For the last several months, we have been viewing a series of charts on Solomon’s Temple as a model or blueprint of the architecture of man. I would really recommend that you review those previous articles, if you haven’t already seen them, because this issue will build upon them.

Later this month, hordes of costumed children will be hitting the streets in search of candy and other treats. Yet, Halloween is not just “trick or treat” and “fun and games.” Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people’s lives that they are not equipped to combat.

Answer A: In political terms, the Justice and Development (AK) party, which won 47 percent of the votes in Turkey’s July 22 elections and will have almost two-thirds of the parliament seats, is a pragmatic, conservative, business-oriented moderate party despite its roots as an Islamic-oriented one.

Last month we continued our series on Reflecting His Image by showing a series of charts on Solomon’s Temple as a model or floor plan of the architecture of man. Our motive was to visibly show what a “spiritual” Christian looks like when walking by the Spirit; and, what a “carnal” believer looks like when he chooses to follow the flesh. In review:

Last month we reviewed the increasingly difficult predicament we face in attempting to position ourselves-and our families-in this volatile world. In addition to the terrorist threats and other geopolitical tensions, the mismanagement of our own national financial scene appears increasingly problematic.

The Koinonia Institute recently went over the one thousand mark threshold as it has mailed out 1,193 certificates of completion to 438 different students in recognition of their success in completing individual online study courses.

Events over the past few years have caused many informed observers to be concerned over the increased precariousness of our strategic horizon. In addition to natural disasters-such as Hurricane Katrina-and the continuing terrorist threats promising a major sequel to “9/11,” and the probability of rogue nuclear attacks of various kinds, anyone who is relying on smooth waters over the next 12-18 months is simply among the ranks of the under-informed.

Are you dissatisfied with the present course of your life? Do you feel a drawing away from your present commitments and a yearning for a greater relevance in your life? Is it possible that God may be calling you into a new phase of your life?

If our purpose as Christians is to reflect Christ, how does this visibly play out?

Next month, our Jewish friends will celebrate the Fall Feasts of Israel, which take place during the first 15 days of Tishri on the Jewish calendar. This year, they all occur in the month of September.

On our annual celebration of the birth of our once-proud republic, it is also fitting to pause for a nostalgic moment in recalling the celebrated document that created our nation’s freedoms and protections.

It is difficult to value something when its worth is unknown. The adage of one child being given a toy only to leave it out in the rain to rust, never understanding the toy’s worth, while another child-made to earn the same toy-is found to take care of it, valuing its worth, is a fitting analogy. This basic truth applies to our American heritage and the continued welfare of our nation.

The most-often quoted reference in the New Testament is the Book of Psalms. The psalms are not only unexcelled for being inspirational and comforting, they are also among the richest sources of prophetic insights in the entire Bible.

What is your purpose as a Christian?

For many months now, we have been talking about “reflecting God’s image,” which is the purpose of our lives as Christians. In order to accomplish this purpose, God has given us His indwelling Spirit so that we can be transformed into His likeness and we can glorify Him.

As a Middle East expert, I daily see material from Arab and Islamic sources containing hair-raising threats against America, Israel and the West, as well as media reports on the details of horrendous terrorist attacks. But this item in a British newspaper may be the scariest sentence I ever read.

On May 23rd our Jewish friends will celebrate the Feast of Shavuot. The Book of Ruth is traditionally read on this holiday, also known as the Feast of Pentecost. For a number of reasons, this feast may have far more prophetic relevance than is commonly recognized.

It is often startling to discover how relevant the Book of Psalms is to our contemporary world today!

II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that “we will all be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of God.”

Continuing our series on the importance of “reflecting Christ’s image” and not our own, as Christians we must realize there are two spiritual forces or entities struggling against each other inside of us. One is called the old self, the flesh or the old man (which is the old Adamic nature); and the other is called the new self, the spirit or the new man (which is God’s Life in us).