Newsletter                                                              October 2020

Dear saints,

Over the last year and a half, to God be the glory, changes are taking place. I am no longer writing the newsletters which I've done for over 25 years. The only way one can keep up with this expansion is by delegating other responsibilities to talented, experienced people who are part of our team. I’ve given Eric Ross the opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through him, each month. His writings will always line up with the Word of God.

Our once a week worldwide radio show has also been upgraded. We are expanding our in-depth study of the Word. We now have competent laypeople each week, bring forth the Word of God. I was doing the teaching every week for a good number of years and felt it was time for a change. I’m thankful for their gifts and talents have been a blessing to the listeners. You too will be blessed if you listen to our show. We are on Tuesday at 7 pm Eastern standard time on https://mixlr.com/omegamanradio. Our YouTube outreach which we developed almost 2 years ago is growing. We now have 380 subscribers. In the last month, there were nearly 7000 views with 5300 of these were viewed by people, new to our site. There are around 180 shows. Most of these viewers, about 56 percent, come from Facebook. This means that you can personally support our work and help us spread the message of salvation by posting these testimonies on social media. Last month you received the card directing you to our channel. If you still have the card please watch a show or two and subscribe. Our goal is 1000 subscribers. If you’re able, please put it out on social media. Anyone of the 5 shows on the back of the card would draw interest. Or just go to https://www.youtube.com/newhopeinthelord.

What About Halloween?
In our culture, Halloween has become a time for people to dress up, attend parties, or ask friends and neighbors for treats. This highly commercialized time focuses on haunted houses, telling scary stories, and horror films. Where does this fascination with skeletons, death, and scaring people come from? From the times of the early Church, Christians have remembered the saints (hallows), martyrs, and all of the faithful departed which became the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. However, departed saints and loved ones are largely forgotten in popular culture where All Hallows' Eve or Halloween commemorates a night when supernatural beings are said to roam about. These beings are known to be malignant spirits and many believe they can be appeased by giving them something in exchange for good fortune. Halloween is not a Christian holiday and today hides a veiled truth that there are spirit beings that will meddle in our lives with evil intent whenever they can.

These spirits, Satan, and the angels that followed in rebellion against God are bound to this earth Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”. Satan is a deceiver and is said to have in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “blinded the minds of them which believe not”. Satan is described as an adversary where he is “standing at his right hand to resist him”. Zechariah 3:1.

One of Satan’s main activities is revealed in Revelation 12:10 “the accuser of our brethren … which accused them before our God day and night”. One of his primary means of attack is to bring accusations of sins we commit and, of course, he would have an airtight case except for the fact that for believers, our Lord, our Advocate, defends us, by presenting to him the full payment for our sin. All our sins were paid for. 1 John 2:1-2, “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”.

Satan is also the tempter who came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness but failed. Matthew 4:1-3 tells us that Satan knows scripture and quotes it out of context (as the cults). When Jesus quoted the scriptures (in context), he fled. Quoting scripture will defeat him all the time. He hasn’t changed and is still at work in the Church. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 3:5, “I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you”. Temptation has been the devil’s work from the beginning. He tempted Eve to accept his counterfeit plan, (independence from God) Genesis 3:5, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”.

Satan’s does have authority over this world (because of Adam’s disobedience) and his place of authority is clearly described in several scriptures: John 12:31 he is called “the prince of this world”, and in Ephesians 2:2 “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”. Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. However, through His obedience, Jesus as the 2nd Adam took back the authority the devil acquired from Adam, and He has delegated it to us, his children. Col 2:15 & Mt 28:18. Satan, then, and his minions have no power over us unless we give it to him, Let us not be deceived by opening any door for evil. Ephesians 4:27, says “give no place to the devil” but instead, let us turn our hearts toward God. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. As we walk in the Spirit and use our authority, we will be victorious.

Your financial support is most important, due to the virus; we are helping more saints. Please make out your check to The Master’s Hand Christian Fellowship.

Serving Our King Together,
Rev. Joseph and Eric Ross