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Good Morning!

I just wanted to say that things have been very hectic here for awhile now. My inhome daycare has really taken off and have a house full of kids 10 hours a day Monday through Friday and than on the weekends I am trying to catch up on things around the house.

My sister is now living with my husband and I. So needless to say there is never a dull moment on our household lol

Praying all of you are well and doing good.

Please pray for my family and myself.

In His Loving Grace,

Kelly

 

Who Controls the Weather? By Roderick C. Meredith --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Are "natural disasters" the impersonal workings of "Mother Nature"— or can they be a VITAL message from God? Weather calamities are sometimes called "acts of God"—but what is His ACTUAL role in the droughts, famines, floods and earthquakes that affect our world? What does the Bible say about weather disasters at the end of the age? What can a Christian do to prepare? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- When savage storms, devastating earthquakes, violent tsunamis or other weather-related catastrophes occur, mankind usually blames them on "Mother Nature." Weathermen are quick to cite statistics of similar events that occurred 30, 60 or even 100 years ago. But what they often do not mention is that such events are becoming more frequent and more forceful. And the "experts" are seemingly in total ignorance of the fact that there is a Great God who ultimately controls natural events--who blesses nations that obey Him with "rain in its season" (Leviticus 26:4), and who can (and often will) punish a rebellious people with drought and famine (v. 19). Jesus Christ predicted that natural disasters would be one of the signs preceding His return to this earth as King of kings: "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences [disease epidemics], and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7-8). This booklet is a warning from servants of the Almighty God. Unless America and the British-descended peoples of the world repent of their heinous sins, the very God of creation will soon intervene to bring about the most horrifying storms and natural disasters in modern history! Then "normal" weather cycles will start changing. In fact, nearly everything around us will start changing--unless we nationally or individually repent and truly turn to the God of creation. This booklet will show you why these disasters are occurring--and what we must do, individually and collectively, to protect ourselves. American Weather Disasters The United States has the highest rate of church attendance of any major nation in the world. We talk a lot about religion. But we also have appalling rates of broken families, juvenile crime and drug abuse. We are increasingly engrossed in sexual immorality, violence, dishonesty and the headlong pursuit of a totally hedonistic lifestyle. And we regularly murder millions of unborn babies each and every year--disposing of them like so much household garbage. We call ourselves the "land of the free and the home of the brave." But literally millions of Americans live in fortress-like, gated communities--afraid to go out at night into the streets of their own cities. And, as we will see, God is punishing us through various natural disasters. Even as our personal and national sins are increasing, so are floods, tornados, severe snowstorms and earthquakes. Thus, many of today's so-called "acts of God" are, in fact, just that--the active intervention of Almighty God. And it is just beginning. Natural calamities are going to get much worse unless we as a nation repent and turn to the true God in heartfelt obedience. The past decade has offered many reminders of mankind's utter weakness when faced with natural disaster. Seven years of Midwest drought, beginning in 1998, caused the water level of the Missouri River to drop to unusually low levels, from the river's headwaters at Three Forks, Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. "We've all seen droughts before, but this one--it's serious,"said barge operator Richard Blaske, who had to sell the barges that had been in his family for generations, as they could not be operated in the river at its drought-lowered level. Legislators from states upstream are fighting legislators from states downstream, trying either to gain access to other states' water, or trying to hold on to the water they presently have. Legislators describe "a lot of fur flying"as the two sides contend for precious water. (Washington Post, July 10, 2005). Other regions of the U.S. have also been in trouble. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have experienced severe drought, as have parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico and west Texas. In Texas, a 2001 dry spell stunned farmers who had still not recovered from the droughts they had suffered in three of the last four years. Susan Combs, the state's agriculture commissioner, called the situation a "drought crisis." Drought conditions are so severe in many areas that even Hurricane Dennis in the summer of 2005 failed to bring an end to the overall drought conditions. Government experts have in recent years expressed concern about these violent extremes in weather. As a CBS News report indicated: "'Normal' is not a word weathermen are using too often these days. 'The world continues to get warmer. There is no question we are receiving global warming,' said Dr. James Baker of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The 1990s, the hottest decade in the past thousand years, seem to be setting a worrisome warming trend" (CBS Evening News, Jan. 10, 2000). "It's not only getting warmer, it's getting drier in parts of the country, including farming zones that feed much of the nation. A case in point is the crop and cattle country in California. California has only 3 percent of the nation's farmland, but it grows more than half of the nation's fruits and vegetables. There is fear of a dust bowl in the nation's salad bowl. There is no food for California's cattle. A bone-dry fall killed the grass that they normally graze on, so ranchers are trucking in carrots to keep them alive." Something "Unusual" in the Weather? And speaking of the violent changes in the weather, Dr. James Hansen, the "godfather" of global warming alarms and head of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, stated: "It's becoming clearer each year that there is something unusual going on" (San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan. 14, 2000). Something unusual? Indeed. Most scientists are beginning to realize that the normal weather patterns are not holding and that something they have never experienced may be building up in the weather cycles. A few years ago, horrifying floods affected tens of thousands of people in Ohio, Kentucky and neighboring states in America. The New York Times on March 3, 1997 reported: "From Arkansas, where tornadoes devastated a small town, to Ohio and Kentucky, where floods swept cars off the roads and sucked two people down into culverts, a front of deadly storms splintered homes and killed at least 35 people over the weekend. People who survived Saturday's pounding winds called it the most violent day of weather in memory. The storm front sent floods, tornadoes and spring-like thunderstorms through eight states, as far south as Mississippi and Tennessee and as far north as Ohio, but no state suffered worse than Arkansas. There, the twisting winds of several tornadoes flattened buildings and houses, killed 24 people and injured 200 in a few short hours Saturday night…. Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers continue to sift through the rubble of homes and businesses. 'This was an absolutely extraordinary event of weather,' Huckabee said as National Guard units helped police officers and firefighters search through the damage. 'We had more tornadoes and more damage than in all of last year…. I'm calling it apocalyptic.'" "Apocalyptic," the governor said. That expression, of course, makes direct reference to the book of Revelation and the wrath of God. And we can expect to see more and more such disasters like Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas in the summer of 2005, and like the four hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004, causing a record $22.9 billion in damage to more than 2.5 million Florida homes and businesses--a figure surpassing even the $20.8 billion that 1992's Hurricane Andrew cost Floridians. We will see floods rivaling and surpassing the great Midwest flood of 1993, the costliest flood in United States history, which killed dozens and caused $18 billion in damage. We will see more and more human tragedies even surpassing the great Galveston hurricane of 1900, which killed an estimated 8,000 people. As our national sins increase, God's word tells us that His wrath will also increase. Can we be angry at God or call Him cruel when He intervenes in this way to get our attention? Does God cause or allow these disasters because He hates us? Quite the opposite! God wants to wake us for our own good. He is acting out of love. The book of Revelation makes it plain when God tells us: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Revelation 3:19). God wants us to remember Him! An Intervening Creator Most politicians, farmers, merchants and weather forecasters leave out of the picture the One who controls the weather. They forget the Creator God who intervenes in His creation from time to time to accomplish His purposes. Remember Noah's flood? Of course, not every thunderstorm is from God's direct intervention. For natural laws guide such weather patterns. And sometimes God allows Satan to control the weather (cf. Job 1:12, 19). But the Bible reveals that there are definite times when God Himself intervenes in the weather either to bless or curse certain nations. When ancient Israel turned aside from God, how did He respond? "'I blasted you with blight and mildew [from too much rain]. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, the locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me,' says the Lord" (Amos 4:9). The same God who "spanked" nations and empires in centuries past is still very much in charge. He says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). The word of God makes it clear that if the British Commonwealth and American peoples do not repent of our personal and national sins and return to God, he will punish us with floods, drought, famine, earthquakes and disease epidemics such as we have never known nor even imagined! Each of us, individually, needs to seek God in a way we have never done before. Many in the U.S. are unaware that Europe has experienced severe drought in recent years. The heat that led to as many as 35,000 deaths across Europe during the summer of 2003 has lowered aquifers to levels not seen in a genereation or more. The summer of 2005 saw Portugal experiencing its worst water crisis in 300 years, while Spain underwent its driest year since World War II. Across France, water restrictions have been imposed on more than half the country. "One unexpected consequence of the drought has been the appearance in southern France of swarms of locusts, which are more common in Africa and have attacked broad swaths of farmland,"reported writer John Tagliabue (New York Times, July 18, 2005). The truth is that present and prophesied monster floods and droughts are going to vastly increase the potential for polluted water, malaria-carrying mosquitoes and other sources of disease. Our licentious lifestyle will continue to increase the incidence of modern plagues such as AIDS, syphilis and other sexually transmissible diseases. And even if medical science can tame or conquer some of these diseases, other more virulent plagues will undoubtedly take their place. Eventually, our hospitals--already under great financial strain and space constraints--will simply be unable to cope with the disease epidemics that the Bible says will occur! For as we saw earlier in a parallel scripture, "there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven" (Luke 21:11, NRSV). Because of our mounting sins, these calamities are destined to strike the American and British peoples, probably within this generation! As explained in our very informative booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, the United States and the British-descended peoples are identified as "Israel" in Bible prophecy. All true Christians have inherited the promises due to "spiritual Israel." But most professing Christians do not realize that God also promised physical blessings to Abraham, which were passed to his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, the ancestors of today's British-descended peoples. As remnants of the so-called "Lost Ten Tribes" of Israel, these peoples have been greatly blessed. But as they squander the blessings and adopt increasingly immoral lifestyles, they are going to be severely punished, for their own good, by a loving God who wants to wake them up before this national debauchery proceeds too far (cf. Hebrews 12:6). This amazing truth is a key to prophecy, and can be proved from the pages of your Bible. If you would like to learn more about this fascinating topic, please phone or write to our regional office closest to you (listed in the back of this booklet) and ask for your free copy of this important booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. It will be sent to you absolutely free, with no cost or obligation, and will be a big help in your study of Bible prophecy. Divine Punishment Coming Slowly, but surely, the mind of the average American has been seared in regard to the meaning and consequences of sin. Millions have no clue of what is right and what is wrong. Their parents have not taught them, nor have schools and colleges. And even the churches have utterly failed in making clear the reality of God, the meaning of His laws and the consequences of transgressing them. Notice this excerpt from a powerful address delivered by William P. Barr, former attorney general of the United States: "America… now has among the highest divorce rates in the world--divorce is as common as marriage. As a consequence of this, we now have the highest percentage of children living in single-parent households. This breakdown of the family is particularly distressing because it is the family that is the principal institution by which we conduct moral education--by which we transmit moral values from generation to generation. As the family is weakened, so is our ability to transmit values to the next generation…. Today we face the immense power of mass communications and popular culture--the mass media, the entertainment industry, academia. Today, I fear that the power and pervasiveness of our high-tech popular culture not only fuels the collapse of morality, but also drowns out the scattered voices raised against secularization…. In addition to mass popular culture, I am concerned there is another modern phenomenon that makes it harder for society to restore itself…. In the past, societies have been driven back to their senses by the sheer cost of misconduct. But today, something is new. The state--which no longer sees itself as a moral institution, but as a secular one--takes on the role as the alleviator of bad consequences. The state is called upon to remove the inconvenience and costs of misconduct. So the reaction to diseases and illegitimacy is not sexual responsibility but handing out condoms" (Vital Speeches of the Day, Nov. 1, 1992, pp. 39-40). This is American morality? Many adults do not realize how much outright immorality is taught in schools today! Nearly half of public schools teach students how to obtain birth control--even without parental consent--and almost as many teach the children how to use it. Can we fully grasp what is happening to our country? Instead of following President Abraham Lincoln's example of calling for a national day of prayer and fasting to seek forgiveness of our mounting sins before the Great God who gives us life and breath, our leaders simply want to alleviate the consequences of those sins. Can divine punishment be far behind? God's Servants Understood If you believe in the true God--the God of the Bible--you should understand that He is in control of the weather, as He clearly shows time and again in His inspired word. And God tells us of the lessons recorded in the Old Testament. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). King David of Israel was one of the greatest servants of God in all human history--a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). Notice carefully David's understanding of what to do in time of famine: "Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, 'It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites'" (2 Samuel 21:1). David knew that God controlled the weather. So when an unusual, continuing famine struck his land, he knew exactly what to do. Do you remember Elijah the prophet? Many do, but they usually forget that he demonstrated God's absolute control over the weather. In fact, Elijah is first introduced through this very matter: "And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word'" (1 Kings 17:1). But why had God inspired Elijah to prophesy total drought for a period of three years? The answer was found when Elijah finally presented himself before wicked King Ahab: "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, 'Is that you, O troubler of Israel?' And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals'" (1 Kings 18:17-18). And the New Testament directly validates this Old Testament story. For in the book of James--written by the brother of Jesus Christ--we find these inspired words: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17-18). Have we, in the United States, Canada and Britain, "forsaken the commandments of the Lord" as Elijah condemned King Ahab for doing? The answer is rather obvious. And will we receive the same kind of punishment that the land of Israel did back then? We have already seen the answer from the word of God: "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). As the New Testament puts it, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Notice Solomon's inspired prayer acknowledging God's direct control over the weather. "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance" (2 Chronicles 6:26-27). Will You Believe the Bible? Far more than most people realize, the lands of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain are indeed given to us by God as an "inheritance." When we turn away from our Creator--when we virtually spit in the face of the very God we claim to serve, and disobey His commandments continually--God does chastise us individually and nationally for our own good. He can and often does use the weather and other natural phenomena to humble us and make us realize how weak we are. Remember that the Holy Bible is the revelation of the very mind of God. In its pages, our Creator reveals Himself--how He thinks and how He acts and what He expects from us: As God revealed through the Apostle Paul, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Also, the Apostle Peter was inspired to tell us: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). Peter exhorted us to "take heed" to the inspired prophecies of the Bible. Will you really do that? Or will you, like most professing Christians, sit around and think to yourself: "Well, maybe these things will happen. But I'm not really sure. And I don't want to get excited about this religion stuff. That would be unbalanced. It might upset my business or social life!"? My friends, that is one of the many reasons the Creator will intervene in human affairs through the weather, disease epidemics, earthquakes and other natural phenomena. We need to realize that our peoples have been fed a steady "diet" through so-called "higher education," through the news media and other sources that God is "way off"--if He exists at all. We have been taught that we are the products of lovesick amoebas and have descended from monkeys without the intervention of a genuine Creator. So this Great God will intervene and get the full attention of billions of weak, confused, sinful human beings. He is going to "show" them--through many types of interventions--that He is God. And the enormous upsets in the weather in coming months and years are just part of that process! You see, if you personally come to really believe in God through His inspired prophecies, perhaps you will be willing to do what God says. You may be willing to obey the Ten Commandments genuinely as a way of life. For Jesus told the young man who asked how to receive eternal life; "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17). Nowadays, the vast majority of professing Christian ministers argues with that statement. They have been taught, and teach others, a myriad of reasons and excuses as to why you "cannot" keep the Ten Commandments! They say it is "too hard" to keep the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8). They say it is "impractical" to genuinely love your enemy and never take human life (Matthew 5:43-44). They say it is "too much" to expect you to continually cleave to your husband or wife in spite of their human weaknesses (Matthew 5:31-32). God knows all about human reasoning and these pitiful excuses, so He is soon going to intervene and shake the nations so that people will be much more willing to "listen" to Him and to obey His inspired word. As King David of Israel wrote in the Psalms: "Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men" (Psalm 9:19-20). Earthquakes All Over the World When Jesus was asked to describe a sign that would reveal His Second Coming to be imminent, He said: "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows" (Mark 13:7-8). Later, describing the seventh and last plague--the final great punishment of a just God on an immoral, evil and rebellious world--Jesus said the final plague will be primarily a great earthquake. "Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, 'It is done!' And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath" (Revelation 16:17-19). Looking at United States Geological Survey figures, a startling and sobering fact emerges:six of the ten most destructive earthquakes in recorded history have occurred in the last 100 years! The year 2004 was the deadliest year for earthquakes in nearly 500 years, according to the USGS. Not since 1556, when Chinese accounts reported 830,000 deaths from a quake in Shansi, China had there been more documented earthquake deaths than in 2004. As of February 10, 2005, official USGS figures showed 276,856 deaths from earthquakes in 2004. The vast majority of these were the result of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on December 26, and from the tsunami that followed. The Banda Aceh earthquake was huge and devastating--but soon God will shake this earth as it has never been shaken before! The so-called "experts" do not understand this, of course. But even they are concerned about the potential. Notice this analysis from the New York Times News Service, as reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune, April 28, 1999: "The doom mongers are wrong, scientists say. The killer earthquakes that have shaken the globe in the last month and taken thousands of lives in Turkey, Greece and now Taiwan are no sign that the end is near. By all estimates, the number of large jolts around the globe is below average this year, and it is simply bad luck that the recent upheavals have ripped through populated areas, leveling thousands of buildings and leaving tens of thousand of people dead, missing or homeless. But more bad luck is coming, experts agree. Even though the rate of earthquakes over time seems to be more or less unchanging, the world's population explosion means that more people are moving into quake zones, which are often near coasts. The result, experts say, is the prospect of continuing trauma as urban areas erupt with what seems like nearly endless bursts of destruction. A million people have died in earthquakes this century, experts say. The next century might see 10 times as many deaths, with a million lost in a single blow, they add, unless major steps are taken to fortify dozens of sprawling cities that are expected to teem with billions more residents. 'It is inevitable,' said Klaus Jacob, an earthquake expert at Lamont-Doherty, the earth-sciences research center of Columbia University. 'More and more people, and more and more buildings, are at stake. As the world gets more populous and richer, allowing a more built-up environment, higher buildings and all the infrastructure that supports our civilization, communications and the like, the risk goes up.'" The point we are making in this booklet is not that the "risk" goes up. The point is what the Creator says He will do--regardless of the "experts!" Some researchers believe the tremendous release of energy after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake quieted things down in California for nearly 70 years, but no more. "Since about 1980, we've seen increased seismic activity in both northern and southern California," said geologist Walter Mooney of the Uppsala Seismological Institute. "So I think people will sense that things are picking up." Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions Many Americans think of earthquakes as mostly a California concern, and assume they are relatively safe as long as they live in one of the other 49 states. But living outside California provides no guarantee of safety for Americans. The four most widely felt quakes recorded in North America hit near New Madrid, Missouri, from Dec. 16, 1811 through Feb. 7, 1812, and ranged from magnitude 7.6 to 8.2. The largest was felt from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and is reported to have caused "church bells" to ring in Boston, Massachusetts, nearly 1,000 miles away. Experts have long said that a large quake will one day strike the East Coast, where damage would be great because building codes are not designed to allow for large earthquakes. Especially troubling are the many buildings in low-lying areas near rivers and bays, which would be damaged by "liquefaction" of the earth below them. Have earthquakes shaken people into changing their behavior?Yes!As writer Chuck McShane recounts:"The Western Conference of the Methodist Church increased its membership by 50 percent between 1811 and 1812"(Charlotte Observer, March 27, 2005). How will people react when the next major volcano erupts?Chains of volcanoes and earthquake-prone areas form a rim around the Pacific Ocean for thousands of kilometers. This perimeter around the Pacific Ocean is known as the Ring of Fire. Most of the 20th century's largest earthquakes, with magnitudes of 8.5 or higher, occurred in this region. More than half of the world's volcanoes above sea level are found there, including Mount St. Helens in the United States, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines and Krakatoa in Indonesia, which all caused great devastation when they erupted. The Philippines alone has more than 200 volcanoes, and has seen great seismic devastation in recent years, such as the July 1990 earthquake of magnitude 7.7 in which nearly 2,000 people were killed. In January 2002, nearly a half-million people were displaced from their homes when the Mount Nyiragongo volcano, near the Congolese city of Goma, erupted, sending hot lava through the city's streets. Hundreds died or were injured directly because of the blast, and millions more are now in danger because of disease and contaminated water supplies. Alaska is home to more than 50 volcanoes in the Aleutian chain, and was the site of the 20th century's largest volcanic eruption, at Mount Kaimai, in 1912. "In the Aleutian chain, the odds are that this year or next something is bound to kick off," said Bob Tilling of the United States Geological Service. In Isaiah 29:6, God says of Jerusalem, "You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire." God says, "I change not" (Malachi 3:6, KJV). He did punish ancient Jerusalem with earthquakes and storms. Now, He is beginning to punish the modern descendants of ancient Israel in the same way. After a recent earthquake in Southern California, some local newswriters asked, "Why pick on Los Angeles?" The better question would be, "Why not?" Los Angeles is widely regarded as the entertainment capital of the world. More rotten, vile movies and television shows featuring murder, mayhem, illicit and perverted sex are produced in Los Angeles than any other place in the world. California has long been regarded as the "leading edge" of almost any form of perversion known to man. The Great God who rules over men and nations has every right to punish degenerate and rebellious people and nations who have forsaken His laws and have not appreciated His great blessings. The people in California--and in most parts of the English-speaking world--have in the past had many chances to learn the Truth if they had any genuine interest. God's basic ethical standards, summed up by the Ten Commandments, are well known--not hidden, esoteric knowledge. Maybe a good "shaking up" will get people's attention! What God Will Do Speaking to our ancestors, the Great God says: "And you have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed" (Jeremiah 3:2-3). Be honest. As a professing Christian nation, we have "polluted" the land with our modern adulteries, perversions, crimes and murders--including the butchery of some 45 million unborn children since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973--along with countless other acts that are abominable in the sight of the God of heaven. Is He then justified if He withholds the "latter rain" from those who disobey Him? We--the British-descended peoples of the earth--are definitely the descendants of the so-called "Lost Ten Tribes" of Israel. God has blessed us immeasurably with the greatest concentration of wealth and material resources of any people in human history. But we have "forgotten" God. We are a disgrace to the One who has blessed us so much. Therefore, in prophecy after prophecy in your Bible, God describes in detail how He will punish the modern "house of Israel"--and the Jewish people as well. Again, as a loving father "disciplines" his son, so God will discipline us for our own good in the hope that it will wake us up! Nearly all scholars acknowledge that the book of Ezekiel was written about 593bc--well over 100 years after the fall of ancient Israel in 721bc. Yet this powerful prophecy describes exactly what will happen to the "house of Israel" in the last days. In Ezekiel 4:1-3, God instructed Ezekiel to carry out a make-believe "siege" against Jerusalem. God stated: "This will be a sign to the house of Israel." God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side to bear the iniquities of the "house of Israel" (vv. 4-5). He then told Ezekiel to lie on his right side for the "house of Judah"--the Jews (v. 6). You see, these were two separate peoples! To this day, they are not the same! And this "sign" to which God referred in verse 3 is that "Jerusalem" symbolized the entire house of Israel and what was to happen to them--all twelve tribes. That is the prophetic key you must come to understand in order to understand the full meaning of biblical prophecies. In Ezekiel 5, God then instructs Ezekiel to cut his own hair and beard and symbolically "punish" each third in a different way. God states, "From there a fire will go out into all the 'house of Israel'" (v. 4). This no doubt included all twelve nations of Israel--the "Lost Ten Tribes" plus the Jewish people! God says, "One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them" (v. 12). So, just before an armed attack on our nations and the ensuing national slavery, an enormous number of our peoples are going to be "consumed with famine" and perish from the coming disease epidemics! Right now, in our present state of prosperity and unprecedented affluence, this prophecy may seem ridiculous. But God's word stands! One-third of our present U.S. population would equal approximately 100 million human beings. Can you imagine that many people perishing from famine and disease epidemics within the next 10 to 25 years or so? We at Tomorrow's World challenge all of you to prove these things to yourself. Truly, you need to understand and to act before it is too late! Famous Famines in History Many of you older readers can remember the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Drought swept through the Great Plains and plunged thousands across the United States into poverty as farmers abandoned their desolate land to seek better lives elsewhere. But this was only a tiny foretaste of what is yet to come upon the United States and British-descended peoples. We have not yet faced famine as great as have many nations around the world, and have not really begun to experience the horrors that a real drought can bring. We have never experienced a drought like the one that ravaged China in 1907, killing an estimated 24 million. Millions more died in subsequent famines caused by droughts in 1928-30, 1936 and 1941-42. Similar famine caused an estimated 5 million deaths in the Ukraine and Volga regions of the former Soviet Union in 1921-22. As recently as 1965-67, drought in India caused 1.5 million deaths. To this day, North Korea and Ethiopia are experiencing drought-related food shortages bringing hunger and despair to millions upon millions. In the July 1917 issue of National Geographic Magazine, there was an article titled, "Fearful Famines of the Past." This article vividly portrayed what people can do when they go hungry. They eat anything they can get their hands on, including cats, dogs, rats--and even human flesh! For example, in a famine in Russia in 1600 in which 500,000 people died: "Cats, dogs, and rats were eaten; the strong overcame the weak, and in the shambles of the public markets human flesh was sold. Multitudes of the dead were found with their mouths stuffed with straw"(p. 89). In a famine in Egypt during 1201 and 1202, "men waylaid women in the streets and snatched babies from their mothers' arms." One historian "recites at length the various dishes into which the murderous kidnappers converted their infant forage. The very graves of Egypt were ransacked for food" (p. 79). Do you think our peoples would never resort to such practices? Listen to what happened in England during the famine of 1314: "Everything imaginable was eaten--dogs, horses, cats, even babies. The jails were crowded with felons, and when a new criminal was thrown into a cell he was seized upon by the starving inmates and literally torn to pieces for food" (p. 82)! Such horrible practices are not confined to past centuries. In the siege of Leningrad during World War II: "Husbands ate their wives, wives ate their husbands, and parents ate their children" ("The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad," Reader's Digest, April 1969). Carnal Men Can Do Terrible Things We had on our staff a World War II veteran who ended up in the hold of a prison ship and later in a Japanese concentration camp. He has related to me--a number of times--that, yes, even American and British soldiers would eventually "eat human flesh" when under extreme duress! All historians know that this is simply a fact of life and of history. Unless one is filled with and led by the Holy Spirit of God (Romans 8:14), the human mind "snaps" in these traumatic situations and very, very shameful acts are committed. In the foundational prophecy for God's people Israel found in Leviticus 26, to which we referred earlier, God describes an entire series of punishments upon the peoples of Israel if they will not deeply repent (vv. 14-35). After predicting drought, famine, disease epidemics and invading armies, God states: "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I will lay your cities waste" (vv. 27-31). I sincerely hope that this prophecy from your very Creator does not offend you. And I hope that the historical material about famine quoted earlier from National Geographic Magazine and from Reader's Digest does not offend you. But I would rather "offend" a few timid and perhaps self-righteous individuals than see thousands of you go through the most horrifying national tribulation in human history. For truly, the traumatic times described in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 are part of the Great Tribulation, which Jesus Christ Himself prophesied. Jesus stated: "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:21-22). Yes, even our Savior predicted that "no flesh" would remain alive after this coming Great Tribulation unless God intervenes! Do you believe Jesus Christ? Or are you too complacent? Too wrapped up in the "cares of this world?" Too afraid and concerned about "what will people think?" Even in Jesus' human ministry, that was often a problem. As the Apostle John wrote about the religious leaders of Jesus' day: "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). God's End-Time Intervention If you believe in the God of the Bible, you should, frankly, expect more severe weather and natural catastrophes to dramatically affect the United States, Canada and Britain in the years to come. Yes, there may be some normal years here and there. But the pattern will be increasingly powerful storms, floods and earthquakes that will shake our cities to their very foundations. And there will also be severe drought, forest fires and eventually famine striking our lands. In the wake of all this, horrifying disease epidemics will grow rampant--more so than at any time in our history. Writing more than a century after the Israelites' ancient captivity, Ezekiel describes the end-time punishment of their modern descendants (Ezekiel 36:16-23). After this punishment, our peoples finally will change their ways: "'Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this,' says the Lord God, 'let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!'" (vv. 31-32). Yes, finally our people will be truly repentant over our escalating crime and violence, adultery and perversion, lying, cheating and stealing--and every foul thing imaginable that is an abomination in the sight of a just God. Then our American and British peoples will loathe themselves in their own sight! They will feel like vomiting when they realize the rottenness and degeneration of our "modern lifestyle," which is based on lust, instant gratification and a massive series of lies and self-deceptions. How deep we have sunk into the pit of immorality! After describing the heartfelt repentance of our peoples after their national punishment and slavery, Ezekiel's prophecy continues: "For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (vv. 24-27). This is absolutely an end-time prophecy! Such a profound repentance and regathering has never occurred to either Israel or Judah. For the "new heart" and Spirit of God placed within Israel comes only after the Second Coming of Christ! This is also described in the inspiring prophecy of Jeremiah: "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'" (Jeremiah 31:31-33). Yes, God's laws must be "written" in our hearts and minds so that our peoples will finally be willing to obey and keep His Sabbaths and His Holy Days, and follow His ways in every phase and facet of their lives. A Future "Garden of Eden" Returning to Ezekiel's prophecy, God states that after our people are regathered from slavery and placed in their own land, people will say: "'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.' Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it" (Ezekiel 36:35-36). Again, this has never happened before to Israel or Judah, for the ten nations of ancient Israel supposedly "disappeared" and became the "Lost Ten Tribes." And after their punishment under King Nebuchadnezzar and succeeding Babylonian kings, most of ancient Judah returned to their native land. But as you clearly read in Ezra and Nehemiah, they were not given God's Spirit. They were not blessed so that their land became like the "Garden of Eden" (v. 35). And the nations "all around" (v. 36) definitely did not know that God had brought them back. Rather, Judah underwent constant persecutions, harassments and trials. And we cannot say that this prophecy applies to the regathering of a comparatively few Jewish people (actually a minority of the world's Jewish population) to the nation calling itself "Israel" in the Middle East today. This nation has not been blessed and restored as a veritable "Garden of Eden." It has not been accepted by the surrounding nations as being blessed by God in any way whatsoever! And this nation, also, is subject to constant wars, harassments and trials. So this modern nation in the land of Israel is not the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy (chapter 36) by any means! As Ezekiel's prophecy for the end times continues, he describes how God will bring together both the "house of Israel" and the "house of Judah" (Ezekiel 37:15-26). For God says: "I will make them one nation…" (v. 22). Continuing in verse 24, God says: "David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them." So it is the time of the resurrection from the dead when King David will be brought to life and once again reign over reunited Israel under Jesus Christ as King of kings! The prophet Hosea was inspired to state the same: "Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days" (Hosea 3:5). So after the trials, tests and severe national punishments to "wake us up," God will bless our descendants marvelously in tomorrow's world! He will intervene and send Jesus Christ back as King of kings over the entire earth (Zechariah 14:9). And, as we have seen, King David will serve under Jesus Christ in ruling over all twelve tribes of Israel reunited again as one people in this coming millennial reign of Christ. But to be spared from the absolutely certain punishments of Almighty God we have described, each one of us must do his or her part. Each one of us must be willing to forsake the false concepts and religions of man and begin to truly obey our creator and do what He clearly says in His inspired word. Then we may be protected from this coming holocaust and as "overcomers" rule under Jesus Christ and help straighten out the planet in tomorrow's world (Revelation 2:26-27). What Should You Do? The above prophecies are certain. In these last days, they will occur and they--including massive disruptions in the weather--will drastically change everything around you and alter your entire life. So what should you do? If you sincerely want to serve God--and the true Jesus Christ of the Bible--you should wholeheartedly turn to God in a way you have probably never done before. You should begin to truly study His inspired word, the Holy Bible, and begin to obey what you read there. You should start praying fervently to God every day--getting down on your knees to seek Him and asking Him for true understanding, knowledge and guidance (cf. Deuteronomy 4:27-31). Keep reading and even studying the articles in our Tomorrow's World magazine, and compare them with your Bible. The Tomorrow's World magazine will give you advance news of what lies ahead, and will show you the genuine way of life you should be living to receive God's guidance, blessing and protection in years to come. It will show you that you can prove these things out of your own Bible. If you really want to learn more about what the Bible truly teaches, you will want to enroll in the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course. This inspiring course will take you step by step through the "key" doctrines and prophecies of the Bible. It will help you gain real understanding. If you would like to receive the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course, please call or write to the regional office nearest you (listed at the back of this booklet) and you will be sent these lessons absolutely free and without obligation, simply upon your request. God has commissioned us at Tomorrow's World to warn our peoples of the coming Great Tribulation that Jesus prophesied. He has called us to preach the true Gospel to all the world--the Gospel of the Kingdom (or Government) of God--a government soon to be set up on this earth with Jesus Christ as King of kings (Revelation 11:15; 19:16). With God's help, we are restoring Apostolic Christianity, the very way of life taught and practiced by Jesus Christ, His Apostles and the original first-century Christian Church. God's message is a message of great hope--a message of His great love for us. The increasing disasters around the world are a sign that God wants us to repent, for our own good! Out of His great love, He wants to show us the consequences of our sins. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:6). Yes, God wants to receive you as His son or daughter! That is why He created you, and that is why He is willing to shake the very earth to get your attention and bring you to repentance! Jesus' message was of repentance, and of His coming Kingdom which will be established when He returns to rule on this earth for a thousand years--after the disruptions at the end of this age are past. "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15). Yes, you do need to repent, believe in and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. These are the first steps. Then, if you truly believe His Message, you must act upon it. Part of that action is to turn to God wholeheartedly, as ancient Judah was told to do after their 70-year captivity in Babylon. God, who "does not change," told them then and tells us today: "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" (Jeremiah 29:12-14). When you truly believe in Jesus Christ, and accept His Message, you will be willing to change and seek after God's righteousness. The Apostle Peter instructed Christians: "But as He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16). The Apostle John exhorted God's faithful: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). True Christians are to overcome their own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and its temptations--and finally resist Satan himself. Peter concludes his last letter with this searching admonition:"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:18). Today, in our human flesh, we are subject to all sorts of weaknesses and sin. But by regular, diligent study of the Holy Bible; by constant, fervent prayer on our knees, and by continually yielding and actively surrendering ourselves to God, we are to overcome our sinful ways and let God, through His Holy Spirit, build within us the holy, righteous character of God. We know that we will not achieve perfection in this life, but we must be making real progress. For we are to grow in the very nature and character of God Himself. Whether God protects us from a particular catastrophe, or allows us to go through it in order to help us build Christian character within us, we can be assured that God is with us, using even the most terrible circumstances--not just in the weather, but in all aspects of our lives--to bring about His purpose (Romans 8:28). Even if our nations as a whole will not repent, you can certainly change and be forgiven and protected during these coming calamities. Jesus Himself gave this assurance: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man"(Luke 21:36).

Do You Live by What Christ Taught? By Roderick C. Meredith --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Are you living the way Jesus Christ and His apostles lived? Do you believe and practice what they taught? Many who call themselves Christians have departed from the faith of Jesus Christwithout even realizing it! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- What was the Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles really like? Would Jesus even recognize the doctrines and practices of todays mainstream Christianity? The kind of Christianity you believe and practice may spell the difference between life or deathmuch sooner than you realize! Jesus Himself predicted a massive Great Tribulation so awful that "no flesh would be saved" unless God Almighty intervened in human affairs (Matthew 24:2122). If you are not following His true ways, your very life, and the lives of your loved ones, may be at stake. Describing this soon-coming Great Tribulation, Marks inspired gospel states: "For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elects sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days" (Mark 13:1920). Do you really believe what the Bible clearly and repeatedly says? If you do, you should be alert to Jesus plain warnings about following the traditions of men. For Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day with these meaningful words: "You have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:69). So, for your sakefor the sake of the Eternal Gods favor, and His divine protection for you and your loved onesit is absolutely vital that you do not follow the "commandments of men" instead of the commandments of God! Let me explain. Most of you Tomorrows World readers are undoubtedly sincere in your desire to find and to fulfill the real purpose for your lives! By now, I trust, you already understand that we at Tomorrows World are not a part of "mainstream" Christianity. You perhaps realize that we are different for a reason. You may realize that most of us in this Work grew up in mainstream churches and practiced the customs of the average churchgoer. We eventually proved to ourselves that we had to "come out" of this system in order to obey and to serve the true God of the Bible. Many of us had to give up family, friends or jobs in order to do this. Why? Because we came to realize that Jesus Christ absolutely insists that we follow His true Christianity, not just any false Christianity or other religion in which we just happened to be reared. We came to realize that Gods inspired words actually condemn those who put Christs very name on all kinds of pagan doctrines and customs that they have somehow put together. Over and over, in many different ways, the Jesus Christ of your Bible challenged His followers, "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Growing up in a "mainstream Christian" church, going to Sunday school and even as president of my Sunday school class, I did not realize how absolutely vital it is that all who call themselves "Christian" must be willing to obey Christs clear and consistent teachings, to surrender their lives and truly strive to "live by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). Jesus Christ insists on it! Most of you reading this article do sincerely want to honor Christ and God the Father. In the past, you may have felt (as I did) that you were obeying the God of the Bible. Yet, if you will honestly and thoroughly "check it out"as I, personally, had to doyou will probably find that you have believed in dozens of doctrines and concepts that have no basis whatsoever in the Bible. In like fashion, you will find that you haveprobably unwittinglybeen following all kinds of pagan customs and practices that Jesus and the original apostles would have condemned! Get Back to the TRUTH! The Apostle Paul warned the Christians of his day: "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:2931). Dear friend, for your own sake, please consider whether you are truly following the "whole counsel of God," to which Paul had just referred earlier in his inspired writings! Certainly most of you may understand part of the Bible, part of Christs true teachingsand perhaps a little bit regarding prophecy and the awesome purpose for which God created you. However, just "accepting Jesus," joining some church down the street, and hoping to "float off to heaven" when you die is not what true Christianity is all about! Most who call themselves "Christians" have never been taught the full purpose of human existence! It is vital that you come to fully understand and follow the "whole counsel" of Almighty God (Job 15:8; Acts 20:27). We have just read Pauls warning that "savage wolves" would come in and "draw away" many from the Truth of God. Paul also urgently warned Gods people about a great "falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:112). He wrote: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (vv. 78). What did Paul mean by "lawlessness"? In his day, people traveled by foot or on an animal. Paul was obviously referring to something more than "traffic laws" being violated. Paul was describing a religious systemthe "mystery of lawlessness"that was slowly but surely taking over the name of Christianity, perverting Christs teachings and practices, convincing people to abandon Gods great spiritual law! Nearly all respected mainstream historians know that a massive change came over the professing Christian church within a century after Christ and the original apostles died. One historian writes: "For fifty years after St. Pauls life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120AD with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul" (Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, p. 41). On whose authority did the early bishops make these drastic changes? Did God or Jesus Christ tell them to make the true church very different from the original church of Christ and the apostles? No way! Rather, even after His death, Jesus told the apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:1920). On whose authority did the so-called "church fathers" do away withand virtually destroy for their followersthe teachings of Jesus Christ and the original apostles? The real answer is that they had no such authority! That is why God inspired the Apostle Jude to exhort true Christians: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 34). Jude tells us that we will literally need to "contend"fightfor the "faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." He warns about certain men who "crept in" to turn the concept of grace into "licentiousness"into a license for deceived people to think that they can disobey Gods great spiritual law and still somehow enter the Kingdom of God! This, my friends, is exactly what most "mainstream" Christians believe today. Many churches talk about the Ten Commandments as a good general guideline. But if you pin them down, the vast majority of mainstream ministers will say that a Christian is not bound to keep the Ten Commandments as a way of life! This is one reason why God inspired Jude to exhort us to contend for the true faith which was "once for all delivered to the saints." RESTORE True Christianity! What would it mean to restore the original Christianity of Christ and the apostles? What differences would we find if the "original Christianity" of the New Testament was genuinely taught and practiced once again? Wow! This restoration would involve far more than most of you probably realize! Because, as we have seen from history, by 120AD historians find a professing Christian church "in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul." Respected historian Will Durant wrote, "Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. The Greek mind, dying, came to a transmigrated life in the theology and liturgy of the Church; the Greek language, having reigned for centuries over philosophy, became the vehicle of Christian literature and ritual; the Greek mysteries passed down into the impressive mystery of the Mass. Other pagan cultures contributed to the syncretist result. From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity... and a personal immortality of reward and punishment; from Egypt the adoration of the Mother and Child, and the mystic theosophy that made Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, and obscured the Christian creed" (The Story of Civilization, Vol. 5, Durant, pp. 595, 599). For hundreds of years during the Dark Ages, the genuine Christianity of Christ and the apostles was indeed "obscured." Men wrongly taught, in Jesus name, a totally different way of life and approach to God. False teachers replaced the original Holy Dayscommanded by God, and observed by Christ and the apostleswith pagan days and worldly concepts. As historian Jesse Lyman Hurlbut wrote: "The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and of worship. About 405AD images of saints and martyrs began to appear in the churches, at first as memorials, then in succession revered, adored, and worshipped" (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 73). At that time, false Christians gradually introduced "heathen feasts" such as Christmas, Easter and All Saints Day into the professing Christian church. But what about the fourth commandment of Almighty God? What about the commanded weekly day of rest and worship? "As long as the church was mainly Jewish, the Hebrew sabbath was kept; but as it became increasingly Gentile the first day gradually took the place of the seventh day" (ibid., p. 45). Was this Gods idea? Did God gradually change His divine law so His worshipers could honor the "day of the sun"Sundayas the pagans had done for centuries? No way! As scores of authorities acknowledge, the true ChristiansGentiles and Jews alikeall worshiped on the seventh day Sabbath. Historians agree that this continued for at least a generation or two after the deaths of the Twelve Apostles! God did not change His law. The Apostle Paul instructed Christians: "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). The Apostle John observed: "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6). These two apostles, like all the others, knew that Jesus Christ came to show the perfect example, and that Christians ought to follow His example, strengthened by the Holy Spirit. This was the commonplace understanding in the Apostle Pauls day, as Christianity spread across the Roman Empire. Historians acknowledge this fact, as the following meaningful quotation reminds us: "Everywhere, especially in the East of the Roman Empire, there would be Jewish Christians whose outward way of life would not be markedly different from that of the Jews. They took for granted that the gospel was continuous with [the religion of Moses]; for them the New Covenant, which Jesus had set up at the Last Supper with His disciples did not mean that the covenant made between God and Israel was no longer in force. They still observed the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles the weekly Sabbath and the Mosaic regulations concerning food. According to some scholars, they must have been so strong that right up to the fall of Jerusalem in AD70 they were the dominant element in the Christian movement (Judeo-christianisme, "Paul and Jewish Christianity," Davies, 1972, p. 72, quoted in Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday, p. 151). So, for about the first 40 years of Christianity, guided by the Holy Spirit, the dominant element in the Church of God was still following Christs example of keeping the weekly and annual Sabbaths commanded by God. Christians were still following the example set by the Jerusalem Church of God! Who dared to change all of that? What Was Original Christianity Like? The inspired Apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders, "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:2728). If one could have looked in on the "church of God which is at Corinth"as Paul addressed the churchwhat way of life would one have observed among these Gentile Christians? What laws of God and biblical teachings would stand out as being different from mainstream "Christianity" as it is practiced today? First, even to be present with the early Christians when they met, one would have to grasp the vital importance of obeying all ten of the Ten Commandmentsincluding the fourth commandment. For the fourth commandment states, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates" (Exodus 20:810). This commandment, above all others, reminds the believer that the true God is the Creator. God made the seventh day "holy time"not Sunday, which is the first day of the week. He did this right at the time of creationlong before there were any Jews. For the Sabbath was not made for the Jews! Jesus Christ Himself said, "The Sabbath was made for man"(Mark 2:27). It was made when human beings were made, then later was made part of the codified spiritual lawthe Ten Commandmentswhich God Himself wrote on two tablets of stone (Exodus 34:28). Worshiping regularly on the seventh daythe day that begins at what we today call Friday at sunset, and continues until sunset on Saturdaythe early Christians were always mindful that the true God was the Creator of heaven and earth, who gave the Ten Commandments that reveal the basis of the right way of life! And the early Christians also observed the seven annual Holy Daysseven annual festivals directly commanded in the Bible. For Christ and the apostles taught Christians to "live by every word of God" (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4)and the only written word of God then available was what we call the Old Testament. From the Old Testament book of Zechariah, the early Christians would have read and understood that when the Messiah returns to earth as King of kings, He will direct all nationsJews and Gentiles aliketo keep the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the seven annual festivals that God commandedHis people to observe. As Zechariah wrote: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16). Then the prophet goes on to tell us that God will shut off the rain from any nation refusing to keep the Feast of Tabernacles! This, my friends, is going to occur during the soon-coming rule of Jesus Christ! Does it sound as though the genuine Christ of your Bible means business when He commands obedience to Gods Laws? Yes, it does! And, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Are you familiar with that aspect of the biblical Jesus Christ? Meeting with the original Christians at Corinth, one would also note that they were not observing Easter. Rather, they kept the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, two of Gods commanded annual observances (1 Corinthians 5:68). After reminding them that Jesus Christ was sacrificed as our Passover, Paul instructed the Christians at Corinth, "Therefore let us keep the feast" (v. 8). Since Pauls whole context here involves the Passover and Unleavened Bread, it is obvious that he was exhorting these Gentile Christians to keep the Feast of Unleavened Breadthe Feast observed in connection with, and occurring just after, the Passover! Also, if we met regularly with the early Church of God at Corinth, we would hear one of the elders reading Pauls first letter to them, in which he wrote, "But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:8). Pentecost? Perhaps you thought that Pentecost was a onetime event when the Church began, when Peter preached to a massive crowd and 3,000 people were converted (Acts 2). No. Pentecost was also one of the seven annual festivals that the early Christians observed. These festivals point out and help us commemorate the great Plan that God is working out here on earth. Without observing these true biblical Holy Dayswhich Christ and the early Church observedmost of todays churchgoers are in total ignorance of the Plan which God is working out among humanity today. We have prepared a well-documented booklet which fully explains these God-given festivals and their meaning, titled The Holy Days: Gods Master Plan. Please write for your free copy. An OVERVIEW of Gods PLAN Gods seven annual commanded festivals teach us how He is working out His purpose among mankind. First, the Passover clearly focuses on Jesus Christ as the "Lamb" of God. This is the first step for true Christiansrepenting of sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Next come the Days of Unleavened Bread, in which the act of "putting out leaven" focuses on the next step in true Christianitythe absolute necessity to put sin out of our lives, to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Gods third commanded annual festival is Pentecostor, as it is called in the Old Testamentthe Feast of "Firstfruits" (Exodus 23:16; 34:22). As Old Testament scholars know, this festival celebrates the spring harvest of barleythe small harvest. This reminds us that God is now only harvesting the "firstfruits" of salvation. For the major harvest of souls will occur during Christs millennial reign and during the Great White Throne Judgment. Pentecost reminds the true Christian of the need for Gods power through His Spirit, and of His blessing on the small number of people He is now calling out of this deceived world. The last four annual Holy Days all occur in the seventh monthseven being the number of "completion" or perfection. The festival of "Trumpets" is Gods festival that comes on the first day of the seventh month. Ancient Israel used trumpets as a signal or alarm of war! And the entire Bible is replete with scriptures showing us that Jesus Christ will return to this earth at the "last trumpet" (1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 11:15). Therefore, year after year, this festival reminds Christians about this vital part of Gods PlanJesus Christs return and His establishing the Kingdom of God over the entire world! The Day of Atonement comes next, on the tenth day of the seventh month. It pictures Satans banishment from the earth after Christs Second Coming. The entire world will then be brought to the full knowledge of the Truth, and Satans presence and his power to "deceive the nations" (Revelation 20:13) will cease. Next comes the joyful and exciting Feast of Tabernacles, when "all the nations will come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (see Zechariah 14:1619). This festival is also called the "Feast of Ingathering" (Exodus 23:16). It pictures the time when God will finally set His hand to "save all the nations of the earth," and all people around the world will live under Christs rule, learning and living by the Truth throughout their lives. But what about the billions of human beings who have died without ever being truly "called" of Godwho never really understood Gods magnificent Plan and the supreme purpose for human existence? This is what Gods seventh annual festival pictures. This festivalthe "Last Great Day"pictures that time described in Revelation 20:1113 when every human being who has ever lived will be given a genuine opportunity to learn the Truth and to respond. God is not unfair! He describes a coming "day of judgment" then even the vile sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah will be given a chance they never had before (Matthew 11:2024). So, through observing Gods Holy Days and learning and reviewing Gods great Plan through these days, the original Christians would have understood the great purpose our Creator is working out among humanity. WHY the Weekly Sabbath? Every human being truly needs to have one day a week to genuinely rest and have the opportunity to meditate and contemplate on lifes lessons. As we have seen, "the Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27). It was made when mankind was madelong before the old covenant, and long before the Jews even existed as a people. It was made for all human beings. The weekly Sabbath was also given as a "convocation"a commanded assembly (Leviticus 23:13). The Bible tells us that in Tomorrows World, when Christ is fully in charge as King of kings, "from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD" (Isaiah 66:23). True Christians today are, in a sense, "pioneers" in being willing to learn and obey Gods teachings, and to keep holy the days He made holy. The God of the Bible tells us even now to "convoke"to assembleon His Sabbath. And the writer of Hebrews reminds those of us living in these last days, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:2425). But do you know where to assemble with people who really understand what this is all about? A third lesson the biblical seventh day Sabbath teaches us is that it is a type of the coming Millenniumthe rule of Jesus Christ over the earth for a thousand sand years. Many secular historians regard Edward Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire as the definitive history of the Roman Empires later years. Describing the early Christians, Gibbon wrote: "The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the works of the creation had been finished in six days, their duration in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labour and contention, which was now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon the earth till the time appointed for the last and general resurrection" (p. 403). Those of us who keep the biblical Sabbath are constantly reminded of the ultimate "rest" God will give His peoplethe coming millennial reign of Christ as "King of kings" over this earth (Revelation 19:16), and eternal life in the Kingdom of God. By contrast, those who observe the pagan "day of the sun" and the annual pagan holidaysso artfully woven into the fabric of professing "Christianity"are accepting a totally different concept of Christ and God. They are learning to disregard Gods command to keep the seventh-day Sabbath as "holy time," and are unable to learn all the spiritual lessons this involves. By neglecting to keep the true biblical Holy Days of God, they never fully understand the great Plan of God, which is revealed and rehearsed through His commanded Holy Days. Believers in "mainstream Christianity" are usually taught about "floating off to heaven" with nothing to do! However, as historian Gibbon explained, the early Christians looked forward to being part of that "triumphant band of saints" who would rule this world under Jesus Christ for the thousand-year "Sabbath" of the Millennium! That was their goalnot floating off to heaven! The Apostle John reveals to us the "prayer of the saints" in these words, "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:910). Somewhere on earth today is the true "Church of God"called by that name a dozen times in the New Nestament. Its members do understand the real meaning of life. They are being taught and prepared to be those kings and priests under Jesus Christ in Tomorrows World. Somehow, you have been brought into contact with the true Church through reading this very magazinepublished by the Living Church of God, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, USA. If God is opening your mind and you wish to act on the precious Truth He is revealing, be sure to write to us or call us, or contact us via the Internet, and request a visit at a place and time convenient to you. We have ministers or trained representatives in nearly every part of the world, and we will not "pressure" you to do or to join anything! Finally, if you want further written documentation and proof about Gods Holy Days, about the true Christian Sabbath or about the entire concept of restoring Apostolic Christianity, be sure to request our free booklets, The Holy Days: Gods Master Plan, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? and Restoring Apostolic Christianity. They will be sent to you absolutely free, with no obligation. Just phone, write, fax or send e-mail to the regional office nearest you, listed at the bottom of page 30 of this magazine. May God grant you the understanding, the faith and the courage to take the necessary actions to show yourself to Him as one who genuinely desires to be in His eternal Kingdom and fulfill the purpose for which He has created you!

Causes of Religious Confusion, Division, and Disagreement Why is there so much disagreement, confusion, and division in religion? Even "Christian" denominations often disagree and contradict one another. Does Jesus approve of such division, or does He want religious unity? Does division occur because the Bible contradicts itself or cannot be understood? Is it caused by ignorance, lack of Bible study, human religious authority, and man-made creeds? What does God's word say? Introduction: Confusion, division, and disagreement abound in religion. Religious people are divided into hundreds of different denominations, wearing different names, worshipping in different ways, and teaching different doctrines. In this study we want to consider why there is so much confusion, disagreement, and division. Does Jesus approve of it, or does He seek religious unity? Does the Bible contradict itself? Is it impossible to understand? Do people fail to study diligently enough, resulting in ignorance? Are the problems caused by following man-made creeds and authority instead of following the Bible? What does God's word say? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- I. Things that Should Not Be Blamed --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Sometimes people suggest invalid explanations, which are not the real sources of the problem. A. Not Because God's Will Is Unrevealed or Incomplete Some people say that disagreement exists because God has never told us everything we need to know. Or perhaps truths have been lost or changed over the centuries. But consider: 2 Timothy 3:15-17 - The Scriptures provide us completely to all good works. God has told us everything we need to know to be saved. 1 Corinthians 14:37; John 16:13 -Inspired men wrote God's commands and revealed all truth. 1 Peter 1:22-25 - This gospel lives and abides forever. It will always be here to teach us God's will. When people are religiously divided, it is not because God's word is unavailable to us today. B. Not Because the Bible Contains Errors or Contradictions Some people suggest that Bible believers contradict one another because parts of the Bible contradict other parts. Or perhaps the Bible is in error or inaccurate on some points. John 17:17; Psalms 119:128; 33:4 - God's word is truth. It is always right and can never be wrong. And truth will never contradict other truth. Mark 3:24,25 - A house or kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If the Bible contradicts itself, then God would be divided against Himself. 1 Corinthians 1:13 - The Corinthians were divided and confused. Was this because Jesus contradicted Himself and led them into confusion? No! Christ is not divided against Himself. God's word is infallible, harmonious and unified. It cannot be wrong, and it cannot contradict itself. If people disagree with the Bible, then it is the people who are wrong, not the Bible - Romans 3:4. C. Not Because the Bible Is Impossible to Understand Some people think that the average person cannot possibly understand the Scriptures, so people just naturally disagree about what it means. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 - The Scriptures make us wise to salvation, profitably instructing us to all good works. How could they do so if we cannot understand them? Mark 7:14 - Jesus expected all the multitudes who heard Him to understand His teachings. Acts 17:11 - The Scriptures give the average man a way to distinguish truth from error. God revealed the Bible to make known his will. If we cannot understand the message, then God has failed. But how can an all-wise, all-powerful God fail? He did not fail; therefore we can understand. D. Not Because God Approves Division Some people think God does not object if sincere people are religiously divided. "All the churches follow Jesus, so just join the church of your choice." John 17:20,21 - Jesus prayed for all who believe in Him to be one as He and His Father are one. Do Jesus and the Father continually disagree and contradict one another? 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 - Paul told the Corinthians to cease their divisions. Jesus is not divided, so His followers must not be divided. If "all the churches are following Jesus," why are they divided? His teaching does not divide people. So they must be divided because some are not following Jesus. Ephesians 4:3-6 - True unity is based on seven things of which there is only one each. Following many false gods creates confusion, but following the one true God would promote unity. Likewise, there are many false faiths and false churches, which create division. But there is only one true faith and only one true body (which is the church - Eph. 1:22,23; 5:22ff). Following God's true way produces unity in truth. We have now studied several suggestions people offer to explain religious confusion and division. The problem with all these explanations is that they place the blame on God and the Bible. But God is not the author of confusion - 1 Cor. 14:33. We must look elsewhere for the real causes of the problem. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- II. Things that Do Cause Confusion and Disagreement --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- A. Lack of Knowledge Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Ignorance causes confusion and division. Matthew 22:24 - The Sadducees were in error because they did not know the Scriptures. Romans 10:1-3 - The Israelites had zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Many circumstances may lead to a lack of knowledge of the truth. Consider some of them. 1. Some people simply have never had opportunity to learn the truth. This was the case of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-11:18) and the Ethiopian treasurer (Acts 8:26-39). Such people need to hear words whereby they can be saved (Acts 11:14). 2. Some people simply do not study the Bible diligently enough. To discern good from evil, we must have our senses exercised by reason of use - Hebrews 5:12-14. We must "search the Scriptures daily" - Acts 17:11. Much religious error and division result from lack of study. 3. Some people do not handle the Bible properly - 2 Timothy 2:15. Even if a person studies and quotes the Bible, he may not be using it properly (Matt. 4:5-7). For example, some people try to prove their practices by the Old Testament, not knowing it has been removed by Christ and is no longer in effect (Rom. 7:2-6; Heb. 10:9,10; Gal. 3:24,25; Col. 2:14,16). Other people take only part of the Bible teaching about a subject but ignore other verses on the same subject. As a result, they reach conclusions that contradict other Scriptures (Matt. 4:4-7; Acts 3:22,23; Matt. 28:20). We can truly be made free from sin only if we know the truth - John 8:32. B. Human Religious Guides Much division results because people follow doctrines invented by men, but not found in the Bible. They may determine their beliefs by human guides such as the following: 1. Preachers Some people think, "It must be right, because Rev. so-and-so says so." Preachers are useful if they preach the truth, but many teach error (2 Tim. 4:2-4; Matt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). We must check out all teachings by the Bible (Acts 17:11). 2. Family or friends "I was brought up in this church. If it's good enough for my loved ones, it's good enough for me." It is wonderful if our family and friends really serve God. But most people's families are in error (Matt. 7:13,14). We must obey Jesus, even when loved ones disagree (Matt. 10:34-37). 3. Creed books, church laws, and traditions Most denominations have man-made rules that the denomination follows. These rules are often written down as official statements of church doctrine (manuals, catechisms, creeds, disciplines, etc.). But men have no right to make religious laws (Matt. 15:9; Eph. 1:22,23; James 4:12). No human writing or teaching should be viewed as an official, authoritative statement of church doctrine. 4. Other human religious guides People sometimes follow other human guides such as conscience, feelings, beliefs of the majority, etc. All such standards can lead us into error. Matthew 15:9,13 - Following human doctrines makes worship vain. 2 John 9 - Whoever goes beyond the teachings of Jesus, does not have the Father and the Son. Galatians 1:8,9 - Any one who preaches any doctrine other than the one true gospel, is accursed. Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12 - The way a man should walk is not found within man himself. A way may seem right to men yet result in death. We must trust in God's word, not in human wisdom. C. Preconceived Ideas, Pride, Lack of Love for Truth Matthew 13:14,15 - People often close their eyes and ears to the truth. They may have believed a certain way for years, so they refuse to consider evidence for other views and they reject the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - People who do not love truth enough, will instead believe a lie and be condemned. Such attitudes invariably lead to religious disagreement and confusion. [Proverbs 18:13] To accept the truth, we must "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matt. 5:6). We must honestly study what God's word says, then accept truth with "readiness of mind" (James 1:19-21; Acts 17:11). D. Personal Desires and Self-Will Matthew 13:20-22 - Serving God requires self-sacrifice and effort. Some people will not pay the price, so they justify themselves in disobedience. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; 2 Timothy 4:2-4 - Some reject truth because they just enjoy unrighteousness. They want preachers to justify their sins. Acts 7:51 - Other people just rebel against authority and seek to please themselves. All such attitudes as these contribute to religious division, disagreement, and confusion. Conclusion Religious disagreement, division, and confusion are not caused by God or His word. They are caused by people who do not obey God's word diligently.

Satan's Counterfeit Christianity By Roderick C. Meredith --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- The astounding message in this booklet will affect you in the years just ahead, and it will also affect your eternal future! It is vitally important. This information has been suppressed for many centuries, but it is information that you need to know! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- This booklet contains genuinely shocking information for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. It has profound implications for the future of our civilization. Yet the facts contained herein have been documented again and again by respected historians and even many theologians. They are not based on some "pie in the sky" theory or concept. The now-swiftly-developing result of false religion will dramatically affect your very life within the next decade—far more than you probably imagine! For this explosive revelation is not just for "religious people"—it is for everyone. All our lives will soon be affected. We all need to ask ourselves: "How did I come to believe what I now believe about religion, morality and the entire purpose of human existence? If my friends and I have just blindly gone along with generally accepted ideas, isn't it likely that most other people have also done the same? Is it possible that we have blindly accepted false religious ideas which have, in fact, greatly affected the way our entire societies have developed—the kind of legal systems, educational systems and religious systems that we have devised and that we take for granted?" Have you ever asked yourself these basic questions? If there is a real God and if the Bible is His inspired revelation to humanity, then we should carefully consider what the Bible clearly says about these questions! For the Bible specifically says: "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). Again and again, the Bible clearly shows that most human beings are deceived. Describing the end-times, the Apostle John described the Devil in this manner: "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9). The more than two billion "Christians" in the major denominations are part of the "whole world" that John described—and many are deceived! These people and their preachers do not intend to be evil. For a deceived person does not know that he is deceived! It is important that we understand that distinction. So I am not being "mean" by writing the above, for the God of heaven commands me to preach the Truth. And I cannot help you if I simply share sweet platitudes and pretend that "all is well" when all is not well! For we are now nearing the very end of 6,000 years of human history under the influence of Satan the Devil—whom Jesus Christ called the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30). "Sincerity" Is Not Enough I am well aware that thousands of you who will read this booklet are very sincere in your desire to be Christian. You truly think that the form of religion you grew up practicing is what Jesus Christ and the apostles taught. Many ministers and priests also sincerely believe the same things. You mean well. What you need to realize is that billions of other human beings have lived and died without ever understanding or practicing any type of professing Christianity. The majority of the world's population has never—at any time—professed Christianity! And most of these people have also been very "sincere"—just as you may be. So it is not a matter of "sincerity" or following the majority. It is a matter of finding the genuine Truth regarding the purpose of human existence, and finding the true way to fulfill that magnificent purpose. Is "sincere" religiosity enough? No! All religions are not "equal!" If you are willing to prove to yourself that the One great Creator is the true God and that the Bible is His inspired revelation to mankind, then you must understand that there is only one way to eternal life. And that "way" is through the true Jesus Christ of the Bible! As the Apostle Peter stated, "Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12). Yet very few professing Christians even begin to grasp the enormity of the deception orchestrated by Satan the Devil. They find it hard to grasp the fact that Satan has not only deceived those in the pagan, non-Christian world, but that he has devised a counterfeit Christianity and has foisted it off on millions who sincerely think they are following the Christ of the Bible! As the Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!" (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Indeed, another "Jesus"—a totally different Jesus Christ—has been palmed off on an unsuspecting humanity! Remember, a counterfeit $100 bill is designed to look very much like an authentic bill. Seeing the apparent similarities, people are often deceived into accepting the counterfeit. So it is with Satan, the Master Deceiver! For your own sake, please be willing to consider whether you have been misled into assuming that you are truly following the Christ of the Bible and what He actually taught. For your Bible clearly indicates that only genuine Christians will be protected during the coming holocaust—the Great Tribulation described by Jesus Christ! Very soon now—within the next several years—the great God of all creation will begin to intervene directly, more powerfully than ever. The recent hurricanes that came smashing through Florida, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the United States are only a small prelude to what God will begin to do in these last days. Jesus Christ specifically predicted: "And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.... And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Luke 21:11, 25-26). The great God will get mankind's attention! He will help those who are willing to understand to "come out" of this modern Babylon (Revelation 18:4) and to extricate themselves from Satan's society. The Apostle Paul was also inspired to tell us that Satan the Devil is the literal "god" of this world's society! Paul wrote, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The Basic Premise The basic premise of this booklet is that our Creator has allowed a very real Devil to absolutely deceive most of humanity for the past 6,000 years. Satan has, in fact, established a counterfeit religion in order to mislead the entire world, but the great Creator will soon intervene to send Jesus Christ back to the earth as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). When He returns, Christ will cast Satan into a bottomless pit, "so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:3). One of the primary ways Satan deceives most people is to make them think that he does not even exist! So people make jokes about how "the Devil did it," feeling that there is not a real Devil after all. But, as we have seen, Jesus Christ called Satan "the ruler of this world." How did Satan come into being? What are his methods of deception? And, most importantly, how has Satan deceived the whole world? When Jesus Christ quoted from "Daniel the Prophet" (Mark 13:14), He considered those writings as Holy Scripture. In the book of Daniel, we find spirit beings—both angels and demons—described on a number of occasions. After Daniel had been fasting to seek greater understanding, God sent an angel to encourage him (Daniel 10:10-12). The angel gave Daniel a remarkable explanation about why it had taken him so long to answer Daniel's prayers. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come" (vv. 13-14). Later, this same angel recounted further details of the unseen spiritual world. "Then he said, 'Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince'" (vv. 20-21). Clearly, this passage is speaking of spirit wars! It is describing the struggle that goes on behind world affairs in the spirit world. For Satan the Devil is described as "the god of this age" who "has blinded" the unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan is also called "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). The angel speaking to Daniel was describing a battle among spirit beings wherein even the great archangel Michael (see Daniel 12:1) had to be called in for assistance! This world, this "age"—this nearly 6,000-year period from Adam until now—has been, and still is, a society dominated by Satan the Devil and millions of fallen angels or "demons" who followed him in rebellion against the Creator God. "Satan" is not just a generalized term for evil. Satan is not a blind force. Satan the Devil is a powerful spiritual personality—originally created by God as a cherub—who rebelled against God. His original name "Lucifer" means "light bringer." But since his rebellion he has been called "Satan"—which means "adversary." Notice Isaiah 14:12-15; "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit." Here we find the mighty Lucifer plotting to overthrow God! His great capacity and vanity made him decide to compete with his Creator! In Ezekiel 28:1-16, God describes first the human prince of Tyre. He was obviously a man of great capacity and the full leader—on the human sphere—over the "New York" of the ancient world. Then Ezekiel begins to describe the real "power behind the throne"—the "king" of this pagan city-state. Notice: "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created'" (vv. 12-13). Here we find a personality who existed millennia before Tyre—in the "Garden of Eden!" Yet he was a created being (verse 15), not a member of the God family. Satan Has a KINGDOM After his political bargaining and maneuvering to gain followers, Satan was cast out of the "mountain" or Kingdom of God. As Revelation 12:3-4 indicates, Satan was able to draw after himself one-third of the angelic host in this rebellion against God! These fallen angels who are now called "demons." Satan now has literally millions of fallen angels who are his followers, and in that sense has a "kingdom" over which he rules in the spirit world. Matthew recounts the story of Jesus' temptation by Satan, a very conniving personality. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1). This gospel account forewarns us that Satan is not against quoting Scripture. In fact, Satan even had the audacity to quote scripture to the Author of scripture, Jesus Christ! "The the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone'" (Matthew 4:5-6). Then Satan offered Jesus "All the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, 'All these things will I give you if you will fall down and worship me'" (vv. 8-9). Of course, Jesus knew the spiritual principles involved and correctly applied the appropriate scripture in response, saying: "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve" (v. 10). Jesus chose to obey God and to receive His kingdom in God's time and in God's way. Later, when Jesus was accused of using Beelzebub to cast out demons, He said: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city of house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his [Satan's] kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:25-26). Satan does have a kingdom! He is the invisible "god" of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the prime deceiver of men and nations. "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9). Satan is the spirit being who will powerfully influence, and perhaps even finally possess, a soon-to-come, charismatic, political dictator who will seduce a mighty world superpower arising in a revived, militant united Europe—the end-time "Babylon"! Satan will be the "god" who animates and empowers the false religious system that will undergird this world-dominating, economic and military power! Do not just believe me or take my word for it. Look at the Bible for yourself! God's word predicts that this coming oppressive system will be literally energized by demons: "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great has fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues'" (Revelation 18:1-4). Satan will motivate these coming world rulers to fight against Christ at His return as King of kings and Lord of lords. But Christ will depose Satan and his wicked rule will come to a sure end. Satan the "Counterfeiter" Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day for their hypocrisy. Those ecclesiastical figures made a pretense of being godly, yet refused to follow the spiritual intent of God's law. Jesus attributed to the Satan's own character, using the analogy that since their father was Satan, they could only behave "like father, like son." The devil lies and murders, so who should be surprised if the Devil's children do the same, preaching a perverted gospel of deception and falsehood? It is important to grasp that Satan is the literal "father of lies." He continually and cleverly lies and deceives mankind, and so do his servants. In fact, lying becomes so common to people under Satan's influence that they often find it easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth! As part of his conspiracy to thwart God and overthrow His great plan for mankind, Satan has his own ministers! The Apostle Paul warned Christians about the great deception caused by Satan and his ministers: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Satan's ministers often look like and sound like what deceived people think Christ's ministers should sound like! But they preach "another Jesus" and proclaim a "different gospel." It is up to each individual—including you!—to genuinely study the Bible and to prove what Jesus and the early apostles taught and practiced. The Two Babylons The Bible specifically describes not one, but two "Babylons." Not long after the great flood, one "Babylon" was founded—the ancient city-state established by a man named "Nimrod" (Genesis 10:8-10). The second Babylon is a modern church-state system described in Revelation 17 and 18. Its leaders will literally fight Christ at His Second Coming (Revelation 17:12-14)! Think about that! Hundreds of millions of people in this end-time "Babylon" are so deceived that they will have the audacity to literally do battle with the returning Son of God and the armies of heaven! To understand how this system called "Babylon" began, let us go back to the earliest days of man's history. In Genesis 10—soon after the flood—mankind began to multiply again. Wild animals also multiplied, a