It’s what Christ’s followers are commanded to do.
STEPHEN FLURRY APRIL 2012 TRUMPET PRINT EDITION
Minor Editing: Stephen Newdell
Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry by announcing the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God on Earth (Mark 1:14-15). But before that Kingdom could be established, Jesus said the ways of man would lead this world to the brink of annihilation. God’s Kingdom will be set up, we read in Daniel and Revelation, after the kingdoms of this world are crushed into submission.
Even as bad as we know it will get before Christ’s return, the Bible tells us the vast majority of mankind will still refuse to repent. Jesus, of course, knew this. Still, right before He ascended to heaven in the first century, He told His disciples to witness unto the uttermost parts of the Earth (Acts 1:8). He commanded His apostles to warn the nations about the wrath coming upon our disobedient and stubborn world.
Why aren’t there more preachers and religious groups proclaiming this message? Why do they hold out hope for man to solve the problems of this world—even as evil multiplies and the curses intensify?
At the end of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reminded His disciples that “all things” written in the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms would be fulfilled. Everything recorded in these books about the first and Second Coming of Christ—and the universal destruction that would immediately precede His return—will be fulfilled, Jesus said (Luke 24:44). He then commanded His disciples to preach a message of “repentance and remission of sins” to all nations (verse 47).
Why won’t the churches of this world cry out for our nations to turn to God in humility and to repent of their wicked ways? Most religious people don’t even grasp what sin is because they’ve been led to believe, erroneously, that God’s spiritual law—which regulates all human conduct—was nailed to the cross!
The only thing nailed to that stake was Jesus Christ’s crucified body—along with our guilty past, assuming we turn to God in repentance! This is why, when Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, He told people to repent and to believe (or accept in faith) the true gospel of the Kingdom. In other words, we have to be willing to change our ways—to repent of sin—if we are to enter into God’s Kingdom.
This has always been the message of God’s true servants: repentance and remission of sins. It was repeatedly proclaimed by all the prophets—those same men Jesus pointed us to in Luke 24.
One of them, Isaiah, wrote, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). Again, God knows most people will not repent. But He says, Witness against them anyway! That way they will be left without excuse. If God’s true servants do their job, then when the plagues descend, the unrepentant won’t be able to say, You should have warned us!
Ezekiel is another outstanding example of one who boldly proclaimed a message of repentance and remission of sins. His entire book is about the warning that must be delivered to the latter-day descendants of Jacob. Ancient Israel had gone into captivity long before Ezekiel wrote his book. His message is for us today.
“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me” (Ezekiel 33:7). Notice, God says, You warn them. I want YOU to warn them from me. It’s God’s message—as delivered through His human instrument. Eight times in verses 3 through 9, God says warn!
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (verse 11).
Repentance and remission of sins—that’s what Ezekiel was saying. That’s what Jesus commanded His faithful to preach before the Great Tribulation and the coming Day of the Lord.
“For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel (America) shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed” (verses 28-29).
This is what it takes for mankind to finally come to know its Maker. To our great shame, we simply will not turn to God until after we have suffered devastation and death.
In verses 30 and 31, Ezekiel refers to God’s own lukewarm people—those who used to deliver God’s warning message of repentance and remission of sins—and who still tune in to God’s work today, but who won’t change their evil ways! Most of them won’t repent until after it’s too late to save their physical lives.
Yet God still thunders, Warn them anyway! Tell them what’s coming!
Verse 33 tells us why: “And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.” When all of these dire prophecies come to pass, then they will know.
They’ll immediately know where God was working and that the prophetic warning coming from that work was an expression of God’s love. It may be too late for them to be saved physically. But spiritually, they can still turn to God in repentance.
This is why we must warn. God’s true disciples today, as Jesus said in Luke 24, are witnesses of all these prophetic events!
It isn’t that difficult to find where God is working. Just look for the organization faithfully fulfilling Christ’s commission to watch and warn—the one work lifting up its voice like a trumpet, showing the people their transgressions and preaching a message of repentance and remission of sins.
This is the message Christ has always commanded His servants to deliver. And this is the work that the true followers of Christ have faithfully supported.
The Prophetic Beast: Who or What Is It?
GARY DORNING
The true meaning of a pivotal biblical prophecy that has confused people for millennia.
BY GERALD FLURRY
FROM THE APRIL 2012 TRUMPET PRINT EDITION
Have you heard of the prophetic “beast”? Do you know what it is and if it is real?
The Bible describes this beast in detail, but most Christian evangelists ignore this subject altogether—or admit that they just don’t understand it. Yet the prophetic beast is all about prophecies that are focused on the end time—right now!
In the Bible, there are four beasts. They are recorded in Daniel 2 and 7 and Revelation 13 and 17. Daniel saw them in a vision: the first like a lion, the second like a bear and the third like a leopard.
But the fourth was different.
The Fourth Beast
This fourth beast is described in Revelation 13:1-2: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”
This beast embodies the strength of the first three beasts—and it is so dreadful and destructive that you can’t compare it to any other beast on Earth!
(Gary Dorning)
This fourth beast is rising right now! It is going to take power and radically change our lives for the worse!
This prophecy comes right from your own Bible. Why don’t we hear more about it?
The Bible also talks about the “mark of the beast.” Those who do not accept this mark are going to be oppressed and killed by this fearsome power. Yet Jesus Christ says that He will inflict His worst wrath on those who receive this mark! It is crucial that we understand what all this means!
Who or what are these beasts?
“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth” (Daniel 7:17).
God says these beasts symbolize four Gentile kings, or kingdoms. These beasts are not four churches, as some believe, but four world-ruling empires!
Daniel lived in the time of the first of these empires. He said Nebuchadnezzar was the first of these beasts, the great king of the Chaldean Empire. Then came the Medo-Persian Empire, then the Greco-Macedonian Empire. That’s all well documented in history books, and exactly what Daniel prophesied, right down to the last, most fearsome beast.
The Bible really draws our attention most of all to this fourth beast. What world-ruling empire was more fearsome and powerful than any of those others? Of course, it is the Roman Empire!
With all this dramatic emphasis on this end-time beast, why don’t our religious leaders discuss this more? God commissions us to warn about this rising beast, and that is what we must do!
This is not just ancient history. Daniel tells us that his book was sealed, not to be understood until “the time of the end.” I tell you, God promised He would reveal every one of these prophecies to us and fulfill all of these promises—and He has done that throughout history without fail.
Today, He has revealed this fourth beast.
Identity of the Fourth Beast
“And the FOURTH KINGDOM, which, developing from Rome, spread out and gradually absorbed one after another of these four divisions—‘dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly,’ was the ROMAN EMPIRE(31 b.c. to a.d. 476).”
That statement comes from Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? by Herbert W. Armstrong. You need this powerful booklet, and I encourage you to order it; we will send you a copy completely free.
(SN: I do not believe Mr. Armstrong was right on every point, but he was more right than wrong about all of what he wrote.)
Mr. Armstrong continued: “It had absorbed all the others, occupied all their territory, was greater and stronger than all. It included all the royal splendor of ancient Babylon, thus having the head—the strongest part—of the lion. It had all the massiveness and numerically powerful army of the Persian Empire—symbolized by the legs, the most powerful part of the bear. It was the greatest war-making machine the world had ever seen, and it also possessed the swiftness, the cunning, the cruelty of Alexander’s army, symbolized by the leopard.
“And thus, this fourth beast was unlike any wild beast of the Earth. It was stronger, greater, more terrible, than any.”
Yet in Revelation 13, the Bible says this fourth beast was “wounded to death.”
That fourth empire was incomparable to any other. How can you even describe the Roman Empire? It was a super-powerful fighting force with mighty political power stretching over most of the known world. The world had never seen anything like it!
But there is something else you need to understand about this beast: It is still alive!
Resurrections
Revelation 13 reveals that after this fourth beast was wounded unto death, out of that wound came 10 horns. These horns symbolize 10 resurrections of that same Roman system that would rule this territory. These kingdoms exist between a.d. 476 and Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. Isn’t that incredible? The Bible prophesied about these successive governments, centuries in advance, and that is exactly what came to pass!
This is incredible biblical prophecy, but no one proclaims it! God is using the strongest possible symbolism here, and even our religious leaders completely ignore it!
We must listen to this incredible message—and the warning—and believe/accept what God says. He prophesied that these empires would all come to pass, and they all have. The Bible gets into even more detail about these 10 resurrections of the Roman Empire. And you can check the history books to see that all of these details happened just as God said they would. Just as the next world-ruling empire will.
The first three resurrections that ruled the ancient Roman territory were barbaric tribes. Then something momentous happened. A “little horn” plucked up these first three and established its own rule, characterized by a “mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8).
After that point, there is something different—something subtler and even more powerful—about the last seven resurrections of the Roman Empire.
In a.d. 554, Justinian restored the Roman Empire, effectively healing the deadly wound, and turning the page on the rule of the three barbaric tribes. Justinian also did something else: He recognized the supremacy of the pope. Because the empire was now tied closely to this great church, it became known as the Holy Roman Empire.
Counting Justinian’s empire, there have been six major, historically documented resurrections of the so-called Holy Roman Empire—all of which have been heavily influenced, and in some cases dominated, by the Vatican.
Do you think the Bible has anything to say about these powerful empires? It does!
A Religious Component
The prophecy in Revelation 13 continues: “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4).
People worshiped this beast! This political organization is tied to a religious organization, and this combination of church and state worship “the dragon”—which is Satan the devil!
You can see why this beast is so ferocious and fierce, like no other animal on Earth. You can see why it is going to make war—and how this monstrous machine is so powerful that when people see it, they will think that no nation or even alliance of nations could dare make war with this beast power.
Notice what happens further on in this prophecy: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (verse 11).
This is speaking of another beast, another organization. On the surface, this organization looks like it is innocent, even righteous—following Christ. It looks like a lamb. But when you listen closely to what it says, you find that it speaks like a dragon. It actually proclaims the subtle message of the dragon—because it worships the dragon!
This means the world is monstrously deceived about this beast that looks like a lamb! People who are actually following the devil sincerely believe they are worshiping Christ!
Verses 13 and 14 show just how powerful this false church is: It will perform all kinds of miracles. Its religious leader will perform great wonders, and people all over the world will believe that this church is from God.
Will you be able to recognize this counterfeit? It looks righteous—but in truth it is following the devil—and deceiving huge numbers of people! That is quite a compelling counterfeit!
The Mark of the Beast
The prophecy of Revelation 13 continues in verses 15-17: “And he [this religious beast, this church] had power to give life unto the image of the beast [the political power, the fourth beast], that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
This church guides that fourth beast. In fact, this prophecy shows that it has done so for the last six resurrections!
This church-state combine will gain almost total power over people. It enforces its mark. Many people believe that this “mark of the beast” is a physical mark of some kind. But, as Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? explains in detail, it is a sign—a sign that revolves around the day you worship God. It has to do with one of the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” But this religious-political power has enforced and will enforce its day of worship.
In the past, the Holy Roman Empire has wrought great destruction on Earth. Charlemagne, who led one of those resurrections, “converted” people with his armies, and waded through their blood, believing he was serving God. In the Middle Ages, this “holy” empire destroyed some 50 million people. It is a bloody, bloody empire.
Charlemagne (/ˈʃɑːrləmeɪn/) or Charles the Great (2 April 742 – 28 January 814), numbered Charles I, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor from 800. He united much of western and central Europe during the early Middle Ages.
Year 400 – 600 “Late Antiquity” period: Late Antiquity[edit]
Late Antiquity saw various indicators of Roman civilization begin to decline, including urbanization, seaborne commerce, and total population. Only 40% as many Mediterranean shipwrecks have been found for the 3rd century as for the 1st.[2] During the period from 150 to 400, the population of the Roman Empire with the intermittent appearance of plague from a high of 70 to a low of 50 million with fairly good recovery if not to the previous highs of the Early Empire. Serious gradual depopulation began in the West only in the 5th century and in the East due to the appearance of bubonic plague in 541 after 250 years of economic growth after the troubles which afflicted the empire from the 250s to 270s. Proximate causes of the population decrease include the Antonine Plague (165–180), the Plague of Cyprian (250 to c. 20), and the Crisis of the Third Century. European population probably reached a minimum during the extreme weather events of 535–536 and the ensuing Plague of Justinian (541-542). Some have connected this demographic transition to the Migration Period Pessimum,[clarification needed] when a decrease in global temperatures impaired agricultural yields.[3]
(SN) It appears impossible that Charlemagne’s army could have killed 50-million people. My guess would be 1% of that number, about 500,000.
The Seventh Resurrection
What about the seventh resurrection of that Holy Roman Empire? Well, you won’t find it in the history books. Does that mean it hasn’t been fulfilled? NO! The seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is taking place right now!
These verses are about to be fulfilled in a way that will make all the previous blood shed throughout history pale in comparison. The new Holy Roman Empire will combine the modern, high-tech armies of several nations. Its people will be bound together by the incredible force of false Christianity. Its religious and political leaders will be armed with conventional, chemical and nuclear weapons—and they will use them!
Revelation 13:7 says what the final resurrection of that beast power is about to do. All of God’s lukewarm people, in His own Church—those who knew the truth about these prophecies—will be killed by this monster. Every single one of them! People who are worshiping the dragon will kill God’s people, thinking they are doing Christ a favor.
Satan has labored for centuries to deceive mankind and darken the meaning of what God has revealed in the Bible.
Follow God’s Word, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and you can see that what is happening in Europe today was prophesied thousands of years ago in your own Bible!
Who understands this today? A lot of religious people and even evangelists won’t even discuss it. They almost ignore it. But here is the truth: This prophecy is being fulfilled now—and now is the time we must understand it! It’s time to stop ignoring this extremely dangerous part of God’s prophecies. It’s time to not just believe in God, but also to believe what God says!
Hosea 4:6 tells us that ignorance is no excuse: God says His people are destroyed because of a lack of Bible knowledge. You need to prove God’s Word.
You need to really understand this beast in detail and really study and prove this from your own Bible for yourself. These prophecies in your Bible are coming alive, and you cannot afford not to understand them.
Vladimir Putin: World War III Would Mark the ‘End of Civilization’
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual televised phone-in with the nation in Moscow on June 7.
MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
BY JEREMIAH JACQUES • JUNE 8
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that a third world war would lead to the “end of civilization.”
The statement came during the annual “Direct Line With Vladimir Putin” television program, in which the president fields questions from journalists and citizens from all around Russia.
After being asked if a third global war will break out, Putin quoted Albert Einstein, saying: “I know not with what weapons World War iii will be fought, but World War iv will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Putin added: “The realization that a third world war could bring the end of civilization should deter us from taking dangerous steps globally.”
He continued: “We’ve been living in a period of relative peace following the Second World War. We know that there are regional conflicts out there. … But we’ve never had any global conflicts since then. Why? Because global military power has established a strategic parity. And you might find my words inappropriate, but it’s true: The fear that each country has instills respect in their opponents.”
But Putin then said current trends are threatening to bring an end to the relative peace the world has experienced since World War ii.
Many analysts agree with the view that nuclear arsenals have, ironically enough, brought mankind into an era of relative peace. As American astronomer Carl Sagan described it: “The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist-deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.” In a major nuclear war, no one wins. The idea of being the first country to “drop a match in the gasoline” is irrational. As Putin said, fear has restrained the nuclear powers from confronting each other.
But the problem is that human beings are not always rational, particularly in wartime.
For this reason, Herbert W. Armstrong, whom world leaders often labeled an unofficial ambassador for world peace, explained that faith placed in nuclear deterrence is faith misplaced. On the March 12, 1981 World Tomorrow television program, he said:
Now we’re simply depending on the idea, and the hope, and we’re trusting in men, that no man will be foolish enough to start a nuclear war. Do you have that much faith in man? I don’t.
Do you know that there has never been a weapon invented yet of mass destruction that has not been used? And we’ve already used nuclear destruction in Japan, where we killed around 100,000 people with one atomic bomb. Now the hydrogen bomb is so great that an atomic bomb only triggers it, to set it off.
There is no guarantee that an instance of wartime desperation would not compel a man commanding a nuclear arsenal to press the button. Mankind’s war-torn history shows that when war breaks out, men ultimately do not sit on their most potent weapons. They use them.
And Bible prophecy indicates that nuclear weapons will be used in great numbers during a third world war.
(SN) A physicist estimate in year 2017 that if two small arsenals (India and Pakistan) were to wage a nuclear exchange the result would be a nuclear winter over the entire globe within 2-weeks and it would continue for several thousand years!
As they sat on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago, the disciples of Jesus Christ asked Him: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
“World” in this passage is a translation of the Greek word aion, which has a variety of meanings. In this context, it means “epoch” or “age.” The disciples were asking about the end of the age of mankind ruling over himself. This age is what Putin referred to as “civilization” in his comments.
The disciples wanted to know when man’s civilization would end and when the age of Christ ruling over humanity would begin. They asked Him what events would lead up to that momentous transition.
Jesus gave them a detailed answer.
He explained that prior to His return, religious deception would victimize many (verses 4-5). He also said people would learn of “wars and rumors of wars,” fierce international tensions, and “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes” (verses 6-7). These are all early-warning indicators, but they do not mean the end of the age of man is imminent. Christ said, “[A]ll these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
In verses 21-22, Christ speaks of an event to occur which does mean the end of the age of man is imminent—and that His return is at the door: “For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive …” (New Living Translation).
At the time that Christ spoke those words upon the Mount of Olives, a global war that could threaten to kill every “single person” was not yet technologically possible.
But today—during this age of proliferation of nuclear weaponry—a war capable of extinguishing all human life from the planet is not only possible but dangerously probable.
“Mankind has never been in this position before,” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said after World War ii. “Without having improved appreciably in virtue or enjoying wiser guidance, it has got into its hands, for the first time, the tools by which it can unfailingly accomplish its own extermination.”
Only in the modern era has mankind had the ability to exterminate himself. This shows that many key Bible prophecies about World War iii could only be possible in the modern nuclear age. The time of unprecedented destruction prophesied in Matthew 24:21-22 refers to what we would now call World War iii.
Yet as we see that global conflict approach, there is cause for profound hope! In Matthew 24, Christ says that the world war at the end of this age will be so devastating that it could kill all human life. But He then adds a key detail in verse 22: “But it will be shortened” (nlt).
World War iii will be interrupted! Before mankind detonates enough weapons to entirely annihilate itself, Jesus Christ will interrupt the war. Immediately after that time of unprecedented destruction, He will usher in a new epoch of unprecedented peace.
In his booklet Nuclear Armageddon Is ‘At the Door,’ Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes about how near this age of peace is: “Christ’s return is ‘at the very door.’ He really is coming back, and He will rule this world and show people, through a great turning point in the history of man, how to be successful and build a paradise on Earth.”
Understanding how near we are to that radiant future can give us perspective that fills us with deep hope. For more about the growing threat of World War iii and the enduring peace that will follow immediately after it, read Nuclear Armageddon Is ‘At the Door.’
Why Did a Catholic Cardinal Attend the Bilderberg Summit?
First Davos, now Bilderberg—Europe’s elite are looking to the Catholic Church.
RICHARD PALMER • JUNE 11
At the annual Bilderberg meeting leaders in business, government and academia mostly from the United States and Europe have an opportunity fto talk off the record under the Chatham House Rule—where the content of discussions can be reported, but not who said what.
This year, one name on the guest list has drawn a lot of attention. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state and the second-most powerful figure in the Catholic Church, attended the meeting, held June 7 to 10.
This is the first time a high-ranking Catholic clergyman has attended the Bilderberg summit. But it is not Parolin’s first time hobnobbing with the world’s elite. He spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos last year.
The rise of populism in Europe was one of the top items on the agenda. Other discussions included America’s world leadership, inequality, the Middle East and quantum computers.
The prime ministers of Holland, Belgium, Serbia and Estonia attended, along with the German defense minister, nato secretary general and many other current and former politicians. The leaders of the Bank of England and the Bank of the Netherlands joined business leaders from companies like Google, BP and Airbus.
The fact that the Vatican secretary of state is being invited to these kinds of gatherings shows the growing status of the Catholic Church. And for good reason—the Catholic Church plays a political as well as religious role.
Cardinal Parolin had an important part in the reestablishment of U.S.-Cuba relations. He also played a major role in negotiations between the Columbian government and militia rebels—negotiations which won Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.
This past weekend’s Bilderberg meeting was held while Europe is in crisis. Its relationship with the U.S. is crumbling, and Italy is threatening to split the eurozone. The future of the European Union is in doubt.
In the November 1965 Plain Truth, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about a “hard, stern fact” that the nations of Europe must face. “That crucial fact is this: The nations of Europe are utterly unable to unite themselves by their own political maneuvering,” he wrote. “For more than 31 years, the Plain Truth has said Europe will unite! And also for more than 31 years we have said these countries cannot agree among themselves.”
So is the EU doomed? Mr. Armstrong continued: “For years the Plain Truth has said these nations are going to have to realize their inability to unite themselves politically—to choose a common political-military leader that all can trust. They are going to finally face the fact they must look to a supreme authority they can all trust! That supreme authority cannot be a politician, or a general …. The only possible answer is a religious leader! …
“Watch for developments suddenly to speed toward European political and military union, through religious union! This new trend may not start this year—or next. But in very few years at most, it must start. And when it does, events will flash by with a lightning speed that will astound the world.”
Mr. Armstrong wrote that more than 50 years ago, and the Europeans have still not turned to religion to unite themselves. Until they do, they simply cannot unite. And if Europe cannot unite, its crises will keep getting worse.
With the Vatican being included at some of these high-level meetings of the world’s elite, some may be realizing this “hard, stern fact.”
Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained in April 2006:
Throughout Europe’s history, what has helped it to overcome its division has been a unity of purpose between church and state. Charlemagne showed how strong Europe could be when he formed a partnership between Germany and the Roman Catholic Church to create the Holy Roman Empire. That empire has risen up repeatedly since that time.
But this church-state union hasn’t always been a happy marriage. Usually the two have been drawn together because of a crisis—an emergency. …
Herbert W. Armstrong believed the same pattern would occur again in our time—that European nations would unite suddenly because of a crisis, and that the Roman Catholic Church would play a huge role in solving that emergency. In times of crisis, religion has a way of pulling people together! …
Crises are developing that could lead to this “emergency” that will cause Europe to look to a newly strengthened Germany and end up bringing church and state together—from the weakening of the U.S. economy to danger brewing in the Middle East.
Crises are intensifying, and for the first time a high-ranking cardinal was invited to the Bilderberg summit.
The Bible forecasts that the Catholic Church is about to play a major role in Europe—as it has throughout its history. For more on this role, read our free book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.
What More Can You Do?
The Hall of Administration in Edmond, Oklahoma, houses the Trumpet staff.
REESE ZOELLNER/TRUMPET
BY STEPHEN FLURRY
FROM THE JULY 2018 TRUMPET PRINT EDITION
Are you willing to go all the way for God?
Are you truly supporting God’s work, or do you just think you are? Are you doing something with the knowledge God is giving you through the Trumpet, or are you content to read and listen while doing nothing about it? Are you waiting it out, hanging on and doing your own thing until Jesus Christ returns?
In 1954, Herbert W. Armstrong received a letter from a conflicted 21-year-old girl. She had been exposed to the truth of God from her youth. When she became a young adult, however, she began to fear what people would think if she really committed to the teachings of the true Church. She was afraid that they would see her as a religious fanatic. So she dragged her feet. She didn’t fully commit to God’s work. She didn’t want to do anything—she just wanted to wait it out. Mr. Armstrong wrote her a lengthy letter encouraging her to act. He reprinted it in the Good News as a motivation for others.
Are you in the same position as that 21-year-old? Are you unwilling to go all the way for God? Are you afraid of what people might think? Maybe you think, Well, I’ll just wait it out and see what happens. Or, We probably have a few years left, so I don’t have to act just yet.
We talk a lot in God’s Church about the work God has given us to do. Jesus Christ said in John 5:17, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” When God calls someone into His Church, the reason is that there is work to be done.
Mr. Armstrong often explained that the apostle can only do his job successfully when he has supporters. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul compares the Church to a human body—made up of many different parts, each important to the function of the whole. In the Body of Christ, every member has an important role to play.
Mr. Armstrong also explained that being a true Christian means doing. It means changing the way you live. We must develop character, and one major way we do that is by supporting the work of God. It’s too easy to sit back and think that someone else will do it, or that you have nothing to contribute. That is shallow, selfish thinking.
Noah labored for a hundred years building the ark. What if he had thought, “Well, I’m just one man. All these people are mocking me. What use is my work, when there’s not even a sign that the Flood is coming?” But because of that one man, his faith and his willingness to work for God, human civilization still exists today.
John 6:44 says that no man can come to Christ except the Father draws Him. The Father is the one who calls and draws. The Bible also tells us that many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). Very few people respond to God’s call, and even fewer stick with it and support God’s work.
Ephesians 4:4-6 says there is “one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Matthew 16:18 shows that there is only one true Church. There is only one Body of Christ. If you are not part of that one family, then you are not part of the Body of Christ!
The work behind the magazine you are reading represents the one true way. The fruits are plain if you open your eyes and see what God is doing.
Ask yourself: How much more can I do to help support God’s work? How much more can I put my heart into it? What more can I do?
Do you want to be part of the solution? Do you want to contribute to preparing for a new world based on God’s perfect and righteous laws? Thousands have joined this cause over the years. And you too—whoever you are, wherever you are, no matter how old or young, no matter how serious your problems or what you’re struggling with—can share in this cause. You can join this worldwide work, if you are willing to forsake the ways of this world.
God is not looking for perfect people. He knows we are flawed. God calls the lowly (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). But He calls the lowly to come out of this world, and to come into the Family of God. Christ isn’t going to marry 150 competing religious groups when He returns. The Bible says He will marry one Bride, that bride is the remnant now, The Philadelphia Church of God. But we must be with Him, in His Church, committed to His cause, in order to be part of that future.
You can be part of that. God will help you. God’s Church will help you. God’s ministers will help you. With God’s help, you can repent and change and come out of this world. Thousands of others have done it, cleaning up their lives with God’s help. God is urgently calling for YOUR assistance with this vitally important work.
Get involved. Make a difference for eternity. Start here: https://www.thetrumpet.com/
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