THE PATH OF CHOICE

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” Rev.11:18

     Leading up to the fulfillment of this verse, specific events must take place. The event foretold here is the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ. But before His coming the whole world will hear the last message and appeal of “the gospel of the kingdom,” as it is written: “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” Rev.18:1. Therefore, the “Ready or Not, Here I come” theology of the 'secret rapture,' and the 'suddenly, out of the blue' coming of Christ, deceives through fear and does nothing to prepare the heart for the greatest event of human history: the deliverance of every man, woman and child who have suffered through life in the hope for a better life: one that fulfills every childhood dream. The Apostles both encouraged and admonished us on this: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” I Thess.5:4; Ja.5:7. It is “the latter rain” that prepares the harvest for the coming of Jesus Christ “in the clouds” (Ps.68:34).

     The Bible literate Christian stands among the most blessed people on the Earth. This is because of their knowledge of how GOD can legally save the human race that stood condemned in their sins, and the sequence of historical events revealed in Bible prophecy. One step at a time in the right direction always brings a good result. So, before the end, GOD will see to it that the world hears the Gospel, untainted with “the tradition of men,” because multitudes will not leave their present way of life until they know they are safe in the hands of a GOD who lives to serve, as it is written: “Wherefore he [Jesus Christ] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb.7:25.

     So, to inspire a greater study of the Bible, let us take a practical look at what’s going on in the world. Today, the human race faces the challenge of its history. Stress is building between man's industry and the biosphere of earth. Man's erosion of the stability of life is guaranteed to reciprocate an equivalent retribution just as the most simple law of science reveals: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Or as society likes to put it: What goes around comes around. Common sense can discern the many merciful warnings that are evident all around us showing the harsh and devastating repercussions from man's meddling with the laws of life. Most of our leaders are blind to the simple reality: to tear down the structure of nature supporting intelligent life is to initiate the extinction of all intelligent life. And yet, the arrogance of man is so prevalent that he presumes the intellectual aptitude to defeat this Frankenstein threatening global annihilation of the human race. Due to man’s refusal to humble himself on this the severe retribution of nature against man’s assault on the "vital organs" of earth's ecosystems is merely a matter of time.

     To define this grand challenge of our generation a basic understanding of life and the laws of regeneration is imperative. The cause and effect of where we are today and where it is leading must be understood; for when nature’s backlash suddenly rises from obscurity the people of earth will (with trembling hearts) surrender their wills to those who claim they can turn things around and avert the approaching threat to human survival. Both history and Bible prophecy show that in the time of crisis our religious leaders will take the throne of human government. And as a result of the failure of their solution to end the crisis the greatest sorrow this world has ever known will be experienced by man.

     With the mass of evidence showing the continuing harm to the life, land, water and air it becomes rather absurd that man does not acknowledge his destructive and ultimately suicidal course. There can only be one reason for this blindness: the selfish pride of the human heart. The Bible does not focus on the science but rather the cause and effect of man's cruel indifference to the threat of sin because how we deal with civilization's continuing survival reflects how we treat one another. As long as selfishness is allowed free reign in our relationships with one another we really are not safe with one another.

     In light of this, the key lesson of the Bible shows the two governments competing for the supremacy of this world. GOD’S government says: I must secure your safety and happiness, and for those you love, no matter what it costs me, and only then are you safe with me. The devil’s government says: I must think of me. If that means I have to sacrifice you and those you love on the altar of ambition so be it. Now, which of these two is the predominant force ruling this world? But which one would you rather see on the throne of life's government?

     The Bible also provides the reader to see the contradictions between the views of churchmen and the GOD of the Bible. Man’s masquerade of obedience to love and virtue is exposed, and are shown to be founded on a sin-based philosophy that encourages defiance to the very Law of GOD that Jesus Christ died to honor & defend, securing the salvation of man. The church and the world’s defiance of GOD’S Sacred Law brings dishonor to the sacrifice of Christ. They have used His obedience as a license for disobedience. In light of this, there are two principles that the Bible upholds as you study these things:

1. You will never be asked to abandon your powers of reason and judgment in all that is presented in Scripture: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom.14:5).
2. You will never be asked to violate your conscience concerning justice, mercy, or love: "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (II Cor.9:7).