—By Father David GP 899 (Comp.) 28/3/80

1. Most people seldom ever see impending doom or things that are happening until it's too late. The usual herd, the usual sheep, just go on their way, like things have always been. They don't want to worry unnecessarily or be distracted from their favourite TV programme, sports match, shopping tour, holiday outing or the daily hypnotic grind of the zombie treadmill & rat-race which is leading them to their fate!

2. They just don't seem to read the signs of the times!—As Jesus told the rich of His day: "When it is evening‚ ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red & lowring. O ye hypocrites! Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"—Mt.16:2,3.

3. World conditions today are worse than ever, but people wake up for just a few minutes & say, "Terrible!"—Then a lot of Government officials start saying, "Don't worry, don't worry! Everything's going to be all right. Go back to sleep!"—And they all go back to sleep again!

4. But the whole thing is coming to a head soon, Hell-bent on a crash course to catastrophe!—Waste, pollution, over-population, starvation, monetary crisis, energy crisis‚ economic disaster, political chaos, the Arab-Israeli War, the final deflation of the Green Pig (America's worldwide dollar empire), the collapse and/or destruction of America, & finally World War Three!

5. The storm is fast approaching which will sweep the world with three years of great trouble, confusion, strife & famine! Like a dying candle, the Lord showed me that the lights of the world are soon to flicker out & "there will be a great darkness throughout the Earth‚ & there shall be great weeping & wailing & gnashing of teeth!"

6. These terrors will come suddenly & by surprise, as indicated in each dream & warning that God has given us, even as far back as the Great Confusion Warning of 1965 which prophesied that they would happen so swiftly as to "cause a mighty widening of the eyes of those who have not discerned the signs of the times!"

BE PREPARED!

7. Our only hope of survival, therefore, is to be prepared both spiritually & practically for what is to come. True, His Word tells us to "take not thought for the morrow" (Mt.6:34), but that doesn't mean that we're not to make any preparations, if possible. It simply means that we're not to worry about it or be overly anxious.

8. But we should prepare our minds & hearts for it & expect it, as God has often warned us that some of us may be caught in the flood of His judgments on a wicked world.—And it would be best that we prepare our bodies also, as well as we are able, by preparing places of refuge from the storm where we can hide & not be caught in the maelstrom of His judgments on the wicked.

9. Try to secure some kind of place in the country for yourself & your family‚ as the big modern cities of today will become death-traps & infernos plagued by disease, riots, looting & mass starvation when the utilities & public services break down. Make sure your place has its own safe & independent supply of water, heat & light which are not dependent on electricity or other outside means of pressure or power. Stock it well with dried & canned foods such as grains, beans, flour & other staples.

10. If your family alone can't afford such a place, perhaps you can go together with another family or two or more & chip in on a place jointly. If all else fails, you could at least make sure that your own house is stocked full of non-perishable foods & firewood as well as an adequate supply of water. It is far better to be ready years too soon than to be one day too late! The time to prepare is now!

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE

11. Of course‚ when it happens, the only truly safe peace to be in is the Lord! His Word tells us, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge & my fortress: My God; in Him will I trust. He shall cover thee with His feathers, & under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield & buckler.

12. "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, & ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold & see the reward of the wicked." (Psalm 91) Hallelujah!

13. So the main thing is to live close to the Lord & in His will & obey His Word. Then even if there's war & turmoil & confusion & chaos on the outside, you can have peace on the inside—in your own heart—through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. He is faithful & never fails to keep those who trust Him!

14. You will find that His Word is always such a comfort & encouragement in the hour of greatest trial, even when everything seems to be going wrong & you're in danger.—For it is His Word by His Spirit in His Love that makes you strong. So hide His Word faithfully in your heart that you may be kept by the power of God & comforted in difficult times, now & in the future. (See Psalm 119:11,33,72,89,105,130; John 17:7; Colossians 3:16.)

15. One very encouraging passage of Scripture regarding God's ability to protect & keep those who love Him is the story of the house of Rahab on the wall of Jericho: The whole city of Jericho fell except the part of the wall on which the harlot Rahab's house was standing. Because she had faith & had received & protected His children, when God destroyed the whole city & everybody else in it, her little house was the only part of the wall that didn't fall! (See Joshua chapters 2 & 6.) So why worry about it?

16. When His judgments fall on the wicked, they usually miss His children or His children are somehow spared from them. He says‚ "I will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the Earth."(Rev.3:10) But that doesn't mean that He won't ever allow us to be harmed.—He won't allow any permanent damage‚ any permanent harm, & He promises to deliver us. And if by no other way, He delivers us by death!

17. But the promise is that He's going to keep us, one way or the other.—So you don't ever have to worry about it! And if He decides He'd rather take you than take care of you, why you've got it made, one way or the other. I mean, dead or alive, you're safe!

18. So what can man do to us? They can only kill the body, & after that there's no more they can do!—And thus release our spirits at last into the glorious spiritual Kingdom of God! They can only make it hard on the body while it lasts‚ & they can't make it too hard or it won't last!—In the spirit, in the spirit‚ we're at last forever free! In the spirit, in the spirit, there is peace for you & me! Hallelujah!

FEAR?—OR FAITH!

19. So when the time comes, the Lord will take care of us as He sees fit: He'll either take care of us or take us, one or the other! And if you know it's God's will, that it's the Lord & His judgments, you won't be afraid.

20. It's like what happened with my father during an earthquake down in Mexico in a wicked city. He'd been sent down there to pastor a little church & he was in the will of God. So when they had a big earthquake, he said, "Shake them up, Lord! Shake up this wicked city!" He wasn't a bit afraid because he knew it was the Lord!

21. But right at the same time, my mother was out of God's will, because she was supposed to be giving her testimony in another town in another church, but she didn't want to.—She wanted to be with her husband & family instead. So she was like Jonah out of God's will & the earthquake to her was like Jonah's whale, & she was scared to death!

22. She was praying on the bed, "Lord, stop it! Lord, stop it!" While my Father was praying‚ "Shake them up, Lord! Shake them up, Lord!"—So how you're going to react when the trouble comes will depend largely on whether you have faith or not & whether you're in the will of God or not.

23. If you are out of His will & running around outside of the secret place & from under His shadow—His Wings—& His Fortress of perfect fellowship with Him, you can no longer claim the protection & defenses of Psalm 91.—How can God bless disobedience? But if you obey the Lord & stay in the centre of His will & do what God wants you to do, you can expect God to take care of you.

24. So keep close to the Lord, constantly claiming the protection of the Lord, always asking the Lord to keep you‚ & bless & protect you, & He will! He says, "Keep thyself therefore unto Me, & I shall preserve thee in the hour of trouble."—Thank You Jesus!

25. "From war's alarm, from deadly pestilence,

Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense.

Be Thou our ruler, guardian‚ guide & stay.

Thy Word our law,

Thy paths our chosen way!"

ARE YOU READY?

26. So by all means prepare all you can, but most of all trust the Lord & don't worry! After all, the Lord & prayer are your best protection & your greatest security!

27. "Other refuge have I none;

Hangs my helpless soul on thee!

Leave, O leave me not alone,

Still support & comfort me.

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring.

Cover my defenseless head,

With the shadow of Thy wings!"

28. Jesus never fails!—Are you trusting Him? If you love & trust Jesus, death is only the gateway to the next life, a new & glorious New World, Heaven on Earth, the Kingdom of Christ, where there will be no more of these sorrows—but Eternal peace‚ plenty & happiness for all forever!

29. May God bless you with His truth & salvation from this Hell on Earth, & keep you from the horrors to come by His loving protection & provision forever!—Throughout Eternity!—And He will if you'll trust Him!

30. And though the outlook for us in this world & our future here could hardly be darker, the uplook could hardly be brighter or more glorious! The Lord said things would "wax worse & worse" (2Tim.3:13), until at the very end there would be "a time of trouble such as was not since the beginning of the world"! (Dan.12:1; Mt.24:21) But then there is a nice little promise after that: "No, nor ever shall be!"—After that, there will never be a time of trouble for us again! Hallelujah!

31. The worse it gets, the closer we are to the end! The darkest hour is just before dawn! So look for that silver lining in the storm clouds, & expect that somewhere over God's rainbow, "There'll be love & laughter & joy ever after—tomorrow when the world is free!"

32. Then there'll be "a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness!" Thank God!—A New World of peace & plenty & love & happiness for all who follow Jesus, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords over all! (See Isa.65:17-25; Rev.21,22.)

33. Are you already a citizen of Christ's Kingdom?—The perfect & loving Government that will never fail nor fall! You can join His Kingdom right now by receiving Jesus this very moment! Just believe in Him, confess you're a sinner & need Him, & receive Him into your heart now by just asking Him to come in! "Behold, I stand at the door & knock" Jesus says. "If any man hear My voice, & open the door, I will come into him, & will sup with him, & he with Me." (Rev.3:20)

34. He'll give you peace of mind, satisfaction of heart, & love & happiness here & now—& Heaven too! Receive Him today! Then you'll really be ready for the coming calamities!—For no matter what happens, He'll take care of you!

35. And even if you die, you'll just go to be with Jesus in His Heavenly Kingdom forever with all of us who love Him! So warn others of the coming trouble, but tell them most of all of Christ's Coming Kingdom & how they can join it here & now just by receiving Jesus!

36. Get ready for the confusion, but most of all for Christ! He's coming soon!—Are you ready for Him? You are if you already have Him in your heart! Ask Jesus in today!—Tomorrow may be too late! With Jesus you're ready for anything!—Tribulation, death & Heaven! Hallelujah! And you'll have Heaven in your heart right now! God bless & keep you!—In Jesus' name, Amen!