“Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.” (2 Thessalonians 1:2, 3) My family and I just returned from a trip to the western part of the United States, where I was able to see first-hand how the faith and love of some of our readers is growing, and it thrilled my heart. (See the Report on page 4.) Our love toward one another needs to be growing each day, and this will happen if our love for God grows each day, as we appreciate more and more His goodness and love as demonstrated by the gift of His Son. 

Religious Deception

by David Clayton

Hello friend. It will not take long to read this article, and I hope you will read right through to the end. If you do, then your eyes will be opened to the startling delusion which is rapidly sweeping over the whole world and gathering the people of planet earth into the camp of Satan. 

The Bible speaks in many places of a terrible persecution which will arise against the people of God in the last days, just before Jesus returns. (Matthew 10:22, 23; Revelation 13:15-17) Although most of us are aware of this coming crisis, yet, there is one aspect of it which is so unexpected and for which we are so unprepared, that there is great danger that even some who mean to do well, will be swept away in the confusion which accompanies this final crisis. 

Whenever the Bible speaks of the last days, there is one word which comes up again and again. This is the word, “deceive!” Jesus said, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11) 

God shows us in several passages that the people on this earth will be deceived by the devil and his agents, and that most people will be lost because of believing these deceptions. Now please consider the following question very carefully: What is the most effective way of deceiving a person? 

Well, if I wanted to deceive you, first of all I would need to gain your trust and confidence. I would need to behave in such a manner as to convince you that I am a sincere, trustworthy person. The more completely that I can get you to believe in me, then the easier it will be for me to deceive you. Please consider that point very carefully. The deceivers of the last days will be people that the whole world will be inclined to trust. In fact, they will call upon the name of Christ; they will preach and do miracles in His name, and they will be popular and well-respected. (Matthew 7:22, 23; Luke 6:26) These are the people whom Jesus was warning against when He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) 

Notice, they come to you in “sheep’s clothing.” What does this indicate? It shows that outwardly they appear to be followers of Christ. The world accepts them as followers of Christ. All men believe that these are good people. It is only the elect of God—those who are taught and led by His Holy Spirit—who are able to know the true nature of these false prophets. This, again, is another vital point to remember. In general, when people think of false prophets, they think of men such as David Koresh, the leader of the Davidian cult, who was killed at Waco, or Jim Jones, the head of the Jonestown cult that committed mass suicide in Guyana several years ago. They look at these men and say, “these are the false prophets and the deceivers that the Bible is talking about.” But hold on a minute. How many persons did these men deceive? Not very many at all. In fact, the majority of people on the earth were suspicious of them and regarded them as dangerous men. The Bible tells us that the real deceivers of these last days will “deceive many” (Matthew 24:11); “them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 13:14); and “the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 16:14) 

It is clear then, that these deceivers will be popular people. Accepted and admired by the people of the whole world, recognized and highly regarded by the political leaders, and will be people who call themselves Christians! Let us list these marks which identify these deceivers: 

• They will bear the name of Christian. 

• They will be popular and widely accepted. 

• They will be highly regarded and have connections with the political leaders of the world. 

In other words, my friend, do not look for these dangerous deceivers among the various little cults and fanatical groups around the world. These do not have the influence or the power to deceive very many people. We must look for these wolves in sheep’s clothing among the popular churches and denominations of today! What a shocking idea! To look for these deceivers in my own church? Yes! This is exactly what the Bible is trying to tell us. The only people who can truly deceive us are those in whom we put our confidence, and in whom do we put greater confidence than the leaders of our own church? This is the shocking truth. Think about it for a moment and you will realize that I am telling the truth. 

Please do not dismiss the thoughts which are presented here. Let me ask you, do you place such little value on your soul? Are you so loyal to men, to human leaders that you will entrust your soul to them in the hope that they know what they are doing? Surely, my friend, you will have the good sense to take note of the warnings of Jesus and learn to put no confidence in men. “Put ye not confidence in a guide.” (Micah 7:5) 

When the world praises Christian leaders, then you may have a good idea that these leaders are false prophets. “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26) When your church has close ties with political leaders, and is accepted and highly regarded by the people of earth, then you may know that you belong to a false church and not the true church of God. Upon the authority of God’s word I tell you this: Get out of that church, reject those leaders, or you will lose your soul! The spirit of true Christianity is always in conflict with the spirit of the world; therefore, true Christianity will always be hated and disliked by sinners. How then can God’s people be popular with the world? Please consider these plain statements: 

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:19) 

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4) 

Yet, my friend, the world loves and appreciates the popular Christianity of today! Doesn’t this tell you something? How can those who serve Satan find harmony with those who love God? Impossible! The striking truth is this: Popular Christianity, which makes up the majority of churches today, have so turned from the true way of Christ that they no longer have any idea of what is true righteousness. The world has no problem with them. They can fellowship together at ecumenical gatherings, “national days of fasting,” “prayer breakfasts,” etc. At all these gatherings we find secular, political leaders fellowshiping in harmony with church leaders and speaking from the pulpits of churches. Something is wrong! With the voice of a trumpet the facts shout at you: Something is wrong! 

The stage is set, the actors are in place. Now you can see them. They have the appearance of sheep, but if you look carefully through the eyes of the Word of God, you can see that they have the teeth, and the voices, and the hearts of ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15) Now that you can see them for what they are, the fascinating question is this: What are the deceptions with which they have confused and intoxicated the people of the world? (Revelation 17:2) 

It is impossible for us to answer this question in this article, but if you would like to understand more on this matter, then please write to us for the booklet entitled, A Time to Choose, which deals with the mark of the beast crisis. However, I would like to give you a hint. Jesus said, in Matthew 7:21-27, that claiming to be a Christian is not enough. He made it plain that the important thing is that you should be obedient to His commandments. 

It is plain that the false Christianity of the last days will deceive people into thinking that they may disobey God, and yet have salvation. The commandments of men will be exalted to the place where they are obeyed above the commandments of God. The whole world will be deceived because they have put their trust in these false shepherds. They have come to believe that they are God’s servants because they use the name of Christ; because they are gifted speakers; because they are “educated” men; because they are highly regarded by the world. Therefore, when they present an idea which is contrary to God’s Word, the whole world will accept it, because the world regards them as the servants of God. They will reject God’s commands and choose the traditions of men. (Mark 7:9) 

Friends, I am talking about your minister, your church leader; the principal religious men of your denomination. I beg of you, in God’s name, do not put your trust in these men. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” (Jeremiah 17:5) Take heed to the warnings of God’s Word. These men, who have been trained in the schools and the ways of the world, can never, while seeking popularity and power, think in the ways of Christ. 

Study the Word of God and obey it. This is your only safety. Ask God for wisdom as you study, and then obey! Let no man take your crown. (Revelation 3:11) God Himself will be your teacher. (John 16:13; Jeremiah 31:34; 1 John 2:27) 

I pray that you are one of the elect who will be saved from the greatest deception of these last days. 

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(This article was taken from a tract, written by David Clayton, entitled, “Religious Deception.” This tract is available online at www.presenttruth.info. You may request printed copies by contacting David Clayton at PO Box 23, Knockpatrick, Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies. You may e-mail him at: david@restorationministry.com. You may call him at (876) 904-7392.     Editor)

Western Trip Report

by Lynnford Beachy

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1) 

During most of July and half of August, my family and I traveled to several states in the western part of the United States to hold meetings with like believers. Praise the Lord for bringing us safely over the 10,000 miles we traveled on this trip, and for giving us some wonderful experiences. It was a great blessing to meet with brethren from around the country and to see the message of God’s love spreading far and wide. 

Our first stop was Colorado, where we had a family reunion and met with some brethren on Sabbath. While in a town called Cañon City, we found many fossilized sea shells, some of which I brought home with me. We found both the indentations of the sea shells, and the sea shells themselves. This was quite interesting, since Cañon City is 5,332 feet above sea level, so the existence of sea shells there proved that the sea covered this spot sometime in history. A few years ago, I visited a place in the northwestern part of New Mexico, where I was told that sharks teeth can be found in abundance on a desert plateau over 6,000 feet above sea level. When water covered these areas it would have covered nearly all the eastern United States. (The highest point east of the Mississippi River is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet above sea level.) All of this is evidence of the worldwide flood spoken of in Genesis. We found more evidence of the flood on our trip, as I will explain later. 

Utah 

From Colorado we traveled over the rocky mountains to Moab, Utah, where we were scheduled to have meetings Friday evening and Sabbath morning, July 18, 19. The Lord greatly blessed in these meetings. The theme of the meetings was the love of God in giving His Son to die for our sins.  Several new people were able to see the truth in God’s Word regarding the complete death of God’s Son. One man remarked that he had been taught that Christ had not really died for his sins; that only His human body died, while God’s divine Son remained alive. After seeing what the Bible says on this subject he exclaimed, “Now God’s sacrifice has meaning to me. For the first time I can see that God made a real sacrifice by sending His Son into this world to die for me. Before this, I could not see God’s love when I looked at the cross, because I thought that God’s Son was immortal while He was on this earth. Now I can see that He really died for me, and it adds so much more meaning to the sacrifice of Christ.” 

Overall, the meetings went very well, with several new people accepting the message of God’s love. I was glad to meet some of my dear brethren whom I had only written to or spoken to on the phone. Some of the brethren committed themselves to share this beautiful message with others. 

 While we were in Utah we visited several National Parks; Arches, Bryce, and Zion. It was amazing to see some of God’s beautiful handiwork that is still visible even after 6,000 years of sin and a worldwide flood. Each of these parks provide much evidence for the flood. Each rock formation was evidently the result of a large amount of water flowing through those canyons, eroding what could be eroded, and leaving the stronger portions of earth and rock as a memorial of the flood. 

Arizona 

On our way from Utah to Tucson, Arizona, we stopped at the Grand Canyon. It was awesome to see this grand evidence of the worldwide flood as described in Genesis. I had the privilege of hiking a few miles down into the canyon. Before beginning back up the canyon, I took some time to meditate on God’s love and power, and the sure proof of the flood that was all around me. I looked around at the vast canyon, noticing how each level of erosion gradually got narrower and narrower as it neared the bottom, leaving distinct, uniform platforms behind. 

At the top, the canyon averages about ten miles across, while the lowest section of the canyon near the river is about 400 feet across. When I compared the vastness of the canyon to the size of the comparatively small river that ran through it, I thought, “It is absolutely impossible for this little river to have made such a big canyon as this.” If it did it would have to have been a ten mile wide river when it began carving the canyon. Not only that, it would have had to climb uphill at least 3,000 feet, something no river has ever done. 

Two hundred miles upstream, at Moab, Utah, the Colorado River is 4,000 feet above sea level. The river naturally goes downhill as all rivers do, and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the river is 2,000 feet above sea level. The top of the Grand Canyon, however, is about 7,000 feet above sea level on the south side and over 8,000 feet above sea level on the north side. In order for the river to have created this vast canyon, it would have had to climb uphill, at least 3,000 feet, which is something that could not happen. Scientists try to explain this by saying the land has been gradually rising, but that still wouldn’t explain it, because if the land rose, then the river would find another route so that it could continue traveling down hill. To add to the dilemma of scientists, the huge depth and width of the canyon surrounding the Colorado River only exists on a relatively short section of the Colorado river. If the river made such a deep canyon in one place over millions of years, then it would naturally have made a deep canyon all along its route, but that is not the case. Much of the river is near the surrounding ground surface. 

We left the Grand Canyon and continued south to Tucson, where we were scheduled to have meetings on Friday evening and all day Sabbath, July 25, 26. The meetings were held at a health treatment center called, The Tree of Life Ministry. The Lord blessed abundantly at these meetings, which focused on God’s love in giving His Son to die for our sins. A few people heard the message for the first time, and came to appreciate it very much. The brethren had a renewed desire to share God’s love with those around them. One sister was baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as Peter instructed in Acts, chapter two. 

While we were in Tucson we were able to visit some of my friends who had known me before I became a Christian, and we were able to share some Christian tracts with them. Please pray for these people, that the Lord would reach them with His love, and bring them into His eternal kingdom. 

California 

We traveled from Tucson to Sacramento, California where we were scheduled to have meetings on Sabbath afternoon and evening, August 2. On our way, we stopped at the Sequoia National Park and saw further evidence of the flood. Some of the massive sequoia trees living today are estimated to be about 4,000 years old, dating back almost to the flood. Obviously the flood would have destroyed these trees, and any living today would not be older than around 4,400 years old. It was also amazing to see h    ow small the pinecones and seeds are for these massive trees. You could probably fit fifty sequoia seeds in a tablespoon. 

On Sabbath morning, we visited a local church in Sacramento. There were about 400-500 people there that day. My father-in-law and I attended a Sabbath school class where they were discussing the high priestly ministry of Christ. They quoted 1 Timothy 2:5, which says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” They commented that the Catholic church implemented Mary and dead saints as mediators. I asked the question, “If Jesus Christ is exactly equal to His Father in every respect, and we need a mediator between us and the Father, wouldn’t we also need a mediator between us and Christ?” This started the Sabbath school on a discussion of the relationship between Christ and His Father. The Sabbath school teacher asked, “Was there ever a time when only the trinity existed; when the trinity was all alone?” I replied, “No!” while some others said, “Yes!” The teacher said, “Yes, there was a time way back in eternity, before anything else existed, that the trinity was all alone.” He continued, “Before they created anything, all three of them got together, knowing that humans would need a Saviour, they decided to take certain roles. One of them decided to play the role of a Father, another decided to play the role of the Son, and the other decided to play the role of the Holy Spirit.” I raised my hand and asked, “If what you are saying is true, that the Father and Son are just pretending to be a Father and Son, then how can we see God’s love in giving His Son to die for our sins?” The teacher objected to using the word “pretending,” saying he preferred the words “acting,” or “role-playing.” Then he said, “We can see God’s love in this because the trinity has always loved each other.” 

I thought to myself, “Even if they loved each other, that doesn’t mean they love me.” I still fail to see love on God’s part, if the Father and His Son were just pretending to be a father and a son. 

One man objected to what the teacher suggested, saying, “But, the Bible says that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son.” The teacher answered, “Oh yes, Jesus was begotten by Mary in Bethlehem.” The man replied, “Yes, but Jesus was God’s only begotten Son before He came to earth.” The teacher began expounding on the idea that Christ and the  Father are exactly equal in age and authority. The man who had objected conceded, claiming that the Father and the Son have always existed and are the same age, even though no Bible verses were provided to prove such a theory. 

The teacher continued, claiming that if Adam and Eve had not sinned, then there would have been no need for the trinity to take these roles; and therefore, there would be no Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just three persons of a trinity without distinct roles. It makes a person wonder what the supposed persons of the trinity are going to pretend to be next, and it certainly makes a person question their honesty. 

Most of the people in the class seemed to accept these abominable ideas presented by the Sabbath school teacher, but I was still not convinced. 

I raised my hand and asked, “This idea of role playing that you are talking about, can we find anything in the Bible that suggests such a thing?” After thinking for a moment, the teacher replied, “No, there is nothing in the Bible that speaks about this,” and that ended the Sabbath school class. 

It was sad to see people so deluded that they would accept these things without taking the time to consider that they are unbiblical, and that as long as this theory is believed, it removes any possibility of seeing the magnitude of God’s love as revealed in the gift of His Son. These people need to consider the principles explained in the study entitled, “Religious Deception” on page one of this newsletter. 

On Sabbath afternoon we went to a sister’s home for our afternoon meetings. The meetings focused on the love of God in giving His Son to die for our sins. The attendance was less than any of the other meetings, but each person was very interested in the subject. Several people were there who had never heard a presentation on this subject before. We were glad to see a well-known evangelist, who lives in Sacramento, attend most of the first meeting. Several members of his church have been studying this message and had been encouraging him to come. He did not disrupt the meetings at all, but listened attentively, though he did not seem to agree with the presentation, which focused on the sonship of Christ. 

During this first meeting, I stressed the importance of understanding the identity of Christ and His relationship to His Father as a key to understanding God’s love. For if God so loved the world that He gave His friend, or companion, to die for us, we would think He was being selfish by not coming Himself. But when we realize that He loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to die for us, then we can see His love. 

I also pointed out that the large majority of the early Christians believed Christ to be the literal begotten Son of God, begotten by the Father before anything was created. The majority of Christians believed this from the time of Christ up until many years after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Origen, who lived from 185-254 AD, was the first man known to have come up with the idea that Christ was the same age as His Father, without having a beginning.1 Origen was considered a heretic for his strange views, but they were adopted as fact at the Council of Nicea, even though the large majority of bishops who attended the council (at least 279 out of 318)2 believed to the contrary; i.e. that Christ was actually the begotten Son of God. 

I pointed out that through the leading of the papacy, just as prophesied in Daniel 11, the “God of [their] fathers” was disregarded, and a “strange god” emerged whom their “fathers knew not.” (See Daniel 11:36-39) With the rise of this strange god of the papacy, and its acceptance by the majority of Christianity today, the truth of God’s Word is called heresy. When a person comes to share with them the Scripture testimony that Jesus Christ is truly the begotten Son of God, who died completely for their sins, church leaders of today call it blasphemy and heresy. “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” (Acts 24:14) 

I explained that even Trinitarians, when they seek converts from the world, will never use the trinity doctrine to convert sinners, but rather they use what they call heresy, for they know it has more power to convert people than their beloved trinity doctrine. Trinitarian churches around the world will tell sinners that God loves them so much that He gave His Son to die for their sins. This reaches the hearts of prospective converts and brings them power in their lives to overcome sin. Yet, sadly, after they are converted and come into the church, they are told that Jesus is not really God’s Son, but the second person of the trinity, and that the Son could not die for their sins, because God cannot die. Thus, the truth that gave them power in the beginning is effectively removed, leaving them with a form of godliness, without the power. 

I pointed out that if a Trinitarian were to come up to a lost sinner and say, “God, the Father, loves you so much that He sent His companion into the world to pretend to be His Son and to pretend to die for you,” that it would be as useless as anything could be, and would not possibly convert a sinner to the Lord. Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) The truth is what converts and sets men free, not lies. 

Many people have a false concept of God that denies the true sonship and complete death of Christ. I explained that no matter how hard a person tries to love a god like this, they will never be able to love him with all their heart, soul, strength and mind. This is true because God’s love is misrepresented by all false theories about Him, and we can only love Him by first seeing His love for us, as John said, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) 

The Bible says, “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) If we are beholding a god that only loves us enough to put on an act, to pretend to be someone he is not, then we will love him only enough to put on an act, to pretend to be Christians, when we are not. 

The message was brought home to many of those who attended, and I believe the famous evangelist will see the beauty of the message as well, if he will take the time to consider it and study the issue out from the Bible for himself. 

The evening meeting focused on the death of Christ, pointing out that Christ’s soul was made “an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10), not merely His body as so many churches believe. It is thrilling to your heart to realize that Christ yielded His eternal life into His Father’s hands at His death, when He said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) 

Minnesota 

From Sacramento, we traveled north to Minnesota for our next meetings, which were scheduled for Friday evening and Sabbath morning, August 8, 9.

On the way to Minnesota we went through northern Utah, where we saw large salt flats and the Great Salt Lake. This was further evidence of the flood, proving that this whole area was covered with a large amount of sea water. Much of the water exited to the south creating the Grand Canyon, but much of what remained, having no other way of escape, eventually evaporated leaving large amounts of salt deposits. 

We arrived in Minnesota on Friday afternoon, greeted by our dear brethren there. Many young people came out for the meetings. Most of the people attending were quite familiar with the message, but they had some questions they wanted clarified. The rest of the meetings focused on God’s love in giving His Son to die for our sins. It was a blessing to meet some of our brethren with whom we had only communicated by phone or letter. 

After visiting with some of our family members in Minnesota we traveled back to West Virginia, and we were very happy to be home, after being gone for five weeks. 

Summary 

As I look back on the trip, I can see that the Lord ordained every meeting, touching the hearts of those who attended. The meetings primarily focused on the love of God in giving His Son to die for our sins, because there had never been a minister come through those areas to present this message. Most of those who were familiar with this message had come to understand it through tracts and videos, and were eager to hear the message firsthand, and invite their friends to do the same. 

I am encouraged to see that the truth about God’s love has taken root in the hearts of so many people. Let all the people say, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” (1 John 3:1) 

Please pray that all the seeds that were sown will bear fruit “an hundredfold.” (Matthew 13:8) 

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¹ Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary—New Testament, page 364. Back

² Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume 3, pages 627, 628. Back

Something for the Young at Heart

This month we are continuing a series of crossword Bible studies that are based on the “These Last Days” Bible Lessons. In order to maintain the flow of the study, this crossword puzzle is not split into Across and Down sections—Across or Down is indicated at the end of each line. 

How Will the World End?

• Jesus promised, “I will ____ again.” John 14:3— 25 Down 

• Paul referred to the second coming of Christ as the “blessed ____.” Titus 2:13—21 Across 

• Christ will come in the glory of His ____. Matthew 16:27—4 Across 

• Christ will appear unto salvation for those who ____ for Him. Hebrews 9:28—9 Down 

• The disciples understood that Jesus’ coming would mark the ____ of the world. Matthew 24:3—14 Down 

• We must know the details about how Jesus will come, because there will arise ____ christs. Matthew 24:24— 18 Across 

• Note: The first chapter of Acts describes how Jesus went back to heaven.  Notice the emphasis on the fact that the disciples actually watched Him go up: “while they beheld” (verse 9) “their sight” (verse 9) “while they looked” (verse 10) “gazing” (verse 11) “ye have seen him go” (verse 11) 

• The disciples were then told that Jesus would return in ____ manner. Acts 1:11—13 Across 

• When Christ returns every ____ shall see Him. Revelation 1:7—28 Across 

• When Christ comes He will be as visible as ____ that shines from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:27—9 Across 

• All God’s ____ will come with Jesus. Matthew 25:31— 6 Down 

• God has thousands of ____ of angels. Revelation 5:11—17 Down 

• When a group of soldiers saw one angel, they were afraid and became as ____ men. Matthew 28:2-4— 27 Down 

• Note: The coming of Jesus with all His angels will be literally earth-shattering. Notice Revelation’s description: “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17) “And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. ... And the cities of the nations fell. ... And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” (Revelation 16:18-20) 

• Jesus said that we should ____ it not when people tell us that He will come secretly. Matthew 24:26— 20 Down 

• All the tribes of the earth will ____ as they see Jesus come. Matthew 24:30—1 Down 

• They will say, “The harvest is past... and we are not ____.” Jeremiah 8:20—29 Across 

• “Then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his ____.” Mark 13:27—7 Across 

• The Lord Himself shall ____ from heaven with a shout. 1 Thessalonians 4:16—27 Across 

• As Jesus descends, the dead in Christ shall ____ first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16—23 Down 

• Then the righteous who are alive will be ____ up with Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:17—15 Down 

• The living saints will meet the Lord in the ____. 1 Thessalonians 4:17—24 Down 

• Jesus promised to prepare a place for us in His Father’s ____. John 14:2—12 Across 

• The Father’s dwelling place is in ____. Matthew 7:21—12 Down 

• Our inheritance is ____ in heaven for us. 1 Peter 1:4— 5 Down 

• Jesus said that our “____ is great in heaven.” Luke 6:23—19 Across 

• When the angels gather together His elect there will be a great sound of a ____. Matthew 24:31—8 Down 

• When the trumpet sounds the righteous shall be ____. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52—2 Down 

• This corruptible will put on ____. 1 Corinthians 15:53— 3 Across 

• This mortal will put on ____. 1 Corinthians 15:53— 10 Down 

• Death will be swallowed up in ____. 1 Corinthians 15:54—26 Across 

• We must ____ in Him now in order to stand before Him then. 1 John 2:28—11 Down 

• Every man that has this hope in Him ____ himself. 1 John 3:3—16 Across 

• God offers every sinner to make ____ with Him. Isaiah 27:5—22 Down

Answers

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Part 19)

by George McDaniel

(This is the nineteenth in a series of health articles that are designed to help you gain a deeper appreciation for God’s amazing handiwork of the human body and a better understanding of how it works and how it can be better maintained by simple methods. George McDaniel is my father-in-law, and has been a registered nurse for many years, which, along with much research, has taught him many useful health principles. I pray that you are being blessed by these articles.     Editor) 

In the previous two articles, we have looked at the anatomy and physiology of breathing. This article will say something about what constitutes good air. 

In order to be healthy and feel alert and energetic we need pure, clean, fresh air. As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, it ionizes some of the air molecules (that is, gives them an electric charge). There is usually a ratio of four negative ions to five positive ions. Other factors in the environment contribute to the production of ions, such as thunderstorms, and the movement of water through the air, such as a waterfall or a rain shower. 

There are conditions which can change the ratio of positive and negative ions in the air. Heating and air conditioning can remove negative ions and even add positive ions. Being in a closed, unventilated room and breathing the same air for a period of time also reduces the number of negative ions. People use up negative ions when they breathe the air. Air containing the proper ratio of negative ions has many beneficial effects. Some of these are: 

• It produces a feeling of well-being and exhilaration. We all know how fresh the air smells after a thundershower. This is due to the negative ions produced by the lightning and by the rain. 

• A researcher studied two groups of rats with cancer. One group breathed negatively charged air; the other group breathed common room air. After one month, the cancer in the rats breathing room air was twice the size of that in the rats breathing the charged air. 

• Normally, in the airway tube to the lungs, there is a continuous, thin film of mucus covering the inside wall. This mucus is moved upward to the throat by many thousands of tiny, hairlike cilia. This action removes from the lungs any dirt or germs that have come in with the air. Negatively charged air increases the mucus flow and speeds up the rate at which the cilia move. Positively charged air does just the opposite. We can see that the quality of the air we breathe is important to successfully fight off respiratory infections. 

An increase in the ratio of positive ions can bring on adverse effects such as headache, nasal obstruction, hoarseness, fatigue, dry throat and dizziness. Positively charged air depresses the adrenal glands and their ability to secrete hormones that protect the body against stress. Thus living and working indoors can leave us vulnerable to stress unless the negatively charged outdoor air is allowed to come in through an open window or is properly treated by a heating or air conditioning unit. For the air to be properly treated, the heating or air-conditioning unit would need to be able to provide correct humidity and ion concentrations. 

From this we can see that we need to spend as much time as possible out of doors in the fresh air and sunlight. Since the outside air retains its negative ions at night, the bedroom windows should be open. Even during the winter the windows should be left open a little. In any room that is occupied, the air should be changed continuously to maintain the negative charge that is lost when the air is breathed. 

If it is not possible to adequately ventilate a room, there are devices on the market which can help freshen the air. These are devices that filter out pollutants and generate negative ions and release them into the air. These devices don’t replace the oxygen that is used up, however. 

Many people live in areas where the quality of outdoor air is very low. Sometimes alerts are given that warn people who have poor lung function to stay inside. In such circumstances people have to use air filters and conditioners to purify air that comes into their homes. It would be better not to live in such a place, but sometimes it can’t be helped. One has to do the best he/she can in such circumstances. 

The quality of indoor air often needs attention. Heating devices used in cold weather reduce the moisture in the air. This can cause the lining of the nose and throat to dry out and increase susceptibility to respiratory tract infections. Humidifiers can be used to add moisture to the air. 

A common problem in many houses is growth of mold. This not only causes damage to the structure, but is also a health hazard. Some molds can be life-threatening. Mold develops in damp areas. Waterpipe leaks, leaks in roofs and around windows can occur. Bathtubs and washing machines can overflow. Improper construction methods can cause condensation to accumulate. Refrigerator drip pans and room air conditions are a frequent source of mold and need frequent cleaning. 

If moisture needs to be removed from an area, the best approach is to take care of the source of the water. In some cases, walls, floors and ceilings that have gotten wet need to be replaced if they can’t be adequately dried. Dehumidifiers  can be a help. 

Another source of indoor air pollution is the various chemicals that are stored in the house. This includes personal care products, bug sprays, many kinds of aerosols, paint and gasoline. Read the labels on all products brought into the house and choose only the healthful ones. Gasoline, paint and insecticides should not be stored in the house, but should be in a storage area separate from the house. 

Carpets and carpet padding often contain harmful chemicals. In addition, they can harbor dust, mold and other toxic substances. Solid wood floors are better than carpets. 

So-called air fresheners usually contain harmful chemicals. They work by decreasing your sense of smell, not by eliminating the offensive odor itself. 

These are just a few of the many things to think about regarding the air we breathe every day. It will help us realize how important to our health clean, fresh air is and some of the things we can do to help improve the quality of our air. 

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