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Saturday, November 25, 2000

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Revelation 11:4-12
Psalm 144
Luke 20:27-40

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gift-exchange

"The earth's inhabitants gloat over them and in their merriment exchange gifts, because these two prophets harassed everyone on earth." —Revelation 11:10

Yesterday and today are probably the two biggest shopping days of the year. People are compulsively buying Christmas gifts to exchange with others. A gift-exchange is also mentioned in the book of Revelation. The whole world is involved in this gift-exchange. The occasion for such merriment is the supposed destruction of God's Church, represented by the death of the two witnesses (Rv 11:3, 7). The world will have quite a party, complete with gifts, when they think the Church is destroyed.

Jesus said that we would be hated by all on account of Him (Lk 21:17). Yet few expect it to be that bad. It will come to a point that people will consider it their patriotic and religious duty to destroy the members of God's Church (see Jn 16:2). When the Church seems finally dead, there will be a shopping spree and a gift-exchange. But the Church will rise from the dead, as Jesus its Head rose. "Sheer terror" will grip our enemies, and we will go up to heaven in a cloud while our enemies look on (Rv 11:11-12).

Prayer:  Father, at the end, may I not give in to the pressure to apostatize (2 Thes 2:3).

Promise:  "God is not the God of the dead but of the living. All are alive for Him." —Lk 20:38

Praise:  Praying together as a family has helped the Wesley's weather the storms of health problems.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 24, 2000


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 27, 2000