July 20, 2018 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:9-10).
Why do you understand God’s TRUTH when billions of others don’t? The answer to that question is found in the scriptures quoted above. Yes, you understand God’s plan now, while most people simply don’t. But, does that mean God is a respecter of persons? NO! “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” (Acts 10:34). Just think of it, eventually, ALL of humanity will be given the opportunity for salvation.
When, I was a college student, one of my required courses was “Humanities.” In Wikipedia, the subject of humanities is defined as: “… academic disciplines that study human culture … The humanities include ancient and modern languages, literature, philosophy, religion, and visual and performing arts such as music and theatre.”
The professor who taught the class had an outstanding ability to make the subject extremely interesting. He always began his class with a thought-provoking statement or question that stimulated thought and concentration from his students.
One day, the teacher asked this question: “What one thing in life do human beings everywhere want to have more than anything else?” Well, there were a lot of hands immediately raised; several answers were given, such as “A new Lamborghini” (that answer was given to be humorous), and “Having a good marriage.” Yet, no one answered the question the way the teacher had in mind.
After many answers were given, the teacher went on to say, “…what every single human being wants in life, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religious beliefs or cultural background, is: TO BE HAPPY!” He went on to say, “Now, I’m not going to define the word ‘happiness,’ but I promise you, EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING seeks it, and they always have.”
He was right. But here’s an example of what LASTING happiness is, as defined by God… “HAPPY is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God” (Psalm 146:5).
For six thousand years man has sought his own government, religion and philosophy. However, you and I have been given an understanding about the kind of happiness that’s LASTING and not temporary! Mr. Armstrong wrote the following in his book Mystery of the Ages (pages 120-121):
Adam’s World Sentenced
When God “drove out the man” from the Garden of Eden, and barred reentrance — lest he go back and receive eternal life in sin (Gen. 3:22-24) — God PRONOUNCED SENTENCE!
God said, in effect: “You have made the decision for yourself and the world that shall spring from you. You have rejected me as the basic source of knowledge — you have rejected power from me through my Spirit to live the righteous way — you have rebelled against my command and my government — you have chosen the ‘GETTING,’ ‘TAKING’ way of Satan. Therefore I sentence you and the world you shall beget to 6,000 years of being cut off from access to me and my Spirit — except for the exceedingly FEW I shall specially call. And that FEW shall be called for special service preparatory for the kingdom of God. They shall be required to do what you have failed to do — reject, resist and overcome Satan and his WAYS, and follow the ways of my spiritual LAW.
“Go, therefore, Adam, and all your progeny that shall form the world, produce your own fund of knowledge. Decide for yourself what is good and what is evil. Produce your own educational systems and means of disseminating knowledge, as your god Satan shall mislead you. Form your own concepts of what is god, your own religions, your own governments, your own life-styles and forms of society and civilization. In all this Satan will deceive your world with his attitude of SELF-centeredness — with vanity, lust and greed, jealousy and envy, competition and strife and violence and wars, rebellion against me and my law of LOVE.
“After the world of your descendants has written the lesson in 6,000 years of human suffering, anguish, frustration, defeat and death — after the world that shall spring from you shall have been brought to confess the utter hopelessness of the way of life you have chosen — I will supernaturally intervene. By supernatural divine power I shall then take over the government of the whole world. With reeducation, I will produce a HAPPY world of PEACE. And on repentance, I shall then offer eternal salvation to all. After a thousand years of that happy world to come, I will resurrect from death to mortal life all who have died uncalled during this present 6,000 years. Their judgment shall then come. And on repentance and faith, eternal life shall be offered them.
Brethren, God has blessed us by calling us at this point in time, a blessing we should NEVER forget.
(2) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
(3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
(4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(10) Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
(11) for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:2-4, 10-11).
The day is coming when the knowledge of God and His TRUTH will be understood by the MANY, and not just the few. Man will learn for the first time what lasting happiness truly is!
(26) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
(27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Please have a good Sabbath!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Liebold