Probably one of the most important actions a person can take, yet one of the easiest to do, is to share a meal. In years gone by, meals together were a standard feature of family unity. At the dinner hour, the family gathered around a table, said a blessing, and ate a meal. As they ate, they discussed family activities. Sadly, in too many homes today, eating is an “on the fly to somewhere else” activity, or someone at the table may even be on the phone, talking or texting.

This causes stress, and can have a lot to do with disrupting family harmony.

Stress is not a new enemy, but it is especially deadly in our modern society. Years ago, when I was earning an advanced degree, my dissertation was titled: “Stress: A Family Destroyer.” I looked at the factors that cause stress in an average family. The simple act of eating a meal with others turns out to be a helpful stress reducer.

But what, exactly, is stress—and why should it concern us? The word “stress” typically makes us think of something horrible, yet there is both good stress and bad stress. “Stress” simply means that the body is experiencing some type of demand. For example, we shiver when we are cold and perspire when we are hot. This is normal stress that helps us stay alive. When we hear startlingly loud noises, smell foul odors or sense uncontrolled danger, we feel bad stress. When we get insufficient sleep, our bodies are also taxed by stress. Such stress makes a demand on our systems that destroys our health over time. The idea is to get rid of bad stress in our lives as much as we possibly can. Strong family connections are one proven way to do that.

The Bible has a lot to say about eating together. In Matthew 22:4 we read: “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’” Eating together was considered necessary to fulfill the custom of friendship. Luke 14:13 tells us not to invite only our best friends, but also those in need: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.” A meal can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and suffering.

In Proverbs 15:17, we read: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” It makes a difference how a meal is eaten. Even a simple meal shared with love helps to keep a family intact. Dining is important enough that Christ Himself uses it to describe His desire to be with His Church: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me”  (Revelation 3:20). Sadly, we know that the Laodiceans about whom Christ was speaking will in many cases not let Him join in their meal. 

God is building a Family, and He wants His people to enjoy the peace and security of strong relationships that reflect their destiny of becoming Spirit-born sons and daughters at the resurrection (Galatians 3:26-29; 4:6-7). One way we can further this goal today is by remembering the importance of family togetherness. The family that plays together stays together, and the same can be said about family that eats together and whose members share their lives and activities—a practice so different from many of today’s dysfunctional relationships.

To see the true importance of family, and to learn how to better strengthen yours and bring it “together around the table,” order our free booklets, Successful Parenting: God’s Way and God’s Plan for Happy Marriage.

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/stress-a-family-destroyer

Throughout the campaign season, President Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney clashed in stump speeches, in televised debates and, at times, in venomous advertisements proclaiming their differing views of what America must do to pull itself out of its downward spiral.  Policy ideas and worldviews competed passionately for the public’s devotion.

Finally, the dust has settled—at least the dust of the election process—and President Barack Obama has been given another four years to pursue his policy priorities in meeting the nation’s many challenges. And the challenges his nation faces are grave: unsustainable social entitlement programs, a strained military facing ominously growing threats from rival nations and terrorists, an increasingly bitter and polarized political environment, high unemployment, social discord—and the greatest debt it has ever borne upon its back as a nation—actually, the greatest debt of any single nation in the world.

The list of problems would rightly intimidate any head of state. The President has a daunting task ahead of him—a task that will affect the lives of hundreds of millions, including Christians—and Christians should be praying for President Obama. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). We know from Scripture that it is God who made the President’s re-election possible, and that he will be ruling with God’s permission (Romans 13).

So, will the policies the President has promised to pursue be enough to surmount these challenges?  Would the policies of his main opponent in this election, Governor Romney, have been enough? The short-term results are anyone’s guess, but the ultimate answer is no.  No, They will not be enough.

Why not? A look at some of the other decisions made on Election Day in America give a sense of the reason.  While the nation voted for its president, Maine, Maryland and Washington became the first states in the nation to approve same-sex marriage through popular votes.  As Wall Street Journal online editor James Taranto tweeted on election night, a “same-sex tipping point” has arrived. Also, though it is still illegal according to federal laws, the states of Colorado and Washington legalized the sale and use of marijuana for “recreational” purposes—another first for the nation.

The persistent-but-ignored truth is that the problems America faces are fundamentally spiritual in nature—they are problems standing between the nation and the God who created and established it.  Those problems cannot be solved with economic policy.  They can only be solved by heartfelt national repentance.

The nation cannot continue to increasingly condone the degradation of the God-ordained institution of marriage, the celebration of sexually immoral lifestyles, the removal of God from the public square, the erosion of the God-given authority of the family as the fundamental unit of society, the glorification of the most ungodly and perverted of images and ideas in its media and popular culture—and generally continue to ignore the laws, desires and concerns of the Creator—and remain a nation for much longer.  Should it continue to turn its back on God, the destruction promised in Scripture to the United States will not wait forever.

No political policy or promise can change that.  Unless there is true national repentance—a collective seeking of the forgiveness only available through Jesus Christ and a passionate turning to the laws of God—America’s end is assured.  Order a free printed copy of our booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy or read it online to discover what every politician has missed and what is truly required to restore the nation to a right course.

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/post-election-2012-can-the-president-save-america

From year to year, elections to public offices come and go. Each candidate strives hard to win their election. They campaign for office by giving speeches, meeting people, shaking hands and kissing the babies of voters at picnics, rallies, dinners and public events. To win their election, they work very diligently, hour after tiring hour, for weeks and months.

But we see candidates fail for many different reasons. For every one that wins an election, there is usually one who loses.

The Bible speaks of a different kind of election—an “election of grace” that the Apostle Paul speaks about in Romans 11:5. “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Paul is speaking about Israel, how it appeared that Israel had lost out from having been the chosen people. Physical Israel had largely failed as the chosen people to live up to the covenant with God. Paul is describing that only a remnant at the present time had received the election of grace. Of course, Gentiles from many nations have also received this election.

  This election of grace is about being elected by God as stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

As a Greek dictionary or lexicon shows, the “election” (Strong’s G1589—ekloge) being discussed by Paul is an act of God picking or choosing people who then become His elect. Rather than people picking and voting for a candidate as in political elections, the Almighty God does the picking and choosing of His elect.

The Apostle Peter encouraged Christians regarding this election to be diligent: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure…” 2 Peter 1:10. To make something sure means to firmly establish it, to make it firm and steadfast.

How can we do that? Peter gives the answer. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,   by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:2-11).

Millions around us are caught up in the excitement of worldly elections, hoping for a good result. As Christians, however, we are called to focus on our own “election”—an election with eternal consequences—as we prepare ourselves not for the present world of voting and politics, but rather for our God-ordained future roles of service in the coming Kingdom of God.

For more information about what it means to be a real Christian, go online at tomorrowsworld.org, or write today for your free copy of Restoring Original Christianity and

What Is a True Christian?

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/the-election

In almost every setting, someone or some group will be vying for attention, sometimes to make a philosophical or political point, sometimes peacefully, sometimes in a disruptive manner.

Some individuals achieve fame for worthwhile accomplishments or contributions in business, academics, sports, or philanthropy. Serving others, however, does not usually garner the big headlines that scandal or wrongdoing seem to attract.

While many people enjoy this barrage of titillating media stories, most people’s lives are less exciting or newsworthy than those featured in the news. Henry David Thoreau, the famous author and poet of the 19th century observed that, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” His observation still seems valid today.

With this in mind, it seems that for many people there is a lack, a feeling of failure or sense of frustration if they are not receiving attention, for whatever reason, be it positive or negative. Others have unfulfilled dreams that prevent them from enjoying what they have, which blinds them from being truly thankful. Fame and fortune and the attention they bring are illusive goals.

The Bible gives a balanced perspective on this subject, which should bring peace of mind and clarity of purpose to those who strive to please God. It is a different set of values from what is being sought by the teeming masses of mankind.

The Apostle Paul put it into perspective in his letter to the Church in Thessalonica. He instructed, “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you…” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11).

He sounded the same theme in his instruction to Timothy about praying for those in authority in government when he wrote, “…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:2-3).

The Apostle Peter also hammered this point home in his letter giving instruction to women. He wrote, “…the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit…is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

Often it seems that amidst the roar of the crowd and the clatter of popular chatter, many good ideas and solid accomplishments are overlooked and simply go unnoticed. Considering these Scriptures, it seems obvious that God does not overlook those who quietly go about obeying him and doing good.

Certainly some may distinguish themselves for great accomplishments and receive accolades, praise and publicity as a just reward for a job well done. Yet, even if they are never recognized by one’s peers or those in authority, more importantly, their conduct is noted by God. In instructing His disciples about prayer and charitable deeds, Jesus instructed them to do these things quietly, in private, “…that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:4).

If you are interested in obtaining the reward your Heavenly Father has for you, you can quietly learn more about it in our informative, free booklet, What Is a True Christian?. or watch our Tomorrow’s World telecast, “How Can You Become a True Christian?”

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/a-quiet-life

For the last few centuries, nations in Europe and North America dominated the world and exported their “Christian” culture around the globe. Yet, in recent years—and accelerating in this 21st century—these once-powerful countries have begun to crumble from within!

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/featured-item/the-demise-of-the-west

As a pastor of congregations in the region hit by Hurricane Sandy, I was thankful to learn that the Church members in my area were safe and unharmed. Yet some of the harm caused by Hurricane Sandy may not yet be evident, as the damage caused by the “storm surge” is further evaluated, and the cleanup continues.

For many of us, flooding, earthquakes and famines are disasters that are supposed to happen in “other places”—perhaps Bangladesh, Haiti or Ethiopia, not the prosperous and modern and efficient United States. We take “survival” for granted; we watch other nations struggle with it, and the closest many of us have yet come is to watch Survivor on reality television.

History books tell the story of natural disasters through the years.  Storms and floods and droughts and famine are not new to human history.  But for the better part of a century, we have enjoyed a time of unprecedented prosperity in the United States, allowing us to assist other nations with their disasters. 

Yet it seems that times are changing, and even in the complacent U.S. many are beginning to take notice. “The number of weather-related catastrophes has been rising dramatically since 1980 on all continents, with the steepest rise in North America.  Insured losses on the continent soared from an average of $9 billion a year in the 1980’s to $36 billion a year in the 2000s,” according to Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance firm. 

Why?

Some suggest that human-induced “global warming” is the culprit. Yet others dispute this idea, pointing to New York’s major hurricanes in 1821 and 1938.  Are we simply in a normal cycle of the earth’s atmospheric conditions, or have we done irreparable harm to our world? Certainly we can take Hurricane Sandy and similar great disasters as a learning experience in preparedness—but should we see them as something more?

The words of your Bible reveal that there is a God, and He uses the weather to teach and warn.  In a prophecy directed to ancient Israel, He says, “I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.  And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:19-20). How many today realize that the United States is identified in Bible prophecy as the modern descendant of ancient Israel’s tribe of Manasseh (to learn more, order a free copy of our booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy)?

God warned the Israelites—and He warns us today—that He would use the weather to show His wrath against their evil. In Genesis 7, we read that God used a flood to destroy most of the world’s inhabitants, not just the Israelites, for their wickedness.  To learn more about how God works through these dramatic events, order a free copy of our booklet, Who Controls the Weather?

Millions affected by Hurricane Sandy are now turning their attention to the upcoming national elections. Is there a political party, or a candidate, who can spare them from storms on the horizon? Hurricane Sandy is a powerful reminder that the storms on our nation’s horizon are bigger than any man. So, will our nation repent of its evil ways, turn its focus to God, and obey Him? Thankfully, no matter what direction the U.S. and other nations may take, Jesus Christ died so that you, individually, could repent, be baptized, and live a joyous life in harmony with His laws and His ways, preparing for the day when His Kingdom will rule the earth.  God speed that day!

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/after-sandy

I recently attended a family gathering where one of my relatives asked another, “How did you find yourself” or “not lose yourself” while rearing three children? I did not hear the response, but the question has stuck with me. This relative feels that she has lost who she is because she is a wife and mother. To her, being happy is not connected with doing her best as a wife and mother, but rather with “finding herself.”

Will she really find happiness that way? I have to admit that I, for a similar reason, have been reluctant to have children. I have pursuits and hobbies that I find myself selfishly clinging to. I have an idea that I will not be fully happy as a mother if I cannot keep up those pursuits. I once saw a quote from someone stating that you do not realize how selfish you are as a human until you have to give up your sleep and every waking moment to raise children. I am sure all women have, in moments of weakness, felt like they have “lost themselves” to the title of Mommy.

But does being a mother and still being “yourself” have to be separate priorities? After hearing my relative talk, I realized that this is not what I want to be like that when I have children— selfishly clinging to who I was without them, brushing off my responsibility towards them so I can pursue my pastimes and hobbies. I recently heard a sermon that reminded me that being a Christian means thinking outwardly, not inwardly. Being a Christian mother is doubly outward—or triply (or more), depending on how many children you have. Is keeping up my hobbies more important than bringing up the next generation to be loving, God-fearing, humble human beings? Will putting my focus on myself make me happy?

God wants wives and mothers to be thrifty, putting their talents to use, but not at the cost of the family. Just read Proverbs 31! “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:27-28).

One of the obsessions in the modern Western nations is the “pursuit of happiness.” People go to extreme measures to find that elusive feeling of contentment, but we can see—in the news every day, and in the examples of people around us—the feeling remains elusive for most. My relative has spent a great deal of time pursuing happiness outside of her family, outside of her children. I wish I could share with her the following words: “He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he” (Proverbs 16:20).

God gives women many opportunities and responsibilities, and instructs us in how to be good Christians, good wives, good friends, good daughters, and good mothers. If we trust His instruction and think outwardly, giving of ourselves instead of looking ever inwardly, how happy we will be!

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/woman-to-woman/happy-is-she

On October 22, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy told his nation and the world: “It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.”  For a time, many were almost certain that a devastating attack, and response, would come.

I personally remember seeing the empty shelves of my neighborhood supermarket as thousands of neighbors had begun stockpiling food in panic. They were not alone. “‘You got the sense that even there, people in New York were scared.’ Mayor Robert F. Wagner called for a recruiting campaign for civil defense volunteers, and schoolchildren practiced duck-and-cover drills” (New York Times, October 28, 2012).

Dozens of U.S. B-52 bombers had been flying 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready at any moment to retaliate against a Soviet attack. The U.S. Strategic Air Command was operating at Defense Readiness Condition 2—DEFCON 2—one step below DEFCON 1, a full-out nuclear war.

Behind the scenes, negotiations continued. The Atlantic magazine online published a photo-essay recounting those dangerous days leading to the dramatic resolution when, on October 27, Khrushchev and Kennedy reached a secret agreement. “Kennedy would order the removal of missiles in southern Italy and Turkey, and Khrushchev would remove all missiles in Cuba. Over the following weeks, U.S. forces monitored the departure of 42 missiles aboard eight Soviet ships, and the crisis was averted.”

Fifty years ago, our world came very close to Armageddon, hardly more than a decade after General Douglas MacArthur had characterized the state of the world in his farewell address to the U.S. Congress: “Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be the way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door” (April 19, 1951).

Since MacArthur’s speech, has the world devised “some greater and more equitable system”? No! Will Armageddon soon “be at our door”? Your Bible reveals a great prophetic climactic battle, popularly referred to as “Armageddon,” described in Revelation 16:14, when “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” will gather for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”   This present age will end with a climactic battle between the forces of good and evil, and the returning Jesus Christ—the coming King of kings—will win that battle (Revelation 19:1-21)!

Even those who do not take the Bible seriously admit the danger of nuclear catastrophe. On January 10, 2012, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the minute hand of their symbolic doomsday clock one minute closer to midnight.  They announced, “[F]ailure to act on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by leaders in the United States, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, and North Korea and on a treaty to cut off production of nuclear weapons material continues to leave the world at risk from continued development of nuclear weapons. The world still has approximately 19,500 nuclear weapons, enough power to destroy the earth’s inhabitants several times over.”

The Bulletin announced: “It is five minutes to midnight.”  The scientists concluded their announcement with this sobering warning: “The Clock is ticking.”

Thankfully, there is hope beyond the coming Armageddon, for those who repent and obey their Savior. To learn more, order your own free printed copy of our booklet Armageddon and Beyond, or read it online.

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/armageddon-postponed-fifty-years-after-the-cuban-missile-crisis

Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darkest half” of the year. Gaelic traditions claim that, at Samhain, the doors to the underworld open— allowing dead souls and harmful spirits to enter our world.

Costume-wearing on Halloween has its roots in the practice of “guising”—hiding one’s identity (originally by using ashes blackened in “sacred” fires) as protection against the invading spirits. One custom in Ireland was for men to go door-to-door before sunset to collect food for the evening’s Samhain feast. That tradition is echoed in the later practice of “souling,” in which children and poor people would go from house to house, singing and saying prayers for the dead in return for cakes. Some today may find it surprising to learn that the tradition of going from house to house seeking “treats” did not gain popularity in the United States until the 1950s.

Is there really any harm in dressing up in costumes as ghouls, goblins, witches or demons? Is there anything wrong with, just once a year, acknowledging a part of the spirit realm that is evil, harmful and dangerous? What is the biblical perspective?

Revelation 12:9 says, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth and his angels with him.”

We need to understand that Satan, once an archangel (the one who covered God’s throne, as mentioned in Ezekiel 28:14-15), is real. He does exist—and he and his fallen angels (demons) were long ago cast down to the earth. He is now called the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and celebrations like Halloween are ultimately of his creation! He and his demons are making every effort to foil God’s plan for mankind. He wants to trick human beings into rejecting God and accepting evil.

Halloween, although appearing as mischievous fun, is an aspect of the evil of Satan that God warns us about. In many communities, Halloween is the day of the year when the largest number of serious crimes—personal assaults, property damage and other felonies—are committed, more than any other day.

Scripture does not encourage us to accept foolishness. “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Are we “redeeming the time” if we enjoy a festival that invites the influence of evil?

Satan and his fallen angels are real, and they are active not just one day of the year, but every day of the year. Our modern Halloween celebrations may seem harmless and fun, but in truth, they are rooted in pagan rituals that go against God’s word and His ways. So, do not be deceived. Protect yourself and your family from these deceptions by coming out of them (2 Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:4).

To learn more, read our Tomorrow’s World article, “Festivals of Death?” and our powerful and informative booklet, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. 

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/halloween-treat-or-trick

The peaceful town we lived in had become a place of fear. The reason: we were the subject of jealously and hatred was because my father had one of the few jobs in town. People were suspicious of each other and there was some violence. The situation called for self-preservation. This was the beginning of the Great Depression, which was to last for nearly a decade and would dramatically change our country. During the ensuing years the U.S. was to take a giant step backward when it came to personal behavior, family unity and an honest interest in self-preservation. The interesting thing is, that piece of history is going to be repeated in many of our lifetimes by troubles on the horizon, described by the Bible as the Great Tribulation and the great Day of the Lord.

The Bible reveals this in Matthew 24, in what is called the Olivet Prophecy. Christ gave this prophecy to His disciples, and explained it to them in detail. He talked about the events of the end time—wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes. These will happen over time and become very intense. Jesus states, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake” (v. 9). He goes on to explain the effect this will have on human relationships: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of may will grow cold” (v. 12). Now if this is going to happen to future disciples of Christ, it is going to happen to everyone. The Bible has many references to the coming tribulation and what it will be like—and why.

In Daniel 12:1 we see one of these references: “At that time shall Michael stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered.” There are other references in the Old and New Testaments about a time when everyone is going to experience the hardships of a world in trouble: food shortage, war and ultimately the end of civilization.

However, the Bible also promises a Deliverer (Romans 11:26-27). Jesus Christ will return and not only redeem the remnants of Israel’s descendants (including the English speaking peoples) but will straighten the whole world out (Revelation 19:14-16; Revelation 21:3-5). Jesus Christ and His disciples referred to this time as “the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43; John 3:5; Acts 14:22).

If a person is alert and not too deeply engaged in this present evil society, they might see that distress and upheaval are coming. Many live in denial, and choose not to acknowledge that hard times will become worse times, but one thing is certain from the Bible: it is going to require more to survive than protecting your money and carrying a shotgun (Matthew 24:22).

In Ezekiel chapter 5, the prophet describes how one third of the modern descendants of ancient Israel will die of the troubles, one third will be affected by war, and one third will be scattered—and that God would bring these calamities as part of His wrath on their disobedience. The Great Depression never came close, but it left us with a glimpse of things to come.

If you would like to know more about how to truly prepare, order our free booklet Armageddon and Beyond and Revelation: the Mystery Unveiled! Do not delay—your future depends on understanding God’s plan for the times just ahead.

Article source: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/commentary/living-in-fear