The Plainer Truth about . . .
What is the Power of Positive Preaching?

In Acts 8:1 we find that the church was scattered abroad, except the apostles. Then verse 4 says those scattered went everywhere preaching the Word. Jesus said, "Whosoever keeps the commandments and teaches men so shall be called great in the kingdom" (Matthew 5:19f).

He did not say whosoever is a minister or evangelist or even a man, just whosoever! (By the way, preaching the gospel and teaching in the Church are two different things).

Let’s get it straight!  Who could teach the truth better: you or the Pope?  For that matter, you or any person ordained to be a minister?  "When for the time you ought to be teachers . . ." (Hebrews 5:12).  As one 70-year-old member of a church, who printed and published the Bible's truth with his own money, said to me:  "Jesus said preach the gospel.  What do I say to him when He returns if I don’t?  That the church's leaders wouldn’t let me?" "

Here’s How: A Powerful Positive Approach!

Most approaches to preaching the gospel have started on a negative basis. "Christmas and Easter are pagan," "The resurrection was not on Sunday," etc. But we can take a more positive approach.

A few years ago I was in Tennessee observing the eight day Biblical festival known as the Feast of Tabernacles. In the area where I was observing the feast at least three other seperate church groups were doing the same. I attended church services with each of the three groups. Another single brother and I became new friends and went to a micro-brewery one evening. As we were enjoying a sampler rack of beers, a couple at a nearby table noticed the samplers and opened a conversation. They were on vacation and asked our reason for being in that commercial area. I responded that we were a group of Bible believers who kept the Feast of Tabernacles. They had some knowledge of the Bible and were curious of our particular "Christian denomination."

This is not life we now live but just school and the base of appreciation. Life comes later. Jesus said, "Do these things that you may enter into life."

The blind will have a base of appreciation of eyes that we will never have. That appreciation will go on forever and forever and forever. You can’t be really happy unless you appreciate what you have! We all will get old and die. Bill Gates must get old and die. We are members of the church of God, the biblical name. We are Christian, yet we keep the Holy Days of the Old Testament. They reveal God’s plan for mankind to live happily forever.

There are seven annual Holy Days the Jews keep. But the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. The Christians accepted Jesus as the Messiah but rejected the Holy Days God commanded. If you put Jesus Christ in the Holy Days, you know that God is doing to give all mankind joyous eternal life. It is very clear! The Passover is considered Jewish. At Passover Israel killed lambs. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, and in 1Corinthians . 5:7-8 it says, "Christ is our Passover, therefore let us keep the feast," and it mentions unleavened bread.

The seven days after the Passover are called the Days of Unleavened Bread, when the Jews eat matzos. Jesus said He was the bread of life. He said He was the bread that came down from heaven. We are supposed to feed on Christ’s Word, the Bible, spiritual bread. The first two annual Sabbaths are in the Days of Unleavened Bread. They picture repentance and baptism.

"Have you heard of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given?" I asked.

"Yes," many people will answer.

"That is just a Jewish Holy Day," the third one, I tell people.

They are usually surprised at that revelation. The next Holy Day is "Rosh Hashanah" in Hebrew. In English it is the Feast of Trumpets. In Revelation it says that when Jesus returns to rule the world there will be trumpets sounding. Well, that is what the Feast of Trumpets show of God’s plan. Then comes the day you have probably heard of called "Yom Kippur."

"Yes" is the reply.

The Jews fast on that day. It is a sober day. They were told to have a ceremony where they selected two billy goats. One goat died for the people, the other was taken by a "fit man" into the wilderness and let go. It pictures two powerful rulers, Jesus and Satan, butting heads. Jesus fasted forty days before He was tempted of Satan. After the trumpets sound at Jesus’ return, Revelation tells us Satan is taken by a "powerful angel" and chained away from deceiving the nations anymore. It is a sobering day for God, since He created Satan perfect as Lucifer, who turned against his creator.

The last of the Holy Days used to be kept by the Jews as a fall harvest pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where they ate and drank, danced and had a party before God in abundance at the temple mount. This pictures the time of Isaiah when the earth will be in abundance of peace and plenty. With Satan chained away, it says the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God (instead of the confusion we have today).

The meek shall inherit the earth, not heaven. John 3:16 is the most popular Christian verse. Yet three verses before it says that "no man has ascended into heaven." In the first church sermon, Peter says, "David is not ascended into heaven" (but in the grave) (Acts 2:29, 34).

The man of the couple had asked if they could join us at our table. They made an interesting query.

"What you are saying sounds very interesting, but how do you know you are right?" he asked. "Because we are the only ones who know what is going to happen to the Hindu baby who dies a day old," we responded. "Because, you see, it says there is no other name under heaven whereby men might be saved but Jesus. So how could this baby who can’t even talk call upon Jesus’ name and be saved?"

Then the woman spoke up. "That is a very good question, she answered!" I told her that the last day of the seven annual Holy Days pictures a resurrection of all who ever lived. In Revelation it says the rest of the dead lived not until after the thousand years of Christ’s rule. The babies will be resurrected, and no more will be born, Isaiah 65:20 tells us. They will be adopted by someone and live for a hundred years as flesh in paradise and then be born again into spirit beings after learning of Jesus Christ and God’s plan.

The lady said emphatically, "Why have I never heard this before? I am a teacher, and I should know these things. I need to read my Bible!"

At another Feast restaurant time I gave a similar discourse to a lady who had remarked that our group was very nice, and asked who we were. One of the brethren came to me later and said she had remarked very positively to one of the brethren that "that guy told me all about your religion in five minutes." Another person, when told, said, "I hope you are right!"