V RaptureChrist Newsletter
August 1, 2002

John 7:2
Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.

John 7:3
Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.

John 7:4
"For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."

John 7:5
For not even His brothers were believing in Him.

John 7:6
So Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.

John 7:7
"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.

John 7:8
"Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come."

John 7:9
Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.

John 7:10
But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.

John 7:11
So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?"

John 7:12
There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray."

John 7:13
Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

John 7:14
But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.

John 7:15
The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?"

John 7:16
So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

John 7:17
"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

John 7:18
"He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

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As we can see, Jesus' brothers wanted Him to appear publicly, but He came later on (the feast lasts a whole week) without making a big to do.

Jesus knew that He needed to fulfill what was written of Him, so that the word of God would be true, that is why He said "my time is not yet."

During that Feast of Tabernacles, the crowds were murmuring about Jesus.  Some believed He was a good man, others just criticized and believed He was leading people astray.

If you were in that crowd, how would you know if Jesus was an impostor, or if He was truly a man of God, saying the truth?

If you made the wrong decision, it would cost you your eternal life, because as Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, nobody comes to the Father, except through me"

The way to discern whether a teaching is from God or not, is to follow the example Christ gave us.  The person or institution that speaks of himself is seeking his own glory.

To find out if a teaching is of God you must first desire to do the will of God, then you will get the discernment from the Holy Spirit to know if the teaching truly is from God.

The Pharisees did not know that Jesus was the son of God, because they did not obey God, and instead followed the commandments of men.

There are many institutions that just talk about what they do, but do not talk about God's message.  They do not seek the glory of God, they do not ask for God's will to come true.  They try to bring a manmade kingdom of God on this earth, but the results show their lack of wisdom.  

The outcome is worldwide unhappiness, violence, sickness, hunger, poverty, and total contamination of the planet.  They offer a longer life through "advances" in medical science, but what kind?  Is it the "abundant life", or is it "lives of quiet desperation?"

But Christ offers to take us to fountains of living water where there is no hunger, no tears, and no sorrows.

Get ready, He is coming soon!