A new birthday that conficts with theBible record

In aitin t a new lk, Jesus was als given a new bith-ay. Decembe 25 was selecte t match up with the aypagans celebate as the bithay the sun g. Religiusleaes thught this ate wul help peple leave paganism Chistianity. Ate the tansitin, it was assume that

the celebatin wul be ppe.O cuse, this neve ccue. Chistmas is nw ne the biggest celebatins the yea. many, celebatingChistmas is nw a citically imptant pat wshippingG. Tey simply cant imagine a Chistian nt hningJesus bith.

But the acts shw that Jesus culnt have been bn nDecembe 25 because tw key events ece in Luke 2.Fist, a Rman census was taking place (veses 1-6), an thiswul neve have been cnucte in the winte when it wasifcult t tavel. Secn, the shephes wee in the elswatching thei cks by night at the time Jesus bith(veses 7-8). Since Decembe is cl an ainy in Juea, theshephes wulnt have wante t stay with thei cks inthe pen els but wul likely have kept them in sheltes atthis time yea.

Schlas wh caeul ly cnsie all the evience Lukesaccunt ealize that it is mst likely that Jesus was bn inthe autumn. A caeul stuy the bith Jhn the Baptistan the accunt shwing that Jhn was bn six mnthsbee Chist (Luke 1:26, 36) inicates that Jesus was l ikelybn in Septembe ealy Octbe. Te ppula iea thatJesus was bn n Decembe 25 is simply a cmpmise withpaganism, says William Walsh in his bk Te Story of SantaKlaus.

Continued on page 19

Over time, Jesus received a total makeover that alteredHis look,

changedHis birthdayand blurredHis cultural background.



b y L a r r y G r e i d e r

u men cultue iseplete with new ieasabut the Bibleespecially abut its

main chaacte, Jesus Nazaeth. Ppula mvies

an vcal etacts gush ut thelatest histical elativism, spawneby the wiely ppula they evlutin that minates science

cuicula. Histical elativismsays we cant knw sue whathappene in the past, s weemeely let with ieing pinins intepetatins these events.Sme have expesse this kin thinking as Yuve gt yu tuth,an Ive gt mine.

A trustworthy source

A g place t stat when it cmest pving that Jesus eally existeis t pve that the Bible can betuste. Witten by abut 40 i-eent auths ve a span sme1,500 yeas, this wk cnsistently

eects the min G. As timemaches acss its pages, its themes lve, law, mecy, beience ana G wh wants evey humanbeing t be save emain cnstant.Te hamny all these pinciplesthugh multiple auths ve a span 1,500 yeas makes it unique in thewls liteay histy.

In aitin t the way the Bible waswitten, thee is much me pthat what the Bible says is tue.

Fullle pphecyaccuate newsabut peple an natins a in

avance actuallyhappeningpvethat the witing theBible was guie byOne wh was supemein pwe an intelli-gence, able t bing tpass what He etl.On anthe nt,achaelgical iscv-

eies have epeatelyveie ptins the Bible that weepeviusly cnsiee ables byunbelieves.

Still anthe pweul testimny Jesus existence an ministy is theact that the apstles wee eyewit-

nesses Jesus eath an esu-ectin. Tese men wte theiexpeiences an gave thei lives insevice t Jesus an the ministy Heinstucte them t ulllall su-eing pesecutin an mst, in theen, ying as matys what they

bviusly knew t be tue. Wulthey have shwn such evtin ta lie?

Details these ps an meveicatin can be un in u eebklet Is the Bible rue?

Examine the evidence

In aitin t the Bibles intenalp its authenticity, Lee Stbelpvies uthe evience in hisbk Te Case for the Real Jesus

(2007) that the Jesus the Bible iinee exist.

Aessing the challenges menevisinist histy such as thseee by the libeal schlas the Jesus Semina (wh questinthe authenticity Jesus sayingsan even the auths the Gspel

accunts), Stbel qutes ne themst plic Bible schlas, D. CaigEvans (auth eit me than50 bks abut the Bible).

When aske abut the cnclusins the Jesus Semina an the claim 16 aitinal gspels nt inclue

in the Bible, Evans states: Tis isa puct a men agenaaplitically cect, multicultualagena mtivate by sympathy a maginalize gup. Its theattitue that says ivesity is alwaysg, tuth is negtiable an eveypinin is equally vali. Te questinis What eally i happen in thest centuy? What is the evience?What ae the acts? (p. 34).

Stbel then cnvincingly answessix challenges t the eal Jesus in hiswell-cumente bk as he bings P h

o t o s : L e e S t r o b e l W i k i m e d i a

The central teaching o Christianity is beingchallenged as

more skeptics question Jesus existence and choose their

own destinyapart from God and the Bible. But proving

Jesus existence isnt difcult.

O



ceible schlas t the table t challengethe etacts.

In ne instance, Stbel qutes DanielWallace, Ph.D., a enwne expet n tex-tual citicism, wh states: Quite simply, wehave me witnesses t the text the Newestament than t any the ancient Geek Latin l iteatue. Its eally an emba-assment iches! (pp. 82-83). In seveallanguages, incluing Geek, Latin, Cptic,Syiac, Amenian, Gegian an s n, wehave 25,000 t 30,000 ealy hanwittencpies the New estament attesting t itsauthenticity.

pve t yusel the valiity theBible, I suggest that yu pick up a Bible anea what it says instea just eaingwhat thes say it says. Yu will n smestatling claims an lean abut the mean-

ing an pupse lie. ( help yu une-stan what yu ea, we e many eebklets at ucg.g/bklets an an nlineBible eaing pgam at ucg.g/bp.)

We live in a wl gwing inceasinglyme cynical abut tuth. Almst 2,000yeas ag, the Bible eveale an amaz-ing chal lenge m a Rman leae t a

Capente m Galilee. Pilate theeesai t Him, Ae Yu a king then? Jesusanswee, Yu say ightly that I am a king.F this cause I was bn, an this causeI have cme int the wl, that I shulbea witness t the tuth. Eveyne wh is the tuth heas My vice. Pilate sai t

Him, What is tuth? An when he ha saithis, he went ut again t the Jews, an sait them, I n n ault in Him at all (Jhn18:37-38).

Te p that Jesus is eal is eailyavailable thse will ing t lk. Why ntpve yusel that what the Bible says istue an stat builing a elatinship with

this King?

Larry Greider is the pastor o the Los Angeles,

Caliornia, congregation o the United Churcho God and the director o the UCG Good Works

Program.

Extrabiblical Evidenceof Jesus ChristReferences to Christ appear in more than just the Biblesecular historians of his era talked about Him as well.

The following is from our free booklet Jesus Christ: TheReal Story:

Cornelius Tacitus (ca. 56-120) was a Roman senator, consul and governor o

the Roman province o Anatolia (covering most o modern-day Turkey) as

well as one o ancient Romes greatest historians. Late in his lie he wrote a

16-volume history o the Roman emperors, theAnnals.

No riend to either Nero or Christians, Tacitus writes that Nero blamed

a class hated or their abominations, called Christians by the populace.

He goes on to explain that Christus [Christ], rom whom the name had

its origin, suered the extreme penalty [crucixion] during the reign o

Tiberius at the hand o one o our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most

mischievous superstition, thus checked or the moment, again broke out

not only in Judaea, the rst source o the evil, but even in Rome (Annals,

15:44, quoted by Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ, 1998, p. 82).

A contemporary o Tacitus, Caius Suetonius Tranquillus (ca. 69-140),

overseer o Romes libraries and court ocial to several emperors, writes

that the emperor Claudius banished the Jews rom Rome, who were

continually making disturbances, Chrestus [Christ] being their leader (Lives

of the First Twelve Caesars: Life of Claudius, quoted by Grant Jerey,Jesus:

The Great Debate, 1999, p. 163). This banishment o Jews rom Rome is

mentioned in Acts 18:2.

Also, Pliny the younger, the Roman legate o

Bithynia-Pontus (what is now north-central

Turkey) in the early second century, wrote to theemperor Trajan, requesting advice on how to

deal with Christians who reused to reverence

Caesars image. Pliny noted that these Christians

met regularly and sang hymns to Christ as i to a

god (Letters 10:96.7). The phrase as i to a God

suggests that Pliny knew Jesus had been a person

who had lived on earth but was reluctant to call

him divine (Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels,1987,

p. 196).

From these historical sources, none connected in any way with the Bible,

we see reerences to these acts:

A group called Christians derived its name rom Christus (Christ).

This Christus was executed during the reign o Tiberius at the hands

o Pontius Pilate (Tiberius reigned A.D. 14-37; Pilate held oce rom 26

to 36 or 37).

This new movement involved a most mischievous superstition, quite

possibly a reerence to Christians belie that Jesus rose rom the dead

ater His crucixion.

This new movement begun by Christians started in Judea and spread

to Rome.

Early Christians considered Christ to be a divine Being.

For more inormation, request or download your ree copy oJesus Christ:

The Real Storyat ucg.org/booklets.

Pliny the younger



The missin was cmplete. Te12 men ha etune mthei unecve suveillance enemy teity, an thei last

emaining task was staightwa.Ate almst six weeks spying ut aeign cunty, they nw st beethei ellw cuntymen, wh wee alleage this lng-anticipate ept.

Its impssible, the men sai. Te lanis g, but its peple ae t stng anits cities t well eene. Tey culcush us like gasshppeswe ntstan a chance.

Te peple wee swaye. Tey aban-ne thei invasin plans an electet etun t the cuel enslavement mwhich they ha escape. When tw the spies spke in av invaing thelan, the peple espne with vilentshuts, calling thei immeiateexecutin.

Ancient media

While a m a men-ay newscast

Yuube vie, the 12 spies sentt spy ut the lan Canaan (see

Numbes 13) wee a vital pat ancientIsaels meia. We may think televi-sin sets an Intenet sites when wehea the w, but meia is nthingme than the cllectin ways weeceive inmatin. ay we lk tCNN, FOX News an the like thatinmatin; ancient Isael ha spies,eign emissaies an pphets.

Te sty the 12 spies is a pimeexample the inuence the meia canhave n us. G ha calle the Isaelitesut thei enslavement une hashtaskmastes in Egypt, le themaithully t the vey step thePmise Lan an then tl them t gup an take it. But Isaels meia, in them 10 skeptical spies, cnvincethem that what they ha set ut t (with the help an al l-pweul Gwh ha pave thei way with incmpa-able miacles) was nt pssible.

An they accepte the alse ept. Tiswas espite having seen with thei wneyes the capabilities thei G: Egypt

evastate by 10 teible plagues, a pil-la clu an e t lea them, the

sea pate t make a a escape ana geat amy wne, the miaculuspvisin an wate in themile an inhspitable eset, an amuntain ablaze with tempest an eas the bming vice G pclaimeHis en Cmmanments. Despite allthis, they believe 10 ightene menwh tl them, We cant it.

What shul we lean m this?Its athe easy nw t citicize theIsaelites thei lishness, but whatabut yu an me? G calle us ut slavey t sin (Rmans 6:16-18), is lea-ing us aithully t the vey step a pmise Kingm (1 Tessalnians2:11-12) an is telling us t g up antake it (Matthew 6:33; 25:34). But umeia, in the m music an mviesan bks an news an even euca-ts, s ten tells us that thees a bet-te way than the ne G instucts ust llw.

Few peple will cme ight ut ansay thse exact ws, but the mes-

sage emains. We see pemaital anextamaital sex glie. We see lying,

b y J e r e m y L a l l i e r

The pressure to conorm is relentless. Everything seems to be against thosewho want to live in obedience to God. How can we resist?



cheating an even stealing cnne.We ae encuage t expeiment anetemine u wn pesnal enitins ight an wng. I it eels g, it! may have been the allying cy the 70s, but its nt ifcult t see thatthe cncept has suvive unscathethugh u ecaes mal an phil-

sphical waneings apat m G.As Gs peple an seekes HisKingm, what shul we be ingabut all the gabage in tays meia?

Out with the bad

Instea tying t stne Jshua anCaleb (the nly tw spies t emainaithul t G), the cngegatin Isael shul have instea been uiusat the 10 spies wh issuae themm taking the lan.

Instea cying an cmplaining(Numbes 14:1-3), Isael shul havetl the 10, Hw dare yu tell us teit what G has pmise us? Hwdare yu stan thee an tell us thatanything is t geat G? Teyshul neve have listene t thse whcntaicte G; they shul havethwn them ut thei mist anthei mins.

We ace the same chice Isael ace.Ungly meia bmbas us m evey

angle, tumpeting sin an abminatinsbee G. Tat assessment may sunhash, but we cannt a t see thetansgessin Gs law as anythingless. I we chse t let these things intu lives, i we chse t even toleratethem, they will begin the slw but inevi-table pcess cupting u views

an pisning u thughts.

I we tuly wish t ente GsKingm, we have nly ne chice whencnnte with vaius meia intentn cntaicting Gs waythwthem ut! It cul be a V shw mvie that casts aultey in an accept-able light; it cul be a sng pmting

iespnsible inking; it cul be aul-muthe cmeian ai hst.Whateve it is, i it ges against theteachings G, we must nt allw itt have a place in u lives.

Tis is what Jesus meant when He tlus, I yu ight eye causes yu t sin,tea it ut an thw it away. It is bette yu t lse ne yu membesthan t have yu whle by thwn

int Gehenna [a eeence t nalestuctin]. An i yu ight hancauses yu t sin, cut it an thw itaway. It is bette yu t lse ne yu membes than t have yu whleby g int Gehenna (Matthew 5:29-30, New Ameican Bible).

G is seius abut sin. I we willingly

allw anything int u lives that culcause us t sin, we jepaize u salva-tin. We must instea cut thse thingsut u lives an thw them away.

In with the good

Remving the ba inuences in ulives is a stat, but its nt enugh.

(Ding that alne ceates a vianthe natue a vi is t ll itsel withwhateve happens t be neaby.) Wemust ll in the newun space withpsitive inuences, in keeping withthe pinciple set wa in Ephesians4:28 an Rmans 12:21 t eplace evilcnuct with g.

Tis esnt mean we have t spen allu spae time listening t semns. Wejust have t be caeul in chsing whatwe let int u mins. An emembe,psitive an upliting esnt meanit has t be boring, thugh Satan wullike us t think s. I yue willing tlk them, thee ae meia chicesut thee that have emaine lagelyuntainte by u avesay.

In the en, esisting negative inuencescmes wn t just ne vese: Finally,my iens, keep yu mins n what-eve is tue, pue, ight, hly, ienly,an ppe. Dnt eve stp thinkingabut what is tuly wthwhile anwthy paise (Philippians 4:8,Cntempay English Vesin).

S, as yu stan at the theshl thepmise Kingm, what will yu bethinking n an giving a place t inyu lie?

Jeremy Lallierrecently graduated romAmbassador Bible Center in Milord, Ohio,and is currently working as a sta writer atthe United Church o God home ofce.

Ask yoursel this:

Whatdoesthismediachoicepromote?Isitin line with Gods way?If yes, keep going.

IsmyconsciencebotheredbythismediachoicedoIthinkitmightbewrong?(compare Acts 24:16; Romans 14:23). If no,keep going.

WouldIbeembarrassedtowatch/listento/read this i God were in the room with me?

(Because, wellHe is.) If no, keep going. DoesthismediachoicepassthePhilippians

4:8 test? If yes, keep going.

I youve made it all the way through this

flter, then whatever media choice you are

considering should be fne.

Ifyouhadtostopatanyoftheprevious

questions, then you need to ask yoursel i

that particular orm o media is something you

really want to have in your lieand take an

honest look at why. We cant aord to give

Satan a oothold in our lives, even in the areao seemingly harmless entertainment.

The Is It Worth It? Media Filter Test

Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 0 10 9

Ungodly media bombards us rom every angle,trumpeting sin and abominations beore God.


10/2410 Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 20 10 Ve r t i c a l T h ou g h t .o r g

The a t peace in the wl must be built ntust. Withut tust, thee can be n peace! Tataxim is tue between peple, amilies an, cuse, between natins. Te actue elatin-ships between cunties an cultues in u wl

attest t that. Five yung peple ae vlunteeing in theMile East t whats neee in this egabuil tust!

Yung aults with the Unite Yuth Cpsvluntee t seve in inteesting pats the wl t gain a unique an meaningulwlview. One the utcmes we stive is a bette unestaning the cultuein the pats the wl.

We cuently have ve yung aults seving an teach-ing a yea in the Hashemite Kingm Jan. Teseyung peple ae seving at thee schls an institutinsin this Aab natin. But why? It has t with sevingpeple, appeciating thei cultue, builing elatinships anceating tustthe vey things that make lasting peace.

A legacy o service and riendship

At pesent, u Unite Yuth Cps vluntees ae sevingin thee institutins: the Amman Baccalaueate Schl,the Yung Muslim Wmens Assciatin (YMWA) BunayatCente Special Eucatin, an the Reginal HumanSecuity Cente.

Te men-ay pesence the Chuch G in Janges back t the ealy 1980s when a numbe AmbassaCllege stuents wee chsen t seve at eithe the YMWACente Special Eucatin, the Ameican Cente Oiental Reseach, the Al Hussein Sciety Cente thePhysically Challenge the Amman Baccalaueate Schl.

F 16 yeas these vluntees, epesenting the AmbassaFunatin, emnstate a cmmitment t eicate se-vice, whethe helping the Janian peple in seving thseamng them with isabilities stuent teaching at theiemst baccalaueate schl. Tis cmmitte example sevice esulte in builing sme wneul pesnalelatinshipselatinships that have laste yeas. Itals establishe a eputatin tust, hnesty an integity

that has lng been emembee by membes the yalamily in Jan. In paticula, a tusting elatinship hasbeen establishe with Pincess Savath El Hassan (wie His Ryal Highness Pince Hassan Jan).

Current project in Jordan

At the invitatin Jans yal amily thee yeas ag, theUnite Yuth Cps esume the Chuchs sevice t thesevaius Janian institutins.

In the ealy 1980s, Pincess Savath began the YungMuslim Wmens Assciatin Cente Special Eucatinin an et t seve the nees the many chilen inJan with isabilities. Since that time, the cente has beenstae with pesnnel wh have the taining t assist anteach thse with leaning isabilities. Unite Yuth Cpspaticipants ae able t assist these teaches in select classeswking with the chilen an the sta. Neeless t say,thei pesence an sevice is geatly appeciate.

Te Yuth Cps als seves at the Amman Baccalaueate

b y D o u g H o r c h a k

Ambassador College students in the 1980sThe auth

Back: Audry Bauer, Kelley Schreiber, & Jamie Franks; Front: Eduardo & Stephanie Elizondo

Volunteers visit Petra

Gods intent is to have His people live whatthey believe and not merely preach it.

P h o

t o s : D o u g H o r c h a k


11/24


12/2412 Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 0 10 Ve r t i c a l T ho u g h t .o r g

his series has focused on beginnings

questions about creation and the earliest

history of mankind as relayed in the rst 11

chapters of Genesis. With chapter 12, the

narrative changes and the focus turns to the

life of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, then

of his son Isaac and then of his son Jacob,giving the origins and the history of the Israelite peo-

ple. Consequently, the end of chapter 11 provides us

with a natural break in the Genesis account.

So with this installment we will end the series,

wrapping up with some nal questions about the rst

11 chapters of Genesis.

1. Who wrote the book of Genesis?

The Bible itself reveals that it was Moses, in the

1400s B.C., who wrote the rst ve books of the Bible

(except for the last chapter of Deuteronomy about

Moses death, which was probably added by Joshua,Moses successor and author of the following book

Joshua).

Many passages in these rst ve books of the Bible

actually mention that Moses wrote down what was

thereby recorded in the Scriptures. For example, God

told Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book and

recount it in the hearing of Joshua (Exodus 17:14,

emphasis added throughout). Also notice Exodus

24:4: And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.

There are many other passages where Moses writes

down Gods words (Exodus 34:27; Numbers 33:2;

Deuteronomy 31:9, 22).

Furthermore, Jesus Himself testied that Moses wrote

part of the Bible. He said: Do not think that I shall

accuse you to the Father; there is one who accusesyou Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed

Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.

But if you do not believehis writings, how will you

believe My words? (John 5:45-47).

Christ later explained, These are the words which I

spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things

must be fullled which were written in the Law of

Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning

Me (Luke 24:44). He was referring to the three main

sections of the Old Testament. The Law of Moses is

the rst section, the rst ve books of the Bible, also

known as the Pentateuch or Torah.

The New Bible Dictionaryexplains, For centuries

both Judaism and Christianity accepted without ques-

tion the biblical tradition that Moses wrote the Pen-

tateuch (1982, p. 904). In recent centuries, however,

critics have questioned Moses authorship and devel-

oped complicated theories about the works of multi-

ple authors being meshed together centuries later.

Yet writing existed long before Moses. Indeed, it

appears likely that earlier documents or oral traditions

were compiled by Moses in producing Gen-

esis. Several sections begin with the gen-

erations of , each serving to advance the

narrative (see Genesis 2:4; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10,

27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2 King James Ver-

sion). These may well have been ancestral

records passed down, which Moses would

have put together with editing under Gods

inspiration.

The Bible does not specically mention individu-

als creating written records before Moses, though

archaeological discoveries conrm that several writing

systems existed in the Middle East well before Moses

time that would have made it possible. However, it is

notnecessarythat Moses had such records at his dis-

posal. Those who believe in Gods inspiration under-

stand that God could well have revealed everything

necessary to him had He wanted to.

For more on this, refer to the introduction to the book

of Genesis in The Good News Bible Reading Program(at www.ucg.org/brp/brparchive.htm).

12 Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 20 10 Ve r t i c a l T ho u g h t .o r g

N A S A

In recent centuries critics have questioned

Moses authorship and developed complicated

theories about the works of multiple authors

being meshed together centuries later.



MAN IS A

2. Many accounts in the rst 11 chapters of

Genesis are similar to the mythical narrativesof ancient Mesopotamia, and some of thesewere written down well before Moses writing ofGenesis. Did the Bible borrow from these otheraccounts?

Its important to note that just because one account ofa distant historical event was written before another,

it does not necessarily follow that the second account

was taken from the rst. Nations had histories that

were transmitted by word of mouth from generation to

generation until they were nally put down in writing

in different periods. How accurately historical events

were transmitted in different cultures is the question.

The creation and Flood stories of the Babylonians and

the Assyrians, for instance, do have many similarities

with the biblical account but are laced with absurd

myths. The Bible, on the other hand, presents the

events in a strictly historical manner, leaving out the

outlandish embellishments found in the accounts of

other nations.

Halleys Bible Handbookexplains: Epics of Creation,

in various forms, on tablets which were in circula-

tion before the time of Abraham, have been found in

recent years in the ruins of Babylon, Nineveh, Nippur

and Ashur, which are strikingly similar to the Creation

Hymn of Genesis These Babylonian and Assyrian

Creation stories are all grossly Polytheistic. But with

so many points of similarity to the Genesis account, it

would seem that they must have had a common ori-gin. Are not these corrupted traditions a testimony to

the fact of a divine original?

The Bible represents the human race as starting with

a belief in One God, and that Polytheistic Idolatry

was a later development. This is directly contrary to

the present day theory [of] a gradual development

upward from Animism. The Bible view has received

recent conrmation from Archaeology. Dr. Stephen

Langdon, of Oxford University, has found that the ear-

liest Babylonian inscriptions suggest that mans rst

religion was a belief in One God, and from that there

was a rapid decline into Polytheism and Idolatry(1965, p. 62).

Experts attest that the Bible gives the most accurate

and factual account, while other accounts have been

distorted through legend and myth.

As the respected biblical scholar Dr. Gleason Archer

notes about the Flood account: Some comparative

religionists have suggested that the Babylonian myth

was earlier than the Hebrew, and that the compil-ers of Genesis 7 and 8 borrowed from it. But this is

rendered most unlikely in view of the signicant con-

trast between the two. Thus, the ark built by Utna-

pishtim [in the Babylonian account] was completely

cubic, equipped with six decks for all the animals to

be quartered in. A more impractical and unseaworthy

craft could hardly be imagined. But Noahs ark was

three hundred cubits long, fty cubits wide, and thirty

cubits deep an ideal set of measurements for an

ocean liner

Moreover, the stark contrast between the quarrel-

some and greedy gods of the Babylonian pantheon

and the majestic holiness of [the God of the Bible], the

absolute Sovereign over the universe, furnishes the

strongest basis for classifying the Gilgamesh account

as a garbled, polytheistic derivative from the same

original episode as that contained in Genesis 7-8. The

Hebrew account is couched in terms ofsoberhistory

andaccuraterecording that reect a source derived

from the persons who were actually involved in this

adventure. The Gilgamesh Epic is far more mythical

and vague (New International Encyclopedia of Bible

Difculties, 1982, p. 84).

We see, then, that it was not the biblical writer who

did the borrowing from the Babylonian or the Assyr-

ian sources of the creation and the Flood. The bibli-

cal account faithfully recorded the events from the

beginning of mankinds history, while other nations

with their different languages, cultures and corrupted

religions blended their myths and legends into what

had actually transpired.

Mario Seiglie is the father of four adult daughters and

the pastor of United Church of God congregations inGarden Grove, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Here are more requentlyasked questions about

Genesis, the book o origins.b y M a r i o S e i g l i e

Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 01 0 13



u knw the eeling. Yu walk int theschl caeteia an see u cheeleaes

sitting tgethe at a table an knw yuent welcme t jin them. Evey Fiay, yu

hea a cetain gup stuents talking abutthei big plans Satuay night an wish that

just nce yu be invite. At chuch sevices, yucant help but ntice the same gup guys wh ae

always talking with each the an wne why theyve

neve tie t get t knw yu. Smehw thee ae cetaingups peple yu just nt clique with.

A clique is a tightly knit gup iens wh hang uttgethe. Oten these gups ae base n cmmn inte-ests an pusuits. Jcks, cheeleaes, skatebaes, banmembes, ama stuents an s n have a high egee inteactin an time spent tgethe aleay because thei shae invlvement in activities. Cliques may alsm base n similaity pesnality, behavi, scialstatus incme level. F instance, teens wh cme mamilies eeme uppe class wh ess in simila waysmay gavitate twa each the.

Cetainly, its wneul t have pals wh have similainteests, viewpints, pesnalities an backguns. Yucant help but eel a special cnnectin with thse whhave the same pespectives an ae ging thugh similaexpeiences as yu. G esigne us t nee an wantclse elatinships with thes. uly, ienship is a veypsitive thingthat is, as lng as it esnt tun int aclique.

One pblem with cliques is that they ten t be exclusivean hine wie scial inteactin. Family cunselJshua Staub, Ph.D., Lynchbug, Viginia, explains: Iyuve simply gt a gup g iens, it may nt always

be the same peple hanging ut tgethe. Smetimes newpeple might things with yu gup, yu may get

tgethe with smene wh isnt pat yu nmal cicle iens. Cliques, n the the han, nt usually mixwith peple utsie thei scial cicle.

Anthe pblem is that cliques pmte caste mentality.Staub cntinues: ypically cliques lk wn n peplewh ae utsie thei gup. Tis sets up a supeiitymin-set Im bette than yu because Im hanging withthe ppula cw. Once yu get that min-set, the cusbecmes yu an yu cicle iens, an yu nt shw

cncen the peple like yu shul.

Cliques g against eveything the Bible talks abut inega t eaching ut t thes an hling them in highesteem. F states, Rmans 12:16 says, Live in hamnywith ne anthe. D nt be pu, but be willing tassciate with peple lw psitin (New IntenatinalVesin). Philippians 2:3-4 states, In lwliness minlet each esteem thes bette than himsel. Let each yulk ut nt nly his wn inteests, but als theinteests thes.

ten cliques ceate misey utsies theyveetemine t be unwthy assciatin. Tse wh

ae exclue m a clique may sue painul emtinaleelings ejectin, says Katheine Kleh, Ph.D., analescent cunsel in Nthel, Illinis. Tis can leat eelings epessin, lneliness an anxiety. Tat isespecially tue i the clique mcks bullies utsies,which ten is the case.

ying t t int a clique can have negative cnsequences clique membes as well. Usually thee ae a cupleingleaes in a clique wh etemine the ules thegup, incluing eciing whs in the gup an hw tteat utsies. Tese ingleaes may pessue membes the clique t stat behaving baly. Yu might be pushe

t say an mean nasty things t thes that yu cn-science tells yu ae hutul an wng, Kleh says.

I l l u s

t r a t i o n : S h a u n V e n i s h

b y B e c k y S w e a t

No one likes to be excluded, but it happens often in our society. Here is valuable

information to help you know how to respond to the problem of cliques.



Nt nly es this tanish yu chaacte, but i yu nceha iens utsie the clique, yu may be pessue t cm-pletely seve these elatinships. Yu may als miss ut nmaking new iens. Tee may vey well be peple utsieyu clique whm yu cul cnnect with, but yull neveknw because yu aent allwe t assciate with them.

Whethe yue n the utsie insie, cliques can cause alt amage t yu an thes. But thee ae ways t eal

with this chal lenge.

I youre excluded rom a clique:

Yu may be upset because a cl ique wnt accept yu, but iyu give it me thught, maybe yu wulnt be. I a cliqueesnt teat the peple welltheye a vey clse gup,theye unkin stuck-upyu nee t ask yusel,is that smething yu eally want t be a pat? Remembe, i yu wee in thatclique, yu wul have t thesame things, Staub says.

Instea tying t gain

acceptance with a clique,cus yu attentin npeple wh seem inteestein getting t knw yu anwh will be a psitive inuence.Smetimes teens ae intent nbeing pat whats peceive asthe cl cw, but eally, theeae a lt the places t lk iens, Kleh says.

She suggests yu exple newienship pptunities. Jina club. Vluntee in yu cm-munity. Get invlve in ieentchuch an schl scial activitiesan spts pgams. Shw agenuine inteest in the peple yumeet. Te me yu each ut, thewie yu cicle iens will be,Kleh says.

Be pen t builing ienships with pepleyu neve cnsiee bee. Pehaps theeae the teens at schl chuch whm yuveneve eally tie t get t knw. Maybe yuve hasme pecnceive ntins abut them being ieent having nthing in cmmn with yu. Nw is the time t talkwith them! Yu might n ut yu have a lt similaities tcnnect n ate all.

An nt neglect t pay abut the situatin. Ask G tbing iens int yu lie wh will be a psitive inuence.G caes abut yu an abut whm yu spen yu timewith. He knws yu nee cmpaninship.

I youre inside a clique

ake an hnest assessment hw yu gup iensunctins. When all yu get tgethe, ae yu ee t invitethes t jin in? Wul yu be hassle i yu scialize with

smene the gup esnt like? D membes yu gupteat thes baly? Pbably all gups iens have sme

cliquish tenencies that can be impve. But what i yu aein a ul l-blwn clique?

I yu believe yu gup iens is a estuctive clique, bewilling t take a stan. Reuse t g alng with ba behavi.Figue ut the best way t tell thes in yu gup hw yueel. While thees the vey eal pssibility theyll tun theibacks n yu, yu can have a clea cnscience knwing yui the ight thing. O cuse, thees a chance that at least

sme them will take yu ws t heat an change theiways.

Just as the pesn whs exclue m a clique shul lkutsie that gup iens, s shul yu. Nw is thetime t wien yu ienship cicle.

Get t knw sme new peplenewcmes tyu chuch schl, peple wh seem

shy lnely iniviuals yuve seenat schl yeas but neve talke t

much bee. Instea nly chat-ting with yu pals at chuch,

spen sme time talking tpeple yu nt knw eallywell. When yu g ut withyu buies, invite smeneieent t cme alngevey nw an then. Yuebun t make sme newiens.

Even i it becmes clea yunt have a lt in cmmnwith sme these thepeple, getting t knw themis still wthwhile.

Its imptant t nt justsuun yusel with ne

set gup peple, but withthe ich, the p, the quiet, the

stng, the weak, the bight, thent-s-bight, the ppula, the

unppula, the jck, the nn-jckmany ieent types peple, Staub

says. Tis will help yu unestan anvalue the ivesity an the uniqueness

the iniviuals, s that yue then able tpen up t them an cae abut them.

Tis isnt t say that yu cant have best iens yue withmst the time. Yu may vey well eel clsest t thse withsimila pesnalities an backguns. Even Jesus was clset sme iens than thes. But yu, like Him, shul alwaysbe pen t getting t knw new peple.

Nw that yue me awae what cliques ae an whytheye a pblem, stive t ntice the peple aun yu whae in nee iens. G wants us t evelp an utgingcncen thes. Beaking ee m cliques is a step in theight iectin.

Becky Sweat is a reelance writer specializing in health and

amily topics. She lives in the Dallas, Texas, area with her husbandand two sons.

Cliques create miseryfor outsiders theyve

determined to beunworthy.



Like swiling mist, the heavy blackness gipping

the palace begins t vapize an melt int ai-ance. But even in the ltee light, Phaahs ace istansme. His jaw sets. His eyes naw. A smikceeps acss his lips. Smehw, impssibly, he lies

t himsel again: I am still in control

What is wrongwith this guy? Ate all the bl, bugs anblistes he sues thughpweul ps that theG Isael means business!he still wants t wea hiscwn that lks like a bwling pin an spit in Gs ace?Unbelievably, yes.

G explains again an again that Phaah euse t eeIsael in the Exus because Pharaohs heartwas hardened

(see Exus 8:15 example). But what es that mean? Alittle igging int achaelgy eveals a epth t this stywe might neve have imagine. Bette hl n tightweeging int the tmb!

A heart o stone

Te tchlight scattes acss the cl ci walls,illuminating cacke muals sti-lking gs angesses as we bush past. Ancient Egyptians lke tthis etheeal multitue guiance, ain, health, etility,light, hpe lie ate eath, yu name it. O cuse, allthese jbs might vewhelm ne g, s they cnjue upzens eities an ivie the uties. But when the tueG set abut escuing the chilen Isael, He wulals pve nce an all His supemacy ve thse s-

cal le gs (Exus 12:12; 18:10-11).

Phaah himsel was cnsiee a g in the esh. In act,he was calle an incanatin Ra (the sun g) an Osiis(the lie-give), the tw mst imptant gs in Egypt! Inthe last tw plagues, hweve, the G Isael shwehis pwe ve bth the sun an lie itsel (Exus 10:21-22; 12:29-30). the Isaelites an Egyptians wh weewatching, thee cul be n questin that Isaels G wasthe One wh was really in cntl.

But Phaah haene his heat, stubbnly enying hispeple cmpassin an eusing t let the chilen Isaelg. Tis pene the G t shw all His wnes(Exus 11:9).

In the tmb, u steps ech hllwly against the limestneas we appach the heat the chambe. Bee us, thesacphagus ises ut the glm like sme st alienutn. Its plastee all ve with scenes m the Bk the Dea, but ne in paticula catches u eyes. Te heat the ecease sits in a ja n ne pan a giant scale, bal-ancing against the eathe tuth n the the. Belw, anabsu-lking ceatue cuches, eay t gbble up theheat shul it ip within each.

Egyptians believe that ate eath, the ecease hat ente the hall jugment an eply t a lng list chages: I have nt spken lies. I have nt uttee evilws. I have nt cause pain I he sai he was inncent all these sins, he wul live eve.

Unearthing the Mysteries o the Plaguesb y J i m S p r i n g e r a n d H e a t h e r B e n n e t t

I l l u s t r a t

i o n : i S t o c k p h o t o c o m


17/24Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 2 0 10 17

Te catch was that his heat wul be taken ut an placen the scale t seve as a lie etect! Te human heat,the Egyptians easne, wul always eveal the tuth,weighing wn the scale i the ea pesn was eallyguiltyan esevely placing it in ange t be the wackyceatues mi-mning snack.

As this was a athe ismal state aais, the ingenius

Egyptians cke up a plt t make it s the heat wulnt tell n the ea pesn. Tey cave a cham shapelike a heat as well as a scaab (the ancy name theisace ung beetle) ut sli ck. Tey then tie thisheat stne clse ve the mummys heat put it in hischest cavity. Incantatins suppsely mae the heat taken the qualities the heat scaab, hardening it s that itcul be ishnest an nt weigh wn the scale (RanallPice, Te Stones Cry Out, 1997, pp. 127-128).

Te Bible escibes G as the One wh juges us. Peplen a way t justiy eveything they , but the Lordweighs the heats (Pvebs 21:2). In shap cntast t

Egyptian belies, when we cme bee the tue G, wecannt hie what weve ne. We must amit u mistakesan epent u sins, thugh we may lie even tuselves, G knws the tuth: I we say that we haven sin, we eceive uselves, an the tuth is nt in us. Iwe cness u sins, He is aithul an just t give usu sins (1 Jhn 1:8-9). Phaah actually cnesse t sintwice (Exus 9:27; 10:16); but he immeiately evete this bstinacy bth times, emaining eceive abut him-sel an the eality he was acing.

Saly, the chilen Isael als haene thei heats u-ing thei 40 yeas waneing in the wileness, even ateall the miacles G ha peme them (Hebews 3:8).Tey allwe themselves t be eceive int believing thatG wul nt ptect them, s they euse t bey Him.

A new heart

On the the han, we have the example Davi, the neG calle a man ate My wn heat (Acts 13:22). Inthe akest chapte his lie, Davi ha sex with anthemans wie. Tings gt wse when he tie t cve it up

by having the man kille in battle. Hweve, when Gcnnte him abut the sin, Davi was hie by hisactins an cnesse unesevely an withut etac-tin, I have sinne against the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13).Amitting the tuth, He espne t Gs cectin antune his lie aun 180 egees.

Tis was in cntast t human natue. Te natual humanheat, we must unestan, is nt as incline t evealthe tuth as the Egyptians believe. G eclaes that theheat is eceitul abve all things (Jeemiah 17:9). Tehaene heat is ticky! It makes us believe we ae ight,n matte what we . Tankully, G can enable us tsee the tuth an change. But that smetimes equiesiscipline t help us (Hebews 12:5-11; Revelatin 3:19).

Hw we espn t G? Ae we l ike Phaah? D wecness sin nly when we ae being punishe an snhaen u heats again t isbey Him?

G talks abut a time in the utue when His peple willhave a ieent attituethey will want t bey Himm the heat! G pmises, I will put My law in theimins, an wite it n thei heats; an I will be thei G,an they shall be My peple (Jeemiah 31:33). N lngewill we have heats stne, because G says, I will giveyu a new heat an put a new spiit within yu; I will takethe heat stne ut yu esh an give yu a heat esh (Ezekiel 36:26).

D we see uselves as we eally ae? D we espn as weshul t Gs gentle cectin? I we chse a stubbn,sel-eceiving haene heat like Phaah, G will havet use stnge iscipline t get u attentin!

A maj lessn the Exus is that G is always incntl. Next time yu see a heat scaab Phaahsgy cwn, emembe that G will save us ut Egyptenslavement t the sinul ways this wlaslng as we nt haen u heats against Him.

Jim Springer is an elder in the Sacramento, Caliornia, UnitedChurch o God congregation. He is married and has two grownchildren. Heather Bennett, Jim Springers niece, is a sopho-more at the University o Cincinnati and attends the Cincinnati,Ohio, East congregation.



What is mans destiny? Howdo we reach it? What is thefuture of our planet?Like a g teache, G has a lessn plan t answethese big questins in lie. Te answes ae un in aseies special ays that mst peple have let bu-ie in the pages the Biblemistakenly believing

them t be n lnge elevant t lie tay. Yu canget yu hans n the geat eaches lessn plan anbe way ahea the est the class. Hees hw.

Big questions answered

Te answes t these imptant questins abuthuman lie an u utue ae un in the east aysG lai ut in Leviticus 23. Many elegate theseestivals the Ol estament t havest celebatinsan ismiss them as elevant t nly agicultual sci-eties ancient yeas. Yet the ealy New estamentChuch cntinue t bseve them, an the pages

the New estament ae just the tls neee tunlck the eal meaning the easts G.

Gs pupse human beings is t eventuallymake them pat His amily. Ntice hw it is clealyyet simply put in Hebews 2:10: F it was tting Him, whm ae all things an by whm aeall things, in binging many sons t gly, t makethe captain thei salvatin peect [ cmplete]thugh sueings (emphasis ae).

Elsewhee in the New estament, G cmpaes theaising up chilen an gatheing them int Hisamily t the gwing an havesting cps (see

Matthew 9:37-38; 13:30, 39; James 1:18; 5:7). Aninee, the physical havests aun the times Gs Hly Days paallel Gs spiitual havest peple t be His chilen. Lets lk at each Gseasts in tun.

Passover

Te lessn plan begins with the sping havest cyclein the lan Isael. G begins by aessing theact that human beings ae cut m Him anthe estiny He es (Isaiah 59:1-2). We ae guilty sinvilating Gs law ighteusness (1 Jhn3:4)an inee cannt be ighteus n u wn

(Rmans 8:7). Rmans 3:10 says that thee is nneighteus, n, nt ne, an vese 23 the samechapte says, F all have sinne an all sht thegly G. Tis has eane all the penalty eath (Rmans 6:23).

Tankul ly, G has mae a way t satisy justicean, at the same time, meciully give peple a passn thei sins. Te estival Passve explains thepcess. Te slain lamb this estival eshaweJesus Chist willingly ying in u place. Te bl Jesus cleanses us m all sin (1 Jhn 1:7), anthugh His eath He ee ne sacice sins

eve (Hebews 10:12). Te apstle Paul explicitlylinks Chists eing Himsel with the east

b y K e n T r e y b i g

Gods

FeastsAnswer theBig Questions

Part 1

Just as teachers preparelesson plans for their students,

God, through His feasts,provides a lesson plan

for humanity. P h o t o : i S t o c k p h o t o



Stolen IdentityContinued from page 5

Jewish liestyle obscured

Te new, evise Jesus knwn by mst tay has lagely beenstippe His Jewish backgun an cultue. Even thughthe Bible clealy states, It is evient that u L ase m

Juah (Hebews 7:14), mst claiming t wship Him tayae uncmtable withi nt utight hstile twaHisJewish backgun.

Many simply nt ealize that Jesus live a lie that inclueegulaly ging t the synaggue n Satuay, the weeklySabbath (Luke 4:16), bseving the biblical Hly Days(Leviticus 23; Luke 2:41; Matthew 26:17; Jhn 7:2, 10) annt eating pk shellsh (Leviticus 11; Deutenmy 14).

Tse wh knw Jesus liestyle cmmnly think that Heeeme it t hash an emaning an that He live by itin place us s n ne wul eve have t llw its equie-ments again. But Jesus neve inicate that He was nw

ejecting the cultue in which He ha live that He wanteHis llwes t eject the biblical instuctin egaing thesepactices.

Ate Jesus eath, His isciples cntinue t llw His lie-style, an they taught new believes t the same. Paul sai,Imitate me, just as I als imitate Chist (1 Cinthians 11:1).When Paul tavele, he cntinue t wship G n Satuays(Acts 13:5, 14; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4), just as Jesus ha ne.

When the gentiles (nn-Isaelites) the city Antichwante t hea Pauls ws, they assemble with the Jewsthe next Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44). Instea accepting the

clea biblical ec, many have embace the alse agumentthat Paul taught the gentiles t meet n Sunay instea Satuay. Its cmmnly assume that the ay wshipwas change t hn the ay Jesus esuectin (anthealseh since Jesus se m the gave n Satuay aunsunset).

wa the en the st centuy, Jesus isciple Jhn wte:He wh says he abies in Him ught himsel als t walkjust as He walke (1 Jhn 2:6). S he, t, taught believest live thei lives as Jesus ha ne. Hw inic it is thatanyne actually llwing Jesus liestyle tay is thught tbe unchistian. Such thinking simply eects the pun

success thse wh esigne tays cunteeit Jesus. lean me abut the eal Jesus Nazaeth, hw His mes-sage has been istte an hw He wants yu t live, see theull vesin this aticle in u siste magazine, Te GoodNews. We als suggest that yu equest u ee bklet JesusChrist: Te Real Story.

Ae yu ging t llw a clevely esigne mytha ctinalchaacte withut a biblical basis the eal Jesus Chist?Chse the eal, authentic Jesus a bette lie nw an inthe utue.

David Treybigis managing editor o Vertical Thoughtand

pastors United Church o God congregations in Tampa and St.Petersburg, Florida.

Passve, saying, Chist, u Passve, was sacice us (1 Cinthians 5:7). Inee, Jesus was execute nthe vey ay Passve.

Tus Passve teaches us that the nly way we can becleae guilt an ecncile t G is thugh the sac-ice Jesus Chistthe ivine Sn Gthe nepeect lie given t pay the penalty all human sins.O cuse, each us must accept this sacice upnepentance sinsas epesente in pataking thePassve symbls unleavene bea an wine.

Unleavened Bread

Once wee washe clean by the bl Jesus Chist,ae we ee t g n living as we always havecntinu-ing in a lie ene by sin? Paul aske that questinin Rmans 6:1 an answee in the next vese with aesuning n! Inee, a cnitin giveness wasepentancecmmitting t tun away m sin. Pauluthe explains in Rmans 6 that baptism pictueseath t u l way lie an that being aise up m

the wates baptism pictues new lieas Jesus wasesuecte ut His tmb t spiit lie.

Te Feast Unleavene Beain which we avibea cntaining leavening (an agent such as yeast thatcauses bea t ise) an instea eat unleavene beapictues living a esh, new way. Paul escibe keepingthis east in 1 Cinthians 5:8 as leaving behin the lleaven malice an wickeness an living a lie sinceity an tuth. Gs lessn plan says that ncewee pane thugh the Passve sacice Chist,u espnse shul be t live a new, clean, unleavenelie as a Chistian. Passve an the Feast Unleavene

Bea ccu at the stat Isaels sping baley havest.Pentecost

Te next east explains that we cannt live that unleav-ene lie n u wn stength. We must have the help G thugh the pwe His Hly Spiit. Te physical,eshly human min es nt bey Gs law. It cant(Rmans 8:7, New Intenatinal Reaes Vesin). Butwhen Gs Spiit wells in us, wee nt cntlleby [u] sinul natue (Rmans 8:9, New Livinganslatin).

It was n the ay Pentecst that G chse t give theHly Spiit t all the llwes Jesus Chist shtlyate His esuectin m the gave (Acts 2).

In the Ol estament, Pentecst, als knwn as theFeast Havest an the Feast Weeks, celebate thestuits the wheat havest (Exus 23:16; 34:22).An it epesente the havesting peple tbe spiitual stuits Gs amily (James 1:18).

Pentecst is the last the biblical easts that ccu u-ing the sping in the nthen hemisphee. In pat 2,well cnsie thse easts that cme in late summe anautumn.

Ken Treybig is the national coordinator o United Youth

Camps. He is also the pastor o United Church o Godcongregations in East Texas and western Louisiana.



Lking ut my fce winw in the StuentUnin, I can see the Univesity Illinis qualle with stuents passing ut yes upcm-ing sevice pjects an selling bake gs t

aise mney stuent ganizatins as thei pees usht class.

With s many cmpeting emans in cllege, I have alwayswnee what mtivates cetain stuents t get invlvein campus an cmmunity causes, while thes chse tcus thei attentin elsewhee. Cllege stuents tay

have temenus pptunities t un ut an enhancethei eucatin, bth insie an utsie the classm, asthey seve thes.

Feeling a bit nstalgic, I ecall my tansitin t cllege anthe stuent gups I paticipate in uing my unega-uate yeas at UCLA. As a eshman enteing a new phase lie, all the pssibilities n campus seeme vewhelm-ing! Even thugh I ha been vey invlve in high schl,this new envinment was intimiating, with hunes stuent gups t jin, thusans new peple t meetan seemingly innite pptunities in which t invest mytime an enegy.

On such a lage campus, I ten elt insignicant anvelke, nt knwing whee I t in hw I cul cn-tibute. I late ealize that this eeling nt nly pevaescllege campuses, but it als aects many iniviuals insciety at lage wh ae seaching meaning an pupsein thei lives.

While wking t balance my stuies an pat-time jb(alng with eveything else that cmes with tansitiningt a new place!), I became awae sevice pptunitiesthat existe n campus, an my esie t cntibute tsmething lage than mysel began t gw. Ove the nextew mnths, I saw many my iens becme membes

vaius campus ganizatins, an I als began t seek utspecic nees in my new cmmunity whee I cul sevean cntibute.

Duing my sphme yea, I jine u esience hallcuncil, thugh which I ha the pptunity t helpmake ecisins that benete the stuents living ncampus. In this le, I was n lnge simply a esient. NwI was seving an avcating my pees. It was thughthis expeience that I leane st han the signicantimpact that can be achieve thugh a cllabative teamet in which eveyne shaes a cmmn pupse an acmmitment t seving the lage nees a esiential

cmmunity.

As I gaine a bae pespective, I began t bette seehw gly sevice is s a emve m the typicalhuman mtivatin acquiing pwe an status. It tulynly cmes m a esie t serve thes, while evelpingchaacte an being a psitive inuence wheeve a pesnns nesel in lie. While Im still a wk in pgess, Ihave leane that when we seve withut pmting theselfan place the emphasis n others an meeting theirnees, we emulate Jesus Chists supeme example sevice (Mak 10:45).

Getting invlve in sevice activities an ganizatins

while in cllege, in aitin t seving in u lcal chuchcngegatins, helps lay the unatin lielng sevicean buils necessay chaacte utue leaeship lesin the Kingm G (Revelatin 5:10). Lets be methan just membes a cngegatin an ganizatin.Lets be a pat Gs lage slutin evelastingchange thugh giving u lives in seving thes tay.

Leslie Schwartz, M.Ed., loves working with college studentsattheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaigntofostertheirleadershipdevelopment.SheattendstheBloomington,Illinois,

United Church o God congregation. Have a question, commentor idea or a uture topic or this new column? Contact Leslie at

[email protected].

i S t o c k p h o t o

GodlyServiceIsMoreThanMembership

Life on Campus Leslie Schwartz

Getting involved in service activities

and organizations while in college,

in addition to serving in our local

church congregations, helps lay the

oundation or lielong service.



For Your BookshelHere are some great books and publications that

can help you learn more about serving others. The

frst our can be ound in bookstores and libraries;

thelasttwocanbefoundfreeontheInternetat

our Web sites:

Learn more at VerticalThought.org

Exploring Leadership: For CollegeStudents Who Want to Make aDiference by Susan Kmives, NanceLucas an imthy McMahn(2006).

On Becoming a Servant LeaderbyRbet Geenlea, Dn Fick an LaySpeas (1996).

Te Lesson o Foot Washingby Jel Aust(Te Good News, Mach/Apil 1997, nline atGNmagazine.g).

Insights on Leadership: Service,Stewardship, Spirit and Servant-Leadershipby Lay Speas (1998).

Credibility: Vital or Serviceby Stephen Clak (Vertical Tought,July-Septembe 2005, nline at

VeticleTught.g)

Stewardship: Choosing Service OverSel-Interest by Pete Blck (1993).

GettingInvolvedinCollegeHeres what other students and recent college gradu-ates had to say when asked, What campus/commu-nity organizations did you join in college, and what

did you learn rom your involvement?

I got involved heavily with organizations surroundingmy major, as I saw it as a good networking opportunityto be with people who have similar career paths. It has

proven useul since graduating rom college. I also didvolunteer work at youth camps outside the college atmo-sphere. Staying connected with organizations and groupsthat align with your spiritual belies will strengthen and

ground you.

Male graduate student, Missouri

My spiritual belies really drove my motivation to beinvolved in service work. I you really believe that Godloves all people and does not play avorites, then therereally is no excuse or not helping those who happen tobe in less ortunate circumstances than yoursel. Te

Bible is lled with exhorta-tions to help the poor, thevulnerable and the sick. Forme, college was an amazingopportunity to channel myenergy or helping othersthrough some o the many,many service organizations

thriving on my campus.

Female graduate student, Caliornia

Trough my participation in service-learning trips toNorth Carolina and Mississippi, I worked with peopleo diferent religious backgrounds to repair hurricane-damaged homes. I ound these experiences to be instru-mental in helping me develop the attitude and attributeso servant leadershipboth through serving whereneeds exist and being a light to others o various back-

grounds (Matthew 5:14-16). Tese projects also orcedme to expand my view o service as something to practice

outside the Church as well as inside.Female graduate student, North Carolina

Trough my involvement in the Biomedical EngineeringSociety in graduate school, I saw the value o working orsomething or which you arent necessarily compensated.Tis experience helped me put Colossians 3:23 into

practice, because it doesnt say, And whatever you do, doit heartily as long as you get paid or it accordingly. Te

glory o our service goes directly back to God.

Male graduate student, Caliornia

Student Voices

Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 20 10 21

I you really believe thatGod loves all people anddoes not play avorites,then theres no excuse ornot helping those in lessortunate circumstances.



Pliosaur Fossil FoundFound recently on the Dorset coast o southwestern England was the skull o anenormous, prehistoric seagoing reptile measuring nearly 8 eet long (2.4 meters).

Experts estimate that the entire creature could have been more than 52 eetlong. A Tyrannosaurus rexwould have been tiny in comparison.

Strong neck muscles and enormous jaws allowed the creature, a pliosaur, tocrunch and shake its prey to pieces. Four paddlelike limbs propelled it throughthe water.

The skull, ound by a local collector, will be on display at theDorset County Museum. Similar specimens have been oundin the Arctic Ocean and Mexico. Some authorities hopethat urther portions o the Dorset pliosaur will be oundin the same area as the skull (Haroon Siddique andagencies, Fossilised Skull o Sea Monster Pliosaur

Found on Dorset Coast, The Guardian,Oct. 27, 2009).

Even i the package says all-natural, is itreally good or you?

Necco, a 162-year-old candy brandmade by a company in Massachusetts,is going all-natural with its sweetwaers. Coloring will be derived romnatural sources like beet juice, purplecabbage, cocoa powder and turmeric,

but the favors will stay the same.However, the green, lime-favored waerwill be gone, as green is too dicult tomanuacture naturally. The trend ornatural candy and an interest in vintagecandy brands are ueling Neccosdecision (Necco Goes All-Natural,

Associated Press, Nov. 3, 2009).However, too much o any sweet isnot good, no matter how natural it is.Proverbs 25:16 claries this principle:Have you ound honey? Eat only asmuch as you need, lest you be lled withit and vomit. Graphic, but accurate.

Down onthe FarmFarmVille, a Facebook-based multiplayergame, is an amazing story o rapid

growth. When Zynga, the games parent

company, launched the game last June,

it grew to 25,000 players in 24 hours and

to a million a ew days later.

The game is based on arming, planting,

growing and harvesting imaginary

crops. Players hail rom all over the

globe and can virtually arrange their

arms next to each other. Some players

eel they are learning to appreciate

the toils o their ancestors who lived

o the soil. Others think its just good,

clean un and has little to do with the

realities o actual arming (Kelly Jane

Torrance, FarmVille Turning Hipsters

Into Farmers, The Washington Times,

Oct. 16, 2009).

On a recent episode o his talk show,

psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw conronted

a mom who was obsessed with the

game and neglecting her amily, telling

her, You have a ridiculous addiction

to a ridiculous computer game thats

interering with your ability to be a

mother. His prescription? Get out o

FarmVillestart a garden or real! (Dr.

Phil, Jan. 20, 2010).

Healthy Candy?

Regular sleep time that can leadto depression and thoughts of

suicide in teenagers, accordingto a Columbia University study.

Lack o Sleep Might Be Linked to

Suicidal Thoughts in Teens, Bloomberg

News, Jan. 2, 2010

Compiled by Amanda StiverIn the News

5hours

orewer

22 Vertical ThoughtA p r i l J u n e 20 10 Ve r t i c a l T ho u g h t .o r g

Thriving in a Tough EconomyDuring dicult economic times,employers streamline their businessesand keep only the most valuableemployees. So how do they denewhats valuable?

According to an editorial by columnist

Thomas Friedman, creativity, better

service and added skills are the edge

employees will need to keep their

jobs. He contends that just being

average will no longer be enough as

the job market gets tougher. Initiative

will win out over complacency, so be

willing to go the extra mile (The New

Untouchables, The New York Times,

Oct. 20, 2009).

Jesus Christ spoke o this quality inMatthew 5:41: And whoever compels

you to go one mile, go with him two.

In the Roman world at that time,

anyone could be involuntarily required

to carry burdens or messages or the

Roman authorities or one mile. Christ

directed His ollowers to go beyond by

doubling that mile requirement. This

willingness to voluntarily do just a bit

more can be a job-saving edge in a

tight economy.


23/24Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 2 01 0 23

What a Pain!One in three people eels genuine, physical discomortwhen he or she sees another person in pain.Researchers at the University o Birmingham in theUnited Kingdom ound that when they showed a videoo an athlete being injured, most people in the study

had a sympathetic emotional reaction. However,one third o the participants actually elt pain in theirbodies corresponding to the part injured in the video.

The hypersensitive participants repeated the study while undergoing MRI scans.Researchers discovered that the part o the brain that handles pain exhibitedgreater activity when the injury video was shown (Richard Alleyne, Some PeopleReally Feel Your Pain, The Daily Telegraph, Dec. 22, 2009).

Name That Domain!When the concept o computer-to-omputer communication was tested

n the late 1960s, protocols and ruleswere based on existing technologytheelegraph, the telephone, etc. As newnnovations in Internet science haverogressed and users rom all parts the globe participate in growingumbers, a new system o domain

ames is needed. Domain names, suchs www.ucg.org, allow us to use lettersather than numbers to direct our Webrowser to the correct site.

However, the Domain Name SystemDNS) was designed by Paul Mockapetris

in 1983 to be usedwith languages, such

as English, that use Latinletters. Since this leaves

out languages that dont useLatin letters, a new system is being

reated to address this problem. Soonmany character systems will be able to

e used on the Internet (Bill Thompson,An Internet That Speaks to You, BBC

News, Oct. 30, 2009).

Wait! Theres More Ifyoudliketoseemorearticles

and our weekly commentaries,

jump over to our Web site. There,

youll also have access to all o

our back issues and answers to

commonly asked questions.VerticalThought.org

Bad Fat, Good Fat, White Fat Brown Fat?Is all the at in our bodies exactly the same?

According to recent research, brown at is a typeo metabolically active lipid that helps the humanbody burn and use calories. All newborns havethis type o at, which helps them stay warmater leaving the womb.

Scientists have ound that adults dont replaceall o their brown at with white at as they agebut keep certain stores o the brown varietythat can, as experts hope, be reactivated tostimulate increased metabolism o unused

calories. Brown at is also present at higher levels in healthy people who are notoverweight. Researchers have ound that it helps the human body cope with cold

temperatures (Seda Terzyan, A Scramble to Harness the Metabolic Power oBrown Fat, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 2, 2009).

Genetic Modifcation Troubles Crop UpAround 85 percent o corn grown in America is genetically engineered to resistpests. Much o it has Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) embedded in its genes. Btisalso a component o an insecticide considered mild and sprayed on organic crops.

However, growers o genetically modied corn are increasingly fouting regulationsdesigned to keep corn borers and corn rootworms rom becoming resistant to

the pesticide. Reuge elds planted with conventional corn allow the pests toeed on unmodied crops and thus avoid developing resistance. But many armersare ignoring this ederally mandated requirement. This lack o compliance couldresult in the ineectiveness o both Bt-modied corn and Btspray, leaving cropsunprotected (Elizabeth Weise, Farmers Growing Genetically Engineered CornBreak Rules, USA Today, Nov. 5, 2009).

Those who question the ethics o genetically modied crops have predictedsuch problems, and this disregard o regulations will be added ammunition inthe debate. God created some amazing genetic variability that scientists are stilllearning about. Excessive hybridization and genetic engineering bring with thembig risks.

Vertical Thought A p r i l J u n e 20 10 23


24/24

Nonprot Org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDUnited

Church of God

PrintedintheUSA

United Church of God

An International Association

Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027

Did you ever make a mistake

a serious one? A mistake or whichyou eel truly sorry? A mistake thatyou know was absolutely wrong?

Your dilemma now is how tomake the wrong right.

What yu nee t knw is that thee isSmene wh can help yu just that.

get t whee He is, yu nee t

n the a t eemptin.Te One you seek awaits.

lean me abut Him an hw tn Him, please equest wnla tay

yu ee cpy the bklet

Jesus Christ: Te Real Story.

Documents

Vertical Thought: April - June 2010