

About Me

I call myself Missionary Bill. My purpose is to help people understand that YOU CAN TRUST GOD. That's a simple, but very important lesson of life that I have learned over the past forty plus years I've been a Born Again Believer in Jesus. During that time I am sorry to say that I have learned more about the Christian Life by trial and error, than by studying the Bible and seeking the Lord in prayer. However, when I did finally decide to commit to a serious study of the Word of God and to seek the Lord in prayer each day, my life changed in many ways. I began to understand that no matter how many Church Services or Bible Study sessions I attended, there was simply no substitute for personal Bible reading and daily prayer.

If you require a label, most people would consider me a Born-Again, Bible Believing, Conservative Christian. I study and use the King James Version Bible. I am not a Pastor, but have held many positions in local churches including those of a Missionary, Junior Church Leader, Youth Leader, Bus Captain and Evangelist. I have helped to plant a hand full of churches in different areas of the Northeast USA and elsewhere. I have a certificate in Biblical Studies, but am certainly not a Bible Scholar. What I have learned by experience working in local Churches and with people that I consider to be great men and women of God, along with my personal studies in the Word of God, is what I hope to share with you.

If there is one specific thing that I would want my readers to learn is the fact that God is not just some Higher Power or the figment of the imagination of a bunch of religious Kool Aid drinkers. He is a real and personal God that loves people, sent his only Son to die for their sins and wants to make the lives of everyone who seeks Him better and more fulfilling. If you're life is empty and you're trying to fill it with the fleeting things of this world, you're fighting a losing battle.

Only God can sooth your longing for happiness and unlike those who often abandon or disappoint us, He will remain at our side forever and always be ready to help us at a moment's notice. If you have not yet come to know God personally and are NOT SURE that you're going to Heaven when you die, please visit my web site at http://www.youcantrustgod.com to find out how to be sure. Christians will find many helpful resources and I am always adding new free articles and Ebooks. Thank you for reading my book. If you have questions, comments or need prayer, please feel free to email me at youcantrustgod@gmail.com .

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" - **Matthew 7:7-8**

### Introduction

There's never been a time in my life when people were not seeking happiness and blessings through spiritual fulfillment. I want to say that it's part of human nature, however, I would have to include Atheists and agnostics. Then there are the C&E religionists. They show up at some old line _abominational_ , oops, _Denominational_ church on Christmas and Easter hoping that will keep them good with "the man upstairs."

My parents took me to a church like that up until I was fourteen. At that time I went to a Bible Study for teens in Florida and accepted Jesus as my Savior. All that I learned when I attended my parent's church were children's Bible stories like Noah's Ark and the birth of Jesus as a newborn, but not much more. They through Easter (Resurrection Day) in there somewhere. The Lutherans called it Lent. Everyone had to give up something for Lent. I don't know why they did that, but I gave up eating donuts (and I really liked those).

There was no emphasis on the rebirth nor any type of invitation for sinners to come forward. There were no Gospel tracts or Bible Study materials, just booklets with a daily verse from a corrupt Bible version. They did include a paragraph or two on how it related to one liberal issue or another. The only _REGENERATION_ going on there was if someone was charging batteries.

No one stood out as a person that loved God, His Word and had a passion for bringing the Lost to Christ; not even the pastor. There were a few older men that served as Ushers. They were pleasant and polite, especially compared to the rest of the people there.

There was the usual clique of deacons and elders that counted the offerings and made sure everything needed for every service was where it should be. They also held monthly meetings where one of them took the minutes while the others wasted the hours arguing over the high electric bill or why they needed glass communion cups instead of plastic ones. Any kindness shown or handshakes offered by members of the congregation were reserved for them.

I always loved the idea of God, but I had no relationship with Him. The first time I went to my parent's Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod (don't ask, I still have no idea what that is) church, I couldn't wait for God to make his appearance. After a short while I realized my error and didn't bother anyone about it.

That church was on Long Island in New York. We lived a short distance away. During one of my early visits to the church I went to Sunday School. Their idea of that was to pass out crayons and coloring books with Bible stories in them. One of the ladies that ran the Sunday School read one of the stories, then left us to color it in while she went to the church kitchen for some coffee.

We didn't sing songs, pray or have Scripture Memorization exercises. Hardly any Bible verses either, just stories that were really only morality lessons based on the liberal humanism beliefs of the church hierarchy. I did learn that there was no Santa Claus after hearing an animated discussion about it among some of the other kids. They didn't talk about the Easter Bunny or Leprechauns on St Patrick's Day, so I held out hope until my folks set me straight.

There is a huge difference between a Bible Believing church and one that ignores the Bible in favor of tradition and liturgical worship practices. A church with sound teaching will present the Bible as the perfect and inerrant Word of God and obey the teachings in it. Born Again Christians who are obedient to the Word have a passion for sharing the Gospel with the Lost. Liberal churches are more interested in their attendance and offering numbers.

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

- Proverbs 8:17

My hope is that Born Again Christians and those unsure of Heaven will learn how to find the real road to personal happiness and how to receive God's Blessing. I will use Bible teachings, personal examples and lessons learned from the lives of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. If you're not sure your going to Heaven when you die, your starting point is to obtain a personal relation with the Lord. For more on that, visit my website and choose the option Will You Go To Heaven When You Die? on my traditional website or Going To Heaven? on my mobile version.

Searching for Spiritual Fulfillment?

### Chapter One: Avoid The Pitfalls

I'm a Born Again Christian who loves the Lord, has a passion for soul winning and cares about the happiness and spiritual growth of other Christians. It's easy for me to understand how people enthusiastically promote things that bring them personal satisfaction. Sadly, that may include cults. Let's take a brief look at a few that are well known:

The Children Of God

This group was formed in Huntington Beach, California, by David Berg in 1968. It has changed names several times. It was originally called Teens For Christ which morphed into The Children of God. Over the next forty years the group called itself The Family, The Family Of Love and The Family International. The Children Of God cult encouraged using LSD, free love, polygamy and child love. They brainwashed followers and kept them captive in groups in various locations.

_The_ Children _Of God_ left many victims behind, ruined lives and did NOT make it easy to leave. The late Actor River Phoenix was brought up at one of their locations. He later died due to drug and alcohol abuse. Actress _Rose McGowan_ was also the child of members of the cult. Her father was in charge of the Italian Chapter. She grew up on property once owned by a Duke and located near Florence. Somewhere around sixty counterculture people lived there. McGowan has said that she and the other children had no supervision and were kept separate from their parents.

Rose was an intelligent child who was three years old when she learned to read. However, due to constant brainwashing and separation from her folks, McGowan has virtually no personal memories of any time with her parents during those days. She does recall being taught to NEVER paint her nails because _"God could see the filth under my nails"_ (from _People_ magazine). She also recalls how all the adults kept " _tripping_ " while they waited for the Second Coming of Christ.

Privacy was scarce at her location. Children watched adults make live. Rose recalls observing the women having sex with multiple partners at a very young age. As she grew her conscious was stirred by observing all the depravity going on around her. Women there were little more than sex slaves, men had multiple wives and sex with children was encouraged. I'm assuming that Rose was spared that horror because of her dad's place in the cult, but there was always a chance she could be next.

Worried that she would be violated or eventually made to marry one of the men, McGowan began to ignore other members and refuse to cooperate with them. At some point her dad must have concluded that this was no life for him or his daughter. Rose, her dad, one of his wives and another guy escaped during the night when McGowan was nine. Loyal group members were immediately dispatched to retrieve them. One of them tried to break into their house using a hammer after they settled in California.

The group liked to describe itself as a _new Christian movement._ Their theology was a combined mishmash of Christianity, Eastern Religions and Secular Humanism. The cult's _religious beliefs_ were likely a cover to mask their many nefarious activities which, sadly, attracted many followers. These included open rebellion against all authority to the point that they were planning on conducting biological warfare in countries hostile to them.

The _free love_ that members practiced was explained as a way for them to show each other _"God's Love"_. The group also had a perverted method of evangelism they called _flirty fishing_ which was used to lure people into the cult. Members were sent out to entice and have sex with random people in order to show them " _God_ 's love and mercy". These "evangelists" always chose individuals that might be good prospects.

David Berg (1919–1994) was their self-appointed King, Prophet and Leader. After his death the cult continued on and remains today.

Scientology

L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986) wrote _Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health_. He created a program based on his ideas and called it _Dianetics_. It was marketed through the _Dianetics Foundation_. After the Foundation had to declare bankruptcy, he reimagined and reinvented his program as a religion. Hubbard launched _Scientology_ in May of 1952. It retained many of the doctrines and the same basic terminology of Dianetics. Also retained were the E-meter and the practice of auditing. In less than a year he added the original _Dianetics_ to Scientology.

The _Dianetics Foundation_ was called on the Carpet by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners in 1951 for teaching medicine without a license. They did not succeed in shutting it down, however, the Dianetics Foundation had to declare bankruptcy. After L. Ron Hubbard established _Scientology_ there were more investigations*.

*The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began an investigation concerning the claims the Church of Scientology made in connection with its E-meters. On January 4, 1963, FDA agents raided offices of the Church of Scientology, seizing hundreds of E-meters as illegal medical devices and tons of literature that they accused of making false medical claims. The original suit by the FDA to condemn the literature and E-meters did not succeed, but the Court ordered the Church to label every meter with a disclaimer that it is a purely religious artifact, to post a $20,000 bond of compliance, and to pay the FDA's legal expenses. – from Wikipedia

Scientology rejects most of the tenets of Science. The organization's beliefs appear to be more metaphysical than religious. People are attracted to it for many reasons including the unbridled optimism of its Founder. L. Ron Hubbard: "For a Scientologist, the final test of any knowledge he has gained is, 'did the data and the use of it in life actually improve conditions or didn't it?'" and "A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war; where the world can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology".

Although incorporated as a religion, note one of their statements about church doctrines:

"The Church of Scientology has no set dogma concerning God that it imposes on its members. As with all its tenets, Scientology does not ask individuals to accept anything on faith alone. Rather, as one's level of spiritual awareness increases through participation in Scientology auditing and training, one attains his own certainty of every dynamic. Accordingly, only when the Seventh Dynamic (spiritual) is reached in its entirety will one discover and come to a full understanding of the Eighth Dynamic (infinity) and one's relationship to the Supreme Being."

Celebrities

L. Ron Hubbard created a list of celebrities targeted for conversion to Scientology in 1963. Today, Scientology operates eight churches that are Celebrity Centers. The largest is in Hollywood, California. It's called the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center International. It opened in 1969 and was the first one. That opening is still celebrated during the first week of August every year with an evening gala. Celebrity Scientologists include the late _Gloria Swanson, John Travolta, Juliette Lewis_ and _Tom Cruise_.

Controversies

The term Fair Game is used to describe policies and practices carried out against people the Church perceives as its enemies. Hubbard established the policy in the 1950s to respond to critics both inside and outside his organization. Individuals or groups judged to be a threat to the Church can be punished and harassed using any and all means possible.

Hubbard and his followers targeted a number of people, as well as government officials and agencies. They conducted a program of illegal infiltration against the IRS and other government agencies during the 1970s. Their private investigations, character assassinations and legal action against Scientology critics in the media are notorious. The Fair Game policy remains in effect and has been defended by the Church of Scientology as a core religious practice. Personally I prefer Soul Winning and Visitation programs, but I doubt they have those.

Here is a list of the most well known Controversies involving _scientology_ from _Wikipedia:_

-Criminal behavior by members of the Church, including the infiltration of the US Government.

-Organized harassment of people perceived as enemies of the Church.

-Scientology's disconnection policy, in which some members are required to shun friends or family members who are "antagonistic" to the Church.

-The death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson while in the care of the church. (Robert Minton sponsored the multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Scientology for the death of McPherson. In May 2004, McPherson's estate and the Church of Scientology reached a confidential settlement.)

-Attempts to legally force search engines to censor information critical of the Church.

-Allegations the Church leader David Miscavige beats and demoralizes staff, and that physical violence by superiors towards staff working for them is a common occurrence in the church. Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis denied these claims and provided witnesses to rebut them. It's also alleged that Miscavige keeps his wife in a secluded California compound.

NXIVM

NXIVM is officially a "multi-level marketing company based near Albany, New York that offered personal and professional development seminars through its "Executive Success Programs". Keith Raniere founded the company in 1998, but he's no Tony Robbins or Zig Ziglar. Instead of building a motivational empire as they did, Raniere built a sex cult that he kept close to the vest.

The SECRET of NXIVM is a convoluted tale of ambition, lust and debauchery. I'm not sure that anyone knows when Raniere, also called Grandmaster, organized his secret cult called D.O.S. We do know that by the early 2000s he had a significant number of members in the legitimate side of his company. Some were celebrities like SMALLVILLE actresses Kristin Kreuk and Allison Mack. Kreuk joined first, then recruited Mack. Word of mouth was the organization's best marketing method. The same can be said of the cult.

NXIVM had a loyal following of famous, wealthy and politically connected members. Articles that criticized the company were appearing as early as 2003. That was before existence of the cult became known to authorities or the public. In 2008 Seagram's heiress Clare Bronfman and her sister allegedly pressured Stephen Herbits (a friend and adviser to their father) to ask Albany County District Attorney David Soares, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram to open criminal investigations into NXIVM's critics.

NXIVM reportedly kept dossiers on Soares, Spitzer, political consultant Roger Stone, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, and Albany Times Union publisher George Randolph Hearst III in a box in the basement of Nancy Salzman's home. According to the Times Union, NXIVM "developed a reputation for aggressively pursuing critics and defectors who broke from its ranks, including using litigation to punish critics of Raniere, the organization, or its training methods."

Raniere became more demanding as his private cult grew. The women of D.O.S. were restricted to a 900 calorie a day diet and had to be branded as a condition of membership. Tragically, women were branded (like cattle) just below their waistline. According to recordings in the possession of law enforcement officials, Allison Mack either came up with the idea or refined it into a "nude branding" ceremony.

Raniere saw himself as a kind of religious leader. He wanted the branding to seem like a ceremonial "sacrifice". Instead of losing their lives, women lost the right to their bodies. D.O.S. represents a very rough translation from Latin for "Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companion." Also called "The Vow", Raniere began a ceremony by having his special group of women lay nude on the floor facing him. He sat in a chair and spouted all kinds of philosophical nonsense at them. Cults love to brainwash their members and I'm guessing that Raniere was an expert at it.

#

" _Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."_

-Galations 6:7 (KJV)

It soon became obvious to investigative reporters that NXIVM was into a lot more than just executive training programs. It's been described as a pyramid scheme, a sex-trafficking operation and a dangerous cult. In 2010 another article about NXIVM appeared in the Times Union. Former NXIVM coaches claimed that students were little more than "prey" for Raniere.

Those chosen were used to satisfy his carnal desires or provide money to bankroll his gambling. Kristin Keeffe, a longtime partner of Raniere and mother of his child, left the group in 2014. She described Raniere as "dangerous", stating that "all the worst things you know about NXIVM are true."

On December 15, 2017, the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 aired an exposé featuring interviews with many former NXIVM supporters, including Edmondson and Catherine Oxenberg. They alleged that her daughter India Oxenberg, a current NXIVM member, was in danger. Several former members reported that Keith Rainere took financial and sexual advantage of members. They also reported that high ranking NXIVM leaders did the same.

India was suffering the effects of self starvation because of the D.O.S. requirement to be thin and gaunt to satisfy Rainere. A former NXIVM member and Hollywood Filmmaker named Mark Vicente stated that he became concerned and told her mother, Catherine, that India was in bad shape. Vincente kept encouraging her to leave as he wrestled with his own doubts. He later contacted the FBI and told them all he knew. As a trusted NXIVM member for twelve years, he knew a lot.

It's been over a year since India Oxenberg escaped NXIVM in April of 2018. She left after meeting her current boyfriend Patrick D'Ignazio. According to a woman that worked with India at a popular New York City vegan restaurant, it was love that made her leave D.O.S. and NXIVM permanently. Patrick, a Chef at another popular NYC eatery, demanded she leave not wanting to share her with the cult. Since her escape India has also been carbing up to lose the gaunt look she had while in the cult.

Between April and July of 2017 Keith Rainere, Allison Mack, Clare Bronfman, Nancy Salzman, Lauren Salzman, and Kathy Russell were arrested and charged with racketeering conspiracy for their alleged involvement in NXIVM. Most (including Mack) pleaded guilty to the charges. With so much evidence stacked against them it was the smart thing to do. As of this writing Rainere is on trial in Federal Court. It's a given that he will never see daylight or experience freedom again if found guilty.

NXIVM moved to Brooklyn, NY, in 2017. However, after Keith Rainere and Nancy Salzman (listed as President of the NXIVM company) were arrested, NXIVM ceased all operations. Religious Cults and organizations like NXIVM all begin by successfully appealing to people on a search for spiritual fulfillment, happiness and self confidence. Religious Cults invent their own set of beliefs based on incorrect interpretation of Scripture and, sometimes, a "bible" they published with changes and interpretations that support their teachings.

#

# "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.". Matthew 7:15 (KJV)

The Unification Church and Sun Myung Moon

During the 1970s and 1980s it wasn't unusual to see members of various cults competing for attention at airports, train stations, and in busy sections of most American cities. People preferred the MOONIES over others because they quietly gave away tracts and sold books. They were followers of Sun Myung Moon and members of his Unification Church.

The MOONIES were also taught to recruit young people by inviting them to a meal at their church. Then, they were invited to services or special events. The person who was recruiting them would not use the hard sell. They would befriend the recruit and gently prod them to join their cult. After they did, things changed a lot.

Members were given chores to do. These could be anything from working in a garden to going out and selling fast turnover items like flowers. If the newbie did not sell all their flowers they would be chastised. Young Women were encouraged to wear as little as possible. It was also suggested that they take off their shoes to make themselves look more needy.

M   
oonie selling flowers in Oklahoma, 1973

The Unification Church taught that members could only reach "sinless perfection" through serving God (the church). Hence the zeal young members had selling flowers and such. Moon and his people claimed his members worked hard because they loved the Lord. After examining the theology and practices of the Unification Church, Christian Theologians came to the conclusion that the members were not working hard because they loved the Lord; they were following a false doctrine and working towards "sinless perfection".

People at a Unification "church" were woken up early in the morning or late at night for prayers, religious events or physical exercise sessions. These are classic brain washing techniques. Most military history buffs say the techniques were taught to North Korean soldiers and authorities by the Chinese (who learned from the Soviets) during the Korean War.

From WIKIPEDIA (Abridged and Edited):

Sun Myung Moon (born Mun Yong-myeong; 6 January 1920 – 3 September 2012) was a Korean religious leader, also known for his business ventures and support for political causes. A messiah claimant, he was the founder of the Unification movement (members of which considered him and his wife Hak Ja Han to be their "True Parents"), and of its widely noted "Blessing" or mass wedding ceremony, and the author of its unique theology the Divine Principle.

Moon was born in what is now North Korea. When he was a child, his family converted to Christianity. In 1947 he was convicted by the North Korean government of spying for South Korea and served thirty four months in the Hŭngnam labor camp. In 1954, he founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in Seoul, South Korea based on conservative, family-oriented teachings from new interpretations of the Bible.

In 1971, he moved to the United States and became well known after giving a series of public speeches on his beliefs. In the 1982 case, United States v. Sun Myung Moon, he was found guilty of willfully filing false federal income tax returns and sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. His case generated protests from clergy and civil libertarians, who said that the trial was biased against him.

Moon was criticized for making high demands of his followers. His wedding ceremonies also drew criticism, especially after they involved members of other churches, including Roman Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. He was also criticized for his relationships with political and religious figures, including U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, North Korean President Kim Il Sung, and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

In the 1940s, Moon attended a church in Sangdo dong that was led by the messianic minister Baek Moon Kim, who claimed that he had been given by Jesus the mission to spread the message of a "new Israel" throughout the world. Around this time Moon changed his given name to Sun Myung.

Following World War II, Korea was divided along the 38th parallel into two trusteeships: the United States and the Soviet Union. Pyongyang was the center of Christian activity in Korea until 1945. From the late forties 166 priests and other religious figures were killed or disappeared in concentration camps, including Francis Hong Yong-ho, bishop of Pyongyang and all monks of Tokwon abbey.

Founding the Unification Church

Having been imprisoned in North Korea, Moon became a staunch anti-communist. His teachings viewed the Cold War between democracy and communism as the final conflict between God and Satan, with divided Korea as its primary front line. In 1954, Moon formally founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in Seoul.

His messages attracted young acolytes who helped to build the foundations of church affiliated business and cultural organizations. At his new church, he preached a conservative, family-oriented value system and his own interpretation of the Bible. The Unification Church ad two million members at the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. During that time members were called "Moonies".

Moonie is a colloquial term sometimes used to refer to members of the Unification movement. This is derived from the name of its founder Sun Myung Moon, .and was first used in 1974 by the American media Unification movement members have used the word Moonie, including Moon himself, the president of the Unification Theological Seminary David Kim, and Bo Hi Pak, Moon's aide and president of Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea.

In the 1980s and 1990s the Unification Church of the United States undertook an extensive public relations campaign against the use of the word by the news media. In 1989 the Chicago Tribune was picketed after referring to members as "Moonies". On an October 6, 1994 broadcast of Nightline, host Ted Koppel stated: "On last night's program ...I used the term 'Moonies'. This is a label which members of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church find demeaning and offensive, and I'd like to apologize for its use."

Unification Church members believe that Jesus appeared to Mun Yong-myong (his birth name) on Easter Day in 1936, and asked him to accomplish the work left unfinished after his crucifixion. After a period of prayer and consideration, Moon accepted the mission, later changing his name to Mun Son-myong (Moon Sun-myung or Sun Myung Moon).

The Unification movement has received strong criticism and has attracted numerous controversies, including that of being a dangerous cult. Its involvement in politics, including anti-communism and support for Korean reunification, has also been criticized. Its beliefs have been criticized by both Jewish and Christian scholars. Moon and his wife, Hak Ja Han, were banned from entry into Germany and the other 14 Schengen treaty countries, on the grounds that they were leaders of a sect that endangered the personal and social development of young people

Beliefs

Moon has said that Jesus anointed him to carry out his unfinished work by becoming parent to all of humanity. The Divine Principle or Exposition of the Divine Principle is the main theological textbook of the Unification movement. It was co-written by Moon and early disciple Hyo Won Eu and first published in 1966. A translation entitled Divine Principle was published in English in 1973. The book lays out the core of Unification theology, and is held to have the status of scripture by believers.

Following the format of systematic theology, it includes God's purpose in creating human beings, the fall of man, and restoration – the process through history by which God is working to remove the ill effects of the fall and restore humanity back to the relationship and position that God originally intended.

Blessing ceremonies have attracted a lot of attention in the press and in the public imagination, often being labeled "mass weddings". In many cases Moon pairs up couples or has his Unity ministers do it. Meant to highlight the church's emphasis on traditional morality, they brought Moon both fame and notoriety.

Moon said that he matched couples from different races and nationalities because of his belief that all of humanity should be united: "International and intercultural marriages are the quickest way to bring about an ideal world of peace. People should marry across national and cultural boundaries with people from countries they consider to be their enemies so that the world of peace can come that much more quickly."

In 1974, Moon asked church members in the United States to support President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal when Nixon was being pressured to resign his office. Church members prayed and fasted in support of Nixon for three days in front of the United States Capitol, under the motto: "Forgive, Love and Unite." On 1 February 1974 Nixon publicly thanked them for their support and officially received Moon. This brought the church into widespread public and media attention.

In the 1970s, Moon, who had seldom before spoken to the general public, gave a series of public speeches to audiences in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The largest were a rally in 1975 against North Korean aggression in Seoul and a speech at an event organized by the Unification Church in Washington D.C.

By 2010, Moon had given much of the responsibility for Family Federation for World Peace and Unification religious and business activities to his children, who were then in their 30s and 40s. On 14 August 2012, after suffering from pneumonia earlier in the month, Moon was admitted to Saint Mary's Hospital at The Catholic University of Korea in Seoul.

On 15 August 2012, he was reported to be gravely ill and was put on a respirator at the intensive care unit of St. Mary's Hospital. On 31 August 2012, Moon was transferred to a church-owned hospital near his home in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul, after suffering multiple organ failure. Moon died on the morning of 3 September 2012 at the age of 92. \- end of Wikipedia article

The Hare Krishna Movement

The 1970s and 1980s were the decades of the cults. It seemed like Moonies and Hare Krishna devotees were everywhere. It was difficult to ignore the Hare Krishna celebrants as they chanted loudly and danced around. That was their way of bringing attention to their religion. Hippies were especially attracted to this movement. Many lived together, were vegans, gave their earnings to the organization and brought up their children in a communal atmosphere.

The Krishna Cult has generated less controversy than others except for their very loud processions in public places. However, like most cults, their god is not Jesus Christ. They look at Jesus as a representative of Krishna and nothing more. Their supreme god is Krishna and the Christian Bible is of no use to the Krishna movement. They continue to be popular, though less public, today. The late George Harrison and Russell Brand are among their celebrity devotees.

From Wikipedia (edited and abridged):

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is the religious organization for devotees of Krishna. Their religion is commonly known as Hare Krishna, because of the first two words of their principle mantra:

"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare."

Krishna means "The All-Attractive," Hare addresses the energy of God, and Rama means "The Greatest Pleasure." These names of god and the Hare Krishna Mantra are derived from ancient Indian texts of knowledge called Vedas.

ISKCON and Hinduism both trace their beginnings to the Vedas and to the Bhagavad-Gita text. Whereas mainstream Hinduism regards Krishna to be the 8th incarnation of Vishnu (the Preserver and one of the Hindu trinity of deities), ISKCON regards Krishna to be the supreme Lord over all deities, including Vishnu. They are a monotheistic faith group, one that stresses bhakti, the way of devotion.

The roots of the faith can be traced back to the advent of Krishna, 5000 years ago in a village in India called Vrindavana. The faith has been revived in recent history by the 16th Century Guru Caitanya Mahaprabu who is regarded by the Hare Krishnas as an incarnation of Krishna in the form of His own devotee. He taught that Lord Krishna was the principle deity, god Himself, and that everyone can regain a personal relationship with Krishna through sankirtana (congregational chanting of god's names, specifically the Hare Krishna Mantra).

Abhay Charan De, a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta, adopted the name Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, left India at the age of 69 and came to the United States to proselytize. Prabhupada (The Master) organized ISKCON in 1965. During its early years, it was largely financed through the sale of incense and Prabhupada's books published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

One of the "Beatles", George Harrison, donated a mansion near London and produced an album featuring the Hare Krishna Mantra. After 12 years of prolific writing and successful promotion of Krishna Consciousness, the Master died in 1977. Before his death, he appointed eleven commissioners who were assigned to accept disciples and extend the organization into different countries of the world.

ISKCON is structured into two sectors: an order of monks and priests who live at a temple, and congregation members, who live outside. Male monks shave their heads, except for a central patch called a sikha. They receive a Sanskrit name (one of the many names of God) plus the suffix "dasa," which means "servant of...," and saffron colored robes, dhotis, to signify celibacy. Married monks wear white dhotis.

Female residents of a temple wear traditional saris and do not shave their heads. All monks vow to abandon cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs, reject gambling, and follow a non-violent vegetarian diet. They also make a commitment to chant the names of God a prescribed number of times each day. They rise before sunrise and chant and pray at intervals during the day. Celibacy is preferred and is mandatory for single devotees; sexual activity for married couples is only for the purpose of procreation.

Congregation members wear regular clothing and work regular jobs. Many live near a temple, follow a vegetarian diet, do some prayer and chanting at home, and come to the temple at least once a week, usually for the "Sunday Feast." ("Sunday Feasts" are held at Hare Krishna temples around the world, where anyone can come and participate in the chanting, dancing, and feasting on vegetarian food.)

Hare Krishnas developed a high profile through their appearance in airports and other public places, dressed in saffron colored robes, chanting, playing drums and finger cymbals, selling their literature, and proselytizing. Krishna is worshipped as the Supreme God; they believe that one can attain a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ is recognized as a directly empowered representative of Krishna. They believe hell is a temporary destination after death for people who have sinned greatly while on earth. - end of Wikipedia article

The Charismatic Movement

" _They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." - Mark 16:18 KJV_

Cults within Christianity all begin with a misunderstanding of Scripture. In some Pentecostal Churches in rural areas of the USA they place a box of poisonous live snakes in their worship area allowing members "filled with the Spirit" to pick up and handle them. Needless to say, many have died. Why? Not because they were or were not Born Again , but because the verse about snakes does not apply to them. It was part of a series of verses which described what Jesus said to his eleven Apostles before His ascension. It is not applicable to anyone today.

14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

  * Mark 16:14-18 KJV

Charismatic / Pentecostal History from Wikipedia

Pentecostalism emerged in the early 20th century among radical adherents of the Holiness movement who were energized by revivalism and expectation for the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Believing that they were living in the end times, they expected God to spiritually renew the Christian Church thereby bringing to pass the restoration of spiritual gifts and the evangelization of the world.

In 1900, Charles Parham, an American evangelist and faith healer, began teaching that speaking in tongues was the Bible evidence of Spirit baptism and along with William J. Seymour, a Wesleyan-Holiness preacher, he taught that this was the third work of grace. The three-year-long Azusa Street Revival, founded and led by Seymour in Los Angeles, California, resulted in the spread of Pentecostalism throughout the United States and the rest of the world as visitors carried the Pentecostal experience back to their home churches or felt called to the mission field.

While virtually all Pentecostal denominations trace their origins to Azusa Street, the movement has experienced a variety of divisions and controversies. An early dispute centered on challenges to the doctrine of the Trinity. As a result, the Pentecostal movement is divided between Trinitarian and non-Trinitarian branches, resulting in the emergence of Oneness Pentecostals.

Comprising over 700 denominations and a large number of independent churches, there is no central authority governing Pentecostalism; however, many denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship. There are over 279 million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the global South.

Since the 1960s, Pentecostalism has increasingly gained acceptance from some Christian and Denominational Churches. False Pentecostal beliefs concerning Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts have been embraced by a number of Protestant and Catholic churches through the Charismatic Movement. Together, Pentecostal and Charismatic devotees number over 500 million. – end of Wikipedia article

Pastor George Zeller of Middletown Bible Church lists the Scriptural Errors of The Charismatic Movement:

1) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT TEACHES THAT NOT EVERY BELIEVER HAS RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT. They will often ask this question: "HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE SPIRIT?"

The Apostle Paul, in writing to the believers in Rome, declared that every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, HE IS NONE OF HIS" (Rom. 8:9). Those who do not have the Spirit are those who do not have Christ! The person who has the Son of God has the Holy Spirit also! Thus, the crucial question is not whether I have received the Holy Spirit, but whether I have received Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:11-12)!

The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to each believer at the moment of salvation (Rom. 5:5). As a result, God's Spirit lives within every Christian: "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, WHO IS IN YOU" (1 Cor. 6:19).

How do I KNOW that the Holy Spirit dwells within me? The Charismatic answer: "I know that the Holy Spirit dwells within me because I have had an experience! I have had the 'baptism' and I have spoken in tongues!" The Believer's answer: "I know that the Holy Spirit dwells within me because GOD SAID SO! The Bible says, 'The Holy Spirit dwelleth in us' (2 Tim. 1: 14). God said it; I believe it; that settles it!"

2) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT TEACHES THAT TONGUES IS THE EVIDENCE OF HAVING RECEIVED THE SPIRIT. In other words, when they ask, "Have you received the Spirit?" what they really mean is, "HAVE YOU SPOKEN IN TONGUES?"

God's Word tells me that I was sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment I trusted Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). As cattle are "sealed" or branded with a mark of ownership, so God has given me the Holy Spirit as the mark and token that I belong to Christ (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). If I really have the Holy Spirit, and if I really belong to the Son of God, what will the outward evidence of that be? "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this SEAL, the Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ DEPART FROM INIQUITY" (2 Tim. 2:19).

Many people name the name of Christ, and claim to be Christians. Many profess Christ, but few actually possess Christ. The real test is whether or not a person DEPARTS FROM INIQUITY (UNRIGHTEOUSNESS). If I have really received the HOLY Spirit, then that ought to be evidenced by a HOLY life: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto HOLINESS . . . who hath also given unto us His HOLY Spirit (1 Thess. 4:7-8). The determining question is not whether I have spoken in tongues, but whether I have walked consistently in His holiness!

3) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT TEACHES THAT TONGUES IS THE EVIDENCE OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

The important command to be filled with the Spirit is found in Ephesians 5:18. If I am really filled with the Spirit, how will that be evidenced? Paul gives the answer in the verses which follow.

If I am filled with, the Spirit, I will have a song in my heart (Eph. 5:19). The Holy Spirit is the Master Musician who is able to produce a wonderful melody within! (Notice that verse 19 does not say, "Speaking to yourselves in unknown tongues...")

If I am filled with the Spirit, then I will be filled with thanksgiving also (Eph. 5:20)! Unthankful means unfilled!

Finally, if I am truly Spirit-filled, I will submit to God's order in the home (Eph. 5:21 and the verses following). The real test of whether a person is filled with the Spirit is not on Sunday morning in church when everyone is at their best behavior. Rather it is how one conducts himself in the home during the week in the midst of the problems and pressures of life. The critical question is not, "Has he spoken in tongues?", but rather, "Is he loving (Eph. 5:25)?" "Is she submissive (Eph. 5:22)?" "Are the children obedient (Eph. 6:1-2)?" God the Holy Spirit is able to produce something far greater than tongues (Gal. 5:22-23)!

4) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT TEACHES THAT SPIRIT BAPTISM IS AN EXPERIENCE SUBSEQUENT (FOLLOWING IN TIME) TO SALVATION AND NOT ENJOYED BY ALL BELIEVERS. They will often ask this question: HAVE YOU HAD THE BAPTISM?

God's Word teaches that Spirit Baptism is that wonderful work of God whereby I was placed into the body of Christ the moment I was saved: "For by one Spirit were we ALL baptized into one body . . . and have ALL been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Gal. 3:25-26). Those in the Charismatic movement often identify the "baptism of the Spirit" as that "Pentecostal experience" of speaking in tongues. Furthermore, they teach that ALL believers should seek this tongues experience. Thus the Charismatic movement says "ALL" when God says "NOT ALL" (1 Cor. 12:29-30), and "NOT ALL" when God says "ALL" (1 Cor. 12:13).

5) SOME WITHIN THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT, BELIEVE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO TARRY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.

For Charismatics, the term "tarry" often means to seek after the "baptism of the Spirit" (speaking in tongues) by long sessions of prayer, by the laying on of hands, etc. For the Apostles, the word "tarry" meant to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). To evangelize the world without the Holy Spirit would be as futile as trying to drive a car without gas!

I might wait for a person at the airport for several hours. Once he comes, however, I do not need to wait any longer! The waiting period is over, and I can simply enjoy his presence! Praise God, the Comforter has come!

6) WITHIN THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT THERE IS OFTEN AN OVEREMPHASIS UPON THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE NEGLECT OF CHRIST.

In some Charismatic groups and gatherings, the Holy Spirit is spoken of more than Christ! The Lord Jesus said, "But when the Comforter is come . . . He shall testify of Me . . . for He WILL NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF . . . He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 15:26; 16:13-14).

The Spirit bears witness to Christ! The Spirit ever points people to Christ! The glorious ministry of the Spirit is to glorify and lift up Christ! If the Holy Spirit is really working in my life, then CHRIST will become more and more precious to me each day! His blessed office work is to produce Christ-like saints (Gal. 4:19; 5:22-23; 2 Cor. 3:18)!

7) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT INCLUDES THOSE WHO TEACH THAT IT IS GOD'S WILL FOR EVERY SICK PERSON TO BE HEALED.

Some "faith healers" today insist that if a person is sick, then he is out of the will of God—either he does not have enough faith or he has not come to the right person (i.e. a "healer"). Here are the facts:

1) In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 we learn that God denied Paul's request to have his "thorn" (painful bodily ailment) removed.

2) Faithful Epaphroditus, as we are told in Philippians 2:25-30, had almost died from a sickness, and the implication is that Paul was unable to help him, though God could.

3) In his final letter to Timothy, Paul explained that he had left Trophimus at Miletus SICK (2 Tim. 4:20).

4) Paul apparently knew of no faith healer who could help Timothy with his stomach ailments and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. 5:23).

5) Christ and the apostles healed ALL who came to them, not just those who "had enough faith" (Matt. 12:15; Acts 28:7-9).

6) The healing miracles of Christ and the apostles can be described as INSTANTANEOUS (Matt. 8:3; 20:34; Acts 3:6-7), PERFECT AND COMPLETE (Matt. 14:36) and UNDENIABLE (Acts 4:14, 16; compare Matthew 12:22-24). Sadly, the same cannot be said of the "miraculous cures" of modern "healers."

8) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT TEACHES THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT SUFFICIENT! WE NEED SOMETHING ELSE (VISIONS, PROPHECIES, ADDED REVELATIONS, ETC.)!

Nothing is more important than my attitude towards God's written Word (the 66 canonical books). Consider the following:

1) Christ told His disciples that they needed added revelation (John 16:12-"I have yet many things to say unto you"), but He promised that the Spirit of truth would come and guide them into ALL TRUTH (John 16:13)! What more do we need?

2) Though God once spoke at various times and in "divers manners" (through visions, dreams, etc.), He has in these last days spoken by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2)! What more do we need?

3) All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable . . . that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17)! What more do we need?

4) Though Peter actually heard God's voice from heaven, he assures us that "we have a more sure word of prophecy . . . the Scripture" (2 Pet. 1:18-20)! What more do we need?

5) Jude writes concerning "the faith" (the body of Christian truth) which has once for all been delivered to the saints (Jude 3)! What more do we need?

6) As the Lord completed His written revelation, He issued one final warning: LET NO MAN ADD OR TAKE AWAY FROM MY WORD (see Rev. 22:18-19). Two verses later the final period was placed and the Bible was completed! What more do we need?

9) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT BELIEVES THAT ECUMENISM IS PLEASING TO GOD.

Charismatic renewal has penetrated all the mainline Protestant denominations and is rapidly sweeping into the Roman Catholic Church. Charismatic converts are told to stay within these churches and to seek to "renew" them by their presence within.

God's commands are just the opposite. Please read and consider the following commands in light of their context: 1) "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM" (2 Cor. 6:18); 2) "FROM SUCH TURN AWAY" (2 Tim. 3:5); 3) "AVOID" (Rom. 16:17); 4) REJECT" (Tit. 3:10); 5) "RECEIVE HIM NOT" (2 John 10).

10) THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT MAKES EXPERIENCE THE REAL BASIS OF CHRISTIAN UNITY RATHER THAN DOCTRINE.

Charismatic people are united around a COMMON EXPERIENCE. What a person believes and what church a person attends is irrelevant. What really matters is that all have had the "Pentecostal experience."

What was it that united the early church? Were converts given the freedom to believe whatever they wanted and to worship however they pleased? No, "they continued steadfastly IN THE APOSTLES DOCTRINE" (Acts 2:42).

Their unity was based on "one faith" (Eph. 4:5), not "many faiths." It was a unity that was based on a common "knowledge of the Son of God" (Eph. 4:13), which implies a correct doctrinal understanding of who Christ is and what He has done. This "oneness" was impossible apart from the protective atmosphere of "doctrine" (Eph. 4:14) and "truth" (Eph. 4:15). Only God's Word and God's Truth can effectively unite God's people. May it so be! - end of article

Middletown Bible Church (MBC) is a long-standing, independent, fundamentalist, bible church located in Middletown, Connecticut, George Zeller has served as the Assistant pastor for more than 33 years.

### The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Nine Things You Should Know About Mormonism

By Joe Carter (an editor for The Gospel Coalition)

In more than half of the states in the U.S., Mormonism is the fastest-growing religion. Although Mormons consider their church to a restorationist movement within Christianity (they believe the Great Apostasy occurred between the time of the New Testament church and it's restoration under Joseph Smith), Mormonism differs radically from the orthodox Christian teachings and beliefs. Here are nine things you should know about Mormon beliefs:

1. In 1838, Joseph Smith claims he was told in a revelation that the church should be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the New Testament church were called "saints" (see Acts 9:32, Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 1:1), which is why Mormons call themselves "Latter-day Saints." As Gordon B. Hinckley, prior president of the LDS church, explains: "They were former-day Saints. We are the Latter-day Saints. It is that simple." Hinckley adds that they are often called "Mormons" as a nickname given because they believe in the Book of Mormon as the word of God.

2. Mormonism has four written books of scripture: The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (which claims to be a record of God's dealings with the inhabitants of ancient America from 2000 BC to 400 AD), the Doctrine and Covenants (a collection of "revelations and inspired declarations" given for the establishment and regulation of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last days (1830 AD – 1978 AD)), The Pearl of Great Price (a selection of revelations, translations, and writings of Joseph Smith), and the King James Version of the Bible ("We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.")

3. The LDS church teaches that as the Bible has been transmitted over the centuries it has "suffered the loss of many plain and precious parts." They believe the Bible to be the word of God "as far as it is translated correctly" and that the "most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations." The KJV is the LDS church's official English Bible, though it has been foot-noted in a way that interprets the meaning to compliment LDS doctrines.

4. The Book of Mormon teaches that only fools say the Bible is sufficient and that other scripture is not needed ("Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible." (2 Nephi 29:6)). The Book of Mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the King James Bible, including entire passages duplicated word-for-word. For example, the Book of Mormon contains 19 chapters of the King James translation of Isaiah in their entirety.

5. The LDS church subscribes to the doctrine of continual revelation: "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." Mormons believe such apostolic revelation is inspired, but not infallible, and can supersede previous revelation, including that found in their scriptures. The only one authorized to bring forth new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be accepted the church's First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and then sustained by the body of the church.

6. Unlike Christian Trinitarianism (one God existing in three Persons), Mormons believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. They also believe the Father and Son each have a "body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" but that the Holy Ghost "has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit." According to Joseph Smith, when Adam was formed in the image of God, it was a physical image. God the Father was once a mortal who lived on an earth. He died, was resurrected, glorified, and grew into his deified status. (According to Joseph Smith, there is a "God above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.") God the Father is the literal father of all spirit-children, including Jesus and the Holy Ghost, whose divinity is derived from the parent-child relationship. Within Mormonism, Jesus is identified with the Yahweh of the Old Testament.

7. According to Mormonism, everything in the universe — including God —is ultimately governed by eternal transcendent laws and principles. In LDS teaching, all the Father's children (including humans) possess the same potential to become gods (like the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost) since they are of the same species. Every human spirit once existed as a divine intelligence before becoming the spirit-children of the Father.

8. Prior to creation human spirits were literal children of heavenly parents. Although their spirits were created, the essential "intelligence" of these spirits is considered eternal, and without beginning. At a family council, God the Father told the spirit-children that according to his "plan of salvation" they would have to leave their heavenly home, take on human bodies, and be tested before they could progress to godhood. Satan rejected this plan and wanted to implement one that would have involved loss of moral agency. Jesus opposed Satan and offered an alternative plan in which he would take on human form and live a sinless life so that his spirit brothers and sisters could become gods. When his plan was not accepted, Lucifer is said to have rebelled and taken "the third part" of the hosts of heaven with him to the earth to serve as tempters.

9. Mormons believe in a universal salvation for everyone from death (this is what they refer to when they speak of "salvation by grace alone."). But after the body is reunited with the spirit, humans go to different places:

• Celestial Glory — The highest level of the celestial heavenly kingdom is for (married) Mormons who have kept all the Celestial laws and commandments (this is what they refer to by "eternal life"). The lower celestial kingdom is for single Mormons who lived a worthy life and good people (including Christians) who didn't have a chance on earth to hear about and accept Mormonism. People in this lower group cannot become gods. • Terrestial Glory — The terrestrial kingdom is for unworthy Mormons and good people who knew about Mormonism on earth but rejected it until after their death. • Telestial Glory – The telestial realm is for wicked people who rejected Mormonism even after death. They will experience suffering and pain for their sins. It's similar to the Christian version of Hell, only not eternal. • Hell (Outer Darkness) – Eternal hell is for Satan, demons, and "sons of perdition" (e.g., those who deny the Holy Spirit after receiving it:).- End of article

### Jehovah's Witnesses

For years the Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Building has been a kind of landmark in Brooklyn, New York City. I recall driving by it many times with my parents. I asked what it was and they told me that a religion printed literature there. As I got older and often found myself back in NYC, I drove past it many more times. It was still there and remained active just like the Witnesses themselves. As a kid and later as an adult they came to my door on many occasions.

They always offer a copy of Awake, which is published regularly by the Witnesses. They also offer to introduce you to their religion through home studies they conduct just like the Mormon Missionaries. I always politely refuse. During one week, a while ago, a bunch of them were in my neighborhood. My doorbell rang twice a day for days. Finally, I realized that they probably took note of the fact that I was polite giving them reason to have others try me.

The next time I found them at my door I said what I normally say to anyone selling something: "Hello, I see you don't give up. What's your names?" They both took turns introducing themselves to me. "I'm _____" and "I'm _____." I said, "I'm...not interested. Please don't come back." Enough pastors have told me not to let the witnesses in and in the past I found out why on two occasions; they won't leave unless you practically kick them out. They will not accept tracts or allow you to share any Bible verses with them.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE A CULT

by Daf Meirion-Jones of The King's Centre (UK)

I answered the door on Thursday to be greeted by Austin and Simon. They were Jehovah's Witnesses. Austin was doing the talking, I suspect Simon was the trainee.

There are a few things that it's good to know about JWs.

1. They expect you to ignore them, be rude and argue a lot. This is good news for them because they're told that faithful witness will lead to persecution. So the best thing you can do to disarm them is be nice. Invite them in if you have time. Make them a coffee. Give them a cake.

2. They record their witnessing on time sheets. This is partially because they have to do it. I suspect that this is the work that confirms their faith for them. In other words they prove they're good enough Jehovah's witnesses by witnessing. If you don't log enough time witnessing you get short shrift from the leadership.

3. Their bible is not the Bible.

4. The JW's were founded in the late 1870s by a bloke called Charles Taze Russell, who didn't like the teaching of the church he was attending. So he made some up himself that he liked more.

5. It's not a Christian denomination because Jesus is not fully divine. He is a created being. Jesus didn't rise physically from the dead. Jesus came back secretly in 1914. Plus a load of other stuff Charlie suggested - most of the weirdest stuff you won't hear about from JWs.

Austin started by telling me that he'd taken time off work, as had Simon, to share the news that they had come to tell me. Undoubtedly impressive commitment. Commitment that would shame many Christians. Spotting what was coming next I decided to ask him a question: Was he sure that he would be in the New Creation?

"If I remained faithful." came the reply. This is because JWs believe that your relationship with God is proven by your works. The problem is once you have an equation of forgiveness that is: "salvation = faith + works", it's always the works that matter.

Anyway, Austin and I chatted on. Seeing that I was a Christian he took two classic JW tactics. Firstly he asked me about Heaven. This is because Christians tend to be very badly thought through on what the Bible says about Heaven, the New Creation and life after death. Unfortunately for Austin I'd done a bit of thinking on this.

So, secondly, he went for the "quote the extremely obscure verse that the Christian won't know" tactic. He said to me, "Of course you'll know that Zephaniah 2:3 says, "Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger." His emphasis being on the "perhaps". It wasn't Austin's day. I've just finished preaching Zephaniah, so for the first time in my life I actually knew what the book was about. I urged him to read on to chapter 3 and see how Zephaniah ends with a great declaration from the Lord will save His people by grace, despite their very ropey works.

To be fair to Austin he wasn't going to give up, but I had a sermon to write. So I went for a deal. I said, "I'll read your literature, that magazine you're holding and anything else you want to give me, if you'll promise to read a copy of John's gospel I give you." Silence.

So I repeated my offer: I'll read your literature, if you'll read mine (which just happened to be a book of the Bible). Austin said he wouldn't. I asked why. He said that he had to be careful of false teachers and apostates. I said that I thought we were getting on so well and now he'd just called me a false teacher! Austin still wouldn't agree to read one of the gospels.

So I politely told them that was why the Jehovah's Witnesses were a cult. Because they weren't allowed to think for themselves.

As Christians we don't need to be afraid of asking questions or reading about other beliefs systems. Because the good news about Jesus is "The Truth", it will stand out from the rest. The way that we protect ourselves from false ideas is not by refusing to interact with them. But by ensuring that we are being taught the truth from the Bible clearly and faithfully. Then we will be able to spot the fraud from the genuine article when we see it.

Sometimes it's best not to argue, but rather simply to put the Bible into someones hands and encourage them to read it for themselves. The 19th century Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was once asked how he dealt with criticisms of the Bible. "Very easy," he responded. "I defend the Bible the same way I defend a lion. I simply let it out of its cage."

Perhaps Austin was wise not to take my John's gospel, if he wants to remain a Jehovah's Witness.

-end of article

The Roman Catholic Church

I grew up in a Long Island, NY, neighborhood where everyone was Catholic, Protestant or Jewish. I had friends that, collectively, worshiped in all three religions. I was invited to Bar Mitzvahs, Catholic Youth Organization events and Holiday Festivals at Protestant Churches. All of these events made me think about God, but none showed me how to have a personal relationship with God.

I watched some Sunday morning religious shows and became confused. The Jews worshiped as if they were still under the Old Testament Law. The Catholics prayed to Mary and various saints. The old line Protestants aired shows that included a lot of philosophy and morality lessons, and very little Bible. Some of the religious kid shows were entertaining and I liked watching them. However, none of the adult or kid shows satisfied my curiosity about God.

After I became a Christian, I realized how all of my friends had been mislead by their parent's chosen religions. The more I looked into so-called "Christian" religions that had their own holy books or Bible translations, the more upset I became. I have included information on these so that anyone seeking a relationship with God, His blessing or true happiness will not be sidetracked.

False Catholic Teachings

The Catholic Church is the One True Church

CCC 2105 "The duty of offering God genuine worship concerns man both individually and socially. This is 'the traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies toward the true religion and the one Church of Christ.' By constantly evangelizing men, the Church works toward enabling them 'to infuse the Christian spirit into the mentality and mores, laws and structures of the communities in which [they] live.' The social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken in each man the love of the true and the good. It requires them to make known the worship of the one true religion which subsists in the Catholic and apostolic Church. Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies."

Infallibility of the Catholic Church

CCC 2035, "The supreme degree of participation in the authority of Christ is ensured by the charism of infallibility. This infallibility extends as far as does the deposit of divine Revelation; it also extends to all those elements of doctrine, including morals, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, explained, or observed."

Only the Roman Catholic Church has authority to interpret Scripture

CCC 100, "The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him."

The Pope is the head of the church and has the authority of Christ

CCC 2034, "The Roman Pontiff and the bishops are 'authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice.' The ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him teach the faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice, the beatitude to hope for."

The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation

CCC 846, "How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it."

Sacred Tradition equal to scripture

CCC 82, ". . .the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence'."

Forgiveness of sins, salvation, is by faith and works

CCC 2036, "The specific precepts of the natural law, because their observance, demanded by the creator, is necessary for salvation."

CCC 2080, "The Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the natural law. It is made known to us by divine revelation and by human reason."

CCC 2068, "so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments,"

Full benefit of Salvation is only through the Roman Catholic Church

"For it is only through Christ's Catholic Church, which is "the all-embracing means of salvation," that they can benefit fully from the means of salvation,," (Vatican 2, Decree on Ecumenism, 3).

Grace can be merited"

CCC 2010, "Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification."

CCC 2027, "Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life, as well as necessary temporal goods."

The merit of Mary and the Saints can be applied to Catholics and others

1477, "This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission in the unity of the Mystical Body."

Penance is necessary for salvation

CCC 980, "This sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn."

Purgatory

CCC 1031, "The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

CCC 1475, "In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things." In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

Indulgences

CCC 1471, "The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance. What is an indulgence? 'An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.' 'An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.' The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead."

CCC 1478, "An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.

CCC 1498, "Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory."

CCC 1472, "...On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin..."

Mary (there are many false doctrines concerning Mary in Roman Catholicism, here are a few)

Mary is Mediatrix, CCC 969, "Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.'"

Mary brings us the gifts of eternal salvation, CCC 969, "Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation..."

Mary delivers souls from death, CCC 966, "...You [Mary] conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death."

Prayer to the saints

CCC 2677, "By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the 'Mother of Mercy,' the All-Holy One. We give ourselves over to her now, in the Today of our lives. And our trust broadens further, already at the present moment, to surrender 'the hour of our death' wholly to her care."

The Communion elements become the actual body and blood of Christ

CCC 1374, "In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."

CCC 1376, "The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."

I did not choose these examples to criticize any particular cult. I chose them because I wanted to make the point that there are often many pitfalls on a journey of spiritual discovery. Most cults make membership sound too good to be true and that's always correct. Any allegedly religious organization has to be able to stand up to Bible scrutiny. That's why many have their own holy book. There will always be minor Scriptural points of contention between Born Again Christians. However, there can never be compromise on basic Bible teaching and Christian Fundamentals.

1. The Virgin Birth of Christ

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. - Matthew 1 (KJV)

Some versions of the Bible substitute 'young woman' for virgin, removing the miraculous nature of Christ's conception and birth. This would make Jesus like any other man. It is any wonder why so many churches today merely refer to him as a 'great teacher.' Well, he may be a great teacher to them, but he is God to me! If he is not God, he cannot lead a sinless life...

2. The Sinless Life Of Christ

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" - I Peter 1:18-19 (KJV)

Only a sinless Savior can die and pay for our sins on the cross. If he was a sinner, he would be like everyone else and, perhaps, just a great teacher espousing worthwhile sentiments. But, that is not the case. He came to Earth as God in the flesh. The attack on the diety of Christ and his sinless nature has gotten to the point that many liberal theologians and preachers look at the Bible as a 'Paper Pope."

5. The Visible Return

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. - Titus 2:13-14 (KJV

6. The Triune God

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

\- Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV)

The third chapter of Matthew in the New Testament is a perfect illustration of the fact that we worship a triune God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Those who seek to separate any or all of the Triune God do so to rob God of divinity or try to prove that Jesus Christ was not the Messiah who died for the sins of the whole world.

7. The Infallible Word Of God and The Perfect Preservation of the Bible

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." -John 1:1-4 (KJV)

Jesus Christ came to Earth as God and, according to the Gospel of John, was also the very living Word of God. When he spoke, he spoke with the power and authority of God because he is God. Is it any wonder why those who hate the truth would seek to attack and defame the Bible?

8. The Priesthood Of Believers

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." -1 Peter 2:1-5 (KJV)

These verses make it clear what God expects of Christians. We are to offer up "spiritual sacrifices" by sharing the gospel with a lost world.

### Chapter Two: Actions Have Consequences

It's very frustrating to watch Christians move about in their daily lives without happiness or any expectation of joy. I can relate to their situation because I did exactly the same thing for a long time. Most of my joy, happiness and satisfaction came from work, my family or almost any sort of success. However, those feelings were always temporary and still left me generally unfulfilled as a person. I knew what I really needed to do, but rarely did it. That's because it involved the "O" word. _Obey_.

My relationship with God was like a foot race. I was either running to him (when I had problems and needed help) or running away from him (when it came to doing the things that I knew I should be doing according to his Word). Although it took some tough love on his part, the Lord finally reached into my brain and turned on the lights. During moments of anxiety, depression or when I was knee deep in some sort of a problem, I would read the Bible. It was during one of those sessions that I discovered the tragic account of King Saul in these verses:

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

11 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

God opened a door for me that day. I started to ponder all the things that I had learned about Christian living through my study of the Bible, the preaching and teaching that I heard in church and my own experiences in helping to establish and build local churches. It dawned on me that I, and many other Christians, were living unhappy and unfilled lives because we were not obeying God.
When I thought about obedience, it always seemed like some kind of nasty, negative activity that involved people acting as mechanical robots: I never thought about it as a way to gain spiritual and even material fulfillment. I prayed, but couldn't understand why my prayers always seemed to go unanswered. Then that verse hit me right between the eyes: "...to obey is better than sacrifice". Talk about a wake up call!

My mind was drawn to another set of verses in the King James Version New Testament biblical book of Matthew, chapter six and verses twenty-four to thirty-three:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

It dawned on me that I had everything backward. I was looking for help from God while in a state of disobedience. Due to various circumstances that now seem to me as worthless excuses, I was not reading the Bible, praying as regular as I should, visiting those that needed it or attempting to witness and win souls. In short, I wanted everything from God and was not willing to do even the most basic things that he asks of all Christians.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

That particular portion of Scripture stung me even worse than the previous one about obedience. I knew that it was time to take a spiritual inventory, and that task is never a pleasant one for any disobedient Christian. I came up with a short list of basic things that I knew God wanted me and every other Believer to do:

READ THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible tells us in the King James Version New Testament biblical book of Second Timothy, chapter two and verse fifteen:

" _Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."_

You cannot understand God, His Will for your life or even perform the simplest of tasks that he asks us to do without reading, studying and comprehending His Word. And, you cannot do it alone. No one becomes a Christian unless someone else shares God's Plan of Salvation with them from the Bible. The King James Version New Testament biblical book of Romans, chapter ten and verse seventeen states:

" _So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."_

The King James Version New Testament biblical book of Romans gives us everything we need to be saved from eternal torment in Hell. It explains that no matter how good we think we are, we will never be good enough to make it to Heaven by our own works:

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10).

" _For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)._

It also explains how that Adam's first sin in the Garden of Eden caused every person from then on to be born with a sinful nature:

" _Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)._

We discover there is a wage for our sins, but also that God offers His Son as a payment for our sins if we are willing to accept him as our Savior:

" _For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)._

All we need to do to accept this gift is to pray and ask Jesus to be our personal Savior, therefore paying for all of our sins past, present and future:

" _That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."_

If we trust God for our Salvation, why don't we trust him to meet our material and spiritual needs? The answer is simple: no one likes the idea of obedience. I can relate to that, but I have discovered that there is no short cut. I also learned that obeying God is for OUR SAKES, not for his. That statement may surprise you, but consider the next step of obeying the Lord:

ATTEND CHURCH AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD'S PEOPLE

The Bible tells us in the King James Version New Testament biblical book of Hebrews, chapter ten and verses twenty-three to twenty-five:

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Most people believe that God wants them to go to church to worship Him. However, is that what the previous verse states? There is no doubt that we need to worship God, but we do that by paying homage to the Lord, giving him praise and honor through song, word and deed.

The primary reason that God wants us to attend the services of a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching and soul winning church is for the edification of ourselves and others. We are edified by learning the word, experiencing Christian fellowship and participating in things which bring glory to God. Church attendance also provides us the opportunity to perform several other acts of obedience.

GIVE THE LORD A PORTION OF YOUR INCREASE

The Bible gives us a perfect example of Christian giving in I Corinthians 16:1-2 (KJV):

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

The Apostle Paul could not have made it clearer. We are to give as God has prospered us. That means some people will be expected to give more than ten percent, others probably less. A tithe, or percentage, becomes somewhat meaningless under these circumstances and the information provided to us by Paul, who is most certainly speaking to Christians under the New Covenant.

So then WHY do so many churches and ministries hold on to the tithe as a standard of giving? For some, it's tradition. For others it's either Biblical ignorance or (especially television and radio ministries), it's greed. They use the Old Testament system of tithing to promote the idea of SEED FAITH giving. That idea teaches that 'we need to have the faith to plant a seed in order to reap a harvest.' Supporters of Seed Faith giving also point out that we cannot out give God, but these ministries won't mind if you try!
The Old Covenant required a specific system of giving. The King James Version Old Testament biblical book of Malachi states in chapter three, verses eight to ten:

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

The tithe (tenth percent of an income) is something that I do not believe that Christians MUST give to satisfy God. Instead, under the New Covenant that replaces the old, we are expected to give a portion of what God has given each of us, some should give more than others. If the Lord has blessed you with great wealth, it would be wise to give of your increase and not just a set amount.

Riches can be a trap used by the Devil to keep you away from God. I am sorry to say that I have not met any wealthy people that were able to enjoy what they have. Most spend all of their time worrying about making more or just keeping the riches they've accumulated. Others use their wealth to feed unhealthy habits and end up buried so deeply in sin that it's unlikely they will ever come up for air long enough to seek God.

The Bible gives us some very clear warnings about wealth and riches, so I believe we should take heed when it comes to these verses:

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

\- Matthew 19:16-24 KJV

Offerings are not just about money, they are also about the giving of time and effort. Some people think nothing of going out at night during the work week for one amusement or another. Yet when it's time to attend a mid-week or Sunday church service, they moan and groan about how tired they are and how hard they worked all week.

They reluctantly open their wallet, billfold or purse when the offering plate comes by and feel that God and their local church pastor have conspired to pick their pocket of the few crumbs they have managed to save for that purpose. And do not even think of asking these folks to help out with any church activities! After all, they reason, isn't it bad enough that they have to actually go to church and give money? Now the pastor and church leaders have the nerve to ask them to participate in God's Work.

Those type of people give their best to themselves and offer God whatever meager amounts of time and money they have left or feel that they can spare. Now before you think that I am coming down on them too hard, please note that I believe at some point I was like them and maybe you were too. That probably came from not knowing any better. But once we understand what God expects of us, we should be willing to display the faith we claim to have through giving of our time and effort.

The Lord uses the time, effort and money that Christians give to help local churches meet their earthly needs and further the work of spreading of the Gospel among the lost. But more importantly, the giving of one's time, effort and money becomes a point of contact between you and God. By obeying Him in the matter of the giving of time, effort and money, you show your willingness to obey and seek him and place him FIRST in your life above all else. This is an important step in the life of every Christian that can bring a great deal of happiness and fulfillment.

When it comes to the matter of giving and serving the Lord, we must also use good stewardship. That means we have to follow the examples offered in the Word of God. If you give to a ministry where the primary goal is to just get as much money coming in as possible or build the biggest building available, do not expect God to bless you. I know of churches where pastors feel that their congregation is not doing enough unless they are driving the best of cars and living in circumstances that seem far above the need.

We are supposed to be sure that those who serve us as pastors or other church employees are well cared for, but I believe that is to be within reason. The same is true of church buildings. Any ministry is obligated to balance what is needed verses excess. And most importantly, what will please God, help to save sinners and bring Christians in for worship.

Part of good stewardship also means understanding that giving to the Lord is not like investing in the stock market or a money market fund. We give to God with no expectation, other than the fact that you are in obedience to his Word. Anyone that watches television knows that almost all TV Preachers talk about giving as a kind of SEED FAITH. They appear to teach that God is some sort of Heavenly Banker who spends all his time watching what people give to these various ministries and that he rewards those that decide to support them. In short, GIVE with an expectation that you will GET. Where is that in the Bible?

If you choose to give an offering to a TV preacher, visiting evangelist, missionary or some Christian organization that you believe is doing the work of the Lord, that's fine. But give from your heart and without expectation. I recently saw a TV Preacher tell his audience that if they need money, they should go and borrow ten dollars from their neighbor, send it to him so that God can provide for their needs! That is not only wrong Biblically speaking; it's also unethical in my view.

Equally important is that fact that before you give anything to any ministry, make sure that your own local church and those who do the Lord's Work there are taken care of first and foremost.

" **You can't lose with the stuff I use!"- Reverend Ike**

Reverend Ike (Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II) was born in South Carolina. He began preaching as a teen and later became an Assistant Pastor at Bible Way Church in Ridgeland, SC. After serving as an Chaplain Service Assistant in the Air Force, Frederick established the United Church For All People in Beaufort, SC. He called the building a Palace and fancied himself the king of ??? Not sure, but he was certainly a dynamic preacher.

As his ministry grew and he became popular on radio and TV, Rev Ike established the United Church For Jesus Church in Boston and another in New York City where he was based during the height of his popularity. Ike was all about gold and cash. He would sit on a throne (covered in real gold) at his ministry in New York City and tell his radio and TV audience:

" **It is the lack of money that is the root of all evil... The best thing you can do for the poor is not to be one of them... Forget about the pie-in-the-sky; get yours here and now."**

Rev Ike bought the Loew's 175th Street Theatre movie palace in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City for over half a million dollars. He renamed it the "Palace Cathedral", but People started calling it "Reverend Ike's Prayer Tower". Ike had it fully restored and that included the seven-story high, twin chamber Robert Morton organ. The "Miracle Star of Faith", visible from the George Washington Bridge, tops the building's cupola. In 2016, the building was designated as a landmark by the New York City Landmark Commission.

Rev. Ike was also the "chancellor" of the United Church Schools, including the Science of Living Institute and Seminary. The school awarded him, his wife, and his son Doctor of the Science of Living degrees. He established The Business of Living Institute (home of Thinkonomics) and other educational projects.

In December 2005, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's personal assistant May Pang told Radio Times: "At night he (John Lennon) loved to channel-surf the TV and he would pick up phrases from all the shows. One time, he was watching Reverend Ike, a famous black evangelist, who was saying, "Let me tell you guys, it doesn't matter, it's whatever gets you through the night." John loved it and said, "I've got to write it down or I'll forget it." He always kept a pad and pen by the bed. That was the beginning of Whatever Gets You Thru The Night."

Reverend Ike was probably the most honest, dishonest wealth preacher of all time. His Blessing program was simple and became wildly popular... You send him money and he will send you his Blessing. No healings, word of knowledge proclamations or seed faith plans. When you sent him money, you were sending him money for his Blessing and nothing more. Sadly, Rev. Ike's theology was all about money and had nothing to do with preaching the Gospel or the need to be Born Again:

"This is the do-it-yourself church...The only savior in this philosophy is God in you."

He would have made a much better Motivational Speaker, than preacher or evangelist. Imagine if, somewhere among his huckster appeal to viewers, he had presented the Gospel and encouraged people to be Born Again?

Imagine if he had done that the night that John Lennon was listening. Perhaps John would have considered where he would spend eternity and changed his life and the lives of many others. Such is the urgency of giving out the Gospel when God gives you the opportunity to do so.

In the matter of offerings and God's attitude towards them, we have a biblical example, Let's take a quick look at the King James Version New Testament biblical book of Mark, chapter twelve and verses forty-one to forty-four:

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

The widow that Jesus honored in the Word of God is unnamed, but we are still reading about her and her gift some two thousand years after she performed that action. She gave "of her want." Does that mean that she expected something in return? That's not what the Bible says or means. That verse clearly illustrates that the widow had made a conscious decision to give all she had to God. She WANTED to do that, with no expectation. And Jesus promised her no reward in that section of the Word. Why? Because we have already learned that God tells us "...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Jesus honored the widow's offering because the others that gave did so to bring themselves personal glory. They took a small amount of what we might describe as some huge stash of cash that they had and made a big deal about giving it to the Lord in front of their friends and fellow worshippers. The widow simply determined to give what she had to the Lord and that was that. This brings us to the next step of obedience to God:

PRAY TO THE LORD

The Bible gives us several solid examples of prayer: we're told how to pray, how often to pray, what to pray for and what to expect in response. Consider these verses:

" _And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly._

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not yet therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." - Matthew 6:5-13 (KJV)

" _Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened._

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" - New Testament - Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV)

We are given The Lord's Prayer as a model to get us started. When we pray we are to do so on a daily basis, often, and as the Lord individually leads us in private and not make a big thing of it. Prayer is ASKING and God promises to respond. The King James Version New Testament biblical book of James makes it clear in chapter four and verse three that God may sometimes say NO because we are asking for the wrong thing:

" _Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."_

However, it's also clear that the Holy Spirit can help correct the errors we make in our prayers by praying for us. The Bible states in the King James Version New Testament biblical book of Romans, chapter eight and verses twenty-six and twenty-seven:

" _Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."_

"Prayer is asking; the answer to prayer is receiving." – Dr. John R. Rice, founder of the Sword of the Lord Revival Newspaper and Sword Publications.

\- John R. Rice

The Christian Life is all about physical and spiritual balance and that comes as a result of obedience to God. It's also a progressive process that begins when we decide to obey him. We learn what God expects of us through His Word. We learn his Word by reading it and hearing it preached and taught in church. We respond to the needs of the church and the people of God as we meet and visit the house of the Lord and meet his people.

Prayer helps us decide what we should do about those needs and good stewardship helps us to avoid wasting our time and financial resources. When we are in obedience to God, we use our time and resources in ways that please the Lord and bring blessings to many. All these things move us forward in our Spiritual Growth.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS: THE FAITH OF JAMES FRASER

James Fraser was a missionary in the early 1900's to the remote Lisu people who lived on the border of China and Burma. At the beginning of his missionary work he was transformed by how God heard and answered his prayer. Here's what happened:

A war had broken out in China which threatened the lives of foreigners. So Fraser traveled across the border into Burma, where he expected to have room and board with fellow-missionaries. But when he arrived he discovered they had left for England because of health concerns, leaving only a few days' worth of food in the kitchen.

He knew his regular financial support check should be on its way in the mail from London. But the war had disrupted the mail in China, and deliveries between China and Burma were inconsistent at best. So there he was. Not knowing anyone, with little food and less money, waiting for the mail. And before long he was out of money — and almost out of food.

Every few days he visited the post office and ask if his letter from London had arrived. But every time the annoyed clerk told him no mail was being delivered from China, and that he should not expect any. So what did he do? He trusted God's promises. Psalm 37:3-5 was specially helpful (from the King James Version which he used):

"Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt though dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way to the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."

This promise encouraged him to keep praying. So he did. Day after day. But still — no mail. Then things got worse. He had hired someone to help him, promising to pay him on a certain day. But now that day was approaching, and he had no money. But he remembered how Paul said we should "owe no man anything, but to love one another." And he knew God would not want him to owe money to his worker. So he continued praying, even more fervently, asking God to bring the mail with the money.

Then the day came on which he had promised to pay his helper. And he had no money. So he prayed again — even more earnestly. He pleaded with For to hear his prayer and provide the needed money. And this time, as he prayed, he felt impressed that he should immediately go to the post office. So he did, and was surprised that the clerk was happy to see him.

The clerk told him one letter had arrived — addressed to him. It had traveled from London to the east coast of China, through war-torn China to the far western region, where it crossed the border into remote Burma — arriving the very day he needed the money to pay his helper.

Here's how he described this in a letter to his mother —

I have told you all this because it is the most direct interposition of God in providence which I have yet experienced; and has done not a little to strengthen my faith. No one here knew of my situation... The Lord, I believe, permitted the trial just to show me how He could deliver me out of it.

(From Behind the Ranges: Fraser of Lisuland, by Mrs. Howard Taylor, pp.53-55.)

PARTICIPATE IN VISITATION AND SOUL WINNING TO FULFILL THE BIBLICAL TEACHING OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS

Most people do not understand that just attending church services, giving and saying our prayers is not quite enough when it comes to being obedient to the Will of the Living God. He wants us to represent him in a very real manner by visiting other Christians (bringing errant ones back to God and encouraging others) and leading sinners to Christ. Consider these verses:

" _When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left._

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

\- New Testament - Matthew 25: 31-40 (KJV)

" _The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."._

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV)

" _And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples,_ The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

\- Matthew 9:35-38(KJV)

" _And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." - New Testament - Luke 14:23 (KJV)_

How Christians should handle disputes with other Christians

"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be stablished. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - New Testament - Matthew 18: 15-20 (KJV)

Not all Christians are called to be Pastors, Deacons, Missionaries, Elders, and Teachers; or to hold some other ordained or appointed office in the local church. However, we are all called to be a part of "an holy priesthood" and, therefore, should participate in visitation and soul winning programs at our local church.

We are told to visit the sick, those in prison and help those in need when we can. We're commanded to "compel" lost sinners to come to Christ. We're also to help new Believers to learn the Word of God and encourage them to come to church services. We are to help those who have fallen away from the Lord to return again and come back to church and the fellowship of Christians. We can do these things as members of a church, or individually, or both.

BAPTISM AND CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

People who have been saved (born again) need to be baptized and join a local, Bible-believing, Bible-Preaching church filled with people that love God and have a desire to serve him. The Bible clearly states in the King James Version New Testament book of Mark, chapter sixteen and verse sixteen: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is an important step of obedience for Believers. Water Baptism illustrates the death of our old, sinful selves (as we go down into the water) and our rebirth through belief that Christ died for our sins (as we come back up again). It is not only an example to ourselves, but allows others in the local church to see that we have made a decision to accept Jesus as our Savior and begin to live a Christian Life. Water Baptism is a perfect illustration of being Born-Again.

The Bible also states in the King James Version New Testament book of Hebrews chapter ten and verses twenty-two to twenty-five:

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Baptism, church membership and regular attendance is a must for those seeking to obey the Lord and grow in His Grace.

If much of what I have brought to you seems foreign, perhaps you have never actually given your heart to the Lord Jesus, accepting God's FREE GIFT of salvation. If you have never actually given your heart to Jesus and do not know for sure that you are going to heaven when you die, I suggest that you immediately go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to come into your life and pay for your sins.

Tell him that you admit being a sinner and that you accept the gift of Jesus' death on the cross as payment for your sins. If you do that, God will save you from Hell and you will be able to be sure of going to Heaven when you die. You will not have to guess or wonder about it any more. Your sincere request that the Lord save you will bring immediate results and you will not have to worry about it ever again.

If you're already a Christian and haven't taken the simple steps of obedience that I have outlined to you, it's time to OBEY God. OBEY is not a nasty word with all kinds of legalistic connotations. It's merely a Biblical FACT OF LIFE and something that you need to do FOR YOURSELF. You will not only honor the Lord, but you'll start on the correct path (which is also the shortest route) to real material and spiritual fulfillment.

God doesn't want an army of Christian Robots. He wants people willing to follow his Word and use their own talents to show a lost world how God's Love and the Gift of Salvation can transform their lives.

Chapter Three: Let Your Light Shine

Sometimes the way we look and act says it all. When I was still a kid in Elementary School I had some teachers who were sticklers for good hygiene and manners. Every morning they would check your fingernails, make sure your hair was brushed, look at your ears to make sure they were clean and ask you when your teeth were last brushed. Soiled clothes and dirty shoes would generate a note to parents.

Everyone in their classes hated those morning inspections and that included me. However, after a while it dawned on me that they had a point. I began to look at some people's fingernails, their shoes and give them a quick visual cleanliness check. That habit stayed with me and was a huge help when I joined the Marines.

As God put me in different places to share the Gospel with various people, I realized that I was a representative of the Living God who made everything and saved me from Hell. The way I looked became even more important then before. Now don't get me wrong: I didn't walk around wearing a suit and tie, or look like a Mormon Missionary. I wore clean clothes that didn't make me look like a hippie or the Duck Dynasty guys. Nice Christians, just not my look.

As I began to grow spiritually in the Lord, I recognized the fruits of the Holy Spirit in me. I realized that I was manifesting them in my daily dealings with people. They would tell me that I was always so positive and cheered them up. Obviously I took those opportunities to let them know I was as Christian and, depending on their response, gave them the Gospel immediately or a short time later.

It fulfilled me to know that I was able to share the Gospel with them. In more then a few cases the people that the Lord lead me to passed without a day, a couple of days or less than a month. Recently I spent time in a health facility for physical therapy. I had a room to myself. I liked it cold so I cranked up the air. Most of the folks in that facility were older than me and liked to be warm.

Just about two weeks before I was set to leave they gave me a roommate. A pleasant man named Bill. He also liked it cold because he had trouble breathing if it was too warm. He told me he had emphysema. There is no cure and the condition slowly takes away your ability to breath until you cannot.

Bill had a daughter who was very nice and often visited him. She took the time to visit with me as well. As we talked I told her that I was a Christian. She told me that she was also a Christian and came from a family of preachers. Bill never said he was a Christian, but he also told me his family included a number of preachers. I hoped that at least one of those preachers had approached him with the Gospel.

During several conversations, I shared some of the things I did or experienced as a Believer. Finally, I decided to quiz him about being saved. He kind of danced around the issue as he had before. Nevertheless, I told him what he needed to do to be sure of Heaven. By then we talked every morning after breakfast about various things.

Bill had good days for a while, then he could not breath properly. One morning he was in the bathroom and could not catch his breath or stand up. I turned on the room's call light and started yelling for help. Although Bill was given breathing treatments, he did not improve and was sent to the hospital. I prayed that my words and the conviction of the Holy Spirit would cause him to accept Jesus and be sure of Heaven.

God surprises people and he has certainly surprised me. I was in two other health facilities briefly and God put people right in my face who needed to hear the Gospel. I could not have been happier. I was in a facility in Lebanon, Indiana, for physical therapy. I approached the Activities Director to see if I could help out. They enthusiastically put me to work.

I helped disabled people play bingo, brought books to rooms and did other things. I was there for almost two months. Each Sunday, and sometimes on Wednesdays, they had a local church pastor and some of his members come in and conduct a Bible Study for the residents. I went to one on my first Sunday in the facility. There was singing and stories, but no Gospel.

Afterward, one of the staff told me that she was surprised they even showed up. Apparently, churches had a bad habit of cancelling a day or two before the Sunday Bible Study. On Monday I went to the activities room after my physical therapy to see if I could help in any way. While I was there I saw they had a Bible Study scheduled for that Wednesday. I told them I wanted to attend. The Activities Director said that the person they had scheduled to lead the Bible Study cancelled. Right then and there I knew why God put me in that facility.

I mentioned that I went to a Bible College, had a certificate in Biblical Studies and would be happy to conduct the Wednesday study. The Activities irector was thrilled that I volunteered and accepted my proposal. Wednesday arrived and there were about thirty people gathered for the study. I chose some Old Testament prophecies that revealed the coming of a Messiah, then compared those to New Testament teachings about Jesus Christ. Needless to say I gave out the Gospel.

After the study the Activities Director received many positive comments about the study. It had nothing to do with me. I simply followed the advice of a pastor who once said, "Do your best and let God due the rest." When you unleash the Word of God and use it the way it is supposed to be used, you unleash the Power of God. That allows the Holy Spirit to convict and touch the hearts of the unsaved and the saved.

I was surprised when the Activities Director told how much everyone enjoyed my study. I was even more surprised when she asked me to conduct the Sunday Bible Study. Music would be provided by a resident who was a talented pianist. When Sunday came I walked into the room where the study was held and it was packed with residents. God had answered my prayer that I might be able to share his Word and give out the Gospel while I was there.

Song sheets were provided by the Activities Department. Having been a Song Leader a few times, I managed to get us through the hymns they chose without looking like a novice. I mean, Who is going to listen to me teach a Bible Study if I can't even lead a few songs?

I chose the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes to begin with and Vanity as my study topic.

#

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (KJV)

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.. - Ecclesiastes 1:14 (KJV)

Solomon seems to lament his choices and God uses his experiences to teach others. The Lord has placed power and wealth in his hands, and it wasn't enough. God warned Solomon not to go after pagan women because they worshiped false gods and would turn his heart away from the Lord.

Vanity means PRIDE and VEXATION OF SPIRIT means CONFUSION, FRUSTRATION and DISAPOINTMENT. The pride and lust that lead him to the pagan women also caused him emotional and spiritual pain. He knew what was right and did wrong.

1 Kings 11 King James Version (KJV):

11 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

When Solomon disobeyed God there were consequences. Both spiritual and physical. First, Solomon was obviously regretful about marrying pagan women. He placed his pride above God's warning and command to avoid them. Second, God punished him by removing his kingdom from his son. I contrasted God's warning to Solomon with his warnings to sinners.

Just as God warned Solomon to avoid pagans, Jesus warned Sinners about Hell. While Jesus was on Earth the Bible records that He spoke about Hell and its torments forty two times. Here's an excellent example of the warnings that our Lord gave people about Hell:

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

33Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Matthew 23:29-33 KJV

Jesus Christ spoke more about Hell than any other subject. Why?

" _The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,_ not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

I then presented the Gospel to the group. Because many had trouble walking and others were in wheel chairs, I simply had everyone bow their heads and verbalized the Sinner's Prayer so they could follow along silently. Afterward, a number of the residents and staff thanked me for the study. And I thanked God.

I was very happy and God blessed my efforts. After that it was up to Him to convict the hearts of those who had not yet accepted Christ. I was even happier when the Activities Director asked me to teach the Bible Study again. On that second occasion the room was filled to overflowing.

" _So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." I Corinthians 3:7 KJV_

God was more than gracious to me. I needed some additional physical therapy, so my doctor had me sent to another health facility. This one was in Speedway, Indiana, right up the street from where the famous Indianapolis 500 is held each year. The staff was very nice and several were Christians. A few went to church while others did not. All needed to get back into the Bible.

Most of the staff and a few of the residents were African American. Sadly, there were some residents who were bigots, but it was soon obvious to all that I was not one of them. During my first week there I was sitting in the dining room one evening after dinner. A man named Ronald Childs came up to me and asked if I wanted to attend a Bible Study? Well, of course I did! I went and grabbed a Bible, than met the Preacher.

Pastor Ben John had been a Chaplain at a local Hospital. He had Cerebral Palsy and could walk, but not more than a few steps. Ben got around in an electric wheel chair. That night six people came for the Bible Study. It was friendly, cordial and informal. I thought it best to sit quietly and listen to Pastor Ben speak. Once again, God had other ideas.

Pastor Ben chose the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse as our study topic. He asked us all to turn to Chapter Six in Revelation. After I did, I looked up to see Ben staring at my Bible. It was well marked with highlighting and notes. Ben asked me to read verses 1-8:

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

-Revelation 6:1-8 (KJV)

Pastor Ben asked me if I had any thoughts on these verses? I told our group that I took them as literal descriptions of events that will take place during the Tribulation. I explained what the Tribulation was and that I was a believer in the pre-tribulation return of Jesus Christ. That means that I believe that Born Again Christians will not have to go through the Tribulation. After that I waited to see if Pastor Ben would take it from there and ask others for their comments. He did.

F.Y.I.

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

— _1st Thessalonians 4:13-18_

There is probably not a more controversial teaching than the Rapture of the saints in the Bible. Skeptics love to point out that the word "Rapture" is not found in the Bible, but neither is the word "Bible." So why do we use the term Bible?

The teaching of the Rapture is Biblical. The word "Rapture" means "to be caught away," which is taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:17. Critics of the Rapture state this fact over and over: The word "rapture" is not found in the Bible. However, the word Trinity is not found in the Bible either.

The word "Godhead" most certainly is found in the Bible (if you have a KJV Bible). I prefer the word "Godhead" for a simple reason: I believe that modern Bible butcherers completely removed the word "Godhead," so Satan could attack the deity of Christ.

The Bible supports a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. That's the belief that Jesus Christ will return for the saints before the Seven-Year Tribulation. Jesus taught that no man knows the time of His return and that he would come like a thief in the night.

"For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober." - 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 KJV

Here are some comments on the return of Jesus Christ by Evangelist, Author and Founder of the Sword Of The Lord Revival Newspaper, DR JOHN R. RICE:

Yes, JESUS may come today! The coming of Christ to the earth is imminent: it may occur any moment, day or night!

There is not a single event prophesied in the Bible which must come to pass before the Savior returns. As far as we can know, no event, either political, economic or spiritual, need occur before Jesus comes. Not another war need be declared, not another gospel sermon preached, not another soul be saved, as far as can be told from the Scriptures, before the Savior comes to catch up His saints into the air for the marriage supper in Heaven.

And I do not mean that signs of the Savior's coming show that it is likely to be soon. Some say that Jesus must come soon because the little modern nation Israel is established in Palestine. I do not believe that is the restoration of Israel promised in the Bible. I do not believe one can tell from that even approximately when Jesus will come. I do not believe that wars, earthquakes, dictatorships, communism, or modernism are signs that Christ will come at any predictable time or within any given generation. My conviction is that we should look for Christ's coming simply because He said to look for His coming.

We should not look for Christ's coming because of meteor showers or because of numerals found in the bible and mistakenly applied to reckon when Christ will return. The Millerites went wrong on that in 1842. We should not presume that with a tape measure we can measure a passage in the great pyramid in Egypt and, making an inch mean a year, find when Jesus will come. British-Israelites were made a laughing stock by that false premise nearly twenty years ago. I know one who thus set a date for Christ's return and is now a scoffing infidel. No, let us stop looking in the newspapers for signs of Christ's coming and simply believe Christ may come at any moment because He said so.

At any moment we may expect Christians to be caught up into the air to meet Christ in the first promised phase of His second coming. We do not know when. We bring reproach on the blessed hope by speculations, but we can watch because Jesus said we should.

-End F.Y.I.

After the Bible Study I introduced myself to the Pastor and the others, than went back to my room. The next day after Physical Therapy there was a knock at my door. It was Ron. He was the guy that invited me to the Bible Study. Ron said that the Pastor wanted to see me after lunch. Ben was having lunch at a restaurant with his sister. Don had the same lunch session as I did, so we talked a bit while we ate.

Ron was there long-term because he suffered from seizures and had other medical issues. I quickly discovered that he was a Born Again Christian just like me. He said there were not too many others. The African American woman in charge of the kitchen was a Christian. I introduced myself after lunch. Janelle enjoyed good conversation just as I did.

I came into the dining room each day after breakfast to read and study my Bible at one of the tables. That way I could easily take notes in a notebook I had and make myself available to anyone who might have questions about things mentioned in the Bible. Well, there were lots of questions and opportunities to give out the Gospel. Janelle came to sit and talk will me when she wasn't busy.

After lunch Don took me to the Pastor's room just up the hallway. He was back and invited us in. Pastor Ben told me about himself. First and foremost he was from New York and recognized my accent. He had lived in Brooklyn, NYC, and upstate. Ben was in his forties. I was 55 at the time.

It had only been ten years since he lost the ability to walk. Before he was saved, Ben worked in the Stadium where the Indianapolis Indians play baseball. He was a maintenance supervisor. He got the job in his mid-twenties. At that time Ben was also a part-time DJ for clubs, parties and weddings. He told me that he would go out drinking with his dad. His mom had died a few years earlier. One night they both hit rock bottom. His dad was taken to the hospital because he fainted in the Bar and was unresponsive.

Two days later Ben's dad was released from the hospital. Ben took him home. They sat at the kitchen table looking at each other. Finally, his dad said he had enough and dumped all the remaining liquor that was in the house into the kitchen sink. Knowing there was a week long revival each night at a church up the street, Ben and his dad attended the meeting that night. The preacher clearly presented the Gospel. Ben and his dad came forward for the alter call and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

After that, they stopped drinking and started going to the church up the street. It was an African American Baptist-Methodist Church. A year later Ben left his job because the physical strain on his body was too much. It was then that Ben went to the Church Pastor and asked how he might be trained for the ministry? The Pastor agreed to train him as long as he was willing to travel to other churches in the area and to a Church Conference held once a year out of state.

From what I could gather the "training" consisted mostly of learning church procedures from a manual the Pastor used. Ben spent most of his time with the Pastor which gave him the opportunity to visit various congregations and learn procedure. His Bible training was attending services a lot and reading the Pastor's written message each week (which included Scripture notations). He learned to use Strong's Exhaustive Bible Concordance and a Bible Dictionary.

After a year and a half he was ordained by the Pastor and given the credentials needed to get a license to marry people. Shortly after that, Ben was asked to take an unpaid position as a Chaplain representing his church at a local hospital. He accepted it since he received partial disability money from the federal government and the state. He was well liked at the hospital and it was easy to see that he had a friendly, caring manner about him.

Ben slowly lost the ability to walk and the physical strain of getting around the hospital was too much. His doctor ordered him to rehab for physical and occupational therapy. While he spent time in several different facilities, Ben's condition worsened to the point that his doctor and therapists recommended an electric wheelchair. That request was approved. His father was elderly and even though Ben could take care of himself to a point, all agreed that he had to go to a health facility for long term care. That was how he ended up in Speedway.

I gave Ben the short version of my background. We spent a lot if time talking about the Bible. Knowing his Bible training was pretty thin, I taught him what I could in the time I had. Pastor Ben established God's House Of Worship in the Speedway Facility and with their permission. People staying or living there finally had a place to worship on Sunday evenings and a Bible Study on Wednesday nights. Ben had a computer, but wasn't able to type well. I helped with that and, later, made a simple website for the church. You can still view it at http://pastorbenjohn.tripod.com

During the following week Pastor Ben asked if I would consider taking part in his ministry. I explained that I was there temporarily. However, I agreed to his request. He appointed me Church Missionary because of my passion for soul winning. The very next Saturday Ben asked me to take the Sunday service because he was going to the hospital for a few days. Of course I agreed. Ron would help me by getting people seated and giving out Bibles. He had been appointed a Deacon by Pastor Ben.

On Sunday morning after breakfast I went back to the dining room so I could sit and prepare my message for that night's service. As I did a Catholic Layman came and conducted a service in a secluded part of the dining room. It was more like a discussion group. The BG topic that week was the killing of Bin Laden. I marveled as they wondered if it was the right thing to do.

The only one with a Bible was the Layman and he opened it just once to read a Scripture verse that had nothing to do with the topic. After their meeting ended, everyone saw I had a Bible as they walked past me and walked faster. I knew that I had showered that morning, so I guessed they were fearful I might actually try to share some Scriptures with them.

Unsure how much or how often Pastor Ben gave a Gospel themed message, I chose "Jesus could return at any moment" as a topic. It stressed the urgency of accepting Him as Savior. There were 45 people present that night. Deacon Ron said it was a record. Word had spread that I would be preaching. My daily, informal Bible Q&A in the dining room had become popular. However, it was the correct interpretation and use of the Word of God, along with the Holy Spirit, that brought people out.

One day after I finished explaining how my beliefs differed from those in the Charismatic Movement to a resident that was a TBN fan, the nurse on duty came up and asked if I was a preacher or evangelist? I said, no, and explained that I had never been ordained. I was just a Born Again Christian with a passion for sharing the Word with people and a Bible College education.

At the end of my message I asked everyone to bow their heads, reiterated what I said in my message about how to know for sure you're going to Heaven and then recited the Sinner's Prayer. I invited those who wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior to pray silently along with me. I didn't put anyone on the spot, but I did establish a Bible class for New Christians or those who just wanted to learn more about the Bible. I held the class on Friday nights after dinner. It was well attended.

Janelle had been through a lot in her life and chose to write about it. Having already written several books, I offered to proof read and edit it. After a few days I sat down with her and explained how I could make the book more appealing. She gave me a go and by the time I went home the manuscript was completed.

I took several more services for Pastor Ben, spent a lot of time with the residents and employees, and felt that I had done what God wanted me to do. It was yet another chapter in my crazy life. I have done many things and had so many experiences, but the most important were the things I did and continue to do for God. Why? Because those things have eternal consequences.

My wife and adult daughter (who lives with us) came to see me while I was there. It gratified me that people spoke well of me. Janelle even made a delicious lunch just for us so we could eat together. Some of my other kids came by as well.

I am living proof that you can find happiness and God's blessing by simply taking some time out of your day to use the Fruits of the Spirit to inspire other Christians and give the Gospel to the Lost. There is no substitute for personal soul winning. When you obey God and unleash His Power by sharing his Word as it is meant to be shared, God will bless you, your efforts and provide the increase. You have the power to change lives and take actions that have eternal consequences. If that doesn't bring you happiness, nothing will.

The Speedway Facility closed in 2017 having deteriorated and lost the majority of their residents including Pastor Ben. I wasn't able to reach him after 2012. I left his home page intact as a tribute. http://pastorbenjohn.tripod.com

Chapter Four: The Inspiring Conversion Of D.L. Moody

"The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible." \- D.L. Moody

God can use anyone. Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) didn't attend school beyond the fifth grade; he couldn't spell, and his grammar was awful. His manners were often brash and crude, and he never became an ordained minister. Once, before his conversion, he so outraged an Italian shoe salesmen with a prank, that the man chased him with a sharp knife, clearly intending to kill him. Yet, Dwight L. Moody was used by God to lead thousands of people to Christ. Moody's life of Christian service began with his conversion on April 21, 1855.

Dwight came to Boston as a teenager from Northfield, Massachusetts, and he felt all alone in the big city. The boy was desperate for work. An uncle took him on as a shoe salesman--on condition that he be obedient and that he attend Mt. Vernon Congregational Church. The young man had been raised in a Unitarian church which denied the full divinity of Christ and did not emphasize human need for salvation from sins. Now Dwight heard about those things. But he decided that he wanted to enjoy the pleasures of the world and wait to get saved until just before he died.

However, the kindness of his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, turned young Moody into his life-long friend, and encouraged him to persist in his church attendance and regular Bible reading. Though Moody did try to read the Bible, he couldn't understand it. Kimball later said he had never seen anyone whose mind was as spiritually dark as Dwight's.

That changed on this day, April 21, 1855. Kimball came to the shoe store to ask Dwight to commit his life to Christ. Dwight listened closely and became a Christian that day. Immediately he began sharing his faith with others, including his own family. They wanted nothing to do with his faith. "I will always be a Unitarian," his mother said. (However, she converted shortly before her death.)

And at first Dwight Moody wasn't allowed to become a church member. Asked what Christ had done for him, the nervous boy replied that he wasn't aware of anything particular. Leaders felt that was an unacceptable answer.

When Moody later moved to Chicago he wandered the streets to find young boys to bring to his Sunday School class. He had a passion for saving souls and determined never to let a day pass without telling someone the gospel of Jesus Christ. Often he irritated strangers on the street by asking them if they were Christians -- but his pointed questioning stirred the consciences of many. God used the converted shoe salesman to become the leading evangelist of his day.

Estimates vary, but Dwight Moody is thought to have led as many as a million people to confess faith in Christ. Among his many achievements on either side of the Atlantic was the founding of Moody Bible Institute.

Chapter Five: The Baseball Player Who Hit A Home Run For God

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile."

Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday (1862-1935), was a professional baseball player from 1883 to 1891 for Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia teams. He was converted through the street preaching of Harry Monroe of the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. He left a $5,000 a year salary as a baseball player for a $75 a month for the previously evangelistic YMCA. From 1893 to 1895 was associated with J. Wilbur Chapman. He was an evangelist from 1893 to 1935. It is estimated that over 300,000 people walked the "sawdust trail" to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

"Nowadays we think we are too smart to believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and too well educated to believe in the Resurrection. That's why people are going to the devil in multitudes."

"Center fielder Billy Sunday made a three-base hit at Farwell Hall last night. There is no other way to express the success of his first appearance as an evangelist in Chicago." So reported the local press about Sunday's first public appearance as a preacher in the late 1880s. "His audience was made up of about 500 men who didn't know much about his talents as a preacher but could remember his galloping to second base with his cap in hand."

This was just the beginning for Sunday. Until Billy Graham, no American evangelist preached to so many millions, or saw as many conversions—an estimated 300,000.

"I never saw my father," Sunday began his autobiography, for his father had died of pneumonia in the Civil War five weeks after Sunday's birth. In fact, his early childhood in an Iowa log cabin was enveloped by death—ten deaths before he reached the age of 10. His mother was so impoverished, she sent her children away to the Soldier's Orphans Home. Sunday survived only with the support of his brother and his love of sports, especially baseball.

His professional baseball career began with the Chicago White Stockings in 1883 (he struck out his first 13 at bats); he moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and in 1890, to the Philadelphia Athletics, where he was batting .261 and had stolen 84 bases when he quit.

Ever since his conversion to Christianity at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago in 1886, he had felt an increasingly strong call to preach. The YMCA finally convinced him to leave baseball to preach at their services. He moved on to work with two other traveling evangelists, then was invited to conduct a revival in Garner, Iowa. From then on he was never without an invitation to preach, at first holding campaigns in midwestern towns and then, after World War I, preaching in Boston, New York, and other major cities.

Much of his success was due to his wife, Helen Amelia Thompson. She organized the campaigns and did much of the advance work. She even tried to better Billy's vocabulary in her letters to him, deliberately including words he would have to look up.

Sunday's preaching style was as unorthodox as the day allowed. His vocabulary was so rough (e.g., "I don't believe your own bastard theory of evolution, either; I believe it's pure jackass nonsense"), Christian leaders cringed, and they often publicly criticized him. But Sunday didn't care: "I want to preach the gospel so plainly," he said, "that men can come from the factories and not have to bring a dictionary."

Sunday was master of the one-liner, which he would use to clinch his practical, illustration-filled sermons. One of his most famous: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile."

He used his whole body in his sermons (and other nearby objects, such as his chair, which he would sometimes fling around while preaching). As one newspaper wrote, "Sunday was a whirling dervish that pranced and cavorted and strode and bounded and pounded all over his platform and left them thrilled and bewildered as they have never been before."

He concluded his sermons by inviting people to "walk the sawdust trail" to the front of the tabernacle to indicate their decision for Christ.

Unusual for American evangelists, Sunday also addressed social issues of the day. He supported women's suffrage, called for an end to child labor, and included blacks in his revivals, even when he toured the deep South. This made him enemies, as did his support of Roman Catholics (whom he considered fellow Christians) and Jews. On one of the hottest topics of the day, evolution, he walked a tightrope: he had no sympathy for evolution, but neither did he warm up to Genesis literalists.

However he was never a friend of liberals: "Nowadays we think we are too smart to believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and too well educated to believe in the Resurrection. That's why people are going to the devil in multitudes."

And he firmly stood against card playing, movie going, and Roaring '20s fashions. "It's a damnable insult some of the rigs a lot of fool women are wearing up and down our streets," he said. His favorite vice was "Mr. Booze." In fact, his preaching was instrumental in getting Prohibition passed. "To know what the devil will do, find out what the saloon is doing," he said repeatedly. "If ever there was a jubilee in hell it was when lager beer was invented."

After World War I (which he raised millions of dollars to support), Sunday's influence decreased. Radio, movies, and other entertainments drew masses away from the preacher, though he never lacked for speaking engagements.

"I'm against sin," he once said. "I'll kick it as long as I have a foot. I'll fight it as long as I have a fist. I'll butt it as long as I have a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fistless and footless and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition."

### Chapter Six: Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

We've come this far, now it's time to bring it all together. Ask an unsaved person what makes them happy and you'll get an answer unique to them. It is the same for Christians. The difference is that God gives us a Scriptural Road Map to follow which leads us to happiness.

Psalms 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Here we see the difference between the Unsaved, Carnal Christians and Obedient Christians. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 KJV:

" _The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"_

There is nothing wrong with asking the Lord for what we need or what we want. A Christian who has grown spiritually and is obedient to God tends to know that many of the things of this world are traps set by Satan to lure people away from God and distract them from hearing or acting on the Gospel. The Carnal Christian is saved, but has yet to shed their desire for worldly things. The unsaved will seek things that bring them temporary joy or, as God puts it, "the pleasures of sin for a season."

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. - 1 Corinthians 9:27 (KJV)

The Apostle Paul teaches us that self control keeps us from making bad choices. It also protects us from becoming a "Do as I say, but don't do as I do" Christian. I used to tell my kids that the safest person in the world is one who has predetermined their actions for any situation. The most dangerous is someone who acts and reacts randomly based on a whim, impulse or emotion.

Part of finding true happiness is placing your life in the hands of the Lord and governing it according to the WORD and the WILL of God. God makes His Will known through His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When He places a person or situation in front of you that provides a chance to speak up or act for Him, doing so brings personal fulfillment and God's Blessing.

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

When I was in my early twenties and fresh out of the Marines, I worked in private high level security and threat assessment in New York City. I guarded the Mayor of New York City, celebrities and was eventually promoted. I found myself in charge of a three thousand unit apartment complex that included restaurants, stores, a movie theater and two high rise buildings. The rest were garden apartments. The complex was collectively called Fresh Meadows.

F   
resh Meadows today... Just off the Long Island Expressway, Queens, NY

As soon as I started there I made many changes including keeping the doors to all the parking garages closed at all times. It only took the push of a button to open them, but there were security cameras and that made it harder for car thieves to sneak in on foot. I also had the manager of the property purchase a purebred German Shepherd. The manager was happy to comply and named the dog Pablo.

Hans had been a Captain in the German Navy during WWII and worked with shepherds from time to time. It was ironic that he managed Fresh Meadows given the fact that 95% of the residents were Jewish. By having the security personnel walk Pablo through the underground parking garages and around the property at night, I was able to cut car thefts by almost 85%.

I trained Pablo to walk in and out of the parking spaces without a leash. Then I trained my security personnel to work with him. It was a bit of a high pressure job, but I had some cordial and interesting lunchtime Bible discussions with some of the residents, and even a few Rabbis. One of them later invited me to explain what being a Born Again Christian meant to me at a meeting of New York Rabbis.

With the influence of pastor/televangelists like Jerry Falwell and D. James Kennedy (both were committed supporters of Israel) on society at that time, the Rabbi and others wanted to know more about how we looked at the Bible and our core beliefs. That meeting went well and I was able to share the Gospel as part of my presentation.

While I was waiting to receive a company car, I used one of the patrol cars at Fresh Meadows to return to the main office of the security company where I would drop off time sheets, pick up equipment and so on. I left the patrol car there. They wanted me to take it home, but there was no good place to park that wasn't blocks away.

I made these trips late at night due to my schedule. I preferred to work from the late afternoon until around midnight because that was when trouble would most likely show up. The office was several miles away in Rego Park, an area that was mostly high rise apartments and office buildings. It was located just off Queens Boulevard and a Subway Stop was right next to the building. The Subway brought me to within walking distance of my apartment.

The only bad thing was that at night subway trains were used by the homeless as a place to sleep or hang out. Many of them had mental health issues and few took the medications provided them at no cost. You never knew when one would jump up and attack you. Then, there were the odd people that tended to ride the trains late at night. Although, I normally stood on the platform waiting for the train alone. My only company being the workers that occasionally walked down the tracks killing rats.

On one occasion while I was standing in the subway station waiting for the train, a black man came walking down the stairs from the street level entrance. He was carrying a long, curved object wrapped up in postal shipping paper. The man stood a few feet away from me and extended a greeting. I returned the greeting by shaking his hand.

After a few seconds he said, "I came here from Jamaica (the island) with my girlfriend last year. I paid the airfare for both of us and rented an apartment for us. Today I found out she was cheating on me. I did not come here and spend money that I worked hard to earn in Jamaica for her to sleep with another man." He also bemoaned the fact that she was probably embarrassing him with both of their friends if they knew.

He then asked me, "Do you know what this is?" He held up the long, curved object wrapped in postal shipping paper. I had a feeling it was a sharp object used for cutting and told him so. He replied, "You are correct, man. I am going home to cut off her head." In order to interrupt his thought pattern of hate and revenge, I asked him if he liked living in America? He said he did, so I told him that the only bad thing was that most of our jails had small cells, some with no windows, and that the guards watching the inmates were not always able to break up a fight or stop an attack before someone was seriously injured or killed.

I spent a few more minutes describing the dangerous conditions in our jails. Then I asked, "Is that where you want to spend the rest of your life?" At first he didn't answer, so I asked him if his girlfriend helped with the rent and bills? He told me that she didn't. I suggested that instead of being a pawn of the devil and making God and the Police angry, why not just kick her out? While he was thinking about what I said, I also asked him if she was worth going to jail for?

He began to calm down a bit, so we sat down on a bench to talk further. He was still holding the sword or machete tightly. I introduced myself and told him that I was a Born Again Christian. He never told me his name. He simply said he was Catholic and hadn't been to church since he left Jamaica. I asked him if he knew for sure he was going to Heaven when he died? He replied, "No man can know that."

I took out my New Testament and explained that I wanted to share some Bible Verses with him that I thought would help. I used the Roman Road method of soul winning. After sharing the Bible verses, I asked if he wanted to accept God's Free Gift of Salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior? He nodded and I lead him in the Sinner's Prayer. Afterward, I gave him a tract from Faith Baptist Church, a Bible Believing church in nearby Corona. I had helped the pastor when he first arrived to start a church while I attended another church I helped to start a few miles away.

I explained that he should go to the church to let other Christians know he was saved. He turned towards me and extended his hand for a handshake, which I gladly accepted. Then, he handed me the wrapped weapon and got up. He walked back up the stairs without saying a word. I continued to pray for and the girl.

After a month or so, I called a friend that attended the Faith Baptist Church to ask if a newly saved man with a Jamaican accent recently came to the church? To my delight and based on my friend's description, he had. The man brought a woman with him that he introduced as his girlfriend. She accepted the Lord on their first visit.

The couple came to church every Sunday since and were scheduled to be baptized. I wanted to attend that ceremony, but I had Sunday duties at my own church. I later ran into my Jamaican Brother in Christ at an event which included the pastors and congregation members of several churches. He thanked me profusely for everything and introduced me to his girlfriend. Later, he took me aside to tell me that the story about his girlfriend cheating was a lie cooked up by a guy she worked with who later tried to abduct her. He was arrested and admitted everything.

### Epilogue

I sincerely hope and pray that this book was helpful to you in one way or another. Please let me know if you have any questions. Stop by my website where all the eBooks I have written can be downloaded at no charge.

  * Missionary Bill

  * http://www.youcantrustgod.com

  * billyknell@gmail.com

Psalms 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.

