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

Three Commonly Asked Questions About the Bible

Those who read and study the Bible find their lives enriched and enlightened by the divine guidance they discover within its pages. But that doesn’t mean they don’t trip up on a question or two now and then. Today, we’re going to take a look at a few questions we often receive about the Bible and show you how to determine solid answers, straight from God’s word. So, stay right here for today’s program, “Your Questions, the Bible’s Answers!”

Biblical Truth—You Can Find It!

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of the world through the pages of your Bible!

If you are a regular viewer of our program, you know that we base everything we teach on God’s word, the Bible. When Jesus Christ prayed to God the night before His crucifixion, He asked His Father to set His followers apart from the world around them, saying, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

God’s word is THE TRUTH. No other source of knowledge reflects the very mind of the Creator like the Bible, and the answers to life’s greatest questions are found in its pages.

But that doesn’t mean that every part of it is easy to understand! In fact, some things we read in the Bible can be confusing. But the answers ARE THERE, waiting for the diligent student, with God’s help, to find them. Today, we’re going to tackle a potpourri of three Bible questions that students of God’s word sometimes ask, and we’re going to show you the Bible’s own answers to those questions.

As for today’s “Bible Q&A,” here are the questions we will address:

1. Does Jesus Christ command Christians to hate their family members?
2. Exactly how did Judas Iscariot die?
3. And, why are there souls under the altar in the book of Revelation?

First, let’s begin by reading a passage that generates questions among many and see what the Bible has to say about it. If you have a Bible handy, turn to Luke 14:26, where Jesus is teaching a great multitude. He tells them,

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”

Reading this verse, many have asked: “Does Jesus really command Christians to hate their family members?”

Of course, the idea that Jesus is literally commanding His followers to hate their mother, father, and others would INDEED be contrary to many of His other teachings. Whenever you come across an apparent contradiction like this in the Bible, it should always grab your attention, because the Bible—including Jesus’ teachings—never contradicts itself. Christ makes this point, Himself, in John 10:35, reminding the Jewish leaders in His audience that the “Scripture cannot be broken.”

So, just what is He saying here in this passage? In understanding the Bible, it’s important to understand the context surrounding the verse, instead of just reading the isolated verse. When we do this in the case of Luke 14, it is clear He is explaining the high standards His followers must meet. Rather than a “come as you are” policy, Jesus demands that people change in order to follow Him and that they commit their lives to Him fully. In verse 27 of that chapter, for instance, Jesus explains that one must be willing to bear his own cross to be one of Christ’s disciples—not a literal cross, but bearing the burden of persecution, difficulty, discomfort, and trial—even to death—just as Christ did. He says in verse 33 that His followers must be willing to forsake ALL that they possess—willing to give up anything else in their lives, and even their own lives, themselves, for His sake—or else they cannot be His disciples at all.

These passages give context for the message Jesus is trying to convey. He is telling the multitudes, and us, that we must consider HIM the most important part of our lives, versus all of the natural loves, comforts, and possessions we otherwise have.

He is NOT commanding His disciples to literally “hate” their family members. Consider earlier in the book of Luke, in chapter 6, where He commands Christians to love even their enemies:

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (vv. 27–28).

Why would Jesus command us to love our enemies and those who would seek to do us harm while commanding us to hate our family members? Of course, He wouldn’t.

The phrasing here in Luke 14:26 is one of CONTRAST, not objective hate. Jesus is saying that, to be His disciple, one must be willing to put Jesus Christ first before even one’s most natural affections—toward, parents, spouse, or children. We see this even more easily by applying another principle of understanding the Bible: Look at multiple witnesses to the same event or teaching. For example, this same teaching is worded in a clarifying way by the gospel writer Matthew in Matthew 10, verse 37:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

In fact, those who DO give their lives to Jesus Christ, find that they don’t love their families LESS than they did before. Instead, they love them MORE. They discover that putting God as the highest priority in your life helps set all other priorities right.

So, no, He is not literally commanding us to hate our families. But He is warning us that we must love Him more—more even than our families, and even more than our very lives.

Context Matters, Especially for the Word of God

Our next question is one that puzzles many when they read the accounts of Jesus’ death and the beginning of the biblical Church: “Exactly how did Judas Iscariot die?”

You might recall that Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles who betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. And on first glance, the Bible’s comments about Judas’ death might seem to be contradictory. Let’s take a look at two key statements and see if we can make sense of them.

In Matthew 27, we read that after Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he was remorseful and tried to give the money back to his conspirators, but the priests would not accept. Verse 5 tells us,

“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

The priests felt the money was tainted as “blood money” and would not accept it, presumably leaving it in Judas’ name and, Matthew says, applying it sometime later to buy a field in which strangers could be buried.

However, while Acts 1 and verse 18 speaks of the field purchased with Judas’ money, it seems to describe a different fate for the traitor:

“Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.”

The field’s being purchased with Judas’ money is consistent, but falling headlong and bursting in the middle does not sound like a hanging. How do we reconcile the accounts?

As we’ve noted before, any time we see what appear to be different accounts of the same facts or circumstance in the Bible, there is no need to assume a contradiction—indeed, Jesus tells us that the inspired word of God does not contradict itself. Rather, the multiple accounts act as multiple witnesses, each adding its own detail to the overall picture.

For instance, consider the sign that was nailed above Jesus’ head while He was crucified. Depending on which of the four gospels you read, you get a different report concerning what the sign said.

• Matthew says the sign reads “This is Jesus the king of the Jews” 27:37).
• Mark writes that the sign reads “King of the Jews” (15:26)
• Luke reports that it reads “This is the King of the Jews,” and was written in Greek. Latin, and Hebrew (23:38).
• Finally, John writes that Pilate’s sign read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (19:19).

Do the gospel writers contradict each other? Not at all! In fact, not only do they say essentially the same thing, but also when we put all of them together, we get A FULLER picture—one of a sign reading, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Similarly, the accounts of Judas’ death are not in contradiction when they are read as two accounts that work TOGETHER to make for a fuller picture. Judas did, indeed, hang himself out of guilt and shame. But as his body hung there, his corpse did what corpses do and began to decompose. Eventually, it fell from the rope, struck the ground, and burst open—a terrible, loveless end for the traitor who betrayed the Messiah.

Again, when you understand that the Bible does not contradict itself, but it DOES give multiple witnesses to provide a larger picture, the problem resolves itself.

Biblical Symbols Explained

For our next question, let’s look at Revelation 6, starting in verse 9. Here, in John’s vision of God’s realm in heaven, we read an odd description:

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”

So, many ask: Why are these mysterious souls under the altar in John’s vision? After all, does this mean that people will live, in heaven, under an altar, until Jesus’ return? That would certainly seem a very odd afterlife! “Thank you for your faithfulness and sacrifice in the name of Christ! Here is your apartment—under an altar!”

To understand this portion of John’s vision, we need to first understand that the book of Revelation is a mixture of literal description and symbolism. For instance, Revelation 8 verses 6 through 13 describe ecological disasters that will come upon the earth before Christ’s return. That is plain and literal. Yet chapter 6 describes events such as religious deception, war, famine, and pestilence depicted as four horsemen riding horses of different colors—clearly a symbolic picture.

In this case, the symbolism of the souls under the altar would be easily understood by those familiar with the first century sacrifices in Herod’s temple in Jerusalem—as the Apostle John surely was.

When an animal was sacrificed on God’s altar, the blood of the sin sacrifice would be poured at the base of the altar and pool there. We actually read a description of this design in Leviticus 4 and verse 7:

“And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”

So, the souls seen in John’s vision occupy the same place at the altar as the blood of animals, sacrificed for sins. And, indeed, Revelation 6 and verse 9 tells us that the voices represented innocents whose blood had been spilled because of their faithfulness to God’s word. Their slaying is a part of a terrible time of suffering still to come on the earth—the prophesied Great Tribulation.

To complete the symbolism, consider the tale of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. After wicked Cain slays his innocent brother, Abel, God confronts him, saying, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground” (v. 10).

Just as the spilled blood of innocent Abel cried out to God, the spilled blood of God’s saints in the tribulation to come will cry out for vengeance, symbolized here as coming from the base of the altar. So, no, the Bible does NOT teach that the souls of martyrs somehow consciously live on in some sort of underground apartment complex under an altar in heaven.

We want to conclude today with some broader lessons we’ve learned through these questions and look at how we can apply them in our Bible study going forward.

Conclusion—Truly Knowing the Bible

There is a great comfort in seeing the Bible as a reliable source of truth, trustworthy in all it says. Because it has so much more to say than any history book or philosophy book that mankind has ever created. It answers the deepest questions of life, provides the only true hope of our lives, and points us to the very source of life: Our Creator God.

On today’s program, we’ve answered three common Bible questions.

First: Does Jesus Christ command Christians to hate their family members? The answer? Absolutely not. He’s teaching that we need to put Him first, even above those who are closest to us, but if anything, putting Him first, we end up loving them more.

Secondly: Exactly how did Judas Iscariot die? We’ve discovered that when you put the scriptures together, they paint a larger picture. That he did indeed hang himself in remorse, and then eventually his corpse fell and burst asunder.

And then third: Why are there souls under the altar in the Book of Revelation? We looked into the book, and noticed that parts of it were literal and parts of it were symbolic. And we actually tied in other scriptures that described the altar in the temple in Jesus’ day, and looked at the practices and looked at other examples, such as how the blood of Abel called out to god, in that sense figuratively. We found that that picture made so much sense, and it’s simply the lives of the martyrs and their deaths that call out to God asking for vengeance on their behalf.

But actually when you look at it, we’ve done more than that. In going through these three questions, we’ve also illustrated a number of principles that will help you get more out of your Bible and begin making sense of this book, which too many seek to dismiss.

We’ve seen that answering Bible questions involves understanding the context around a verse, such as the larger passage, and not just the verse in isolation. We’ve seen that it helps to understand that there is an additive nature to multiple biblical witnesses, in which different statements work together to give us a fuller picture and to clarify the confusions that human teachers sometimes create. And we’ve seen that we should strive to examine other scriptures on a related topic, seeking to allow the Bible to explain itself.

The Apostle Paul wrote to his young evangelist friend Timothy, reminding him about the power of God’s word in the life of one who believes in the message of Jesus Christ. He points out to him that…

“…from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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” (2 Timothy 3:15–17).

We should note that the New Testament we have today did not yet exist when Paul wrote those words, so he had in mind primarily the Old Testament. We really do need the whole word of God, both Old and New Testaments—so don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

A friend of mine was once explaining his appreciation for a preacher he highly admired, and he gave him one of the greatest compliments I think I’ve ever heard. He said the man knew His Bible as one would know a good friend with whom he had spent much, much time.

You can have a relationship with your Bible like that, as well.

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

Confusion in Christ?

Have you ever wondered WHY there are so many Christian denominations? Why isn’t there just one Church on which everyone can agree? An April 2017 Pew Research report found that there are about 2.3 billion professing Christians around the world. That’s 31 percent of planet Earth’s population at the time (“The Changing Global Religious Landscape,” PewForum.org, April 5, 2017). Listen to this amazing fact: The World Christian Encyclopedia identifies at least 33,000 Christian denominations, with 9,000 of those classified as “Protestant” and 22,000 as “Independents” (Vol. 1, Oxford: University Press, 2001, p. 10).

WHY are there so many Christian denominations? The answer is found in the Olivet prophecy in your Bible, and in many other prophecies as well. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the end times, He gave them several key signs. But what was the FIRST sign He gave them? Matthew 24:3, “‘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 DO come in His name, calling their religion Christianity and saying that Jesus is the Christ, but at the same time deceiving many. There are a few imposters around the world claiming to be Christ Himself, but what Jesus REALLY said was that many would proclaim Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, the Christ or the anointed one of God, yet preach against His true teachings.

Did you know that Jesus and the New Testament Church He established did not keep Sunday as the day of worship? Did you know that the original first-century Church of God did not keep Christmas or Easter? How can there be such a vast difference between original Christianity and the so-called Christian traditions we see today? My friends, what happened to original Christianity? Wouldn’t you want to be a part of the Christianity revealed in your Bible? What happened to the Christianity of Christ?

Stay tuned!

The First Century Church, Gone?

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

If you were living in Jerusalem when Christ’s apostles were preaching, would you be observing Christmas and Easter? Would you be meeting on Sunday morning for church services? As shocking as it may seem, the answer to both questions is NO! So, how did today’s popular Christianity add so many strange customs and doctrines that Jesus Himself never knew or taught? We’ll answer that question on today’s program, and we’ll be offering you our inspiring free study guide Restoring Original Christianity. This booklet reveals the little-known history of the early Christian Church and how compromisers and conspirators brought into it pagan and licentious practices that Jesus condemned! Be sure to write down the contact information to request your free copy. Be sure to request Restoring Original Christianity.

My friends, do you know where God’s true Church is today? Can you find it among the thousands of denominations claiming to be Christian? The World Christian Encyclopedia identifies at least 33,000 Christian denominations, with 9,000 of those classified as “Protestant” and 22,000 as “Independents” (Vol. 1, Oxford: University Press, 2001, p. 10).

Today, we’ll consider the practice, doctrine, and traditions of the early New Testament Church. For example, did the Apostles observe Easter? Celebrations of Easter Sunday vary around the world. Easter customs include the coloring of eggs and the popular Easter egg hunt. We all know that rabbits do not lay eggs, but parents share these fables with their children anyway.

Some traditionally celebrate the day with a new set of clothes and display the fashion of an Easter bonnet or a creative hat. Obviously there were no bunnies or eggs at the resurrection. But was it even a Sunday resurrection, as so many claim? NO! How do we know that? Remember that Mary Magdalene went to Christ’s tomb Sunday morning. Did she see a sunrise resurrection? If you have your Bible, turn to John 20:1. What did Mary see? John 20:1, “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’”

Our Lord was not resurrected Easter Sunday morning, according to your Bible. He had fulfilled the sign He gave to the scribes and Pharisees to prove His Messiahship. Do you realize, my friends, that a traditional Friday crucifixion and an Easter Sunday morning resurrection deny the very sign Jesus gave in Matthew 12:39, the “sign of Jonah”? My friends, Jesus was resurrected Saturday evening just before sunset, exactly 72 hours, three days and three nights, after He was placed in the tomb before sunset on Wednesday evening, just before the beginning of an annual Sabbath. As the Apostle John recorded, “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” That’s John 19:31).

The “high day” was an annual Sabbath or Holy Day observed that year from Wednesday at sunset until Thursday at sunset. Jesus did fulfill the sign of Jonah. And there was no Sunday resurrection to celebrate as Easter! So, what Holy Day did Christians observe? Some are confused because the King James Version of the Bible uses the term Easter in Acts 12:4. But LISTEN to this. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains: “EASTER (AV Acts 2:4). An anachronistic mistranslation of the Gk. pascha (RSV, NEB, “Passover”), in which the AV followed such earlier versions as Tyndale and Coverdale. The Acts passage refers to the seven-day Passover festival (including the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It is reasonably certain that the NT contains no reference to a yearly celebration of the resurrection of Christ” (Vol. 2, p. 6).

Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to Corinthian brethren who were abusing the sacred observance. “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” That’s in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.

My friends, the original New Testament church founded by Jesus Christ and led by His trained and ordained apostles never observed Easter Sunday, but they did observe the annual memorial of our Lord’s death, the New Testament CHRISTIAN Passover following the example of Jesus Christ Himself.

The Sign of Jonah

Jesus was in the heart of the earth, the tomb, for exactly three days and three nights, 72 hours, just as He said. You can read about the sign of Jonah in Matthew 12:39-40.

Did the Christianity of Christ observe Sunday as its weekly day of worship? We already saw that Jesus was resurrected on a Saturday evening, not on Sunday morning. Then how did the masses of professing Christianity start observing Sunday? Did the Apostle Paul teach the Gentiles to avoid the so-called Jewish Sabbath and encourage them to observe Sunday as the Christian day of worship? Let’s look at what day the Gentiles actually observed as they followed Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

If you have your Bible, turn to Acts 13:42. In the first century AD, Paul preached on the Sabbath in the Antioch synagogue. Notice that his audience included BOTH Jews and Gentiles. After the Jews left, the Gentiles made a request. Now, this was YEARS after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Surely, if Christians were to keep Sunday, these Gentiles would have met with Paul the very next day, Sunday. But did they? Acts 13:42, “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them….” WHEN? The next day, Sunday? No! Verse 42: “The Gentiles [not the Jews] begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” Read that again in your own Bible. “The Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath,” NOT SUNDAY!

Read it in your own Bible! Acts 13:44: “On the NEXT SABBATH almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” Paul met with Gentiles, not on Sunday, but on the Sabbath. New Testament Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath. The first and second century Christian churches consistently observed the seventh day Sabbath! It was not until the second and third centuries AD that we find a tiny hint that some churches began to observe Sunday as a day of worship. Yet it was much later, in the fourth century AD, when the Emperor Constantine ENFORCED Sunday worship throughout the Roman Empire. Constantine had been a pagan sun-worshipper. He gave the following edict in 321 AD, “Let all magistrates and people… REST on the venerable day of the sun” (“Roman Legislation for Sunday,” Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Volume XI, p. 147).

Just a few years later, the Roman church passed a startling decree in the Council of Laodicea. They declared: “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ” (A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 2, p. 316). In other words, Christian Sabbath-keepers who followed the example of Christ and the Apostles were declared to be heretics.

But on what authority did the Roman church make this change? 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. [Listen to this!] The Scriptures enforce [the] religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify” (The Faith of Our Fathers, 1917, pp. 72-73). That’s a quote from Gibbons’ The Faith of Our Fathers, first published in 1876.

In other words, Gibbons is saying, if the Bible is your authority, you have NO basis for observing Sunday. The Scriptures, as he states, “enforce the religious observance of Saturday.” We agree with his statement. Do you? But his church rejected the divine authority of the Bible!

My friends, the original Christianity of Christ emphasized obedience to the Holy Scriptures, not the later traditions, many of them pagan, that were contrary to the Scriptures. The noted historian Will Durant comments on the transition from original Biblical Christianity to the professing traditional Christianity we see about us today: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it” (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Vol. 3, p. 595).

But what about the so-called “Reformation”? If you really want to know how the Protestant Reformation failed to reform traditional Christianity, I urge you to read [the late] Dr. Meredith’s series on our website at TomorrowsWorld.org. Just go to the search bar and type in the title of that series, “The Plain Truth About the Protestant Reformation.” You will be amazed at the depth of research and the shocking historic developments that rejected the Christianity revealed in your Bible. You will find many answers to the question posed by this program: What Happened to the Christianity of Christ?

A Kingdom Here on Earth!

We’ve seen major changes from first-century Christianity to its modern corruption that includes traditions and doctrines that were even condemned by Christ. Let’s summarize a few of these changes.

The original Christians, Jews AND Gentiles, observed the New Testament Passover. Today, mainstream Christianity observes a pagan-inspired Sunday Easter. Original Christianity embraced the only sign of Jesus’ Messiahship, His statement that He would be in the heart of the earth (or the tomb) for three days and three nights. Mainstream Christianity today denies Jesus’ sign with the false idea of His spending Good Friday to Sunday in the grave. The original Christians observed the original seventh-day Sabbath before the Roman church enforced Sunday worship in the fourth century AD.

My friends, you need to study your Bible and history. Do you want to follow the Jesus Christ of the Bible and His original teachings and Way of life? He stated in Luke 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Jesus said this when the New Testament was not yet written. He was talking about what we call the Old Testament. Yes, if you are going to live by every word of God, you need to read and obey the WHOLE Bible, Old and New Testaments!

What other changes were deceptively made to the practice of original Christianity? Jesus and His apostles observed the annual Sabbaths, biblical festivals and holy days. They did NOT observe the day of Jesus’ birth--they did NOT observe Christmas. Most any reputable encyclopedia documents the original pagan celebrations surrounding December 25. One of the major festivals celebrated throughout the Roman Empire was the Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn, god of agriculture. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that “… the Saturnalia… became the most popular of Roman festivals, and its influence is still felt throughout the Western world. Originally on December 17, it was later extended to seven days. It was the merriest festival of the year: all work and business were suspended; slaves were given temporary freedom to say and do what they liked; [Notice!] certain moral restrictions were eased; and presents were freely exchanged. The influence of the Saturnalia upon the celebrations of Christmas and New Year have been direct” (“Saturn,” The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropaedia, Volume VIII, p. 916).

Most scholars will admit that Jesus was not born in the winter, but in the fall, in September or October. And just WHY was He born? The commercial, pagan customs surrounding the winter holiday obscure the very purpose for the Messiah.

What purpose was revealed to Mary, Jesus’ mother? LUKE 1:30, “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; [and the] Lord God will give Him the THRONE of His father David. And He will REIGN over the house of Jacob forever, and of HIS KINGDOM there will be no end.’”

The angel Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would be a KING! He was born to be King of a Kingdom that would never end! About 30 years later, Jesus began His public ministry. He began preaching a specific gospel! Turn in your Bible to the book of MARK. MARK 1:14, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching [and what did He preach?] the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”

There is another major difference between original Christianity and the modern counterfeit: The original Church preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom that will rule on earth for a thousand years under the King of kings and Lord of lords before the White Throne Judgment (Revelation 19:16; Revelation 20:4). Yet at least one major denomination believes IT is NOW the Kingdom of God on earth. My friends, if you’ve been following our regular Tomorrow’s World programs, you know the King’s earthly rule over all nations will NOT be proclaimed until the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’”

My friends, most people have overlooked the true gospel Jesus preached. He will return to this earth as King over all nations on earth! The angel Gabriel proclaimed in Luke 1:33, “Of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Real Original Christianity: Straight from the Bible

On today’s program, we’ve seen how pagan changes from Jesus Christ’s original Christianity led to the popular modern faith we see around the world today. During the first century after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the Church He established grew rapidly under the apostles. But deceivers and infiltrators later influenced Christians to compromise and follow false doctrines. The Apostle Paul warned the church at Thessalonica; “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). That same lawlessness is taught in many of today’s churches; that supposedly Christ did away with the Ten Commandments and since we are under grace, we can practice lawlessness! My friends, grace does not permit you to murder, lie, commit adultery, or steal! Jesus told the young rich man who was seeking eternal life: “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). Jesus then mentioned several of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments reflect the two great commandments: to love God and to love your neighbor.

Here’s a short excerpt from today’s free literature offer: “In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus certainly did not ‘do away’ with God’s spiritual law (Matthew 5:17). Rather, He ‘magnified’ the Ten Commandments. He explained that we must not only refrain from killing other human beings, we must not even look on them with contempt or hatred (vv. 20–23), as that is the ‘spirit’ of murder. We are not to ‘hate’ even our enemies. As Jesus said clearly: ‘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.’ (v. 5:44).” That’s on pages 17 and 18. Be sure to order your free copy today!

Original Christianity is a way of love and a Way of life. Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

My friends, which will you choose, the Christianity of your Bible? Or a false religion promoting pagan holidays and lawlessness? You need to seek the truth. Check up on the references we give you on this program. Prove for yourself, from your own Bible, what is the truth!

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

Do You Think You Know God?

Many people, especially young people, see God as harsh and stern—One who wants to take away all the fun in life. Many professing Christians see the God of the Old Testament as an out-of-touch old man demanding unreasonable requirements, but they see Jesus coming along to do away with those laws and replace them with a different, more loving law. Do you realize, my friends, that these views are totally in error? The God of the Old Testament is not a stern out-of-touch Being, nor are His laws unreasonable.

On today’s Tomorrow’s World program I’ll reveal a shocking truth that few understand. We will see what the Bible says about the God of the Old Testament, what it says about love, and what it is that God truly requires of you and me.

God’s Commandments Represent Love

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. And I especially welcome those of you tuning in for the first time. Today I’m going to give you something that will open your mind to a shocking truth about God that is there for everyone to see, yet almost no one knows it.

Let’s face facts. God is not popular in our world today. Many people don’t believe He exists, believing instead in a creation without a Creator. They believe perfectly harmonious life forms were created out of chaos, yet it can be proven that this is a mathematical impossibility.

Further, we must ask, “Where did matter originate?” Yes, I’m talking about the dirt underneath our feet. Most scientists now believe there was a beginning for our universe, but have no means of explaining how the existing laws that govern matter came to be.

We’ve had other programs on this subject, so I won’t go into that at this time. Suffice it to say that the “no God” concept comes more from prejudice than from scientific fact.

Many see God as One who is impossible to please. They see Him as a harsh demanding Being who enjoys punishing people and seems to hate His very creation. But is that so? Others go to the opposite extreme of thinking that God requires virtually nothing of us. Neither of these concepts is correct.

So let’s talk about God. Who is He, and what does He require of us? Do you realize that the second part to this question is not new? Notice it in Micah 6 and verse 8:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

A similar sentiment is expressed by King David in the 15^th Psalm where the requirements of God are elaborated upon. The questions are asked:

“...Who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1).

These questions go beyond the time of David and reflect what God requires of anyone who hopes to be in the Kingdom of God. Now notice the answer:

“He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:2-5).

Now if you didn’t know better you would think these were the words of Jesus, not those of someone living under the Old Covenant. Maybe the Old Testament God is not quite as harsh as some believe.

But what about those Ten Commandments? Are they as oppressive as some think? Are they burdensome and impossible to keep? Some think so and I’ve personally been told this. I’ve also heard it said that there is nothing you can do to be saved—it’s all been done for you, but is that what the scriptures reveal?

Notice what the one who is considered the Apostle of love has to say about God’s commandments in 1 John 5:3.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

But didn’t Jesus come to nail those commandments to the stake? Didn’t He do away with them? Let’s read what He said in Matthew 19. Here a young ruler came to Him and asked the following question:

“...Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16).

Now, that’s a fair enough question. After all, who wants life to end? Now I understand that when you’re 16, you think life will go on forever. Old age appears so far off and when YOU grow old, YOU will not be decrepit like all the old people you see. No, you’ll still be playing basketball—no sitting down for you! But that’s not reality. We do get old and we understand that there is an end. That’s when most people begin thinking more seriously about the question:

What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

Now, what did Jesus answer:

“...But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

Now if keeping the commandments is a requirement for eternal life, and that is what Jesus clearly said, wouldn’t you want to know what they are? Perhaps you can recite the abbreviated form of them, but do you truly understand the spiritual intent behind them? Our resource, “The Ten Commandments” is one of the most important booklets we have ever published, and it can be yours free for the asking. And I’ll be right back to tell you one of the least hidden, but least known secrets of the Bible.

Who Was the God of the Old Testament?

What is that secret? And why, if it is least hidden, do so few know about it? And if it’s not generally known, how important can it be?

The answer to these questions is found in another question:

Exactly who was Jesus of Nazareth?

Do you realize, my friends, that numerous easy to understand statements from the Bible answer this question?

Let’s begin with the real chronological beginning of the Bible. It’s found in John 1, verse 1. Here we read of two members of the God family: One is called, in the original Greek, the Logos, meaning, the Word or Spokesman, and the other is simply referred to as God. Yet, the Word is also called God. Let’s read it together, John 1, verse 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

Let’s read that last sentence again. Notice that this passage plainly says that the Word was also God, and that:

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3).

But who is this “Word” that was with God, but also was God, and who made all things? Verse 14 gives us the answer.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Yes, the Logos, the Word or Spokesman described here, is none other than Jesus Christ. Colossians 1, verses 16 to 17 corroborate the role of Christ in the creation of all things.

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Now who is this referring to? Notice verse 18:

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

The popular misconception is that there is a harsh and cruel Father who is the God of the Old Testament, that He gave us impossible to keep, burdensome laws; but that His Son, Jesus, came to do away with His Father’s laws and to do everything for us, that there is nothing required of us except to confess faith in His name. As popular as this belief is, it is simply not found in the Bible. In fact, what we learn from these scriptures, is that the One who became Jesus Christ WAS the God of the Old Testament. Notice again Colossians 1:

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

Now if He created all things in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible, that means He created the first humans, so if we are going to please God, we must know more about Him!

The Bible tells us that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt through powerful miracles. He led them by the hand of Moses to Mount Sinai where He thundered the Ten Commandments and made a covenant with the nation. On that occasion we are told that 74 men saw the God of Israel and ate a covenant meal with Him. Notice in Exodus 24:9-11:

“Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel…. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:9-11).

But which member of the God family was this? Was it the Father or the Logos, the One who became known as Jesus the Christ?

The Apostles John and Paul answer this vital question.

Jesus Christ in the Old Testament

Scripture shows all things were created by the Word or Spokesman in the God Family and the Word became the One we know as Jesus. We also noted that when the covenant was made between God and Israel, that men saw the God of Israel, but there is an issue with that. Notice what it says in John 5:37:

“And the Father Himself, who sent Me [Jesus is the speaker here], has testified of Me. You have neither heard His [that is, the Father’s] voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).

This is confirmed in John 1:18:

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18).

So if no one has seen God the Father at any time, who did those 74 leaders in Israel see at Mount Sinai? Does the Bible contradict itself? Or is there another explanation? The answer is simple. In this passage it says:

“No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

But it goes on to say,

“The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18).

Clearly, the One no one has seen is the Father. But remember from John 1:1 it tells us that the Word is both with God and was God:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Note that the Word was with God, and the Word was God—two beings described here—both are God.

I am named Weston and my wife is with me and my wife also is Weston. If you have not seen me, but met my wife, you could truthfully say that you have seen Weston, but not the husband Weston—only the wife Weston.

When we read that 74 leaders of Israel saw God, yet also read that no one has seen God at any time, it is merely a question of which member of the God Family it is talking about. No one has seen God, the Father, at any time, but they saw the one who became Jesus the Christ. Need more proof? Note Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10, verses 1-4:

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).

Even a child should be able to understand it. The One who dealt with ancient Israel was none other than the One who became Jesus Christ!

Do you understand, my friends, what this means? Do you understand the implications of this? Stated succinctly, the One who emptied Himself of His glorious power and came to the earth as Jesus Christ, WAS the God of the Old Testament! He was the One who created all things. As we read in Colossians 1:16,

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

This is further confirmed in another passage, this time Hebrews 1:1-2:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Do you still need more proof? Here it is in Ephesians 3:8-9. Be sure to look this up and the other scriptures given in this program in your own Bible. Don’t believe me just because I say it. Read it and prove it for yourself out of your own Bible!

“To me… this grace was given… to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:8-9).

The implications for this are immense. Do you realize that those who claim the law is done away are saying that the One who gave the law turned around and did away with it? That is absurd, and maybe that is why Jesus said,

“...But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

The Law is a Blessing to Those Who Follow

People, young and old alike, often see God as stern, harsh, and eager to punish. How sad that is, because He is just the opposite. As we have already seen during the first portions of this program, the God of the Old Testament is none other than the One who became Jesus Christ. As we read in Colossians 1:16:

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

And Paul tells us that the One who interacted with ancient Israel was the One who became Jesus Christ:

“For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Perhaps you were told, as I was, that the law of God is burdensome, impossible to keep, no longer required, and that Christ did it all for us. Is that what the Bible says? Notice that these ideas are wrong in all aspects. As I read earlier, the Apostle John wrote:

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

So who are you going to believe? Your neighbor? Your minister? Or, the Apostle John? And what about what Jesus Himself tells us in the Sermon on the Mount? Matthew 4:17-18:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).

Then, He shows that we must keep, not only the letter of the law, but also the spirit or intent of the law. Note this example in verses 27 and 28:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

That is about as direct a statement about what Christ requires of us as can be made, but WHY do we have the law of God? Is it to keep us from every good thing, or to keep us from every act that brings heartache and suffering? Notice God’s reaction regarding the children of Israel:

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

God knows that keeping His law keeps us out of trouble. It protects us against needless pain and suffering. Consider the very first commandment as given in Exodus 20:2-3:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3).

Maybe you’re thinking you were never in Egypt, never in bondage. But that’s the same reaction the Jews had when Jesus declared in John 8:32:

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

They were stunned by this and answered Him:

“We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free?’” (John 8:33).

And Jesus responded:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).

The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 6:16:

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

No, my friends, contrary to popular misconceptions, the law of God is not a burden, but a law that sets us free from the burdens that come as a result of violating that law. That is why the Apostle James calls it the law of liberty in James 1:25:

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

If you’d like to learn more about this perfect law of liberty that sets you free, be sure to order your free copy of The Ten Commandments.

And come back again next week when Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will bring you more good news of Tomorrow’s World and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

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

Is There Any Way to Find Peace?

We’re living in a troubled world. And our problems have only gotten worse with the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts today say America is going through a mental health crisis. In fact, in October of 2020, the American Psychological Association created the publication Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis.

Consider some of the findings:

"Despite several months of acclimating to a new reality and societal upheaval spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are struggling to cope…. Nearly 2 in 3 adults (65%) say the current amount of uncertainty in our nation causes them stress. Further, 3 in 5 (60%) say the number of issues America faces currently is overwhelming to them…. Issues they are stressed about are not going away, they are piling up" (p. 2).

Think about it. The effect of the virus has had a dramatic impact on many more people than just those touched directly by the disease. The societal disruption it has caused has affected the mental and emotional health of millions of Americans. And it’s the same in many places around the world. On October 5, 2020, the World Health Organization published an article stating this:

"Bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones…. The pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services" ("COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey," October 5, 2020).

How can we survive the trials and difficulties of these troubling times? How do we fight the crushing sense of discouragement many face today? All too often, in our secular world, the most important stress-beating tool is ignored or outright rejected. And yet, it’s something we ALL need to put into practice, to have more peace of mind in a distressing world. What is it? Personal prayer to God.

Direct and Personal: God as a Real Confidant

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of the world through the pages of your Bible.

2020; it’s the year where everything went wrong. But this world’s problems didn’t start with the COVID crisis. Consider the Boston Globe article entitled, "Dear God, Are you out there? The world is falling apart." It’s tempting to think that all our problems just began in February and March of 2020, but life for many was challenging before that time as well.

This world has been on fire for longer than just a few months. Consider the information from the website "Global Protest Tracker." It reports that since 2017:

• There have been about 100 significant anti-government protests worldwide,
• About 30 governments or leaders have fallen as a result,
• 8 out of 12 South American countries have experienced significant protests,
• With some of the most violent government crackdowns against protestors being in Iran, Iraq, and Nicaragua.

Society around the world is convulsing. So, what should we do? The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, has a website that explains that there are things we should do in difficult times to maintain a positive mental framework. Connecting with loved ones is vital. Not succumbing to isolation and loneliness is crucial.

Avoiding getting caught up in the negative media, and taking care of our physical health, all are good pieces of advice. Even so, there is something else which goes far beyond these factors. What is that something else? Seeking the peace of mind that only comes through personal, private contact with God in prayer.

How can you experience more peace of mind in your life? In this program, we’ll discuss several keys to achieving peace of mind through personal prayer. The first is:

1. Talk to God in a direct and personal way

Do you talk to God in prayer, as if He’s real and is actually listening? Surprisingly, many do not. The Guardian website ran an article in 2018, entitled "Non-believers turn to prayer in a crisis, poll finds." Here is what the author wrote:

"…A new survey has found that one in five adults pray despite saying they are not religious…. Henry, 64, said he prays every night, kneeling by his bed, despite not being religious. ‘I worry about it quite a lot – is it some kind of an insurance policy, is it superstition or is it something more real?’… He said he had no idea if God heard his prayers, and said the act of praying did not make him feel better. ‘I wonder why I don’t stop doing it’" (January 13, 2018).

This is a fascinating survey—20% of non-believing adults in Britain DO PRAY. And as Henry mentioned, some do in spite of doubting that a real God is listening. And it has NO impact on their peace of mind.

Even those who are religious, for many of them, prayer has limited value in really affecting their lives. The article goes on to say this:

"Just over half of all adults in the UK pray… and just under half of those who pray said they believed God hears their prayers… Four in ten… say it makes them feel better."

What a tragedy. Even many religious people who do pray have no confidence that God is listening. So why pray at all if there is no connection and no sense of a Being who’s listening and who really cares?

The first key to effective prayer is to understand WHO we are praying to. We don’t just pray to an idea. We don’t pray to an ambiguous "higher power." We pray to our Father. And our Father sees us and is listening, and wants us to seek Him.

When we do earnestly seek Him, we can have a deep sense of peace of mind that comes no other way.

Let’s turn it over to Matthew chapter 6 and verse 31. Jesus said,

"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things…" (Matthew 6:31-34).

Notice what He says. Don’t agonize about our daily needs, even when times are tough and budgets are tight. Because the God we serve is the One who provides all those things.

Why is it so important that we go to God in prayer? Because oftentimes the things that stress us the most are the things we can’t control: our worries about our job, our financial situation, our health, or how we’ll put food on the table or pay the mortgage.

I recently heard of a story on a local news program of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. After her diagnosis, she was not allowed to go to work, because she was now at high risk for getting the coronavirus. And yet she couldn’t work from home, so she was furloughed. Yet, she wasn’t able to move forward with her cancer treatment because of her job situation, so she was left in limbo, and at the publishing of the story was three months behind on her mortgage with no hope in sight.

You might be facing something similar. You might feel like you’re drowning because of the pressures this current crisis is putting on you. Seek God in prayer. He’s YOUR Father, too. His Son DIED for you. He will PROVIDE for you, if you seek Him in heartfelt and persistent prayer. And in the process, you will find peace of mind that passes human understanding.

The key is getting our focus on Him, in personal, private prayer. Jesus also said in Matthew chapter 6 verse 7,

"And when you pray, [not IF you pray, but WHEN you pray] do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:7).

Have you ever noticed that the first half of this model prayer is directed at talking to God, and praising and thanking Him? He is real. He is good, He is holy, loving, caring and compassionate. He has a plan He’s working out. But often our prayers can become just a laundry list of "I need this and I need that." When we pray, the first thing we need to do is get our mind on God, and Who He really is.

The Apostle Paul wrote, in Philippians 4:6,

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

It all starts with thanksgiving. Our attitude toward prayer must begin with acknowledging Who He is and focusing our minds on HIS will…not our own. That’s the starting point for real peace in this troubling world.

Wisdom and Strength: God as the Real Source

And that brings us to the second key in today’s program:

2. Ask God to teach and direct you.

This might seem counterintuitive. When we are under stress, we don’t want MORE burden and guilt. We don’t want to be made to feel like our problems are OUR fault, or that we might be partially responsible for the stress we feel. That’s the LAST thing we want.

But understand what I’m saying. God made us. We are His workmanship. He created our ability to think. He designed us to have human relationships. He put us on this earth. But all too often, in our modern world, we ignore what God says about how to live. And yet He is the One who knows best how to make our life work. Why not ask Him for direction?

The Apostle James wrote, in James 1 and verse 5,

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Are we asking for God to teach us? Is this something that is part of our prayer? We have to understand where real wisdom comes from. And we need wisdom today. Why is wisdom so important? Well, consider a few examples. How hard is it to stay out of endless political debates that are largely futile, and yet bitterly divide even family members? Wisdom can help us avoid those. When under financial pressures, how easy is it to find ourselves snapping at our mates over money matters? And yet wisdom can help us choose love and unity and work together to find solutions. When facing discouragement and depression, how easy is it to fall into harmful behaviors, such as abuse of alcohol, or drugs, or misuse of sex, or falling into pornography? And yet wisdom from God teaches us how to avoid those harmful traps. It shows us that they only bring misery to us and wreck our relationships.

Wisdom from God is vital to navigating difficult times and having peace of mind. We need it today.

In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul also wrote:

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Do you want a sound mind? A sound mind is a gift from God. It doesn’t come from psychology books, or self-help magazines about relaxation techniques. Now, those things can help, but in the end, real peace of mind comes only from God. But we must ask for it.

In Hebrews 4:12, Paul wrote:

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

So how does God teach us? Through His Word, which is this Book, the Bible. We must study the Bible for answers to our questions on life. When we pray, we talk to God. When we read and study our Bible, God talks to us. If we’re not diligently reading this Book, it’s as if we are only willing to talk to God, but not listen to His instruction as well.

As a pastor, I’ve worked with people who wanted to improve their lives, but weren’t really willing to look for the answers in the Bible. Their answers came from their own imagination, and what they thought God wanted them to do. But, they failed to realize we must seek for God’s instructions by revering and listening to the Bible.

So, how can you have real peace of mind? By sincerely talking to God in personal prayer, and asking Him to teach you through His Word.

Repent and Obey: God as a Guide

The third key we’ll discuss today is:

3. Act on what God teaches you.

The coronavirus struck in early 2020. By March, it became obvious to many governments around the world, this was going to be a serious public health crisis. The danger was not just from the virus itself, but how people would respond to the virus. There were mental and emotional health dangers associated with the fallout from the pandemic. In response, the Centers for Disease Control issued advice on how to manage stress during the COVID pandemic. These are some of the suggestions that the CDC gave on their website, under the heading, "Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress":

• Take care of your emotional health
• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media
• Take care of your body (eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep)

And,

• Connect with others

These are all very common-sense pieces of advice. And they are helpful to keep in mind, when facing mental and emotional stress. But think about it. Why is it that we all-too-often listen to experts, and consider their advice as valid, and even change our behavior based on their advice…but we don’t act on the guidance of God?

What do I mean? Let’s turn to what Jesus said in John 13:17,

"If you know these things, blessed (or happy) are you if you do them."

If God made us—if He designed our minds and put together our being, don’t you think He has a thing or two to say about how we should live? For example, look at the whole matter of prayer. We might think, yes, I should really pray. Or, I should pray more consistently, or more earnestly. And, if I did, I’d probably have a better handle on my problems. But life gets busy. We get tired and worn out from the daily battle. The kids need to be put to bed. By the end of the day we’d rather sink into a chair and lose ourselves in a book or in watching TV or YouTube. And the time just slips away. And we let everything and anything keep us from connecting to our Father. In the process, without ever meaning to, we prevent ourselves from getting the mental and emotional peace of mind we really need.

The Bible is filled with advice on how to navigate difficult times. It’s overflowing with stories of real-life people. These were people who really existed, who were not myths, and they faced uncertain times and prevailed, through talking to God, and faithfully responding to Him.

Are we going to take that next step and reach out to our Father in Heaven, and really talk to Him? Are we going to open a Bible—or get a Bible—and let God show us how to survive the stressful times we’re in? Are we going to act on what we learn?

What is putting pressure on you right now? Maybe you were downsized or furloughed because of the pandemic or lost a job. Maybe you have a difficult health trial, Maybe your relationships are a mess, and you and your mate are struggling to maintain a marriage under the weight of family and financial stresses. Maybe you are struggling with an addiction that is eroding your own sense of self, and destroying your life. You want to quit, but you keep falling back into that black hole.

Did you know that God through His Word gives wisdom and real help on all of these issues and many more? We just have to be open to it and ask. And we have to start reading, and then put into practice what we learn.

When ancient King Solomon had dedicated the newly-built Temple in Jerusalem, he led the congregation in prayer to God. He implored God, to listen to his people, even when they would go astray. And, if they would repent, and turn, and seek to honor Him, he asked God to honor their prayer. Here is what God said. It’s found in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

If there ever was a time when we need repentance, and forgiveness, and healing for human beings in our nations around the world, it is now. But what if the nations and governments and leaders and people of this world don’t change? Is there anything holding you back from seeking God personally, in your life? If God is opening your heart and mind, you, too, can call on Him with sincerity, and experience the wonderful peace that comes only from knowing, seeking, and obeying Him.

Notice what the prophet Isaiah said, in Isaiah 55:6,

"Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

In these stressful times, there is help. And that is through a personal relationship with God. And that starts with private, persistent prayer.

God Is the Giver of Peace!

God will give us peace of mind, as we seek Him, ask for His help, and act on what He says through His word.

God is in control. He created everything. And He will guide us if we really want Him to. We can have real, genuine, peace of mind, through personal prayer with the One who gave us life and breath.

Thanks for watching to the end. At Tomorrow’s World, we help people understand the world by helping them understand the Bible. If you want to learn more about the Bible and understand where this world is headed, be sure to subscribe to our channel and click the notification bell. Also, if you want to get our study guide Twelve Keys to Answered Prayer for free, click here. See you next time.

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

A Year of Bad News and a Future in Doubt?

A friend sent me a funny cartoon as Daylight Savings Time was coming to an end, when we turn our clocks back an hour. The cartoon is a picture of a frog laying on its back in a position of defeat, with the caption: “I’m not turning my clock back on Sunday. The last thing we need is an extra hour of 2020!” Yes, 2020 has been an amazingly challenging year and most of us are happy it is, as the saying goes, “In the books.” It’s over and it’s now history.

But have the problems of 2020 gone away? Is COVID-19 over? What about the economic upsets? Are the protests, riots, and political divisions within countries something that ends at midnight December 31? Or will these continue into a new year?

What’s ahead for 2021 and beyond? Can we know? Stay with me if you want to know what your future is as contained in this book.

2019 and 2020 Predictions Came True

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where I’m going to give you predictions for this new year and those to follow. Predicting the future is a sticky business. Every year experts, futurists, secular philosophers, and religious prophets tell us what to expect in the year ahead. More often than not, these predictions are in error. The only thing that saves the reputation of these self-proclaimed prophets is the short memories of those who listened to them.

So why is it that we here at Tomorrow’s World think that we are any better at predicting the future when we give you predictions for the year to come? What is the source of our understanding? And most importantly, are our predictions accurate? Let’s address that question by reviewing the last two years.

Many evangelical preachers tell their audiences that the rapture and the return of Christ can happen at any time, maybe even tonight; but in my program, “2019 in Bible Prophecy,” I showed why this is a perversion of scripture by boldly stating:

[My] Prediction #1: Jesus Christ will NOT return in 2019

Nor in 2020, 21, or 22.

And the second prediction was:

There will be no rapture in 2019

Because, notwithstanding popular opinion, the doctrine of the rapture is not scriptural. We have resources on our website, TomorrowsWorld.org, that will explain this in greater detail. My third prediction was:

Prediction #3: Real peace will come, but not in 2019

Or 20, 21, or 22. Those first two predictions have proven to be true—there was no rapture and Christ did not return. The doctrine of imminence, that Christ can return at just anytime, is not found in scripture. People often look at Jesus’ statement that no man knows the day or the hour and they jump to the wild conclusion that this means that He can come at just anytime. It’s true that no one knows the hour. No one knows the exact time of His return, but they fail to recognize that Jesus also made statements about certain things that had to happen first. Notice what He said in Luke chapter 21, and verse 9:

But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately (Luke 21:9).

The Bible nowhere says that Jesus can return at just anytime. It says He will come at a time when people do not expect, but Scripture also tells us that if we are watching we will not be caught off guard. Notice this in Thessalonians:

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1–3).

Then the Scripture tells us that those who are true children of God and are watching will not be caught off guard.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:4–6).

So when someone focuses only on Jesus’ statement that no one knows the day or the hour and jumps to the wild and unfounded conclusion that He meant that He could come at just any time, it shows a total lack of understanding of the scriptures. In “2019 in Bible Prophecy” I read from the Bible some of the things this book says must happen first. And just as the first two points have proven true, so will:

Prediction # 3: Real peace will come, but not in 2019

Fellow Tomorrow’s World presenter Wallace Smith gave trends to watch in 2020 and all six were right on target.

Further Predictions and Trends to Watch Out For

Mr. Smith explained that while we don’t know exact dates, we can know where our world is headed. His first point was to:

#1: Keep an eye on Europe’s accelerating identity crisis

It will be wise to remember how that continent drew the whole world into two conflicts in the last century, taking the lives of tens of millions of people. And according to the Bible, it will happen again. January 31, 2020 saw the United Kingdom formally withdraw from the European Union and with it, a stabilizing and balancing power. Europe is still seeking direction and the withdrawal of Britain and the COVID-19 crisis only accelerated the problem. We advise you to continue watching events in Europe that will soon shake the whole world.

Mr. Smith also counseled us to:

#2: Watch the changing power dynamic among Arabic nations

Did our colleague call it correctly? 2020 saw three Islamic nations make peace with Israel—something that almost no one saw coming, and as of this recording we still have several weeks left in the year. In the next few years you should expect a greater realignment of nations in the Middle East, but this will not bring lasting peace. Notice what the Bible tells us:

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

That’s from 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Mr. Smith’s admonition to watch that part of the world is good advice. He also instructed us to watch for:

#3: The continuing decline of the United States and the British-descended nations of the world.

It’s intoxicating to hear patriotic songs such as “Rule Britannia!” or hear slogans such as “Make America great again.” But Britain is no longer great and no matter who the President may be, America can never be truly great for these reasons that Wallace Smith pointed out:

In our halls of government, on our movie screens, and in our classrooms, the growing moral rot of the United States and the United Kingdom, and other nations of the Anglosphere is on depressing display for all the world to see—all while the Ten Commandments can hardly be found.

And as a result, droughts, floods, fires, riots in our streets, and horrible division. “2020 in Bible Prophecy” again hit a bullseye. Point #4 was to watch for:

#4: Developments in the world of organized religion.

The world was shocked when it was revealed that the Bishop of Rome urged acceptance of same-sex unions. Note this October 21, 2020 USA Today quote:

“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered” (“Pope Francis endorses same-sex civil unions: They ‘have the right to be in a family’” USA Today, October 21, 2020).

Although the Vatican has pushed back saying this was taken out of context, a massive shift is occurring within professing Christianity’s largest denomination. We will do well to continue to:

Watch developments in the world of organized religion.

The year 2020 also saw some of the greatest natural disasters in recorded history. After losing 600,000 cattle in 2019 to unprecedented floods, Australia experienced the hottest and driest summer on record, accompanied by massive brush fires that killed or displaced 3 billion animals. And, the west coast of the United States saw the worst fire season on record. It seems our 2020 predictions were again on target with the counsel to watch for:

#5: Growing vulnerability to natural disasters.

Included in his comments on this point were disease epidemics, yet COVID-19 was not on anyone’s radar when that program was recorded in September 2019. However, notice this clip from the program:

But prophecy is clear that—eventually—diseases, natural disasters, and famines will begin to get the better of us, and they will devastate life on earth in the last days….

So far our colleague is batting five for five, but his last trend to watch was one that even we did not see happening to the degree it did. He said we should watch for:

#6: [an] Expanding effort to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the world.

He was specifically referring to this Work. He was not talking about a message about the person of Christ, but about Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God, and he was basing this trend to watch on Matthew 24:14:

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 (Matthew 24:14).

When the coronavirus caused the world to shut down, we expected to see income drop, but God had something else in mind. Our members and co-workers came through this year and Tomorrow’s World increased dramatically. Television coverage expanded, our Internet and social media efforts took a leap forward. We added nearly 100,000 new subscribers to our magazine (a 33% increase over 2019) and beginning January 2021, Tomorrow’s World magazine will increase from six to ten issues per year. Literature is figuratively “flying off the shelves.” Not bad, Mr. Smith—six for six!

Keys to Prophecy: Who Are Jacob’s Descendants?

Tomorrow’s World’s predictions and trends to watch have been spot on. So what’s our secret? How do we know what will happen, as well as what will not happen? The answer is simple. There is a God in heaven who foretold thousands of years in advance what to expect at this time. The prophet Daniel accurately described the time of the end in the 12th chapter, and verse 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 (Daniel 12:4).

What better way to describe modern transportation and our current knowledge explosion? There is no other time in history like this. Notice also that Jesus predicted this same time would bring mankind to the brink of self-imposed annihilation. That’s found in Matthew the 24th chapter:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21–22).

We here at Tomorrow’s World cannot predict the future, but God can, and does, tell us history in advance. Notice these words of God as recorded by the prophet Isaiah:

Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

There are many trends and sub-trends that I can pass along to you for 2021 and the years that immediately follow, but I’ll only add one to those already mentioned. This is the prediction:

There will be disaster upon disaster for America and the British descended peoples.

Few people understand the biblical identity of nations, but this knowledge, along with prophecies for these nations, puts today’s news into proper perspective. God has blessed the descendants of the Patriarch Joseph—the American and British peoples and this includes nations such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. But as we reject the One who blessed us, so He is rejecting us. No matter who the President or Prime Minister may be, neither Britain nor America, nor the other Anglosphere countries, will be great again. We can only look to disaster upon disaster, unless we repent of our national sins. Notice this from Isaiah 1, and verses 2 and 3:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isaiah 1:2–3).

The immediate audience was the Jews and the city of Jerusalem, but when you read the whole book of Isaiah, it becomes clear that many of these prophecies are dual (a former fulfillment and a latter day fulfillment) and they apply to all the tribes of Israel. Yes, not only the Jews, but descendants of his brothers—and among them, the British descended and American peoples. And we have forgotten our Maker, the One who gave us unmatched natural resources: oil and natural gas to warm and cool our homes, to run our automobiles, and to power our industries. We are rich in iron and precious minerals. Arable land and moderate weather combine to produce incredible agricultural wealth.

We see ourselves as righteous nations, but that is not the way our Maker sees us.

Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward.

Is There Hope for the West?

Today we reviewed predictions and trends proclaimed by Tomorrow’s World the last two years. Then I said I would give you a single trend to watch in 2021 and the immediate years following. We cannot know the exact timing, but the trend is certain:

There will be disaster upon disaster for America and the British descended peoples.

Notice how the prophet Ezekiel describes what is ahead for the Anglosphere:

Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. “The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the common people will tremble. I will do to them according to their way, and according to what they deserve I will judge them; then they shall know that I am the LORD!” (Ezekiel 7:25–27).

Hosea is another prophet who decries the sins, not of the Jews only, but of the whole house of Israel. Is this not a description of our peoples?

There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed (Hosea 4:1–2).

Hosea then describes natural disasters, such as Australia’s severe 2020 drought and the resulting brush fires that killed or displaced 3 billion wild animals. And if you wonder about the loss of fish stocks, talk to Newfoundland’s fishermen. Notice this in Hosea 4, verse 3:

Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away (Hosea 4:3).

Americans trust in their military, their mighty men and advanced weaponry. Yet Hosea has a warning for us. Trouble is going to arise from within. We had a taste of that in some of America’s major cities in 2020.

You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men. Therefore tumult shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be plundered… (Hosea 10:13–14).

There is good news, however, as shown by the prophet Jeremiah. Notice it at the end of this passage found in the 30th chapter of Jeremiah:

For thus says the LORD: “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,[notice this] but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:5–7).

Yes, as with a rebellious child, we are in for a terrible spanking. I know that it’s hard to believe, and not something you want to hear, but the United States and the British descended peoples are in for disaster upon disaster until we finally are overthrown by our enemies. Being overthrown by our enemies won’t happen this coming year, but it will happen in the near future.

But afterward, after the tears and sorrow, God will bring our people back from captivity. God will then give Israel, and mankind in general, a new spirit, as we read in Ezekiel the 11th chapter:

Therefore say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’” … Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:17, 19–20).

This last scripture is what Tomorrow’s World is all about. We look forward to the time when this world finally learns the lesson that it is God who knows best, and a world of true lasting peace will ensue. You can read how this is going to come about in our resource Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! There is a happy future ahead, but sadly, we have a few very bad years between now and then, unless we turn around, but that does not look likely.

Thank you for watching. Remember to click the subscribe button, and if you want a free copy of our resource Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!, click here. See you next time.