Countdown to Armageddon Newsletter Issue Number 10 -- (c) March 2001, The Family http://armageddon.countdown.org -- mailto:questions@countdown.org Hi again, we're back! I guess you all noticed that the site hasn't been updated for quite a while. That's because it's run by volunteers who pitch in with their free time. Recently for one reason or another everyone's been terribly busy and that's put the updates on hold. I hope it didn't inconvenience any of you too much. Well we're starting again. Thanks for your patience. Below you'll find a portion of a study on the tribulation and how we'll survive during that time. Thank God that he's told us these things ahead of time so we can be prepared. ________________________________________________________________ ENDTIME NEWS DIGEST A compilation of articles proving that we are indeed living in the 'Time of the End' ________________________________________________________________ APOSTASY ________________________________________________________ Vatican rejects EU's "ungodly" bill of rights The Vatican said that the Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted at the EU summit in Nice was a "godless" document. [Richard Owen, The London Times] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?apo_vatican_eus_ungodly BIG BROTHER _____________________________________________________ Aerosol can reveal envelopes' secrets An aerosol spray that makes unopened envelopes transparent so that the contents can be read has been invented. [Robert Uhlig, Electronic Telegraph] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?big_aerosol_reveal_envelope Spy in the sky fights the flab? Swiss scientists have tested the ability of the GPS to track people and gauge how much exercise they're clocking up. [Helen Pearson, New Scientist] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?big_spy_sky_fights_flab Do you know where your kids are? To many parents, it may be a dream: A little gadget that can track where a child is at all times. [Steve Kettmann, Wired] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?big_do_you_kids_are The chips are up, kids Schools in Belgium have a new electronic schoolbook computer system with an integrated chip that can locate students at all times. [United Press International] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?big_chips_up_kids CLONING _________________________________________________________ Genetics: What's in your cornflakes? Would you like to have your morning cornflakes served with milk, fruit, and bugkiller … or would you just as soon pass on the bugkiller? [Jim Hightower, AlterNet] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?clo_genetics_what_cornflakes Patent allows creation of man-animal hybrid A biotech company has taken out a patent on a process which would allow animals to be developed with body parts originating from humans. [Antony Barnett, The Observer] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?clo_patent_man_animal ANXIETY AND STRESS ______________________________________________ Japanese workers skip time off The still shaky economy and deeply entrenched social pressures are keeping Japan's workaholic work force glued to the office. [Associated Press] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?dis_japanese_skip_time_off Student suicides Massachusetts Institute of Technology is struggling with a rash of student suicides. [UPI] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?dis_student_suicides EARTHQUAKES AND NATURAL DISASTERS _______________________________ South California at risk of one-two earthquake-tsunami punch A tsunami generated by a Southern California earthquake could deliver 50-foot waves on the region's coastline with only a few minutes' warning. [Associated Press] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?ear_south_california_tsunami FAMINE __________________________________________________________ Fidel Castro on the world economy More than 820 million people in the world suffer from hunger; and 790 million of them live in the Third World. [The Globalist] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?fam_fidel_castro_economy GOSPEL PREACHED _________________________________________________ Drive to stamp out Christianity in Laos having opposite effect ... the local people say, 'There must be something to this if the government is taking such a strong stand against it. It must be right,' [Baptist Press] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?gos_drive_stamp_christianity_laos Angels prove saving grace Most people regard them as Christmas card adornments, but at least 800 Britons claim to have had encounters with angels. [Jonathan Petre, London Telegraph] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?gos_angels_saving_grace PLAGUES AND DISEASES ____________________________________________ HIV spread outstripping worst predictions The HIV/AIDS epidemic has outstripped even the worst predictions, surprising experts with the speed at which it has infected 36 million people. [Reuters] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?pla_hiv_outstripping_predictions TECHNOLOGY ______________________________________________________ Exploring the microelectronic world The semiconductor industry is edging closer to the world of nanotechnology, where components are miniaturized to the point of individual molecules and atoms. [John Markoff, NY Times News Service] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?tec_explore_microelectronic WAR _____________________________________________________________ Kids caught in the world's deadly conflicts Within the past decade, 2 million children have been killed and 6 million wounded in armed conflict. [Shelvia Dancy, Religion News Service] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?war_kids_caught_conflicts Long after wars end, landmines lie in wait for the innocents No one knows how many there are, but the estimate is between 60 million and 70 million uncleared landmines in 70 countries. They can remain active for about 50 years. [Pamela Bone, The Age Melbourne] http://countdown.org/end/link.php?war_long_after_landmines ________________________________________________________________ THE GREAT TRIBULATION How we will survive during that time ________________________________________________________________ When the antichrist reaches the "midst of the week" & tries to wipe out all religions & establish his world religion of self- worship of the devil & his idol, this is when he really starts getting into trouble--both with the peoples of the World & the religions of the World & their followers--& he begins having all kinds of wars, some of which we just read about in Daniel 11. He has wars with different areas & nations & peoples--no doubt with those who are the most religious & he has a lot of problems in those last days of his reign. And God will give him a lot of problems, too. That final 3-1/2 years will be the most difficult, as Jesus himself said, "Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the World to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Mt.24:21) Many will refuse to accept the Mark of the Beast, obey him or bow down to his Image, & as a result many will be slaughtered. It says many shall "fall by the sword, & by flame, by captivity & by spoil." (Dan.11:33) There will be 3-1/2 years of horrible persecution of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. All religions will be forbidden, banned & persecuted. (See Dan.11:36, 37.) When he first arises as a great world leader, the whole world thinks he's great & follows him, except, of course, we who really know God's Word & will recognize who & what he really is. Millions will believe in the Antichrist & follow him. It even says, "all the World wondered after the Beast!" (Rev.13:3) Well, they may all be deceived by him & wonder & wander after him for a while, at least until the middle of his reign. But when he suddenly invades Jerusalem, sets up an idol of himself in the Holy Place & sits in the Temple of God saying that he is God--"fall down & worship me & my idol & accept my brand or you're going to be killed!" At that point, obviously, many millions of people will reject the Mark, refuse to worship him & his Image, & will rebel against his Satanic kingdom, resulting in nothing but trouble from then on according to the Bible. There will be literally millions who will reject the mark of the beast & refuse to fall down & worship his Image, & who will even as nations rebel against him & fight him, which accounts for some of those wars & turmoil we just read about in Daniel. So the whole World is not going to be in perfect peace during those last 3-1/2 years, & he's not going to have absolute control. There will be all kinds of people who will rise up & realize that he's not the right guy & he's not good for them or the World, that he's the Devil himself & devilish & demonic & the worst thing that ever happened to the World. And they're going to rebel & refuse to follow his orders. They're going to refuse to take the Mark of the Beast. Remember back in Revelation 12 when Satan was finally cast out of heaven down to Earth, "having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time"? (Rev.12:12) What was the first thing he immediately began to do? "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth, he persecuted the woman"--the Bride of Christ, the Church--"& the dragon was wroth with the woman, & went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, & have the testimony of Jesus Christ!" (Rev.12:13,17) He's particularly going to be out to get you & me & anyone who loves Jesus & is a part of His Bride. And although the beast commands that no one can buy nor sell without the mark & that anyone who refuses to worship his Image should be killed, we will refuse. We will refuse both the Mark & the worship of the Image, & therefore they will try to kill us, & we will not be able to buy nor sell food or clothing or shelter or the necessities of life. But God is going to take care of us. Just because they tell you to stop worshipping the lord & to worship the Beast, to worship the Antichrist, to worship the Devil, do you have to? Even if they tell you that unless you get his Mark, 666, in your forehead or in your hand you can't buy or sell anymore, you can't go to the grocery store & buy groceries, & if you're a farmer you can't sell your produce, does that mean you have to? No! He only threatens to kill everybody. Well, the Devil's been trying to kill all God's people for thousands of years, but he's never succeeded. He's managed to kill a few, sometimes quite a few, but he's never managed to kill them all. So he may get a few of us--if he can catch us. This tribulation period will be the end of any kind of association with the system whatsoever for true Christians, any connection or any survival with its approval. It will be impossible to survive except by miracles of God & faith & living by faith in a survival situation, totally & entirely independent from the System, without its Mark & without its approval & without its benefits, unable to buy or sell. We will have to subsist underground, & do the best we can to survive & continue to witness, much like the Early Christians did from the catacombs during the Roman persecutions. In these coming days, the disobedient & undedicated Christians will no longer be able to try to serve both "god & mammon"! (Mt.6:24) It will be impossible to live within the System unless they accept the Mark of the Beast. At last the Church will be forced to obey God's call to "come out from among them, & be ye separate, & touch not the unclean thing; & I will receive you!" (2Co.6:17) But how much better if they'd "forsake all & take up their cross daily & be not conformed to this World, but be transformed" now, when it's purely voluntary! (Lk.14:33; 9:23,24; Rom.12:1,2.) As the world slips into this new dark age of anti-Christ, anti- god savagery, if we, as Christians, do not hole up in the "catacombs" beneath "Rome", we're not going to survive. We will have to go underground. The time of suffering & persecution under the Roman Empire during the early days of the Church was very similar to what will happen under the coming Antichrist Empire, because Rome was also very anti-Christ. So if you want to know what it's going to be like under the Antichrist, just read the stories & accounts of the Early Church under the anti-Christ Roman Empire. There'll be little change for the Christians in countries with totalitarian governments who are learning how to survive under a communist government. There'll be very little change for those living under governments which the Communists have taken over & where they've already learned to exist & survive & work & thrive under a totalitarian government of some kind, where open witnessing or literature distribution is totally forbidden, & even secret witnessing is dangerous but possible. Of course, if you're really following the Lord, your very life & your light & your example & your love are a constant witness in themselves & sufficient & all that God may expect of you, until they come to you & ask you why. Well, of course, when they seek you out & you know that they're sincere & they really want to know, you're going to have to tell them, & they too may become secret believers & continue to work under their government just as you do, but secretly believing, as literally tens of thousands, if not perhaps even millions, of Chinese do today. You will then have to heed Christ's admonition, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents & harmless as doves." (Mt.10:16) You'd also do well to take a tip from the wise father in East Germany who advised his son, while living under that Communist regime, "You only need to be red like a radish: Just appear to be red on the outside, but all white on the inside." to be continued ... ________________________________________________________________ Be sure to visit the following sections of our site when you get a chance: - Countdown to Armageddon http://countdown.org/armageddon - The Future Foretold http://countdown.org/futureforetold - Endtime New Digest http://countdown.org/end ________________________________________________________________ There is another interesting newsletter/magazine, called Activated. It's all about strengthening our walk with the Lord and includes subjects on the "last days" as well. Drop by and see if you like it: http://activated.org ________________________________________________________________ * You are subscribed to the Countdown to Armageddon updates newsletter. 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