Latest Audio - 2024-11-02
Banking… Stock exchange… Stocks and shares… Credit cards… Cash… Lending… Borrowing… Usury…
Our nations - drowning in debt…
Foundations Of Finance
When I was growing up back in the 1950’s, we were taught to save, to put our money in the bank. We were told that’s what they were there for, a safe place to save our money. Today, if we look at the banking system, a vastly DIFFERENT REALITY EMERGES.
Lending out money they haven’t got - and charging interest on it! Creating money out of thin air - all at a time when our nations are drowning in debt! Modern banking might present to the public a face of “helpfulness and integrity”, but it is possibly the biggest criminal cartel – ever!
The financial structure of today’s world is in trouble, serious trouble. How serious?
Mr Armstrong gave this warning 40 years ago:
“But I believe that some event is going to happen suddenly just like out of a blue sky that is going to shock the whole world and is going to cause the nations of Europe to realize they must unite.
Now when the financial structure breaks down, ALL CIVILIZATION IS GOING TO BREAK DOWN. I just wanted to say that much maybe you can begin to see how serious this thing can become!” (Sermon - July 1984)
Down To The ‘Boiler Room’
In a Co-worker Letter in 1983, Mr Herbert Armstrong quoted the then well-known statistician Roger Babson:
“When I want to know what the temperature in this room is going to be an hour or two from now I don’t consult the thermometer on the wall. I go to the boiler room and see what is going on down there. I GO TO THE FACTOR THAT CAUSES THE FUTURE TEMPERATURE.” (Co-worker Letter – January 20, 1983)
The Foundation Of Chaos
So let’s go down to “the boiler room”, to see how our modern financial system started.
“England’s reign as a world power actually began on Threadneedle Street. Then, no bank had its own building and bankers were but goldsmiths who lent money and rented space to do business. But after the moneylenders cut their bargain (and it was a bargain) with King William of England, things were never to be the same, either for England or the moneylenders - or the world.
In 1694, by bailing King William out of his debts incurred by England’s war with France, THE MONEYLENDERS ACHIEVED ENORMOUS POWER and a new found respectability. They now CALLED THEMSELVES BANKERS and would profit by the vast sums of credit that were to underwrite the greatest empire since imperial Rome - AN ERA THAT IS NOW ABOUT TO END.
TODAY, BANKERS ARE EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN GOVERNMENTS.
Paper debt-based money issued by the Bank of England replaced the gold and silver coins previously circulating as money. The people deposited their savings of gold and silver in government approved banks which WERE GRANTED THE RIGHT TO MAKE LOANS IN THE AMOUNT OF TEN TIMES THEIR ACTUAL DEPOSITS and profit thereby by charging interest on those loans.
In 1933, the US government enacted three measures: The Emergency Banking Relief Act, and the Glass-Steagall Acts, I and II. THE EMERGENCY BANKING RELIEF ACT OF 1933 was a measure worthy of any police state. For the first time in history, citizens were prohibited from owning gold by their own government.
When Americans were told to turn over their gold to the US government, it was described as confiscation. It was really an ACT OF TYRANNY. it was also an indication of WHO REALLY CONTROLS THE US GOVERNMENT.
This system, concocted by England’s moneylenders, allows banks to issue loans in the amount of ten times the money they have on deposit, sic BANKS MAKE MONEY BY LOANING MONEY THEY DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE.
The removal of gold from the monetary system by the US in 1971 removed the very foundation stone of the moneylender’s system of credit. The triumph of the moneylenders over government is almost complete and because of it, in the coming crisis governments will protect the interests of bankers, not the people.” (financialsense.com)
How The System Works
“To demonstrate fractional reserve money, we’ll look at a simple theoretical example. We’ll lump all banks into one and just work with ‘the bank’. We start from zero and suppose that Alice comes into the bank and deposits $100,000 in currency. The bank now has $100,000 on deposit of which it can lend out 90% or $90,000.
The bank lends $90,000 to Pete. Pete pays the $90,000 to Joe for a boat, and Joe, rather than carrying $90,000 around in a briefcase or putting it under his mattress, deposits it in the bank.
At this point the bank has $190,000 in deposits, and it considers the new deposit brand new money. Therefore, it’s free to lend out 90% of this new deposit. It now lends $81,000 to Fred, which Fred pays to Lois for design and decorating services for his business office. Lois, of course, deposits the $81,000 in the bank. Once again, the bank considers it has brand new, fresh, debt-free money on deposit. Now we have:
- $100,000 Alice
- $90,000 Joe
- $81,000 Lois
- $271,000 Total
By these three steps, the money supply has gone from $100,000 to $271,000. Eventually $100,000 currency turns into about $1,000,000. THE PROCESS CREATES $900,000 OF DEBT-BASED MONEY OUT OF $100,000 CURRENCY. Thus we’d get a money supply that was 90% debt-based and 10% currency.
Not only do the banks lend out money which they create out thin air, they then charge interest on it!
So if they charge 5% interest on $900,000 over one year, they make $45,000 profit! Up the figures to the kind of volumes which banks work with, if they create $90 million, then the profit is $4.5 million. Add to this fees for overdrafts, and charges for exceeding your limit and banking is a very lucrative business!” (workableeconomics.com)
Just 40 years ago, the world was a very different place!
In a World Tomorrow Broadcast, Mr Armstrong gave the following perceived wisdom of that time…
“All the money that the government pays out they have to take from the taxpayer in the first place. They have no other place to get money. THEY DON’T JUST PRINT MONEY – THEY CAN’T DO THAT – NO NATION CAN!”
How times have changed!
Money ‘printing’ is now a way of life!
Meanwhile, the bank is gaining most of this wealth on money that doesn’t exist!
Modern banking might present to the public a face of “helpfulness and integrity”, but it is possibly the biggest criminal cartel – ever!
The Looming Crisis
“In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the world learned a harsh lesson about the dangers of an overleveraged banking system. Yet, more than a decade later, the situation has not improved; in fact, it has worsened. Today, major banks like JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and others are playing a risky game with derivatives that far outstrip their actual assets, setting the stage for another potential collapse.
Let’s look at the numbers. JP Morgan Chase, one of the largest banks in the United States, holds over $50 trillion in derivatives. That’s an astronomical figure, especially when compared to the roughly $3 trillion in assets they hold.
THIS MEANS JP MORGAN’S DERIVATIVE EXPOSURE IS MORE THAN 16 TIMES THEIR TOTAL ASSETS.
Goldman Sachs, another major player, is not far behind. They have approximately $47 trillion in derivatives, compared to assets of around $1 trillion. This puts Goldman Sachs in a similarly precarious position.
These figures are not just abstract numbers; they represent real risk. Derivatives, essentially complex financial instruments whose value is derived from underlying assets, have become a focal point of financial instability. The more derivatives a bank holds relative to its assets, the more vulnerable it becomes to market volatility and systemic shocks.
The implications are dire. If a correction were to occur, the fallout could be catastrophic. The financial system, which is supposed to be the backbone of the economy, has become a house of cards, propped up by increasingly risky and opaque financial instruments.
Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, with even more devastating consequences?” (purplegrowth.org)
A Warning About ‘Warnings’
We are living in an era of ‘warnings’, some genuine, some ‘educated guesses’, some propaganda, some just outright lies. How do we sort out the ‘real’ warnings from the rest?
WATCH what the leaders are doing!
In times of financial uncertainty, it’s good to watch what the really wealthy are doing with their money. When you read the following article, remember that Mr Buffett did not get to be one of the world’s top investors without a lot of skill, knowledge and hard work. He knows how the financial markets work. He has just dumped a huge pile of shares - nearly $5.4 billion, in just the last few months.
WHY?
Is he expecting ‘Economic Turbulence’?
“Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has sold another massive stake in Bank of America - raising red flags in an ominous sign for Wall Street investors. BofA has been Buffett’s most favored stock over the last seven years and the bank’s largest single shareholder. His selling of such a large number of shares over such a short period of time could suggest that economic turbulence or further market turmoil is on the way.” (dailymail.co.uk)
Berkshire’s Cash Hits $277 billion
“Warren Buffett appears to have soured on stocks, letting cash at Berkshire Hathaway soar to nearly $277 billion even as the conglomerate posted a record quarterly profit from its dozens of operating businesses. The $276.9 billion cash stake as of June 30 soared from $189 billion, in part because Berkshire sold another large portion of its stake in Apple…” (reuters.com)
The Big Share Sell-off
“Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and other magnates dumped billions in stocks between late 2023 and early 2024. In early March 2024, fear of a potential US financial and economic downturn spread among some internet users after they came across rumors alleging that several business tycoons recently sold billions of dollars in their own companies’ stocks.
‘The Walton family just sold 4.5 billion of Walmart stock,’ the viral message read. ‘And, Jeff Bazo [sic] sold $8.5 billion today, Jamie Dimon sold $150m of JP Morgan, Zuck sold $400m, Buffett is selling A LOT! Something’s up mate!’
Market analysts consider the fact that so many high-profile business leaders sold within such a short time frame to be significant. The implication was that the finance magnates were preparing themselves for stock prices to plunge.” (snopes.com)
Cash Is King
There is a general feeling amongst the wealthy that there is about to be a major problem, one thing they do is sell shares and hang on to cash. Then, if the crash comes, they wait until share prices bottom out and then they buy back - on the cheap, and make a whole load of money!
‘End Of The Age’ Uncertainty: November Surprise Could Trigger ‘Crisis In America’
“Former CIA and Pentagon advisor Jim Rickards warns… ‘I predict the coming election will trigger a 50% market collapse… and violent riots on the streets’. If you’re worried about the recent market volatility… you need to see what Former CIA and Pentagon Advisor Jim Rickards is predicting for this November.
Jim is a lawyer and economist who’s worked at the highest levels of Wall Street and international finance across five decades. And he correctly predicted the last two major financial crises in America. In the summer of 2008, he wrote a letter to top advisors in the presidential campaign saying: ‘We can expect another panic spike in October 2008. This financial crisis is not over.’ Three weeks later, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt…
Fast forward to January 2020. When most people were not worried about a pandemic, he sent an email to a small group of his readers… Predicting the pandemic could soon trigger panic in the markets. Sure enough, three weeks later, everyone began to panic… And the stock market plunged 30% in what was the fastest crash in history.
Jim Rickards now believes a terrifying new crisis will hit America this coming November. He’s predicting millions of Americans could be blindsided and suffer catastrophic losses.” (thegatewaypundit.com)
Watch Upcoming Events!
In the US, the upcoming presidential election could be a disaster with neither side willing to accept the fact that they’ve lost.
We see a developing situation in the Middle East which could disrupt world oil supplies – pushing the price of oil much higher – doing serious damage to the already frail Western economies.
We see a situation in Ukraine which has led to the gas supply from Russia to Europe being cut, with serious consequences for several European nations – including Germany.
We see a developing situation between China and its neighbours. China is becoming a military power to be reckoned with. This is causing Japan to re-arm.
The Ukraine crisis is causing Europe to push for a Euro-army to protect Europe from Russian aggression.
Russia, China and several other nations are bypassing the US dollar as a reserve currency. This could lead to a huge devaluation of the dollar – and possibly hyper-inflation.
The price of gold has surged to a record high, driven by investors hunting for safe haven assets.
And to cap it all off, we have a totally dishonest world financial system which is, according to many, on the brink of total collapse.
Derivatives far outstrip their actual assets, setting the stage for another potential banking collapse.
With many of the wealthy selling huge amounts of shares, it would seem that a stock market crash is expected by those involved.
The whole world economy is based on lies and deceit!
At first glance, these seem very different problems – but they could all seriously impact one major area… the world economy.
It will take a major crisis to force the final 10 nation United States of Europe to unite – the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.
It will take an enormous crisis to weaken a still powerful America so much that it can easily be destroyed by this European power.
Civilisation will have to suffer a dramatic breakdown… a catastrophe disaster beyond comprehension… a situation that only a powerful dictator could correct!
Add to all of the above the possibility of a ‘Black Swan’ event, something totally unexpected, the future looks even more and more uncertain…
What Did We Expect? This Age Is Drawing To A Close!
Around 40 years ago, Mr Armstrong warned:
“Now when the financial structure breaks down, all civilization is going to break down. I just wanted to say that much - maybe you can begin to see how serious this thing can become!” (Sermon - July 1984)
‘Righteousness’ Is The Key
Mr Armstrong wrote:
“Bible prophecy shows what soon shall occur – why the world is now sick on its deathbed – why the rising unemployment, the sick economy, the immorality, crime, violence and world evils. I have seen much of this in ninety years of event-packed experience.
In November, 1919, I was a member of the Chicago Association of Commerce. At a regular weekly membership luncheon, the noted Boston statistician and economist, Roger Babson, was guest speaker.
Mr Babson said he had learned that when fifty-one percent or more of the people were righteous in their dealings with another, prosperity was just ahead. But when fifty-one percent or more of the people were unrighteous in their dealings, economic depression was coming.” (Co-Worker Letter – January 20, 1983)
Where Are We Now?
The “51% righteous” is long gone, now…
“Judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14)
A modern translation gives more clarity:
“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.” (Isaiah 59:14, NLT)
The Abomination Of Usury
“Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:13)
God will destroy this world’s Satanic financial system
… it’s not a question of ‘if’…
… it’s a question of ‘when’!
Where Is It All Going To End?
God warns modern day Israel through the prophet Ezekiel,
IT ALL ENDS IN NATIONAL CAPTIVITY!
“‘You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
…YOU TAKE USURY AND INCREASE; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,’ says the Lord God.
‘…I WILL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE NATIONS, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you.’” (Ezekiel 22:8, 12, 15, NKJV)
A modern translation gives clarity:
“You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.
There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD.
I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness.” (Ezekiel 22:8, 12, 15, NLT)
This describes our world today.
Murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners are everywhere…
Well more than 51% of people are UNrighteous…
The end of this age cannot be not far off!
“And WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
Look to the Future!
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4)
Good News of WT
Have you noticed how often Mr Armstrong would begin his broadcast with: "And greetings friends, this is Herbert W Armstrong with the Good News of the World Tomorrow."? And then he would continue to contrast the current, mainly negative world news with the positive news that there will be in the soon-coming future, focusing the attention of his listeners on the World Tomorrow. Focusing our thoughts forward?
In the years he was concentrating on getting the church back on track, he came to the realisation that it's a reassuring, hopeful message that he needed to get across in his broadcasts. After all, that is what the world gospel means – Good News! As he mentioned in a 1977 sermon, 'A Positive Message':
I think we have to talk about the conditions of today’s world and tell them WHY. And tell them what LED UP TO IT. And tell them WHY man was put on EARTH. Tell them WHY GOD is ALLOWING it today, to lead on to what is going to HAPPEN! But we need to condense that part of it and play that down and then put the big emphasis, and the biggest amount of time, on the world tomorrow.
So we are going to preach the good news and less of the bad news. Just enough of the bad news to make them understand how good the good news is going to be. There is a wonderful World Tomorrow just around the door - around the corner. Sure the great tribulation is coming first. God isn’t going to let it happen until man has come to the place when maybe the last two men alive would kill each other.
But that isn’t going to be too long. This way - we have to prove that this way is wrong. We have to prove. God is insisting that we prove that His way and His way only is right. And He’s taken 6,000 years to do it, and then 1,000 years He’s going to save humanity.
Everybody is going to see the results and have tasted until they get a stomach so full of Satan’s evil ways and they get so bitter that they want to vomit it all up and they want to come to God’s way of glory and happiness and peace and everything joyful forever on because there is the great life, the good life, everything abundant is just around the corner and coming. (A Positive Message - 1 Dec 1977)
Using the News
Mr Armstrong didn't just point out how different things are going to be in the future, but he also stressed the overall change in direction needed to bring it about. It is very much cause and effect; the two trees! The implementation of actions based on Godly thinking is what will produce the utopian age of the Millennium that we in God's Church long for – and during the Feast of Tabernacles specifically celebrate. The coming Millennium won't become the prophesied paradise by merely tinkering with the present world, but by a sustained programme that brings every single facet of the new age into harmony with "The Way" – the spiritual Law or Torah [H08451 'direction'] of God. Once the satanic broadcast has been silenced, the degree of change will then be something we can scarcely imagine, because none of us have ever lived in a world not saturated by an incoming, evil spirit.
As we watch the prophetic events of this dying world unfold before us, doing so should give us a heightened appreciation of the DEGREE of change required. But it shouldn't end there. We should also do what Mr Armstrong did continually – recognise some of the specifics as to WHY the world is in the chaos it is, and just WHAT it is that needs to change to put it right. The reason this understanding is particularly vital for us at this time, is that the purpose of us being called now – for the first resurrection – is so that we may have a part in implementing the only lasting solution. It is this teaching role that is our true destiny – and something we need to focus on in a much more profound way, and especially during the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles that pictures this Millennial age.
Our Ultimate Future
In His Word, God is continually pointing us forward and focusing our minds on the future which seems to indicate that this entire physical experience will eventually be largely forgotten. The physical, chemical existence we presently enjoy appears almost a replication of our previous experience within the womb of our physical mother – once the only reality that we had ever known, yet it's something now that rarely, if ever, crosses our mind. Whatever memories of that time that there might once have been, have today been totally superseded by the experiences following our birth. This also appears to be the case following our spiritual birth into real LIFE in the kingdom and family of God:
- For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind
- But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
- And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. (Isaiah 65:17-19)
So the question is, how can our frail human minds look forward to an existence in another realm, when we are earth-bound physical beings with a very transitory life? God gives us hints throughout the scriptures with physical examples we CAN relate to, like the story of Joseph, where overnight his circumstances went through an incredible reconfiguration – from a fettered prisoner to a high-ranking individual with power and glory, and the subsequent emotional reunion with his family. Carrying on from the quote in Isaiah 65:
- And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
- They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
- They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. (Isaiah 65:21-23)
We serve a loving God who knows our frailty and limitations, and therefore talks to us in language that we can understand. He eases us in gently, so to speak, looking forward first to our teaching positions within the soon coming Millennial rule on this earth and the Great White Throne judgement period thereafter. This is something we can get our heads around – including the vast difference between the Way of life that will then be in place compared to what we currently experience.
Our future isn't one of playing harps on fluffy white clouds up in the heavens somewhere, but most likely getting our hands dirty while helping our citizens (future members of the God family) build their houses, plant and harvest their crops. Like Christ after His resurrection, (John 21) we'll no doubt sit down with them for meals, laughing together and enjoying one another's company, and probably sketching out plans for the coming Last Great Day. I doubt if we can grasp the enormity of witnessing the billions resurrected from all across the 6000 years – but most of us can anticipate seeing our loved ones again, and that most certainly is worth thinking deeply about.
A New World
And what a world it will be! Although the 10 Commandments will certainly form the basis of the Way of life throughout this earth, there is more, much more, required to produce a utopia. After all, ancient Israel had the commandments, but didn't have the heart to keep them. Neither does the world today. It doesn't have "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). But the Millennial age to come will!
- And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
- And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)
- For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
- Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
- A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
- And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:24-27)
Astounding Results
And the effects will be totally spectacular. Even the natural world – currently red in tooth and claw – will undergo a complete transformation:
- The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
- And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
- And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
- They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)
By choosing the wrong tree, Adam – and the age of man that formed from that choice – adopted what is actually an entirely alien approach to the Way God actually intends for mankind. Totally rejecting the righteous, godly mindset they instead chose Satan's self-centred way of doing things where competition, strife and self-seeking are the norm. Survival of the fittest – in both the human and the natural realms – therefore ruthlessly operated, trampling all beneath it. How different the New World will be once this sad, sad world has finally served its full purpose of providing adequate negative contrast in the process of aversion therapy for humanity.
And the result? Although it might take a generation or two to get the message of the two trees firmly established in their minds, before long we will see a world going in a totally different direction – nations, cities, sports, manufacturing, commerce, farming, businesses ... all being conducted with love and concern rather than with selfishness and raw competition. And the family – the basis of a healthy society – transformed! With a society based now on Give, and totally involved in the total RE-construction in ALL areas of civilisation with the goal of the Last Great Day in mind, the overriding focus will therefore be forward – not just to the awesome reality of the Judgement Period but on into eternity thereafter.
- Present suffering, I hold, is a mere nothing compared to the glory we are to have revealed.
- Even the creation waits with eager longing for the sons of God to be revealed.
- For creation was not rendered futile by its own choice, but by the will of Him who thus made it subject,
- the hope being that creation as well as man would one day be freed from its [bondage] to decay and gain the glorious freedom of the children of God.
- To this day, we know, the entire creation sighs and throbs with pain;
- and not only so, but even we ourselves, who have the Spirit as a foretaste of the future, even we sigh to ourselves as we wait for the redemption of the body that means our full sonship. (Romans 8:18-23 Moffatt)
True Wealth
At that time the land will be owned by the families – passed down from father to son without any of the crippling death duties of today's society (Numbers 33:54). There will be no interest on loans (Deuteronomy 23:19). The capital of a debt will be wiped out after seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1-2). Land mortgaged will return to the family, free of debt, every Jubilee (every 50 years – Leviticus 25:10)
In God’s Kingdom, these commands of His will be obeyed. They’ll become the standard for regulating commerce, business, finance, and the entire economic structure of the world.
And all will be on the giving basis. Christ said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
The giving standard will be followed in God’s rule on this earth – not the grasping, conniving, striving, deceitful, clandestine, furtive, scurrilous, devious, cheating and lying chicanery that is commonplace in today’s business world. (Tomorrow... What it Will be Like - Chapter 7)
The result? Outgoing happiness and joy! True wealth!
- If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
- Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:3-4)
- Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. (Amos 9:13)
- For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
- Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:17,18)
This Coming Feast
And it is this glorious world that we will be gathering together to celebrate in a just a few days. The Feast of Tabernacles points us forward each year – as do all the autumn/fall festivals – focusing our minds on this TOTALLY different world. Just as the mind of the entire earth will be encouraged at that time to look to the glorious future, and getting their minds away from the horrors of the past, so it must be today for us.
Each and every one of us have our hardships and heartaches, but we too must strive to leave OUR world behind. I'm not saying it's easy, when we have family problems, health worries, housing issues, job insecurity, a shrinking income and rising prices etc etc., which can so easily "wear out the saints of the Most High" But as much as these negatively impact on us, we need to realise that THIS life is not where it's at, and just how temporary these worries are, as we are told by the apostle Paul, who himself was no stranger to adversity:
- This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily.
- For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description.
- We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal. (II Corinthians 4:16-18 CJB)
Moving Forward
A few years ago my wife and I visited family members and church brethren in Australia, where we learnt some of the history behind the Australian coat of arms. As you can see from this link, the shield is upheld by a kangaroo and an emu, animals that, though endemic within Australia – our son often has kangaroos grazing on his front lawn – have never actually been designated as official emblems of Australia. However, word has it that they were chosen to symbolise a nation that is moving forward, based on the fact that neither the emu nor the kangaroo can easily, if at all, walk backwards. To reinforce this origin, when first designed in the late 19th century the coat of arms also carried the motto 'Australia Advance', or 'Australia Forward' ... something that really appealed to this young, growing and developing nation.
In a similar way we, as citizens of the new dynamic age to come, also need to keep on keeping on, advancing, focusing forward to that glorious age as we gather together for eight days of looking to the soon coming future – and seeing that future in our mind's eye :
"But in the last days [and we’re right in those last days now, in the last days] it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains [that is the nation of God will be established over all of the nations because it’ll rule over all nations] and it shall be exalted above the hills; and many nations will flow unto it. Many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the [nation, it is, or] mountain of the [Eternal], and to the house of the God of Jacob; and HE WILL TEACH US HIS WAYS! [It’s a matter of a way of life. And He will teach us that way of life – the way of give.] And we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion [that’s the law – it is a spiritual law – the way of outflowing love, go forth of Zion,] and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge amongst many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off [a world-ruling government] and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Micah 4:1-3) (The Two Ways Part 1)
As we see heightening tensions in the Middle East, with the threat of all-out nuclear war even possible, we need to keep that forward focus that God gives us through the scriptures, knowing that as Mr. Armstrong would continually encourage us, "this advance good news of tomorrow is as certain as the rising of tomorrow's sun".
- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
- Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins....
- ... O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
- Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
- He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:1,2,9-11)
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
Read online or contact email to request a copy
