As we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, let us take a good, honest look at our once-great country. My parents came to this country from a troubled Europe. My dad came from Poland/Austria at the turn of the century, my mother from Germany. They met over here, and I can remember them preparing to get their citizenship papers during my preschool years.

So far in our series, we have learned that the way we live our lives here and now will have eternal and unchangeable consequences in the coming kingdom. In other words, what we do after we have been born again dramatically affects our roles, our positions, and our places in the future reign of Christ.

Before we go further in our series on The Kingdom, Power and Glory, it’s important we again visit the topic of “overcoming,” as we stress this subject so often throughout these articles.

Continuing our series on The Kingdom, Power and Glory, we learned last month that as a result of the Judgment Seat of Christ, there will be two kinds of inheritance.

In this article, we are going to cover some very controversial issues—issues that probably will go against some of your “traditional views”—so we encourage you, first of all, to be open and receive the Word with a readiness of mind, but then, check everything out in Scripture.

My apologies, but I could not resist the temptation to spell out something that makes about as much sense as the January reports coming from global financial leadership and economic analysts.

Imagine traveling to Israel and not only seeing the traditional Biblical sites and enjoying Bible studies with a great Bible teacher, but also visiting military bases, meeting IDF soldiers on Israel’s frontline of defense, and hearing from some of the top experts in Israel, who can give you a clear understanding of what is really going on inside Israel today.

There’s something important that you should remember as you begin to read the following. This article is part of a series. So, even though I try to review each time, it’s impossible for me to redefine every term in every article.

So far in our Kingdom, Power and Glory study, we have learned that the way we live our lives here and now will have dramatic consequences in the coming Millennial Kingdom.

Before we continue our Kingdom, Power and Glory series on the “Security of our Salvation,” Chuck and I would like to share with you some incredible responses we have received from pastors, students and brothers and sisters in the Lord who have read the book.

First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season, blessed by God’s presence. What an appropriate time to remember the real reason we have been called and to remind ourselves of the importance of sanctification—letting our actions show forth Christ.

As was mentioned at the beginning of this series, after being Christians for more than 50 years, what Chuck and I have learned in our research for this material has totally revolutionized our personal walk with the Lord.

Over the past couple of months, we have been exploring the real reason for our salvation, which is ruling and reigning with the King of Kings in the future Millennial Kingdom and, after that, for eternity. Our life here and now is simply the training ground, the proving ground and the testing ground for that next life.

Thank you for the hundreds of calls, letters and e-mails that we have received about our new book. It has been so exciting to see so many “receive the Word with openness of mind,” but then “search the Scriptures to be sure these things are so.” (Acts 17:11)

Two months ago, Chuck and I released a new book called The Kingdom, Power and Glory. Since then, we have received many wonderful comments about the hope the book has given them.

Since its founding in 2007, the mission of Soldiers Bible Ministry (https://soldiersbibleministry.org) is to provide Bibles and study materials to U.S. as well as allied troops—in their native languages—when requested.

We have received so many wonderful comments about our new series, The Kingdom, Power and Glory. As William Welty mentioned in the Foreword of the book, we pray it might be “the road map through the times of trouble that are about to refine God’s children and judge all of God’s enemies.”

Last month we began a new series called The Kingdom, Power and Glory. As was stated in that first article, Chuck and I are convinced that the truths contained in this series “are some of the most life-changing principles we’ve encountered since our new births.”

John must have been puzzled. Exiled to the lonely island of Patmos, he has just begun to receive what will become known as the most elevated vision of things to come given to any person in the history of planet earth.

Did you know that Daniel Webster, the famous 1800s statesman, was a born-again Christian? He was also known as a brilliant scholar who gave the most eloquent speeches ever delivered in Congress. One evening he was invited to lecture a group of congressmen.

David Wilkerson once said: “If I am not Christ-like at heart—if I’m not becoming noticeably more like Him—then I have totally missed God’s purpose for my life. It doesn’t matter what I accomplish for His kingdom. If I miss this one purpose, I have lived, preached and yes, striven in vain.”

God’s basic purpose for our lives as Christians is to be “conformed into the image of Christ.” (Romans 8:29) Why? So that we can then reflect His character and His image to others and bear godly “fruit” (good works). John 15:16 says, “I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.”

Having spent the better part of last year going through our series on “Reflecting God’s Image,” the lesson we’ve learned is that as Christians we have been created for God and His purposes. And only when we align ourselves with those purposes, will we ever be fulfilled and able to glorify Him.

Continuing our series on reflecting Christ’s image, you can see that abiding in the Lord and spiritual warfare must go hand in hand. Abiding in His presence involves companionship, communion, fellowship, mutual delight and decision making; whereas, spiritual warfare involves being a watchman on the wall protecting this relationship and always keeping an eye on the health of our soul.

2008 has been one of the most gratifying years for the Koinonia Institute. It has continued to grow in depth as well as reach. Our diverse Membership of over 2,000 now spans over 30 countries:

May the Lord give you a very blessed Christmas and may your New Year be filled with the “fragrance of Christ.”

First of all, I want to wish every one of you a very blessed holiday season. Even though the times right now are difficult, Scripture tells us we have much to be thankful for. Read Isaiah 9:6-7 again. Maranatha!

Continuing our series on Reflections of His Image, a very important part of “abiding in Christ” is the ability to recognize the attacks of the enemy and to know what exactly to do. The Lord tells us in Psalm 91 that if we abide, “He will keep us from the snare of the fowler and no evil will befall us;

This month I would like to share about a rather unfamiliar topic: Being “friends with God.” (This is still a part of our Reflections of His Image series.)

For several months now, we have been sharing on the subject of “Reflecting God’s Image,” which is the purpose of our lives. Reflecting and glorifying God is a topic that should dominate our lives. John 14:13 tells us that we are to make His glory the aim of everything we do. In short, our lives should continually reflect His person, His character and His Love and should cause others to look upon Him.