In the last few years, UFO [Unidentified Flying Object] sightings have steadily increased. There have been reports of strange craft entering live volcanoes to access their base – with some claiming to have seen strange UFO’s coming out of the sun!

But is there any real proof?

In a age when even cameras on mobile phones can capture a sharp quality image, we have yet to see a genuine, sharp, detailed photo of a UFO, much less a little green man!

At the same time, there is a great increase in the media about a third temple to be built in Jerusalem.

Is there a link between UFOs and the Third Temple?

Israeli Rabbi Says He’s Already Holding Meetings With Messiah

Let’s look at what is happening in Israel.

God is not Abandoning the World, He just wants us to Move to Israel!

End Time Fever

Many people around the world are getting caught up in end time fever. The focus seems to be the building of a third Temple.

Red Heifers Prompt Third Temple Speculation

Temple Not Required

So many people seem to be expecting a Third Temple to be built before Christ can return – but if we look carefully at scripture, this might not be the case. When the Beast’s army swoops down into the Middle East and surrounds Jerusalem, they stop the daily [evening and morning] sacrifices (Daniel 11:31).

When the Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, one of the first things they did, on the Feast of Trumpets, was to build an altar and start the evening and morning sacrifices. This was before the foundation of the Temple had been laid!

Here is the account of events in the book of Ezra:

Sacrifices On The Temple Mount

Temple-Ready Altar Dedicated On Last Day Of Hanukkah

Christian “Awakening” To Holiness Of Temple Mount Draws Islamic Fury

The Missing Link

Here is what Mr Armstrong had to say about the ‘missing link’:

And when that “missing Link”, Jesus Christ, returns to take over control of all nations, it will look like an…

INVASION FROM OUTER SPACE

An article that appeared in the Good News Magazine addresses the subject:

“The Ubiquitous UFO”

Back in the early 70’s, several articles appeared in the Plain Truth magazine on the subject of UFOs.

2020 - Our World Today

Today, in an uncertain world, people are looking to crystal balls, Viennese fortune telling tarot cards and Ouija boards to try to know what is coming on mankind. As Christian churches lie empty, the fastest growing religion in the Western world is Wicca! Many are looking to the occult for answers!

We must always keep in mind that Satan is today’s world ruler. He knows what’s coming… he knows his time is short… and we are warned to… “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

He knows that Christ is about to return to the earth…

He is preparing the earth’s inhabitants to fight anything that comes from space.

Known Knowns

We know that Christ is coming to take over the government of the whole earth.

We know that 1,260 days before He comes, the great tribulation begins.

We know that 1,290 days before Christ comes, Jerusalem will be surrounded by the Beast’s army, and they will stop the daily sacrifices. This means that the daily sacrifices have to start – something to watch for. One can only imagine the strife this would cause, not only in the Middle East, but in the whole world.

1,335 days before Christ returns, a blessing is pronounced on God’s people.

We shall then be warned, and readied to be taken to a place of refuge and safety from the Great Tribulation

Those who are watching cannot take their eyes off the Middle East.

This is the Ground Zero of endtime events!

While the existence of UFOs and a possible Third Temple raise questions, there is one solid fact to keep in mind…

Jesus Christ is going to return to the earth.

That’s tomorrow’s news – before it happens!

The Duality of Life:

In 1 Corinthians 15 – the 'resurrection chapter' – the apostle Paul makes very clear the dual nature of our life. The aim of both Christ and the Father is to enable us to have inherent spirit-born life, of the kind they themselves enjoy and referred to in this passage as "that which is spiritual" (verse 46). But before this is possible, it is important that we both understand and appreciate the life we presently experience – "that which is natural, from the earth, earthy."

From "dust thou art" at Adam's physical creation, and on throughout the Bible God reminds us of our humble beginnings. Job referred to " ... them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?" (Job 4:19) And as God points out in Isaiah 45:

One key reason for being made thus is so we can change, but there are also other aspects we should keep in mind ...

Life's Purpose:

Each year in the church we rehearse the very meaning of life as we celebrate the Holy Days, which are very forward looking – focused on the spirit life that is up ahead for us as members of the very Family of God, and rescue for the human race. But I wonder if we sometimes fail to truly grasp the necessity of understanding – and fully appreciating – our current physical existence?

In our day-to-day lives we are faced with challenges, problems and often severe trials. What we really long to do – and often pray to that end – is to have them rectified ... ie. escape them as quickly as possible. Whereas God looks at the situation in a very different way from us, because most times 'escape' doesn't come about as speedily as we'd like! When Christ uttered the immortal words in the garden of Gethsemane "... take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:36) He humanly would have appreciated a 'get out clause' – any possibility of escape from what He knew was coming, but He also recognised that the very purpose of His existence was nearing its conclusion, as the Saviour for all mankind.

Do we in similar fashion, as mere earthen vessels, keep in mind that the very purpose of our physical chemical existence now – as the end time around us approaches its conclusion – is to be ready as the teachers of the future, alongside our Elder Brother?

Old Age:

Many of us are now finding ourselves in a position we never expected – that of having to deal with the problems of old age. When we first came into the church we certainly foresaw the need to overcome the world as Ambassadors of a New Age, which we anticipated was just over the horizon. But it didn't quite work out that way! And God has not seen fit to allow us to escape the frailties, disabilities and bereavements that so often accompany the ageing process. But we shouldn't have been surprised – as with the exception of those that were martyred, most of God's people before us have had to face the same trial.

By the time Isaac decided to give the blessing to his son Esau, he had become blind in his old age, enabling Jacob to deceive him. In a similar way, before Jacob died, he too went blind, crossing his hands when it came time to bless Ephraim and Manasseh. In the case of king David, at the age of 70 he was described as "old and stricken in years" (I Kings 1:1). But in spite of old age, illness, bereavement etc, God had not abandoned His people. He never stopped working with them and caring for them and promises it will be the same with us;

As we age our physical strength diminishes, and 'the bloom of youth' certainly fades! Our mind becomes more tuned towards what is beyond this life and the vital necessity of God's help to not only get through each day, but to continue to achieve and grow. Often it's only the ageing process that drives home to us how short this life is and what really is important, and it's definitely not 'things'. If there is one chapter in one book of the Bible that addresses the shortcomings of ageing, it has to be Ecclesiastes 12, which encourages us all to "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

Even though the coming Millennium promises to be free of the sicknesses that so often accompany ageing, the indication is that during this time also there will still be old men and women – having to use a cane or staff for support – as there will still be much for them to learn from the ageing process:

"That you might have Peace:"

How can we possibly effectively handle the trials, heartaches, challenges and stresses, when simultaneously limited by this very physical body that is basically dying each day we live? This is a reality that particularly hits home as we approach – and pass – the threescore and ten generally allotted to mankind. But Jesus Christ Himself encourages us with a promise of peace when we have to face such things:

The things He had just spoken to them about concerned the actions of the Holy Spirit, and specifically the way it would not speak of itself but would impart to them the information Christ Himself wanted them to have (John 16:13,14). And as He then continues a few verses further on:

Again – we're encouraged at the end of the gospel of Matthew that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) And the way that is possible is through the Holy Spirit. This is why – even though He points out that we'd all have trials in this world – we can still be of good cheer and have peace because we are not facing them alone. And the One who is with us has already overcome the world.

The Power of God:

The analogy of likening us to an earthen vessel comes from a passage in II Corinthians 4. In the preceding chapter the apostle Paul is explaining the ongoing process of conversion – changing the basic self-centred character of a carnal human being into that of a God-being:

He then elaborates on this concept in chapter 4, explaining how the light of the character of Christ can then be expressed in each of the faces of those going through this conversion process, ending with the verse " But we have this treasure [this priceless process and the godly reactions that flow from it] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (II Corinthians 4:7).

The key point is not merely the weakness of the earthen vessels but what those vessels are daily being filled with ... the power of the Holy Spirit! Paul then goes on to explain how our reactions and perceptions in the trials we face should correspondingly change as our understanding and conversion grows. And for Paul what he then goes on to explain in the next two verses of chapter 4, was not just book learning – mere academic understanding – by any means, but what he himself was having to regularly deal with. (For a list of some of the things he personally went through, check out II Corinthians 11:24-29!)

"Yet not Distressed":

The translation in the King James version does not carry the full intent of the original. The words translated as "troubled on every side" would be better expressed as being squashed or squeezed from every direction. And the phrase translated as "not distressed" carries with it the inference of not being totally crushed. One particular translation that carries this concept well is the Aramaic Bible in Plain English, which says: "For we are squeezed in all things but we are not strangled.."

Naturally speaking an earthen vessel is easily broken – either by too hot an oven, or dropping it onto a hard surface. And in the outside world today, the 'heat is on' to a great degree for so many, with the covid-19 restrictions, which are not only damaging businesses and relationships – but driving some to suicide as they see their life's work ruined, their families separated and their homes repossessed.

However, the source of OUR strength cannot come from ourselves as mere "houses of clay", and it's vital that we recognise this, or we too will suffer mentally and emotionally. We have to remember the TRUE source of our strength:

"But Not in Despair":

Once again, the original two words being used carry a little more meaning which links them together. "Perplexed" (Gk aporeo) carries with it the idea of "being without resources" ... i.e. not knowing which way to turn when things are going wrong. But we're not in despair ... "utterly destitute of measures or resources" (Strongs 1820) because we know that God, as the Master of Timing, will step in and see us through. With God nothing is impossible and nothing too hard for Him to do. (Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:27)

A classic example of God stepping in and rescuing His people was at the Red Sea. Ancient Israel obviously felt they didn't know which way to turn ... totally 'without resources', but the impossible happened – and was recorded for our learning:

"But Not Forsaken"

We can see this in action in the Book of Acts when Paul and Silas, having been beaten were then thrust into prison. But their reaction was not a normal human reaction – and the surrounding prisoners certainly noticed this, as recorded in Acts 16:

Why could Christ encourage us to have peace in verse 33 of John 16, even in such difficult circumstances? The previous verse explains:

And that is what Paul and Silas also understood "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). At the end of the book of Hebrews, no doubt through personal experience, Paul was able to write:

"But Not Destroyed":

Or as another translation graphically puts it: "We are knocked down, but we aren't knocked out" (II Corinthians 4;9 CEB)

How many times have we felt "I can't take any more ... ", "this is just too much pressure ... ", "this is just not working!" We might feel we just can't go on – life has become too hard, but we are able to call on supernatural help, as the apostle Paul understood:

Many of us, over the years can attest to the truth of the following encouragement given to the church in Corinth. This 'escape' happens in a multitude of ways, and varies from person to person, but it does happen:

God the Master Potter:

We're all earthen vessels – vividly described in Hebrew as "dust, earth, powder, rubbish, ashes, mortar, ground" (Strongs 06083). Indeed, "... if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing he deceiveth himself" (Galatians 6;3) And what we need to keep in mind too is that our fellow brethren – our fellow potsherds – they too are struggling in this life. We need to give each other space and time to change ... as we are all merely 'a work in progress'. Some may be a little further along the 'production line' in certain areas, often depending on age and experience, and even personality and family background. And some – as we have witnessed this past year – have had their final 'firing' and are now being safely stored by God, to be used in the near future when Christ returns. But meanwhile, we who have yet to arrive at that point, need to have confidence in the fact we're not having to battle through this life alone and should learn to relax in God's most capable hands – as Mr Armstrong, who himself was certainly no stranger to the trials and problems of this life, explains: