V RaptureChrist Newsletter
October 1, 2002

In the Sukka, we see the sun come up, and go down, we see the decorations made with branches and flowers initially bright and green slowly decay and fade by the end of the week...proving that nothing lasts forever. Why does god want to make it very present to us that everything  is temporary? Could it be so that we realize our life is temporary and that we should think of our actions, the wrong ones and the good ones, what we need to change and how we should be living our lives?

Our life is short and we have to keep focused on not falling into the wrong path, to destruction. God wants us all to be saved, but God can only help us if we follow His commandments. God wants us each day to examine our lives, to reevaluate our actions, to seek improvement within ourselves, to strive to be better. 

People like to think they have grown smarter than god.  With all their new technology, they make it seem like they have reached great lengths; whereas in actuality people are living lives with more pain and suffering,  from their immorality, from plagues like AIDS and other STD's, from vices such as drug addiction, and  alcoholism; they live lives torn with broken families, and end up alone in their old age...suffering alone.

The lie of Satan is to make you think only of the present and how to enjoy yourself in the present. But God wants you to be very aware of the truth of life.We are born, grow, and later shrivel like a flower.  God wants us to be aware of our works in this life, to think about them, because our time is short, and when the end comes, all that will remain of our lives are...what were our works, were they good, or will we be cut down like the fig tree that gave no fruit? God  gives us some time to prove ourselves....but if we are not aware of how quickly that time is passing, it might pass away before we do any good work...before we turn away from evil, and then it will be too late. 

Modern medicine wants to sell a promise of eternal life. But God is the one who gives life and the one who takes life.  Let us not believe the lie that modern medicine can extend our time...and hide from reality. Let us thank God for giving us the time to be able to show Him that we can be good, that we can follow His commandments.  Let us look  forward to an eternal life with him in the company of other believers.  Because with Christ we can be winners. Amen.

As we know, visiting the Holy Land of Israel has been hazardous for many believers due to the constant terrorism perpetrated by the Palestinians.

Just last August, a new section was opened called "the Scriptorium."  This area takes about an hour to tour and consists of authentic ancient torahs and bibles.   It is inspiring to see how God preserved His word through the ages in order that we might read, understand and be saved.

The Scriptorium houses the Van Kampen collection, one of the world's largest collection of bibles and biblical manuscripts. The first copy that the Van Kampens acquired was a copy of the Matthew's Bible known as the Martyr's Bible.  

The Holy Land Experience has two different yearly celebrations held in the temple courtyard.  In the spring there are the spring annual Holy Days; in the fall there are the fall annual Holy Days.  In this way, visitors can learn the meaning and purpose of God's holy days in an interactive and entertaining setting.