Hope’s Grace-Filled, End-Time Message(with quiz)

Hope’s Grace-Filled, End-Time Message

According to Entrepreneur.com’s small business encyclopedia, a slogan is “a catchphrase or small group of words combined in a special way to identify a product or company.” Slogans are like mini-mission statements. They vividly and powerfully identify a business and its vision, shaping attitudes of employees and consumers regarding what the business is all about. In a sense, just like ranchers brand cattle with a marks of ownership, slogans brand businesses and products.

Israel’s Statement of Faith

God brands religious movements as well. He places His identifiable stamp of approval on them to distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. In the days of ancient Israel, when the heathen nations around them were polytheists worshiping multiple gods, Israel’s clear, identifiable, powerful statement of faith was found in Deuteronomy 6:4. Twice a day, in the morning and the evening, Jewish families repeat the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

“Hear, O Israel.” Throughout the centuries of their exile, the chanting of the Shema reminded Jews of the spiritual vision and path that united them as a people. It also strengthened Israel’s resolve to resist attempts to force them to abandon their spiritual vision and path. Deuteronomy 6:4 is one of the first verses that a Jewish child is taught as soon as he or she learns how to speak. In addition, Jewish mothers continually teach their young children to chant the Shema before going to sleep.

Watch Pastor Finley’s informative and inspirational presentation titled, Hope’s Grace-Filled, End-Time Message.

A Powerful Example

An amazing example of the power of this faith identity took place immediately after World War II ended in 1945. During the Holocaust, some Jewish parents in Europe had placed their children in Christian orphanages to save their lives. After the war, rabbis visited those orphanages to search for Jewish children. The priests and nuns who ran the orphanages were not willing to release the children and return them to their people. In fact, they would often deny that they had any Jewish children.

During one visit, a leading rabbi asked the priest in charge to allow him to return in the evening when the children were going to sleep. The priest reluctantly agreed. When the rabbi returned, he entered the children’s room, and as he walked through the aisles of beds, he chanted the Hebrew words of the Shema. One by one, children burst into tears and cried out, “Mama!” Many repeated the words of the Shema. The priest was caught off guard. The children’s memories of their Jewish mothers putting them to bed every night with the Shema on their lips were still strong. He had no choice but to admit that he was “mistaken.” The lost children of Israel were able to return “home” to their people and to their Torah.

Burned into their consciousness, indelibly impressed upon the minds of these children were those words that confirmed their Jewish Identity: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The three angels’ messages in Revelation 14 are our Shema—our rallying point. They are our identifying statement of faith. They define who we are as an end-time people and describe our mission to the world. We find our unique prophetic identity outlined in Revelation 14:6–12, and it is here that we find our passion to proclaim the gospel to the entire world.

The heart of Revelation is an urgent last-day message found in the 14th chapter. In the imagery of three angels flying in mid- heaven, God proclaims his last message of mercy to a dying world.

To complete the lesson:

At the conclusion of the video, you will be presented with a short quiz to test your understanding of the material presented by Pastor Mark Finley. The short-quiz is designed to test your understanding of the material presented. Your responses will be reviewed by one of HopeLives365’s Bible instructors and you will receive feedback and a grade. If you pass the quiz with a score of 70% or higher, a digital certificate of completion will be awarded upon finishing the six-part course series. You may also download a FREE copy of the Bible (KJV) to review the Scriptures referenced in Pastor Finley’s presentation. The Bible can also be used to assist with the answers to the quiz.

Resources

Bible (KJV)