Richard F. Ames

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Holy Day for All Time

More than two billion professing Christians observe Sunday as their day of worship.

And yet, millions of others observe Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as their day of worship.

Which day truly is the Christian Sabbath?

Most Christians are familiar with the Ten Commandments. In fact, monuments and plaques of the Ten Commandments were posted in public buildings for centuries until recent years. The Fourth Commandment begins “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). That command was on the tablets God gave to Moses in the fifteenth century B.C. But when did God establish the seventh-day Sabbath that was to be remembered?

We’ll answer that question on today’s program.

When the New Testament Christian Church began on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD, first-century Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath. It was not until the Council of Laodicea in 363 A.D. that the Roman Church forbade seventh-day Sabbath-keeping, making Sunday the official day of worship, following Emperor Constantine’s empire-wide edict in 321 A.D.

So, does God in heaven want you to worship Him on just any day? What does your Bible reveal? Which day is the Christian Sabbath? Saturday or Sunday?

Stay tuned!

The Sabbath is Not Unknown!

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

The world is experiencing prophetic end-time disruptions, turmoil, and stress. Jesus of Nazareth foretold these troubles in the Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24. He stated in verse 7, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” But He also provided a way of coping with these stresses when He said in Luke 21:19, “By your patience possess your souls.”

In these turbulent times, many seek peace by worshiping on a special day of the week. Various religions set aside religious holidays or holy days. Muslims worship on Friday and follow the call to prayer five times a day. Jews around the world have worshiped for thousands of years on the Sabbath, the day that begins at sunset every Friday evening, and continues through sunset on Saturday. Hundreds of millions of professing Christians meet for Sunday church services, proclaiming theirs is the true day for worship.

But did you know there are also millions of professing Christians who worship on the seventh-day Sabbath?

Why have they taken Saturday as their day of worship?

The Fourth Commandment in your Bible is God’s command to keep the seventh day of the week as a Sabbath rest.

As it states here in Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.”

What day of the week did the first-century Christians observe? The answer is right here in your Bible.

On Tomorrow’s World, we ask you not to just take our word for granted, but to check for yourself what the Bible actually says.

Biblical scholars admit that the first-century Christian Church observed the seventh-day Sabbath. But many incorrectly say that was only because they were Jewish Christians. So, did Gentile Christians of the first century observe Sunday as their day of worship? What does your Bible record as the historic truth?

Consider the Apostle Paul.

Paul was trained as a Pharisee; he knew the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures, very well. In the city of Thessalonica, Paul preached to the Jews in the synagogue three Sabbaths in a row. Turn to Act 17. Notice that this was his custom—he regularly preached on the Sabbath.

ACTS 17:2: “Then Paul, as His custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’”

Paul regularly preached to the Jews on the Sabbath. But, did he also speak to the gentiles on the Sabbath? Notice the next chapter, Acts 18. Here the Apostle Paul is in the Gentile city of Corinth, in Greece.

Acts 18:4: “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks”!

One would think that if Christians were to keep Sunday, rather than the seventh-day Sabbath, the Apostle Paul might speak to the Jews on Saturday and the Gentiles on Sunday.

Is that what your Bible says?

Turn to Acts 13. Paul was in Antioch, in what is now modern Turkey. After Paul’s usual Sabbath sermon in the synagogue to both Jews and Gentiles, notice what happened.

Acts 13:42: “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them…” the next day, Sunday?

No!

The Gentiles begged Paul to preach to them “the next Sabbath.”

If Jesus, or the Apostles, had changed God’s commanded day of worship, here was a perfect opportunity for Paul to tell the Gentiles, “No, you don’t need to wait until next Saturday, we Christians now worship on Sunday. Meet with me tomorrow!”

But no, the Apostle Paul did not do that. What does your Bible say? Acts 13:44: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.”

Paul taught the Gentile Christians on the Sabbath! And he also commanded the gentile Corinthians to follow his example. Remember Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” Or as the New International Version translates it, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Yes, Paul and Jesus set an example for all Christians in observing the seventh-day Sabbath!

Now, when did traditional Christianity begin to observe Sunday as a day of rest rather than the Sabbath? The Catholic Encyclopedia, on the topic of “Sunday,” states this, “Tertullian (202 [AD]) is the first writer who expressly mentions the Sunday rest: ‘We, however (just as tradition has taught us), on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude, deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil.’” That was not until 202 A.D.!

Small groups of true Christians, however, still kept the seventh-day Sabbath, even after the Roman Emperor Constantine enforced Sunday-worship. And in the seventeenth century, when Sabbatarian Christians were persecuted in England, some searched for religious freedom in the new lands, the colonies of North America. The royal charter of 1663 granted by Charles II of England, guaranteed religious freedom to the colony of Rhode Island. That charter can be seen today in the Providence, Rhode Island state house.

Historical Evidence of Sabbath-Keeping

In the first part of our program, we saw that first-century Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath.

Not only did Jewish Christians observe Saturday as the Sabbath, but so did the Gentile Christians. We also saw that even the earliest Sunday-keepers did not gain control until the third century A.D.

We also saw that it was the Roman Emperor, not the Church, who first enforced Sunday worship throughout the Empire. Finally, the Council of Laodicea declared Sunday the day of worship for the Catholic religion in the fourth century A.D.

Isn’t that amazing?

If Christ established Sunday as His day of worship, why did it take more than 300 years after His death and resurrection for the Church to officially declare Sunday as the day of worship?

Despite persecution, true Sabbath-keepers continued to keep the Fourth Commandment through the centuries. When they were persecuted in seventeenth-century England, some fled to seek religious freedom in North America. In 1663, King Charles II guaranteed religious freedom in the colony of Rhode Island, and seventh-day Sabbath-keepers were found welcome.

Historical records show that a Stephen Mumford and his wife came to Newport, Rhode Island in 1665 in search of religious freedom. They were the first Christian Sabbath-keepers in America. As their congregation grew, they needed a larger meeting hall. The Sabbatarians built a large meeting hall in 1729. It is now preserved by the Newport Historical Society.

If you are ever in Newport, Rhode Island, you will want to visit this historic building.

Interestingly enough, the oldest Jewish synagogue in America is located right next door to the Christian Sabbath meeting hall.

In the Newport Sabbatarian meeting hall is a raised pulpit.

Behind the pulpit are two large plaques inscribed with the Ten Commandments. At the bottom of the second plaque is the Apostle Paul’s bold statement of Romans 3:31 in the King James Version, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Yes, these New Testament Christians affirmed their allegiance to Christ’s statement, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17). Jesus upheld obedience and observance to the Ten Commandments.

In eighteenth-century Rhode Island, there were other prominent Sabbatarians, including two governors of the Rhode Island colony, Richard Ward and his son Samuel—and even the first president of Brown University, James Manning, was a Sabbatarian. Sabbatarian church records, preserved in the Newport Historical Museum, contain members’ names and contributions. Most significantly, the church describes itself in those records as “keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, and in particular the Lord’s 7th Day Sabbath.”

Over the centuries, seventh-day Christians have continued to observe the Sabbath. They consider it a wonderful day of rest and worship. Even today, there are many groups that remain faithful to their belief in first-century Christian Sabbath-keeping. Now, let me ask you can you prove from the Bible which day a Christian should keep holy? It’s an extremely important question.

The one Who should answer that question for us is the founder of Christianity Himself, Jesus Christ! If you have your Bible, turn to Mark 2. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for transgressing their added restrictions to the Sabbath. Jesus did not break the Fourth Commandment; otherwise He would have sinned. He did reject the rabbinic Halakhah, the added restrictions. But, at the same time, Jesus affirmed the sanctity of the Sabbath and demonstrated its proper observance. His disciples enjoyed the Sabbath liberty of eating corn from the fields—they were hungry and enjoyed what was truly lawful.

Notice Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. Mark 2:27. Jesus stated, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Also notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say, “The Sabbath was made for the Jews.”

No, the Sabbath was made for all humanity—for every man, woman, and child on planet Earth! That is what Christ proclaimed!

Now, when was the Sabbath made?

Turn in your Bible to Genesis 1. This is the description of what is called “Creation Week.” God created man and woman on the sixth day of the week. Now what happened then on the seventh day? Genesis 2:1–3, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

The Sabbath is a memorial of the Creation—and points to the true God and true Creator of the Universe. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament also emphasizes the Sabbath as a foreshadowing of the millennial Sabbath, the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth.

The seventh-day Sabbath has deep meaning for Christians. And Jesus made another amazing claim.

Did He say He was Lord over Sunday—that Sunday was the Lord’s Day? Mark 2:27–28, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

If Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, what day is the Lord’s Day?

Sunday? NO! The Sabbath is the Lord’s Day—Jesus Himself said so! Jesus observed the Sabbath.

In fact, He was the One who proclaimed the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

Remember the plain statement of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4 concerning the spiritual Rock of ancient Israel. Who was that Rock that followed them in the wilderness? 1 Corinthians 10:4. The ancient Israelites, the same ones who heard the Ten Commandments thundered at Mt. Sinai—these ancient Israelites, “… drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

We’ve seen that Jesus taught His followers to keep the Ten Commandments. He Himself observed the seventh-day Sabbath, as did the Apostles.

But is there other New Testament evidence that Christians should observe the Sabbath?

Biblical Evidence for Observing the Sabbath

Turn in your Bible to Hebrews 4. In this chapter, the Sabbath is pictured as a type of the millennial rest, as well as a memorial of God’s rest at creation. Hebrews 4:8. Speaking of the unbelief of the ancient Israelites on their way to the promised land, Hebrews 4:8 states, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. [Verse 9] There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

Does this mean a symbolic rest—or a literal Sabbath rest?

The Anchor Bible Dictionary cites several secular Greek writings, not dependent on this verse in Hebrews, where “sabbatismos” literally means “Sabbath observance” or “Sabbath celebration.” There is no question that this verse is a New Testament statement on literal Christian observance of the Sabbath. And notice this important statement in verse 10 of Hebrews 4. “For he [the individual Christian] who has entered His rest [symbolically converted] has himself also ceased from his works [notice] as God did from His.”

If we, as converted Christians, are to cease from our works just as God did from His, we simply need to ask one question: how did God cease from His works? Verse 4 (of Hebrews 4) gives us the answer: “For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.’” There’s no guessing here. New Testament Christians are supposed to rest just as God rested—on the seventh day!

The Bible is very clear. Both the Old Testament and New Testament give Christians the clear example and instruction to keep the Sabbath Day Holy! As the Anchor Bible Dictionary states: “Physical sabbath-keeping on the part of the New Covenant believer as affirmed by ‘sabbath rest’ epitomizes cessation from ‘works’ (4:10) in commemoration of God’s rest at creation (4:4 = Gen 2:2) and manifests faith in the salvation provided by Christ.” That’s quite a plain statement!

The bottom-line question is: who or what is your authority? Is it the Bible? Or some church and religion apart from the Bible?

The noted Catholic theologian James Cardinal Gibbons wrote this bold statement: “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” That is a quote from Gibbons’ “Faith of Our Fathers” first published in 1876. And here is an admission from Harold Lindsell, editor of Christianity Today magazine and Southern Baptist minister (November 5, 1976): “There is nothing in Scripture that requires us to keep Sunday rather than Saturday as a holy day.”

There are many more such admissions on this point that you can read in our free booklet Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? But let me share one more with you. This statement is from Anglican Isaac William, DD, in his Plain Sermons on the Catechism, volume 1: “Where are we told in Scripture that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day…. The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the Church, has enjoined it.” These are amazing admissions—and there are more of them.

Again, my friends, I ask: What is your source of belief?

Is it the Bible?

Or is it customs and tradition apart from the Bible?

Jesus gave a very strong warning when traditions conflict with the commandments of God. Turn to Mark 7. Many churches have followed that wrong pathway, just as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Mark 7:7. Jesus said, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

That is a warning I hope all of us will heed.

Jesus stated He is Lord of the Sabbath. He observed the Sabbath regularly and He did not break the law as some theologians assert. As He said in John 15:10, “I have kept My Father's commandments.”

My friends, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and the instructions of your Bible? Or will you oppose them in order to follow the tradition of men?

A Coming Restoration of True Worship

Turn in your Bible to Isaiah 66:22. Speaking of the world to come, tomorrow’s world, God proclaims this good news: “‘For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘So shall your descendants and your name remain.

And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the LORD.”

What a wonderful world that will be.

Verse 18, “It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.”

Believe it or not, all nations on earth will someday come to worship the true God, the Creator of all things, and His Son Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of Lords. And all people will worship Him, as He proclaims, “from one Sabbath to another.”

Thank you for watching!

My friends, did you know there are millions of professing Christians who worship on the seventh-day Sabbath? Why have they taken Saturday as their day of worship? Have you proven to yourself which day is the Christian Sabbath?

If you would like a copy of our free Bible study guide to help you answer these questions, just click the link in the description. It is completely free. It will show you, straight from the pages of the Bible, which Day is the Christian Sabbath. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video. See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Book for All Time

Year after year, the Bible is the world’s best-selling book!

Portions of the Bible are available in more than three thousand languages around the world. Chances are that you have one on your coffee table—or stored away in a closet somewhere.

But how many even read the Bible? If you don’t read this book, you could be missing out on the most exciting, mind-expanding information and knowledge the world has ever known!

In the mid-1450s, more than 560 years ago, the German printer Johan Gutenberg gave the world its first printed Bible. A 2021 study by the British and Foreign Bible Society estimated that somewhere between 5 billion and 7 billion Bibles have been printed since then.

And now, in our digital age, hundreds of millions of Bibles have been downloaded to people’s smartphones and computers.

As of 2021, a popular Bible app by YouVersion had been downloaded more than 500 million times, and users have read or listened to more than 64 BILLION individual chapters of the Bible.

The Bible is everywhere, it seems. But does anyone really understand the Bible? Can YOU understand the Bible?

On today’s program, we’ll discuss seven simple but vital keys for studying your Bible.

My friends, we are living in the prophesied “time of the end.” Your Bible reveals the future of the world and your part in it. You need to understand Bible prophecy, and the awesome future of planet earth.

The Bible reveals the way of peace and prosperity. You need to understand the vital revelation that God Almighty wants you to know. On this program, you’ll learn seven keys for bible study. These keys can change your life!

You need this information! Stay tuned!

Forever Relevant—And Never Out of Print!

If you’re a regular viewer of Tomorrow’s World, YOU probably read the Bible often.

But HOW MANY people actually read the Bible?

A 2021 study published by Statista.org found that 11 percent of Americans read their Bible every day. About one-third, 34 percent, read it at least once a week. Another 29 percent said they NEVER read the Bible! (“Frequency of reading the Bible among adults in the United States from 2018 to 2021,” Statista.org, 2022).

My friends, you need to read this book. But can you understand its mysteries? Yes, you can. On today’s program we’ll give you seven keys for effective Bible study.

The Bible is a storehouse of valuable treasure. How can we reap the treasures contained in this book? Proverbs 2:4. Speaking of true knowledge, the Bible states in Proverbs 2:4,

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding….”

The Bible was once at the center of our Western civilization. It was even a part of public school education. More recently, secularism, evolution, and materialism overwhelmed educational institutions, throwing God, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments out the window. Since then, moral and ethical standards have declined in all sectors of society.

This is no coincidence!

My friends, the Bible reveals an unseen spiritual law that explains major trends and decline in our Western world. If you have your Bible, turn to Galatians 6. Galatians 6:7:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Our Western world has been sowing sin, and it will reap disastrous consequences. Galatians 6:8 continues:

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Sadly, we have been reaping corruption in our Western world. That’s why you need to be watching world news in the light of Bible prophecy. Perhaps you saw our telecast titled, “Reaping the Whirlwind.” The prophet Hosea stated it this way:

They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).

Will our nations finally get the message that we need to repent nationally and individually? Will we finally turn to the God of the Bible and heed His warning, and finally obey His commandments? We need to study the Bible, and LIVE by the Bible. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4,

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

Only obedience to, and a love of, the Scriptures can lead to moral and national prosperity.

About one-third of the American adult population believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally word for word. This percentage is slightly lower than several decades ago. The majority of those Americans who don’t believe that the Bible is literally true believe that it is the inspired word of God but that not everything it in should be taken literally. About one in five Americans believe the Bible is an ancient book of “fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man….”

My friends, God will judge unbelievers. Let’s understand!

The Bible is God’s instruction book to all human beings. If you have your Bible, turn to 2 Timothy 3:16,

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The NIV states it this way, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness….”

Yes! ALL scripture is useful!

Key #1 for effective Bible study is: The Bible Is Always Relevant

Some people believe that since the Bible was completed about 1,900 years ago, it CANNOT be RELEVANT for us today.

That belief is wrong.

As we’ve demonstrated in dozens of our programs, not only is the Bible relevant for us today, but its prophecies also reveal humanity’s future, our incredible destiny, and

the good news of tomorrow’s world. The good news is that mankind will not completely destroy itself. Jesus Christ will return at the most dangerous point in human history to SAVE us from ourselves.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is ALWAYS relevant. If you have your Bible, turn to MATTHEW 24:14. Jesus said,

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Yes, we look forward to the END of this “present evil world,” the end of this age and the beginning of a new age, tomorrow’s world!

The Bible is always relevant.

The Gallup Poll discovered that “Sixty-five percent of Americans agree that the Bible ‘answers all or most of the basic question of life.’”

A Complete Work—Unabridged and Interconnected

The Bible is God’s gift to all humanity.

Do we really treasure this book as we should? If we do, we really need to study the Bible regularly. President Abraham Lincoln made this statement about the Bible: “In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man.

All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book” (Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. 7, 1953, p. 543).

A survey by the American Bible Society found that Bible-reading increased during the COVID pandemic. More than 181 million Americans opened a Bible at least once in 2021, that’s up from 169 million in 2020.

Millions are discovering that the Bible is relevant to their lives. We discussed that key in the last part of our program.

Key #1: The Bible Is Always Relevant.

A second vital key is,

The Bible Is a Complete Book.

Many cannot truly understand the Bible because they throw out its first 39 books, called the Old Testament.

Let’s understand: When Jesus quoted scripture, He quoted the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Old Testament. In His tremendous spiritual battle with Satan the devil, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 when He said,

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

You’ll find that in Luke 4:4.

That profound truth is absolutely foundational to anyone’s happiness, and their eternal life!

The Apostle Paul, writing to the young evangelist Timothy, spoke of the genuine faith that was in Timothy’s grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice.

They had taught Timothy the scriptures from childhood. And what were those scriptures? The first 39 books of the Bible. The New Testament had not yet been written!

Read about that in 2 TIMOTHY 3:15,

… from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Timothy was able to understand salvation through the Old Testament Scriptures, and through His acceptance of Jesus Christ as His Savior.

The Bible is a complete book. It begins in the book of Genesis and ends with the book of Revelation. In fact, God warns us in REVELATION 22:18:

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Let’s understand: When Jesus taught us the two great commandments, He quoted them from the Old Testament.

The first great commandment, to love God with all our heart, soul and strength, is written in Deuteronomy 6:5!

And Jesus’ second great commandment, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, is from Leviticus 19:18.

These Old Testament verses Jesus quoted are commandments of God.

The point, my friends, is that we cannot understand God’s truth, or His plan, UNLESS we study the WHOLE Bible as the Word of God. To understand the Bible, we must read both the Old Testament AND the New Testament.

Key #2 for effective Bible study is: The Bible Is a Complete Book.

A THIRD key for effective Bible study is:

The Bible Interprets the Bible.

We’ve discussed this principle on previous programs, and it’s an extremely important principle. More than 25% of the Bible is prophecy—and symbolic language is often used. The books of Daniel and Revelation contain much symbolic language. How can you understand it?

In previous programs, we have discussed examples of symbolism in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 1:20, stars symbolize the angels of the seven churches. And the seven lampstands symbolize seven churches. In Revelation 17, the Apostle John sees in vision—a beast ridden by a woman, a harlot. Revelation 17:3. John writes,

And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

She is called in verse 5…

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Verse 6 declares that this woman persecutes true Christians.

The following verses give us the meaning of these symbols. VERSE 12, for example, reveals the meaning of the ten horns of the beast:

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

And verse 18 tells us:

And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.

Our third key for effective Bible study is:

The Bible Interprets the Bible.

STUDY to Show Yourself Approved!

But how can you understand what the Bible’s symbols and signs and warnings truly mean? This leads us to our fourth key:

Study All the Scriptures on a Topic.

Teachers who fail to do this often end up teaching false and misleading doctrines. Take, for example, the controversy often called “Law OR Grace.” Does God’s grace mean a Christian can live a life of rampant sin and blatantly DISOBEY his Savior? Of course not! As Jesus said in MATTHEW 19:17,

But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

Jesus went on to mention several of the Ten Commandments. Let’s understand: The Bible does not contradict itself. Jesus said in JOHN 10:35,

The Scripture cannot be broken….”

God’s Grace does NOT give us permission to transgress God’s law.

Some wrongly take Ephesians 2:15 as doing away with God’s Ten Commandments and the moral law. Ephesians 2:15 states,

… having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances….

Actually, this is speaking of ordinances, or in the Greek, “dogma”---in this case, man-made laws that caused division between Jews and Gentiles. Remember, the principle here is to study ALL THE REFERENCES on one topic. If we read Ephesians 2:15 apart from the rest of the Bible, we could come to a wrong conclusion.

Listen to this plain comment about Ephesians 2:15 from the NIV Study Bible: “Since Mt. 5:17 and Ro. 3:31 teach that GOD’S MORAL STANDARD expressed in the OT law IS NOT CHANGED by the coming of CHRIST, what is abolished here is probably the EFFECT of the specific ‘commandments and regulations’ in separating Jews from Gentiles, whose nonobservance of the Jewish law renders them RITUALLY unclean.”

In other words, when you are consistent and honest with the scriptures, as in this commentary, the truth is “GOD’S MORAL STANDARD expressed in the Old Testament law IS NOT CHANGED by the coming of CHRIST.” This is consistent with the second principle we discussed,

The Bible Is a Complete Book.

Study the scriptures in BOTH the Old and New Testaments of your Bible. To have a true understanding of Bible truths, apply the fourth key:

Study All the Scriptures on a Topic.

When you honestly do that, you will see that, as in this example, Grace does NOT do away with the moral authority of God’s law.

A fifth key for effective Bible study is:

Understand the Context.

When you study all the scriptures on a topic, go a little further. Read all the scriptures AROUND a verse you are studying. For example, some wrongly say that the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15 abolished the Ten Commandments for the Gentiles.

But notice the Apostle James’ decision in Acts 15:19,

Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

When the Apostles specified these four prohibitions, did that free the Gentiles to sin in other ways? To transgress the commandment that says “You shall not murder”? “You shall not have other gods before the true God”? Of course not! The Apostles in NO WAY repealed the moral law of God. To understand this, we need to READ THE CONTEXT. What was the main question?

Read VERSE ONE of Acts 15.

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

The issue was circumcision. The conference decided that Gentiles DID NOT have to be circumcised in order to be saved. The Apostle Paul later wrote to the Corinthian Gentiles in 1 Corinthians 7:19, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”

Be careful to read all the scriptures around the verse you are studying. Remember our fifth key for effective Bible study:

Understand the Context.

Don’t Leave God Out

A sixth important key for effective Bible study is,

Prove All Things.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:21. We often challenge our viewers to check in the Bible for themselves. Don’t take FOR GRANTED what we say on this program. Read it in your own Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:21,

Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Or as the King James Version states, “PROVE all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Notice the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17. Acts 17:11. The author, Luke, commends the Bereans for their positive, investigative attitude in reading the scriptures. Acts 17:11, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

Key number 6 is,

Prove All Things.

A seventh key for effective Bible study is foundational. That principle is:

Pray for Understanding.

The Bible emphasizes that we need a teachable attitude. Ancient King David was a man after God’s own heart as it tells us in Acts 13:22. Notice David’s teachable attitude in praying for understanding. Psalm 25:4,

Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

My friends, pray for understanding as you read and study your Bible. Pray for guidance.

God blesses those who respect the scriptures and reverence His holy word.

Turn in your Bible to Isaiah 66:2. Almighty God states,

But on THIS ONE will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My WORD.

The seventh key for effective Bible study is:

Pray for Understanding.

The Bible is the most important book in the world. My friends, if you’ve neglected reading the Bible, now is the time to change. Read it daily. If your attitude is right, you’ll be greatly blessed and your life will be changed.

As Jesus said in John 6:63, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

THE SEVENTH KEY for effective Bible Study is:

Pray for Understanding.

The Bible is not only a book for TODAY, but it’s also the book of the FUTURE.

As Jesus said in LUKE 21:33,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Thank God, that He’s shared with us His awesome spiritual truth, and the very purpose of life.

Thank you for watching! My friends, we are living in the prophesied “time of the end.” Your Bible reveals the future of the world and your part in it. If you would like an inspiring free Bible Study Course that can change your life and give you understanding that billions of human beings around the world do not have, just click the link in the description.

And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video. See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Escape the World and Its Problems?

Many around the world felt that 2021 was a year to forget. Will 2022 or 2023 be any better? A new kind of reality, a technological virtual reality, is becoming popular to those who want to experience a better life, or in some way experience their dreams of a more exciting life. One of the most popular platforms for the metaverse virtual reality is Roblox. Emerging Tech states this amazing trend: “Roblox’s metaverse is already here, and it’s wildly popular. The platform says that over half of American children use the platform, and counts nearly 50 million daily users” (“Roblox’s metaverse is already here, and it’s wildly popular,” MorningBrew.com, December 10, 2021).

We understand the desire to escape this troubled world and live vicariously in a dream world. But what is the reality? A greater vision and a greater reality IS coming to this world soon. Your Bible describes the glorious transformation the world will experience. That new world to come is REAL! It’s called the Kingdom of God, ruled by the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. You need to know about this new “world to come” as it’s described in Hebrews 2:5.

Unknown even to many professing Christians, your Bible describes a time of world peace among all nations. It outlines the governmental structure, the educational system, the family and cultural values enjoyed by all peoples of all nations on planet earth. Does that sound impossible? You need to know about the amazing real world to come and your place in it.

Stay tuned!

We Need a New World

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

When we review today’s world, we wonder whether it will survive or not. We are threatened with global pandemic, with wars and rumors of wars, record weather disasters, and political and criminal oppression.

When the bad news stresses us, many millions seek escapism through illicit drugs, alcohol, and entertainment. Many seek a better life through virtual reality. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines virtual reality as “an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment.”

The metaverse platforms are very popular. One can vicariously choose to travel to exotic places or strive to experience unachievable goals and dreams through the metaverse. The New York Times reported this example; “Getting Married in the Metaverse. One couple’s recent nuptials in the virtual world known as the metaverse showcase the possibilities of having a wedding unfettered by the bounds of reality” (“Getting Married in the Metaverse,” NYTimes.com, December 10, 2021).

My friends, do you want a life “unfettered by the bounds of reality”? We cannot escape our financial obligations, or employment and family responsibilities. Nor can we escape the real world in which we live day after day. But we can seek the amazing real world to come! That world will be a glorious world of peace, guaranteed by the ruler of that coming Kingdom, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. On today’s program, we’ll describe from the Bible the amazing realities among peoples and nations as they submit to the Prince of Peace, as He is called in Isaiah 9:6. What will that kingdom be like? What form of world-ruling government will prevail? What religion will be practiced by all nations on earth? How will world peace come about?

But just what is the Kingdom of God? We’ve explained this on previous programs, but first of all, the Kingdom has a ruler. And who is that? Describing the Second Coming of Christ to this earth in Revelation 19, we read, “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). And again in Revelation 17, revealing the time when Christ will conquer rebellious nations.

“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

My friends, you need to be on God’s side and rejoice in the coming Kingdom of God. As Jesus said, you also need to “believe in the gospel”—that’s Mark 1:15.

Yearning for Freedom from Suffering

Virtual reality and its many platforms, including various metaverses, avoid the awesome reality of the coming King of kings and a new world of peace and prosperity. Wired magazine featured “The Future of Reality” and presented an argument that “We’re Already Living in the Metaverse” (December 2021/January 2022). The author, Cecelia D’Anastasio, states: “Virtual reality companies say you’ll get there [to an “empyrean, transcendent, immersive, 3D”] through VR headsets, while augmented reality companies say you’ll wear AR smart goggles. And with boyish enthusiasm for science fiction fueling their piety, these preachers are calling this vision the metaverse, after Neal Stephenson’s 1992 dystopian novel Snow Crash” (Wired, November, 10, p. 105).

Will AR, augmented reality, smart goggles, and VR headsets help you experience true reality? The Wall Street Journal featured an article on “The Metaverse’s Mental Toll.” Expressing concern that the virtual realm will affect our emotional health, Rachel Kowart, research director at Take This, a nonprofit focused on mental health in the videogaming community, emphasized this: “If we start to shift into preferring a virtual life, that may then negatively impact our ability to engage in a non-virtual life…” (p. R7, January 13, 2022).

My friends, the REAL abundant life you can live, comes not through videogaming, virtual reality, or augmented reality. It comes from the reality of truth. Your Bible makes this positive claim. The coming King of the kingdom stated this in John 8:32,

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Lord prayed the night before His crucifixion, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Yes, the word of God, written in your Bible, is truth. Jesus Christ also stated, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” That’s in John 10:10.

The coming Kingdom of God will give that opportunity to all peoples and all nations. Thank God for His loving government that will ensure world peace for all nations. The amazing REAL world to come will have a universal system of laws to ensure godly liberty and freedom. Notice that in Micah 4:2,

“Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Jesus Christ will rebuke war-like people and nations. Weapons of war will be turned into instruments of peace and productivity. Some of you may have seen the sculpture outside the United Nations in New York, depicting a man beating a sword into a plowshare. Imagine how the world will be transformed from destructive ways to productive ways. Micah 4:3,

“He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

Who will assist Christ in ruling the nations? The Apostle Peter asked Jesus what their responsibilities would be. Matthew 19:28,

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”

Who else will assist Christ in governing the world? In the inspiring free booklet we’re offering today, Dr. Roderick Meredith writes this concerning “Organization of God’s Kingdom”:

“Who will rule under Christ? God certainly trained Abraham for a top position of high responsibility in the world ahead. Scripture calls Abraham ‘the heir of the world’ (Romans 4:13). Yes, God will reward Abraham for his faith by giving him a position of service over the whole earth!” (p. 4).

Yes, Abraham is the “heir of the world.” And we will participate in this future IF we are truly Christian. As it tells us in Galatians the third chapter:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26–29).

Not only will Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be rulers in the coming Kingdom, but so will ancient King David. God will unite the house of Judah and the house of Israel into one nation. And who will rule over them in God’s coming Kingdom? Ezekiel 37:24,

“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.”

Ancient King David was a man after God’s own heart, as it tells us in Acts 13:22. King David ruled over the combined kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and he will have that responsibility in God’s coming Kingdom.

The Way of Peace: A Coming Reality?

We’ve seen that millions seek to escape reality and truth. We’ve seen that there are engineers and businessmen who are using their knowledge to provide that escape. New technologies are making it possible to create metaverses, virtual worlds, that offer participants a false reality. The prophet Daniel was told that knowledge would increase in the latter days. We see incredible advances in many forms of technology. Daniel 12:4,

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

We can now understand amazing details in the micro-atomic world on the one hand and the expanding universe with its two trillion galaxies on the other. But we also know that scientific knowledge has produced nuclear weapons of mass destruction, and now powerful laser weapons. We have knowledge to destroy all human life on earth.

Yes, engineers and businessmen are, more than ever before, able to offer their customers an escape into a false version of reality. As part of that escape, our Western nations are increasingly rejecting God and the Bible. And so, the prophecy of Hosea is coming to pass before our very eyes. Hosea 4:6,

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

But a time is coming when millions and billions in the Kingdom of God will learn NOT the way to destruction, but the way of God. If you have a Bible, turn to the awesome prophecy for knowledge of true education. Isaiah 2:3,

“Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, [and] let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

Under the coming Kingdom of God, technology will be used for peaceful purposes. Can you imagine if today’s massive military expenditures were used for peaceful production rather than the production of hypersonic missiles and powerful armies, navies, air forces, and space warfare? But how can humans transform from their natural way of lust, greed, and war, to the way of peace, service, and love?

The answer is in the change of heart and mind. The Messiah, the Prince of Peace, will judge among the nations. They will learn to repent of their evil and carnal nature. The prophet Ezekiel gives an example of the future survivors from the Great Tribulation. Ezekiel 36:24,

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Yes, God will give them a humble and teachable heart. A heart that will learn the very love of God. As it tells us in 1 John 5:3,

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

In the coming Kingdom, families will take responsibility for teaching their children. Dr. Meredith comments on “True Education Begins at Home.” He states, “Nearly all authorities acknowledge that education should ultimately begin in the home. Yet far too few parents, today, realize this responsibility or take the time to perform it. As the God of the Bible told His people in ancient Israel, ‘And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes’ (Deuteronomy 6:6–8)” (p. 23).

Yes, a time is coming when parents and teachers will be united in teaching their children the ways of God. Parents will no longer worry that their children are learning wrong values in their schools. And, my friends, if you will become a faithful member of God’s Kingdom and family, you also may serve to bring truth to the world. The prophet Isaiah gives us a vision of this wonderful time of true education:

“For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:19–21).

The whole world will learn the way to peace and true values. You need to seek that coming Kingdom. Jesus stated our very purpose and goal in life:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

My friends, God has called faithful Christians to inherit the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God and a New World—Filled With Purpose

Will we be floating on clouds all day? Listen to this powerful promise in Revelation 5:9, called the song of the saints:

“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’”

Yes, my friends, true Christians will be serving all nations as kings and priests, assisting the King of kings in re-educating the world to the way of true love, peace, and prosperity. Revelation 20 also describes the role of faithful Christians during the Millennium, the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. Revelation 20:4,

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. [That is, genuine Christians] Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. [Speaking of the White Throne Judgment] This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

My friends, you can have [a] part in God’s Kingdom. God is calling people to Christ from all nations to be in His Kingdom. That one world government is coming soon. You need to prepare for it. Study your Bible. Visualize the transformed world under the King of kings.

This amazing world ahead, the glorious Kingdom of God on earth, will produce beauty and productivity the world has never known. God has blessed the earth with awesome, majestic mountains, fertile valleys, and productive plains. We marvel at pristine lakes and churning oceans. We appreciate the variety of flowers, plant life, birds, animals, and sea life. Even the very nature of ANIMALS will change. Isaiah gives us this Millennial vision:

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s 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).

Thank you for watching!

My friends, an incredible new world is coming soon. Our booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? reveals what will really happen at Christ’s return and the very real future for which you should be preparing. You can receive your own copy for free by clicking the link in the description. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video. See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

“The Devil Made Me Do It”?

Does a spirit being named Satan the devil really exist? Or is he just the imagination of artists, sculptors, and fiction writers? My friends, one of the greatest deceptions would be the idea that this deceiver does not really exist. When we review the history of the world, and the deceptions of various religions we find strong evidence that the Devil, called Satan, has been very active in history, but WE NEED TO REALIZE that he is very active even now. Have you been deceived? Your Bible makes this astounding statement, Revelation 12:9:

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.”

Do you know the Devil’s strategies, deceptions, and devices? The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 2:11: “We are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices.”

Deceivers are out to deceive us and cheat us. Liars and con-artists strive to defraud us. But above them all there’s a great deceiver whom your Bible calls Satan the Devil. Millions of people dabble in the occult and seek answers from soothsayers and mystics. These dark practices are deceptive.

Do you know Satan’s schemes and deceptive devices? You need to know the Devil’s deadly deceptions!

Stay tuned!

Wrong Desires and the Lies We Tell to Fulfill Them

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world.

Millions of con-artists, deceivers, and charlatans are out to deceive you and me. Some salesmen do their best to defraud senior citizens and rob them of their investments. And yet there are other forms of deception. The Harry Potter books featuring the occult have sold millions. Others look to séances, tarot cards, channeling, and astrology for power and insight. Millions of people dabble in the occult and seek answers from soothsayers and mystics. Others seek selfish short-term physical pleasure, with no thought of morality or consequences.

On today’s program, we’ll examine seven of the deadliest deceptions offered by Satan the Devil.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, warned us to be on guard against the Devil’s deadly deceptions. Matthew 24:3:

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’”

Yes, many, not just a few, will fall victim to Satan’s deceptions. The first deception we’ll cover today is lust. Human nature is filled with vanity, jealousy, greed, and lust. Satan can take advantage of that tendency and weakness in all of us. He sends temptation through the media, movies, television, the Internet, magazines, and through carnal and covetous individuals. Teenagers growing into adulthood are very prone to the sexual messages readily available to them on the Internet.

Many married people give in to the seducing temptations of others and commit adultery. The Apostle Paul warned married couples not to deprive one another from sexual relations. Otherwise, Satan could take advantage of our carnal nature. 1 Corinthians 7:5:

“Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

In our modern age, sexual temptations are all around us. So, the Apostle Paul advised those who might lack self-control,

“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2).

Let’s understand, my friends, that lust, greed, and covetousness is sin. The Tenth Commandment states:

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).

The 1987 movie Wall Street featured the corporate investor Gordon Gekko, who made the famous statement, “Greed is Good!” No, my friends, greed leads to idolatry. How many millions around us make idols of business moguls and entertainers whose wealth they envy?

You must not lust for sexual sin, or for the wealth you see other people trying to enjoy. God promises to provide all your needs—but all your godly needs, of course. That promise is in Philippians 4:19. Let’s also understand that covetousness is a form of idolatry. You can desire a person, position, or possession so strongly that it becomes an idol to [you]. As it states in Colossians 3:5,

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Instead of being filled with envy and covetousness, be thankful for all the blessings God has given you. Satan’s Deception #1 is: Lust. My friends, pray, as Jesus taught us,

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

Deception #2 is: Lying. There’s a classic example of lying in the New Testament. Members of the early Christian church donated property and funds to help fellow Christians. However, one individual named Ananias, committed fraud. He claimed to have given all of the proceeds to the Church, but held back some of the funds. He lied to the Apostle Peter. Let’s read the story in Acts 5:

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. [Now listen to this] But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things” (Acts 5:1).

Sapphira, his wife, came to Peter later. She lied, and she experienced the same judgment as her husband. She died on the spot! Let’s understand. Satan is the father of lies, as it states in John 8:44. My friends, examine yourself. Monitor your communications. Do you shade the truth? Or do you simply lie? Don’t let Satan take advantage of you, as he did with Ananias and Sapphira. Remember, the ninth commandment states:

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

And let’s also realize that you can LIVE a lie. I’m afraid that too many professing Christians are doing just that! As it states in 1 John 2:4,

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ [that he knows the Lord] and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

My friends, ask God to help you to speak the truth, and live the truth!

Human Conceit and the Vanity of the Occult

We’ve seen that Satan wants to entice us with lust and lying. The third Satanic deception we’ll discuss is PRIDE, VANITY, AND ARROGANCE. Selfishness and egotism are part and parcel of human nature. We like to feel important. That desire can lead to deception. The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy concerning the ordination of a bishop, or an overseer. In 1 Timothy 3:6, he wrote that such a candidate should:

“not [be] a novice, lest being PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

My friends, do you let pride and vanity guide your thinking and behavior? If so, you can be deceived. You can be snared by the devil. How do you counteract self-centeredness and vanity? The Apostle James wrote:

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).

James also gives us this encouragement in verse 7,

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Remember the biblical examples of those who cultivated pride, and did not give glory to God? King Herod allowed himself to be worshipped as a god! He cultivated vanity and arrogance. And what happened to him? Acts 12:21,

“So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied.”

Another king who had to learn lessons the hard way was King Nebuchadnezzar. When he neglected to take the prophet Daniel’s advice to repent, God took Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom away from him. And King Nebuchadnezzar lived like an animal for seven years, until he learned his lesson. You can read about that in Daniel the fourth chapter.

My friends, be on guard against pride. When God blesses you, give Him the glory. As it says in 1 Corinthians 1:31,

“He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

Deception #3 is: Pride, Vanity, and Arrogance.

Satanic Deception #4 is: False Dreams, Visions, and Miracles. How many times have individuals told me their dreams or visions that were obviously Satan-inspired? Some thought they had seen Jesus. He supposedly appeared to have the traditional long hair. But the Jesus of the Bible did not have long hair. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:14,

“Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?” (King James Version).

Jesus escaped out of crowds on several occasions because He looked like the average Judean man of His day. That means He did not have long hair! My friends, do not be deceived by dreams, visions, or appealing messages. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:1,

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The occult appeals to many people. Some try to contact their deceased relatives through mediums. Children read Harry Potter books and become fascinated with the occult. Satanic video games are popular. You need to educate your children on the dangers of the occult, satanic activities, and other demonic influences. God Almighty condemns witchcraft and sorcery. He tells us in Deuteronomy 18:12,

“For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD.”

Be sure to read Deuteronomy 18:9–14 and Galatians 5:20.

Satan uses dreams, visions, and miracles to deceive people. The book of Revelation describes the great false prophet who will arise soon. Be sure to read this in your own Bible. Revelation 13:11,

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb [a counterfeit of Christ] and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

My friends, don’t be deceived! Religious leaders will perform great signs and miracles. Be sure that you test all such leaders with the Bible, the word of God. That’s why we say, don’t believe us just because we tell you, check these references in your Bible—believe your Bible. As it says in Isaiah 8:20,

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Satanic Deception #4 is: False Dreams, Visions, and Miracles.

False Religion and the Loss of Faith

Some of the most deadly lies of the devil are in the realm of false doctrine, false religious teaching. Where did you learn about Christianity? Amazingly, Satan has convinced most Christians to believe and do those things Jesus never taught!

Satanic deception 5 is: FALSE DOCTRINE. Where do we find godly doctrine or teaching? Jesus said in JOHN 8:32,

“[Y]ou shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Truth is revealed in the Bible, but we must also practice the truth. Jesus said in the previous verse, verse 31:

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”

But the majority will not practice the truth. The Apostle Paul prophesied that religious people would seek teachers to preach what they want to hear, rather than teachers who would preach the truth of the Bible. Turn in your Bible to 2 Timothy 4:2. The Apostle Paul exhorted the young evangelist Timothy:

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

My friends, are you willing to be guided and corrected by the Bible? Or will you be turned aside to fables? One of the major errors of professing Christianity is the practice, by some, of pagan traditions. We’ve documented them on previous programs. Easter eggs are a pagan symbol of fertility; decorated trees, holly wreaths, and mistletoe were pagan traditions; December 25 was celebrated as the birth of Mithras, the sun god. It was never the date of Jesus’ birth. Should Christians observe Valentine’s Day? In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I established the Feast of St. Valentine on February 14. Previously, since the days of ancient Rome, young lovers had often observed the Lupercalia—the feast of Lupercus, a fertility god—on February 15. Even in ancient Greece, mid-February was associated with love and fertility; the Greek month of Gamelion, ending in mid-February, was associated with the marriage of the gods Zeus and Hera.

The historian Will Durant gave this analysis in his book The Story of Civilization:

“Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. The Greek mind, dying, came to a transmigrated life in the theology and liturgy of the church; the Greek language, having reigned for centuries over philosophy, became the vehicle of Christian literature and ritual; the Greek mysteries passed down into the impressive mystery of the Mass. Other pagan cultures contributed to the syncretist result…. Christianity was the last creation of the ancient pagan world” (pp. 595, 599).

My friends, are you practicing pagan traditions in the name of Christianity? Remember Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees and scribes concerning certain religious customs. He warned them in Mark 7:9,

“All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

The world is full of false religions, false traditions, and false doctrine. My friends, be on guard against the deceptions of Satan! Deception #5 is: False Doctrine.

Satanic Deception #6 is: Lack of Faith. The patriarch Job was attacked by Satan. Job remained faithful to God and learned vital spiritual lessons. At one point Job said,

“For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25).

In our modern language, we might call this a self-fulfilling prophecy. We must face our fears and pray for God’s protection and intervention. We must exercise faith. When we study the Bible and believe God’s promises, He gives us faith. At it states in Romans 10:17,

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Lack of faith opens us to Satanic deceptions. The book of Hebrews recounts the faithlessness of ancient Israel. They lacked trust and faith in God. We need to learn from their hardness of heart. Hebrews 3:12,

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Those who lack faith in Christ, and who persist in trusting Satan, will ultimately be destroyed as it tells us in Revelation 21:8:

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

But the good news is emphasized in verse 7:

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

Is There an Unpardonable Sin? Can Satan Lead You to Committing It? Can It Be Overcome?

When we fail or hurt, it can be easy to become bitter about what has happened. Our hurt can turn to a grudge, or to a desire for revenge. If we nurse those feelings, they can turn to hate, and then hate can turn into bitterness. Our seventh Satanic deception is: bitterness. My friends, you must identify and overcome any feelings of hate and bitterness. Notice this instruction in Hebrews 12:14:

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Such bitterness can even lead to the unpardonable sin. How do you counteract those feelings? Simply by following Jesus’ instructions. He said in Matthew 5:44,

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

My friends, pray for your enemies. Bless those who curse you. That’s the Christian way. That’s the way that will overcome Satan’s infectious attitude of hate and bitterness! Avoid Satanic Deception #7: Bitterness.

My friends, God wants you to be His trusting and faithful son or daughter through Jesus Christ our Lord. He will give you His faith, if you turn to Him with your whole heart. If you feel God is calling you, and you desire to follow His command to repent, and be baptized, we have representatives around the world who will be happy to counsel you and help you understand the baptismal commitment.

In the meantime, arm yourself with spiritual knowledge. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by yourself, by the world, or by Satan. As the Apostle Paul emphasized:

“… we are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Bible prophecy predicts that a great future false religious system will deceive and influence billions of people all over the earth. Don’t you be deceived!

Thank you for watching!

My friends, you need to know how you can avoid the Devil’s deceptions. Our booklet Satan’s Counterfeit Christianity reveals a massive, global deception that has gone on for many centuries and will show you how the Devil has corrupted most of the world’s professing Christian churches. You can receive your own copy for free by clicking the link in the description. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video.